As soon as the roofless off-road jeep came to a stop in the distance, a soldier of the infantry, wearing a steel helmet, leaped out.
By the dim maintenance net on the edge of the airfield, an elderly Air Force officer, about sixty years old, dressed in a dark, thin trench coat, stepped forward to meet him.
“What’s the matter? “
“Urgent situation. Please halt all pilots’ flight missions. There are new orders here. “
The old officer’s expression turned stern as he took the document delivered, glanced at the embossed seal, snapped it open with a flick of his wrist, and then his eyes shifted slightly.
“A classified mission. “
The rugged infantry soldier, his skin weathered but his spirit sharp, said with precise formality as a faint, intense aura surrounded him:
“Immediately dispatch the relevant technical personnel as requested and come with me! “
The old Air Force officer glanced once more at the content on the paper, conveyed through the primitive method of using sheets and words. What was recorded were merely some technical personnel assignments related to flight attitude and load calculations, a halt to the current flight mission, and a few new orders from the Special Defense Command. This was already the second directive within this short night.
“New broom sweeps clean, ” the old officer muttered, but then considered that perhaps it was not simply about unfamiliarity with the procedures. Clearly, something urgent had arisen that required a complete reassignment. Yet, what exactly it was remained unclear.
……
Except for the Admiral and the members of the World Ark itself.
Information concerning the five individuals who had entered the Relief Committee’s headquarters in Tarco and touched the Key had been sent to the desk of the head of the Haven Intelligence Department.
Alongside this was a stack of personnel lists urgently compiled by the department’s staff.
Although the individuals on this stack of lists had never been to the World Ark headquarters for a secret meeting with Vice President Wager, they were the ones currently aware that the command authority over the Air Strike Command had been transferred to the Special Defense Command.
This man, in his forties, bore some wrinkled creases on his face, with a faint scar on his chin below the jaw. He turned the shade of the round desk lamp to shine directly on the pile of materials before him and gestured for the three others in the room to take their seats around the table.
“Director Long, regarding the foreigners who still wish to head north of the city, we have temporarily asked them to submit more new identification documents, ” one of them said.
“Mm. Don’t display too much scrutiny on the surface. “
During the briefing, this person mainly focused his attention on the information of the five individuals who had touched the Key.
He spread apart the five thin sheets of paper on top of his desk, looking at the names and nationalities written on them, along with the more detailed intelligence gathered on these individuals in a short period.
“These five… Well, being able to identify the senior special agents from other countries hiding in our capital through tonight’s secret meeting is itself an exchange condition tacitly approved by the top brass of their own countries. “
Minister Long said while moving aside the first sheet he had carefully read, his gaze shifting to the information on the second sheet, which belonged to a woman from the Solcian nation.
“But now among these five, there is no personnel from Schtevfen. “
The middle-aged man to the right of the table snorted:
“Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that these five have had contact with our internal leakers. However, the fact that they all obtained information about what the World Ark released at the earliest opportunity… their reaction speed is just too quick. “
“Ha, they themselves probably wouldn’t believe it if they said they have no moles feeding them intelligence from among our ranks. “
A young man wearing a grey-collared shirt seated across the table pondered for a moment, then responded:
“These five are the most important special envoys of their respective countries, being one in a million in terms of both ability and other aspects. It cannot be ruled out that they independently discerned this content using covertly established intelligence-acquisition methods. “
“Indeed, the World Ark headquarters is under the watch of many factions. The place is also crowded and chaotic; any sign of trouble will show itself. For our top intelligence gatherers, just based on the General’s itinerary tonight, a lot can be deduced. “
Minister Long, without lifting his head, replied to the speaker on his left:
“You’re saying that none of the five are Stelfen spies. “
“Exactly. If the insider who obtained the handover intel for complete command of the Air Force and immediately reported it to Stelfen is also the one supplying information to someone among the five, then wouldn’t Stelfen’s actions likely expose that both the insider and that particular individual among the five are their people? “
“That wouldn’t be good news, ” laughed the young man sitting opposite at the table.
“That means our General has at least two, maybe even six rats pilfering corn from his side. “
This was spoken half-jokingly. After all, an ear of corn wasn’t something worth exposing for agents almost as deeply hidden as the Special Defense Command personnel.
“Two possibilities, maybe. “
Minister Long, who had been propping himself up on the table, shifted a second piece of paper over and looked at the third file—the information on the man from the Grand Duchy of Herzog Hölzburg—saying:
_”First: Stelfen believes that an informant capable of providing intel does indeed exist, and that this is worth the sacrifice.
After all, exchanging a map for our reaction to gauge the safety of their air force, which must be controlled by the Wraithmen, is more important. Stelfen’s territory is several times ours, and they have multiple the number of aircraft. _”
The others nodded to themselves. That was one plausible theory.
The minister’s voice carried a hint of confusion as he continued:
“The second possibility… First of all, it is highly likely that our headquarters has informants from certain countries. ” He emphasized this point before adding, “Assuming this mole belongs to… a specific person. “
Minister Long’s tone assumed a contemplative cadence, speaking slowly at first, but gradually becoming smoother towards the end:
“Furthermore, the Sommerfeld side was unprepared to receive intelligence regarding the handover of Air Force command authority. And they reacted in this manner. “
The three men by the table all leaned forward slightly.
The person on the left shifted his eyes sideways:
“You’re saying that the Sommerfeld side also doesn’t know who tipped them off, so they don’t care. “
The person on the right said, “Or perhaps Sommerfeld has guesses about who this person is but isn’t sure, so while vaguely informing us, they are using us to find the informant? “
In the room, several men pondered in silence for a few seconds.
Amidst faint sounds of breathing, a young man broke the quiet with his lowered gaze:
“It seems the Sommerfeld side doesn’t know exactly who that person is either. Hence, they stooped to hinting that our headquarters has a mole. “
“They might not have even been aware of the existence of the five before that. Nor did they intentionally use a fake flight plan map to test whether we would voluntarily disguise ourselves as their insider and prematurely leak the transfer-of-authority information. Because they could simply ignore our probe. “
Minister Long also nodded slowly, as if echoing this sentiment.
“Leave Sommerfeld aside for now and return to the informant. That their existence was exposed means they are certainly not our ultimate target. So… “
Director Long stared at the paper as he spoke:
“There’s a very high probability that, behind the hidden informant, one of the five is the source who obtained the secret meeting information. “
Having said that, he shifted his gaze from the information on the “Key Toucher ” from the Grand Duchy, nudged the paper aside with his finger, and looked toward the Key Toucher dispatched by the Kingdom of Crovia.
This man, in his fifties, was a sturdy and vigorous gentleman. The paper even included a clear photo of his face—an old picture from some newspapers—and his corresponding data was the most complete among the group.
The young man across the table fixed his eyes on the paper that Director Long had moved aside, reached out, and took the materials the Director had finished reading and memorizing.
The high-ranking officials of the Grand Duchy of Herchen Horchester had already taken refuge inside “Shadowvine Fortress. ” Amidst the unsettled public sentiment, they were fortunate to have their Marshal managing the refuge area, which was encircled by the seawater branches.
After scanning the information on this intelligence officer—who was presumably sent by the Grand Duchy’s renowned Marshal—the young man remarked, “Before the refuge began, he was a traveling merchant in the coastal cities… His resume is rich yet rather generic. “
Marshal indeed lives up to his reputation. In such a busy time, he still managed to arrange for a placement in Tarko to have an intelligence officer who could detect and appear at the World Ark headquarters at the very first moment.
Amid the crisp rustle of paper as two colleagues beside the table reached over and took the documents the Director had just finished reading, the young man perusing the materials thought of the Special Defense Command, and of Mr. Ross, who had only been a Major General just six months ago.
The General, who already held the heavy responsibilities of the Army and national defense, would likely become the new Marshal filling Hwenitzek’s decades-long vacancy after the Doomsday crisis.
……
On a noisy, open patch of ground, the small bonfire made of twigs quickly died down.
Military trucks rumbled past, and people clamored and pushed to get out of the way.
“You guys aren’t doing it right! ” shouted a warrior holding a shovel from the truck. “If this doesn’t work here, inspectors will be coming by soon. “
After the truck had driven away, the small fire, which hadn’t been burning well anyway, was completely extinguished.
The people on both sides of the road, roused from the nearby refuge areas, gathered together again, spitting against the dust.
“There’s just nothing to burn, ” someone complained.
“But the district overseer insists we must light a campfire. What are we supposed to use, our bed boards? “
“Then use the bed boards! ” a fierce roar came sharply from a man in uniform standing nearby.
“Everyone must get moving, now! This is a non-negotiable order. “
Many people in the crowd, who had been sighing, turned around and headed off bit by bit to find something combustible nearby.
Some, passing by a newly erected wall, picked up stray trash as they went. Others walked behind with empty hands, looking around busily.
Suddenly, the heavy, rapid sound of many footsteps came from the long street behind them.
Some of the refugee nationals here turned their heads to look back, and then more of them, who had no idea where to go for combustibles, were grabbed by their clothes by people behind them.
“Friends!” On the early morning street covered in a thin layer of dust, a lively, bustling crowd came squeezing down the road. They carried sofas and wooden stools, and some even hauled tung oil barrels, yet wore neat clothes and had clean skin.
“What’s this?” some refugees asked, somewhat puzzled.
“We’ve heard the announcement!“
These people, whose clothes were slightly cleaner and brighter, shouted, “If we all stick together, nothing will happen!“
“What’s the reasoning behind that?“
“Hey, are you going to burn all this furniture?” someone shouted.
“What’s the point of leaving them idle at home? Quick, lend a hand, friends!“
“Whoa!” The people on the street, who had been worrying about how to complete the task assigned by the camp manager, immediately burst into a clamor and ran towards the city folks.
“I’ll chop up the stools! Do you have an axe?“
“That’s a contraband item. Here, take this chair.“
“……“
Amid the noise and bustle of the street, the refugee camp manager finally breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the sofa being set ablaze first.
Amidst the crackling flames, the group burst into pleasurable laughter.
“Hey, that wall over there—part of it is staked with wooden planks. Can we take those down?” One man rushed over to ask this severely authoritative-looking man in uniform.
The refuge area administrator turned his head to glance at the distant wall, frowning slightly.
“If the wall is damaged. “
“Just sticking anything up there should be fine, I think. Or look, there’s some burnt charcoal over there. I’ll go collect it and dump it on the gap. Should be no problem. “
“Well… ” the administrator hesitated, nodding. “Can you find something else? That’s a big hole… “
“Then just make it into a door, ” said a passing refugee with pointed ears, breathing heavily, his voice filled with helpless urgency as he shouted to the crowd ahead:
“Hey! Can anyone spare me some planks, sirs? I’m from the neighboring district. “
……
The airship screen, which had gone dark for a moment, flickered back to life with a fluorescent glow.
Hailikoni, sitting at the edge of Fenny’s bed, heard the faint sound. She loosened her grip, stood up, turned around, and looked toward the blurry image.
“Ah, you troublesome man, ” Hailikoni murmured, a wistful smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Her mother had already left the room. Catching a faint fragrance rising from her clothes, Hailikoni walked to the bedside and picked up the books and documents Xie Lin had left in the storage basket for her to read, then placed them back inside.
Though these were records of high-end technological data from the Golden Shell Federation, they had not turned into demons.
“The Golden Shell Federation, huh. Only those old gentlemen are still fighting for that name now. “
She sat down beside the storage basket, with no interest whatsoever in flipping through the books and materials at hand. Perhaps Mom still thought she could understand the language used in these academy documents, simply because passing the entrance exam required proficiency in several commonly used languages.
The faint broadcast sound had become somewhat hard to distinguish, as the airship had drifted to a higher altitude.
Yet, sensing her younger sister’s subtle, joyful spirit hidden within the voice, Koni still felt a growing comfort from deep within her heart. As long as Keln’s adventures were free of trouble, that would be enough.
As for the crisis that was now arising in their family, Koni had no mind left to dwell on it.
Feeling drowsiness creep in, she stacked the documents neatly, spread out the soft garment, and placed it at the bottom of the storage basket. Then, her gaze fell upon the small photo frame that stood close against the wooden wall of the basket.
She hadn’t originally intended to rummage through her sister’s belongings, but catching sight of a corner of the photo, Koni still reached out to pull it out.
On it was a photo of herself and her sister from when they were in their early teens—the final one together, to be precise. Because after that, that little girl had all but stopped appearing at the same time as her.
In the photo, two bright-eyed, white-toothed maidens wore identical pleated skirts, matching dark-colored polka-dot gauze scarves, and wide-brimmed straw hats woven from white straw, all standing under the sun.
“You little rascal, you’re this sweet, aren’t you, keeping a photo of the both of us. Hmm~ “
Koni smiled lightly, running her hand over the photo frame. She easily found the tight wooden spring button that could be opened against the wooden frame. Easily pressing it to open the photo frame like flipping through a book, her smile gradually froze stiff.
She gave a soft “Huh? ” Inside were some cutouts of famous models and handsome guys from magazines, along with artistic photos of male movie stars and handsome musicians. Besides those, there were also a few carefully designed but slightly faded print from expired performance ticket stubs.
There was nothing particularly off about that; but besides those… there was also a relatively thin gold note issued by the Blackwenite Commercial Bank.
With something like that, it could be exchanged for several hundred Silver Coins at most major banks anywhere in the world.
Chapter 317 A Figure in the Dawn -6
“Big Baby Koni! “
Under the soft, warm light that made the yellow hue seem even paler, several figures inside the gondola—adorned with large prints used as backdrops—joyfully clapped their hands in the air.
“The plan has been fully approved,” one person said with high-spirits.
“Now, our new equipment auction plan—everything ties down to the administrative orders of this world’s greatest nation—has been broken through. And we even gained unexpected benefits along the way.“
Beside the hurried discussions inside the gondola, a young man who had shown remarkable performance during the great city fire spoke cheerfully:
“That’s also due to the efforts we’ve put in here for so long.“
Hearing this, the man with the side-swept hair—holding a bottle of beer that, at this moment, had already become a super luxury item—draped one shirt-sleeved arm over his shoulder. Lowering his head, he hummed softly with a breath heavy with alcohol:
“Are you referring to having earned the Prime Minister’s friendship?“
The young man let out a sound of confusion:
“Isn’t that the case? We’ve done so much for Stiefen and even reconnected the Prime Minister’s information transmission channel to the entire nation. The Prime Minister must be very grateful to us, which is why we managed to weather the storm so smoothly, right?“
“Yeah, yeah—grateful, I’m sure.“
With that, he took a sip of beer, let out a low hum, and continued in a whisper:
“But what you definitely don’t know is that Chairman Yang hadn’t originally wanted to come to Klenn.“
“Don’t want to? ” The man thought back to a month ago, when it was indeed the Mo-tapfu team and the scientific heritage that had invited the radiant Yang Buchen over. “Then… “
Chairman Yang was willing to linger in the capital even after the disaster, hm.
He patted the man gently on the shoulder.
“Anyway, I don’t know if it’s friendship or not, but if the Prime Minister had his way, would he really want us to hang around here forever? “
“I… ” The young man looked down and thought for a moment; he really hadn’t considered that angle.
But with that reminder, he imagined himself sitting in Stevenson’s position as Prime Minister… Ha, he wouldn’t have the heart to run them off, but couldn’t afford to let them stay either—too dangerous.
Now, however, Coln was already inviting the World Ark to set up its headquarters in the capital. It seemed the Prime Minister had finally decided to fully support their team moving forward.
Thinking this, the young man felt his spirits lift even more.
This reassured him that choosing to stay in Coln with the World Ark and continue searching for the birthplace of brilliance was absolutely the right decision.
The sound of two women’s footsteps echoed inside the gondola. The high-spirited group of people stopped their lively chatter and turned to greet them.
“Miss Hei Yang. “
Hei Yang, dressed in a rather functional trouser suit with some makeup on her face, nodded.
“Miss Xue Mei, you’ve both come down. “
Standing next to the elegant lady with a neck as long and graceful as a swan’s, Zhao Xuemei, wearing a cool blue coat, smiled and said:
“With all the excitement down here, we could hear everything from the rest deck above. “
Two other female figures also descended from the narrow ladder.
“We’ll follow Miss Snowmei to the 028 to protect Miss Koni. “
“Just let her come over directly, ” one person suggested. “Anyway, our side is responsible for broadcasting and recording. With Miss Koni joining, wouldn’t it be better for everyone to record together? “
“That suggestion is actually not bad. “
Hei Yang thought and said:
“Since Koni was forced to become the turning point of this node, we should continue to involve her more deeply in the subsequent process. “
“Yes, it’s best to solidify her as the representative image of the Grainwood People family within the World Ark, “
The man, whose elbow rested on the shoulder of the young man beside him, held a wine bottle and laughed:
“That way, in the future, she can be capable of vying for a bit more on behalf of the Haili family, which will probably be suppressed… “
“What, the public’s vocal support? Sir? ” The young man on whose shoulder his arm rested turned his head and inquired.
“Uh… yeah, that’s right. Our Miss Koni will become a great announcer that everyone will remember. “
The men and women standing beside the rough set pieces nodded repeatedly.
Just as he was lost in thought, one after another they turned somewhat strangely to gaze out the porthole, gradually falling silent.
Hei Yang’s slender, dark eyebrows twitched faintly like a willow touched by the breeze. A faint sound of a flock of ducks quacking drifted in from the silent city.
A figure stepped over to the window and looked down.
The man holding the beer, along with the two beside him, also walked to the side and peered downward with some confusion.
Between the silhouettes of the towering high-rises, one or two desolate, pitch-black streets filtered a faint“Moo~ “sound; it echoed sparsely among the layers of buildings gradually shrouded in morning mist.
Some people stared down at the street below, full of confusion.
“Where did these come from? “
“They couldn’t have been released on the Prime Minister’s orders, could they? “
They knew that, in this city now, aside from the guardians, only a small number of State Affairs personnel representing the heart and mind of the nation of Shidefen, with the Prime Minister as their symbol, still remained in this empty city.
……
A farm hidden from view by high walls.
“Baa~ ” The rising and falling sounds echoed chaotically within this area.
Amidst the densely packed, water-black and brown-mottled goat flock, warriors in black Wenzike Army uniforms, with sleeves rolled up to their elbows, were bent over, hoisting the goats wrapped tightly by the sheep.
“Oh my god. ” An Air Force logistics manager holding a notebook, sent to take records, witnessed the scene before him, his mouth slightly agape.
But soon he spat a few times, expelling the gamey dust that had drifted into his mouth.
An Army corporal with a big nose came over carrying a goat. The Air Force logistics manager signaled that he could proceed with the weighing and registration.
After recording the goat’s weight, he gestured with a pout for the corporal to take the goat to a few nearby soldiers responsible for tying them up. Only then did he slowly exhale, his mouth having been held shut with effort.
“I never imagined that my first task following the Defense Department would be catching goats. “
Muttering to himself, he motioned for the next soldier in line to begin the goat weighing. This soldier handed the sturdy goat, which struggled a bit in his grasp, to the young man standing by the scale.
Watching the needle on the scale, the Air Force logistics manager shook his head.
“Sorry, it’s a bit over the limit for my responsible net. Swap it for a smaller one. “
“Well, just let this one go then. “
With those words, the soldier before him immediately turned and ran without hesitation into the fenced area.
Just then, this air force logistician heard the engines of some high-end sedans approaching. They were, of course, distinct from the roaring sound of a truck’s powerful engine. The man turned his head to look.
Under the glow of street lamps swirling with moths, two black sedans, with backswept roofs arched like beetles, drove onto the hard, packed dirt ground inside the high wall and iron gate.
He saw a young soldier, with a tall, sharp figure and a capable demeanor, step out of the front car and run to the back door of the vehicle behind.
Then, a coarse-haired man wearing a felt hat, a loose, wide shirt, and sturdy corduroy trousers with insect-proof leggings on the outside, stepped out of the back seat.
Then came a second man in a similar outfit.
“Hey, sir. ” A shout snapped the registrar back to reality.
Letting out a slightly startled “Oh, ” his eyes fell on the rough-coated goat being held in the Soldier Army’s arms.
“We can weigh it. The weight is… “
The back-line logistical administrator, feeling a bit uneasy, watched the Soldier Army in front hand the goat in his arms to the scale, its pointer jumping back to zero from a negative reading after the goat’s hooves were placed on it. The needle then swung sharply and settled around the 80-kilogram mark.
The soldier in front said with some regret, “This one should be okay. A ewe is lighter. “
That billy goat from before was one he’d had a hard time catching in the flock.
“Oh, ” the logistical clerk responded, his pen landing on the record book in his hand as he wrote down the weight.
……
Lier returned to General Ross’s office, where the General was currently eating noodles from a military iron bucket. Even so, his gaze did not move away from the new documents that had just been delivered beside him.
“General Ross, ” Lier said, then turned and closed the office door behind him.
Ross looked up at Lier, who had walked back. He felt the air grow a little quieter and said:
“The plan to light the Campfire Fire has been smoothly promoted to more of our neighboring countries. “
Following General Ross’s words, Lier said, “Their ability to join immediately will also provide better protection for our southern cities. “
“However, I’m afraid ordinary people might inevitably have some speculations. The traditions of the Hellfire Sect are hardly a secret. “
Hearing this, Lier’s heart tightened with apprehension.
Even if the secret protecting Scorched City weren’t exposed tonight, it would sooner or later cause Team Zhao Mu to suffer a hidden loss. Let alone Jin Bei and those other old diehards—Ruan Wenxiong didn’t even want to think about it.
And according to that information… following from that, the situation barely afterward for Heiwen Zike wouldn’t be much better either.
“General, are we really not going to inform Chairman Yang and just activate the Goatherd now?“
The General, gripping his dinner fork, cast his eyes slightly downward.
“Tell me honestly,” Ruan Wenxiong said. “Is it the Senior Prince who ordered our Headquarters to…“
“It has nothing to do with His Highness. I proposed it myself. Facing the one who threatens disaster on Doomsday, do you think our Headquarters should still seek permission from anyone other than the National Congress?“
Ross shifted his body sideways, draping one arm over the low wooden back of the chair before continuing.
“Yang Buchen’s team has already helped us a great deal. Setting aside everything before, the intelligence you and I obtained tonight alone is an indescribably significant contribution.“
Riel understood as well. Logically speaking, as the Kingdom of Heivenzike, whose prestige in the world today had already surpassed that of Stephen, it would indeed be unreasonable to ask someone who had provided such exceptionally valuable intelligence to hand over the treasure in his possession to the hostage-takers under such circumstances.
Nevertheless, Riel felt more strongly that this general, though he had consistently shown great trust in his team, still harbored an invisible barrier with him from the core.
“Since His Highness also supports the General’s decision, I’ll go carry it out.“
With that, Riel walked toward the door. As he pulled it open, the General’s voice came from behind: “Thank you for coming back specially to remind me.“
“I… just suddenly thought there might be a hidden risk.“
“It’s okay.” The sound of slurping noodles continued. “No one will forget our contributions.“
“Then… very well.” The door clicked shut with a bang.
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