Chapter 229: Maritime Nation Expert Delegation

Watching over a dozen Task Force members from the convoy following him either pounce on or chase after the individuals he had mentioned, Lu Xin stood rooted in place, silent.

He leaned back against the car seat, slowly took out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and inhaled deeply.

“Are you really going to arrest them all?”

His voice was low and uncertain as he asked Chen Jing over the communication channel.

“If they show anomalies, naturally they must all be apprehended and subjected to necessary interrogation, isolation, and testing procedures,” Chen Jing’s tone was exceptionally firm. “Only when they are confirmed one hundred percent safe will they be released.”

“But…”

Lu Xin slowly rubbed his face and looked up.

He was now on the Main Road entering the busiest central area of the Main City. Lifting his eyes, he could see the distinctive bustle and liveliness of the City Core compared to a Satellite City. Large numbers of pedestrians of all kinds walked the streets. Within the towering office buildings, countless people worked and lived. Here were the most prosperous districts, the most upscale Hotels, and the densest crowds.

Yet at this moment, Lu Xin could see that among those countless people, an unknown number had developed strange mutations atop their heads, on their backs, or within themselves. Some bore Monsters on their backs, while others had become Monsters themselves.

These Monsters hid within the populace, and because they were so numerous, it seemed as if the Monsters were actually the majority.

They surveyed the people around them, surveyed the city, with all manner of greedy and eerie gazes. Unnoticed by anyone, they grew increasingly brazen, examining the surrounding prey passing by with an abnormal excitement.

Unaware of their existence, people still happily or busily went about their own affairs, walking their own paths.

Lu Xin was the only one who could see them, so in this lively city, he felt like an outcast.

Looking at this bustling City Core, it felt like he was gazing upon a Ghost Domain.

The endless Monsters evoked a suffocating, unsettling sensation.

“If you really want to arrest them…”

After a pause, his voice finally emerged. “I’m afraid… you’ll need to dispatch a lot more personnel…”

“…”

As if sensing something in Lu Xin’s words, Chen Jing’s Heart suddenly clenched.

……

At roughly the same time, near the east gate of Qinggang, on the Steel Drawbridge facing the sea.

A large, modified cargo ship could be seen docked at the distant port. Shortly after, three vehicles drove up from the port, advanced steadily, and then pulled directly onto the platform before the Drawbridge under the watchful eyes of two lines of Armed Soldiers.

“Welcome, Elder Ye. We’ve been expecting you for some time…”

Mr. Su and Professor Bai stepped forward with smiles to greet them, shaking hands with the man who emerged from the first vehicle.

Seven people stepped out of the three vehicles.

Most wore crisp, ocean-blue uniforms, but two were in civilian clothes.

One was an Old Man in a suit, exuding scholarly refinement, leaning on a cane. Beside him, a girl in a matching ocean-blue nurse uniform assisted him. A bottle of medicine hung from a metal stand, feeding through a plastic tube into his arm.

The other was a taciturn individual.

He looked entirely ordinary, frail as if a gust of wind might topple him.

What drew attention was the bright Red Cloak he wore, its hood obscuring his face. Peering under the hood, one could glimpse a small portion of his pale, gaunt cheek.

Mr. Su shook hands with the Old Man receiving the IV drip and said warmly, “We in Qinggang were delighted to hear your Maritime Nation expert delegation was coming to share your latest research findings. We arranged our expert team to attend immediately upon receiving your telegram.”

“We must thank Mr. Su for this opportunity,” the Old Man, his face marked with old age spots, returned a gentle smile as he clasped Mr. Su’s hand. He then looked at Professor Bai and said pleasantly, “This must be the renowned Professor Bai. I heard of your performance at The Alliance conference. Your report on special psychic phenomena was well-received. It’s been compiled into a booklet and circulated throughout Maritime Nation.”

“Haha, shall we proceed inside?”

Mr. Su, the gracious and enthusiastic host, politely invited the visiting delegation into the Highwall City.

The group chatted and laughed as they went in, the atmosphere quite cordial.

However, inside a Tower not far from the eastern Steel Drawbridge, Minister Shen, clad in a military uniform, watched the feed on the monitors coldly. His gaze swept over the IV-dependent Old Man, then settled on the man in the Red Cloak.

“Any findings?”

He asked coldly, his voice impassive.

Behind him, a row of similarly uniformed staff faced an entire wall filled with computers. Analyzing data scrolling across the screens, they made notes.

One staff member reported: “Accompanying Mr. Su and Professor Bai to welcome the Maritime Nation delegation are three Ability Users. Among them, the one most adept at sensing others’ Psychic Magnitudes and identifying Ability types is Watchdog. He hasn’t relayed any special information, indicating he detected nothing anomalous in those seven individuals. Even if one is an Ability User, they seem manageable.”

“Based on feedback from our detectors positioned beside the eastern Steel Drawbridge, we can confirm only one Ability User exists among the seven visitors: the man wearing the Red Cloak. His Psychic Magnitude falls roughly between 600 and 1000.”

“According to the faxed records received before Maritime Nation made port, his name is Shen Ming, listed as a Researcher for Maritime Nation.”

“Current data is insufficient to analyze which Ability system he belongs to.”

“…”

“It’s not important whether we can discern their ability system.”

Minister Shen said expressionlessly. “What I need to ensure is whether they’re truly here for academic exchange, and if they do harbor any ulterior motives, whether we can stop them at any time and make sure none of them escape.”

“Yes, sir!”

The staff member responded loudly while efficiently reporting other developments.

“We’ve simultaneously surveyed the sea within thirty miles around Qinggang. No anomalies detected.”

“Additionally, seven members of the Special Clean-up Department’s Special Operations Team, four members from the City Defense Department’s Special Operations Team, ten A-Class Special Dispatch Teams, and three hundred City Defense troops in advanced protective suits have completed deployment around the East Sea Grand Hotel. They’re standing by for orders.”

Upon hearing this, Minister Shen fell silent.

The Maritime Nation was established after the Crimson Moon cataclysm when a group fled to the sea aboard freighters and ships as maniacs devoured humans across the land. They never joined the Northern Alliance. But now, as the situation stabilized, trade with the major Highwall Cities within the Alliance had increased significantly. Facilitating this academic exchange seemed both inevitable and necessary.

Yet in this post-Crimson Moon world, no one dared let their guard down.

For Mr. Su, his role involved holding a wine glass to entertain the guests.

Therefore, his responsibility was to firmly clench the gun aimed at these people, always prepared to fire.

……

“The Advanced Talent Training Conference for Qinggang is scheduled to commence promptly at 3 PM this afternoon.”

“As previously arranged, you can attend starting tomorrow.”

Mr. Su was currently smiling, inviting the Maritime Nation’s expert team into the conference room at the East Sea Grand Hotel.

The East Sea Grand Hotel occupied a highly unique location within Qinggang. Situated in the sparsely populated and built-up East City area, it was surrounded by expansive plazas and defensive structures. The nearest office building stood over a thousand meters away.

The closest shopping mall and residential area were already three kilometers distant.

The building itself utilized advanced construction materials and tempered glass, capable of withstanding high-intensity impacts and psychic radiation. Moreover, seemingly to ensure the conference proceeded smoothly, armed soldiers had established a stringent blockade line around the perimeter.

“Advanced Talent Training Conference?”

The old man with the IV drip appeared frail but was quite spirited.

He chuckled, “This is actually Qinggang’s Ability Users training assembly, isn’t it?”

“The recent Alliance exchange meeting disclosed ample information. It’s evident each faction now prioritizes researching and enhancing Ability Users. With an expert like Professor Bai overseeing things, Qinggang certainly won’t lag behind in this field.”

“……”

Mr. Su smiled in response. “I wouldn’t know about that. In Qinggang, this work is handled by professionals.”

He glanced toward Professor Bai as he spoke.

Professor Bai merely nodded with a smile. “Plans exist, but there are still many concerns before genuine implementation begins.”

“Let’s speak frankly. No beating around the bush here.”

The old man with the IV drip chuckled warmly. “Truthfully, everyone knows the emergence of Ability Users has become a critical issue none of us can ignore. Whether they are truly divine emissaries or simply aberrant maniacs remains debatable. What is certain is that we, the major Highwall Cities, must abandon prejudice, unite our resolve, and confront this monumental change.”

“My visit aims specifically to facilitate exchange and cooperation between the Maritime Nation and Qinggang City.”

“And then use Qinggang City as a springboard to forge collaboration with the entire Alliance.”

“……”

Mr. Su and Professor Bai exchanged glances, both slightly surprised. The old man’s words sounded unexpectedly amicable.

“Ring-ring-ring…!”

But just as they prepared to discuss further, the red landline phone in the conference room suddenly shrilled.

The sharp ringtone pierced the solemn atmosphere, sounding particularly jarring.

Mr. Su simply offered a slight smile, signaling his secretary to answer it while he continued pondering his next words.

However, before he could steer the conversation back, his secretary turned around.

“Mr. Su.”

His expression seemed hesitant. “This call… I think you might need to take it yourself.”

“My apologies.”

Mr. Su offered a polite nod to the old man, then picked up the receiver. He listened quietly for a moment before gently replacing it.

His expression remained unchanged as he addressed his secretary. “Go see Minister Shen.”