Chapter 29: Ember Network
Chapter 29: Ember Network
"Why not just fly a starship there?"
"Sorry, but due to the recent attack by the White-Wing Clan, my Skydome has suffered severe damage. It's currently undergoing slow self-repair in the Ember Ancestral Core, and it wouldn't be wise to interrupt the process."
"Actually, if we sent it to a dedicated Ember starship repair facility, it would only take a few hours to fix. However, I'm reluctant to do so because that would mean repair personnel would have to board the ship, and everything about the Skydome would be exposed to outsiders. Every secret-keeping Ember captain finds that extremely distasteful."
"So, the Skydome can only slowly self-repair within the Ember Ancestral Core."
"Fortunately, it's been half a month now, and it should be fully repaired in a few more days. If we interrupt the process now, it would take a lot of time to restart the healing process, so it's not worth it."
...
The Jiangyuan Ember Bureau is located in the heart of Jiangyuan City, not far from the Dongjiang neighborhood. The Type 3 Kinetic Flycar took about ten minutes to reach the destination.
From above, the Jiangyuan Ember Bureau looks like a perfectly planned circular multi-functional base, complete with office buildings, starship docking areas, kinetic flycar parking lots, and physical training grounds.
Following the staff's instructions, Song Chao parked the flycar in the designated spot and then led Song Chi straight to the Ember Agent Office Building.
As they entered the office building, a middle-aged man in an Ember uniform greeted them with a smile.
"Uncle Shen!"
Seeing the man, Song Chi politely called out to him.
Shen Wenjie, one of the Ember Bureau's supervisory captains and a second-tier Ember captain, commands a Guardian-class Psionic Starship. He wields considerable influence in the entire Jiangyuan City.
Most importantly, he is a close friend of Song Chao, and the two families have been frequent visitors for years. Song Chi is very familiar with Shen Wenjie.
Shen Wenjie first exchanged pleasantries with Song Chao, then turned his gaze to Song Chi.
"Good lad, it's great to hear you've successfully awakened. The rest is not important. Come to Uncle Shen's house in a few days, and your aunt and I will throw a celebration for you."
Song Chi beamed.
"Thank you, Uncle Shen... By the way, I think You Ran should be close to awakening too. It's been almost two years since we last met, sigh."
Hearing the almost imperceptible sigh from Song Chi, Shen Wenjie and Song Chao exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter.
"You young buck, still holding a grudge against your aunt and me? If you miss You Ran, just go to Jiangyuan City. You're thirty now, no need to be so shy."
Despite his mental age being close to sixty, Song Chi's face still turned slightly red, and he looked a bit embarrassed.
Seeing his reaction, Shen Wenjie and Song Chao's eyes twinkled with amusement, but they didn't continue teasing him. Instead, they chatted casually.
As they talked, the three of them soon arrived at a room on the third floor to the left. Song Chi glanced at the sign on the door, which read:
"Ember Network Room!"
Shen Wenjie knocked on the door, and soon a man in an Ember Bureau uniform opened it. Upon seeing Shen Wenjie, the man's eyes widened slightly, and his smile grew even brighter.
"Captain Shen."
Shen Wenjie nodded lightly and gestured for Song Chi to come in.
Seeing this, Song Chi stepped into the room.
This special room was responsible for activating the Ember Network. As Song Chi entered, the man who closed the door behind him continued to smile warmly.
As someone personally brought over by Shen Wenjie, Song Chi had a good sense of his own worth. If he lacked even the basic acumen, he wouldn't have been able to hold the highly competitive position of "Ember Network Auxiliary Activator" for several years.
Working in this role, which was simple, safe, and highly paid, was a coveted position in every city's Ember Bureau. The slightest mistake could lead to someone else taking his place.
"Song Chi, right? Take a seat over here."
Following the man's guidance, Song Chi sat in a special metal chamber, similar to a psionic enhancement pod.
As he curiosity piqued, the man's gentle voice spoke up.
"This is the Ember Network Auxiliary Activation Chamber. Try to relax and don't resist. Since Captain Shen brought you here personally, the Ember Network you will activate will have a higher permission level than the average Ember Fleet captain. The specific functions will become clear to you once you activate it. Just know that I'm telling you this now, and you shouldn't mention it outside, and I won't confirm it either."
Song Chi nodded, slightly surprised. He had always assumed that the Ember Network permissions were the same for everyone after awakening the Ember Seed. It was unexpected to learn that there could be such a variation.
However, he wasn't delusional like the protagonists in web novels who thought they could change the world with a snap of their fingers. That was the kind of naivety that came from never having faced the harsh realities of life.
Where there are people, there is a social order, and where there is light, there is also darkness. If he didn't understand this simple truth, he would surely meet a tragic end. With that thought, he muttered to himself:
"No wonder Dad brought me here personally..."
He silently thanked Shen Wenjie in his heart, then closed his eyes.
Familiar psionic energy flowed through the activation chamber, ultimately focusing on his forehead. Song Chi felt a cool energy continuously pouring into his Ember Ancestral Node, gradually gathering around the Ember Seed within. It seemed to be trying to establish a mysterious connection.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Song Chi came to his senses and found himself lying on a single bed inside the activation room. The Ember Network Auxiliary Activation Chamber had already closed, and someone else was attempting to activate their network.
Clearly, his activation was successful, but he needed to wait 24 hours before he could log in.
Once he fully recovered, Song Chi thanked the assistant and left the activation room.
Outside, his father and Uncle Shen were no longer there. Song Chi followed his memory to the fourth floor, where Shen Wenjie's office was located. As expected, the two were sitting in the office, chatting. Beside Shen Wenjie was a handsome young man.
Shen Qing, the son of Shen Wenjie's elder brother and Song Chi's cousin, had often played with Song Chi when they were younger. Two years ago, he had also awakened the Colorless Ember Seed and was now a regular officer in the Ember Bureau. Song Chi suspected it wouldn't be long before he was promoted, given his family connections.
"Xiao Chi!"
"Da Qing!"
Hearing this long-lost nickname, both of them smiled in unison. The nickname had its roots in their childhood.
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(End of Chapter)
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