Chapter 577: The Decision
Chapter 577: The Decision
After lunch, Chen Chuan placed a cup of hot beverage on the table and stood by the porthole, gazing down from above. From this elevated perspective, the central city appeared in a whole new light.
The sunlight shone from above, casting varying shades of light and shadow on the sprawling streets below, making them resemble thin threads that could be effortlessly manipulated. The towering skyscrapers, once seemingly unreachable, now lay beneath their feet, evoking a sense of transcendence.
Pan Xiaode, standing nearby, spoke up, "Our airship is responsible for inspections and emergency replacements in various regions. We receive information from all areas, and the people from the Government Hall and Defense Department are handling the situation. Critical information is not allowed to be leaked, but some general news won't hinder us."
He continued, "It's said that apart from the biological invasion in the Convergence Ground, there was also a surprise attack from the Former Imperial Court, but it was blocked in the eastern sea. Currently, the overall situation seems to be under the control of the Government Hall and the Defense Department."
Chen Chuan estimated that this situation would likely persist for some time.
"Oh, right, Chen, you might not know this, but the Resistance Organization has also made an appearance. Not long ago, they fought in the Fengde District, and I just saw the aftermath. An entire street was destroyed, apparently by the Third Limit Fighter during their confrontation... Let me show you..."
As he spoke, he transmitted an image to Chen Chuan, and with curiosity, he asked, "Chen, do all Third Limit Fighters possess such powerful destructive capabilities?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Not everyone can achieve this."
Pan Xiaode yearned to surpass this stage immediately.
Chen Chuan glanced at the image, where most of the skyscrapers had gaping holes and cracks, and the roads seemed to have been repeatedly bombarded.
Such extensive destruction was likely caused by a Third Limit Fighter who had mastered the Heart Force. Moreover, there was more than one of them, indicating that the forces that had infiltrated the central city were indeed formidable.
As long as the Spider Mother's splitting and breeding continued, similar scenes would likely persist.
Inside the Defense Department's Command Center, Liang Specialist checked the time; it was almost 1 p.m. The Spider Mother's splitting and breeding was about to enter the tenth wave.
According to the analysis from the watchtowers, this wave might reach thirteen to fifteen waves.
Although there were numerous child bodies, their forms had been reduced in size due to modulation, resulting in a larger number of individuals with varying degrees of defects.
The Daxun Government, when cultivating new Field Creatures, would typically select the most superior individuals as backups. If none met the standard, they would modulate the batch, requiring more resources. Usually, only significant powers could afford such an investment.
In theory, each individual was both insignificant and crucial.
Based on previous estimates and the current analysis from the watchtowers, it was confirmed that the subsequent intervals would likely be less dense than the initial ones and would last longer.
This meant that the mobilization of forces would not be as urgent as before, allowing for a more concentrated deployment.
In reality, the companies with ulterior motives were also aware of this, which was why they took action in the early and middle stages, exhausting most of their strength. Whether they would continue to act in the later stages was uncertain. He leaned towards the possibility of them exercising restraint, but necessary precautions were still required.
He glanced at the display showing the situation outside the Jiyang District, where the Former Imperial Court's Conquering Country General was still confronting Xue Shou. It seemed they would not leave until the splitting and breeding ended.
For now, everything else was fine, but he was most concerned about the existence of that one.
Where exactly was it? He couldn't figure it out for the moment, but aside from this, there was another matter that required attention: the Skywheel Company.
According to precise intelligence, this company, in its attempt to join the Union and free itself from its predicament, had put all its available forces on the line.
The Skywheel Company's specific reaction depended on the outcome of the battle at sea, but there was still no news about the situation there."
Beyond the Eight-Pot Island, the ocean was littered with half-sunk and half-floating ship wreckage, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and burnt wood.
Numerous buoys and life rafts floated on the sea, and the crew of the company's joint fleet was attempting to rescue both friendly and enemy personnel who had fallen into the water.
The three-company naval battle, which began at 5:20 a.m., had continued until 1:30 p.m., lasting nearly eight hours, and ended with the victory of the joint fleet of the Canglong Company and the Distant Exploration Group.
The Skywheel Company lost five of its nine Far Mountain-class battleships, with three captured and one fleeing. More than half of their twenty-five aerial airships had left the battlefield.
On the Daxun side, only one reconnaissance ship and two gunboats were sunk, and only four of the twelve Changwei-class battleships sustained minor damage, making it a significant victory.
However, in reality, the battle had been quite perilous.
At the beginning of the battle, the Skywheel Company released modified flying creatures provided by the Lynax Federation. Surprisingly, these insect-like creatures could cling to the airbag of the airships and then inject a special biological liquid through their tail needles, causing a rapid fire after they left.
This was likely a recently developed modified creature by the Lynax Federation, which the company's joint fleet had no knowledge of before. As a result, the airships, which initially held an absolute advantage, suffered a one-third loss at the start.
If the advantage in the sky were lost, the ensuing battle would become extremely difficult, indicating a lack of cover overhead.
Fortunately, the Combined Fleet, upon the reminder of a staff officer, temporarily equipped a batch of modified flying birds produced by Wingblade Lightnest Company, successfully curbing the offensive of these modified creatures and allowing the battle to proceed smoothly.
Four submarines dispatched by the Dashun military played a significant role, sinking most of the Far Mountain-class warships within two hours of the battle's commencement.
The Skywheel Company, already outnumbered by the Combined Fleet, suffered further losses, and after this weakening, they struggled to recover. The Combined Fleet pursued and engaged for nearly six hours, eventually sinking or forcing the surrender of the remaining fleet.
Thus, the Skywheel Company's fleet, assembled over a decade, was utterly annihilated, leaving only records in the archives as a trace of their existence.
Upon confirming the battle's outcome, Captain Feng Dingshan immediately sent a coded message to the Defense Department in Central City, relaying the results.
At 1:30 in the afternoon, the telegram arrived at the Central City Operations Command Center.
Specialist Liang received the news promptly and, after repeated confirmation of its authenticity, felt a sense of relief.
This naval battle was of utmost importance. If the Combined Fleet were defeated, the Skywheel Company would no longer be hindered at sea, allowing them to evacuate or return at will, rendering the Combined Fleet extremely passive.
With the Skywheel Company's maritime forces eliminated, even if they did nothing, they would be confined to land, unable to move freely.
He handed the telegram to his female assistant, instructing her, "Deliver this news as a confidential message to Chief Governor Qi and Director Wei."
The female assistant immediately complied.
About ten minutes after the news spread, the female assistant touched the intercom and said something to her.
In the 1619 book, look at the error-free version!
Specialist Liang nodded, left the public area on the second floor, and entered the office hall on the third floor. The surroundings dimmed, and the light screen on the wall flickered, revealing the silhouettes of two people.
On the left was Secretary Qiao Yang, a close confidant of Chief Governor Qi from the Government Affairs Department, and on the right was Deputy Director Wu Quan from the Handling Bureau, responsible for specific affairs.
Specialist Liang said, "The telegram has probably been seen by Chief Governor Qi and Director Wei. Do you have any messages to convey?"
Qiao Yang, in his forties and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, appeared gentle and refined. He smiled and said, "We need to provide an explanation and clarification to the public regarding this incident, and the Skywheel Company is an excellent scapegoat."
Specialist Liang immediately grasped the Government Affairs Department's intentions. After some thought, he said, "What does the Chief Governor think? The Municipal Council is unlikely to agree to take action against the Skywheel Company."
Qiao Yang smiled and said, "Special situations require special handling. This is an emergency, and the military regulations apply, but only for the present."
Specialist Liang nodded. In the current situation, except for the security forces guarding Wei Guang District, Wuding District, White Bird District, and Mount Motie, all other military forces were under the control of these three departments. Moreover, outside these regions, information and communication transmission were not smooth.
If any action were taken, all communication signals could be cut off, preventing any interference from the Council. However, if this period passed, handling the situation would become more challenging.
He reminded them, "But don't forget that the former Imperial Court is still knocking on our door. We can't turn a blind eye to them, and we still don't know what the things that slipped through from the other side want to do or where they are."
"Facing these threats, do we need to allocate resources to deal with the Skywheel Company? Is that appropriate?"
Deputy Director Wu Quan replied, "Mr. Xue is responsible for confronting the former Imperial Court. That side is already sufficient. Unless they find another stable rift, there's no possibility of them breaking through. From the current situation, this possibility is almost non-existent.
As for that existence, Specialist Liang, Director Wei has already confirmed with headquarters that the Handling Bureau's active consciousness entity, 'An Dun,' can respond accordingly."
Specialist Liang looked at him. The Handling Bureau's active consciousness entity is essential in countering the active consciousness entities of various companies. In fact, these companies are the ones we truly need to guard against. If we take action, won't we fear their reactions?"
Deputy Director Wu Quan spoke in a low voice, "We have been in contact with Wu Yi Academy. If the companies show any unusual activity, their active consciousness entity, Hong Fu, can replace 'An Dun' when necessary."
Specialist Liang understood that the attitudes of the two departments towards the Skywheel Company were now clear, even representing the opinions of their respective higher-ups. Now, it was time for him to express his stance.
After deep thought, he looked at the two men and slowly said, "In light of the Skywheel Company's repeated disruptions to the order of Central City in Jibei Dao and the serious security threats posed to the Central City government, I propose, in my capacity as the Defense Department's Specialist in Central City in Jibei Dao..."
His voice turned solemn, "To initiate the National Special Purification Regulation and conduct a comprehensive purge and rectification of the Skywheel Company, ensuring the national security and public interests of Dashun remain unharmed."
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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