Chapter 543: Storm and Wind
Chapter 543: Storm and Wind
Yu Lie followed Chen Bitong and Fang Zhixin to the ground floor, where they saw an extended armored vehicle already driving out of the parking space and stopping in front of them.
The car doors were open, and a tall man with protective goggles stood on each side.
Chen Bitong entered the vehicle, but instead of sitting in the back, he took the passenger seat. Fang Zhixin and Yu Lie followed, taking their seats in the back.
The doors closed, and the car slowly drove out.
Yu Lie looked back and saw that the two tall men had gone to another vehicle, and one by one, about seven or eight cars drove out. He roughly estimated that there were at least thirty to forty people if each car was occupied.
So many people had been secretly mobilized, and it would be difficult to conceal their movements.
Wait a minute!
He suddenly realized that the auras of those two men were too orderly, and they were likely two puppets with very advanced technology, which he couldn't identify at a glance.
Although the paper doll companies in the country also made puppets, they didn't have this level of technology. Could it be the original doll company...?
Yu Lie averted his gaze, unsure of where Chen Bitong was headed, but he couldn't ask. It was not only out of character for him but also wouldn't yield any useful information.
Yu Lie couldn't find an opportunity to notify others about the situation, but fortunately, the Temporary Special Action Group could locate him through the implant in his arm.
Fang Zhixin glanced at him and said, "Major Yu, you seem a bit tense."
Yu Lie snorted, "I'm excited, Assistant Fang. Aren't you excited?"
"Really?" Fang Zhixin asked.
"Of course I'm excited to be going out with Teacher Chen," Yu Lie replied matter-of-factly.
"That's great," Fang Zhixin smiled, but there seemed to be an ambiguous meaning in his smile. Meanwhile, Chen Bitong sat silently without saying a word.
The atmosphere in the car made Yu Lie feel a bit stifled, so he focused on calming himself. From the start, he had been controlling his heart rate and breathing rhythm, maintaining a slightly excited state, as Chen Bitong would surely notice otherwise.
The car had barely traveled a kilometer when it reached a roadblock, manned by fully armed security and military personnel.
With such a long convoy, someone immediately came to inspect it. However, Fang Zhixin pressed a button on his interdimensional connector, and the inspector's connector seemed to receive a message, preventing him from approaching further. Instead, he waved to the rear, clearing the way for the convoy to pass through.
Yu Lie was surprised because he knew the inspection here was very strict, and it wasn't managed by a single department. Instead, it was jointly handled by the Defense Department, the Central City Council, and the Government Hall.
Even if Chen Bitong had a good relationship with the Speaker, he couldn't avoid inspections by the other two departments, especially since the Speaker had openly disagreed with his departure from Weiguang District.
Yu Lie pondered for a moment, thinking that some technology must have bypassed the permissions, and someone inside had deliberately allowed him to leave.
At this thought, Yu Lie's heart skipped a beat. Chen Bitong was indeed up to something. However, he couldn't take any action and could only hope that the action group could accurately locate him through the implant in his arm.
With this in mind, Yu Lie dared not look at his arm, fearing that Chen Bitong might notice something. Instead, he took out the coin and started tossing it in his hand.
At the same time, in the warehouse of Yinglu District, Mr. Chu sat on the sofa, with various images from different locations displayed on the light screen in front of him. Group members were busy processing documents and messages around him.
At that moment, a technician approached and said urgently, "Sir, Major Yu's location has started moving."
"He's on the move," Mr. Chu said, his expression turning solemn as if he had anticipated this.
"Let the Fourth Team catch up," Mr. Chu said, contacting the interdimensional connector. A hoarse voice responded, "Boss?"
"Lao Hu, come over, we've got a job," Mr. Chu said.
In Yinglu District, at the Ferris Wheel Company.
Security Supervisor Guan Shangjing was receiving reports from the company's teams and mercenary squads deployed throughout the city domain.
The company had previously set up numerous field domain organisms in key locations within the city domain, and this plan had been in place for three years, allowing them to obtain information channels ahead of other companies.
However, even with these measures, the city was too vast, and with the onset of the split, there were information battles and split bodies appearing everywhere, leaving many blind spots.
Moreover, no news had come from Gong Ying Changxiu's side up until now.
The analysis team speculated that the split would likely head towards the largest rift, but the subsequent deployment of government forces indicated a potentially unfavorable situation.
In that case, it might be impossible to capture the split body from that direction, and they would have to search for it in subsequent waves of the split.
Of course, if they failed, they had prepared a final fallback plan. He looked solemnly towards the sea, thinking that it should have started by now. All the directors and company executives should be paying attention to that location.
The future of the Ferris Wheel Company hinges on this battle! A naval battle between three companies is about to unfold amidst the surging waves of the distant seas.
For a long time, the Dragon Ocean Company and the Far Horizon Expansion Group have dominated the vital shipping lanes in the distant seas, controlling the primary trade routes, which has greatly restricted the development of the Ferris Wheel Company. Being held back here is like having a rope tied around their necks, limiting their growth.
The Ferris Wheel Company has been eager to break free from these constraints. After its establishment, they spent ten years secretly building a sea and air fleet with the support of the Linaksa Federation and other forces, aiming to break the blockade imposed by the two major companies.
However, the right opportunity never presented itself before, as the two companies had the backing of the Great Harmony government, making a challenge almost impossible under normal circumstances.
Now, with the world's ring anomaly and the field organism splitting in Zhongxin City of Ji Bei Province, most of the Great Harmony's attention is diverted, providing a rare opportunity that comes once in decades. Therefore, some island nations in the distant seas and the Ferris Wheel Company decided to seize this chance to break the maritime blockade.
Half a month before the opening of the Heaven Gate, the Ferris Wheel Company's scattered ships set sail from various ports and gathered at Bajian Island.
And last night, they headed straight for Shen Hong Harbor on Bahu Island, where the Dragon Ocean Company and the Far Horizon Expansion Group's main merchant escort ships and a large number of transport vessels were docked.
Their goal is to annihilate the ships in this battle, ensuring that the two companies can no longer compete with them at sea. With such a victory, the Union will never abandon them, and even the Linaksa Federation will lend their support.
In the current global environment, where all countries strive to control and suppress conflicts, the Great Harmony government can only acquiesce to this outcome.
This is the true "Spring Array Plan," which aims not only to capture a split body but also to eliminate the threat at sea entirely.
At this moment, the Dragon Ocean Company and the Far Horizon Expansion Group have received news of the Ferris Wheel Company's fleet heading their way.
In reality, fleet movements can't be hidden, and the two companies have always been aware of the Ferris Wheel Company's secret activities. However, most of the time, these fleets are docked at islands and ports controlled by the Linaksa Federation.
The two companies know that most of the sailors are trained or supplemented by the Linaksa Federation.
They are well aware of the Linaksa Federation's covert actions, just as the Great Harmony government has its own covert operations in the Nine Lands.
Under the premise that all nations unanimously avoid direct conflict, this can only be a battle between companies, and neither the Great Harmony nor the Linaksa Federation will allow the situation to escalate beyond this point.
And now, the two companies' joint escort fleet has set sail from the port.
On the temporary flagship, the Ten Thousand Li, the intelligence officer is briefing Captain Feng Dingshan on the situation.
"The Ferris Wheel Company has dispatched a total of twenty-three ships this time," the intelligence officer reports. "Twelve of them are gunboats converted from merchant escort ships, two are small assault reconnaissance ships, and the remaining nine are Yuanshan-class warships purchased from the Linaksa Federation.
Additionally, there are twenty-five airships accompanying them."
The deputy captain beside him speaks up, "Old Feng, this is very close to our estimates and simulation exercises. It seems they've put almost everything they have into this."
Feng Dingshan replies, "Their habit of putting everything on the line never changes. They did this ninety years ago, and they're still doing it today."
The atmosphere is solemn, but the morale among the crew is high.
Their joint escort fleet consists of thirty-one warships, including twelve Eternal Guard-class battleships from the Great Harmony, matching the Linaksa Federation's Yuanshan-class warships, and thirty-six combat airships in the skies.
Nearly half of the two companies' combat ships are concentrated here.
The other half isn't idle; they've been dispatched to the west coast in response to some unusual activities in the Linaksa Federation's fleet, cooperating with the Great Harmony government's fleet.
But their forces aren't limited to these surface ships; beneath the waves, four Great Harmony submarines silently trail them.
On paper, their strength surpasses that of their opponents, but war is risky, and they don't know if the Ferris Wheel Company has any secret weapons hidden.
If they can defeat this fleet and airship squadron, even if the Ferris Wheel Company survives the war, they won't dare extend their reach to the sea or influence the distant nations. Eventually, they'll be trapped on land.
Feng Dingshan glances at his watch; it's 4:35 am, and there's about an hour until dawn. He looks ahead at the sea, illuminated by the lights, and says with great vitality, "Today, we must achieve everything in one stroke. Let's strive to annihilate the Ferris Wheel Company's maritime forces!"
A loud rustling sound fills the air as all the commanding officers salute in unison.
As the two fleets gradually approach and the battle is about to ignite, the fourth wave of the Hive Mother's split bodies is about to begin within Zhongxin City.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report