Countdown 5:45:00.
Heavy snow.
Only 45 minutes until nightfall.
The 112th Division of the Qing Consortium Army was stationed just 18 kilometers northeast of City 18.
At this time, the sky was not completely dark yet, but massive searchlight equipment had already been set up in the camp.
Snowflakes fluttering and falling from the sky dyed the earth white, making the garrison camp look particularly stern.
Like huge white swords, dozens of white searchlight beams scanned back and forth under the night sky, plowing through the barracks.
As the light passes through the sky, dense snowflakes could also be seen passing through the beam.
The soldiers in the camp were as busy as worker ants, shuttling back and forth in an orderly manner.
The buzzing sound came from the dusk, and seven Black Sword-02 armed helicopters, carrying tactical infrared heat-seeking missiles, had climbed into the air, entering a standby state.
These Black Sword-02 helicopters were all equipped with Venus-13 Lead-Bismuth Alloy Reactors, allowing it to stay airborne for a long time.
The strong and powerful propellers swept across the air.
Someone said on the communication channel, “The first combat team is on standby, ready to escort at any time.”
“The Scepter Air Fortress has requested to lift off for combat mission No. 0221.”
“Approved for lift off.”
“Anchor 1 unlocked.”
“Anchor 2 unlocked.”
“Reactor control unit temperature nominal.”
“Lift off.”
In the headquarters, a middle-aged officer watched the real-time monitoring screen with a serious expression, waiting for the war machine to start up.
The next moment, in the snowstorm.
In the camp, a large patch of snow suddenly rose. Countless snowflakes flew up, and the camouflage tents were rattled by the whistling wind.
In the center of the camp, a daunting sky fortress rose from the ground. Hundreds of jet engines below it were arranged like a matrix, bursting out flames.
The sky, which was already a little dark due to the heavy snow, became even darker as the Scepter rose into the sky.
The heavy snow in the sky was disturbed by the current, flying around like a tornado.
Voices came from the command camp one after another, “Reactor control unit temperature nominal.”
“Matrix jet engine nominal.”
“Coordinates anchored.”
“Confirm combat mission 0221. The Scepter is ready.”
At this time, a young officer rushed into the tent and asked the middle-aged officer, “Uncle 13, do you know what you are doing? You are trying to start a war!”
The middle-aged officer glanced at him calmly, “I am your chief commander, not your uncle. You’ll be punished for ignoring military discipline.”
The young officer shouted, “Did you consult the family’s First Branch for using the Scepter?! The First Branch still has hundreds of people in Prison 18!”
The middle-aged officer sneered, “I only follow the orders from the family head.”
Then, the soldiers dragged the young officer out.
The middle-aged officer in the command tent said calmly through the communication system, “Triumph.”
As soon as the words fell, the Scepter air fortress in the sky let out a deafening roar, and all the soldiers in the camp looked up. The massive ‘island’ seemed to have replaced the sky, becoming a sky made from steel!
Seven Black Sword-02 armed helicopters escorted it, like the seagulls next to the killer whales.
All the ground crew in black uniforms ran to the sides to avoid the heat blasting out from the vortex jet engines.
Amidst the roar, the Scepter started slowly, and it was rising higher and higher and accelerating faster and faster. It went straight toward Prison 18 in the southwest!
Facing the blizzard, the huge air fortress was spectacular and beautiful.
In the majestic momentum of the Scepter, no one even noticed that a secret mission team suddenly left the 112th Division’s garrison and sped towards the north.
…
…
Countdown 5:20:00.
In Prison 18, everyone was completely ignorant of what was happening outside.
Sitting in front of Li Shutong, Qing Chen asked, “Master, I’m suspecting that most people here have only known ACE-002 by its name and didn’t know what it was nor where it was. Did you reveal this secret yourself?”
“What make you think that?” Li Shutong laughed.
“Because looking at the whole thing from the beginning to the end, it seems that someone deliberately gathered these people here,” Qing Chen said calmly, “I’m guessing that the containment conditions to tame Forbidden Item ACE-002 should be related to sacrificing many lives. A lot of it, by the looks of the situation now. That’s why you keep screening out the innocent people and want to use the remaining criminals to complete the containment of ACE-002.”
“When you chose me as the successor of the Knights organization, you wanted to finally do what your heart calls you to do, but the containment conditions for that Forbidden Item were still not met,” Qing Chen continued, “Therefore, you pretended to let the news out, hoping to gather everyone who wants to take the Forbidden Item and fill the gaps with their lives.”
“Not exactly,” Li Shutong said with a smile.
“Huh?” Qing Chen nodded, “Where did I get it wrong? Wait… Before you decided to accept me as a disciple, Guo Huchan had already received false information about the Forbidden Item ACE-002 and came here. So, in fact, you had been planning to leave even before I arrived.”
Previously, Qing Chen thought that his appearance made Li Shutong feel like there was nothing much to worry about, which led to him wanting to leave Prison 18.
But when all the previous clues showed up in his mind, it was easy to realize that the timeline wouldn’t stack up to this theory.
His master seemed to have arranged all this long ago… and then waited for his arrival to complete his master’s final responsibility as the current leader of the Knights.
Qing Chen was slightly puzzled, “I must be missing some pieces of this puzzle, but it is certain that you’ve been planning this for quite a while.”
Li Shutong said, “Sometimes, I really doubt if it is a good idea to have such a smart disciple like you. You aren’t wrong. I indeed have been planning for this for a long time ago. Yet since your arrival, so much has changed, and this plan was just a part of the change. I can’t tell you why now, but one day you will find out yourself.”
Regarding this, Li Shutong didn’t intend to explain any further. However, Qing Chen could feel that his identity in the Inner World probably had something to do with this.
“Master, how many of your friends are controlled by the consortium? And which consortium controls them?” Qing Chen asked.
“The Chen Consortium,” Li Shutong said calmly, “Many of my friends died eight years ago, and 36 of them survived. They were taken to one of Chen Consortium’s secret prisons. At that time, the Li Consortium wanted to protected me, but Chen didn’t want to forfeit this great opportunity. Using the lives of the 36 men as hostage, they wanted to be stay here forever.”
“And were you not able to find where they kept your friends?” Qing Chen asked.
“Yes,” Li Shutong nodded, “I’ve been looking for that place year after year, but I didn’t have a clue. After I released the news about the Forbidden Items here, many planned to obtain it. Some supported the student protest, attracting the police and military forces way, and others sent news that the Chen Consortium will secretly execute the 36 men tonight at 7 PM. They were certain that I’ll go save them.”
“What’s the point of letting out news that seems so fake at a glance?” Qing Chen was puzzled.
“They thought I wouldn’t dare to gamble,” Li Shutong said.
36 lives, all former friends. For a person like Li Shutong, he would try as long as there was a glimmer of hope.
That was why Chen Yu felt Li Shutong wouldn’t return to Prison 18 tonight.
But Li Shutong came back.
Li Shutong’s face turned cold, “These people must have thought that I will uphold the benevolence and integrity as a Knights like what I did eight years ago, but they’re wrong. I am not the same as eight years ago.”
Qing Chen felt that this was a bit strange.
After coming out of Forbidden Land 002, he researched about the Knights from both Inner World and Outer World sources. Though that, he found that everyone spoke highly regarding the Knights.
Upright, kind, tough, courageous…
But Li Shutong’s occasional ruthlessness and determination were a bit different from the Knights’ reputation.
At a certain moment, Qing Chen thought that his Master must have been an optimistic and cheerful person, not as calm and sophisticated as he had shown now.
It was this world that made Li Shutong what he was today.
Qing Chen suddenly asked, “Master, do you have what you need to contain Forbidden Item ACE-002?”
“Yes.”
“Master, will those friends of yours die today?”
Li Shutong said calmly, “I don’t know. I’ll leave fate to decide.”
At this time, Li Shutong said to Qing Chen, “I didn’t plan to need your help today, but because of your proficient use of ACE-005, there is something I can entrust to you to do.”
Speaking of this, he asked Lin Xiaoxiao to bring over a tablet and brought up a photo, “This person is Su Xingzhi. I need you to go to 13 Thunder Street in District 9. Find him and tell him to start the operations. You will leave through the secret passage in the cold storage later. Remember, be fast.”
However, unexpectedly, Qing Chen shook his head and said, “Master, I won’t go.”
“Why?” Li Shutong was a little surprised.
“There’s no point for me to do something as simple as passing along a piece of information. Although I’m not sure why, going to find Su Xingzhi is merely an excuse for me to leave Prison 18,” Qing Chen said calmly.
“Do you think there will be danger in Prison 18?” Li Shutong asked with a smile, “No prisoner in this entire prison dares to look at me. With ONE here helping me out, what danger do you think there will be?”
“I don’t know, but no matter what, I’m not leaving,” Qing Chen sat firmly on the chair.
Li Shutong sighed, “Qing Chen, how long have we known each other?”
“A long time,” Qing Chen replied, “I have recalled meeting you countless times in my mind. To me, it’s been as long as several centuries.”
Li Shutong smiled and said, “Ever since you became my student, I’ve taken you to many places. The Forbidden Land 002, the Qingshan Great Cliff, the boxing club…”
“As your master, I feel very grateful. Taking you on this trip, I seem to have returned to my youth. While watching you, I recalled having the courage to act without having regrets.”
“But all these are paths that I brought you to, not where you wanted to go. Do you remember when I told you about the Qingshan falcon that pushes the young falcons off the cliff one by one the second month after the young falcons hatch? Only those falcons that had the courage to spread their wings would live.”
“Although the good times are always short and nostalgic…”
“Now, it’s time for you to start your own life.”
Right as he finished, the demigod attacked Qing Chen and knocked the teenager unconscious.
Li Shutong looked at Lin Xiaoxiao, “Send him out from through secret tunnel. ONE is waiting outside with a floating car.”
“Boss,” Lin Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, “Are you really not going to tell him the truth? You can only make him unconscious for half an hour at most, and he will definitely return when he wakes up.”
“It’s okay,” Li Shutong smiled, “We only got 15 minutes left, he won’t be able to come back in time… In city 18, it should have already started.”
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