https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-875-Probing-the-Hidden-Mechanism/12983069/
Chapter 874: Searching for the True Form Tree in Deep Valley City
Chapter 874: Searching for the True Form Tree in Deep Valley City
In the White Bird District of Central City.
Mr. Chi was on the phone with someone, "Please inform Mr. He that we have received news that the person has already headed towards the Convergence Zone, but we on this side might not be fully prepared yet."
The person on the other end of the line replied, "Mr. He already anticipated this, and he said you don't need to be too anxious. If this person only stays for a short while and then leaves, there will be another opportunity next time. If they stay for a longer period, we will have sufficient time to make arrangements."
Mr. Chi said, "Unfortunately, due to our previous failure, we lost track of this person's specific movements."
"That's not a problem either. Even if they are active in the Convergence Zone, it's impossible for them to have no contact with others. They will always leave some clues when they come and go, so we just need to pay attention."
Mr. Chi understood and said, "Please tell Mr. He that we will utilize the channels in the Convergence Zone to collect as much intelligence about this person as possible."
"I appreciate your efforts, and I will pass on the message."
Inside the Convergence Zone, the airship carrying Chen Chuan landed on a highland fortress occupied by the local military after more than two hours of flight.
This place was originally the residence of the old imperial generals in the Jinbei Convergence Zone, but now it has been completely occupied by the Great Shun army, and defensive fortresses have been built all around.
As soon as Chen Chuan stepped off the airship, he heard the sound of the military band playing high-spirited and fast-paced gongs, drums, and horns, which made his heart beat with vigor.
Principal Yao was already waiting for him below. When Chen Chuan descended from the Anchor Tower, Principal Yao greeted him, "Welcome, Commissioner Chen." He shook hands with Chen Chuan and led him into the fortress, inviting him to sit in his living area. "The conditions here are simple, please don't mind."
To prevent a possible counterattack from the old imperial court, the entire military deployment had been frantically building fortresses and fortifications during this period. The person in question had also been frequently touring around, not staying in one place, so the surroundings were relatively simple. Here, there were only some personal belongings and basic furniture.
Chen Chuan didn't mind the simplicity, "It's nothing. It seems that the Principal is quite busy."
Principal Yao took a sip of his drink and said, "Recently, domestic enterprises have been taking over numerous estates and factories that the old imperial court didn't have time to evacuate. The military deployment needs to cooperate with this. Only by doing so can the places we have conquered become valuable, and we can quickly convert them into our military strength and resources.
This way, we won't have to rely too much on the rear, and once we stabilize, we can even provide some output to Central City. For example, some of the nutrients and food we use can be sourced from here."
Chen Chuan asked, "Is it difficult?"
"Not too much. The old imperial court also used our technology, well, Central City's technology. So, after they were defeated, we can easily take over the remaining factories." Principal Yao's tone carried a hint of ridicule, "Is this considered a good deed done by certain people in Central City?"
Chen Chuan understood his implication. This old imperial residence could be considered an independent production area. It not only couldn't rely on the imperial court's supply but also had to pay a portion of the tribute. Self-production was also challenging. However, trading through Central City's private channels served as a supplementary means. Over the decades, it wasn't surprising that their technology and equipment had become compatible with Central City's.
Although this situation wasn't what the government wanted, it did make it more convenient for them to take over the enemy's assets in practice.
"By the way, Commissioner Chen, this is for you..." Principal Yao stood up and took some documents from a shelf, handing them to Chen Chuan.
"This is the result of my contact with a commissioned team. They are a commissioned company composed of retired military officers, specializing in providing various kinds of intelligence and information. They are very reliable.
He gestured to the documents, "Inside these documents is their contact information. If you need it in the future, you can commission them to gather information for you, so you won't have to investigate many places yourself."
Chen Chuan took the documents and began to look through them. This time, he was searching for the True Form Tree that Assistant Ling had manifested during their previous encounter.
When he had fought with Assistant Ling, she had transformed into this tree. Although Assistant Ling had been defeated, the tree should still exist.
Although Chen Chuan didn't know the exact location of the tree, there was no doubt that it should be in the Jinbei Convergence Zone. So, he had asked Principal Yao, the principal of Wu Yi College, to investigate, after all.
According to the documents, the place where the True Form Tree was most likely located was a small town where the indigenous people gathered.
This possibility was very high because these indigenous gathering places had played a significant role in resisting the old imperial court. The military had even provided material support to them. Therefore, placing the True Form Tree there wouldn't raise suspicions, and there was a good chance that the indigenous people in the Convergence Zone were also involved in this matter.
After reading the documents, Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Principal Yao."
Principal Yao shook his head and said in a deep voice, "This is the school's matter, and I failed to manage it properly. Now, I'm troubling Commissioner Chen to handle it. I feel ashamed, and it is I who should be thanking you."
"He made a gesture to the deputy outside, who then left. After a while, the deputy returned with a heavy suitcase in hand.
In a solemn tone, he said, "Commissioner Chen, this is a personal gift from me. Please don't refuse it."
Chen Chuan glanced at it and nodded. "Thank you, Principal Yao. I'll take it."
Principal Yao said, "That's good. It's quite a distance from here, and it's already night. Why not rest here at the fortress for the night and set off tomorrow?"
Chen Chuan wasn't in a hurry and agreed.
Principal Yao stood up and put on his service cap. "I still need to inspect the front-line fortress. We can't afford to be lax at this time. By the way..." He paused as he was about to leave, "...Commissioner Chen, are you heading to that unknown region this time?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
"Then you need to be careful," Principal Yao said gravely. "I've heard that place is not peaceful. It's said that the Wei Kingdom's Zen team went there once, but they never returned. There might be something there."
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Principal Yao."
The next day, Chen Chuan left on a military airship, heading towards the location of the town. However, going there directly might alert their target,
so he decided to stop at a nearby convergence city first and stay there for a couple of days before proceeding to his destination.
Two days later, Chen Chuan arrived above the city of Deep Valley, established by the Government Hall, National Enterprises, Municipal Parliament, and various companies in the Jinbei Convergence Zone. The city was surrounded by numerous farms and biotechnology factories of various sizes.
Further out, there were several small cities and countless towns and villages that relied on the city's existence. More than half of the population in these areas were indigenous people who had migrated there.
The city's residents consisted of retired soldiers, descendants of the Great Shun people who had intermarried with the indigenous population, and some laborers who had signed lifelong contracts with companies.
Chen Chuan stood on the airship, looking down at the city below. It was filled with towering skyscrapers and neon lights, almost like a replica of the Jinbei Central City, except with a smaller population and even more chaos.
However, the city lacked a complete sense of order. Many retired soldiers had chosen to become mercenaries by installing implants, serving the military, or accepting private employment to engage in violent activities. Su Wei's former team was just one of the many mercenary squads in the city.
As Chen Chuan's airship entered the city, a convoy was leaving.
The people in the vehicles were covered in hooded cloaks, and the vehicles were clearly modified for combat, with visible dents and bullet holes on their armored plates.
One armed man looked up and spat on the ground, making a gesture towards the airship, "Another military airship! Why don't these guys just die?"
His words were met with agreement from the rest of the convoy, and both men and women made gestures and spat at the airship.
The retreat of the old army had brought about a problem. Many mercenary teams that relied on war for survival suddenly lost their footing, or there was no longer a need for so many of them. But these people were not content to lay down their arms and quietly; instead, they began to seize the industries left behind by the old empire, leading to a ruthless crackdown and suppression by the military, intensifying the conflict between the two sides.
An elder in the team gave a cold glance upwards and said, "Let's go. We need to hurry and reach the town before nightfall."
Everyone fell silent and followed his lead.
The elder glanced at the rear of the convoy, where a group of dirty children around ten years old were huddled. He turned to a burly and smart-looking man beside him and said, "Keep an eye on them. They cost a lot of money, and we can't afford to lose any. Those mercenaries' lives are cheap; they die, and that's it. Don't bother with them."
The burly man nodded silently.
The airship slowly descended towards a steel and concrete skyscraper with dense translucent windows in Deep Valley City and came to a stop at the nearby anchor tower.
Chen Chuan carried his suitcase and walked out. The guard at the checkpoint checked his ID and immediately saluted, saying, "Hello, sir."
In the convergence zone, Chen Chuan could come and go as he pleased without any need for reporting. However, due to the agreement, he couldn't engage in overly excessive behavior.
As he needed to investigate the location of the True Form Tree without causing too much commotion, his current identity was that of a military major arranged by Yao Zhiyi. This way, he could avoid drawing too much attention or causing trouble.
Chen Chuan walked along the steel bridge connecting the anchor tower to the skyscraper. Looking down, he saw the city below filled with neon lights, with layers of buildings in the distance. The wind blew his red scarf around his neck, and he adjusted his service cap as he stepped into this high-altitude location within the city.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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