As Diego spoke those words, a burst of rustling static crackled through his cochlear worm; evidently, the signal above had been jammed. A vicious look hardened across his face, and he barked at the telegraph operators, "Broadcast outside! Execute Plan B!"
By the time the operators finished transmitting, his men had already fired a tether javelin at the opposite high-rise. The harpoon head bit deeply into the far wall, stretching a taut cable between the two skyscrapers.
He vaulted onto it immediately, racing across the suspended cable toward the opposite building. Apart from a few bodyguards who followed him, the bulk of his personnel retreated down the stairwell exits.
Despite the sudden turn of events, their retreat did not descend into chaos. It remained remarkably orderly—partly due to their rigorous training, but also because of their confidence in their own strength. Besides the armed operatives, two third limit fighters were accompanying the team, giving them a very strong chance of breaking through.
Diego bounded across three high-rises before leaping down to the street. Yet he had barely regained his footing when the bodyguard behind him shoved him hard.
Reacting with lightning reflexes, Diego rolled with the momentum. In that split second, he cast a glance backward—only to see a vigorous figure bearing down on his bodyguard. Fists and feet collided at blistering speed, sending shockwaves of displaced air detonating around them.
Perhaps because of that shove, the guard had forfeited the initiative from the outset. Within a handful of exchanges, a punch struck home with a concussive boom, sending him hurtling backward into a roadside building.
A chill of dread gripped Diego's heart. The man protecting him was a third limit fighter, which meant the assailant undoubtedly was one as well.
Rolling back to his feet, Diego did not look back. Triggering the explosive stimulants stored in his implants, he sprinted toward the intersection ahead with every ounce of strength he possessed. Behind him, bursts of gunfire erupted as his security detail opened fire on the attacker.
Wei Dong ignored the rounds pinging off his protective gear and face mask, poised to charge down the opponent he had just knocked flat. Yet the moment he stepped forward, his body suddenly jolted, followed by a street-trembling dull boom from the distance—the signature sound of a high-caliber sniper rifle.
His protective face mask and boundary credential shattered instantly. But before the surrounding insurgents could celebrate, Wei Dong straightened right back up. Under their horrified stares, the half of a bullet wedged into his skull was slowly pushed outward from within, clinking onto the ground with a crisp chime.
Before the sniper could chamber a second round, a blossom of blood erupted from his head, and he tipped backward. Inside the building ahead, dust and debris burst outward as a figure lunged out. Wei Dong did not bother dodging; charging head-on, he slammed into him once more.
Diego broke through at blistering speed, reaching the perimeter exit of the Great Shun settlement in less than half a minute.
He believed those attacking him were likely the settlement's security guards, perhaps supplemented by hired mercenaries. But such forces were only permitted to conduct armed operations within their own district; crossing district borders would ignite all manner of jurisdictional disputes. As long as he made it outside, he would be safe.
Yet when he arrived, he found barricades erected across the street, heavily patrolled by combat organisms. His heart plummeted, accompanied by a surge of overwhelming fury.
Even the escape routes had been sealed off in advance, meaning their operational plan had been compromised through and through. He realized almost instantly who had sold them out, vowing that if he made it out alive, he would exact brutal vengeance.
Right at that moment, he felt a violent shove from behind. His vision blurred in rapid motion, coming to an abrupt halt with a resounding crash as his back slammed into a brick wall. When his senses cleared, he looked down to find a spear piercing through his abdomen, pinning him firmly to the wall.
His neural inhibitor implants reacted instantly, blocking the pain signals. Simultaneously, his combat implants kicked in, dumping large doses of stimulants into his bloodstream. With his heart pounding furiously and his breathing ragged, his face flushed deep crimson.
He seized the spear shaft, drawing the Thor pistol from his waist with his other hand to aim at the approaching figure. Yet before he could pull the trigger, the man hurled another spear with a vicious thud, skewering his gun hand and pinning it to the brickwork. The pistol slipped from his fingers. Even so, he refused to give up, using the hand clutching the first spear to draw a dagger from his chest.
Before he could thrust it forward, the closing figure deflected his hand with a swift swat, while the other hand clamped onto his jaw and wrenched it to the side. With a sharp snap, Diego went completely limp, leaving only the implant tissues inside his body writhing and triggering spasming tremors through his limbs.
Wu Han's feet touched the ground. Patting the dust from his clothes, he leaned in close to inspect Diego's eyes. Only after confirming that the man was indeed incapacitated did he relax.
This was most likely the ringleader of the rioters, so he would have to wait here until the situation was fully brought under control.
After waiting a short while, he spotted Wei Dong approaching in the distance, dragging a hulking brute who stood at least two and a half meters tall.
"Whew, a third limit fighter!"
Wu Han peered over with an expression full of envious admiration. "I say, Wei Dong, you racked up another achievement, didn't you?" Seeing Wei Dong glancing around left and right, he asked in puzzlement, "Hey, I'm talking to you. What are you looking around for?"
Wei Dong tossed his captive aside and said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Looking for the other third limit fighter, of course."
Wu Han chuckled. "You're out of luck there. We can't go hogging all the credit between the two of us, can we?"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuan Qiuyuan had run into the other third limit fighter. Hired by Diego's outfit with cash, this individual was a genuine tough customer—and possessed consummate professionalism, refusing to retreat even in a fight to the death. Left with no room to hold back, Yuan Qiuyuan had simply blown the man's head apart to end it cleanly.
With the high-level fighters eliminated, the remaining personnel stood no chance. In less than fifteen minutes, all of them were either slain or apprehended. Not only did the operation suffer zero casualties on their side, but thanks to the cacophony of New Year fireworks and firecrackers—as well as the well-executed cordon—the vast majority of the settlement's residents had no idea that an assault and dragnet had even taken place.
Back at the hotel, Chen Chuan received word of the mission's success. Almost at the same time, however, another piece of news reached him.
A severe explosion had rocked the Tawatina settlement. This district happened to border the Eastern Continent settlement and was primarily populated by ethnic Tawatinas, alongside immigrants from various Outer Ocean islands.
Friction had long existed between them and the people of Eastern Continent descent. Following the explosion, someone had secretly agitated the crowd, accusing the Eastern Continent enclave of targeting them. Immediately, gangs and civil militias that had been prepared well in advance charged toward the Eastern Continent settlement.
By the time the report reached him, visual estimates placed casualties at over a hundred people. However, because the Eastern Continent side was well-equipped, and Chen Chuan's security detail happened to be on site, nearly all the casualties were on the attacking side.
He turned the matter over in his mind. There was no doubt that the two incidents were not isolated. The enemy had undoubtedly made preparations well in advance to escalate the situation, though fortunately, the threat within the Eastern Continent settlement had been neutralized in time.
Still, he could not turn a blind eye. At this stage, Vea State's Center City authorities could no longer be allowed to sit idly by.
He promptly tapped his boundary credential, requesting a call with Ryan Cafferty. After a moment, the connection went through.
Ryan's voice came through. "Mr. Chen, what can I do for you?"
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Cafferty, you should be well aware of what occurred today. I need to guarantee the safety of the citizens in the Great Shun settlement. If your side is incapable of restraining these chaotic armed elements, I will take the necessary measures."
Ryan said, "Mr. Chen, I have deep sympathy for what the Eastern Continent immigrants have endured. After all, they are citizens of our city as well. But those Outer Ocean immigrants are equally our people, and we have no wish to see civil strife in our city either. We hope both sides can exercise restraint. The Affairs Hall can provide a platform for both sides to sit down and negotiate, allowing them to resolve their differences through dialogue and achieve mutual understanding."
Chen Chuan asked, "When?"
Ryan said, "Today is your traditional New Year. How about tomorrow, then? I will have the Affairs Hall staff contact your side."
"Very well, that will do. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Cafferty."
"You are most welcome; it is my pleasure. Mr. Chen, if you have any thoughts or change your mind, feel free to contact me at any time."
After ending the call, Chen Chuan reviewed the summary report sent from the settlement. Fifty-seven individuals had participated in the riotous operation, including two third limit fighters, both with criminal records—one a mercenary, the other a wanted Federation fugitive.
However, a handful among them held Federation citizenship and had requested advocates.
Under normal circumstances, this would be troublesome. Non-citizens were one thing, but those with citizenship could only be handed over to the Center City government.
Yet this act of sabotage could be defined either as an attack on settlement civilians or as an assault on the visiting delegation. Depending on the targeted party, the nature of the crime was entirely different; if treated as the latter, this legal clause could be circumvented.
Brief interrogations revealed that they belonged to an anti-government militant group operating under Madman Lodewijk's command. This Lodewijk was a martial artist on the Federation's wanted list, linked to most of the chaos and violent crimes across several states on the Federation's West Coast.
During questioning, some even dropped hints that if the delegation spared them and offered sufficient payment, they wouldn't mind working for Great Shun and taking part in subverting the Federation regime.
The report concluded by asking how these individuals should be handled: should they be transferred to Center City or kept in custody?
Chen Chuan glanced over the criminal records of all the captives. Picking up a pen, he inscribed a brief instruction upon the report:
"After interrogation, execute on the spot."
Chapter 1122