Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Artificial Soul Part 27

When Kui Xin arrived at the roof with Wei Zhi, she found it already packed with floating police cars and armed helicopters.

Security officers were preparing to depart for their designated targets.

Adam sent out the mission plan, and the task was simple: Eliminate everyone except their own group. No survivors should be left.

Kui Xin didn’t need to team up; she was paired with Wei Zhi alone.

“Let’s go board the chopper,” Wei Zhi said, walking forward without looking back.

Kui Xin followed closely as they ascended into the helicopter.

A man sat inside already. He was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, dressed in combat gear but slouched lazily in his seat, lacking energy and exuding an air of nonchalance not typical of a combat personnel. More like a tourist, she thought.

The man chewed bubble gum leisurely, creating a sharp contrast with the bustling security officers on the landing pad.

As Wei Zhi boarded, he turned to ask, “Hey, you’re here. Can we go?”

“This is Wang Feichi, S-Ranked Black Flame from the Special Affairs Department. He’s currently in a semi-retirement state,” Adam explained in Kui Xin’s earpiece. “From my observations, he’s laid-back, has little ambition for power, and is a rather easy-going person.”

“We’ll be off in three minutes, Captain,” Wei Zhi said.

“You’d better take care of this quickly, so I can head home early,” Wang Feichi added, “I need to spend some time with my son building blocks.”

Wei Zhi faltered.

Kui Xin was puzzled.

How could someone who is S-ranked care so little about such a critical operation like eliminating Mechanized Dawn and prefer to be with his son instead?

“Your presence ensures we finish quickly,” Wei Zhi forced out a polite remark.

Black Flame looked at Kui Xin, “Who’s this young lady?”

“I’m Kui Xin, I work as the secretary and deputy adjutant to Group Leader Wei,” she introduced herself.

“Oh,” Black Flame shifted his gaze out the window, “How is the sea in Black Sea City? This is my first visit. Is it good for a family vacation?”

Always serious, Wei Zhi seemed unsure how to respond, so Kui Xin continued, “The sea is polluted, acid rain falls sometimes, the coastal areas are often foggy and chilly. The farther you get from the city center, the more chaotic it becomes. It’s not suitable for a family vacation.”

Black Flame whistled, “Isn’t the Black Sea City Bureau of Investigation doing a poor job?”

Wei Zhi replied apologetically, “We apologize. That’s our failure.”

After two days together, Kui Xin noticed that Wei Zhi was straightforward and not one to sugarcoat things. Such a leader might make things easier, but being inflexible can limit one’s career. Wei Zhi’s refusal to let He Gaoyi become her secretary, preferring to mentor Kui Xin despite Meng Jing, highlighted her principles.

“The agents of the Federation Special Affairs Department mostly come from the Bureau of Investigation, although both departments have equal standing in federal politics, it’s widely considered that Special Affairs holds a higher command. Their tasks often involve dirty work: wiretapping, assassinations, counter espionage, undercover operations. The Bureau of Investigation doesn’t touch high-profile cases involving the wealthy, but Special Affairs does,” Adam explained. “The members here are all Awakened individuals. ‘Black Flame’ Wang Feichi is particularly outstanding.”

Three minutes later, the helicopter took off.

The sound of the rotor was deafening. Overseeing from the air, Kui Xin felt insignificant compared to the ground vehicles below.

In the center of the downtown core, Rick Technology Company’s building loomed large. Adam had taken control of the surrounding surveillance systems, but to avoid alerting the enemy, the Bureau of Investigation didn’t evacuate or disperse civilians around the area.

The Bureau deployed forces from multiple directions, some invading from the roof, others forming a blockade on the ground, sealing off the building tightly.

An armed helicopter hovered above Rick Technology Company’s building, ropes dangling down. Kui Xin dropped swiftly onto the rooftop, followed by Wei Zhi and then Wang Feichi.

More security officers descended with ropes, forming ranks on the roof.

Another helicopter paused beside the building, door open. Officers with rocket launchers aimed at the fortified glass, shattering it with a deafening boom, creating a large hole on one side.

Officers wielded grappling hooks, fastening them securely onto walls and moving in through the openings.

From the sky, ground, and intermediate floors, the Bureau launched a three-pronged assault.

Wang Feichi pointed at the perfectly sealed entrance of the roof. Black flame silently burned through the metal doors with its relentless heat, melted metal dripping to the floor like lava, sizzling and bubbling loudly.

Wang Feichi stepped forward, chewing his bubblegum, entering amidst the destruction.

The corridor ahead was entirely empty, dark and unlit; everyone switched to night vision.

Technicians deployed micro-drones, green LEDs gliding forward, scanning the floor, projecting images into all operators’ optics almost instantly.

Less than a minute passed; the report came in: the floor was empty.

“No one… let’s go downstairs,” Wang Feichi commented, rubbing his chin.

Wei Zhi gestured, directing the officers to set down explosive charges, readying to move forward. A loud thud echoed as the floors exploded downward, exposing a large hole beneath.

Drones descended, resuming their surveys. Wang Feichi leaped gracefully, receiving real-time updates. “Still no one? They couldn’t have fled?”

Wei Zhi quickly followed, sweeping the area cautiously. “We didn’t miss any details, even extra false leads… We don’t want this to be a wasted effort…”

“I hope not,” Wang Feichi said.

Kui Xin landed with the other officers, prepared and unshaken.

Mechanized Dawn’s departure was indeed thorough; the now-empty building stood as a mockery to their efforts.

Empty of life, no lights illuminated, power cut.

Unaware of the internal layout, Kui Xin only visited a few floors under guidance. Floor plans showed radical transformations, confirming Mechanized Dawn’s comprehensive alterations.

“Report, something’s not right,” another team radioed, “There’s nobody in the middle floors, every office is empty.”

Another unit reported similar findings from ground levels, indicating extensive modifications underground: metal corridors and gates, laboratories with abandoned equipment, wiped-off digital records.

Wei Zhi’s face darkened with realization.

This was an organized retreat; Black Flame’s arrival signaled the Bureau’s swift response, yet Mech Dawn acted faster. Before their offensive, Mech Dawn withdrew.

Planning such complex logistics would take days.

“How intriguing,” Wang Feichi mused, no longer relaxed, “This group is precognitive… more than one Awakened, port explosions, possibly even linked Rinn’s death. Now they vanished, while the Bureau overlooked them. What do they intend? To overthrow the Federation?”

Wei Zhi’s expression worsened. “A group operating for twenty years in the shadows, we were too late. Sorry, Captain…”

“You’re apologizing again—why do you shoulder the blame?” Wang Feichi remarked coolly.

“Continue probing,” Wei Zhi instructed subordinates. “Leave no detail untouched, even inspect trash cans.”

They moved through floor after floor, searching rooms.

Finally, they reached the floor of Kui Xin’s familiarity—the conference level.

Meetings between Kui Haidong and Wei Zhi took place here. Kui Xin recognized conference room doors.

Reaching this room, Wang Feichi pointed to activate the door. Instantly it melted away, revealing contents.

“Oh?” he raised a brow.

A small projector on the conference table cast a beam across the ceiling reading: “This time, I win.”

Unsigned, yet expressing arrogance and contempt.

“Interesting,” Wang Feichi grinned. “Is this a challenge?”

“Yes,” Adam voiced, “it’s from Eve.”

The next instant, the projected text turned blood red, and instinctively, Kui Xin took a step back, alarms blaring.

“Be careful!” Just as she shouted, a fire shot skyward.

A hidden bomb!

Wei Zhi took a step forward; air around them seized, space fracturing like broken mirrors reflecting the explosion in shattered pieces before stilling.

Level B, spatial confinement!

“Back away,” Wei Zhi calmly ordered, and they skillfully withdrew.

Explosion held in check for seconds, then like a blooming flower, burst forth, scorching and incinerating the conference room completely black.