Although Commissioner Liang was not satisfied with such an outcome, it was well within his expectations.
After all, the Municipal Administration was for the most part merely an administrator and executor; once specific policy proposals were put forward, they ultimately had to pass through the Center City Council.
Yet the Council represented a wide variety of interests behind the scenes, making it exceedingly difficult to coordinate and pass proposals that appeared relatively radical.
In fact, had this been more than a decade ago, such a proposal would never have seen the light of day, let alone been brought before the Council for debate. It was only in recent years, as the Great Shun government gradually took control of the situation, that the Center City Council had begun to yield ground.
However, the crux of everything still rested on how this upcoming crisis was handled.
If they could successfully resolve and weather this crisis, the Jibei Circuit government's voice and prestige would undoubtedly rise to a new level, allowing many high-level policies to push forward smoothly. Conversely, their authority would suffer a heavy blow, and if things went poorly, the hard-won progress they had clawed open could completely regress.
Yet this was an issue the Center City government had no choice but to address and confront head-on.
After pondering for a moment, he asked, "What is the status of the various companies?"
The female assistant answered, "The state enterprises and affiliated companies have all agreed to cooperate, but the most unstable elements lie in these few places..."
She tapped with her pointer, indicating several locations one by one. "Ferris Wheel Company, Lianwei Heavy Control Company, Bolun Company, Green Origin Ecological Company, and others have all shown noticeable, anomalous movements..."
Commissioner Liang looked at them. The common trait among these corporations was that most originated from abroad, while the few domestic ones had substantial foreign capital invested in them.
In contrast, the branch offices of the world's mega-corporations showed no abnormal activity. In truth, this was easy to understand: even if those massive conglomerates had intentions of their own, they would never step onto the front lines themselves. They had plenty of proxies, and since they already sat at the peak of the corporate hierarchy, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
He said in a deep voice, "What concerns me isn't those companies themselves. The State Administration Bureau and the Provisional Special Operations Committee have already agreed to share intelligence with us at all times, so we can deal with any developments immediately.
"What concerns me are their active conscious entities. According to the frontline's latest assessment, aside from the two dealt with at the Convergence Boundary and by the Disposal Bureau last time, there should still be one lurking in Center City. If it targets these sites, the damage caused then would be hard to measure."
He looked toward his female assistant. "Still can't sense it?"
Black mist flickered in the assistant's eyes. She shook her head and said, "I cannot feel where it is."
"That means our opponent is cunning."
Commissioner Liang waved his hand, and several voids appeared across the interior map of Center City on the light screen—simulations of potential fissures, vast in number.
Looking at the display, he said, "One is troublesome enough. Once the two worlds draw near, entities from the other side might try to cross over. We cannot afford to let our guard down, or the entire defensive perimeter will collapse."
He turned and asked, "What did that gentleman say?"
The assistant answered, "He said he will arrive on time when the moment comes."
Commissioner Liang sighed. "Let's hope so." He suddenly recalled something. "What has Chen Bitong been doing lately?"
"No movement," the assistant replied.
Commissioner Liang pondered. In truth, the Defense Department had wanted to reassign Chen Bitong away from Center City at this critical juncture, but Speaker Quan had refused. The Speaker maintained that under such hazardous circumstances, Center City urgently needed someone of Chen Bitong's prestige and strength to steady public confidence and guarantee security.
The Defense Department could not simply disregard his demand. Communications had stalled back and forth repeatedly without a definitive resolution, and by now it was clear no transfer order would arrive before the Fumu's fission phase.
He was well aware this was a continuation of the struggle between the two factions. Still, Speaker Quan's stubborn stance was not necessarily entirely bad. If handled properly, this might even present an opportunity—though it would likely come at a price.
Looking up, he asked, "What about Captain Chen?"
The assistant answered, "Ever since the training course concluded, he has remained on standby. Yesterday, he recalled his team members from the Confluence to Center City."
Commissioner Liang murmured in thought, then said, "Adjust his mission priority. I need Captain Chen to be in the right position at the crucial moment."
"Understood. I'll arrange it right away," the assistant said.
***
In the Underground District, beside a tunnel running along the edge of a collapsed fissure, stood a cluster of solidly constructed subterranean dwellings, protected along the perimeter by sentry posts and fortifications.
On the surface, it looked no different from any ordinary faction's base in the Underground District, but it was in fact a stronghold established by the resistance organization.
At that moment, inside a spacious masonry room beneath bright lights, Guan Xiaohui and several other youths were receiving instruction from a teacher, learning resonance field techniques.
The resistance organization trained all its own resonators. They gathered promising, talented recruits together to study before finally fitting them with resonance implants.
Guan Xiaohui was among the best of this cohort. After all, she had attended a very good secondary school, giving her a stronger foundation and allowing her to grasp concepts faster than her peers. Above all, of course, was talent; without innate aptitude, no amount of hard work would suffice.
When her class ended and she was about to head back to her quarters, another member informed her that the team leader wanted to see her. Without even putting her things away, she hurried to the team leader's quarters.
Arriving at the door, she announced herself and was called inside, only to find Zhen Ping already there, who gave her a nod of greeting.
Sitting opposite them was the leader—a man appearing in his forties, heavily muscled and robustly built, with thick knuckles, a deeply lined face, and sun-darkened skin, resembling a laborer who spent his days toiling at the docks.
She bowed slightly. "Hello, Team Leader Yu."
Team Leader Yu said kindly, "Xiaohui, have a seat. I have something to discuss with you two."
Once Guan Xiaohui sat down, his expression turned solemn. "The team has an assignment for you both. It requires absolute secrecy, and you must swear not to reveal a word of it to anyone."
Having undergone rigorous training upon joining the resistance organization, both Zhen Ping and Guan Xiaohui understood the gravity of his words and nodded earnestly.
Team Leader Yu said, "According to intelligence relayed by our comrades in the government, the Fumu—Center City's field organism—will undergo fission in a few days."
After allowing Zhen Ping and Guan Xiaohui a moment to digest this revelation, he continued, "This is the Fumu's unique method of reproduction. Theoretically, every single budded offspring could develop into another Fumu.
"Therefore, leadership has assigned our branch a mission: we must secure one of those offspring. It would be of monumental benefit to our resistance cause. With it, we might even be able to build a Center City of our own."
By the end, his voice rang with passionate fervor.
Caught up in his fervor, Zhen Ping and Guan Xiaohui felt their hearts stir as well. Once her emotions settled slightly, Zhen Ping asked with concern, "Team Leader Yu, do we have enough strength?"
Although this wasn't the only branch in Center City, from what she knew, they had at most a hundred or so personnel at their disposal, were short on weapons, and had very few top-tier combatants. A Second Limit fighter like herself was already considered a core pillar of the branch.
It took little imagination to realize how vital the Fumu's offspring was to Center City. Defenses would surely be extraordinarily tight, and other factions might well be plotting to seize it as well. How could they possibly obtain it on their own?
Team Leader Yu said, "You don't need to worry about how to seize it. Comrades dispatched by high command will handle the capture. Our job is simply to transport the captured offspring to the Underground District. That is precisely where our branch can assist leadership."
Zhen Ping said, "But Team Leader Yu, there are numerous factions in the Underground District as well. If someone targets us, it will be hard for us to complete the mission."
Team Leader Yu held up a hand. "Don't be anxious, hear me out."
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "We will seal the cargo beforehand and route it through the Lower District's logistics network, having them ship it to a designated drop-off point. It's an indirect, efficient method that won't attract attention, and we will send shipments to multiple locations to disperse suspicion.
"When the time comes, the two of you will serve as the retrieval agents. Once you pick up the package, follow the route I'll provide later, swiftly exit Center City, and transport it to a secure location."
He spoke solemnly, "The significance of this operation is immense—an opportunity like this comes along only once every few decades. The reason you two were chosen is that you haven't been in Center City for long and have few connections here, meaning I can trust you completely. Zhen Ping, you are a fighter, and Xiaohui, you possess remarkable talent as a resonator.
"The two of you complement each other perfectly, so the cell decided you are the best fit."
Seeing that neither spoke right away, he added, "Now, this mission is quite dangerous. If you lack confidence or have any misgivings, feel free to voice them."
Zhen Ping said, "Team Leader Yu, I can do it."
Guan Xiaohui chimed in, "I can too, it's just..."
Team Leader Yu looked at them and smiled. "Indeed, don't rush to accept. Think it over carefully—this mission carries extreme danger."
Zhen Ping looked up and said, "Team Leader Yu, I've made up my mind." Watching her resolute expression, Guan Xiaohui pinched the hem of her clothes and nodded as well.
Team Leader Yu smiled with gratification. "Very well, then begin your preparations." He looked at Guan Xiaohui. "Xiaohui, someone will assist you with the final implant procedure shortly, after which I'll have Old Mei give you some expedited training."
Guan Xiaohui asked in confusion, "Team Leader, if the Fumu suffers a disruption, my resonance techniques might not work."
Team Leader Yu replied, "Have you forgotten what you're transporting? Once that thing is in your possession, as long as you're consciously aware of it, you'll be able to harness it effectively even through containment—surpassing ordinary resonators by far."
In truth, Guan Xiaohui still had questions, but after a moment's thought, she kept them to herself.
Team Leader Yu turned back to Zhen Ping. "The team will teach you a breathing technique designed for underwater stealth. If things go south, it will be up to you to escape with the package."
He said gravely, "Because this intel arrived late, our time is severely limited. I need you both to master your parts within these next two days."
Chapter 527