Chapter 544: Deployment
Chapter 544: Deployment
Within Central City, Chen Bitong's convoy passed through multiple checkpoints and smoothly exited the Weiguang District. The lead vehicle then made a turn, heading northwest.
The convoy drove through the Deep Void Zone and entered the Victory Zone, eventually stopping in an open space in front of an abandoned commercial complex.
It seemed like a coincidence that this location wasn't far from where Chen Chuan had previously arranged to meet with Su Wei.
Fang Zhixin spoke up, "We're here, let's get off."
The vehicle doors opened, and Yu Lie pushed the door open, his hands in his pockets, and stepped out. With a casual wave, he dispersed the surrounding flying insects and then looked around.
Although it was not yet 5 AM, the sky had been brightly lit since the previous night.
All around were abandoned commercial buildings and dilapidated streets in disrepair. Along the roadside for about a hundred meters, one could see a large billboard that was mostly damaged, leaving only a metal frame. It seemed to be an advertisement for some kind of cosmetic, and one could vaguely make out the logo of an orchid, though it was now faded.
Above, a few birds were perched, preening their feathers. When Yu Lie looked at them, they seemed startled and flapped their wings, flying away.
After looking around, he saw that the personnel from the convoy were getting off the vehicles one by one and then silently dispersing. They efficiently retrieved various equipment and weapons from the vehicles and began setting them up in an organized manner.
First, they built bonfires and poured the medicinal incense from the boxes into them. The rising smoke quickly dispersed the dense swarms of flying insects. Next, they dug trenches and set up barbed wire networks.
Some personnel also went into the abandoned building to check it and set up a firing position on the higher floors.
These people seemed very familiar with the area and had their tasks assigned. There was almost no communication among them, and the entire scene was silent, giving Yu Lie a sense of oppression.
He tugged at his collar, wondering, "What are they doing here? Who are they preparing to face?"
At that moment, he noticed two people carrying long cases out of the last transport vehicle. After opening them, they revealed long stakes inside.
Were these... Iron Cloak Jade Stakes?
In the old era, these were commonly used war tools by the former imperial court. According to the records of that time, these objects were described as "clad in iron armor, containing a golden jade core. When struck, it emits a golden sound and vibrates with jade, making it renowned for miles." They were specifically used on the battlefield to convey military information.
In the new era, they became more ceremonial. However, with technological improvements, they were replaced with biological materials, becoming a special field organism. They could be used as field interference organisms, and when arranged in arrays, they had a wide range of interference and were highly effective.
It was unclear if these stakes had other uses.
Unfortunately, Yu Lie couldn't convey this information. Not only was the interference organism still active, but any slight movement he made would expose him.
So, it was better to remain as a location coordinate for now. He believed that once he stopped, the action team would also be on their way.
Inside the Defense Department Command Center, Specialist Liang looked at the large screen above. The fourth wave of splits had begun ten minutes ago, and this time, there were as many as twenty-seven split bodies.
Various teams quickly headed towards the locations where the split bodies appeared, following the previous deployment. This time, the situation was more severe than before. More and more mercenary teams were becoming aware of their situation and getting involved. In addition to blocking their response teams, there were occasional exchanges of fire between them.
The female assistant placed her hand on the interdimensional connector and waited for a while. Then she said, "Specialist, the Government Hall says they are under great pressure. The response team has been significantly delayed, and it's likely that multiple forces won't be able to complete the retrieval mission within the scheduled time. They are requesting support from the Defense Department's airships."
Specialist Liang considered for a moment and decisively replied, "Refuse."
In fact, if just a few airships were dispatched from the Weiguang District and Wuding District, the situation would greatly improve. Even if they didn't use the ones here, just a portion from Motianlun and Baichou Districts would be sufficient.
However, they would rather stay put than provide even a single airship for support.
Of course, his refusal wasn't out of pride but because he had deeper considerations. At this moment, he was still wondering about the possible existence of the former imperial court's elite troops and where they might appear.
There was also that presence that had been hiding since it came from the opposite side, and it must be waiting for an opportunity. He needed to hold several cards in his hand to play at the critical moment.
The female assistant seemed to receive new information and said, "Specialist, forty-five minutes ago, Chen Bitong left the Weiguang District and is currently suspected to be in the Victory Zone."
Specialist Liang frowned and asked, "Why wasn't this reported earlier?"
The female assistant replied, "The General Bureau sent a message, but it was intercepted by the Temporary Special Action Committee. The message that just came through was their second attempt."
Specialist Liang shook his head slightly. One of the responsibilities of the Temporary Special Action Committee was to restrict and supervise the General Bureau during specific actions, so the General Bureau was often constrained by them.
But why were they still engaging in departmental struggles at a time like this?
Despite the Special Operations Commission's overly aggressive approach and their disregard for means and consequences in achieving their goals, they are now attempting to take sole responsibility for the situation, refusing to allow others to intervene.
He hopes that the Commission can handle the matter without any mishaps.
In the Victory Zone, near the abandoned commercial buildings, a series of iron stakes were erected, forming a grid-like array, shimmering with golden light under the sky's radiance.
After inspecting the setup, Fang Zhixin communicated with the surrounding team members and approached Chen Bitong, asking, "Teacher, is there anything else we need to do? We've finished the preparations."
Chen Bitong replied, "There's nothing else to do. Just stay here and wait."
"Yes, sir."
Yu Lie felt a bit perplexed, as he was a fervent admirer of Chen Bitong, and his routine was to follow Chen's instructions without question. So, he remained silent for the moment.
After waiting for about seventeen or eighteen minutes, Yu Lie noticed that the rifts around them had become more numerous and dense, which was very different from the situation earlier. He was startled, thinking, "This is..."
To his surprise, the flickering rifts in front of Chen Bitong gradually began to close, eventually merging into a single rift.
Yu Lie was shocked. It seemed like Chen Bitong had known in advance that a rift would appear here. How did he know? Could it be...
He glanced at the jade stakes, wondering, "Could they have something to do with this?"
At that moment, Fang Zhixin approached and asked, "Major Yu, you seem to be puzzled."
Yu Lie feigned nonchalance, saying, "I do have some doubts, but it's nothing major. I'll do whatever Teacher Chen asks of me."
"Anything at all?"
Yu Lie responded without hesitation, "Anything."
Fang Zhixin smiled and said, "No wonder Teacher Chen insisted on bringing you along, Major Yu. Please stand over here." He indicated a specific spot.
Yu Lie looked and saw that it was next to Chen Bitong. Without asking why, he walked over and stood there, asking, "And then?"
Fang Zhixin laughed and said, "Don't worry, there will be a time for you to shine, Major Yu. I'm sure you can be patient for a bit, right?"
Yu Lie clicked his tongue and took out the coin, starting to flip it again.
Standing before the expanding rift, he felt a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect, but he maintained his indifferent demeanor.
Soon, he felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, initially thinking it was a minor earthquake. But then he realized, "Is this... the Hive Mother's fifth wave of splitting?!"
It seemed like not much time had passed since the last split. Why was this one happening so soon?
Suddenly, he saw a crack appear on the ground, from which a tiny, fragmented object emerged, no bigger than a fingertip. It floated upwards, gradually growing and curling into a sponge-like shape, surrounded by a transparent liquid-like substance.
"Is this a split body?" he thought. Even though he wasn't a member of the Central City government, he knew that the location of each split body was hard to predict. At most, they could outline a general area, or else they would have stationed guards nearby to deal with any potential issues. But what was going on here?
There was a rift right where they were, and now a split body had appeared within it.
He glanced at Chen Bitong, standing to the side. No one present was doing anything about the split body, but the action team should have been there. Why weren't they?
Yu Lie's heart began to race with anticipation.
After the split body entered the rift's radiant light, the rift became more stable.
Inside the command center, the tower reported, "A stable rift has been detected in the No. 5 abandoned commercial area of the Victory Zone, with a split body entering it. It is recommended to handle the situation promptly."
Liang, the liaison officer, looked at the area marked on the light screen—the Victory Zone. Could this be a coincidence?
Chen Bitong had just headed towards the Victory Zone.
Liang spoke in a deep voice, "Dispatch an additional dispatched reaction team and..." He paused, "Send the 'Second Team' there to stand by."
The female assistant glanced at the screen, then saw the authorization from Liang on the interdimensional connector. She began to notify the team.
Previously, she had only needed to issue direct orders to the teams, but this team was special because it was composed of capable members from the Handling Bureau and the Defense Department.
The team members were exceptionally skilled and were the primary force for addressing critical issues. Even during the third wave of rifts, Liang had not mobilized them, but now, facing the possibility of encountering Chen Bitong, he had no choice but to deploy them.
However, after some thought, Liang added, "Send a stamina recovery potion to Captain Chen Chuan's team."
The female assistant was slightly surprised but didn't ask further questions. She nodded and began issuing orders through the interdimensional connector.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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