Whoosh~ Whoosh~
Beside this courtyard, enclosed by a white-walled, black-sloped-wood-roofed two-story house, several large trees with dense emerald leaves bent nearly double in the suddenly stronger wind, but soon they straightened again, only their tops swaying.
A figure clutching a leather briefcase dashed swiftly, holding down the hat tightly on their head in the wind, and ran clattering up the three-step wooden stairway leading to the house.
Passing through the small central corridor that led straight to the square courtyard in the back, he ran clatteringly under the watchful eye of a guard toward the study, which had a large lattice window overlooking the external scenery.
The figure in the dark, wide-hanging coat standing at the door paused.
The room was empty.
“Moved again? ” The man cast a solemn glance at the white envelope in his hand and let out a soft murmur of unease.
……
High in the blue firmament, white clouds spread like a furry blanket over the air above.
Another science demon aircraft, its hue a slightly darker red, glided ahead, stirring the airflow like a wild goose in steady formation over the grayish-white streamers of clouds.
“We’ll be entering the Kingdom of Heivenzike’s airspace in two minutes. “
The pilot’s voice, carrying over the hum inside the cabin, shouted back loudly:
“But Mr. Gold Lion, we still haven’t pinpointed Zhao Anlong’s exact location yet. After he surfaced at sea, he just vanished without a trace. Are we really heading for World Ark Headquarters? This exposes you far too much. “
In the back seat sat a colonel, straight-backed, dressed in a plain blackish-brown coat and long trousers, who responded:
“At a time like today, he must be somewhere in this world, waiting to seize the moment for a counterstrike against those enemies who suddenly began scheming against them last night. “
Having spoken those words, he gazed long at the hints of blue sky and sea occasionally glimpsed beneath the distant cloud layer.
“It’s fine if I don’t see him. I can directly head to the World Ark headquarters and help him with some planning. “
After saying this, Yiska withdrew her gaze from the flowing clouds that once again covered the landscape below. She leaned back slightly in her flight chair and began to ponder carefully.
From the early hours of the morning until now, the many events that had suddenly cropped up across the world kept the entire general staff on tenterhooks.
There were those who toiled in silence for the survival of the world.
Yet, as information began to leak, only when everyone obtained the intelligence data did they suddenly realize with a shock that all these plans were being carried out on the brink of disaster. The true guiding principles of the operations lay hidden behind these fragile facades.
The Colonel gave a light sigh, gently rubbing two fingers together.
However, now, someone had set their sights on the very organizations running these rescue operations.
“The human heart is truly terrifying, ” he murmured, turning his head to look out the aircraft window.
“Mr. Gold Lion, if we don’t meet Zhao Anlong today, would you like me to pick you up and return to base? Do we need to agree on a rendezvous point? “
“Heh. ” Yiska chuckled slightly, “Do you think that, once I get there, I can just waltz out of there safe and sound? “
“I am confident that, since you were entrusted with this mission, you must have the ability to see it through, Mr. Gold Lion. “
Yiska said with a self-deprecating tone:
“Don’t worry, I can manage it. As long as my plan succeeds in piquing that man’s attention… “
The Colonel’s voice trailed off.
He noticed that, all of a sudden, several shadows had fallen across his body, obscuring the pure light.
Iska’s pupils contracted, and his head snapped upward!
Above his own Science Demon plane, another black iron bomber was flying in a vertical overlap directly overhead.
“That’s… “
The pilot ahead also looked up in shock at the bomber’s silhouette high above. Then, both pairs of eyes widened in astonishment as a human figure seemed to crawl out of the aircraft cabin at that altitude.
The figure above had one hand gripping the edge of the half-open cockpit, hanging sideways, looking down at them.
At that moment, Iska felt as if he were witnessing something beyond rational analysis.
“Could that be… wait… “
The man dangling with one hand above let go, and his whole body rapidly grew larger in their view as it plummeted, scaled by the shrinking distance.
“Ah! Damn it! ” the terrified pilot’s hand just began to move.
Bang!The young man in a gray-blue coat landed with a strange trajectory, smashing onto the semi-transparent bumpy canopy of the Science Demon.
The youth, with black hair wildly fluttering in the wind, wore an expression like he’d seen something fascinating, staring wide-eyed at the half-transparent glass under his head—and beyond it, at the man’s face with its sharp features, gradually regaining composure from an initial shock.
The ordinary plane at high altitude was slowly being left behind by the Science Demon aircraft.
Thump! Thump!
Yisika saw the young man lying on top of the plane, his shirt flapping in the wind. He tapped the semi-transparent canopy of the plane, then raised his hand as if gesturing to lift it open.
Squinting momentarily, Yisika said, “Open the canopy. “
The pilot felt he had truly run into a demon. Completely baffled as to how word had leaked, with some inexplicable Cloud Bandit now lying on the plane, he had no choice but to open a crack in the rear semi-transparent canopy.
The young man outside immediately pried it open wider. After wriggling his limp limbs slightly, he hooked one hand on the edge and slid headfirst into the cockpit through the gap.
Yisika stared blankly at this man who had crowded halfway into his seat, squeezing it so tightly that the cockpit suddenly felt suffocating, looking straight back at him.
“Sir, could you possibly be… “
“I’m Zhao Anlong. “
It really was him!
The entire figure of Yisika, seated there, stiffened as if struck by lightning.
Countless hypotheses instantly flashed through his mind.
Ang Pailisi had long since found Chairman Yang Buchen and informed him of his whereabouts; or the general staff, or even General Adley right, had handed over the flight route to the World Ark; alternatively, suspicious trail markers to this extremely difficult-to-track plane might have been observed along the way.
Yet Tsui Hsia soon ruled these guesses out.
At this moment, the colonel felt that this trip was probably more difficult than he had anticipated.
He watched the man spin around, his back against him, reaching sideways and closing a translucent glass window with a click, muffling the sound of the wind.
“Hello, Mr. Anlong. I wasn’t aware you… “
“Finally, I’ve been waiting for you! ” Zhao Anlong turned his head and let out a chuckle, “What took you so long? “
“So long? ” Iska asked with an incredulous jolt.
Could it be… How was that possible? How did he know?
And that person, one of the strongest combatants within the World Ark, had not appeared anywhere at all until now. Had he been waiting for them here?
“But it’s still much earlier than I expected. “
He continued in fluent Wutao Language.
“Good thing this plane got big enough after being corrupted by the evil nightmares, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get in. “
“Uh, we… ” The pilot was still completely dazed at this moment.
Zhao Anlong had adjusted his posture with effort, leaning his head against the tilted backrest in front of the pilot. As the helmeted pilot, still utterly confused, worked to restabilize the aircraft, he continued:
“Alright, my friends. As of now, this plane is requisitioned by us, the Dragon of Ruin. “
“You! ” A voice came from the forward cabin.
Iska’s gaze sharpened as she regained some of her usual composure, and asked:
“Mr. Anlong, may I ask how you came to know our flight path? Is the reliability of this source worth your continued trust? “
“I trust it completely. Head to the World Ark headquarters in Tarko. “
“Understood, ” came the voice from upfront. “Then please sit tight, sir. “
“No problem. I’ll just watch and learn how to pilot this thing. “
The pilot shuddered in fright.
Zhao Anlong chuckled softly in the man’s ear and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll return it to you once I’m done. “
Iska’s voice came from nearby:
“Mr. Zhao Anlong, I have a suggestion. “
“Oh? So soon—what kind of suggestion? ” Zhao Anlong turned his head to look.
“Ever since midnight, the Kingdom of Heivenzike and the Southern Nations have gradually been launching aircraft. And since you, Mr. Anlong, haven’t openly revealed your whereabouts since appearing at sea—at least, not that we know of—I suggest this Science Demon fighter of ours avoid landing in Heivenzike for now. “
“Oh? ” Zhao Anlong glanced back, mulling it over. “Why’s that? Do you guys carry more fuel? “
“We’ve identified the target who carried out substantive strikes on the ‘Golden Shell Legacy Operation’ and the ‘World Ark Image-Transmission Airship Fleet,’ but we’ve found little useful intel on him. I suspect he’s also trying to avoid direct confrontation with you all. “
Zhao Anlong pondered for a moment, weighing his own strength against that of the other party.
“So? “
“So we shouldn’t leave this aircraft. Instead, we should use the sheer numbers of the flight formations crossing the skies to issue a silent threat to an enemy whose location remains unknown. “
Upon hearing this, Zhao Anlong let out a soft hiss.
“You mean, because I’ve never shown up, so… that timid bastard is afraid that in one of those planes flying over his head, I might be on board? “
“Yes, it’s possible. “
Iska said, “As long as he worries about being found, he’ll take countermeasures. Whether he moves or hides in place, both could expose some traces. “
“And then what? “
Zhao Anlong squinted his eyes and muttered vaguely:
“I feel that the world is so vast. Even if planes keep buzzing over his head, and even if he’s afraid I might suddenly drop down—if that guy just holes up in some remote corner of the world, even if we mobilize many departments to search, we probably won’t find him, right? “
“Indeed, it’s very likely we won’t find him. But the person who needs to mobilize team members for this operation probably isn’t located in non-tributary water areas. And even if he’s elsewhere, it doesn’t matter. “
“Oh? ” Zhao Anlong thought for a moment, listening to the other’s voice continue.
“The so-called ‘wise man thinking a thousand times must make one mistake.’ “
Iska said confidently:
“He’s confident he can overturn the world, but as long as we thwart one or two more of his plans, this opponent will surely start to suspect that something is wrong within his own ranks. And once he begins to weaken his own team members, then we’ll have at least half achieved our goal. “
“Ah~! “
Zhao Anlong grabbed Iska by the shoulder. “Buddy, I told you you’re the best! “
……
The urgent sound of footsteps and the noisy chatter of several people came down the stairs from the third floor. _”
In the lobby, in front of the counter, Motave, who was humming, turned his head, his face gradually showing surprise as he watched five or six people, each extending an arm, holding a half-meter-square mini-screen, crowding their way down from the staircase, stumbling left and right.
“You guys, this is… “
Motave, whose originally shriveled hair had grown a bit more robust these days, felt he couldn’t quite comprehend.
Everyone let out a few awkward chuckles, raising their heads to look.
The manager behind the counter raised his arm and gently clapped his hands, saying:
“My thanks to all you enthusiastic gentlemen. You’ve truly worked hard. “
“Ah, no hard work, not at all! “
“Hahaha, this… how should I put it, it’s incredibly meaningful! “
They withdrew their arms, and one of them, grinning, took the “Teveet Vision ” (an imitation of Blackwick Scientific Heritage) and carried it into the lobby.
As he passed by Motave, who stood staring blankly, this young man with barely fingertip-length hair showed a mouthful of white teeth:
“Mr. Scientist. So, how do we power this thing up? Also, is there anything else we can help you with? “
“Hmm… “
Motave pursed his lips, his eyes darting left and right before he said, “We still need something crucial, I’m afraid. “
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