Chapter 593: Ashes to Ashes
Chapter 593: Ashes to Ashes
In the distance, within the Yingle District, Director Lei stood atop a building, gazing down at the ritual pattern below that had completely extinguished, turning to ash. He then turned his attention to the twelve tall buildings in the distance, each adorned with ritual arrangements, now emitting wisps of white smoke.
"It's fortunate that Director Lei insisted on reinforcing the ritual beforehand and setting up so many auxiliary rituals outside. Otherwise, we might not have been able to withstand it," remarked a subordinate admiringly.
"Yes, indeed," echoed several members of the Secret Sect Bureau in agreement.
Initially, their mission was solely to capture the Active Consciousness Body, so theoretically, they didn't require such extensive materials. However, Director Lei's insistence on this approach left them with no choice but to comply, although many still harbored skepticism and even anticipated mocking him afterward.
Director Lei, being newly appointed, had yet to earn the trust of his team. Admittedly, his decision was somewhat risky. If it proved ineffective, his authority would have been severely undermined.
Yet, he had proven the correctness of his approach with facts, surpassing everyone's expectations. In an instant, he had won over the hearts and minds of all.
Director Lei added, "If it weren't for Director Qian's strong support, I couldn't have accomplished this. And..." He glanced at the collapsed Ferris Wheel, "...if not for that person, this wouldn't have been so easily resolved."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They had witnessed the final strike themselves—a massive Ferris Wheel, over two hundred meters tall, had been cleaved open. It was hard to imagine such a feat being humanly possible, explaining Director Lei's newfound confidence. His tone suggested that he was well-connected, likely having powerful allies elsewhere, making him far from an ordinary figure.
Director Lei spoke, "Let's clean up here and leave. The rest is no longer our concern. After working tirelessly for so many days, you all deserve a good rest."
One subordinate hesitated and asked in a low voice, "Director Lei, what about the Ferris Wheel Company?"
They had contributed to the success, and the company's aftermath involved departmental interests, so they couldn't just let it go.
Director Lei waved his hand, "This is where Director Qian should step in. It's not appropriate for me."
The team members suddenly realized, "Yes, sir!"
Director Qian was adept at securing funds, making him the ideal person to handle this matter.
They had heard rumors that Director Lei's arrival was to replace Director Qian. It seemed likely that after this incident, the official handover would take place.
Outside a warehouse in the Ji Yang District, an armed vehicle arrived and came to a stop. As the door opened, Specialist Cao stepped out, accompanied by two subordinates. The guard at the entrance promptly opened the door for him, saying, "Please come in, Specialist Cao. Mr. Chu is inside."
Specialist Cao entered with his team, and in the vast warehouse, Mr. Chu stood with a solemn expression. After they approached, he said sternly, "Specialist Cao, you're late."
Specialist Cao surveyed the people behind him and asked, "New faces? Did you replace your team, Mr. Chu?"
Mr. Chu ignored his comment and asked, "Did you bring the plan sheet?"
Specialist Cao extended his hand, and his subordinate promptly retrieved the documents from his briefcase, handing them over. Mr. Chu took them and passed them forward.
Mr. Chu examined the documents and then tensed up. He looked up and said, "This multi-departmental plan—why didn't you report it promptly?"
Specialist Cao replied, "The communication was disrupted, and I didn't know where you were. I did try to find you, but your people were nowhere to be found. I couldn't let this plan be shelved, so I decided to execute it first."
Mr. Chu stared at him. At the time, he was plotting against Chen Bitong and preventing the General Administration Bureau from intervening, hence the communication cutoff. However, he knew that if Specialist Cao truly wanted to find him, he wouldn't have had any trouble.
Mr. Chu spoke sternly, "This plan is too dangerous. If it fails, it will provoke a backlash from the City Council, plunging the situation in the Central City into unpredictability. The committee deems it unfeasible, and you must halt it immediately!"
Specialist Cao countered, "The committee can block the General Administration Bureau, but not other departments, and..." He glanced at Mr. Chu, "...I fear it's already too late."
Just as Mr. Chu was about to respond, a burst of intense light suddenly emanated from outside, perceptible even through the modified warehouse's open skylight.
Simultaneously, both their intercoms activated, prompting them to reach for their devices and listen to the incoming reports.
After hearing the report, Specialist Cao looked at Mr. Chu and said, "The Horizon Plan has been completed." He paused, "Mr. Chu, take your time to review it. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay long."
Upon hearing the news, Mr. Chu's expression turned somber. Why review the plan now that it was already executed? He watched Specialist Cao leave, and after a while, he picked up the document again, his gaze finally settling on the recommended executor section.
"Processing Bureau Execution Team Leader, Chen Chuan."
Inside the command center, Specialist Liang was listening to reports from various districts, most of his attention focused on the Ferris Wheel Company. The other areas had not received his full attention.
Fortunately, the situation was more manageable than before, as many mercenaries and company forces had been exhausted. Moreover, with the threat from the Ferris Wheel eliminated, the emergency forces stationed in the Yingle District could be redeployed elsewhere, providing additional resources to address other issues.
After reviewing and responding to the reports from various regions, Liang Specialist pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and took out a pill from his pocket, swallowing it to reinvigorate his spirit.
Just then, a liaison officer rushed up to him and reported:
"Specialist, we've received a report from Canglong Company. About ten minutes ago, they sank a submarine in the near-shore area. It's suspected to have come from the Ferris Wheel Tower. They sent in modified organisms to inspect it and found armed personnel inside, as well as some individuals believed to be from the Skywheel Company. However, they likely died before the submarine was sunk."
Liang Specialist immediately took the report and read it. He recalled the previous analysis from the watchtower, suggesting that the entity might have attached itself to one of the Skywheel Company's directors. If that were the case, these people were most likely killed by the entity.
He turned to his female assistant beside him and said, "Send someone to take over and secure this evidence." The female assistant immediately responded, "I'll go right away."
Liang Specialist's expression relaxed slightly compared to before. He patted the report again, thinking that with this evidence in hand, they had one more reason to eliminate the Skywheel Company—its collusion with an existence from the outside world.
If it were just a matter of dealing with the Skywheel Company, the City Council might have had to compromise and appease them. But now, with this leverage, no one could argue further.
In the current situation, confronting and eliminating the opposing existence was absolutely the right thing to do. Even if you had colluded with them, you couldn't openly admit it.
Before the Ferris Wheel Tower, Chen Chuan emerged from a large pit, holding a sword. At that moment, faint, scattered arcs of light flickered on his body, a result of passing through the rift.
During this rift passage, as he channeled the Dragon Fist Energy, he seemed to have grasped a hint of a clue...
In the 619th chapter of the book, there was no mistake in this version!
The sound of propeller blades filled the air above, and Chen Chuan looked up to see several airships flying overhead, heading towards the sea. At that moment, the crimson shadow on his body slowly dissipated.
He turned to look in the direction where the red shadow dispersed and nodded.
When he had landed earlier, he had intended to use his second self to withstand the impact of the fall. However, the power of Red Whirlwind protected him from the damage.
As he looked up, he saw several armed personnel, each carrying weapons, emerging from the ruins of the building. There were about ten of them, and the one leading them was none other than Guan Shangjing, the security chief of the Skywheel Company.
Despite taking cover in shielded rooms, these individuals couldn't escape the impact of the psychic shockwave from Vigorous Mind Body's spiritual power. Those with insufficient strength died on the spot, and only these few with relatively capable abilities remained alive. Upon seeing Chen Chuan, they tensed up, raising their weapons.
Chen Chuan's gaze was fixed on them, and he could clearly sense through the domain that their bodies were infected with something, and they wouldn't live for long.
This was likely caused by the entity's emergence.
With the Heavenly Gate opened, there was no longer any protection above. Even a third-limitation fighter would be unable to resist the invasion and penetration at close range without a certain level of psychic power.
Guan Shangjing glanced at the collapsed Ferris Wheel Tower, and in the distance, the exposed remains of the tower could be seen in the seawater. His heart sank, and as he was about to walk towards it, he suddenly felt an itch in his throat, followed by a bout of rapid coughing.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand and noticed that he had coughed up a lot of black blood, which seemed to contain countless tiny, indistinguishable black bugs.
Among those around him, one person's weapon-holding hand suddenly dropped to the ground, the broken end pitch-black, as if there was no flesh and blood. Some stood stiffly and fell to the ground, their bodies inexplicably broken into several sections. Others seemed to be trying to flank Chen Chuan, and as they moved a little faster, their heads directly fell from their bodies.
Even more people turned into sculptures with various postures without taking a few steps.
Guan Shangjing's breathing became rapid, and he felt his chest getting stuffier by the moment, while his limbs gradually became numb.
If he could observe himself at this moment, he would probably discover black blood oozing from his eye sockets, with tiny black bugs crawling in and out.
Suddenly, Guan Shangjing heard the sound of approaching military boots in the distance, knowing that the main force was on its way up. He looked up at Chen Chuan once more, drew his sword with a clang, but instead of charging forward, he knelt down facing the sea and pointed the sword at his neck. With a forceful swipe, a jet of black blood sprayed out, and his head slowly drooped.
Chen Chuan glanced at him, then at the ruined Skywheel Company building. With the Skywheel Tower toppled, only this solitary structure remained, now covered by dancing gray snowflakes, resembling a broken monument. As the sea breeze surged, the gray dust drifted towards the distant, undulating sea waves.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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