BXBX NOVEL Chapter 221: Special Seal
"Governor, we\'ve already placed the entire Crestwood city in lockdown and also the nearby cities," a woman in black blazers spoke.
She had brown hair, eye glasses, and a sharp-angled face that made her appear older than her age.
"I see," Regional Governor David Bennett, seated behind a long mahogany wooden desk, had a stern expression etched on his face as he sat tall in his leather executive chair, dressed in a crisply pressed navy suit.
Deep lines creased his forehead, evidence of how serious the situation was.
Two days ago, Crestwood was reported to have been completely wiped out by a deadly virus.
Fortunately, the other Tier 4 cities were alerted in time, using a data train, and were able to stop city-to-city transportation.
"How about the result from the C.H.O?" he asked.
The CHO ( Center for Health Operations ) was the highest authority in terms of the general health of the human race.
They were an organization that operated in Tier 1 cities and had access to the most advanced medicinal and technological equipment.
If there was an organization that could handle a deadly virus outbreak quickly and effectively, then they would be the best suited for it.
"They went to the city and obtained a sample," stated the assistant. "According to the data sent to use, it would take more than a week for them to create an antivirus, and we could take back the city after administering the antivirus in the air."
"Good," Governor Bennett sighed in relief.
Crestwood City was part of his region, and Green Valley was the central hub.
So, when the chain of command was not available for a Tier 4 city, he automatically had the highest authority over it.
"But what the hell is happening in our region? First Summit City, and now Crestwood? Is there any other information that we\'ve received?" he asked.
"Yes," the assistant replied, but before she could continue, the telephone on the governor\'s desk rang.
It was a different type of phone reserved for VIP, so he knew that it was important.
He picked up the call, and a familiar voice echoed on the other side.
It was his longtime friend, Dan Zaldyck, the director of the Hunter Association.
"Leave me first," David gestured to his assistant, signaling for her to exit the office to have some privacy.
The female assistant nodded and took her leave, closing the door and locking it to ensure that no one would disturb him.
When David saw that everything was in place, he resumed speaking through the telephone.
"So, old friend, what made you call me?" he asked.
( David, I need you to give us access to the city. I received an emergency notice from the Data Train that the hunters in Crestwood had evacuated into one of the training facilities in the mountain after realizing what was happening, ) Dan Zaldyck explained urgently.
\'Access?\' David muttered, contemplating the situation.
He was aware that hunters were generally stronger than humans, so it wouldn\'t be a shock if their antibodies had managed to eliminate the virus.
"I\'m sorry, but the whole city is now in lockdown, and only the C.H.O. could access it," David replied regretfully.
"But don\'t worry, I\'ve received news from them that they would be able to create an antivirus after a week , and we could safely rescue the hunters then."
It was the best solution he could think of under the circumstances.
There was a momentary paused on the other line.
( I don\'t want to tell you this because it\'s top secret, but… ) Zaldyck\'s voice trailed off, and even though David couldn\'t see his face, he could tell that the director of Hunter Association was hesitating.
"What is it?" he asked.
( This is actually a scouting mission, ) Zaldyck continued, his voice low and cautious. ( I got a heads up from Skyline Bay that they sent a team of "Tier 2" double digits hunters, and we haven\'t received any news yet about them. )
"Tier 2 Double Digits!" he exclaimed, standing up in shock. "Why did the Hunter Association send such powerhouses to Crestwood?"
( You didn\'t know? ) Zaldyck responded with a hint of surprise.
( Governor Demi sent us an emergency message detailing that a Demon Lord planned to attack the city. That\'s why, as protocol, I sent the report to Skyline Bay, and they sent 4 high-level hunters via the emergency route. )
"Of course not! And why did you not inform me about this before ?" David asked, his tone irritated.
( The report had Governor Demi\'s special seal of authority so I just took it at face value. You know how that thing works, right? ) Zaldyck explained.
The special seal of authority was given to every governor, and they could only use it once, but only in a state of emergency that threatened to destroy a city.
This seal directly bypassed all unnecessary requirements and approvals.
It was also the reason why Zaldyck was able to forward the report directly to a Tier 2 City.
Because of how important the Seal of Authority was, he had the impression that Governor Demi had done her due diligence to ensure that the content of the report was real and had enough supporting evidence.
The use of the Seal in a false alarm carried heavy punishment and imprisonment, so only an insane person would use it for no valid reason.
Furthermore, it required the approval of other government politicians , so she must have had pretty strong evidence to convince everyone.
"Regardless, you should have informed me!" he shouted in anger.
He was the Regional Governor, and he felt insulted that he had been bypassed.
All the stress of having to handle the backlash that had been happening in his region had pent up so he ended up venting.
( Alright, I admit my mistake, but that\'s in the past now, ) he replied, his tone colder this time.
( Considering how deadly the virus was, I doubt that incompetent governor is still alive. So, how about you just give my team access to the city so I can send my hunters on a reconnaissance mission? )
David sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyebrows.
The Hunter Association was on par of the government during emergencies, so he had to be careful with his words. He needed to make sure that this did not escalate further.
"I can give you access, but this will be a one-way ticket," he added, his tone serious.
"Your hunters will have to isolate in Crestwood and wait for the antivirus there. They\'ll also need to undergo quarantine before they can get back in Green Valley even after taking in the Anti-Virus."
( That won\'t be a problem. I\'ve already assigned a team and geared them up to ensure that they don\'t even get infected, ) Zaldyck reassured, his voice less overbearing this time .
"Alright, I\'ll send you the recommendation letter later. I just have to call the branch director of C.H.O first ," he replied.
( Thank you, and if you can, please don\'t tell them about the Tier 2 hunters. You know how C.H.O. is part of that group, right? )
"Don\'t worry about it. I don\'t want to be in the middle of the power struggle of those two either,"
All this politics and internal struggles was too complicated for him.