Chapter 139: Operation Saturation, Entering the Mist

Chapter 139: Operation Saturation, Entering the Mist

After the greetings, Jian Qing turned to Su Mu Yu, who was standing behind Lu Heng, and joked, "I didn't expect there to be a girl in your team. Hello, I'm Jian Qing."

"Uh... I..." Su Mu Yu was taken aback and was about to politely respond to her greeting.

Jian Qing laughed and said, "I know, Su Mu Yu. I've read your team's files."

She turned to Lu Heng and smiled, saying, "I'm a straightforward person, so if I do something that upsets you later, don't take it to heart. I just want to resolve the crisis. After all, there's a nuclear power plant in the Sulfur Valley area, and we can't afford to fail this mission."

Upon hearing her words, Lu Heng knew she was up to something.

Before Lu Heng could respond, Jian Qing turned to the leader of the Crisis Response Team and said, "For the purpose of resolving the crisis, I'd like to transfer someone from Lu Heng's team. Is that possible?"

The Special Envoy frowned upon hearing her request and said, "This... You should discuss it with Comrade Lu Heng."

Jian Qing turned around and smiled, saying, "Comrade Lu Heng, is that okay?"

"Who do you want?"

Lu Heng's goal was also to resolve the Sulfur Valley crisis as soon as possible. If he transferred someone to her team, it would be more effective in addressing the crisis, and there was no reason not to agree.

"I hope Chen Zi Hang can join my team. Rest assured, if Chen Zi Hang comes to my side, I'll make sure to fill the vacancy in your team," Jian Qing stated her intention.

Lu Heng turned and waved to Chen Zi Hang, saying, "Comrade Jian wants you to join her team. What do you think?"

Jian Qing placed her hand on her waist and smiled, saying, "With our combined abilities, it'll be easier to disperse the mist. I hope you'll consider my suggestion."

Their abilities, one being wind and the other magnetism, would indeed make it easier to disperse ordinary fog if they worked together.

Chen Zi Hang pushed up his glasses and, after careful consideration, replied, "For the purpose of resolving the Sulfur Valley crisis, I think it's better to stay with Lu Heng's team."

Hearing this, Jian Qing was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Shouldn't our combined abilities make it easier to disperse the mist?"

Chen Zi Hang answered, "Ordinary fog, yes, but I've read the inspection report, and I don't think this method will work. Considering the crisis, I'd rather stay with Lu Heng."

Jian Qing didn't insist and nodded, saying, "Alright then. In that case, let's get ready to depart. All members of Group Two, listen up and get on the vehicle."

The metahuman warriors quickly boarded the vehicle upon hearing the command.

Lu Heng also turned to board the vehicle and depart, but someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Jian Qing stepped closer and said, "Don't take what happened earlier to heart. I just want to resolve the crisis more effectively, not intentionally take someone from your team. After all, the nuclear power plant is of great importance."

Lu Heng smiled calmly and said, "It's a minor matter, no need for explanations."

"I've seen the mist information you presented at the discussion, and it's very useful. I hope we can work together once we enter the mist," Jian Qing said, waving goodbye as she boarded the vehicle.

...

That afternoon, at a five-star hotel in the coastal area.

Three personnel in green uniforms arrived at the VIP leisure area and presented their documents, officially executing the deportation of Saito Makoto, the master of the Kiushu Shinryu School from Japan.

Saito Makoto and the senior executives of the Haruka Corporation, who were entertaining him, were all surprised and argued loudly, questioning the reason for the deportation.

The reason stated on the documents was endangering national security.

The charge was a bit serious, but since it was only a deportation, the issue wasn't considered too severe.

Saito Makoto never imagined that he, a revered figure in Japan and a sword saint of the Kiushu Shinryu School, would one day face deportation.

While waiting at the airport, Saito Makoto angrily scolded the new president of the Haruka Corporation, "How could you let this happen? How could I be deported?"

The new president of the Haruka Corporation's Asia-Pacific region, Takada Koichi, quickly apologized, "We heard that the decision came from above.

"I suspect it's the doing of that despicable Lu Heng.

"He must be afraid of your reputation, which is why he didn't dare to accept the challenge.

"It's clear that Tsukakawa Shugaku was also killed by his tricks."

Saito Makoto scoffed, "In this world, there are no more than ten people who could defeat Tsukakawa. There's no one in Da Xia who could beat him in swordsmanship. It's impossible unless they used underhanded methods."

"It must be so. Mr. Saito, I've checked, and this deportation order is only effective for fifteen days. You can return after that," Takada Koichi hurriedly explained.

"Do you know how much time this trip has cost me?" Saito Makoto asked coldly.

"Yes, yes, yes. This is also to avenge Tsukakawa and clear the name of the Kiushu Shinryu School. Moreover, Tsukakawa's source essence..." Takada Koichi trailed off without finishing his sentence.

Saito Makoto narrowed his eyes.

He decided to issue a challenge in Da Xia, partly because of Tsukakawa Shugaku's second-transformation source essence.

Before the fusion is complete, source essence remains in a free state, and upon death, it will be released.

In other words, after Tsukakawa Shugaku's death, the source essence would be released.

Whoever obtains this source essence will gain the ability of [Swordsman].

The source essence of the Second Transformation job tier.

If one already possesses the Second Transformation source essence, obtaining this source essence can increase the fusion degree.

Therefore, anyone who knew that Tsutsukawa Hideyoshi possessed this source essence could guess that it was now in Lu Heng's possession.

One of the main reasons Saito Makoto had traveled all the way to the coastal area was for this source essence.

However, he never imagined that just two days after arriving, he would be expelled.

Although it was only a fifteen-day expulsion, it was still a humiliation for him.

While waiting at the airport, several people in green uniforms stood quietly beside him, motionless like pillars.

In truth, with his abilities, he could easily break through their watch.

But doing so would result in a nationwide manhunt, making the situation even more embarrassing.

He narrowed his eyes, a chilling glint in his gaze, and clenched his fists, silently swearing that in fifteen days, he would make that young man from Daxia regret everything.

...

Fifteen days was Lu Heng's initial estimate, but he wasn't sure how long it would take to return from Sulfur Valley.

However, if the mist in Sulfur Valley couldn't be resolved within fifteen days, it would envelop the nuclear power plant, essentially marking the mission as a failure.

It wasn't just Sulfur Valley; there were several other areas across the country that needed attention due to the mist crisis.

All the crisis response teams shared information, so the data Lu Heng provided could not only help in Sulfur Valley but also in other regions.

That afternoon, two Sulfur Valley mist dispatch teams arrived at their destination and then transferred to tracked armored vehicles from the military base, officially heading towards the mist-affected area.

These tracked armored vehicles were not tanks but armored personnel carriers designed for mountain travel, equipped with a 20mm caliber machine gun as required.

As they approached the mist, the two vehicles came to a halt.

Jian Qing stood up in the vehicle, glanced at the slowly spreading mist, and then jumped down from the opposite vehicle with a map in hand.

Lu Heng also jumped down and joined her to discuss the next course of action.

"After we enter, how do you plan to proceed?" Jian Qing asked proactively.

Lu Heng hadn't been to Sulfur Valley in his previous life and hadn't participated in the mist crisis operation there, so he wasn't familiar with the events inside the mist.

However, after awakening, he had entered the mist numerous times and was well aware of the dangers within.

Lu Heng looked at the map and asked, "Do you mind if we split up?"

"How so?" Jian Qing didn't immediately agree, but she didn't object either.

"We need to find the location of the mist's spreading rift, but from outside, it's impossible to tell where the leakage point is. We need to go in and search for it, and only then can we think of a solution. So, if we split up, the chances are higher." Lu Heng shared his thoughts.

"Alright, let's divide the area and search separately. I've already submitted the information about the mist rift, so there's no need to explain that again," Lu Heng said, pointing at the map and considering how to divide the area.

"Of course, I've reviewed the information, and it's very useful. Even if you hadn't come to Sulfur Valley yourself, providing that data is already a significant contribution."

As Jian Qing spoke, she used her finger to draw circles on the map. "I think we should follow the valley's terrain. Now that the mist has spread, let's use the stream in the middle of the valley as a dividing line, and you choose one side."

Lu Heng studied the map, guessing the most likely location of the mist rift, and then pointed to the eastern side of the stream, saying, "Then I'll take the east side."

"Okay. I'll take the other side. If you encounter any dangers that you can't handle, you can fire a signal flare, and I'll come to your aid if I see it." After speaking, Jian Qing raised her hand to her temple and saluted before preparing to board the vehicle to continue their journey.

Before their arrival, the research department had conducted multiple tests on the mist.

The test reports indicated that the mist not only had corrosive properties but also strongly blocked electromagnetic waves, causing communication signals to fail beyond a certain distance.

Therefore, before entering the mist, signal flares were necessary to request assistance if needed.

When Lu Heng submitted the mist data, he also provided requirements for the team composition to enter the mist area, emphasizing the need for a Seer and suggesting that in a team of ten, it would be best to have at least three Seers.

The low visibility inside the mist made it crucial to have Seers to expand the perception range.

A single Seer might overlook something, so having three would be ideal.

With more Seers, the use of firearms and other heat weapons wouldn't significantly reduce combat effectiveness.

After all, many metahumans' combat abilities at this stage couldn't compare to even the smallest 20mm machine gun.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end