Arrival

As the Airshark airship carrying Chen Chuan made its way toward Yinglu District, the Defense Department and various related government agencies were all keeping a close watch on this battle. This operation to eradicate Ferris Wheel was a multi-agency joint endeavor. On the surface, it targeted only a single corporation—Ferris Wheel—yet in reality, it was a tentative expansion of the government's political authority. Whether it was Canglong Company and the Ocean Exploration Group in the past, or the various departments taking part now, nearly all of them stood on the side of the Great Shun government. If Ferris Wheel could be thoroughly purged this time, the Fumu fission weathered successfully, and the entity that had entered the world on this occasion eradicated alongside them, then the authority of the Jibei Circuit Center City Government Affairs Hall—and by extension, the Great Shun government itself—would undoubtedly be greatly solidified and reinforced. Power struggles were, by their nature, zero-sum: a rise in government authority meant the suppression of the Municipal Council, which represented corporate interests. In particular, during this Fumu fission, the military forces of numerous corporations had stepped into the fray only to suffer horrific casualties. This was without question a severe blow, and it would further diminish the sway of the Municipal Council. Yet the prerequisite for all of this was that every objective had to be achieved. Inside a warehouse at the edge of Yinglu District, Commissioner Cao stood gazing at the light screen before him, which flickered intermittently with footage from inside the Ferris Wheel Building. "Commissioner, your tea." A subordinate from the State Administration Bureau served him a hot cup of tea. Commissioner Cao took it and took a sip, his gaze never leaving the light screen. The subordinate said, "Commissioner, you haven't closed your eyes in three days. Would you like to rest for a bit?" "A little longer won't hurt," Commissioner Cao replied. Then he added, "Keep a close eye on the coast. Transmit any word back immediately." "Commissioner, Team Three is keeping watch there," the subordinate answered. "How are things on the Municipal Council's end?" "In accordance with your orders, Commissioner, every single person is being closely monitored. Surrounding communication lines were severed in advance, and field information has been jammed. Even if they realize something is amiss, their orders won't make it out of Weiguang District." The subordinate hesitated a moment, took half a step forward, and added, "Commissioner, we previously detected some anomalies near Mount Qingding. Should we send someone to..." Commissioner Cao raised a hand to cut him off. "Leave that aside for now." He looked straight ahead. "The most important objective right now is right here." Just then, another liaison hurried over and spoke in a brisk, hushed voice, "Commissioner, people from the Special Operations Committee have arrived. They've pressed us several times, demanding that we present the concrete operational plan for their review." Commissioner Cao glanced at his wristwatch. The time was 11:20 PM. He said, "Tell them to pick a location. I'll go meet them personally. I will explain the plan to them face-to-face." "Yes, Commissioner." In northern Yinglu District, atop a certain building, Bureau Director Lei gazed into the distance toward Ferris Wheel Company. Surrounding him were members clad in the uniforms of the Esoteric Cult Disposal Bureau. "Director Lei, we've checked. None of the twelve ritual sites have any issues." Bureau Director Lei nodded. This time, they had set up a total of twelve esoteric rituals surrounding the peninsula where Ferris Wheel was located, all designed to resonate in unison with the ritual arranged inside Ferris Wheel Company. Once the ritual over there was initiated, the rituals here would be activated simultaneously, serving as reinforcements and backups to ensure the main ritual functioned as intended. The subordinate glanced toward the location of the primary ritual and said, "Director Lei, that binding might only last an instant. At the absolute most optimistic estimate, it won't exceed the span of a single breath. Seizing that window won't be easy. Can the person sent by the Defense Department pull it off?" Bureau Director Lei stared in that direction and answered with absolute certainty, "Don't worry. The person I recommended will definitely seize this opportunity." At 11:22 PM, accompanied by the drone of propeller blades, an Airshark airship entered Yinglu District. As it flew in, two other airships that had been idling at the edge of the district also converged toward it. This was, on one hand, to ensure the stability of the information relay for this airship, and on the other, to provide cover and confusion, making it impossible to distinguish the specific target and preventing anyone on the inside from pulling any underhanded tricks. Chen Chuan stood at the front of the airship's upper deck, gazing outside through the porthole. At some point, fog had rolled in. Swaths of cloud and mist drifted backward past the airship, while the view below was shrouded in a hazy blur. A supervisor walked into the compartment and reported to him, "Captain Chen, we have entered Yinglu District and are heading toward Ferris Wheel Company. We should arrive in that area within ten minutes." Chen Chuan picked up his peaked cap from the table beside him, put it on, straightened the brim, tied on his protective scarf, and finally took up the Xuejun Saber resting at his side before walking out. The supervisor waited for him to pass and followed close behind. Orders had already come from above: for the duration of the mission, they were to accommodate and relay any request Chen Chuan made, and transmit information without delay. Stepping onto the airship's open deck, Chen Chuan found it completely deserted. He asked, "Where is my classmate?" The supervisor replied, "He signed a confidentiality agreement and is not permitted to leave his quarters." Even though Pan Xiaode was an insider of the Airshark Company, when it came to a mission of such extreme secrecy and urgency, he was barred from being informed. Furthermore, he was required to sign a confidentiality agreement and remain on board for the entire journey. Chen Chuan nodded. That was the best way to handle it. Some matters simply involved stakes and power levels Pan Xiaode had not attained, and it was truly better for him not to know too much. He looked outside. Here, perhaps stirred by the sea breeze, the fog seemed to have thinned slightly, though only the hazy outlines of skyscrapers below could be discerned. Sky-light shone across from the sea. Interwoven in the interplay of mist and radiance, Center City on the ground and the luminous sky seemed cleaved into two distinct worlds, yet simultaneously appeared to be continually merging into each other. As the airship pressed forward, countless fissures of varying sizes could be seen flickering intermittently around them. Because of this, the airship had to navigate with extreme caution at all times. In fact, their travel speed along the way had not been particularly fast, primarily to avoid the influence of these anomalies. Just then, with a rustling whoosh, a flock of birds surged out from a fissure, but actively steered clear of the airship. This was because the airship had been coated and sprayed in advance with special agents and materials. Whether it was swarms of insects or birds from the Confluence, they would steer clear on their own initiative the moment they sensed it. By now, Chen Chuan could already make out the colossal Ferris Wheel towering along the coastline. From this distance, it looked no larger than a coin. He gazed fixedly at it. The various departments had left only the final strike to him, but the exact execution was up to him to decide. After careful deliberation and communication with Hongfu, he was inclined to capitalize on the present advantageous conditions and launch a surprise assault on the target from the sky. On the way here, he had already submitted this plan to the Defense Department. Yet executing this would not be easy. Above all, it required ensuring that the target was exposed in the open. That part would have to be left to the ground personnel coordinating the operation. Inside the Defense Department command center, Commissioner Liang glanced at his watch. The time was 11:25 PM. The Fumu fission had now reached its twelfth wave. He asked, "Is Captain Chen almost there?" The female assistant beside him said, "The airship has entered Yinglu District. It will be over the Ferris Wheel Building in about ten minutes." Commissioner Liang looked back toward the light screen. "Has Old Xu's team been notified?" The female assistant said, "We notified them repeatedly, and had a message placed inside the weapon crates sent to them. They should have received it." Commissioner Liang said in a heavy voice, "Inform Old Xu and his team once more: no matter how difficult this requirement is, they must carry it out for me. That is an order!" "Yes, Commissioner." Commissioner Liang stared at the light screen. Those of them who drafted and drove this plan forward were, in truth, inextricably bound to it themselves. No one could walk away unscathed. Every person involved at this moment—whether it was Xu Chan and the others locked in fierce combat, the rapid response units outside, the members of the various collaborating departments, or even Liang himself—was a piece on this chessboard, all working to push forward and execute that final, decisive killing blow. The airship in the sky gradually drew closer to the coastline, and the silhouette of the Ferris Wheel loomed ever larger in Chen Chuan's vision. Holding his saber, he gazed fixedly at it, the sea breeze sweeping in gusts across the deck and stirring the tips of his hair. Just then, the supervisor seemed to receive a transmission. He looked up and said, "Captain Chen, ground command has sent a warning. That active conscious entity possesses a psychic shockwave with a vast area of effect. We cannot get too close." Chen Chuan asked, "What is the approximate range?" "Ground reports say roughly two to three kilometers. Only beyond three kilometers is considered safe." Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then said, "Then take the airship higher—above three kilometers. Can this airship reach that altitude?" The supervisor said, "Let alone three kilometers, four kilometers is feasible. But... will that really be all right?" At such a distance, could an accurate strike still be launched? Chen Chuan gave him a firm, unambiguous response: "Proceed with that." The supervisor asked no further questions and immediately ordered the airship to climb higher. They had been instructed to obey Chen Chuan's orders unconditionally and ask nothing more. As this airship ascended, the other two escorting airships climbed in tandem. Shrouded by the mist, the three airships became virtually invisible to anyone on the ground, with only field information continuing to transmit back and forth. Yet as they drew closer to the Ferris Wheel, Chen Chuan's keen spirit could already sense the waves of mental power pulsing outward. Though by the time they reached his position the pulses had grown exceedingly faint and diffuse—hardly capable of affecting even an ordinary person—one could well imagine the tremendous pressure borne by those engaged at close quarters on the ground. He gave it no further thought. The people on the ground had their duties to fulfill, and he had what he needed to do. Facing the oncoming, powerful sea wind, he tugged down the brim of his cap and planted the Xuejun Saber against the deck beside him. Now, he only had to wait for the moment to arrive. ……