e air in the hall instantly solidified the moment David spoke.
Even Enzo had only estimated that someone would stop him from investigating further along the economic ties, but he never expected that David, who was usually so smooth, would actually stand up and directly question all of his investigations.
In fact, David said this only to protect himself; such a desperate move was completely unexpected, as he thought Enzo wanted to investigate him, not Francesco's economic ties.
In his haste, he blurted out his doubts about Enzo's investigation, unaware that Enzo had no intention of targeting him at all.
After speaking, David was also very scared; this time, he had certainly made an enemy of Enzo.
He had not dared to offend Enzo before, and now Enzo's power was far greater than before.
"Everything you asked is recorded in the case files," Enzo said openly, though his heart was not as calm as he appeared.
"If you have doubts about the investigation, then as long as His Holiness the Pope agrees, all these files can be given to you for review."
Enzo, of course, knew that many of those who had been convicted were coerced into confessions.
Saying this was hoping that the Pope would protect him, as he was, after all, following the Pope's wishes.
However, the Pope had not explicitly stated it, and it was not impossible to discard him now that his usefulness was over.
Augustus was also weighing his options.
He did not want Enzo to continue his unrestrained involvement, but he even less wanted all of Enzo's previous convictions to be overturned.
After a moment of thought, Augustus had an idea and advised, "David, don't question things that are not your specialty.
Do you really want me to let Enzo give you all the case files to review?
I had Faol assist Enzo in investigating the case.
If you don't trust Enzo, do you not trust Faol, or me?"
Augustus had made his stance clear, Enzo breathed a sigh of relief, but David's heart was in his throat.
Augustus continued, "Enzo discovered that there are significant problems with the economic dealings of Francesco and others, and there may be some who have slipped through the net.
I believe an investigation is necessary, and not just for those related to this case.
If there are those who did not participate in the assassination but secretly colluded with Francesco, should we condone them?
These parasites must also be severely punished!"
After David flinched in fear, Augustus's tone shifted: "However, David has also just reminded me that these days I have indeed overworked Enzo and his subordinates.
Enzo, go back immediately and make a list; everyone who contributed to this investigation should receive their due reward.
Additionally, I really cannot leave everything to Enzo; everyone needs a chance to prove themselves.
David is already eager, and coincidentally, investigating economic ties is related to your duties, so why not entrust it to you, also with Faol's assistance?
You can arrange to take over the relevant materials and items from Enzo."
"Then I will thank His Holiness the Pope for his grace on behalf of my subordinates here.
However, we have already made some progress in our investigation and have achieved some results.
Handing it over to Enzo now might affect the continuity of the investigation."
Not having implicated himself was already a blessing, and Enzo was not resistant to this outcome.
However, he still had to fight for what he could; it was somewhat unwilling to let David take such a huge advantage for free.
"It's alright, I believe David can handle it and resolve the continuity issues.
You colleagues should also trust each other more and cooperate more.
Work together with one mind and one effort, and don't always trip each other up.
David, wouldn't you agree?"
David, suddenly called upon, responded with a flustered "Yes."
What he was thinking, however, was: Enzo wanted my life, can you blame me for this?
But he was secretly delighted.
Enzo now also understood why David reacted so strongly; he must have thought Enzo was targeting him, which was truly unfair to Enzo, as he had no such intentions at all.
Instead, David had stumbled into a great advantage, which was both infuriating and amusing.
"His Holiness the Pope, Francesco has already been brought to justice.
The position of Minister of Internal Affairs cannot remain vacant indefinitely; do you already have a suitable candidate?" Romeo asked immediately afterward, clearly targeting Enzo again.
"Not yet," Augustus replied truthfully, "But the position of Minister of Internal Affairs is not really vacant, is it? Hasn't Enzo arranged for someone to temporarily fill it?"
"That is true, but temporary is ultimately not a long-term solution.
It was reasonable for Enzo to arrange for someone to temporarily take over the suspect's duties during the investigation.
Now that the investigation has concluded, it would be improper and unjustified to continue the takeover indefinitely.
If you are satisfied with the person Enzo arranged to take over, making them permanent is not out of the question.
In short, the position of Minister of Internal Affairs cannot remain vacant."
Romeo spoke eloquently, with appropriate restraint, appearing not to offend Enzo much, and at first glance, even seemed to be helping Enzo by suggesting his appointed person be made permanent.
However, anyone could see that no matter how much the Pope trusted Enzo, it was highly unlikely he would unconditionally hand over two-fifths of the departments to Enzo.
Although making the current interim Minister of Internal Affairs permanent would put them on the same level as Enzo, nominally no longer under Enzo's jurisdiction, coming from Enzo's faction, it would be impossible for them to be completely unaffected by Enzo.
Therefore, Romeo's actual goal was to put the return of the temporarily held power from Enzo's hands on the agenda.
With the old balance broken, Enzo, who benefited the most, suddenly became the target of all.
The remaining few ministers who were not the Pope's confidants realized that they had no retreat against Enzo's threat, and a new balance was already taking shape.
Romeo's words were all reasonable, and Enzo knew he was in the wrong, so he could not refute and could only let the Pope make the decision.
Only then did Enzo realize that while he seemed to be the biggest beneficiary this time, his situation had suddenly become much more precarious.
Originally, he was the final weight balancing the scales; whichever side he leaned towards, the scales would tip that way, allowing him to navigate freely between the two major factions.
Now that Francesco had fallen, and he had even arranged for people to temporarily take over so many positions, plus David, thinking he was pushed to a dead end, actively stepped forward to counterattack, he was pushed to the opposite side of others.
This way, the Pope had gained absolute initiative.
It wasn't that Augustus was unwilling to find someone to fill the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, but rather that he genuinely had no suitable candidate, and he couldn't trust those recommended by others.
This position was not one that could be dismissed at will, so he could only let Enzo's person continue to act as interim.
As for the other positions, Augustus intended to simply make Enzo's people permanent.
These positions were not only within the jurisdiction of the Minister of Internal Affairs but spread across various departments, which was precisely why the other ministers were so wary of Enzo now.
Based on the people Enzo appointed, it was not entirely nepotism, and at least they could maintain normal operations and were no worse than the previous ones.
Without giving Enzo some tangible rewards, it would probably be difficult to control the situation and would also discourage people.
Augustus said helplessly, "The position of Minister of Internal Affairs, let's continue to have someone temporarily fill it for now; I still need time to find a suitable candidate.
However, the position of Minister of Internal Affairs will not be empty at the next meeting; if someone is temporarily holding the position, they should still attend the meeting.
As for the other temporary positions, I see no problem with them, so why not make them permanent directly?
However, once they are made permanent, they must obey the existing hierarchical order; whoever's subordinate they were, they remain, and Enzo, you can no longer overstep your authority."
"Yes, Your Holiness." Enzo was delighted by the generous rewards but also worried about the opposition from other ministers.