Chapter 163 – Key (6)

◎ Don’t look, there’s dirty stuff ◎

Wulongwulong—

The three-dimensional subway descended vertically, slowly stopping at the platform, and passengers of all shapes and colors came down from the carriage.

A round-bellied man hummed an out-of-tune tune and casually tossed the terminal that had been emptied into the recycling bin.

Unexpectedly, by delivering a “package,” he could also receive a windfall of 500,000 Alliance coins for free. The man proudly patted his belly, crossed the transparent sky bridge, turned into the lower-level street, and left the bright sunlight behind.

Business has been good lately, coupled with unexpected income, enough for him to splurge for several years to come.

A mini ladybug peeked out of his pocket, its compound eyes gleaming, transmitting data along the way.

When the man was about to reach his doorstep, his footsteps halted.

“Uncle!” At the end of the road, a well-dressed Xu Xing raised a small hand, enthusiastically greeting him, “Do you remember me?”

The man stared at him suspiciously. Even though it hadn’t been half a day, of course, he remembered. This kid was the silly-looking wealth-bringing boy at the bathroom door.

“Sorry, Uncle, I made a mistake. Actually, that terminal is mine.” Xu Xing pouted slightly, with an innocent and cute expression. “Please, can you give it back to me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How could you have so much money? And why would you be silly enough to give me the terminal?” The man instinctively retorted, “Regretting it now?”

“It really is mine.” Xu Xing’s watery eyes blinked, and a small ice cone slowly formed in his palm. Smiling like a cunning demon, he said, “If I didn’t fish like this, how would I have hooked you?”

Fooled! This kid is definitely a person with abilities!

An alarm bell rang in the man’s mind, and just as he was about to speak, a few clear coughs sounded behind him, causing him to turn abruptly.

In the lingering twilight, a group of six people blocked his retreat. In the middle was an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, her leaf-shaped knife flipping up and down at her fingertips. Behind her, tall men and women lined up, glaring at him.

The man thought it was bad, turned his head, and rushed forward, trying to break through from Xu Xing. Xu Xing eagerly waited with excitement in his eyes, and the ice cone in his hand instantly transformed into a solid ice wall, blocking his way. The man slammed on the brakes, regretting in his heart: I said, how can good things fall from the sky for nothing? This isn’t a wealth-bringing boy; he’s clearly a plague!

His eyes turned, and suddenly, gray hair grew on exposed skin, clothes fell off, and in the blink of an eye, he turned into a huge rat, scurrying into the sewer.

This unremarkable-looking man turned out to be a shapeshifter!

The awakener mouse squeaked and dashed forward, seemingly about to escape. Ding! A dark blue leaf-shaped knife flew accurately, piercing its tail. The mouse had just leaped out a bit when it was “thump” bounced back, rolling on the ground, stars swirling in its eyes.

Xu Xing was startled by the ugly large mouse and hid behind Song Ke, peeking with one eye.

The rhythmic footsteps stopped in front, and Fang Zhixu, with a playful twist to his hair, squatted down “kindly.” His hands moved, and two shiny dissecting knives appeared out of thin air. A smile resembling that of a twisted doctor appeared on his face. “It’s been many years since I last dissected a mouse, huh? Where should I start? Open the abdominal cavity first, then pull out the intestines…”

The cold surgical knife pressed against the thick fur, and the next second was about to cut through the flesh—

“Don’t, don’t kill me! What do you guys want? I’ll give you the money, isn’t that enough?” The awakener mouse struggled desperately, and begged.

Song Ke comfortingly patted Xu Xing’s head. “You go first, turn back into a human. I’ll ask you a few questions.”

Bang! The man obediently turned back, completely naked, blood flowing from his right ankle, shivering on the ground.

Zhuang Qingyan immediately covered Song Ke’s eyes. Song Ke’s vision fell into darkness, her fan-like eyelashes blinked. A low reminder sounded in her ears: “Don’t look, there’s dirty stuff.”

Lin Youyou was a half-second slow, suddenly turned her head, her expression was indescribable. “Help, I… faint at the sight of needles.”

Su Cha, with a dark face, stepped forward, firmly blocking her.

When the man clumsily put on his clothes, Song Ke finally lowered Zhuang Qingyan’s hand. “Are you a smuggler?”

“Injustice, sister! I’m just an honest scalper, selling tickets and collecting some service fees.” The man insisted, biting down on his story.

Song Ke naturally didn’t believe him and went straight to the point. “I ask you, what are mice, crocodiles, and… achoo! What are cats?”

The man didn’t expect Song Ke to speak in code right away, and his expression momentarily became uncertain.

Fang Zhixu smiled, raising the dissecting knife as if ready to cut into his mouth—

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” The man, terrified, trembled uncontrollably. “I really didn’t smuggle. I just… followed the big brother to do some smuggling business, find some channels, help people get short-term access, and send them into the base. The mouse is an awakener from another district, all with legal identities. We don’t dare deal with illegal immigrants!”

As a popular immigrant city in District B, the Northern Base had strict immigration procedures, and there was even a proactive city specifically handling related matters, receiving guests from all walks of life daily, making the city bustling with people.

V587 exchanged a silent glance, and it seemed Xu Xing had indeed guessed right; this man was indeed involved in smuggling.

“How many mice have you brought in?”

“Altogether, about five thousand people.”

Song Ke’s eyes turned cold. The awakeners causing trouble on the Silver Ring Arena were only around a hundred. This meant that there were still many rats hiding in other corners of the Northern Base.

Lin Youyou looked down at the curled-up man on the ground with disdain and mocked, “Five thousand people? Are you a local? You have quite the guts, bringing in so many dangerous individuals. Aren’t you afraid of trouble in the Northern Base?”

“With Director He and the Awakener Department here, what trouble can arise?” The man grumbled indifferently. “Go to Qianzhan City and see how many people want to come in every day. Besides, it’s not immigration; it’s just short-term entry. We’re just helping out… and earning a meal on the side.”

The brawl on the Silver Ring Arena had caused quite a stir, but it was suppressed. The order in the Northern Base had always been good, and with the wise management, even if something happened, there were big shots to solve it. They didn’t need to worry.

“Don’t embellish yourself. You’re just a traitor!” Lin Youyou scolded. If they were bringing in exiled awakeners, that would be one thing, but it turned out to be people with sinister motives from District B. While the Northern Base had a good reputation, were the other areas in District B so disgraceful? Five thousand illegally infiltrated awakeners at the same time clearly indicated a conspiracy. These shortsighted fools only cared about their own interests, completely disregarding the consequences.

Lin Youyou kicked the man’s chin with anger, causing him to scream in pain.

Song Ke pretended not to see and didn’t stop her rude behavior, continuing to ask, “Who is the crocodile?”

The beaten man, now nodding obediently, answered, “The crocodile is… our boss. He pays to bring in rats. No one knows his real identity, but he is generous with his money every time.”

Song Ke understood; it seemed that the crocodile was the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy.

“What about the cats? How many are there?”

The smuggler hesitated for a moment, his tone becoming uncertain. “Cats… there seem to be six or seven? Or maybe seven or eight? They are very expensive, not under my control. I only handle communication, but I’ve seen two of them. They don’t have awakened energy; they are just ordinary people.”

“Sister, you can rest assured; nothing troublesome will happen.” The man ingratiatingly grinned, as if saying, “I still love my homeland.”

After the man finished speaking, the seven people on the opposite side fell silent.

He shivered, a sense of unease gradually rising in his heart. “Did I say something wrong?”

Lu Xiaoyu’s wheelchair elevated, and his hazel eyes coldly looked down at him. “Hey, rat, do you think we are ordinary people?”

One woman and two men suddenly erupted with powerful awakened energy. The overwhelming pressure, like a tsunami, penetrated the man’s entire body with a pain of countless steel nails. His internal magnetic field went haywire, and gray fur uncontrollably appeared, his legs trembling, almost unable to maintain human form.

The man’s teeth chattered, and the only thought left in his extremely fearful mind was: …S-level.

As long as there was an intention to conceal, low-level awakeners couldn’t feel the awakened energy of an S-level. This was why they mistakenly took them for ordinary people.

Lin Youyou completely disregarded her image, angrily kicking the man again. “That’s not a cat at all; it’s a jackal! Fools, you’ve invited a wolf into the house!”

Song Ke thrust a knife between the man’s legs. “Give up all the information about the cats.”

…

“The current situation is that at least six S-levels have infiltrated,” Zhuang Qingyan calmly stated.

V587 was holding a meeting at the top level of the starship port, offering an excellent view of the entire city. Despite the bustling crowds below, no abnormalities could be discerned for the time being.

During the Silver Ring Arena incident, S4-level awakener ‘Qian’ suddenly appeared, wanting to stand up for Fujita Hiro. They had sensed that something was wrong at that time. Since when did the relationship between District Bs become so friendly and cooperative? Now it seemed like a “cat crying for mice.” Benevolence was false, intentionally provoking a war was true.

Lu Xiaoyu tapped his fingers, infiltrating the surveillance system, and within seconds, situations of awakeners making trouble were happening everywhere. The S-levels in the Northern Base were suppressing them separately, overwhelmed with tasks. In the confinement room of the Awakener Department, it was probably already overcrowded.

Song Ke said, “I’ve sent the information to Ye Zimei and Bai Qi.”

The quicker the intelligence was transmitted, the better. This way, both the Awakener Department and Ye Zheng’s side could respond promptly.

“Achoo!” She sneezed again, this time with a muffled sound.

Zhuang Qingyan frowned. Song Ke’s condition could no longer be described as an “allergy.” There must be something wrong somewhere.

“I feel… the air is so dirty,” Song Ke rubbed her nose and muttered.

Hoo—hoo—

A strong wind suddenly rose, and the biomimetic plants around them rustled, their roots skewed.

Bang! A giant billboard from a lower building fell from the sky, making a deafening sound.

Where did this storm come from?

The group looked surprised; T005 was operating normally, and there was a weather simulation system in place. How could such extreme weather, out of season, suddenly occur?

One strong gust of wind followed another, and in just a few seconds, a sudden change occurred! The sunlight rapidly dimmed, the sky was completely blocked, and at the distant horizon, a colossal sandstorm, carrying thousands of tons of dust, formed a massive wall of sand that engulfed the entire Northern Base!

“Get down!” Song Ke managed to shout, and the seven people tightly gripped the railing. The powerful storm shook their bodies, and Xu Xing’s feet left the ground, but he was pulled back by Fang Zhixu and Lu Xiaoyu.

From a high vantage point, the scene before them was extremely shocking. The vast city was instantly covered by yellow smoke. The fine dust fiercely struck buildings, emitting a muffled roar. Glass shattered, billboards and lampposts tore apart, and countless people, unable to escape in time, were swept into the vast sea of sand.

Five minutes later, Song Ke struggled to stand up, her nose, ears, and mouth filled with sand particles. Her senses were irritated, and she coughed incessantly.

All seven of them were covered in dust and dirt. Looking around, the visibility was less than five meters, the sky was dimly yellow, and everything was chaotic.

Song Ke barely opened her mouth, and sand fell out. “How could this happen…”

Zhuang Qingyan coughed twice. “It’s the side effect of Utopia.”

The rise of Utopia led to frequent occurrences of extreme weather. The periphery of the Northern Base was an endless desert plain, already dry and rainless throughout the year, relying on T005 for regulation. Now, with the sudden global climate change, the air conditions became extremely unstable. Strong winds easily caused sandstorms when the weather was unfavorable.

The weather simulation system had limited tolerance, and this level of disaster had exceeded its threshold.

The broadcast immediately sounded, “The Meteorological Monitoring Center issues a special red alert for an extremely strong sandstorm. Residents are advised to cease outdoor activities, close doors and windows, and refrain from going outside…”

Outside the transparent barrier, a layer of anti-sand net slowly lit up, enclosing the entire base, blocking most of the dust.

Song Ke spat out the sand and said, “As expected of District B…” They had a response plan so quickly.

After the anti-sand net was raised, the choking storm was blocked, though the environment remained harsh, at least making it possible to stand.

At that moment, the terminals of the group suddenly displayed an urgent mission: “B-level mission (limited to the region): Extreme sandstorm weather in the Northern Base. All awakeners are requested to join forces to eliminate it…”

The complete content had not yet emerged; the next moment, this mission quickly flickered, the previous text was wiped away, replaced by new information. When looked at again, its meaning became unclear: “A-level mission (limited to the region): Protect the Northern Base.”

The New Asia Alliance’s mission platform was automatically monitored, assessed, published, and adjusted by AI groups above B District. It had never made a mistake before, whether before or after doomsday. The fact that it had escalated from B to A indicated that the mission’s difficulty had increased in just a few seconds.

However, this became even more peculiar. The sandstorm in the Northern Base had clearly been controlled. Could there be other severe weather conditions behind it? Moreover, the meaning of “Protect the Northern Base” seemed a bit vague.

Amidst the confusion, a slight sound came from above.

Song Ke’s ears moved slightly; she suddenly looked up through layers of smoke and dust, only to see a strange bird with an entirely black body on the high-altitude anti-sand net. Its two wings shimmered with a metallic blue-purple luster, its feathers were messy and shaped like needles, and its irises displayed the gray-white characteristic of zombie creatures.

“A crow,” Zhuang Qingyan’s cold voice sounded. “Due to the large size of the brain area, it is recognized as a bird species with high intelligence.”

“Don’t be afraid, it’s just a ferocious beast.” Captain Song, a responsible captain, transformed a spiritual weapon rapid-fire crossbow and aimed it at the zombie crow.

Bang! The crow’s body fell to the ground, caught on the edge of the anti-sand net.

However, Zhuang Qingyan’s next words chilled people’s hearts: “…Crows are strongly social and skilled in forming nests. In special situations such as foraging and mating, they often roam in mixed groups.”

Next to the first crow’s corpse, the second one quickly fell, followed by the third, the fourth… densely covering the ground.

In the midst of the yellow sand, they were like incarnations of death, pecking at carrion. Opening their wings, they emitted sharp cawing sounds, gurgling, and quacking.

Song Ke: “Uh…”

She looked at the crow flock, then down at the lone rapid-fire crossbow. For the first time, she hesitated about what kind of spiritual weapon she should transform.

…

In Qianzhan City, sandstorms and ferocious beasts wreaked havoc everywhere. Ruthless crow talons pierced human shoulder bones, pulling them into the air to tear and devour.

The sky no longer showed its original colors; the black and yellow symbols of death covered everyone’s retinas.

“Ah—!!”

One after another, screams rang out, and both awakeners and ordinary people fled in panic.

“Quick, seek help from the Northern Base! Apply for urgent refuge; let us in!!”

…

Awakener Department building, second-top floor.

He Qiuhong placed both hands on her abdomen, looking at the real-time images being transmitted. Her expression was serious. “How many people are in Qianzhan City now?”

“6.5 million,” the administrative secretary reported quickly, “including 4.3 million awakeners.”

He Qiuhong stood up with a slender figure, her silhouette against the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, everything was cast in a yellowish hue, and the outlines of buildings were vaguely visible.

“6.5 million population, more than two-thirds are awakeners, precisely at this critical juncture.”

“Conspiracy? Or coincidence?”

She repeated in a low voice, “4.3 million awakeners, what a waste…”

A group of those who did not pass or did not have time for the review process—inside, she did not know how many spies with ulterior motives were mixed in. If there was time, she wouldn’t mind carefully screening and selecting talents to fill the ranks of the Northern Base.

Unfortunately, the current timing was too critical.

He Qiuhong did not consider herself a cruel person, but regardless of the timing, the interests of the Northern Base always took precedence. With the ongoing violent incidents in the city, as the person in power, she had to make some sacrifices and concessions.

After all, better to mistakenly kill three thousand than to let one person go.

“Director He, Qianzhan City has suffered heavy casualties. The Ministry of Transportation has arranged several evacuation routes. The expected open points are…”

The secretary flipped through the light screen data in distress, requesting instructions from the higher-ups as soon as possible.

“No need,” He Qiuhong’s voice rang out coldly.

“Ah?” The secretary was stunned, unconsciously making a small exclamation.

“Close all connecting channels with Qianzhan City, only accept flying terminals with the base’s identification.”

The secretary was dumbfounded for a while, and after realizing her intentions, a chill ran down her spine.