NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3 Speech
"— 'The above is my view on the report of the Logistics and Equipment Department's work. Now, let's talk about the work of the Archives Department this week...'"
Several hours after lunch, standing on the podium of the meeting room, Lin Yun finished reading the page in his hand and was about to turn the page when he suddenly realized something. He shifted his gaze from the manuscript and looked down at the seats below, sighing imperceptibly.
The response from below was nothing short of dead.
If it were merely silence, that would have been one thing, but the current situation was clearly not just that. From the dull eyes below, it was not hard to see that most people simply weren't listening to what he was saying.
Because it was Lin Yun's first appearance in front of the employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, all staff members participated in this afternoon's work report meeting except for those on missions outside.
As an organization responsible for maintaining the safety of the magical side, employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau had quite good discipline, and it was rare to see anyone slacking off during meetings. But no matter how strict the rules were, they could not demand mental engagement from the employees or expect them to maintain high levels of focus at all times.
Regarding this, Lin Yun was not surprised.
The speech he held was provided by the General Administration Department, and most of its content was just a summary of and suggestions for the work of other departments over the past week. In fact, he himself found it boring as he read through it.
If the speaker himself couldn't muster any interest in the content of the talk, then the audience was even less likely to be engaged. The expressions of some employees were riddled with fatigue, and if it weren't for the new director standing on the podium, they probably would have fallen asleep by now.
Lin Yun scanned the room in silence, and then abruptly threw the manuscript in his hand onto the podium.
"So, let's not continue with the drivel. Let's discuss something slightly more substantial."
He walked forward two steps without expression and raised his voice slightly:
"You think it's boring and are struggling to stay awake. Frankly, so do I. The current state of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is not optimistic. Clearly, going through the motions and following procedures here is not solving any problems."
"There is an old saying in the Donghua Region, 'A new official makes three fires when taking office.' I have not come here with so many procedures to follow. I only have two points: to secure the interior and repel the exterior. These are the two things I will focus on."
"First, let's talk about securing the interior."
"As someone who has truly lived in Fangting City, I am deeply dissatisfied with your work over the past two years. As the primary defense against magical crimes in Fangting City, the performance of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in the past two years can be described as minimal at best, having practically become a sieve and failing to serve its purpose."
"The always late Remnant Beasts attack forecasts; the gray magic organizations that can never be completely eradicated; numerous unresolved missing person cases... I don't know how you feel, but put yourself in the shoes of an ordinary city resident for a moment. Can you really live in peace in such a city?"
"I am here to question you, and certainly, some of you will feel wronged, resentful, think that I, as the new director, am trying to intimidate you. After all, you have already spent so much manpower, material resources, time, and effort. Several squads of the Special Operations Department have been in combat for days on end, with some employees hardly able to get a good night's sleep. So why can't the job be done well?"
"The reason, I am sure some of you might sense, is that there is a traitor within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."
Continue your saga on empire
"Two weeks ago, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau suffered a Remnant Beasts attack orchestrated by Black Ash Dawn. Was that just a coincidence? In the past week, the search and encirclement efforts against the gray magic organization 'Black Ash Dawn' have been slow. Is this because you are slacking off, or is it because the enemy is just too lucky?"
"No, neither is the case. Black Ash Dawn is neither that lucky nor that smart. They have managed to get the upper hand in their confrontations with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau almost every time, solely because there is an insider providing them with information."
"You are working alongside a traitor, yet you know nothing about it; the secrets of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau are virtually nonexistent to outsiders, yet you are completely unaware."
"This is the first thing I will focus on, securing the interior. Now, open your eyes wide, perk up your ears, and take a good look to see who is the troublemaker among you."
"Pei Zhengchang, stand up."
Lin Yun called out calmly, his gaze fixed on a middle-aged man among the crowd, "Now, tell your colleagues, tell everyone present: In the last few days after the restructuring of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, you have entered the Archives Room four times, including this morning. What exactly have you been looking for?"
In the midst of the crowd, the man whose name was called raised his head in shock. Sitting there, he didn't know what to do for a moment.
He had hoped to continue blending in with the crowd, but then suddenly realized everyone around him was looking in his direction. He had nowhere to hide and had to stand up with a tense expression, stammering, "I was looking up... past Remnant Beasts attack incidents."
"Past Remnant Beasts cases are concentrated in cabinets 11 to 39. What were you trying to do in cabinet number 4?"
Lin Yun's expression remained indifferent: "Were you looking for Remnant Beasts in the old records of the Magical Girl's interactions?"
"I wasn't!"
The man became agitated, "You're slandering me!"
"Slandering?"
Lin Yun's face was expressionless: "Then, where were you at 10:27 this morning? Does any of your colleagues know?"
The crowd was silent as a graveyard.
"...I went to the bathroom," the man said, avoiding eye contact.
"Went to the bathroom, is that so?"
Lin Yun echoed his words, tapping on the podium below him. The large screen behind him immediately lit up, revealing a surveillance recording from a special angle.