Chapter 1101 - 1101

Hearing this, a trace of disgust flashed across Lane Quincy's face.

What happened last time, plus what had just happened today, made it obvious he had completely seen through Colter Hall.

That faint expression was caught by Hadley Thorne.

He would never let a chance to create a rift slip by.

He cleared his throat and said, "Comrade Quincy may have meant well. After all, Comrade Dirk Carter serves as the head of the inspection team of The Supreme Disciplinary Committee. Doing this was also out of concern for protecting Comrade Carter's reputation."

All the responsibility was shoved onto Lane Quincy.

Colter Hall didn't dare push things too far either.

He immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, that must be what Comrade Quincy was thinking, right, Comrade Quincy?"

Looking at Lane Quincy again, there wasn't a shred of expression on his face.

He neither acknowledged nor denied it.

At this moment, Dirk Carter picked up the photo on the table, shook it, and said, "All right, is anyone else going to pursue this? If you're not, I need to see Miss Goodman off. If she actually misses her flight, that really wouldn't be good."

"Yes, yes, yes, Miss Goodman still has a plane to catch, we can't waste time. Come on, let's all go see Miss Goodman off."

Colter Hall was the first to stand and speak.

Megan Goodman smiled faintly and said to Colter Hall, "Mayor Hall, better not. I wouldn't dare trouble you. If you really send me off, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave today. As for my trip to Silverwood City, when I get back I'll be sure to tell my father everything; the impression this place left on me is simply too deep."

After saying this.

Megan Goodman turned and left.

As soon as she walked out.

Anton Lewis followed her out.

Dirk Carter went right after them, counting as seeing them off.

Once the three left.

The conference room fell silent once more.

Especially Colter Hall—his expression couldn't have looked any uglier.

He'd hoped to use these two photos to go after Dirk Carter, but after all that fuss he'd ended up the butt of the joke himself; that feeling of swallowing bitter herbs without being able to complain was truly unbearable.

He had already been worried that Lane Quincy would drift over to Hadley Thorne's side.

He hadn't expected his little maneuver to backfire. Now it was done—no matter how dim Quincy might be, he certainly wouldn't be of one mind with him anymore.

Add to that Megan Goodman's final sentence before leaving.

It was obviously a warning.

Colter Hall had already begun to quietly worry about his own career.

Out in the committee hall.

The three exchanged a few polite words.

Anton Lewis said to Megan Goodman, "Megan, get in the car first. I'll talk with Dirk for a bit."

Megan Goodman gave Dirk Carter a complicated look, nodded, and then left.

"You've got some nerve, even daring to use Committee Member Sherwood. Have you thought about the consequences of this?"

Anton Lewis's expression suddenly turned stern.

Dirk Carter of course knew what he was referring to.

It was naturally that final moment before Megan Goodman left, when he had been 'forced' to make her identity public to the Silverwood City Committee.

Dirk Carter shrugged and said, "You can't blame me for that. Someone wanted to use Megan to make things hard for me. Once she left, I'd never be able to clear my name no matter how many times I jumped into The Yellow River."

That explanation clearly didn't convince Anton Lewis.

He gave a cold snort and said, "You couldn't handle something that minor? You just had to borrow Committee Member Sherwood's name to stir things up?"

Dirk Carter said with a put‑upon air, "Heh, Secretary Lewis, I didn't have a choice. I was hoping to take advantage of The Supreme Disciplinary Committee's inspection team being here to wrap up the 6‑26 case too, but I didn't expect the higher‑ups to withdraw the inspection team so quickly, so…"

"So Committee Member Sherwood became the cornerstone for you to gain a firm foothold in Silverwood City, is that it?"

Anton Lewis cut him off and pressed.

Dirk Carter grinned roguishly and said, "Committee Member Sherwood sent me to Silverwood City; he has to give me a bit of sugar, right? Otherwise you want the horse to run and you don't let the horse eat grass—how's that supposed to work?"

Anton Lewis was momentarily speechless.

He said, "Enough, I won't pursue this matter. But if there's a next time, I can't guarantee Committee Member Sherwood won't get angry."

"Yes, yes, yes, I promise I'll never dare do it again."

Dirk Carter mischievously raised three fingers toward the ceiling.

Why was Bohdan Sherwood so cautious?

Letting Dirk Carter do things, yet not backing him up.

In fact, he had his own political calculus.

First, although Bohdan Sherwood had already been clearly designated as the next successor, before he formally took office, anything could happen. He would not allow anyone to go around outside 'making trouble' in his name.

Second, it was still because of the Houseman Family.

Novaria State had always been the Houseman Family's stronghold, and it was Bohdan Sherwood who had personally uprooted them. No one could guarantee that before he took office, Novaria State wouldn't see upheaval. By minimizing his presence in Novaria State, he was also trying to avoid ultimately intensifying the contradictions.

Dirk Carter's role in Novaria State was that of a nail, and a shit‑stirrer.

He was to probe from within for their soft spots, then deliver a fatal blow. That way, Novaria State wouldn't end up erupting into any major trouble.

"All right, it's about time, I should be heading back."

Anton Lewis patted Dirk Carter's shoulder as he spoke.

Dirk Carter glanced at the car by the gate and said, "Megan was wronged here in Silverwood City. That's my responsibility. I hope once you're back, you'll make sure to comfort her properly…"

Anton Lewis nodded.

He said, "Don't worry. The leader has said that in these last three or four months, he'll definitely find time to stay with her properly."

Suddenly.

Dirk Carter shuddered.

He asked, "The last three or four months? What do you mean?"

Anton Lewis also stared at him with some puzzlement and asked, "What, you don't know?"

"I don't know. What's going on?"

Dirk Carter scratched his head.

Anton Lewis pressed his lips together.

He hadn't intended to say anything.

But after pondering for a moment, he still sighed and said, "Megan has brain cancer, and it's been a long time now. We've tried every doctor we could find, but nothing worked. When she gave up treatment half a year ago, the doctors said she had at most one year left. It's precisely because of that that the leader agreed to her request to come back to Silverwood City for a look…"

There was a roar in his mind.

Dirk Carter's brain exploded in an instant.

He froze on the spot like a statue.

Megan Goodman's many strange behaviors flashed through his mind, and now they finally had a reasonable explanation.

Anton Lewis shook his head, patted his arm, and then turned and left.

Only after Dirk Carter stood there watching their car disappear from sight did he come to and snap back.

When he returned to the conference room.

All the standing committee members were quietly waiting for him.

This time, no one dared look down on Dirk Carter anymore. Just his relationship with Bohdan Sherwood's daughter was shocking enough.

"Sorry to have taken up everyone's time. Secretary Thorne, let's continue the meeting."

Dirk Carter steadied himself and spoke to the group.