My sister died tragically, and now I'm a citizen of my motherland, why are you crying?

Jiangcheng Heroes Association Headquarters, Conference Room.

Zhao Tiangang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

He clutched the printed statement, his fingers trembling.

The paper was crumpled and the edges crumbled in my palm.

"Shen Qinglan..."

His voice was terrifyingly low, carrying an intense, suppressed rage.

"You bitch..."

He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it hard on the ground. The paper bounced twice and rolled to the corner of the wall.

No one dared to speak in the office.

Vice President Fang Wanqing sat to his left, her expression solemn.

His secretary, Sun Mingyuan, sat to his right, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

The heads of other departments all had their heads down, wishing they could shrink into their chairs.

"Taking advantage of someone's misfortune."

Zhao Tiangang gritted his teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"She, Shen Qinglan, actually dared to take advantage of the chaos."

Fang Wanqing spoke cautiously:

"President, now is not the time to be angry."

Lincheng has issued a statement; if we don't respond quickly, public opinion will become even more unfavorable for us.

"A response?"

Zhao Tiangang sneered, "How should we respond?"

She was telling the truth.

Our heroes did indeed raise monsters, did indeed kill civilians, and were indeed putting on a show.

How am I supposed to respond?

Deny it? The evidence is there.

Admit it? Then we're finished.

Fang Wanqing fell silent.

Sun Mingyuan adjusted his glasses and tentatively said, "Chairman, headquarters... has called."

Zhao Tiangang's pupils contracted slightly.

"What did you say?"

"The headquarters chief said..." Sun Mingyuan swallowed.

"You'll have to handle this matter yourself."

If handled well, past mistakes will be forgiven.

If this isn't handled well... they might not be able to protect you.

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what it meant.

If not handled properly, Zhao Tiangang will become the scapegoat.

Although Zhao Tiangang approved every single order to raise monsters and kill civilians, who was behind it all?

Who needs those ratings?

Who needs those GG revenues?

It's not Zhao Tiangang.

He was backed by a powerful figure at headquarters.

Those are the people who need data, reports, and proof to the outside world of the Hero Association's value.

Zhao Tiangang was merely an executor.

But now that something has happened, he's the first person headquarters will push out.

Zhao Tiangang remained silent for a long time.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

The sound echoed in the silent conference room, like some kind of countdown.

Then he spoke.

"Since that's the case..."

His voice suddenly became very calm, so calm that it sent chills down one's spine.

"Then don't blame me."

He raised his head, his eyes turning cold.

"Isn't Shen Qinglan trying to win over the people of the motherland? Doesn't she want to be a good person?"

He gave a cold laugh.

"Then we'll be even more ruthless than her."

Fang Wanqing was taken aback for a moment: "What does the president mean...?"

Zhao Tiangang stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to everyone.

"First, release all the dirt we have on Thunder Police, Iron Wall, Gale, and Illusionist."

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

Sun Mingyuan's eyes widened: "President, if those scandalous stories are released..."

"I know."

Zhao Tiangang interrupted him.

"If those scandals are released, the reputation of the Jiangcheng Heroes Association will be completely ruined."

But do you think our reputation can still be salvaged?

No one answered.

"It's beyond saving."

Zhao Tiangang's voice was very calm.

"Since it's beyond saving, let's just burn it all down."

They put all the blame on those few dead people.

He claimed that raising the monster was Thunder Cop's personal act, that killing civilians was his own decision for ratings, and that he secretly colluded with the black market.

Our association was completely unaware of this.

He turned around and looked at everyone.

"The dead cannot make a defense."

Fang Wanqing's face turned deathly pale:

"But President, this will damage the reputation of the Thunder Police..."

"reputation?"

Zhao Tiangang laughed, but it was a cold laugh.

"What use is their reputation now that they're dead?"

The conference room was deathly silent.

No one dared to speak, no one dared to object.

Zhao Tiangang continued, "Second, select two from the existing A-level heroes."

Charges: Participating in black market transactions and assisting the Thunder Police in covering up the truth.

Public execution.

Sun Mingyuan's hands began to tremble: "Public execution?"

"Yes, public execution."

Zhao Tiangang's eyes remained expressionless. "We want the whole world to see that the Jiangcheng Heroes Association is cleaning house."

We are punishing the bad guys, and we are seeking justice for the dead.

We are good people.

He paused.

"As for those two A-level heroes... give their families a sum of money, a generous one."

Tell them this is for the greater good.

No one speaks.

Fang Wanqing's lips trembled, but she ultimately did not speak.

"third."

Zhao Tiangang walked back to his desk, picked up a pen, and wrote a few lines on a blank sheet of paper.

"An invitation to the people of the motherland."

Everyone was stunned.

"Invite him...to come here?"

"right."

Zhao Tiangang handed the paper to Sun Mingyuan.

"The wording should be sincere, making him feel that we genuinely want to cooperate with him."

We can make him vice president, give him real power, resources, and everything he wants.

Sun Mingyuan took the paper, his hands trembling, but he still nodded.

"But President."

Fang Wanqing couldn't help but speak up.

"Would Homelander believe that? He killed four of our S-class heroes, would he believe we genuinely wanted to cooperate with him?"

Zhao Tiangang smiled.

That smile was cold, cold to the bone.

Whether he believes it or not is not important.

The important thing is—as long as he comes, we'll have a chance.

His eyes turned fierce.

"Power is what heroes should truly possess."

He paused.

"Does he think he's a god? That he's invincible? That he's unbeatable?"

He walked to the wall and pressed a hidden switch.

The wall slowly opened, revealing a safe behind it.

Zhao Tiangang entered the password, opened the safe, and took out a silver-white metal box.

The box was smaller than the previous one, but it looked more sophisticated.

The surface of the chamber has a glowing screen that displays internal temperature and pressure data.

The lid of the box is engraved with the words: "Compound No. 4 - Prototype - For authorized use only by the heads of each division."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the box.

"This is..." Fang Wanqing's voice was a little tense.

"Compound No. 4".

Zhao Tiangang's voice was very calm.

"Headquarters' ultimate weapon. Specifically designed to execute those heinous superhuman criminals."

It is said that its formula was extracted from the blood of the first few SSS-class heroes.

It can destroy the core abilities of superhumans at the molecular level.

He gently stroked the surface of the box, as if he were touching a precious treasure.