Renqin has no other support in the town, and he has already wanted to retire.

Leifeng is way too young, and people still doubt his capability to lead. Without his support, he would never be mayor of Guangzhou.

Lianzheng was even more extreme, as the people under him were still grumpy towards the military takeover that brought them out.

Even though people in Foshan had been gradually accepted as living above ground, Lianzheng was still on the verge of being overthrown.

If it weren''t for Xiaoyun''s military, the metro lines would never have been united.

"Mr. Governor, ID, please."

After handing the ID, Xiaoyun headed straight to Yueyue''s office, only to find her missing.

"Where is Yueyue?" Xiaoyun curiously asked one of the nearby workers.

"Boss is outside examining the agent''s work. I''m not sure where she went to."

"Thank you."

Xiaoyun sat down for a bit, then left for the training field after ten minutes.

When he arrived, he headed straight past the logistics office before arriving at the new Department of External Security office.

He was immediately stopped by a guard and only let pass after he showed his ID and his face.

Next, he walked around the office for a bit, examining the inside before finally arriving at the main office.

Once again, he was told the room was emptied. But this time, Renqin was just in an interrogation room next door.

As one of the standing guards opened the door, Xiaoyun walked straight into Renqin, questioning the assassin who tried to kill him.

"He confessed everything?" Xiaoyun curiously asked as he and Renqin walked over to the other side of the one-way glass wall.

"I can''t be 100% sure. But I feel like he''s holding back information that''s more than it seems."

"Just raw instinct?"

"Not exactly. It''s just that it doesn''t make any sense for him to attempt to attack you like that.

We used every tool to try to get him to identify the real culprit behind this, but he used the same thing every time."

"He''s a lone attacker?"

"Yeah. He says he''s a spy for the Ming empire but says that the attack was of his own choice."

"It doesn''t matter if it was his own choice or not. You found any hard evidence that he''s affiliated with them?"

"Partially. We had video records of him talking to a trader who was heading north to Ganzhou.

Commander, if you want me to use force to get a real confession, I don''t mind taking the dirty laundry——"

"That''s enough. I''ll talk to him myself."

As Xiaoyun entered back inside the interrogation room alone, the guards wanted to go inside as well.

But Renqin held them back, following the order that Xiaoyun gave out just a second earlier.

---

"You''re the assassin that wanted to kill me?" Xiaoyun asked as he examined the young man before him.

Xiaoyun''s command confused both Renqin and the assassin, but he didn''t question his order in front of a stranger.

"Yes, sir."

As the two walked out of the room, Renqin finally raised his question.

"Commander Xiaoyun, why are we letting him go?"

"We don''t need to make more enemies... We already have our plates full. Besides, he''s right.

His attack was a lone wolf action. He just felt I''m a big enough threat to the military in the north."

"But what good does it do for us to let him go? He just tried to kill you." Renqin questioned.

"If he dies here, then the North will even be more alerted and might direct the Central command to do something about us.

We just have to eat this ourselves... Besides, if he really wanted to kill me, would you be stupid enough to assassin someone with a knife?"

Renqin froze for a second as he realized what Xiaoyun was trying to imply, espeically the last part.

The fact that an assassination attempt was being attempted with a knife sounded extremely stupid, no matter what faction he was from.

It was clear all those contacts after the parade by the assassins with the Ming Empire were to trick them into blaming them.

If they had thought he was from the Zhongxiong defense force instead, it would have still worked for him.

All the assassin was trying to do was stir up conflict, no matter which side it was, to distract Xiaoyun''s expansion.

"Command, but wouldn''t it be better for us just to make him disappear forever? What good does it do letting him go?"

Renqin questioned Xiaoyun''s decision as he understood Xiaoyun''s goal not to attack either side, but having him be let go appeared ridiculous.

Even if it was a failed assassination attempt or not even trying, he didn''t see the need for him to be let go.

"Would you trust a spy that is let go by the enemy after being imprisoned?"

Renqin fell into silence as he realized Xiaoyun''s play was more evil than he had ever thought.

It was career suicide for the assassin if he tried to go back or if they even caught wind of him being freed by Xiaoyun after being imprisoned.

His family and anyone related to him were going to be distrusted by the people who employed him.

Death was a better alternative for everyone related to him except himself. But he was already shown to be willing to die for them.

"Renqin, pay more attention to the outside world... I feel like something big is about to happen."

Xiaoyun suddenly suggested as the two were now at the main entrance''s exit.

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Xiaoyun was about to leave, one of the guards who was watching the assassin ran out to them.

"Commander Xiaoyun! The assassin s-somehow killed himself!"

"What?" Renqin looked a little shocked, remembering that the assassin was already tied up and searched.

Xiaoyun let out a tired sigh as if he expected the assassin to die, but just not so fast.

"Renqin, I''m going to trust you to handle this," Xiaoyun stated without turning back.

"Yes, sir."