Didn't You Say I Was Getting a Promotion?

Qu Yunhe was dazed by the Dean's words but still blankly extended his left hand. He had touched the statue with his left hand earlier, so if he had to hand something over, he had to extend his left hand. It was indeed the hand that had just touched the statue.

"Are you playing with this old man?!" Seeing him extend an empty left hand, the Dean's face grew even darker.

"I just touched the statue before me with my left hand, Dean, please calm your anger," Qu Yunhe explained hurriedly, seeing the other's grim expression.

"Good! Good! Good! You, Qu Yunhe, are something else. I didn't expect you to continue pretending in front of me." The Dean gritted his teeth as he spoke, staring at him.

"Pretending? Dean, what do you mean? I'm not pretending anything." After saying that, he started checking his pockets.

Shen Yi: "..." *Damn, this guy usually seems so calculating. What's wrong with him today? He's actually playing word games with his Dean.*

"Qu Yunhe, you have a lot of nerve. It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin." With a wave of his hand, a strange image appeared before them.

In the image, Qu Yunhe descended from the thirtieth floor, entered the elevator, and went to the fifth floor. He then walked toward the interior of the fifth floor. This video even had sound. The Qu Yunhe in the image spoke with extreme arrogance.

"What? Can't I come to your place? Even Cheng Liangsong has to be polite when he sees me."
"What has I, Qu Yunhe, ever been afraid of?"
"Cheng Liangsong isn't here; I'm the one in charge now."

The video then showed him hitting the fifth-floor staff. Qu Yunhe's expression turned slightly ugly as he watched.

"Wasn't this a dream I had?" he muttered to himself. Seeing the Dean's grim face, he hurriedly said, "Dean, that's not me. I've been framed. I never went to the fifth floor."

But the Dean didn't pay the slightest attention to his explanation, his eyes fixed on the video.

"Today I'm announcing something to you all. From now on, I, Qu Yunhe, call the shots on the fifth floor..." The person in the video was extremely arrogant, showing no respect for the fifth-floor staff.

"I thought Cheng Liangsong was an accident, but now it seems you had a scheme," the Dean said to Qu Yunhe. "Who gave you the order that you're in charge of the fifth floor? Since when did you become so capable, Minister Qu?"

The final three words, "Minister Qu," made him kneel directly on the ground.

"Dean, let me explain. This really isn't me. Someone is framing me. That day I was nowhere else; I was always on my thirtieth floor. You can ask my staff there; I never went out." He was completely bewildered. He thought he was here for a promotion and a reward; how could this be happening? He still hadn't figured out where things went wrong. He only remembered having a dream that night. In the dream, he went to the fifth floor and threw his weight around, becoming the minister of the fifth floor while his cultivation reached the Sovereign Stage. *Could I have been sleepwalking?*

Qu Yunhe's thoughts were becoming chaotic. He began to doubt if he had actually gone there while sleepwalking. In the video, Qu Yunhe not only went to the fifth floor but also into the internal laboratory, taking all the reagents. When he entered the area where the Mirage Dragon's corpse was kept, the video stopped abruptly. There were no surveillance cameras inside. Furthermore, anyone who entered would not retain their memories upon leaving. The aura of the Mirage Dragon inside was extremely thick; without special equipment or a high enough cultivation base, one wouldn't remember what happened inside.

"Hand over the reagents you took now, and I might consider letting you keep a whole corpse." At this moment, the Dean no longer looked gentle. Every word he spoke was like ice, making Qu Yunhe shudder.

"De... De... Dean, it really wasn't me. I didn't take anything from inside." He had been kneeling, but now he collapsed onto the floor, his face pale. Only those in the Research Institute understood how horrific the fate of a traitor was. He wanted to beg for mercy, but the other party wouldn't listen.

"I almost forgot, you even have Sovereign Stage cultivation? You were quite impressive at the Ye Family in Jingdu last night, using our Research Institute's name. You even killed a peak King Stage Ability User. I didn't expect you to hide your strength so deeply; even I couldn't see through your aura just now."

Every word from the Dean made Qu Yunhe's expression change. By the end, cold sweat had soaked his clothes.

"Dean, how could I possibly defeat a peak King Stage Ability User? Someone must be slandering me." He explained frantically, the fear on his face deepening. In the Research Institute, no one was allowed to create enemies for the Institute or use its name to bully others. Their work was already somewhat clandestine; if they provoked people they shouldn't, the Institute's secrets would be exposed. For such people, the punishment was severe.

"If it wasn't you, then tell me, who is the power behind you?"

"There is no power behind me! I have always been loyal to the Research Institute, treating it as my home. Dean, you must investigate clearly. I am innocent; someone is definitely slandering me." His body shook like a leaf, and his speech became stuttered.

"The Ye Family has demanded an explanation. If you don't reveal the force behind you, I can only hand you over to them."

"Dean, it really wasn't me! Look, this is the Quasi-Sovereign Stage puppet I control. I came here today specifically to hand this puppet over to you." Qu Yunhe suddenly thought of Shen Yi and pointed to the figure standing behind him, while also taking out that black crystal. He wanted to use this puppet to save his life.

"Oh? Is this the one you called me about, requesting resources to control?" The Dean took the crystal and examined it carefully. He sent a sliver of Soul Power into the black crystal.

*Spurt!*

As soon as the Soul Power merged into the crystal, Qu Yunhe spat out a mouthful of blood. His entire aura became weak. This black crystal was linked to his mental power; if someone erased the mental power on it, he would suffer a heavy injury. This kind of mental injury was far more severe than a physical one.

"Dean, feel it... it really has Quasi-Sovereign strength." Even though his mental power was damaged, he endured the pain to respectfully explain. As long as he could save his life, everything else could be regained later.

Through the black crystal, the Dean could sense the connection between the crystal and the puppet. Shen Yi also felt a powerful Soul Power invading his sea of consciousness.

【 Ding~ 】