Supreme Electromagnetic Tyrant-Chapter 531 - 346 Imperial Betrayal_2

"What?" the chairman of the competition committee was stunned for a moment.

All the other event officials looked confused. Luo Yimeng immediately came over, "Xinghuo, are you sure?"

Ji Xinghuo nodded solemnly.

Flame Starfire was also a type of fire-related ability, equally rare. When the leader mentioned Star Flame Pulse earlier, he said it was difficult to identify and easy to confuse. Ji Xinghuo had taken the initiative to enter the Star Realm Department’s database of Alien Species to understand more about it.

It included "Flame Starfire," which looked exactly the same as the Alien Species in front of him.

At the first sight of it, Ji Xinghuo had his suspicions.

However, since no one had ever seen a Star Flame Pulse, only heard of its name without knowing what it looked like, he couldn’t be certain it was a mistake.

Wanxiang Star Pupil immediately identified it. It would not make a mistake!

"Luo sister, take a look for yourself," he said.

"This is Flame Starfire, not the Star Flame Pulse."

Ji Xinghuo handed the Alien Species to Luo Yimeng.

She observed it carefully. At first, she was doubtful, but when Ji Xinghuo told her it was Flame Starfire, she also remembered and fiercely questioned the competition committee chairman, "What’s going on here, you’ve made a mistake with an Alien Species?"

The competition committee chairman was just an Advanced Mutant, his position was high, but essentially, he was a bureaucrat.

Facing the questioning of a Heavenly King, he explained, pale-faced, "Master Chao Feng, these Alien Species were provided by the Imperial Star Realm Department, and the awards were escorted and preserved by the Roman Imperial Guards. Our committee has no authority to intervene, we only cooperate with the promotion. This is also the first time I’m seeing the award with my own eyes."

Ji Xinghuo could see he wasn’t lying, so he looked towards the guards of the vault.

"Who is responsible for the escort?"

A tall Imperial Guard officer came over, took off his helmet revealing a middle-aged man’s face, and said in a deep voice, "We have been watching the award the whole time. It was delivered from the Star Realm Department this morning, and we haven’t allowed anyone to get close."

Luo Yimeng asked, "Can you guarantee that?"

"Please, Master Chao Feng, do not question the Roman Imperial Guard’s discipline and capability," the middle-aged officer huffed dissatisfied.

Ji Xinghuo’s mind raced.

If there was no issue with the Roman Imperial Guard, then there were two possibilities.

One was that the "Starfire Pulse" had been secretly switched, and the Roman Imperial Guard hadn’t noticed; the second was that the Alien Species provided by the Imperial Star Realm Department was wrong from the start.

If it was the former, it was most likely the Sun King who had instructed the American Mutants to do it.

If it was the latter...

Could it be that the Star Realm Department of the New Roman Empire could make such a mistake with an Alien Species?

Ji Xinghuo exchanged a glance with Luo Yimeng, both feeling the situation was tricky. No matter which case it was, the Star Flame Pulse was unlikely to be obtained anymore.

They hoped it was a mistake made by the Imperial Star Realm Department.

From the beginning, if there was no Star Flame Pulse, the Sun King would have gone through trouble for nothing, but the chances of this happening were incredibly low.

The competition committee chairman, clueless, suggested, "Mr. Ji, it could be that the Imperial Star Realm Department identified the wrong Alien Species. You can choose another prize as a substitute."

"I just want the Star Flame Pulse," Ji Xinghuo immediately refused, "Please contact the Imperial Star Realm Department right now."

"Alright, alright."

The chairman of the committee took out his phone on the spot to make the call.

"Minister Kirill..." He quickly informed the person on the other end of the phone about the situation, and from the way he addressed him, it seemed like he was the Minister of the Imperial Star Realm Department.

Ji Xinghuo heard the voice on the phone. The minister’s voice was very serious and he said he would come right over.

A few minutes later, a tall, thin man hurried over.

Any country that had established a Star Realm Department had influential figures as ministers, and this Minister of the Star Realm Department of the New Roman Empire, also a legendary powerhouse, was striding over with a solemn expression.

"Master Chao Feng, Mr. Ji," he introduced himself, "I am Kirill Nikonov, Minister of the Imperial Star Realm Department."

Both shook hands with him.

Kirill immediately took the Alien Species, examined it himself for a while, then handed it to an expert-looking man who was following behind him.

"Minister," the expert studied it seriously for a few minutes and reported, "This is not a Star Flame Pulse, but Flame Starfire."

Kirill’s brows were deeply furrowed.

But they soon relaxed, and looking apologetically at Ji Xinghuo, he said, "Mr. Ji, this is our work oversight. I haven’t handled this Alien Species before. I left it to the Alien Species expert to identify, but Flame Starfire and Star Flame Pulse are so similar that a mistake was made."

"Is that so?"

Ji Xinghuo looked at the expert.

"I’m very sorry." The expert was an old man, around sixty or seventy years old. He wasn’t a Mutant, wore glasses, and said with shame, "I made a mistake. I’m getting on in years, and my energy isn’t what it used to be. I’ve been making mistakes at work frequently these past two years. It seems it’s time for me to retire."

Ji Xinghuo’s expression wasn’t happy, but there wasn’t much he could do.

Previously, on the official website of the Global Marathon, the prizes were displayed with information about Alien Species, but there were no actual images of the items.

So he couldn’t be sure whether the other party had made a genuine mistake or had secretly swapped the Alien Species.

The other party insisted, leaving no room for investigation.

Kirill said, "Mr. Ji, I have the same suggestion as the chairman of the organizing committee. I recommend you choose another prize. The Blazing Star Flame is also a Transcendent Species, similar to the Star Flame Pulse. There are other Alien Species in the prizes that are more valuable."

But could it be the same?

Ji Xinghuo stared at the head of the Star Realm Department, unsure whether the other party genuinely didn’t understand or was pretending to be unaware of the true value of the Star Flame Pulse.

He couldn’t help but think that it would be better if Man Ying were here.

Or if there had been a Mind Hacker present to discern which of these people were lying.

"Give me a few minutes to think, and then I will decide."

"Mr. Ji, please take your time."

Ji Xinghuo and Luo Yimeng left the vault, and together they flew high up into the sky, soaring up to the stratosphere like rockets.

"Sister Luo, what should we do?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"I will contact the leader."

Luo Yimeng dialed the office of the leader. The channel was encrypted and safe from eavesdropping. She quickly reported the situation to Ji Daosheng.

Ji Daosheng asked, "Xiao Luo, what is your judgment?"

"The Alien Species identification expert is lying," Luo Yimeng replied with certainty. "What he said isn’t his own words. Someone has branded him with a mental imprint, causing him to speak according to someone else’s will."

There was silence on the phone for a few seconds.

Ji Xinghuo was taken aback.

A tiny shadow of a bird emerged between Luo Yimeng’s brows, black and white intermingled, ethereal and agile. She explained softly, "I have a ’Mystic Spirit Bird’ that possesses a variety of Mind Sensing abilities. It can even read the minds of those who are less powerful."

At that moment, Ji Daosheng replied, "I understand."

His voice was calm, revealing no emotional fluctuations, but Ji Xinghuo realized the gravity of the situation.

This was the worst-case scenario.

The Star Realm Department of the New Roman Empire hadn’t made a mistake with the Alien Species but had swapped out the "Star Flame Pulse." Their actions made it obvious they weren’t willing for the Alien Species to end up in his hands, but rather were intending to hand it over to the Sun King.

This meant that the New Roman Empire had struck a secret deal with the Sun King, or even with the American Federation.

This ally had betrayed them once again!

Ji Xinghuo didn’t understand.

If the New Roman Empire could act this way, they must understand how crucial "Star Flame Pulse" was to the "Fusion" combination for the Sun King. And this had to be with the Steel Emperor’s consent—didn’t he fear that advancing the Sun King to "Child of the Stars" would turn the tides against himself?

After two encounters, Ji Xinghuo did not find John Anthony to be someone who kept promises.

Unless...

The Steel Emperor also gained an irresistible benefit from this transaction.

"Xinghuo, you accept one of the prizes they suggest as if nothing is wrong," Ji Daosheng spoke again, "You can also accept the Blazing Star Flame."

"Yes, leader," Ji Xinghuo responded.

The two landed, re-entered the vault, and the officials of the organizing committee and Kirill were all waiting.

Ji Xinghuo indicated that he would not be swapping, and he wanted the Flame Starfire.

Kirill and the chairman of the organizing committee both breathed a sigh of relief, and once again expressed their apologies, thanking Ji Xinghuo.

The Global Marathon was still ongoing, with most of the contestants still running, but Ji Xinghuo did not stay to watch. He immediately returned to the hotel, and together with Zhao Manying, they boarded the plane heading back to the Asia-Pacific Community.

Also accompanying them were Luo Yimeng and Xing Lie.

A few hours later, the flight landed safely at the Chang’an airport.