Chapter 529: Ominous Signs
Chapter 529: Ominous Signs
Within a day, Canglong Corporation delivered on their promises, providing four armored vehicles, twenty boxes of weaponry and ammunition, numerous protective gear, and ample supply materials and spare parts.
This inventory was enough to equip their squad for a small-scale war.
However, these supplies weren't easily obtained, as the Hive Mother's breeding through splitting could result in her offspring appearing in any unpredictable region.
If the breeding occurred nearby, there was a high chance that a rift between the two worlds would be torn open, and no one could predict what might emerge from it.
Having fought in the Convergence Zone, they were well aware of how tenacious the creatures there could be. In such a scenario, this mansion could serve as a defensive stronghold.
Chen Chuan understood the complexity of the situation, so he and several squad members spent two days fortifying the mansion's defenses.
They set up several barbed wire obstacles around the perimeter and erected a barrier electric fence.
Fortunately, they had also requested additional generator units and a large supply of algal oil, as the mansion's own generators would not have been sufficient otherwise.
The mansion wasn't solely guarded by the four of them; there was also a five-person team of Sword Guards responsible for patrols and security. Yan Yi had specifically dispatched an additional team to assist in the defense, ensuring they had sufficient manpower.
At this moment, the borrowed interference organism and small field organisms from the Handling Bureau had also arrived.
Qin Qingque, the technical expert, tested them and then sent Chen Chuan a contact signal.
"Captain, this is our dedicated frequency band. After the interference organism is activated, any communication outside this band without authorization will be disrupted."
Once the Hive Mother began breeding through splitting, most boundary points became unusable. It was nearly impossible for Resonators to observe distant scenes or personnel by relying on boundary points, but they could still do so if other field organisms reached their vicinity.
Field interference organisms could monitor and eavesdrop from a distance without being detected by the enemy, and they could also prevent the destruction of interdimensional connectors and their communication.
Chen Chuan logged into the interdimensional connector and tried communicating with several team members on this frequency band.
Qin Qingque added, "The borrowed field organism has a coverage of about three kilometers. Within this range, our squad can communicate with each other without issues.
I also found the internal platform frequencies published by the municipal government and the Defense Department. If anyone goes beyond the communication range, they can try to log into these field organisms, use frequency hopping to communicate, and locate team members."
Su Wei's eyes widened in admiration. He considered himself uneducated, so he had always respected technical experts like Qin Qingque. In their previous squad, such individuals often held high positions.
Yuan Qiuyuan patted him on the shoulder, "Su, what are you staring at? Let's go and test the frequency range, and practice while we're at it."
With their free time, they sparred with each other to familiarize themselves and improve their coordination. Yuan Qiuyuan's fighting skills impressed Su Wei.
This guy was older than him and had never received formal training. His skills were honed through real combat in the Convergence Zone, and he had acquired all his cultivation resources through his own efforts, which earned Su Wei's respect.
Su Wei glanced at Chen Chuan, who had no objections, so he left with Yuan Qiuyuan.
Chen Chuan made another round of checks and, seeing no issues, bid farewell to Qin Qingque before returning to Wu Yi Academy.
After all, the cultivation at the academy far surpassed what could be achieved outside. Crimson Whisker could help temper their spirits daily, and in the final stretch before the opening of the Heaven Gate, he hoped to further elevate his cultivation.
Upon returning to the Palace Tower, he noticed the hurried footsteps of passing students and occasionally spotted teachers getting on and off the elevators. The academy was filled with a tense atmosphere.
This was because many students without official duties had been assigned to protective forces by the Administrative Bureau, and these squads continue their training? How does the central city government plan to explain the abnormal situation that might arise? After all, information about the Great Collision is kept strictly confidential from the general public and ordinary students.
Chen Chuan checked the platform, and his expression became unreadable. This explanation... was passable, and it could be considered somewhat reasonable.
Back in the dormitory, he suddenly heard a faint sound coming from the window, as if something had collided with it and then dropped onto the windowsill.
Was it a bird? It didn't seem like it."
Usually, due to Crimson Whisker's field influence, birds rarely flew towards the Palace Tower. In all the time he had been at the academy, he couldn't recall a single instance of it happening.
He walked over, opened the maintenance door next to it, and stepped onto the outer windowsill. There, he found a small insect, about the size of a fingertip, with shattered wings. Although it didn't seem large, it had a menacing mouthpart, and its body felt incredibly hard from the sound of the impact.
Was this... a creature from the Convergence Zone?
Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly. The insect's appearance undoubtedly proved that, although the rift had not yet fully opened, tiny cracks had already formed.
He looked up at the towering skyscrapers outside, the wind blowing his hair back as if it were a banner. The city's silhouette stretched towards the horizon, and a lead-grey cloud hung at the edge of the sky.
It seemed like it would happen within the next two days.
Not only here, but at this moment throughout the entire central city, various districts were gradually filled with many mysterious insects. Passengers in the trams could constantly hear the crackling and popping sounds coming from the windows.
After the tram passed by, it left behind a trail of insect corpses, and even more flew in the air. Due to the lush greenery in the central city, some of them directly attached themselves and began gnawing at the plants.
On the streets, pedestrians occasionally shouted and cursed as these insects not only bit people but also crawled into their noses, ears, and even under their collars, causing great irritation.
Fortunately, most of these insects were relatively small, and it was already the season for insects. Therefore, pedestrians merely cursed a few times without causing much chaos.
Half an hour later, city patrols began to appear on the streets, and above them, airships passed by, spraying large amounts of pungent medicine onto the plants attached to the roadside greenery and buildings.
At this moment, Lao Qi and Wu Han were sitting in a car, returning to their residence.
After Chen Chuan's warning, they stopped taking on new assignments, but they couldn't abandon the ones they had already accepted. Now, after completing the last task, they were returning from outside.
Watching the insects constantly hitting the windshield, Wu Han said, "It's strange. Where are all these insects coming from? I didn't see any a few days ago. Lao Qi, is this some kind of local specialty?"
Lao Qi turned on the wipers, wiping away the medicine and insect corpses, and said, "I've never seen these things before. A few days ago, didn't Chen Chuan tell me to be careful? Could this be it? But you know, I think I've seen this before, maybe about twenty years ago..."
"What happened then?"
Lao Qi tried to recall, "I think it had something to do with a species invasion from the ocean, but I don't remember the details."
"Oh, I'll look it up."
Wu Han used her interdimensional connector to search, and found that many people were discussing the incident on the platform, and soon they had an answer.
"It seems it's true. These insects migrated from the ocean, and it's because of some biological experiments conducted by the Linax Federation.
This is just the first batch, and in a few days, there will be a large swarm coming. The Linax Federation is really causing trouble."
At this moment, the giant advertisement screens on both sides suddenly flickered, and an image of a well-known host appeared on them.
"...This is the second time in twenty years that a large group of alien organisms has invaded..."
"Thirty years ago, the Linax Federation conducted a decade-long biological experiment in the ocean, despite warnings, leading to the deterioration of the marine environment and the mutation of biological populations..."
"These invading organisms possess extreme destructiveness, and the central city government has implemented strict defensive measures. It is advised that citizens of the central city reduce outdoor activities during this period..."
Lao Qi instinctively became alert and said, "This seems more serious than I thought. I'd better go pick up Qiqi earlier today..."
As they drove forward, an armed patrol vehicle from the Handling Bureau passed by, carrying Sun Rao and Wei Yuji inside.
Watching the broadcast on the screen, Wei Yuji suddenly said, "Senior, do you believe what they're saying?"
"What do you mean?"
Wei Yuji said, "I mean, are they making such a big deal just to deal with those organisms? Are they increasing law enforcement patrols for this?"
"What else would they do?"
Sun Rao felt that Wei Yuji was overthinking it and reminded him, "Don't underestimate these things. It's said that these are just the early arrivals, and the threat isn't significant. But there are more dangerous ones coming."
Wei Yuji scoffed, "Forget about how these organisms came here. If it's just a biological invasion, do you really think the field beings in the central city will just sit by? And what about all these foreign fighters who have recently entered the city? What are they here for?"
"It's possible that they're hired by the government or looking for opportunities to capture these organisms for research. After all, they do have value." Sun Rao provided a reasonable explanation.
Wei Yuji said, "Do you believe that? I don't. I'm sure there's something they're hiding from us."
"So what? These things have nothing to do with us. We just follow orders."
Wei Yuji said, "That's exactly what I'm saying, Senior. You're too rigid. When there's an opportunity, you don't seize it. Maybe you're useful to them, but that's as far as it goes.
Senior, you always boast about how you mentored Captain Chen when he joined the bureau, but now he's an executive captain, and you're still doing patrols."
Sun Rao's face turned slightly dark at Wei Yuji's words. What boasting? That was the truth.
He said, "Junior, whatever you're thinking, right now you're on patrol duty. You need to do your job well. If you violate the rules, I'll report it, and it will affect you. Think about it."
Wei Yuji scoffed and said, "Then, Senior, you're wrong." He looked at the insects flying outside the car window and said, "Rules are only for the mediocre. Those who stand out are never bound by them."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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