A Path

The pit was very deep. Judging from the markings on the walls, it had clearly been dug out by that combat organism. Chen Chuan surmised that excavating this passage was likely meant to serve as an escape route in a crisis. No wonder these people hadn't rushed to pull out even after sensing something was amiss; they had a route like this all along. Or perhaps the passage hadn't been fully opened up yet. He examined the marks on the walls. The scuffs and abrasions along the edges made it impossible for it to have been dug just today. It was very likely that they had started excavating as soon as they arrived here and continued every single day. Where, then, did this path lead? He didn't intend to go down himself. Using his boundary credential, he contacted Andun. After a short while, several combat organisms flew in from the distance, entered the house, and crawled down into the shaft. These combat organisms were linked through field communications and possessed a certain degree of field surveillance capability, allowing him to observe the conditions below through them. Meanwhile, around the perimeter, his squad members had already blocked off several intersections according to the prearranged plan. Presenting their Processing Bureau credentials, they began screening and evacuating nearby residents and pedestrians. By now, the municipal security forces from the rear were rushing up; before long, this entire area would be sealed off. Yet barely had they begun when gunshots suddenly rang out within the residential area, throwing pedestrians into a panic as they scattered in search of cover. The squad members were by no means novices. The moment they heard the shots being fired wildly in all directions, they knew someone was deliberately sowing chaos. Inevitably, some people rushed outward. One person seemed to stumble blindly toward Wei Dong, only to suddenly pull a dagger from underneath as he drew close and thrust it straight toward his belly. Yet halfway through the motion, a heavy fist smashed into his cheek, sending him tumbling sideways to collapse unconscious on the ground. Beside him, Luo Kaiyuan pulled back his fist and gave Wei Dong a nod. According to today's mission briefing, anyone who posed little threat was to be taken alive if possible. Luo Kaiyuan had simply worried that Wei Dong might lack restraint and kill the man outright, so he had stepped in to strike first. At an intersection on the other side, Wei Chang'an stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping back and forth, while Cai Si stood beside him checking individuals and ushering people through the evacuation. Trembling with fear, the evacuees hurried past them one by one. One individual walked past Wei Chang'an with his head down, only to have a hand clamp firmly onto his shoulder. The man stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes darting frantically. "Wh-what are you doing?" Wei Chang'an shoved back with a burst of force, sending the man staggering back several paces until he fell flat on his rear. "I'm only letting uninvolved people through," Wei Chang'an said. "As for you, you can't leave just yet." Having carried out so many commissions, he was exceptionally adept at reading people. He had seen clearly that although this person kept his head down, his posture was taut with hostility. Whether he was affiliated with the local gangs or was one of the actual targets to be apprehended, he wasn't going anywhere. The man's expression changed. He scrambled up deftly and bolted backward, but running only proved his guilt. Before he could take more than a few strides, a gunshot rang out behind him, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his calf and wailing in pain. Cai Si holstered his firearm, went over, swiftly subdued the man, and slapped shackles onto him. But right at that moment, someone leveled a rifle at him from a distant window. Yet before the shooter could pull the trigger, a sharp crack sounded. Ding Liao, lying prone on a rooftop, put a bullet through his head. In the same breath, Ding swung his barrel toward another gunman, and before the second target could react, fired again. That gunman instantly plunged from the heights. Cai Si walked up beside Wei Chang'an and said, "Junior Chen went inside alone—he can handle it, right?" While staying alert, Wei Chang'an maintained a relaxed posture. "Don't worry," he said. "Junior Chen only moves when he's certain of success. Besides, he's an Investigation Supervisor for the Processing Bureau." He smiled slightly. "Of all the people we could worry about, he's the last. We just have to make sure we don't mess up our part." Cai Si nodded in wholehearted agreement. Inside the house, Chen Chuan used his boundary credential to observe the inside of the pit through the perspective of the combat organisms that had entered it. The shaft was remarkably deep; even after traveling down for ten-odd minutes, the creatures had still not found an end. Just then, one of them abruptly vanished. A moment later, the remaining ones vanished one after another. His gaze narrowed slightly. Judging from the sequence of their disappearance, whatever had taken them was heading up toward him, and moving at astonishing speed. He stood at the edge of the pit, staring down into the darkness, but for a long while there was no movement. Then, after another brief wait, a loud crash erupted as the ground several meters behind him ruptured violently. An insect with a smooth, jointed carapace burst through the floor. It was shaped like a flattened cone, its mouth armed with vicious, powerful mandibles and its underbelly bristling with scythe-like appendages that swept out, trying to ensnare him. A flash of saber light. In an instant, the insect was cleaved down the center, its two halves slumping outward as an abundance of foul-smelling bio-fluid poured from its carapace. Chen Chuan turned around. He had heard clearly just now that there was not just one of these creatures, but many. Holding his saber, he stepped outside. Through Chaoming's aerial view, he spotted these things burrowing up in over a dozen places nearby, and even across a wider perimeter. In hindsight, evacuating the crowd had been the right call. Even so, many people had stubbornly refused to leave, and there was nothing he could do for those who wouldn't listen. He immediately accessed his boundary credential, alerted Yuan Qiuyuan and the others, and transmitted the footage he had seen: "Watch out for these things. Eliminate every one you see." There were definitely far more than what was currently visible. According to Andun's analytical comparison, they had likely been spawned by that combat organism. He stepped out onto the street and unleashed his mental power outward. In an instant, spanning a radius of several hundred meters centered on him—both aboveground and subterranean—every single insect halted its movements, lying motionless as if struck dead. He knew there were still outliers beyond that range, but his squad should be able to handle them. These modified organisms were just the right challenge for them. At that moment, above one of the intersections, Yuan Qiuyuan stood watch on a rooftop. Seeing the street surface burst open as an insect surged out, he raised the staff in his hands before it could fully emerge, leapt down from midair, and brought the weapon crashing down onto its body. With a wet crack, the insect's upper body burst apart, shattered carapace and spraying fluid splattering in all directions in a gruesome mess. Elsewhere, Qin Qingque and Su Wei were also disposing of the insects they encountered. Unlike Yuan Qiuyuan's messy approach, however, both utilized their internal force to rupture the creatures' internal structures. This not only kept the scene relatively clean, but because they didn't know whether the fluids were toxic to ordinary civilians or harmful to the environment, they exercised deliberate restraint. Under the squad's efficient suppression, no more insects surfaced around the perimeter. After sweeping the area and confirming no casualties among their personnel, they reported back to Chen Chuan. Upon receiving the report, Chen Chuan notified the municipal security forces to clean up the aftermath and had his squad members retrieve the three heavily injured targets, intending to interrogate them thoroughly once back at the bureau. Several hours later, inside a basement at the Lianwei Heavy Control Company branch. Yang Ling rested one hand upon the porcelain case, communicating with the embryonic active conscious entity inside. A soft, rustling sound drifted from within to reach her ears. Those sounds were communing with her spirit, seemingly transmitting information back and forth. Through the openings on the outer wall of the porcelain case ran numerous vessels, carrying flowing vermilion fluid that continuously pumped nutrients inside. After quite some time, her face grew slightly pale. Only then did she lift her hand, waiting for her shallow, hurried breathing to steady before walking toward the elevator leading up to the surface. When she reached the surface and the elevator doors slid open, she found her female assistant waiting outside. "Is something the matter?" she asked. The assistant bowed slightly. "Miss, headquarters just sent a telegram. Our squad stationed on the perimeter suffered a surprise raid by the Processing Bureau." Yang Ling's expression showed no ripple of emotion. She merely asked, "What are the losses?" "All three operatives were captured." "And... Captain Fan?" "Captain Fan is very cautious. He wasn't staying with his operatives, so he wasn't caught in the raid." Yang Ling said, "I see. In that case, headquarters should dispatch personnel to reinforce him." Before she set out, headquarters had informed her that Captain Fan was the key operative leading this mission; everyone else was replaceable. As long as he remained intact, the mission was not a failure. As for the potential losses and setbacks along the way, the company had prepared for them well in advance. The assistant said, "However, he is also very likely exposed. Even though the Processing Bureau didn't locate him, once they interrogate the captured operatives, they will confirm Captain Fan's existence and will undoubtedly intensify their search. Headquarters wants us to find a way to keep the Processing Bureau's attention focused on us during this period." Yang Ling recalled the strategies the active conscious entity had previously offered her. One of them involved securing a portion of Ferris Wheel Company's maritime shipping business, which would require them to travel overseas for negotiations. If they went out to sea, it ought to draw off some of the Processing Bureau's attention. The assistant added, "Also, headquarters wishes to inquire whether you have found a suitable location." Yang Ling's interlaced fingers tightened slightly. "Just a little more," she said. Her spirit could sense the weak spots leading into the blending grounds. Thus, even though the active conscious entity was merely an embryo, her psychic assistance would allow them to map out a secret pathway. Although Lianwei Heavy Control Company had already obtained permission from the Municipal Council to enter the blending grounds, they were aiming for relics this time around, which required blazing a separate trail. The assistant looked at her for a moment, as if confirming whether her words were true, before finally bowing. "Headquarters is pressing on this matter. Please make haste, Miss."