An hour later, Chen Chuan returned to the hotel. Upon receiving notification, the team members who had been out returned swiftly and assembled at the rendezvous point.
It was worth noting that the core area of Vea State's Center City was exceptionally orderly—an essential prerequisite for sustaining commercial activity. Outside the core district, however—in places like the ethnic diaspora enclaves and the slums—the authorities virtually left things to their own devices. This was partly to conserve resources and reduce administrative costs, but it was also a right that each enclave had fought to secure for itself. The Great Shun settlement, for instance, functioned almost as an autonomous domain, complete with its own security guards and armed forces.
Reporting this matter to the upper levels of Center City would therefore be futile. In such circumstances, autonomous districts were generally left to resolve matters on their own. Yet with the delegation present and having caught wind of the intelligence in advance, they were obliged to intervene.
Chen Chuan summoned each team leader and officer-in-charge for a brief meeting. Based on the intelligence, he drew up an operational plan, had his active conscious entity analyze and flesh it out, and then handed it to the squad members, instructing them to proceed accordingly.
He did not intend to notify the settlement's defense forces or local enterprises. At this stage, it was hard to tell whether anyone on the inside was involved; if word leaked, the culprits might shrink back into the shadows. While warning them might ensure immediate safety, there was no telling when those people would strike next. It was far better to seize this opportunity to lure them out, trace the vine to its root, and round them all up in a single sweep.
Having received their orders, everyone saluted him and departed the hotel in staggered groups to carry out their respective assignments according to plan.
After the others left, Chen Chuan stood up and studied the map. For now, it was impossible to discern who was orchestrating this behind the scenes. Many factions had motives—certain Consortium corporations and regional nations, for instance, would gladly welcome a clash between Great Shun and the Federation. Especially while negotiations between both sides were currently underway.
And when such an outcome could be achieved simply by hiring a few men at negligible cost, plenty of parties would be willing to do it.
By contrast, the Craverdy family—or rather, the elite organization behind Ryan—was unlikely to resort to such petty tricks, as this could hardly do him any real harm. If they were to act, they would certainly bring high-level forces to bear rather than rely on such inconsequential methods.
He could sense that all of this was likely linked to the ongoing negotiations between Great Shun and the Federation. The two parties had been bargaining over certain matters for more than two years, which surely touched upon several critical issues.
He pondered. What exactly could they be negotiating?
Once the operatives set out, they shed their uniforms and changed into civilian clothes to avoid putting the saboteurs on guard. Dividing into multiple small teams, they fanned out across the bustling districts just as ordinary pedestrians would.
Luo Kaiyuan and Feng Xiaoqi formed one team. They first arrived near a tall building—the exact location where Chen Chuan had previously sensed he was being watched.
The two did not rush into a search. Instead, they sat down at an open-air rest area at the foot of the building, ordered a few newspapers and drinks like idle tourists, and kept an eye on their surroundings while casually browsing the papers.
Luo Kaiyuan was only skimming through the pages when a news item caught his eye: the *Starfish Report*, where Chai Lai—the journalist who had interviewed them earlier—worked, had recently been shut down by Center City's Administrative Office for running a series of radical articles.
Ever since Wei Dong had said those words to him that day, he had paid close attention to this newspaper, even logging onto the network platform to look over its past publications. Nearly most newspapers and media outlets merely parroted the official stance issued by Center City, but this one was different. It had repeatedly exposed the dark secrets and hard truths of Center City, consistently speaking up for citizens on the margins, and had thus suffered numerous warnings and fines from the Administrative Office. Yet even so, they had persisted in their reporting without yielding an inch—and this time, they had finally failed to evade the axe.
Still, Luo Kaiyuan did not suggest taking any action over it. He was part of a team bound by discipline; his primary obligation was to the team, not his personal sentiments.
Feng Xiaoqi was keenly perceptive of shifts in his companions' moods. Catching on, he also noticed the article and said, "Kaiyuan, it's about that newspaper, isn't it? I saw it too." He added, "What they're doing is doomed to be futile."
Luo Kaiyuan looked at him and asked, "Xiaoqi, do you mean that no matter how hard they try, they can't change anything?"
Feng Xiaoqi thought for a moment, scratched his head, and said, "How should I put it... A newspaper's reporting usually stirs public opinion to make people aware of abuses so they can fix them. But here in Vea State's Center City, countless interest groups converge. They possess overwhelming force and have woven a dense, formidable web with one another. No outside strength is capable of confronting them. Even if someone rises up to resist now and then, they're quickly suppressed. So—"
Luo Kaiyuan said, "If change doesn't happen here, it will emerge somewhere else."
Feng Xiaoqi pondered and said, "Maybe. But looking at the world as a whole, the present situation only permits change on a minor scale; on the macro level, change simply won't be allowed. You have to realize that everything we do is meant to prepare for the Great Impact. Before the Great Impact arrives, any practice that advances technology and builds up strength is permitted. Otherwise, our entire world might sink together into oblivion. In the face of something that monumental, who would ever bother correcting these 'small matters'?"
"The Great Impact..."
Luo Kaiyuan fell silent for a moment. As Chen Chuan's close security personnel, they were bound to encounter some classified intelligence; otherwise, without reaching the third limit, they wouldn't even qualify to know such things. When they first heard of it, they had been deeply shaken. It was hard to imagine that another world was steadily approaching their own.
Feng Xiaoqi glanced at him and whispered, "Kaiyuan, the Chief was right after all. Becoming strong yourself is the only foundation. Only then do you earn the right to dwell on such things. Otherwise, you can't help anyone else and only end up ruining yourself. You can only carry a burden as heavy as your shoulders can bear."
Luo Kaiyuan gave him a nod.
Just then, a burst of firecrackers crackled in the distance, followed by the whoosh of fireworks shooting into the sky. The two turned their eyes toward the bursting fireworks. Although they were in a foreign land, the people around them were all of Eastern Continent descent, speaking the same language and eating the same food. Apart from their clothes—which mixed styles of the old era with those of the Federation—everything else was virtually no different from being back in Great Shun.
Right at that moment, Luo Kaiyuan's peripheral vision caught something: an elusive figure flashing past atop a tall building across from them.
Instinct told him something was wrong with that figure. Springing up from his seat, he dashed toward the building at full speed, shouting back to Feng Xiaoqi, "Something's up! Keep watch down here; I'll head up first!"
Feng Xiaoqi tossed down two coins at once. But just as he moved to follow, a prickle of warning surged through him. Turning his head, he saw a man in a peaked cap lurking in a corner, watching him while idly flipping a dagger in hand. Feng Xiaoqi's steps hitched.
Luo Kaiyuan reached the building in no time and bounded up the stairwell. The building wasn't especially tall—only a dozen or so stories—and at his speed, he reached the rooftop in under ten seconds. The figure hadn't fled; in fact, he appeared to be waiting right there for him.
The man possessed plain facial features that clearly showed signs of implant modification. Upon seeing Luo Kaiyuan, his lips moved without making a sound. Reading his lips, Luo Kaiyuan discerned the words: *We are friends of your brother.*
Luo Kaiyuan didn't care in the slightest and charged straight at him. Had the man stayed silent, it might have been one thing, but saying that only proved he was genuinely suspicious. As for being a friend of his brother, never mind that it was unproven—even if it were true, he wouldn't show any mercy.
Seeing him charge, the man seemed somewhat resigned, yet also appeared prepared. He immediately dropped into a stance and clashed with him.
This man was likewise a Second Limit fighter, thoroughly experienced in combat and clearly no slouch. Even amidst the fight, he was able to use some sort of implanted vocal organ to speak: "Brother Luo, hear me out. We're not bad guys." After parrying several blows, he finally managed to add, "You're looking for the attackers, right? We're not them. We can give you intelligence." He paused, then added, "The previous intelligence was also provided by our doing."
Luo Kaiyuan still didn't stop. But right then, he heard a distinct click. The man pulled open his jacket, revealing clusters of grenades strapped inside, their pull-rings already yanked. Seeing this, Luo Kaiyuan backed away without hesitation.
The man drew a few ragged breaths, shaking out his stinging hand. "You really don't cut any slack, kid, and your fists are damn heavy. Rest assured, we aren't lying to you. We sought you out this time to share some intel with you. Catch—"
With that, he flicked a paper cylinder swiftly toward him.
Luo Kaiyuan made no move to catch it, letting the object drop to the ground.
The man looked a little exasperated, yet a glint of appreciation showed in his eyes. "Have a look at it yourself. I'm off."
With a pivot, he sprinted forward several paces and leaped straight off the edge of the roof.
Luo Kaiyuan was about to pursue when he sensed a sudden glint on the opposite rooftop. Spotting a rifle trained on him, he immediately dodged aside. By the time the sense of danger subsided and he rushed back to the edge of the roof, the man was already gone.
He pressed his boundary credential. In that brief instant earlier, a nearby resonator had jammed the field information, erasing any electronic recording. That was precisely why he hadn't caught the item: not only was it untrustworthy, but without a recording, it would be impossible to explain cleanly later.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind him as Feng Xiaoqi caught up. "Kaiyuan, you all right?"
"I'm fine."
Luo Kaiyuan glanced down at the paper tube. "The guy just now left it behind. Said it's intel on the attackers."
Feng Xiaoqi looked at it and said, "Kaiyuan, record this for me while I take a look." He stepped forward cautiously, picked up the item, and checked it over. Seeing no issues, he looked up and said, "Let's take it back first and let the Chief handle it."
Chapter 1120