Chapter 222: The Operation
Chapter 222: The Operation
Four days later, Director Wang brought news, stating that the recent frequent radio communications indicated an impending operation, although many of the coded messages were unclear.
According to the analysis of the Communication Bureau's experts, the operation was likely to take place within the next couple of days.
The end of the month to early November was when the company conference would be held in Yangzhi City, and foreign company representatives would arrive one to two days in advance by train.
The timing seemed to align perfectly.
Chen Chuan had already returned to his school dormitory and, after receiving a notification call from Director Guan, glanced at the calendar above. It was now the 28th of October, 93rd year of the Jianzhou era, with over two months remaining until the end of the year.
According to Teacher Cheng Zitong, the approval for the quota application should arrive by the end of the year, which meant that he could go to Central City next year.
This operation might be his last significant assignment in Yangzhi City.
He thought for a moment, and to avoid the resistance organization's informants, he needed to relocate to the wilderness in advance. So, he could start moving now.
Chen Chuan picked up the phone and began calling each team member. Once everyone was notified, he walked to the sword rack, took down the Xuejun Blade, and returned to his seat. He unsheathed the sword and retrieved the jar of medicine he had obtained during the national recruitment period. Carefully, he applied the medicine evenly to the blade.
This weapon-enhancing medicine was said to improve the quality of the weapon. Initially, he didn't notice much difference, but after using it a few times, he did feel some effect. Firstly, the warm-up time was slightly reduced, which was a small but welcome improvement.
After thoroughly coating the blade with the medicine, he held it horizontally in front of him and took a breath. Instantly, he felt a subtle vibration emanating from the sword.
After a while, he gently stroked the blade, and it steadied. Then, he slowly sheathed the sword.
Chen Chuan stood up and began checking the items he needed to carry. This time, he would bring the Wu Ji Gun and the stone bullet rounds he had carefully polished beforehand.
Once these preparations were complete, he started putting on his gear.
First, he donned a shirt with various secret ritual patterns on the inside, followed by a well-fitted protective vest. Over the vest, he wore a secret ritual-insulated lining, and finally, a black stab-resistant windbreaker with patterns drawn on the inside.
Next, he put on the following: a scarf, gloves, and other items treated with secret ritual processes. The hood, with intricate patterns on both sides, could be worn later when encountering enemies.
By the time he finished checking and preparing everything, it was already around 4:30 in the afternoon.
As they had agreed to meet at 5:00, it was time to depart. Chen Chuan held the Xuejun Blade and stood up from his seat. As he passed by the door, he picked up a box and exited the building.
Outside, Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan were already waiting. Chen Chuan asked, "Are you two ready?" They both nodded, and he said, "Let's go, then."
The three of them left the dormitory building and made their way to the school's entrance. By this time, the vehicle arranged by He Nan was already waiting, and Wei Chang'an's team, including Ren Xiaotian, Wu Han, and Wei Dong, had also arrived early.
Chen Chuan looked ahead, and the maple tree across the square was ablaze with fiery red leaves. A gust of wind blew, causing the branches to sway in waves, and the bright red maple leaves spun and danced in the air, blending with the sunset's glow on the horizon, leaving trails of vibrant red traces.
He gazed into the distance for a moment before turning his attention back to the group. "Let's go, everyone," he said, climbing into the first off-road vehicle. The others followed suit, boarding the remaining vehicles and driving out along the main road.
An hour later, the convoy entered the wasteland and stopped at a secure location, opting not to venture deeper. They alighted from the vehicles.
Chen Chuan gathered everyone together. Due to the need for secrecy, he couldn't openly reveal the specific task at hand until this moment.
Chen Chuan's success was attributed to Director Guan's notification, he finally began explaining the mission in detail.
Wu Han's eyes widened as he listened. "So, we're not going after an armed smuggling gang but dealing with the Secret Sect and the resistance organization?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Wu Han let out a low whistle. "Sounds exciting!"
Chen Chuan addressed the group. "I'll handle the Secret Sect members and disrupting the ritual. You'll be responsible for taking on the resistance organization members. We'll receive specific instructions when the time comes, but we should also conduct our reconnaissance beforehand."
His gaze shifted to Ren Xiaotian, who stood slightly apart from the rest. "Ren, I'm counting on you for this part."
Despite the fading light, Ren Xiaotian still wore his sunglasses, maintaining his composure. "I'm ready."
Chen Chuan provided some additional instructions and then went to the vehicle he had been sitting in. He pulled out a heavy box and opened it, revealing shirts adorned with secret ritual patterns, all prepared in advance by the Secret Sect Review Bureau.
"These clothes are a precaution," he explained. "If, by any chance, we enter the range of the secret ritual, they will protect your sanity for a certain period. All you need to do is find a way to get far enough away."
"He then turned to Wei Chang'an, 'Brother Wei, we can take the items now.'"
Wei Chang'an smiled and said, "I was wondering, why do I need to bring so many things this time? It's quite a show of force, and once again, you're leading the way, Brother Wei. You're a real stand-up guy."
He called out and led a few people to the vehicle, where they unloaded several boxes. Inside were various types of firearms, along with grenades, smoke bombs, crossbow arrows, protective gear, stab-resistant vests, helmets, goggles, and a whole range of ammunition and protective equipment.
Chen Chuan said, "There's a set of protective gear for each person, all sized according to individual body types and labeled with names. Just grab the right one. We have all the necessary permissions."
Wu Han's eyes lit up with excitement. "These are all top-notch items!"
He and Wei Dong loved to charge ahead, but in reality, who knew who was charging? Each time, they couldn't quite feel the thrill. But with these protective suits, things were different.
Meanwhile, Bao Yuan's group had secretly returned from Shangbu City to their wild base outside Yangzhi City. At that moment, he was also distributing drugs.
These drugs all originated from the Land of Chaos, and as long as a Level Two Fighter consumed them, they could temporarily possess abilities akin to a Level Three Fighter.
However, without a special physique, the effects would only last for a few seconds to a minute, and afterward, they would experience extreme weakness, or even death. Still, these drugs were a necessary preparation; otherwise, even a single Level Three Fighter in protective gear could wipe them out.
After distributing the drugs, Bao Yuan instructed, "This time, after we blow up the railway, we need to hijack those foreign company representatives and the entire train. We'll disrupt their meeting."
Some of his men below felt disappointed.
"Captain, we're just going to hijack them?"
"Yeah, can't we just gun them down? That would be so satisfying!"
Bao Yuan said, "These people are more useful alive than dead. If we kill them all at once, the officials at the Government Hall will only feign anger and secretly rejoice, calling us fools. Then they'll come after us without restraint. These people are more valuable alive, as we can make our voices heard through them."
He seemed to remember something and turned to a certain direction, asking, "Lao Fan, is everything ready on your end?"
A voice immediately responded, "Boss, it's all set. As soon as you start, people in Yangzhi's Central City and the surrounding cities should be able to hear your speech.
If we're lucky, our organization's secret relay station will receive the broadcast, and then perhaps half of Dashun, no, the entire Dashun, might hear your voice."
"That's perfect! It should be like that!"
Bao Yuan became incredibly excited, feeling a shiver run through his body. He remembered the last time he felt this way—fourteen years ago, when he watched Mo Lan Corporation being blown up from within in Central City.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Lao Fan, how's Lao Tian doing? Any news from him?"
"Captain, Lao Tian's been busy these days. Those Gray Dogs are guarding the city center, making it hard for him to find an opportunity to plant explosives."
Bao Yuan said, "Alright, let him follow the plan. Just don't expose himself. Also, send a telegram to the painter and ask how he's doing."
He knew the key lay with the painter. Due to differing opinions, the organization hadn't provided much support. Most of the painter's weapons were collected or acquired by himself, and he had recruited his own team.
For over a decade, without any help, he had built this team and created the current situation. Now, he was ready to take a big gamble with what he had.
Even when traveling by train, these company representatives were always accompanied by qualified security personnel, and some even had combat implants. Bao Yuan's small group was no match for them.
But he had an ace up his sleeve—the painter's long-prepared Secret Sect ritual. It could weaken their opponents, disrupt their minds, and plunge them into self-doubt.
This time, he didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, the telegraph operator received a response, and after translation, the telegram was handed to him, saying, "Captain, the painter's reply..."
Bao Yuan quickly stepped forward and snatched it. There were eight translated words:
"Painting delivered, unfurling tomorrow."
"Good!" He clenched the telegram in his hand and looked up at the night sky, twinkling with stars. "Tomorrow!"
Meanwhile, at Chen Chuan's location, Lin Xiaoti was sitting in the car, wearing headphones in front of the radio. At that moment, her expression changed, and she quickly recorded the received signal, then translated it using a codebook.
After listening to it several times to ensure accuracy, she removed her headphones, got out of the car, and ran to Chen Chuan. She handed him the telegram, saying, "Chen, the telegram is here."
Chen Chuan took it, glanced at it, then looked up at everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for tonight. We depart tomorrow morning, heading southeast..." He gazed in that direction, "Xieshan!"
...
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(End of Chapter)
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