The story of the Ash Squad's "heroic" support for the Central Logistics Transport Team was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples within the Hunter Guild of Shengjing Underground City.
Although it wasn't an earth-shattering achievement, against the backdrop of the Ash Squad having just suffered heavy losses and bringing in new blood, this "stepping forward" and "effective rescue" was particularly striking.
The Guild's internal brief gave a short commendation, and an additional contribution point and a small amount of material rewards were distributed to the squad's account.
More importantly, the name of the captain, "Lin Chen," and the codename "Ash Squad," for the first time, entered the sight of certain higher-level figures through the reporting channel of Lieutenant Colonel Zhao of the Central Logistics Department.
Although it might just be a line of remarks in a file, this was precisely the beginning Ling Chen needed.
However, blessings are intertwined with misfortunes.
The Security Department's investigation into Lei Hu's disappearance had not stopped.
Ling Chen's several "extraordinary" precise judgments and terrifyingly calm control during the support battle were once again recorded by the secretly monitoring Blackbird Guard and merged into the increasingly thick file on "Lin Chen's Suspicious Behavior Analysis."
"He always walks on the edge of the limit, and each time he can perfectly resolve the crisis... Can this really be explained by luck and a little talent?"
In a secret room of the Security Department, the cold-faced investigator in charge of the case watched the combat footage, his brows tightly furrowed.
They had no evidence, but their intuition and professional sensitivity prevented them from letting down their guard against this young acting captain. Vice Director Lei Bao's pressure hung over their heads at all times.
Ling Chen knew this well, but he didn't care.
What he needed was this delicate balance—while gaining a certain degree of recognition and attention, he always maintained a hint of "suspicion," so that the Security Department would neither dare to move against him easily nor completely ignore him. This state was best for covering his true actions.
He distributed most of the Guild's reward contribution points to Su Qing, Chen Mo, and others, for upgrading equipment and purchasing training resources, keeping only the minimum for himself, maintaining the image of a "fair and selfless" captain.
At the same time, he intensified the training of the two new recruits, Zhang Hou and Li Xun, focusing on wilderness survival, 警戒 reconnaissance, and basic coordination—these all subtly aligned with the requirements of the 【B-41】 escort mission.
He was preparing for the future.
...
In the Jiu'an City region, Zhuang Han's 瘋狂 actions continued.
The tragic state of the "Torch" base and "Dawn" outpost had not yet subsided, and two other small human settlements were once again subjected to devastating attacks.
Zhuang Han was even more cunning; he no longer consistently departed from Linghui Academy but began to divide his forces, using complex terrain for maneuver, striking and then retreating, leaving the Panshi Military Region's patrol teams exhausted.
Panic spread like a plague. Terrifying legends about "Bone-Armored Demons" and "Mad Academy" circulated among the survivors.
Large numbers of refugees began to flock to Panshi Fortress for shelter, putting immense pressure on the fortress's material supply and resettlement capacity. The defensive pressure on the outer perimeter of the fortress also increased daily.
Commander Qin Weiguo's face grew darker by the day.
The atmosphere at the military meeting was unprecedentedly oppressive.
"Commander! That group of monsters led by Zhuang Han is getting more and more arrogant! Our patrol teams almost encountered them several times!"
A frontline Commander said indignantly.
"We must teach them a harsh lesson! Gather heavy troops and flatten Linghui Academy!"
"Flatten? Easier said than done!"
Another staff officer retorted.
"The academy ruins have complex terrain and are easy to defend but difficult to attack. Last time, a small armored company suffered losses, and now they are more numerous, and Zhuang Han is even stronger! A frontal assault would be too costly! And don't forget, the Academy of Sciences..."
He trailed off.
The conference room immediately fell silent. The Academy of Sciences was now a sensitive word that could not be easily touched.
Qin Weiguo rubbed his temples and said in a deep voice, "Strengthen defenses, expand the safe zone, and prioritize refugee resettlement.
For Linghui Academy, for now, focus on monitoring and deterrence. Also... have you urged the Academy of Sciences about the progress of the 'Dragon Blood Weapon'?"
"Yes, Commander. Chief Lin Mo replied that... 'technical bottlenecks have been broken through, but more experimental data and specific resources are needed,' and attached a long... list of demands."
The adjutant's voice was somewhat helpless.
Qin Weiguo snorted coldly.
He knew Lin Mo was taking the opportunity to make demands, but he was temporarily helpless.
The greater the external pressure, the more he needed the Academy of Sciences' technical support, especially the Dragon Blood Weapon that could counter high-level mutated bodies.
"Try to meet some of the requirements on his list, but core resources must be given in batches, and tightly controlled."
Qin Weiguo felt a fire burning inside him, feeling as if he was being led by the nose by both Lin Mo and Zhuang Han.
He vaguely sensed that behind Zhuang Han's frantic actions, there seemed to be an invisible hand guiding them, but he couldn't grasp any evidence.
This sense of being out of control made him extremely uneasy.
...
Shengjing Underground City, Hunter Guild Library.
Ling Chen did not spend all his days in the training ground.
He would spend a lot of time in the Guild's vast database, within the limits of his authority, accessing records about the Western Rift Zone, ancient ruins, energy anomalies, and even some obscure, "pseudo-scientific" ancient legends and forbidden knowledge.
His reading speed was extremely fast, and the cold will of his Soul Jade Physique acted like an efficient information processor, quickly filtering, classifying, and storing potentially useful information fragments.
From the vast sea of data, he caught some sporadic descriptions of the Western Rift Zone: distorted light, chaotic gravity fields, occasionally appearing fragments of ancient creations, and even... some vague legends about "doors."
This information corroborated what he already knew, making him more certain that the Western Rift Zone hid a huge secret, likely related to the "fourth path to ascension" that Lin Mo mentioned, and also to the Central Academy of Sciences' sudden interest in exploration.
This day, as he emerged from the library, he ran into Leimeng, who had come looking for him in a hurry.
"Brother Lin Chen! I finally found you!"
Leimeng casually put his arm around his shoulder, lowering his voice slightly.
"I heard you showed off a bit a few days ago, well done! Even those arrogant guys from the Logistics Department praised you!"
"Brother Leimeng, you flatter me. It was just a coincidence, and I did my duty." Ling Chen smiled humbly.
"Hehe, don't be modest! I'm never wrong about people!"
Leimeng leaned in closer, his voice almost a whisper.
"But, brother, you'd best be careful lately. Those bastards from the Security Department still seem to be watching you. Damn it, it's none of your business where that Lei Hu guy died!"
Ling Chen's face appropriately showed a hint of helplessness and concern:
"Thank you for the reminder, brother. I'll be careful. A clear conscience needs no explanation."
"Mm, if anything happens, just tell your brother!"
Leimeng patted his chest, then seemed to remember something, "Oh, by the way, have you heard? Things are not peaceful outside lately!"
"Outside?"
Ling Chen feigned ignorance.
"Indeed!"
Leimeng's expression became more serious, "I heard that in the Northwest Area, in Jiu'an City, a group of particularly ferocious mutated bodies has appeared. Their leader is a bone-armored monster named Zhuang Han, who is frantically attacking human strongholds, causing chaos there. Many refugees have even fled to the temporary camps on the outskirts of our Shenjing Area."
A hint of "surprise" flashed in Ling Chen's eyes: "Such a thing? Isn't the Panshi Military Region doing anything?"
"Doing anything? How?"
Leimeng pouted.
"I heard those monsters are very slippery, and their strength is not weak. The Panshi Military Region is also in a mess right now. And... I heard, just heard," he lowered his voice even more.
"It seems Panshi Fortress is not peaceful internally either. Their Academy of Sciences has been causing a lot of trouble recently. I'm not clear on the specifics, but the news is being kept very tight."
Ling Chen nodded thoughtfully:
"It seems the outside world is even more dangerous and complex than we imagined."
"Indeed!"
Leimeng sighed.
"That's why I say, strength is the ultimate truth! You, kid, quickly build up your team; maybe there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future!" He rattled on for a few more sentences, then left in a hurry.
Ling Chen watched Leimeng's retreating figure, his gaze deep.
The news was spreading faster than he expected.
The panic created by Zhuang Han had already begun to affect Shengjing.
And Leimeng's vague information about internal unrest within Panshi Fortress also confirmed his judgment.
The seeds of chaos had been sown and were quietly germinating.
All he needed to do was continue to water them and wait patiently.
Turning around, he walked towards the Guild Mission Hall's notice board. The 【B-41】 escort mission was still hanging there, yet to be taken by any squad.
High risk and stringent member requirements deterred many teams.
Ling Chen's gaze lingered on the mission description for a moment, then he left as if nothing had happened.
He knew it wasn't time yet.
He needed to wait for an opportunity, an opportunity that would allow the Ash Squad to "naturally" get involved.
Perhaps, before the exploration team departed, they would need to recruit additional perimeter guards?
Perhaps, the chaos in Jiu'an City would escalate further, requiring guides familiar with the local situation?
Perhaps, the Security Department, for some reason, would need a "controllable" squad to participate in monitoring?
Whatever the possibility, he was ready.
The chess game was set; he was just waiting for the wind.
And what he had to do now was something else—to "visit" that pure and flawless Qingdi Longevity Body, Bai Zhi.
Perhaps, from her, he could get some unexpected information about the Central Academy of Sciences' exploration team.
A barely perceptible arc appeared at the corner of Ling Chen's mouth as he walked towards the Medical Center.
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