madnovel Chapter 196 Jonas's Ruthless Hands and the Dismantling of MI9
Chapter 196 Jonas's Ruthless Hands and the Dismantling of MI9
Chapter 196 Jonas's Ruthless Hands and the Dismantling of MI9
Robert was woken up by Mr. Hope in his sleep. When he heard that Evan had come to see him overnight, he was also very surprised. He glanced at the large clock in the corner of the bedroom and found that it was only three o'clock in the morning. He dared not delay at all and went to the study in his pajamas.
"Robert, something terrible has happened. Miss Trish, whom I planted next to Deputy Director Jonas, just reported to me that General Bahrain's mistress, who has been with him for more than ten years, is a high-ranking spy from the Fussack Empire."
Robert had barely entered the study when Evan told him the shocking news before he could even sit down.
Robert's pupils contracted sharply, clearly shocked by the news. Moreover, he had met the woman before, and General Bahrain had not concealed her existence from Robert. He, too, had not expected that the woman was a spy for the Fussac Empire.
It is known that she was deeply favored by the Bahrain General and had already given birth to his child. The Bahrain General introduced the woman to Robert in the hope that Robert could help his illegitimate child in the future.
"Is the information accurate? Explain everything clearly and in detail!"
This was the second time Evan had seen Robert's emotions fluctuate so much. The last time was when they went to visit the old count together, so he didn't hide anything and told Robert everything that had happened that day.
After listening to Evan's account, Robert confirmed the information's authenticity and felt a surge of relief: "That was close!"
Important positions like the Secretary of Defense typically require three hearings, during which Robert and the Duke of Negan will engage in negotiations and bargaining over the allocation of military spending.
In a few hours, the Military and Intelligence Committee will hold its first hearing on the candidate for Secretary of Defense.
Deputy Director Jonas had obtained intelligence a few days earlier that the Bahrain general's mistress was a spy for the Fussack Empire, but he had kept it to himself, presumably to expose it at the last moment and deal the biggest blow to Robert.
However, the failure of the operation to capture Zillingus and Evan's fierce attack at the MI9 internal meeting put Deputy Director Jonas under immense pressure.
If he doesn't do something soon, judging from the situation at the meeting, another key figure in his actions will be cut off, his prestige will be greatly diminished, and he will very likely be forced to step down.
George III had been secretly using the sealed artifacts to corrupt Irwin, disrupt the political situation, and push for reforms.
Therefore, if Jonas makes such a serious mistake, George III will outwardly be furious but inwardly overjoyed and replace him, thus indirectly cooperating with Evan to disrupt MI9.
Therefore, in order to protect Captain Johnson, who was still under internal investigation, and also to preserve his own position,
Jonas decided to bring forward the news about the Bahrain general.
To some extent, it was because of Evan that he was forced to play his card early.
"Hope, contact General Bahrain immediately and send men to 22 Tulip Street in the Hilton District to apprehend that woman and bring her to my house in the West End."
One thing to note: that woman is likely surrounded by surveillance cameras. It would be best to take her away safely. If anyone tries to stop you—I'll allow you to proceed as you see fit.
Robert's voice was icy and stern by the end, clearly indicating he had made up his mind. Mr. Hope, who hadn't heard such a harsh command from Robert in a long time, felt a chill run down his spine, then straightened up and immediately replied, just as he had in the army:
"Yes, I'll set off immediately!"
Evan, watching from the side, was stunned. A mistress who could give birth to an illegitimate child was no ordinary woman, and Robert's order implied that something was amiss and that the mother and child should be killed. How could Evan not be surprised?
The Bahrain general is unaware of this matter yet, and regardless of whether Robert did it for his own good, his reaction afterward is hard to predict.
So Evan couldn't help but interject:
"Shouldn't we discuss this with General Bahrain before making any decisions? In any case, that mother and child are clearly his favorites!"
Robert, clearly having made up his mind, waved for Hope to leave and then said to Evan:
"When it comes to critical moments, remember not to be indecisive. Even a wrong order is better than a vague one. If I hadn't given this order, Hope might have hesitated and made things worse when carrying it out."
The top priority now is to free the mother and child from Jonas's control and prevent him from obtaining concrete evidence; everything else is secondary.
Evan nodded, indicating that he had learned something. People who have been trained in the military are indeed different; they are much more decisive in making decisions and doing things than ordinary people.
Not long after Mr. Hope left, a servant delivered a newly received telegram to Robert.
Robert took the telegram, a smile spreading across his face, and then handed it to Evan.
When Evan took the document, he discovered that General Bahrain had given the same order to Robert. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, no wonder they were so close; their styles were so similar, even their tone and wording were exactly the same.
"The Bahrain general is truly sensible; it would be a difficult decision for most people."
Evan held the telegram to the candlestick beside him, burned it to ashes, and then spoke to Robert.
Robert simply smiled calmly, having already anticipated this outcome.
Before any news from Mr. Hope had arrived, Evan inquired about Robert's long-planned adjustments.
"What exactly is your final adjustment plan for MI9 that has pushed Deputy Director Jonas to this point?"
"Actually, it's nothing much. It's just that the Ninth Division of Military Intelligence was divided into two departments based on its internal and external responsibilities."
The domestic departments are under the jurisdiction of Parliament, and the foreign affairs departments are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense. I haven't even downsized them.
Robert spoke casually, but the content he revealed was earth-shattering, so much so that Evan lost his composure on the spot.
MI9 has always been the only intelligence agency in the Kingdom of Rune, and the only official force that, like the three major churches, can cultivate extraordinary individuals. It plays a pivotal role in Rune, but now Robert actually wants to dismantle it.
Robert waved his hand, gesturing for Evan to sit down, and then said:
"I know this is a big deal, but it's gotten to the point where we have no choice but to change it."
You've been in the upper echelons of MI9 for quite some time now, and you've learned a lot. You should understand that MI9 is now incredibly large.
It not only possesses the same right as the three major churches to cultivate and recruit extraordinary individuals, but also has the right to directly intervene in the police system of the Kingdom of Rune.
Over the years, with the development of colonies and the intensification of struggles between nations, intelligence agencies have expanded significantly.
Their power has grown significantly, even extending to the right to monitor the military internally.
MI9 has now become the largest super-department in the Kingdom of Rune, directly controlling nearly 50,000 personnel.
What's even more frightening is that a collective consciousness has formed within MI9, and they have begun to consciously resist interference from all sides. You should be well aware of this.
Evan thought about what he had seen and heard during the high-level meetings he had attended over the past two months, and couldn't help but nod slowly.
At high-level meetings, although there was infighting among various factions, there was collective and spontaneous unity on certain issues.
The most typical example is the accountability for the defeat in the Southern Continent War, which remains a mess to this day with no clear results, and there is strong resistance to any investigations, whether sent by the king or parliament.
"How many people know about your plan, and how many people support it?"
Evan never forgot his famous saying from his past life: Make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.
Such a major reform plan will inevitably face strong resistance from within MI9, and it will be difficult to proceed without the support of other political forces.
"You don't need to worry about that. Duke Negan and Earl Hall have long been dissatisfied with the current state of MI9, especially after Duke Negan's assassination attempt."
Although His Majesty the King was not very willing to make such drastic changes, after repeated persuasion from me, Duke Negan, and others, he finally approved the plan.
Evan chuckled inwardly. On the surface, the biggest victim of the split of MI9 was King George III. After all, from then on, the split MI9 had a clear leadership department, and there was a layer between the king and MI9.
However, such reforms were epoch-making. From then on, there were clear rules and regulations for promotion, demotion and punishment within MI9, and management became more professional and bureaucratic. This was a trend of the times and perfectly suited the needs of the Black Emperor George III's rituals.
So Evan estimated that when Robert proposed this plan, George III was probably overjoyed.
"Since we're on this topic, I'd also like to ask if you'd be willing to take this opportunity to leave MI9 and officially join the military."
Robert's eyes held a scrutinizing gaze; he wanted to see if Evan's original intentions were still what he had said: to use MI9 as a springboard to eventually enter the military.
Robert has always suspected that Evan has been betrayed by some secret organization.
If Evan's actions are not his own but controlled by others, then the person behind him would never allow Evan to leave the intelligence system.
This reform will inevitably affect the positions of a group of people. With Robert's support and Evan's merits, it is not impossible for him to become the deputy director.
Robert put himself in the shoes of the secret organization, believing that they were absolutely unable to resist the temptation.
Evan was stunned because this conflicted with his previous plans. He had originally intended to wait until the smog event was over before leaving, but Robert's reforms had given him an opportunity. The pros and cons were both there, making it difficult for him to make a decision.
After thinking for a while, Evan still couldn't make a decision and could only tell Robert that he needed to think about it, and Robert didn't say anything more.
"Regardless of what happens with the Bahrain general, we cannot use this as a pretext to take action against Jonas, but we must take control of the rats under his command!"
Robert suddenly spoke to Evan, and Evan wholeheartedly agreed.
No matter how important Jonas's position is, or how insidious he is, as long as Miss Trish is by his side, he is transparent to Robert and Evan and poses no great threat. This incident is proof of that.
If Deputy Director Jonas were to step down and be replaced, it would actually be a troublesome matter for Evan and Robert.
As for the high-ranking rat from the Fussac Empire, we naturally cannot let him control us anymore. If Jonas were to obtain any more information from him, we would be in the same passive position as we are now.
After all, sometimes the Fusak Empire knows about things in the Kingdom of Rune before the people of Rune do.
"What are you planning to do? It won't be easy to get him to give up that high-level rat."
"I need to adjust Jonas's responsibilities. He was originally in charge of intelligence work regarding the Fussac Empire."
From now on, I'll put him in charge of intelligence work for the Kingdom of Fenneport.
He, as the person in charge, bears some responsibility for the Kingdom's defeat in the war against the Fusak Empire in the Southern Continent. The results had not been announced before, and now this is being used as an excuse to adjust his responsibilities.
As for how to get him to let go of that high-level rat, that requires careful consideration.
By the way, tell your mole planted next to Jonas to be careful.
"Whether Hope can take the mother and child away or not, he must know that his information about them has been leaked, and he will definitely investigate those around him and the source of the leak." In the end, Robert solemnly reminded Evan to protect Miss Trish's safety.
"I also have this concern, so I'm planning to secretly help her become an 'audience member' in a few days."
This will make it easier for her to spot dangers around her.
Evan was also somewhat worried about Miss Tracy's situation and thought of several ways to help her. After much deliberation,
Everyone felt there was no better way than helping her become an "audience".
The "audience" possesses outstanding spirit and keen observation skills, allowing them to examine the "actors" around them like bystanders. They can glean their true thoughts from their expressions, gestures, verbal tics, and unseen actions, thus subtly influencing and guiding events in the desired direction.
These abilities were very helpful in dealing with Jonas's scrutiny, and it was difficult for the "audience" to be perceived as different from ordinary people.
Robert nodded, indicating his agreement with Irwin's method, and then said with a smile:
"This information has been a huge help to me. MI9 is monitoring you internally, making it difficult for you to gather relevant materials. I'll provide this 'Audience' potion."
Evan did not refuse Robert's offer.
Actually, he had two other purposes in making Miss Tracy a "spectator".
One was to completely bind Miss Trish to his cause. After all, becoming an Extraordinary without the permission of MI9 was an act of betrayal, and if the matter were exposed, she would likely be executed without cause.
Another reason was to probe who within MI9 might be members of the "Twilight Hermits."
According to the original work, the secretaries of Duke Negan and Admiral Emilius the Weaver were both dispatched by the Security Service and were also members of the Twilight Hermits. Moreover, the two of them may even be the same person.
This person couldn't have been arranged by Adam. MI9 conducts occult checks with '0' level sealed artifacts every so often. Even if Adam were involved, it would be difficult to hide it (the same reason why Earl Hall was unaffected).
Therefore, the person who could make such an arrangement must be someone within MI9, and not just any ordinary person.
Miss Tracy's promotion to "spectator" might fool some people, but it will be difficult to hide it from other "spectators."
Evan might be able to find out this person's true identity through this.
Of course, finding this person was not Evan's ultimate goal. Evan's ultimate goal was to use this action to tell Adam that he wanted to join the Twilight Shroud Society.
Because of the protection of the City of Calamity, Adam cannot directly hear Evan's thoughts, which gives Evan a basic sense of security, but also makes communication between Evan and Adam more difficult.
After Adam's guidance last time, Evan and Adam reached an agreement on promoting reforms in the Kingdom of Rune and driving the tide of the times, but Evan was not willing to be controlled by Adam forever.
This was also a test by Evan, a test of Adam's true attitude towards him.
Moreover, the Twilight Hidden Earth Society can be said to be the highest-level exchange group in the world. As can be seen from Roselle's diary, it would be very profitable to join it if one could take this opportunity.
Of course, another reason why Evan did this was the unexpected attention he received from the true creator. As we know from the original work, the two are mortal enemies, and Evan intended for them to keep each other in check.
Just as Evan was lost in thought, Mr. Hope returned, reeking of blood.
"Just as you predicted, Deputy Director Jonas had people lying in ambush on the perimeter, and he also received a strict order not to let the target out of sight."
Fortunately, they weren't as well-prepared as we were, and we were eventually able to get the person out.
Hearing that the person had been brought out without being executed, Robert breathed a sigh of relief and then said to Evan:
"I'm going to see General Bahrain now to handle the aftermath. You shouldn't sleep here anymore; go home first to prevent Jonas from finding out the source of the leaked information from your whereabouts."
Today is Duke Negan's birthday, and you should have received an invitation. We can talk more at the ball tonight.
Evan knew that Robert had a lot to deal with and that today would be a very busy day, so he didn't say much and simply nodded and left.
Robert watched Evan's departing figure, his eyes narrowed, and he didn't look away for a long time.
"What is it, Your Excellency?"
Hope quickly took a shower to wash away the smell of blood, and saw Robert staring blankly with a serious expression. She couldn't help but ask him a question.
"Evan has been promoted again! Although it might be due to the Tingen incident, it's still too fast!"
"ah!!!!"
Mr. Hope was astonished. He was a man of considerable experience, but he had never heard of such a rapid ascent as Evan's.
It's simply unbelievable that he went from an ordinary person to a Sequence 6 Extraordinary in just two months.
After Evan returned to his villa, the butler, who had been forced to get up in the early hours of the morning, handed Evan the invitation that had been delivered to his home the day before.
"Please prepare a gift for me; I'll take it to the dance tonight."
It's impossible to attend Duke Negan's birthday party without a gift, but Evan hates picking out gifts, especially for men, so he simply dumped the task on the butler, who wasn't surprised at all.
Having not slept all night, and having dealt with two witches in a row the day before, even someone as tough as him would be a little tired. So, after giving the butler a final instruction, he went back to his bedroom to rest.
When Evan woke up, he found it was already noon, just in time for lunch. When he went downstairs, he found that the dutiful butler had indeed instructed the chef to prepare lunch. So, while eating lunch, he listened to the butler introduce the gifts he had prepared.
The gift prepared by the butler was an ancient war sword, in the style of the Kingdom of Intis, inspired by an Intis general from the White Rose War.
After the Fifth Age, the gods no longer descended to earth, and with the constraints of sacred oaths, wars across the entire Northern Continent were no longer primarily religious wars, but rather more secular wars.
In the middle of the Fifth Era, three wars broke out in the Northern Continent that influenced its overall structure.
The Twenty Years' War, the White Rose War, the War of Broken Oaths.
The War of the Oath was the largest in scale, involved the most countries, and had the most profound impact.
However, the most important thing for the Kingdom of Rune was the White Rose War. At that time, the Kingdom of Rune had just lost to the Fusak Empire in the previous twenty-year war and lost the island of Sonia. The whole country was in a state of depression.
Then came the challenge from Intis, which was then the kingdom. The Kingdom of Rune was beset by internal and external troubles, but in the end, at the cost of a prince's life, it defeated the Kingdom of Intis and saved its own fate.
There is no historical record of the extraordinary power struggle behind this war, but based on Evan's own intuition, he believes that the problems within the upper echelons of the Soren family of the Kingdom of Intis likely began with this war.
After all, the Kingdom of Rune was at a significant disadvantage in the early stages of the war, but it was suddenly turned around, which is quite suspicious.
The reason the butler prepared such a gift was quite simple: the Negan Duke family rose to prominence during this war.
Their ancestors were originally commoners, but they were unexpectedly assigned to a commando unit mainly composed of nobles.
He was fortunate enough to survive the war and was made a baron afterward, which led to the rise of the Duke of Negan.
In subsequent wars, the Negan family achieved victories, and their titles gradually rose until the current Negan Duke became the leader of the nobility in politics.
The Duke of Negan himself was very proud of his ancestors' deeds and often mentioned them, so this gift was sure to touch the Duke of Negan's heart.
Evan chuckled inwardly as he watched the butler recount his story with great enthusiasm.
What good would it do to please Duke Negan? He's a dying man; what's the point of trying to win him over?
But he couldn't say that out loud, and since the butler had done a very good job, Evan praised him, which gave the butler a lot of emotional value.
After lunch, Evan had nothing to do. He was going to attend Duke Negan's birthday party that evening, so he remembered the task that Ms. Amanda had given him when he first joined the party. He felt it was necessary to test the demigod "craftsman" whom he had never met before.
So, Evan, unusually, rode in his own carriage toward Backlund University.