Word Arrives, Each Sets Out

In front of the field screens, the members of the Security Decision Group were waiting for a response from the Central Government. Time ticked away, second by second. The scheduled hour drew near, yet word from the Central Government was still nowhere to be seen. Had some complication arisen? By all reason, with a matter of this magnitude, Qi Weizhao would certainly have communicated with higher authorities in advance, and his ability to name an hour's timeframe suggested a degree of certainty. Yet given the present silence, could some unexpected variable have cropped up? Had they hit an unforeseen snag? Or had some completely unanticipated scenario emerged? All of those were possible. After all, circumstances in the Central Government were vastly more intricate than in any regional Center City; tugging on one hair pulled the entire body. Many issues were not decided on their own merits alone, swayed as they were by countless extraneous factors. For now, all they could do was wait. Soon, barely two minutes remained before the appointed time. Everyone on screen remained silent, the atmosphere grave. Chen Chuan glanced at Qi Weizhao and saw that the man maintained his composure remarkably well. If this operation lacked permission and endorsement from the Central Government, it would become purely a local action by the Jibei Dao Center City Government Affairs Hall. Any risks and repercussions arising from it would have to be borne entirely by the decision-makers on this side. The operation was decided unanimously by the group, but as team leader in name, if Qi Weizhao insisted on pushing ahead, it would be difficult for the others to object. That was why Qi Weizhao had made that statement earlier: he would take primary responsibility upon himself. The purpose of this was to insulate everyone else if something went wrong. Even if he were held accountable by superiors, battered by international opinion, or forced to step down with his political career ruined, the ultimate outcome would still be secured, achieving a de facto victory. And a leader's resolute stance and courage to take responsibility were enough to inspire and rally subordinates to follow through on what needed to be done. The second hand finally struck 6:20. The hour of action had arrived, yet there was still no reply from the Central Government. Qi Weizhao seemed completely unshaken, showing not the slightest hint of disappointment. He lifted his head and spoke, "Time is up. In that case—" Right as he spoke those words, Secretary Qiao Yang suddenly jogged in, sweating profusely, speaking as he ran: "Administrator, a wire from the Central Government! Due to a thunderstorm at sea, transmission was delayed fifteen minutes past the normal receiving time..." On the field screens, everyone looked toward the telegram, their expressions still solemn. It was too early to draw conclusions. If the Central Government's final verdict was a rejection, then no wire at all would have been better than one arriving now. That way, once the deed was done, the higher-ups would have had nothing left to say. Qi Weizhao snatched the telegram. After skimming it quickly, he raised his head and looked at everyone before the screens. "Gentlemen, the Central Government has approved our operational request. I hereby declare..." With that, he stood up and said forcefully: "Operation Sunrise officially begins!" Everyone stood up and solemnly offered a salute. Then, the figures before the screens vanished one by one. Each had prearranged missions and duties to attend to. As the team members departed and issued orders, intelligence agencies, enforcement departments, and various connected offices and organizations across Center City began turning like the gears of a precision machine. After last year's Fumu fissuring incident, every department across Jibei Dao had effectively undergone a high-intensity drill and trial by fire, allowing them to mobilize with remarkable smoothness this time. Stepping away from the field screen, Chen Chuan picked up his Xuejun Saber and left the lounge, riding the elevator down and walking out of the Government Affairs Hall. He did not need to concern himself with the specific operational arrangements of the Disposal Bureau or city patrols; while he had been away, authority had already been delegated to his subordinates to coordinate directly with the Government Affairs Hall. His primary responsibility now was dealing with the two active conscious entities. According to past data and intelligence provided by covert branches, the Municipal Council's active conscious entity, "Guardian Spider," had always remained beneath the Municipal Council Building, never once leaving. This was to ensure the safety of all council members and provide a direct deterrent against the Government Affairs Hall. This active conscious entity was rather peculiar. Possessing an immense reproductive capability, once weaponized by the Municipal Council, the spider eggs it bred were secretly planted across numerous key locations throughout Center City, virtually blanketing the entire metropolis. Once the Guardian Spider was awakened or entered a combat state, if it faced an enemy it could handle, the eggs would remain dormant. But in an emergency, or should its life come under mortal threat, it would release a rapid pheromone signal. Every spiderling would burst from its egg, launching indiscriminate attacks and wreaking havoc on surrounding civilians and public facilities. That would trigger massive turmoil across Center City—effectively a form of security hostage-taking. These exact details had only been disclosed because Chen Chuan had posed such a severe threat to the Municipal Council members upon his previous return, prompting them to reveal it deliberately. The councilors hoped this would stay Chen Chuan's hand, making him hesitate to use force against them lest he break the vase while aiming at the rat. Because the eggs were so numerous and scattered in every corner of the city, rooting them all out in a short time was virtually impossible. Yet that did not mean there was no solution. Since Chen Chuan dared guarantee the safety of Center City to Qi Weizhao, he naturally had confidence. The crux of the matter lay with the Guardian Spider itself. As long as he stood before the creature, it wouldn't send a single piece of information out. Stepping out the main doors of the Government Affairs Hall, he looked across Central Square toward the brightly lit Municipal Council Building. Brilliant neon reflections shimmered around it, while surrounding giant screens continuously broadcast public news and campaign clips for certain politicians. Rain was falling. Though lighter than before, it remained dense, droplets dancing vigorously across the hard pavement of the square and mirroring the colorful light cast from above. He walked toward it with measured, steady strides. Though many government clerks and hurried pedestrians crossed the square, not a single person glanced at him as he walked past, as though he did not exist at all. Upon reaching the front of the Municipal Council Building, he saw many petitioning protesters wearing raincoats and holding placards, shouting slogans. People identifiable as media reporters were also waiting for news, undeterred by the rain. Opposite them stood armed security personnel clad in black protective suits and goggles, on high alert. With gun muzzles tilted slightly upward, they warily scanned their surroundings, occasionally using their boundary credentials to check in with perimeter patrols and sentries. Chen Chuan didn't spare them a second glance, walking straight inside. The entire time, everyone seemed completely blind to his presence. Inside the lobby of the Municipal Council Building, the lights were as bright as day. Political brokers and public relations staff from major corporations stood conversing in hushed voices, while others checked the time every now and then, seemingly awaiting someone. Every now and then, a chime would sound from the front desk, or a receptionist would step over to whisper a few words, prompting someone to rise from a sofa and quickly hurry into an elevator ahead. Chen Chuan surveyed the hall. Hongfu's voice sounded in his ear: "Elevator four." He walked straight over. The moment he reached the elevator doors, the boundary credentials of everyone present received alerts that drew their attention, while surveillance personnel noticed a momentary instability in the field information as screens flickered. At that instant, the elevator doors parted on their own. Chen Chuan stepped inside and stood still. Without needing any access key or manual input, the doors slid shut, the floor indicator flickered, and the car descended smoothly. Hongfu had already interfaced with Fumu's field and received the permissions granted by Fumu. Armed with the Central Government's authorization, the Government Affairs Hall could forcibly seize and take full control of Fumu for a period. After all, it was state property, and they possessed the authority to exercise this power in emergencies. After descending all the way to the twelfth basement level, the elevator dipped slightly and came to a stop. Then, the voice of an inactive conscious entity sounded inside the cabin: "Welcome, Visitor Number Three." Hongfu said, "The permissions Fumu can grant end here. Beyond this point, the Council used special materials to block external field information input, running an isolated field information system. Without specific passcodes and secure channels, entering from the outside is exceedingly difficult." Chen Chuan glanced around, and his gaze fell beneath his feet. "That thing is down below?" Hongfu replied, "Beneath our feet lies an underground space exceeding five thousand square meters. Combining past intelligence with current field feedback analysis, there are extensive high-energy nutrient pipelines and shielding materials down there. The probability of the Guardian Spider being present is over ninety percent." Chen Chuan nodded. "Then reaching here is enough." He leaned down and pressed a palm against the floor. Moments later, fine hairline fractures spread outward from the edge of his palm, rapidly branching across the surface. The surrounding structure began to shudder, emitting dense cracks and groans of overstrained material. Yet the vibrations remained confined within a four-to-five-meter radius around him without spreading any farther. A few breaths later, with a thunderous crash, the floor slab—over two meters thick and built to withstand high-energy explosive impacts and field penetration—shattered completely! Yet neither the pulverized chunks of reinforced concrete nor the rubble of specialized composite materials fell to the ground. Instead, they hovered in midair as though weightless. Chen Chuan also floated there. Looking down, his body slowly descended, the debris drifting along with him. Once his feet touched the ground below, the rubble clattered down around him. Raising his head to look forward, he saw a vast underground chamber before him. Four tunnels extended forward, backward, left, and right, each sealed by a heavy metal door. ... ...