Miss Beautiful C.E.O and her system-Chapter 691: Country A is the culprit?

Apparently, the head of state gained nothing but lucrative words, yet he was relieved to see that Ling Qingyu had no strings attached to the funding.

The large wealth in the treasury could be applied wherever they saw fit, without needing her approval.

This facilitated their interests and made him hesitant to pursue the 'toll fees' of the medical island.

Although, compared to the annual payment, Ling Qingyu's immense buyout outshone like the sun to the moon, the money was not insignificant enough to be dismissed.

As Ling Qingyu had anticipated the worst, greed became the driving factor working against her.

Despite her strong temperament and unignorable aura that demanded deference, the president remained fixated on her wealth.

Regardless of the advantages previously gained, he still wished to extract more. Ling Qingyu would not fault them for their greed, but they must also be prepared to face her wrath.

Nevertheless, the head of state could not directly confront Ling Qingyu when he was already relying on external support.

He had to imply his intentions and proceed indirectly to avoid raising alarm. Thus, he redirected the conversation to the airport attack.

"Madam Ling, I am merely curious—might you have any insight into the identity of the attackers?"

"Oh? I was under the impression that Your Excellency had already been briefed by your subordinates," Ling Qingyu replied, shifting her weight to the other side of her hip.

"I have been, but the prevailing speculation is that the perpetrators were mercenaries. We remain unaware of their employers. As such, I had hoped you might possess further information," the man responded, reaching for the drink on the table.

An odd gesture, suggesting unease akin to Ling Qingyu's own posture adjustment.

"That is quite a bold conjecture," Ling Qingyu said with a faint smile, glancing out at the scenery beyond the glass wall. "However, I would advise Your Excellency to await confirmation before pressing me further."

"Oh? Then you are aware."

"I did not say that, Your Excellency," Ling Qingyu replied calmly.

"Madam Ling, your silence is rather troubling, especially when such an incident coincides with your presence here."

"Mr. President, such implications must be substantiated by evidence. Otherwise, they risk damaging our relations."

"Please, Madam. The entire nation mourns this tragedy. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated," he said, almost pleadingly.

Had Ling Qingyu failed to notice the greed and manipulation beneath his words, she would have remained blind for ages.

Attempting to obtain something from her without compensation—Ling Qingyu sneered internally. She recognized the dual approach and discerned his aims.

One motive was to capitalize on the coincidence, hoping Ling Qingyu would feel compelled to assist out of guilt for the kindness extended to her, should she be involved.

The other was that any intelligence Ling Qingyu held could prove pivotal in the political arena.

His position stood on the brink of collapse with the news of the attack spreading. If he acted swiftly and strategically, bolstered by critical intelligence, his approval ratings might stabilize his future.

Every bit of foreknowledge was valuable. The resources controlled by Ling Qingyu could serve as decisive support.

By attempting to subtly coerce her through moral obligation, the outcome would likely yield benefits. Thus, why not proceed confidently?

"Well, I do have a hypothesis, based on the reports presented by my subordinates," Ling Qingyu said, still withholding admission. "However, I must caution Your Excellency—small nations possess little diplomatic leverage before greater powers. It would be wise for your government to tread carefully."

The president straightened his posture and was about to pursue the matter further when a sudden ringing tone interrupted him.

It came from his private communication device—only a few individuals had access to that line and would call under urgent circumstances. He had informed his close confidants that he was engaged in an important meeting.

Now that the call had come, he cast a somber glance at Ling Qingyu. From her composed expression, it was clear that she had anticipated this moment long before it arrived.

The man felt as if he had lost the initiative, and a sense of foreboding occupied his mind. As the ringing intensified, he finally answered the call.

"Hmm, yes… I understand. I agree… I'll discuss with my ministers. Control the scene and don't tell others… Yes…" The President nodded repeatedly, casting glances at Ling Qingyu—likely whenever a key statement was made.

He sighed heavily and looked at her. She responded without the slightest disturbance.

"So, the goal of the attack is complicated?"

His tone resembled a confirmation more than a question. Ling Qingyu wasn't surprised that the President already harbored relevant suspicions.

Country E might be poor and lagging in terms of state machinery when compared to superpowers. However, their intelligence service was not to be underestimated. Although their processes might have taken longer and fallen behind the stronger nations, the intelligence service still activated once the entire mechanism switched into war mode.

No nation welcomed the rise of separatists or dissidents. They invested heavily in intelligence to prevent mishaps, protect national interests, and safeguard themselves. Even if their military, economy, or politics seemed weak, their intelligence could still perform with competence.

The President had either understood or guessed the attackers' objectives based on their foreign characteristics. The possibility that Ling Qingyu had been the target had diminished after reviewing the attackers' methods and movement patterns during the incident.

Even though many assailants blended into the local ethnicity, the corpses left behind painted a different story. The presence of mercenaries further supported this theory.

There was no way separatist insurgents could afford to hire mercenaries for a terrorist attack. They gained little aside from spreading fear among the public. In fact, such an attack, if launched by rebels, would be counterproductive. Public outrage and renewed national solidarity could increase his approval ratings—assuming he handled it properly.

In the days ahead, with moral high ground, the nation might even reclaim some previously lost territories, aided by the international stage. Unless the rebels were utterly foolish, no one would sabotage their own strategic goals. That was the conclusion of the intelligence service.

The President understood what it implied—an invisible third party had likely intervened and sought to ignite conflict. There was a 60 percent chance that hidden hands were manipulating the situation.

If not for Ling Qingyu and her subordinates intervening, thwarting the assault and securing evidence, the perpetrators might have gotten away without consequence.

Lacking evidence, the blame would inevitably fall on the nearest enemies—the separatists.

But what if the black hand had already infiltrated the state machinery? Cold sweat trickled down the President's spine at the thought of becoming a puppet in someone else's play.

With the right reasons and "proofs," he would have no choice but to issue orders—even against his own judgment. In that case, the attackers had already succeeded.

So—what was the true identity of the attackers? Which group possessed the power to orchestrate such complications and still align the outcome with their interests?

These thoughts pounded in his mind relentlessly.

"Madam Ling, which organization is manipulating us?"

"Must you even ask?" Ling Qingyu replied casually while inspecting her nails. "View it from the perspective of who stands to gain the most—follow the trail of interests, narrow the list based on capabilities, and the answer will present itself. Now tell me, what would be your next course of action had they succeeded?"

"War."

"And what does war bring? Kindly list only the benefits."

"Wealth—for the arms suppliers. And for the military-industrial complex, particularly if the war is prolonged, which it would be in our case," the President answered without hesitation.

"In that case, don't you already have your answer?" Ling Qingyu leaned forward and snapped her fingers.

"No… there are too many possibilities. Even your own country is not beyond suspicion," the President said, watching her reaction closely.

"Your Excellency has quite the imagination. But allow me to assure you—today, I am not acting as an agent of Country C. I stand before you as a businesswoman seeking a mutually beneficial agreement between our sides.

"Country C currently has no interest in this region; they are preoccupied with logistical challenges and are achieving greater returns elsewhere. Country R could be a possibility, but it is too distant and, frankly, relations between your nations have deteriorated in recent years due to your foreign policy positions."

The President already understood whom Ling Qingyu was implying. After filtering through the major powers with deep cooperative ties to his country, only Country A remained.

Given Ling Qingyu's earlier bold critique of his nation, the answer could not have been more apparent.

Perhaps it was not the ambition of a nation as a whole, but rather a smaller faction within—one acting on its own interests. After all, like his own government, theirs was not a monologue either.

"Country A?"

"Who else then?" Ling Qingyu spread her hands. "My subordinates overheard their language during the panicked retreat. Coupled with the bodies and their tacticians' skilled conduct, the evidence is compelling. Of course, I'm merely offering a suggestion. It depends on the additional intelligence you receive."

"Haha, Madam Ling speaks as if it's simple. Even if we knew the truth—how could we respond, other than war? We must answer the tragedy somehow."

The Head of State clicked his tongue bitterly, like an aggrieved widow yearning for a lost loved one.

"Given your impressive background, I believe you'll be able to reassure the public soon and deliver an answer that satisfies all parties."

"I'll gladly accept your kind words, then. Hopefully, Madam can extend her assistance through her channels."

"So long as you name a price and promise to abide by our covenant," Ling Qingyu chuckled.