Direction

After the personnel from the Disposal Bureau departed, the young girl walked back down into the basement and stood once more before the active conscious entity. Although this active conscious entity was merely an embryo and possessed no combat capability, as a conscious entity that had connected to the Fumu field and received data from Center City, it was already capable of providing strategic counsel to the company. At the same time, this entity represented the will of corporate headquarters. Coming to Jibei Dao this time, their commercial ventures were merely what was displayed on the surface; beneath the shadows, other mandatory assignments had been entrusted to them. As she reached out and laid her hand against it, a faint rustling sound, seemingly echoing from an immense distance, whispered beside her ears. After a short while, she drew back, her breath slightly rushed. By now, those requirements had poured into her memory-consciousness. She steadied herself and began to sort through and examine the memories. First, Lianwei Heavy Control’s headquarters had reached an agreement with the Jibei Dao Municipal Council, which had granted the company permission to establish a passage leading to the Melding Grounds. In return, the company would provide Center City with manpower to help defend against the former imperial family. In truth, however, headquarters required her to seize this opportunity to organize personnel and venture into the Melding Grounds to search for relics. This matter was of paramount importance to the company. Because a breach had formed in the Ring of the World here, the probability of relics appearing was greatly increased. Taking into account that the branch would face competition from other corporations and state-backed enterprises, headquarters would dispatch capable personnel to assist her shortly. Second, the development of implant technology could not stop. The company needed more test subjects, who could be procured or scouted through channels such as gangs, mercenary crews, and underground fighting rings. If conditions permitted, she was to find a way to establish a viable testing sector in the Lower District of Center City. Finally, finding relics was the number one priority. If one was discovered, she was to secure it at all costs, and she was authorized to resort to fail-safe measures if necessary. Having absorbed all of this, she took several deep breaths and walked out of the basement. The female assistant, who had been waiting outside, bowed slightly upon seeing her emerge and said, “Miss, although we have been managing crisis PR for the past few months, we cannot overlook the hostility displayed by the Disposal Bureau. I request authorization to contact several friendly municipal councilors to find a way to apply pressure on the bureau.” Her composure restored, the young girl said calmly, “Go ahead.” *** Inside his apartment, Chen Chuan was looking over the mission report. Lianwei Heavy Control had brought an active conscious entity with them this time, signaling their intentions with absolute clarity: they were preparing to formally establish a foothold in Center City. Lianwei Heavy Control’s core business lay in transport and armed security contracting, and it commanded a large number of combatants and formidable fighters. What had been seen today was at most sufficient for self-defense, meaning it was definitely far from their full strength. As for the person in charge from Lianwei Heavy Control this time... He checked the photograph sent by the intelligence division. It showed a girl around fifteen or sixteen years old. The records listed her as the adopted daughter of a certain director at Lianwei Heavy Control, named Yang Ling. Other than her name, no other information existed, as though it had been deliberately scrubbed. Yet the contours of her face seemed somewhat familiar, bearing a striking resemblance to someone he had seen in a photograph before. He stared intently at the photo. Could it be her? Back then, Zhao Qian had said they would never find this person. If she was no longer among the living, that would have been the worst outcome, but he could sense that Zhao Qian had not meant that at the time. Judging by the findings of the investigation, after arriving in Center City, Zhao Qian had undergone a meteoric promotion. For a graduate of Wuyi, reaching such a rank was not entirely unusual—Senior Sun at Canglong Company was an example—yet that had been achieved through his own seniority and competence, whereas Zhao Qian’s rise had been astonishingly rapid, catapulting him into that post almost overnight. Unless he had performed some extraordinary merit, yet nothing of the sort could be found in his personnel dossier. If that was the case... He could not help considering a certain possibility. He thought of how people born with exceptional talents were prized by corporations. If that senior’s younger sister happened to be such an individual, everything made sense. It would also account for Zhao Qian’s rapid advancement—it might well have been a reward for securing such an important asset for Lianwei Heavy Control. Only... He gazed at the photograph. Why send her here now? Did her talents serve some purpose in helping Lianwei Heavy Control secure a foothold? Zhao Qian had once claimed he would never find her, and given Chen Chuan’s status back then, an adopted daughter of a corporate director truly would have been beyond his reach; no lone fighter could hope to stand against a corporation of that scale, which was why he had told Lu Fang to suspend the investigation for the time being. Now, however, things were different. Lianwei Heavy Control’s ability to return this time was likely sanctioned by the Municipal Council. Yet the Government Affairs Hall was thoroughly displeased by this move. For a transport company that had attempted to smuggle a split sub-body to continue existing within Center City after the fact would only encourage contempt for Center City’s laws and order, breeding further chaos and violence. Thus, the Disposal Bureau’s position was that even if the company could not be expelled, it had to be subjected to strict surveillance and containment to ensure its operations no longer posed a threat to Center City’s security. Yet with the need to handle the Commonwealth delegation and the diplomatic mission from the Linax Federation, the Disposal Bureau had little manpower to spare for this matter. Exactly how far it could be pushed depended entirely on his own capabilities. He considered it briefly. This affair demanded patience; he needed to determine Lianwei Heavy Control’s subsequent moves and pry out more information before deciding on his next step. He tapped his boundary credential and hailed Andun. Andun’s voice sounded promptly. “Supervisor Chen, Andun at your service. What are your instructions?” Chen Chuan said, “I need you to monitor the field data of Lianwei Heavy Control’s branch twenty-four hours a day. Notify me immediately of any abnormal activity.” “Understood, Supervisor Chen... Per your instructions, this order has been added to the priority task list.” Chen Chuan acknowledged with an affirmative grunt, then contacted Wu Bei. “Brother Wu, take the resonation team and keep a close watch on Lianwei Heavy Control’s communications. I need to know where every one of their transmissions goes.” Wu Bei’s eager voice came through: “Understood, on it!” Chen Chuan then contacted the Disposal Bureau’s internal line. “I need to reassign Captain Bao’s duties... Very well, transmit the list of replacement candidates to my boundary credential shortly.” After that, he arranged several other matters warranting attention. Once everything was settled, he took a sip of the hot beverage beside him and proceeded with his daily cultivation. *** The next day, he emerged from his meditative state, washed up, and enjoyed a reserved meal of Melding Grounds delicacies in the faculty dining room. Returning to his apartment, he changed his clothes, pushed open the window to let Chaoming fly out, and then walked over to a storage locker, drawing out an elongated bag. Carrying the bag in one hand and the Xuejun Saber in the other, he left the apartment and took the elevator downstairs. Ten minutes later, the Jiade car drove out of the Xuangong Building and headed north along National Boulevard. Yesterday, he had attempted to cleave open a fissure on the western boulevard. Considering it unwise to repeatedly tear fissures open in the same spot, he had decided to head north today. Once out of the city, he veered the vehicle off the road and out into the wilderness. Driving for over half an hour, he finally pulled up beside a mound sheltered from the wind. Stepping out of the vehicle, he unfolded a large light-blocking tent purchased from Wuyi Academy. Cultivating inside such a tent eliminated the worry of being spotted by passersby. Having pitched the tent effortlessly, he dispatched Chaoming, who had followed him along the way, to keep watch. Chaoming’s field of vision was far broader than his own; it could detect human movement from great distances and give an early warning if trouble arose. He then stepped inside the tent. Rather than rushing to cleave open a fissure, he brought the travel bag over, unzipped it, and drew out a long bone with serrated edges, resembling a spine. This was the relic Talu had presented to him upon their parting that day. After returning yesterday, it had suddenly occurred to him: relics were also items that originated from that other world, and whenever he established mental communion with a relic, a corresponding entity would appear there. Could such an entity serve as nourishment for the Xuejun Saber? He did not know, but he could test it. With a sharp rasp, he unsheathed the Xuejun Saber and reached out to touch the relic. Just as he was about to begin his attempt, a high-pitched cry suddenly split the sky, causing his brow to furrow. Saber in hand, he stepped out of the tent and spotted a convoy driving toward him several kilometers away. There were roughly seven vehicles in total: five armored combat vehicles, a fuel tanker, and a wilderness transport truck from Fenghai Company. Judging by their heading, they were coming straight for him. The hyenas of the wasteland had sharp noses; they had likely caught sight of his tent and car. As the convoy drew nearer, the roar of their engines grew distinct. They soon closed to within a kilometer and continued pressing forward. At a distance of two to three hundred meters, gunshots abruptly rang out. Evidently, these people sensed he might be trouble, and even though they saw only one person, they had decided to settle matters with gunfire first. Bullets whistled past his flanks. An occasional round aimed true was casually swatted aside by his hand. Witnessing this display, the wasteland bandits turned pale with terror, realizing they had run into someone far beyond their league. The vehicles suddenly swung about, attempting to retreat. Yet in the very next instant, an invisible force swept through them. The occupants’ eyes rolled back, every last one losing consciousness on the spot as their bowels and bladders emptied. After a few moments, even their breathing ceased entirely, while the uncontrolled vehicles swerved erratically across the dirt. The light in Chen Chuan’s eyes slowly receded, and he returned to the tent. Holding the Xuejun Saber, he stepped up to the long bone once more and laid his hand upon it. The instant his mind connected with it, his body sank, and he found his hand resting against the gray, wrinkled hide of a colossal behemoth.