Ferris Wheel

Yinglu District, Ferris Wheel Company headquarters. Beneath the light curtain of the conference room, a vast oceanic landscape was projected across the table. Beneath surging white clouds and azure waves lay a dense cluster of islands, each marked with a name overhead representing an oceanic island nation. The number of islands across the ocean was difficult to tally precisely, but together they exceeded thirty thousand. In today's world, to face the impending Great Collision, nations outside the superpowers holding the poles of global power—such as the Republic of Great Shun, the Linakes Federation, and the Church State of Noros—had strengthened ties and cooperation under the mounting pressure, gradually forming regional coalitions. Examples included the Norland Northern League of Nations tucked away in the western lands, the Palanio Faith Region at the tectonic junction of the eastern and western continents, and the Sanmawojia Continental Association facing the western continent across the sea. On the Eastern Ocean, there was likewise an Oceanic Parliamentary Union formed by numerous island nations. Compared to other regional alliances, however, it was a remarkably loose coalition. When the Republic of Great Shun overthrew the old imperial house, most of the outer oceanic island nations had sided with the imperial court. Even after the imperial house fell, that hostility never dissipated. The Republic of Great Shun had exerted sustained pressure and fostered division among them for decades, leaving them rife with internal discord. To break free from this predicament, twenty-eight of these island nations organized a high-level council and, with the aid and backing of certain external forces, founded the Ferris Wheel Company. On the colossal, perpetually turning ferris wheel at company headquarters, each of the twenty-eight passenger cabins represented one of those nations. Although the embryonic form of the Ferris Wheel Company had existed before the old era, less than a decade had passed since its announced establishment. Over these past ten years, pursuing a dual strategy of internal research and global technology acquisitions, the company had grown swiftly. Its expertise was especially formidable in island agriculture, marine animal husbandry, artificial landscape spaces, regional transport, and waste disposal and recycling. In today's conference room, all twenty-eight principal directors were present, standing arrayed before the panoramic display table. The officer presiding over the meeting spoke: "Representatives from the Coalition are currently conducting an observation and evaluation of our Ferris Wheel Company, scheduled to last anywhere from three months to a year. This will determine whether we can be admitted into the Corporate Coalition, and as such, we are about to face severe challenges." All the directors wore grave expressions. They had arrived at a crossroad. This step concerned whether the company could survive, whether the capital and technology they had pooled could find an outlet, and even more, the destiny and future of their respective island nations. Before the Great Collision truly arrived, they had to make every preparation. "Fellow directors, you should all understand that once the application process is initiated, we will inevitably draw the hostility of the Great Shun government and domestic corporations. The veil of past warmth and harmony will be torn away, and they will spare no effort to suppress and ostracize us..." The presiding officer declared in a ringing tone, "They will try every means to knock us down, kill us, feed on our flesh and blood, and draw nourishment from our corpses. Therefore, we cannot afford to fail; we must guarantee success! "Ever since the Imperial War ended and the old imperial house was overthrown, the Great Shun government has used the Canglong Company and the Ocean Exploration Group to persistently infiltrate and suppress us over these past decades. "The lifelines of our biological ecosystems, algae cultivation and refining, mineral prospecting and extraction, oceanic transport, military weapons, and implant technology have all been seized by Great Shun's state-owned enterprises and corporate conglomerates. "Now, as long as we join the Corporate Coalition, we can break through this technological blockade and secure military support from the Coalition. If we shrink back at this juncture, the oceanic islands will forever remain cattle to be harvested by the Great Shun government and the corporations of the world." The meeting's host addressed the directors: "The Coalition has its own demands. Our advantage is that they need us. They need a firm foothold here in Great Shun—but only on the condition that... we can sustain our existence." He reached out to touch his boundary credential, then tapped several times on the light curtain. Densely packed figures immediately materialized across it, roughly a hundred individuals, with concise profiles noted beside them. Among them were corporate executives, high-ranking government officials, and military personnel, as well as commissioners, gang members, and seemingly ordinary drivers, warehouse managers, and even unemployed individuals. "According to Wu Qi's analysis, these are individuals who have posed a threat to our company in recent years. In the near term, the most critical among them are these few..." The projection shifted again. Most of the figures faded away, leaving only seven. Among them, conspicuously, were the three individuals Sister Huan had learned of, including Chen Chuan. The presiding officer said, "To prevent our bid to join the Coalition from being disrupted, we must eliminate these seven threats as thoroughly as possible." One director glanced at the display and spoke up: "If I recall correctly, a team was sent out to eliminate one of the targets last time, but the mission ended in failure. Because the target was a member of the Disposal Bureau, the bureau tightened its surveillance and watch over us. Our legal team is still dealing with the fallout." "That only further proves how much of a threat this person poses to us, and that we did not take the matter seriously enough before," the presiding officer said. "We must reorganize our personnel and elimination squads to eradicate these targets at all costs. I hope to see results within a short time." Another director said, "The fighters currently assembled by the company are being closely monitored by the Disposal Bureau. Mobilizing our personnel will be difficult. Given that the target possesses extraordinary strength, I propose we recruit assistance from Waves Hall. For that, we will need someone from the Gong family to step forward." Waves Hall was the most famous martial hall across the ocean, having produced many fighters of great renown. Because royal land had been granted by the Gong royal family when the hall was originally established, the true experts within would only mobilize upon an invitation from a direct heir of the Gong lineage. The presiding officer said, "Then have Gong Zhanxin pay a visit there." He looked at the directors lined up along both sides of the table. "Over the coming three months to a year, for the company's interests and for the future of our nations, we must eliminate every individual Wu Qi has listed!" *** Inside his dormitory at Wuyi Academy, Chen Chuan finished packing all his belongings. In the blink of an eye, the twenty-eighth had arrived. He planned to set off tonight to return to Yangzhi. Remembering the task Commissioner Liang had assigned him earlier, he checked the station platform and indeed found some scattered discussions concerning Chen Bitong. Most of them centered on his upcoming training instruction classes in Center City. Someone had smugly posted a photo of an invitation letter, sparking widespread envy. Looking closer, the person who had displayed the letter was likely the son of a Center City government official, and most of the commenters below shared similar backgrounds. Evidently, Chen Bitong's influence was not confined to the Confluence. Beyond his personal prestige, there was also the formidable weight of the faction behind him. Chen Chuan noticed that the invitation was dated for February, roughly when the new semester at Wuyi would begin. By then, he should be returning from Yangzhi as well. After thinking it over for a moment, he logged off the platform and headed to the training room to continue his daily practice. At eight o'clock in the evening, he came out of the dormitory carrying his suitcase and drove his Jiade out of the Xuan Palace Building. As was his custom when departing, he nodded farewell to Hongfu perched on the eaves, then gradually receded into the distance beneath the gaze resting above her veil. Having previously agreed to return to Yangzhi with Lu Fang, he headed toward Shenwei District first. Over an hour later, he pulled up in front of the underground fighting gym. Center City was ablaze with flashing colors in the night; even along this quiet street, crisscrossing neon and light beams were visible. Lu Fang was already waiting with his luggage. Spotting the car, he waved and walked over. Chen Chuan turned the rotary latch on the passenger door, then got out, walked to the rear, and opened the trunk so Lu Fang could stow his bag before returning to the driver's seat. Once inside, Lu Fang noticed Chaoming perched on the back seat and looked slightly surprised. "This is...?" "His name is Chaoming," Chen Chuan said. Chaoming let out a clear chirp, greeting Lu Fang. Lu Fang smiled. "Hello there." "Have you wrapped everything up, Senior?" Chen Chuan asked. Lu Fang turned back. "All taken care of. There are two seniors here at the gym who aren't heading back for the New Year, and nobody really comes to train during the holidays anyway. Oh, and as for Number Thirteen, she won't be taking any commissions over the New Year either." Chen Chuan nodded. He had heard from Lu Fang before that although Number Thirteen possessed resonance techniques, her lack of legal identification meant clients frequently tried to renege on payments. Lu Fang had stepped in to help resolve such situations on several occasions, and in return, she shared a cut of her remuneration with him—a mutually beneficial arrangement. He started the car and steered toward the main thoroughfare. Thoughts of what Ni Xixi had told him a few days ago naturally resurfaced. It was unclear why Ferris Wheel Company was targeting him; conventional logic might not apply here. Carrying out an attack on him within Center City was fairly difficult, whereas doing so outside was considerably easier. If he were in the shoes of Ferris Wheel Company, aiming to strike at him in Yangzhi seemed unlikely. Instead, they would be far more likely to stage an ambush on the National Boulevard, where the terrain was wide, desolate, and devoid of reinforcements, making it easy to deploy personnel. Yet from the moment he stepped out until now, Wu Bei had spotted no signs of trailing or surveillance, and his travel itinerary had been shielded. The trip home should therefore be safe. On the contrary, when he returned to Center City, someone with deliberate intent could easily infer his return window from telegrams and past patterns. So if they intended to make a move, that might be when. Then again, this was merely his hypothesis. He still did not know their true objectives or their degree of resolve; perhaps he was simply overthinking it. Still, regardless of whether a threat materialized, being prepared in advance was never a mistake. ... ...