Ke Xue: He mastered the steel-cutting divine skill at the start.

This is the content of General Kanbara's report to headquarters at 8:58 pm last night. After receiving the report, headquarters responded by demanding that the base strengthen its security and arrest Kidd to prevent the leakage of classified documents!

Twenty-one minutes later, base commander Yamada Sukeyoshi reported to headquarters again. This time, he reported that during the pursuit of Kidd, he encountered Kidd's accomplices. The accomplices cut off communication facilities, causing the command center to lose control of his actions. For the safety of the command center, he had to temporarily retreat to the command center and reported the situation again.

Then, according to the backend data, Yamada Sukeyoshi used base privileges to release poison gas in various passages after sealing off various areas.

A dozen minutes later, Yamada Sukeyoshi somehow managed to use the base's highest level of privileges to execute the self-destruct procedure, and the entire base was completely destroyed!

After hearing the report from the village chief, everyone, though already aware of the situation, turned ashen-faced.

"That bastard Yamada! Why did he do this? What was his purpose? He had nearly two thousand troops in the base and he didn't use them. For a mere Kid, he actually went and self-destructed, ruining the entire base!"

Prime Minister Aoyama was furious. If Yamada were still alive, he would not hesitate to turn that bastard into a sieve as a warning to others!

Chief Yamamura frowned and said, "Your Excellency, although all the known clues point to Phantom Thief Kid, this matter is probably not that simple!"

Chapter 409 Aftermath (3rd update!)

"Kamihara Masaru is a high-ranking general of the empire who has made great contributions to the country. Although he is somewhat arrogant due to his age, his abilities should not be underestimated. Yamada Sukeyoshi is the same, although he is usually lax in his manners."

However, everyone knows that he is shrewd, capable, brave, and decisive. He is a leading figure among the younger generation in the army and is extremely strong, even possessing strength comparable to that of a swordsman.

It's truly baffling that such a formidable figure would make such an incomprehensible decision within the base.

Everyone here is shrewd and knows a thing or two about the country's senior generals.

As mentioned earlier, Yamada may seem carefree, but he is actually shrewd, experienced, and highly skilled. He has made many on-the-spot decisions, led his troops through many difficult situations, and successfully completed many challenging tasks.

But it's truly unbelievable that such a person would do something like this at this time.

A minister in his fifties frowned and said, "If that's the case, there must be some unknown secrets hidden in this matter. So what kind of power would be capable of doing this?"

Director Shancun said solemnly, "It is too early to make any judgment now. The cleanup work at the base is still proceeding slowly. Because of the fractured geological structure, it will probably take several years to dig out the base from hundreds of meters below. By then, any truth will be completely buried."

Everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts. Such a shocking case, with far-reaching implications and profound impact, was something they were powerless to do!

Prime Minister Aoyama said solemnly, "Now we can only proceed from two aspects. The first is to hunt down the Phantom Thief Kid, issue the highest arrest warrant for Kid, and spare no expense or means to find Kid's whereabouts. Only by finding this despicable guy can we find clues. The second..."

His gaze fell on the village chief.

"Chief Yamamura, you are the director of the National Security Bureau and also my old subordinate. I want you to immediately draw up elite forces to form an investigation team to specifically investigate the case at the base. I can also authorize you to select capable personnel from the Metropolitan Police Department and auxiliary police forces in various prefectures to work together to solve this case!"

This incident had a huge impact. It could be publicly claimed to be an earthquake, but it couldn't be kept secret from higher-ups.

In addition, there are numerous follow-up matters that will keep them extremely busy, such as how to appease the families of the deceased soldiers and how much compensation to provide.

Furthermore, if an underground base is damaged, excavation would present significant technical challenges and be a huge expense.

After seeing the professional loss assessment yesterday, these high-level officials are extremely worried.

National finances are limited. Most of the time, it's already a blessing if the annual revenue and expenditure don't run into a deficit. Fiscal surpluses are extremely rare.

Now that such a large hole has suddenly appeared, it's truly adding insult to injury.

After everyone left, only Prime Minister Aoyama and the village chief remained in the office.

"Mountain Village, now you can tell the truth. I don't want you to hide anything!"

The village chief nodded deeply. This prime minister, who came from a fallen aristocratic family, was a formidable figure who had risen from the bottom up. He knew his shrewdness and competence well. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have been able to win the election that year.

"Your Excellency, I do have some suspicions, but they are just my suspicions. If that's really the case, I'm afraid..."

Prime Minister Aoyama angrily retorted, "Enough! What time is it now! Such a stain during my term is a huge blow to both me personally and the government. What are you still worried about now!"

The village chief wiped away his cold sweat, quickly stood up straight, nodded, and maintained a humble posture.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, do you still remember the previous plan to slay the god?"

"Project Godslayer!"

The leader of the Green Mountain tribe's mind raced, and he instantly remembered everything.

It's no wonder the prime minister was slow to realize this; such a large military base was destroyed without any foreign invasion or enemy missile attacks.

The interests involved were too great, requiring appeasement of all parties and concealment of the truth from the public. After a day and a half of this busy work, the plan, which had only just begun and had not yet been fully implemented, was completely forgotten.

"You mean to say that the base was destroyed by that Miyazaki swordsman?"

Director Yamamura shook his head: "Ever since we prepared the God-Slaying Plan, we have taken comprehensive surveillance measures against this Miyazaki swordsman. He should be breaking through to the highest level of swordsmanship and becoming the second sword saint in two hundred years. But what I want to say is that he has the ability to do it!"

Often, those in power don't need evidence; they only need their own judgment. If they believe you have the ability to do something, then that's your original sin.

The situation was similar at this time. They were trying to figure out how to deal with the enemy when problems arose here. The entire base was completely destroyed, and there was a powerful being with extraordinary strength who could fight against a regular army single-handedly.

Naturally, Miyazaki Hayao became a suspect.

"Miyazaki Yu! You're right. Based on the information we received before, this Miyazaki swordsman's combat strength is in no way inferior to that old guy Kawakami. These so-called swordsmen never obey the government's orders, and now they've actually destroyed the Empire's military base!"

Director Nakamura gave a wry smile.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this is just our speculation. Based on the information we have, it is extremely difficult for this Miyazaki swordsman to cultivate the highest secrets of swordsmanship. He is currently at his weakest point."

Based on our surveillance, he has not left his residence. I have already sent Miyazaki Kengo's disciple to confirm this.

Moreover, he has no reason to take action. Our plan to deal with him by eliminating the god has only just begun its first step. He doesn't leave his house and couldn't possibly know about it, so he lacks both the motive and the time.

So now, the whole plan has ended before it even started, because the main executor and the plan's creator are all dead, and it's very likely that Phantom Thief Kid already knows the details of the plan.

The risks of continuing this plan are simply too great.

Prime Minister Aoyama also took a deep breath.

The base explosion had already given him a huge headache. If it was done by this great swordsman, then he would have to be punished in a direct manner no matter what. Just thinking about the other party's superb martial arts skills made his scalp tingle.

If such a person cannot be killed in one blow, then there will be endless trouble in the future.

If he hadn't seen that secret report back then, he wouldn't have approved the Godslayer Project.

After all, the report confidently concluded that Miyazaki Yu's body had undergone some kind of mutation, giving him superhuman strength. If the secrets behind this could be studied, it would bring endless benefits to the country!

They could even use the secrets of his body to research elixirs of immortality!

But now it seems that the plan has completely failed, and those who proposed and carried it out are all dead.

Chapter 410 The Heartwarming Moment of Xiaolan's Return

"Perhaps this is a good thing. According to research data, martial artists who have cultivated to a very high level have an instinctive sense of the unknown regarding danger. Judging from Miyazaki Yu's previous record, if he cannot be taken down quickly, he will be almost invincible in the city."

Eliminating him within the city would be extremely difficult, especially since he is adept at utilizing various forces. That old man, Kawakami Gensai, clearly sees him as the hope of the Sword Masters Association. Furthermore, the Suzuki and Morita Foundations also have close ties with him. These are all challenging issues.

Those in power usually consider two things when making decisions: benefits and costs!

If the benefits are significant and everyone else's interests are small, then they will definitely do it.

Just like when the United States invaded some Middle Eastern countries, it could just arbitrarily label them and send planes and artillery flying. These Middle Eastern countries desperately tried to explain that they did not have these weapons of mass destruction.

However, the results were minimal. In reality, how could the Americans not know that the other side didn't have it? Of course they knew that the other side didn't have it, and it was precisely because they didn't have it that they could bully them with such confidence. If the other side actually had it, they wouldn't dare to make a move.

Because the cost would be extremely high. Provoking a country that possesses weapons of mass destruction to the extreme, leaving them with no way out, would mean mutual destruction.

Of course, the great powers didn't want to perish together with each other. They still had endless good days ahead and all sorts of supreme enjoyment to have; they hadn't had enough of living yet.

And when a country deals with an individual, it's even more so. If the benefits are big enough, even an innocent person can be arrested and dissected for research.

However, if this person is strong enough, the situation will be different.

This is similar to the treatment Superman receives. Superman possesses invincible power, so even if the government desperately wants to capture him and dissect him, they can't. However, once they discover that he is actually afraid of Kryptonite, they will immediately take action.

What happened to Miyazaki Hayao was a repeat of this incident!

Director Nakamura knew that at this moment, the Prime Minister only wanted to maintain stability and make the destruction of the base fade from people's view as soon as possible, suppressing the impact of this matter. This had already exhausted all his political resources.

If more major events continue to occur, he will have a very difficult time handling the situation!

Moreover, ever since Miyazaki Hayao brought the extraordinary world to the public eye, it has aroused the interest of almost the entire nation. After all, the more mysterious something is, the more it attracts people's speculation.

In the current situation, continuing to attack Miyazaki Yu would be an extremely foolish decision.

"I understand, Your Excellency Prime Minister. The operation against Miyazaki Kengo will be halted immediately. As for Ms. Mori, I have already ordered her release. I will personally oversee the secret investigation and will definitely find the cause of the base incident."

The Prime Minister nodded, indicating that the other party could leave. Watching his departing figure, Prime Minister Aoyama's expression shifted. A dark cloud covered the sky, and his bulky body was crammed into the seat, like a statue.

"Confucian scholars use their writings to disrupt the law, and knights use their martial arts to break the law. Hehe, this saying from the ancient Chinese is truly a wise saying. Indeed, it is true. I am certain that even if this Miyazaki swordsman did not personally take action, he is definitely involved."

His individual combat strength had actually reached a level comparable to that of a national army—this was a blatant warning! He intended to use the corpses of thousands to demonstrate his terror and resolve; if anyone dared to continue opposing him, the consequences would be extremely dire!

When a tiger has nowhere to retreat, it will not hesitate to use any means necessary!

“Some things don’t need to be too clear. As long as there is enough value, all sins can be forgiven. I also need to re-examine him.”

Inside the Mori Detective Agency.

A ray of sunlight fell on Ran Mouri's tall figure, her long, smooth hair fluttering slightly as the girl stood gracefully at the doorway.

"Xiao Lan! It's Xiao Lan, Xiao Lan, you're back! You're finally back!"

With lightning speed, Kogoro Mouri rushed to Ran's side, hugged her tightly, and tears streamed down his face.

"Xiao Lan, you didn't suffer, did you? Did those bastards give you any trouble?"

Kogoro Mouri carefully examined Ran. At this moment, Ran's clothes were neat and clean, and there was no sign of suffering. Her face was also very rosy, and her big eyes were watery. There was no trace of abuse at all.

"Mr. Mori, at least look around! There's another living person right next to Ran!"

"what?"

It was only then that Kogoro Mouri noticed that there was a dashing policewoman next to Ran, none other than Miwako Sato.

"It's Officer Sato? You're back with Ran. What's going on?"

Conan rushed out at this moment and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ran was unharmed.

Over the past two days, he has exhausted all methods and mobilized all available resources, but all his efforts have been in vain.

Unexpectedly, Xiaolan appeared before him unharmed this afternoon.

"You guys are really exaggerating. Although Xiaolan was taken away by the police for protection, we are all old acquaintances. How could we possibly make things difficult for Xiaolan? Even if it was for protection, it didn't have to be like this. It's all that Chengmu Chengming's fault. He's an arrogant guy who always does things on his own."

You should really thank Inspector Megure this time. He sent me over immediately after this happened. Although I can't take Ran with me, I can stay with her to prevent anything bad from happening.

He then kept reporting the matter to higher authorities, which is why Xiaolan was released. The matter also came to a conclusion; it seems a drug trafficking gang, having suffered greatly at the hands of Attorney Fei and been collectively arrested, was seeking revenge.

Someone offered a commission on the dark web to kidnap Xiaolan and kill her, so that you would suffer terribly. But now it's all over.

"call--"