Chapter 257: Crawford Army Disbanded

He sighed and said,

"Mayor Evander Lewis was someone I personally mentored. He was tragically infected while evacuating civilians..."

Evander Lewis was the former mayor of City D and Melody Barron’s husband.

Out of respect for their past connection and Evander Lewis’s heroic sacrifice, Justin Lawson gave Melody Barron special treatment.

He even allowed her to take part in the base’s administration.

But he never thought she would do something like this.

The amount of information Melody Barron had here was even greater than the base’s own internal files.

If someone with ulterior motives got their hands on this, the security of the entire City D Base would be compromised.

Meanwhile, Heath Chandler’s attention was drawn to an emblem on top of the pile of documents.

"Where did you find this?"

Heath Chandler asked immediately.

"It was hers, too. Mr. Chandler, you recognize this?"

Nina Jacobs had deliberately placed the emblem in the suitcase, but she hadn’t expected Heath Chandler to actually recognize it.

"It’s The Aegis Conclave."

"Could the people meeting her tomorrow also be from The Aegis Conclave?"

Heath Chandler murmured.

"He’s been tracking this organization for over three months."

"They haven’t just appeared here in City D Base; they’ve been spotted in other places too."

Justin Lawson explained to Nina Jacobs from the side.

Heath Chandler had been investigating The Aegis Conclave, not for any particular reason other than the organization being so mysterious he felt it warranted serious attention.

Nina Jacobs nodded. "I’ve heard of them."

Heath Chandler decided to play along. He would temporarily conceal the news of Melody Barron’s death and go directly to the location Nina Jacobs had overheard to try his luck.

"It seems Wyatt Jacobs is very likely a member of this organization, too."

"Are they trying to silence her?"

"I just wonder if he has any connection to this Melody Barron..."

Heath Chandler muttered to himself.

He glanced at Nina Jacobs, who was listening to Justin Lawson speak.

She had come to confess, but here was Justin Lawson comforting her instead.

"This was an oversight on the base’s part."

"If it weren’t for you, she likely would have escaped with these classified documents."

"What’s done is done. You haven’t committed a crime, and you shouldn’t feel any guilt over it."

"No one outside this room will ever know."

Justin Lawson said.

"Okay. Thank you, Commander Lawson."

Nina Jacobs bid the two men farewell and left.

Heath Chandler sighed. "It would have been better if that Melody Barron woman hadn’t died."

They might have been able to get something out of her.

Justin Lawson chuckled.

"Believe it or not, even if she weren’t dead, you wouldn’t have gotten anything out of her."

"What do you mean?"

Heath Chandler asked.

Justin Lawson flipped through the documents. "What do you think this information is?"

"This is a defector’s package. Melody Barron was most likely just trying to use this information to win favor with the other side."

"In other words, she knew very little about that organization herself."

Nina Jacobs must have realized this, which is why she killed her outright.

"But killing her just like that... it was too reckless."

Heath Chandler was a man who had undergone strict, rules-based military training.

Even though what Nina Jacobs did was more beneficial than harmful, he didn’t approve of her methods.

If everyone in the base acted first and reported later, wouldn’t things descend into chaos?

"Reckless?"

"Didn’t she come here to confess and take responsibility?"

"Besides, what she did was clearly a great service to the base!"

Justin Lawson shook his head, his tone filled with disapproval.

’No wonder my own daughter can’t stand him.’

’He’s even more stubborn than I am.’

"..."

Heath Chandler was rendered speechless. The look in Justin Lawson’s eyes was clearly one of disdain.

"The population of City D Base has surpassed 100,000."

"But she’s the only Intermediate Superpower User we have. Faced with a one-in-a-hundred-thousand talent, what good are your rigid rules?"

"Rules are meant to restrain the majority, not the exceptions."

"The strong even have the right to make the rules."

With that, Justin Lawson left.

Heath Chandler was left alone in the office.

Justin Lawson’s final words still echoed in his mind.

It wasn’t that Justin Lawson’s words had convinced him, but for the first time, he truly felt how different City D Base was.

He had visited quite a few bases in recent months.

Nearly every one of them was just barely scraping by, gasping for air.

But City D Base was an exception.

It seemed to be gradually forming its own unique way of survival.

’The strong within the base, huh? Now this is interesting.’

He wanted to see for himself whether one or two powerful individuals could truly have any meaningful impact on a base of over a hundred thousand people...

No one knew what had really happened.

But by the next day, almost everyone in the entire base knew one thing—

The Crawford Army, which had only been on the rise for a little over a month, had been disbanded.

Not only that, but the base had also sealed off Hugo Crawford’s residence, and a number of people were taken away directly by the security patrol.

"I heard Hugo Crawford was arrested too. It’s a capital offense, they say."

"It’s about time. They’re all a bunch of bad apples."

"I never would’ve guessed. Weren’t they talking about making a move on Stella? Now they’re the ones who got taken out."

"That’s what you don’t know. It’s because they pissed off someone from Stella."

"I heard it’s just a small team of about twenty people. Are they really that powerful?"

"..."

While the base was buzzing with gossip, Nina Jacobs reopened her little roadside stall.

Since she hadn’t been open for a few days, business that afternoon was exceptionally brisk.

Nina Jacobs counted Crystal Cores until her hands ached.

Luckily, Fern Spencer found a helper for her, which temporarily eased her burden.

"You could consider opening a shop in the base. It’s safe, and business would be stable."

Fern Spencer didn’t understand why Claire Warner was always so secretive.

The base’s market street was open now, and the rent wasn’t even expensive.

"You’re right, but I’m just doing this for convenience’s sake."

"I might just stop selling one day."

Nina Jacobs said.

She had also thought about opening a shop in the base.

But that would mean her identity as "Claire Warner" would be constrained by others.

And it was a potential risk.

Outside the base was different; she could disappear at any time.

"That’s true. Supplies are getting scarcer."

Fern Spencer said, understanding.

Caleb Carter also showed up and once again bought a large amount of supplies.

"Where have you been these past few days?"

Caleb Carter looked at Claire Warner, his curiosity tinged with concern.

"Resting."

Claire Warner replied.

"Hey, since you weren’t in the base, you must not know about the big thing that happened today."

Caleb Carter leaned to one side, waiting for his Space Superpower User to store the supplies.

"Are you disappointed that the Crawford Army was disbanded?"

Claire Warner could clearly see the look of reluctance on Caleb Carter’s face.

"You don’t know? I heard the Crawford Army had supplies stashed all over the place. I was hoping the three of us could team up again."

"Guess there’s no chance for us to get a piece of that now."

It was like discovering a fun new toy, only to have someone else buy it.

Caleb Carter sighed again.

’So that’s why.’

Sherry Renner had told Nina Jacobs about this as well.

However, the supplies the Crawford Army had hoarded would be confiscated by the base, so she didn’t think it was a shame.

But that evening, she noticed an update to her system’s "Zero-Cost Acquisition" mission.

It was a Five Stars mission.

The location was a parking garage, three levels underground.

’Could it belong to the Crawford Army?’

Nina Jacobs remembered passing by here just two days ago, but there hadn’t been a mission notification then.

She even went to ask Sherry Renner.

"Hugo Crawford was very cooperative in his confession, so I didn’t have to use the Talisman Paper on him."

Sherry Renner replied.