Translator: AnubisTL
Not long after, a voice crackled through the miniature earpiece in his ear.
"Reporting, Capturer. Hound has successfully completed the mission. All twenty-four Rule Item No. 18s have been embedded in the rooftops of the twenty-four high-rise buildings in Ash City."
"Hmm," the Capturer replied with a calm nod. "Mission accomplished. Your part is done. Withdraw immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
With his clearance, he had only been authorized to requisition twenty-four Rule Item No. 18s, and he had secured them all. These items served a single purpose: once activated, they would disable all teleportation gates within their range.
This included any teleportation gate, whether it was the Federation's Remote Space Teleportation Gate technology or gates activated through innate abilities or items.
According to his intelligence, the Jiang Cheng Company possessed a unique teleportation capability, allowing them to execute precise long-range strikes and maintain high-speed maneuverability.
By severing the Jiang Cheng Company's teleportation capabilities, they would essentially cripple one of the company's legs.
Rule Item No. 18 had one drawback: its area of effect was circular.
According to their pre-calculated deployment positions, 24 Rule Item No. 18s couldn't completely cover Ash City, leaving some small, uncovered areas.
These gaps were the overlapping areas between adjacent circles.
If a teleportation gate were used within these gaps, it would be unaffected by the item. But there was no way to achieve complete coverage, so they had to accept these small gaps.
As for dealing with Jiang Cheng Company's seventy-meter giant cannon, he had prepared numerous countermeasures.
Soon, a series of reports crackled through his earpiece.
"Reporting, Capturer. Eagle Eye has successfully completed the mission. Heaven's Eye has been infiltrated and is now monitoring the entire city."
"Reporting, Capturer. Alarmist has successfully completed the mission. A domain-type binding rule item has been buried in Clam River Park at the city center."
"..."
The reports continued to pour in, one after another.
To ensure the complete downfall of the Jiang Cheng Company, they had rehearsed countless scenarios. Their only certainty was that the moment the company entered Ash City, they would be immediately detected and lured into the traps they had meticulously laid.
The most decisive method would have been to activate all twenty-four No. 18 Items the instant the Jiang Cheng Company entered Ash City. This would trigger the federal government to unleash a Heaven's Eye Cannon strike from satellite orbit, obliterating the company's name from history forever.
But such a plan would condemn the entire city to destruction alongside the Jiang Cheng Company.
They had come to Ash City to prevent its destruction by the Jiang Cheng Company. If their traps required the city's annihilation as the price, what was the point of their mission?
They might as well have stayed home. After all, Ash City was doomed regardless. In its previous life, the city had committed countless atrocities, and its current fate was well-deserved.
Therefore, to minimize unnecessary casualties among federal citizens, they concentrated most of their traps in sparsely populated areas like parks and lakesides.
As soon as Jiang Cheng Company was detected in Ash City, they could use certain methods to lure them into these traps. They weren't worried about the company not coming.
After all, they were operating in the shadows, while Jiang Cheng Company was in the open.
The company had no psychological defenses. Without being on high alert, they wouldn't notice the subtle movements around them.
As voices echoed in his ears, he stood on the rooftop's edge, gazing down at the neon-drenched city. In a daze, he murmured, "Jiang Cheng Company, tomorrow you'll bid farewell to this world. I hope you've said your goodbyes properly tonight."
This time, Operation Fallen Star would proceed without any unexpected setbacks.
He had prepared countless contingency plans, ensuring its success.
The time was around 1:00 AM.
He planned to stand here patiently all night, waiting until 4:00 PM the next day. The Seer had only told him that Jiang Cheng Company would launch a terrorist attack in Ash City on Orange Red Star at that time, but not when they would infiltrate the city.
It could be happening now, or at 3:00 PM tomorrow, or they might already be in Ash City.
He had to maintain constant vigilance, striving to detect any sign of the Jiang Cheng Company's presence as soon as possible.
Just then, a voice suddenly crackled in his ear:
"Reporting, Capturer. This is Eagle Eye. We've detected a group of unidentified individuals rapidly converging in small groups across the city, all heading toward a single point. The convergence point of multiple linear paths is Central Hospital. Their target is Central Hospital, and they're making no attempt to conceal their intentions."
"Central Hospital?"
His brow furrowed slightly, then a sudden realization flashed through his mind, instantly grasping the group's objective: "Hu Biao's mother is in Central Hospital, under heavy guard by the federation. This group intends to break her out."
"Hu Biao lacks the resources for such an operation. This must be the Jiang Cheng Company's doing."
"Maintain close surveillance on these individuals. Alert the combat teams to prepare for immediate action!"
"Understood!"
"The city under the night sky always holds a captivating allure."
Wang Jili stood by the window, savoring a glass of wine as he gazed out at the neon-lit, steel-scented cityscape. A smile played on his lips as he murmured, "I have a feeling tonight will be quite eventful."
"My intelligence and the Skyeye System intrusion indicate that Albatross has already assembled their forces and is preparing to strike."
"Once they succeed, it will be our turn to move."
Hu Biao took a deep breath, gripping the rifle he had purchased for 1.8 million star coins. He glanced at his comrades beside him and rasped, "I'm ready for war."
"No, no, no. This isn't war. At best, it's a brawl. If you'd ever seen the federation's battles against the Interstellar Insect, you'd know what true war looks like."
"X."
A man in camouflage gear, his body bristling with energy cartridges, grinned with barely suppressed excitement as he stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of an office building. He spread his arms wide, savoring the tension and thrill the city exuded, then turned his head toward the communication screen before him and spoke.
"I've arrived in Ash City. I have a feeling that since the terrorists who attacked Ash City yesterday used the Jiang Cheng Company's resources, the company will definitely reappear here."
"I've come to help you deal with him."
"Let's see what kind of power this man possesses—the one who made you lose face."
He was known as the Lost One, a member of the "CBD" organization and X's comrade. After hearing X recount Jiang Cheng's exploits, he couldn't resist the urge to confront Jiang Cheng and test the man's true capabilities.
"You're insane!" X snarled, his face darkening as he glared at the man in camouflage on the screen. "I told you not to provoke him. Do you really think a privileged second-generation official like you can manipulate him into playing along with your games?"
"He'll kill you."
"Mark my words: he'll kill you. Do you think you're a madman?"
"No, no, no. You're just someone desperate for attention, deliberately doing outrageous things to grab eyeballs."
"But he's different. He's a true madman—one who serves neither money nor power, but only freedom."
"You'll die."
"Stay away from him. Leave Orange Red Star now. This is my final warning to you as a friend."
"Madman?" The man in camouflage sneered, then gestured to reveal the crowd standing behind him. "I've got plenty of madmen here. I brought half of my father's Prison Gang—185 in total."
"Every single person here is a madman. Their innate abilities have been meticulously selected, and their items and weapons are perfectly suited to them."
"Do you think this group can take down Jiang Cheng Company?"
"The Prison Gang?"
X paused, a flicker of horror crossing his eyes. He knew exactly what the Prison Gang was—a Chaotic Faction secretly supported by this second-generation heir's father. Every member was a death row inmate from the federation.
After their executions, the father had used special methods to gather them, forming an exceptionally powerful and bloodthirsty force. They typically handled the family's dirty work.
But X hadn't expected the Lost One to secretly bring half of them here. Now, the outcome of this conflict was truly uncertain.
"Hah!"
X exhaled softly, his expression cold as he stared at the man in camouflage on the screen. "As a friend, I've given you my warning."
"As a friend, I won't reveal your actions to Jiang Cheng. But I also expect you not to claim I ordered this when death looms. This has nothing to do with me. I've recorded all our communications."
"Jiang Cheng, this has nothing to do with me. I already tried to talk him out of it."
"You're such a coward."
The Lost One shook his head in annoyance and sneered, "Just stay cooped up in your Rose Club for the rest of your life. Your life lacks passion."
"I pity you."
The video call ended.
He gazed out at the city bathed in the night's darkness, feeling the adrenaline surging through his veins. He licked his lips in anticipation and said, each word deliberate, "Hack into Ash City's Skyeye System. I want Jiang Cheng's location immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Ash City's Skyeye System was for civilian defense, not military.
While hacking it wasn't trivial, it wasn't particularly difficult for someone with the right skills. Military-grade systems, on the other hand, were virtually impenetrable.
If a federal military system could be hacked so easily, it would be absurd.
A breach of military defenses would mean the massive orbital cannons on satellite bases could start firing indiscriminately into space.
That would be a disaster of epic proportions.
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE