Guan Xiongfei’s smile vanished the moment he heard 'Beta One,' replaced by a stern expression.
He frowned, his eyes fixed on Xiu Luo as if she were an enemy.
"General Xiu Luo," Guan Xiongfei said, "do you know what Beta One represents?"
Xiu Luo replied with certainty, "Of course. Beta One is Jinling's lifeline, controlling every aspect of the city. If it falters, the entire city will be paralyzed."
Guan Xiongfei looked at Xiu Luo in surprise. "Since General Xiu Luo knows this, why would you dare to ask me to borrow Beta One? Any other item would be negotiable, but Beta One is absolutely not to be lent out. General Xiu Luo, please leave."
Guan Xiongfei's resolute stance underscored the paramount importance of Beta One.
However,
Only Beta One could calculate the correct antidote.
She couldn't leave like this!
Xiu Luo said, "I need to use Beta One to save someone. Governor Guan, please accommodate me."
Guan Xiongfei stood up abruptly. "I don't care who you need to save. Beta One cannot be lent out! Even if you are a Five-Star General, even if your rank is higher than mine, I make the rules here! I apologize, General Xiu Luo, but please leave."
He offered no concessions.
It wasn't surprising, given the exceptional importance of Beta One.
Just then,
Lu Ming, who had been silent, finally spoke.
He tapped his fingers on the table and said calmly, "Governor Guan, I guarantee that while borrowing Beta One, I will protect Jinling's integrity and prevent any external forces from infiltrating. Please, grant me this favor."
Huh?
What was this?
Guan Xiongfei looked at Lu Ming with disdain and said coldly, "Who do you think you are? I wouldn't lend it to you when I wouldn't lend it to a Five-Star General? You talk about protecting Jinling from infiltration, scoff, who do you think you are? You think Jinling will be protected just because you say so? Ridiculous!"
Xiu Luo and Yi Xian exchanged glances and chuckled.
Xiu Luo said, "Governor Guan, you should mind your tone."
Guan Xiongfei sneered, "What about my tone?"
Lu Ming then took out a token from his clothes. It was forged from black gold and intricately carved with a five-clawed flying dragon, lifelike.
He placed the token on the table and asked, "Governor Guan, do you recognize this?"
Guan Xiongfei looked down, and it felt as if his soul had nearly flown away.
He couldn't sit still.
He leaped up, exclaiming loudly, "This, this is the Xiaolong Token! You are...?"
Lu Ming looked at Guan Xiongfei without a word.
Xiu Luo chuckled, "Who else in this world could possess the Xiaolong Token?"
Guan Xiongfei said, "In this world, besides the national hero, the Dragon Warlord, no one else possesses this token! So it is the Dragon Warlord himself who has graced us with his presence. Forgive my oversight in not recognizing you immediately. I beg the Warlord's forgiveness."
Lu Ming waved his hand. "No need for punishment. Ignorance is no offense. I only need you to do one thing for me now: lend me Beta One!"
This...
Guan Xiongfei’s expression was one of great difficulty.
He sighed bitterly. "Very well. It would be absolutely impossible for anyone else to borrow it, but if the Dragon Warlord himself requests it, I truly have no reason to refuse. Warlord, please come with me."
Following Guan Xiongfei’s lead, the group passed through layers of security and arrived at the Beta One chamber.
Guan Xiongfei said, "Beta One is located here. Warlord, use it as you wish."
Lu Ming nodded. "I will handle things as quickly as possible and not cause you any trouble."
Lu Ming gave Xiu Luo a look. She immediately understood and, along with Yi Xian, began the pre-arranged plan: using Jiang Lan’s blood for data analysis, combination, and matching.
From hundreds of millions of possibilities, they sought the single antidote that could cure Jiang Lan’s condition!
The moment the calculation began, the entire Jinling city ground to a halt.
Water cut off.
Electricity failed.
Gas depleted.
Internet vanished.
From the private sector to the military, everything was paralyzed. The entire city seemed to have reverted to an agrarian age in an instant!
Few knew the reason why.
...
Jinling, on Tian Shen Island.
Three-Star General Murong Shuang was listening to music when it suddenly stopped, displaying a Wi-Fi disconnection.
"Huh? The internet is down? What's happening?" Murong Shuang wondered.
Deputy General Qin Tong rushed over, her voice filled with anxiety. "This is terrible, General Murong! Something major has happened in Jinling! In an instant, all water, electricity, gas, and internet supplies have been cut off! Jinling is as if it's been captured by the enemy."
How could this be possible?
Jinling was a top-tier city in China; it couldn't possibly be easily captured.
Furthermore, if it were truly an enemy invasion, there would have been some sign of activity.
Everything was shut down, yet there was no enemy movement.
What was this?
Murong Shuang also frowned. "This is too bizarre. The only scenario I can think of is... Beta One in the Cross Tower has encountered a problem."
Qin Tong asked, "Could Beta One have been hacked?"
Murong Shuang shook her head vehemently. "No, that's absolutely impossible. Beta One cannot be hacked, unless for some reason, it was used by internal personnel."
Ah?
Qin Tong was stunned.
What reason could possibly lead to such an important asset like Beta One being used privately?
She couldn't imagine it.
And what level of important figure would be able to use it privately?
Vaguely, Murong Shuang felt a sense of foreboding. She said, "I have a feeling a super-important figure has arrived in Jinling, yet I have no news of it. Bizarre, so bizarre."
Qin Tong nodded. "Indeed, it's bizarre. Beta One was used privately, and Yuan Chengji is also missing."
Murong Shuang frowned. "Yuan Chengji is missing?"
Qin Tong confirmed, "Yes. I don't know if he ran away out of fear because he couldn't complete General Murong's mission. In any case, he's been unreachable since last night. I don't know where he went."
Murong Shuang shook her head. "That's impossible. Jiang Lan is poisoned and doomed. Yuan Chengji's mission was completed excellently; there's no reason for him to flee. Bizarre, truly bizarre."
One strange event after another kept occurring.
They seemed to have no connection whatsoever, yet for some reason, Murong Shuang felt that these bizarre events were linked.
Even more so, that the connection might involve Murong Shuang herself.
This feeling was deeply unsettling.
Murong Shuang said, "It seems necessary to accelerate the eradication of the Jiang family. We can't drag this out any longer. Once Jiang Lan is dead, we'll destroy the Jiang family headquarters directly!"
It sounded like a good plan.
But the question was... would Jiang Lan die as she wished?
Hard to say!