Operation

Four days later, Bureau Director Wang brought word: radio traffic had been unusually frequent of late. Though much of the cipher remained obscure, the enemy was clearly preparing to take action. According to analysts at the Communications Bureau, the operation would most likely take place within the next day or two. The period from the end of the month into early November was when Yangzhi City held its corporate conference, and the foreign corporate representatives would arrive by train a day or two in advance. The timing lined up perfectly. By then, Chen Chuan had long since returned to his dormitory room. Setting down the telephone receiver after Director Guan's notification, he glanced up at the calendar. Today was already October 28, the ninety-third year of Jianzhi—barely over two months remained until the end of the year. According to his teacher Cheng Zitong, approval for his application quota should come through around the turn of the year, which meant he ought to be able to leave for Center City next year. This operation was likely to be his last major commission in Yangzhi City. He gave it some thought. To evade the eyes and ears of the resistance organization, his group needed to relocate to the wilderness ahead of time, which meant they could begin moving right now. He picked up the receiver again and phoned his team members one by one. Once everyone had been notified, he walked over to the weapon rack, took down the Xuejun Saber, and returned to the sofa. Drawing the blade, he brought out the jar of medicine he had received during the state conscription and spread it evenly across the edge. This blade-care ointment was said to improve the quality of a weapon. The effects hadn't been obvious when he first used it, but after several applications, he could definitely feel a difference. First and foremost, the warm-up time had shortened slightly. Though the improvement was subtle, any enhancement was welcome. Once the ointment was thoroughly applied, he held the saber horizontally before him and took a steady breath. Immediately, he felt a faint vibration travel up through the blade. After a moment, he ran a gentle hand along the steel, soothing it back to stillness. Only then did he slowly slide the blade back into its scabbard. Standing up, he began checking the gear he needed to bring along. Both the Wuji pistol and the pre-polished stone pellets would go with him this time. With those preparations complete, he began dressing. First, he put on a shirt whose inner side was inscribed with numerous esoteric ritual patterns, followed by a well-fitted high-grade protective suit. Over the protective suit went an esoteric ritual lining, and finally, a black stab-resistant trench coat lined with similar patterns on the inside. After that came a scarf and gloves that had undergone identical esoteric ritual treatments. As for the mask covered inside and out with dense glyphs, that could be set aside for now, to be put on only when encountering the enemy. By the time everything had been inspected and settled, it was nearly four-thirty in the afternoon. Having agreed to meet the others at five o'clock, it was time to set out. Taking up the Xuejun Saber, he rose from his seat, grabbed a case by the door on his way out, and stepped outside. Stepping out, he found Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan already waiting. "All ready?" he asked. Both nodded to him, and he said, "Let's go, then." The three left the dormitory building and walked all the way to the school gates. The vehicles arranged by He Nan were already waiting, and Wei Chang'an's team, along with Ren Xiaotian, Wu Han, Wei Dong, and the others, had arrived ahead of time as well. Chen Chuan looked forward. Across the plaza, the maple trees blazed fiery red. A brisk wind swept through, setting the branches rippling like waves; crimson leaves swirled into the air, their dancing silhouettes merging with the sunset glow on the horizon and trailing dazzling streaks of red. He gazed out for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. Turning to the group, he said, "Everyone, let's move out." He climbed into his car. An hour later, the convoy drove into the wasteland. This time, they didn't push in any deeper, choosing instead to halt in a secure area and step out of the vehicles. Chen Chuan gathered everyone together. For security reasons, he hadn't been able to explain specifically what they were doing beforehand; only now did he begin outlining the primary mission. When Wu Han finished listening, his eyes went wide. "So we're not heading out to wipe out some armed smuggling ring, but dealing with an esoteric cult and the resistance organization?" Chen Chuan nodded. Wu Han chuckled. "Now that's exciting!" Chen Chuan looked around at the group. "I will handle the cultists and the disruption of their rituals. You will be responsible for dealing with the resistance members. Someone will notify us when the situation develops, but we also need to conduct our own reconnaissance ahead of time." His gaze shifted to Ren Xiaotian, who stood slightly apart from the rest. "Senior Brother Ren, I'll trouble you with that part." Even though it was growing dark, Ren Xiaotian still wore his sunglasses. He replied steadily, "Understood." After briefing them on a few more specific matters, Chen Chuan went to his car, hauled down a heavy crate, and opened it. Inside were shirts inscribed with esoteric ritual diagrams, all prepared in advance by the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau. "These clothes are a safeguard," he said. "In the event that you accidentally stray into the range of an esoteric ritual, they can keep your minds clear for a certain period of time. When that happens, all you need to do is find a way to pull back far enough." He then turned to Wei Chang'an. "Brother Wei, you can bring out the gear now." Wei Chang'an grinned. "I was wondering why you had me pack so much gear—so this is what it was for! Junior Brother, this is quite the operation. Taking your Brother Wei along on a big job again—you really are a loyal friend." With a shout, he led a few people over to his vehicles to haul down crates one by one. Once opened, they revealed not only firearms of various models, but also grenades, smoke bombs, crossbow bolts, protective suits, stab-resistant suits, helmets, goggles, and an entire array of ammunition and protective equipment. Chen Chuan said, "One set of protective gear per person. The sizes were tailored to everyone's measurements, and each has your name labeled on it, so just grab your own. We've been granted full clearance from above." Wu Han's eyes gleamed with excitement. "All the good stuff!" Both he and Wei Dong loved charging on the front lines, but anyone who actually did knew the pain—it was never as thrilling or smooth as it looked. With these protective suits, however, things would be completely different. Meanwhile, Bao Yuan and his crew had slipped back from Shangbu City to their wilderness stronghold outside Yangzhi City. At that moment, he was distributing drugs of his own. These drugs had all been smuggled out from the Chaotic Lands. As long as... Yet without a special constitution, they would only last anywhere from a few seconds to several tens of seconds, leaving the user utterly spent afterward or even dead. Still, they were an absolute necessity—otherwise, against anyone wearing a protective suit... Once he finished distributing the drugs, he instructed, "Once we blow up the railway, we need to hijack the foreign corporate representatives and everyone on board that train so their conference can't proceed smoothly." Those beneath him seemed somewhat disappointed. "Captain, just hijacking?" "Yeah, can't we just mow 'em all down? That'd be way more satisfying!" Bao Yuan said, "These people are far more useful alive than dead. If we slaughter them in one go, the officials in the Municipal Administration will merely fake outrage while gleefully cursing us for fools in their hearts, before hunting us down without restraint. Only with them alive will they have cause to hesitate, and only then can our voice be heard." Then, as if remembering something, he turned his head and called out toward one direction, "Lao Fan, is everything ready on your end?" Someone immediately called back from over there, "Boss, all set long ago! As soon as you start your speech, people should be able to hear you from Yangzhi City center and several surrounding cities. "If we get a bit lucky and our organization's secret relay stations pick up the broadcast, half of Great Shun—no, maybe even all of Great Shun might hear your voice!" "That would be grand! That's how it ought to be!" Bao Yuan grew intensely thrilled, the feeling sending a shiver running through his whole body. The last time he remembered feeling like this was fourteen years ago in Center City, watching from afar as the Molan Company was blown up from within. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Lao Fan, how are things with Old Tian? Any word from him?" "Captain, Old Tian's been run ragged these past few days. Those greyhounds are guarding the city center with everything they've got, so it's gotten tough for him to find a chance to plant explosives." Bao Yuan said, "Fine. Tell him to stick to the plan and make sure he doesn't expose himself. Also, send a telegram to the Painter and ask how things are on his end." He knew the key lay with the Painter. Due to conflicting opinions, the organization hadn't given him much support; most of his weapons were acquired through his own accumulation and requisitions, and his men were all recruited by his own efforts. Over the past decade or so, with virtually no aid, he had built up this team and forged this situation all on his own. Now, he intended to wager all of this capital on one massive gamble. Even traveling by train, those corporate representatives would be accompanied by capable security forces, and the delegates themselves might well be equipped with combat implants. His handful of men would never be enough on their own. Yet he had an ace up his sleeve: the esoteric ritual that the Painter had spent so long preparing. It could help weaken their strength, unravel their minds, and plunge them into disorientation. This time, he didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, the telegraph operator received a reply. Handing over the decrypted telegram, he said, "Captain, a reply from the Painter..." Bao Yuan stepped forward briskly and snatched it away. On it were eight translated words: "The painting has arrived; the scroll unrolls tomorrow." "Good!" He clenched the telegram in his fist and looked up at the night sky, where stars faintly twinkled. "Tomorrow!" Meanwhile, on Chen Chuan's side, Lin Xiaodi sat before the vehicle's radio station wearing headphones. Her expression suddenly changed as she swiftly transcribed the intercepted radio waves and decrypted them against the codebook. After listening through several times to ensure there were no errors or omissions, she took off her headphones, stepped out of the vehicle, ran over to Chen Chuan, and handed it to him. "Brother Chen, the telegram is here." Chen Chuan took it and swept his eyes across the page. Then, raising his head to look at everyone, he said, "Everyone, get ready tonight. We set out tomorrow morning. Our destination..." He looked toward the southeast. "...Mount Xie!"