Rankings

Bainiao District, the Consortium delegation's temporary conference hall. The delegates of the Consortium sat gathered around a conference table, while an operations director stood before a field screen, detailing their recent progress. The delegates listened with complete patience. The keys to this entire operation were military force and intelligence, and they would not overlook either. "The mercenary team we arranged intended to capture Chen Bitong's assistant and search him for any records concerning the blending grounds that he might possess. However, during the abduction attempt, they ran into an Investigation Supervisor from the Processing Bureau, which caused the operation to fail. "According to our subsequent investigation, this Supervisor Chen also visited Chen Bitong's youngest son, who hasn't stepped outside the military dependents' compound since. "Therefore, we can essentially confirm that the Processing Bureau has already taken notice of this matter. Seizing those materials will no longer be easy." One delegate crossed his arms and suggested, "If the Processing Bureau is on guard, then I propose we drop it. There's no need to clash with them right now. In fact, that's exactly what they want to see." The other members agreed with his assessment. This was within the territory of Great Shun. Clashing head-on with the Processing Bureau might yield localized victories, but as long as the bureau remained standing, it could draw on an endless stream of reinforcements. No matter how many men they threw in, it would never be enough. Although the forces they had mustered this time were formidable, they were ultimately finite, which meant they had to be concentrated where they mattered most. The operations director said, "Though we cannot obtain the complete records, we have managed to uncover some past records through various intelligence channels, along with files that several corporations agreed to exchange. Through technical processing and analysis, we have reconstructed a general picture of the Jibei Dao blending grounds, which already meets our minimum requirements. "To a certain degree, the lack of data can be offset by the caliber of our personnel. "Furthermore, we learned from the Jibei Dao Municipal Council that the municipal government itself doesn't possess complete records either. All they have is a patchwork of files from three years ago, which isn't necessarily more detailed than what we've pieced together. In this regard, we are at no disadvantage." A delegate raised a question. "Was Chen Bitong's assistant captured by the Processing Bureau? If the detailed records were in his hands, does that mean the government has acquired them as well?" The operations director replied respectfully, "Mr. Maurujan, we can confirm that the Processing Bureau did not capture Fang Zhixin. He may have escaped, or he may not have had the documents at all. In any case, the bureau gained nothing afterward." He added with emphasis, "The source is very reliable." Hearing this answer, the delegates couldn't help considering multiple possibilities. Suddenly, one of them asked, "What level of fighting prowess does this Processing Bureau supervisor have?" The operations director said, "Because the scene was subjected to an information blackout, we cannot obtain precise details. However, based on the records we gathered on him, this Investigation Supervisor played a pivotal role in the destruction of Ferris Wheel Company, and it was precisely that battle that earned him his promotion." As he spoke, the field screen in the center of the conference table displayed a scene—Chen Chuan descending from the sky and bisecting the giant Ferris Wheel with a single slash. As the colossal Ferris Wheel slowly collapsed to either side, the delegates' faces were illuminated by the flashing brilliance. Their expressions turned solemn. They were all people of experience and discernment; destructive power of that magnitude seemed to exceed the typical level of a third-limit fighter. Their immediate thought was: would such an individual pose a threat to them? The operations director said, "Distinguished delegates, that was not his own power. That supervisor's strike actually drew upon the power of Wuyi Academy's active conscious entity. "As for his personal strength... according to the latest international assessment standards, our evaluation places him, strictly among third-limit fighters, comfortably within the world's top four hundred." The delegates took notice. This assessment factored in multiple comprehensive metrics, analyzing known third-limit fighters across the entire globe. This was a global ranking; breaking into the top four hundred was remarkably high. Any individual among them was an absolute pillar of strength in their respective region. Moreover, they all knew that with the Great Impact approaching, more and more powerhouses would inevitably emerge, meaning the rankings were constantly in flux. To be considered solidly within the top four hundred meant that no matter how the field shifted, he was expected to maintain his place among them—a caliber of combat power that could not be overlooked. One delegate promptly asked, "Will this man enter the blending grounds later?" The operations director replied, "As an Investigation Supervisor for the central city district, he belongs to management rather than active combat personnel. The likelihood of him entering the blending grounds is minimal. Furthermore, according to incoming intelligence, his current focus of responsibilities lies elsewhere. So long as we don't pursue the trail of the documents any further, we can temporarily disregard him. "The one we need to focus on is this person..." The screen flickered, and Captain Xu's figure appeared. "This is Enforcement Captain Xu Chan of the Processing Bureau. His personal strength is formidable. According to assessments, his ranking likely sits between one hundred and two hundred, and it has already been confirmed that he will enter the blending grounds for operations. He will be our principal adversary." The delegate Maurujan looked over at Thaddeus, who was seated nearby, and asked, "Mr. Meriwether, can Spiral Deep Sea's Thunder Twins handle an opponent like that?" Thaddeus offered an urbane smile. "I have full confidence in them. I understand you brought your company's Blood Diamond this time, Mr. Maurujan?" He glanced around at the other delegates. "With the formidable fighters everyone has brought from their respective corporations, what reason do we have to lose?" The operations director said, "Xu Chan must not be underestimated. To deal with him, we recommend concentrating our full strength to severely incapacitate him right at the start and eliminate him from the competition." He looked toward Osbert, seated at the head of the conference table. "Mr. Goodwin, to defeat someone of his caliber, we will also need Oceanic Life's Gray Whale to contribute." Osbert mused for a moment. "I want a detailed operational plan that includes this man..." He looked up at Xu Chan's image. "...as well as the Processing Bureau's enforcement captains and enforcement officers. And..." Recalling Chen Chuan's display just moments ago, he added solemnly, "...include that Investigation Supervisor in the plan as well." *** At the Processing Bureau, the Interrogation Supervisor walked out of the interrogation room and said to Chen Chuan, who was waiting outside, "Supervisor Chen, they've confessed everything." He handed over the interrogation sheets. "Here are the results." Chen Chuan took them. All three men admitted that they had been dispatched by Lianwei Heavy Control to infiltrate the central city and carry out a clandestine operation. He contacted the bureau's legal affairs department and asked, "Can we use this to hold Lianwei Heavy Control's local branch accountable?" The legal officer replied, "Supervisor Chen, technically we could, but on paper this report indicates they were dispatched directly by corporate headquarters and had nothing to do with the branch. There is zero traceable communication between them. By the regulations, the most we can do is demand a fine from their headquarters, which would have a negligible impact on them." Chen Chuan thanked him and looked back down at the interrogation report. According to the three men's depositions, they answered to a team captain above them. Communications between the two sides had been transmitted via telegrams, bulletin boards, and intermediary couriers—a different method every single time. They had never laid eyes on this captain and had no idea what level of strength he possessed, but it went without saying that he had to be superior to the three of them. After some thought, Chen Chuan contacted the intelligence team. The intelligence team leader said, "Supervisor Chen, we're already screening the leads. But their communication methods were varied and cautious, so the chances of tracking the person down are slim." Chen Chuan considered this, then asked, "Have you identified what that combat organism was?" The intelligence team leader replied, "Based on biological analysis, it is most likely an experimental creation of Compound Eye Company called a 'burrowing broodmother.' This organism can spawn vast numbers of larvae to excavate subterranean tunnels and engage in combat. We've already mapped the routes of the underground passages discovered so far." Chen Chuan's boundary credential chimed, displaying an image of the settlement. Beneath the entire area ran a network of freshly excavated tunnels, all dug out during the brief time the trio had stayed there. He stared at it. One of these routes was undoubtedly meant to facilitate meetings between the captain and his teammates, yet across these dozen-plus passages, there was no apparent pattern. The intelligence team leader added, "We believe they dug these tunnels not merely for an easy extraction, but to carve out a path leading directly into the blending grounds." "A path?" "Yes. If they have a field organism—or better yet, an active conscious entity—they could use this route to enter the blending grounds, bypassing all security inspections to smuggle their armed forces inside. "Although they currently lack those prerequisite assets, based on our analysis of the gathered intelligence, this explanation makes the most sense of their actions." Chen Chuan nodded. The analysis made good sense. When Lianwei Heavy Control's personnel entered the central city this time, they had brought an active conscious entity with them. On second thought, that made the burrowing broodmother exceptionally vital. If it could be located and destroyed, bringing in another one would be far from easy. He asked, "Can you track down the current whereabouts of this burrowing broodmother?" The intelligence team leader replied, "We're tracking it now. A combat organism like that requires a steady supply of high-energy nutrient solution to function, especially for breeding larvae. "Since you didn't find any high-energy nutrient solution at the scene, Supervisor Chen, it must be stockpiled in a secret location nearby, perhaps even in more than one cache. We're currently analyzing and screening potential spots. We should have results soon." Chen Chuan said, "Understood. Thank you for your hard work. Please notify me the moment you have word."