Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 124 Information
The lobby of the headquarters of Fengmang.

The public trial ended abruptly and in a rather hasty manner.

But the tension had not yet dissipated, and the nuclear armored troops still stood on the scene.

Qiu Shan's face was ashen. He looked at his group of dejected subordinates, then his gaze swept over Suo Ren, who was receiving emergency treatment in the corner, and his heart ached even more.

The Soren faction suffered a crushing defeat in this round.

The members of the Huberson faction were celebrating in hushed tones, surrounding Chu Ningyan, whose expression was obscured by a tactical mask.

For Chu Ningyan, this was a complete victory. She not only cleared herself of all suspicions, but also took the opportunity to be promoted to captain of the second team, gaining the qualification to compete with Qiu Shan.

In the following period, Fengmang continued to hold high-level meetings to discuss the mobilization and deployment of tasks for the third quarter.

Since Chu Ningyan did not ask Wuji to withdraw his troops, Wuji was happy to let his soldiers continue to surround Fengmao and support their "superior".

Zhuang Fan blended in with the armored squad and went unnoticed.

He glanced at the black chicken standing in the distance, who was exchanging pleasantries with Soren, Habenson, and others, his face bearing a businesslike politeness.

Zhuang Fan knew that this guy was temporarily trapped here, which gave him an excellent window of opportunity.

He maneuvered the power armor, turned and left the hall, arriving at a secluded corner.

Instead of opening a public channel, he activated point-to-point encrypted communication inside the armor, so that even if someone was standing right next to the armor outside, they wouldn't be able to hear anything from inside.

"Bear Two, can you hear me?"

"can hear."

"Check the nuclear intranet for me. What new moves has that old fox Edward made?"

"...He just finished an internal meeting and reached a joint action with the head of the review department to investigate all spies within the company, not just Morisaka Network."

Xiong Er's tone was a bit somber: "We arrested three suspects this morning, but none of them matched up... He's getting anxious."

Zhuang Fan nodded upon hearing this. A monolithic nuclear group is a huge threat. Only a fragmented nuclear group with severe internal strife is what he would most like to see.

"Since Edward is so eager to catch the traitor, I'll send him some fresh information."

"how should I do?"

"Keep an eye on the internal network, I'll go deploy it first."

"clear."

Zhuang Fan cut off communication with Xiong Er and dialed another encrypted channel.

"Watson, are you in position?"

"Boss, I've arrived at the designated spot."

Watson's voice came from the other end of the channel, with the sound of whistling wind in the background, making the space seem somewhat empty.

Is the location safe?

“Absolutely safe. This is a sunny hillside with plenty of sunlight and thin fog. I’ve checked, and there’s no zombie horde activity nearby.”

"And in the air?"

"Very clean."

Watson lowered his voice and said, "Boss, just as you predicted, the nuclear drones and air patrol teams have reduced their patrol frequency. There won't be any high-altitude patrols in this area for at least two hours."

"Yes, the Black Chicken Army is trapped at the Sharp Edge headquarters. This is our only window of opportunity, and it will be very short."

"Boss, when do we start?"

"Please double-check the steps."

Watson calmly replied on the other end, "Boss, I've checked the drone and the communicator; they're securely fastened."

"I set an automatic flight path. It will fly towards the south of the city, remaining completely silent throughout. Once it reaches the predetermined coordinates, it will hover, and the communicator will immediately send a message."

He paused, then continued, “After the message was sent, the communicator initiated the self-destruct program. The drone released its hook and dropped the thermite bomb, burning away all traces on the ground before automatically returning to base.”

Zhuang Fan nodded. In this way, the nuclear team would only be able to trace the signal source to the vicinity of Nancheng.

He added, "After you evacuate, don't let anyone approach that hillside. An extra layer of caution is always better than none."

"Don't worry, boss. Today the scavenging team went to another wasteland, and the route will be far away from here."

"Hua Xin didn't come with you?"

"No, the base has been spending a lot lately, and I'm almost out of money. She's a bit anxious and wants to make some more money as soon as possible. She said that once you're done with your work and come back to the base, there will be ready-made scrap."

Zhuang Fan's lips twitched slightly; this little girl was even more impatient than her brother.

"Don't worry about the money. Once I get back, I'll have plenty of money soon."

His voice softened a bit, "We'll go back first thing tomorrow morning. Tell her to be careful; the threat from the Greenskins and the Apocalypse Cult hasn't been eliminated yet."

"Okay, I will definitely pass it on."

"That's it for now."

After cutting off the communication, Zhuang Fan reviewed every step of his plan again.

To ensure his power was consolidated after his "rebirth," Xu Renyi meticulously planned the "Primordial Plan," a three-pronged conspiracy:

Xu Lanshan collected evidence of corruption crimes committed by high-ranking officials;

Max consolidated military power, effectively sidelining the headquarters' forces.

Xu Tiansheng won over the opposition and then wiped them all out in one fell swoop.

Now that the plan has failed, Max has disappeared, Xu Tiansheng has become the new chairman, and Xu Lanshan has also "submitted" to the group.

However, the massive amount of criminal evidence that Xu Lanshan had painstakingly collected for Xu Renyi over thirty years is still stored in a separate sandbox on the nuclear intranet, and is encrypted layer by layer.

No one within the group knew about it.

Zhuang Fan inherited Xu Renyi's memories and naturally also possessed the key to access the sandbox.

He browsed the list, which involved hundreds of senior executives at Nuclear, including board members.

Every piece of evidence in the sandbox is shocking; embezzlement and bribery are just the appetizers.

Assassination, factional infighting, illegal human experimentation, trafficking in prohibited technologies, misappropriation of crystal reserves, secret transactions with rival conglomerates... each of these charges is enough to trigger an earthquake.

But Minister Edward remained as steady as a rock, his reputation for being clean and incorruptible, which impressed Zhuang Fan.

Zhuang Fan didn't plan to detonate the bomb all at once; that would be too wasteful.

He only needs to create a small opening, letting panic and suspicion seep in, to cause the nuclear leadership a major headache.

He carefully selected more than thirty pieces of evidence, all of which concerned the private dealings between nuclear executives and conglomerates such as Morisaka Networks, Heavy Hammer Armed Forces, and Enkawa Energy.

Let's detonate the first round and see how the nuclei react.

If successful, he will still hold the lives of hundreds of senior executives in his hands, which may be a trump card for subverting nuclear power and turning the top leadership in the future.

After confirming that no details had been overlooked, Zhuang Fan steered the armored vehicle to a halt and returned to the main force.

Hundreds of kilometers away, in a desolate valley.

The Gobi Desert, withered old trees, still scorching in the heat.

The winding alloy walls are built along the cliffs of the canyon, almost blending into the rock.

The battle never ceased below the canyon.

"Rat-a-tat-tat—!"

The automatic turret spewed flames, blasting the giant sandworms that had emerged from the ground back underground.

More threats come from the other side of the Gobi Desert.

The dark, horde of corpses was slowly crawling, blocked by the canyon's natural barrier, yet they still relentlessly tried to climb the cliffs.

“Da da da da—!”

Several armored soldiers stationed on the defensive line were working hard to clear away the zombies that were climbing up, and brass shell casings clattered down like a waterfall.

"Involved!"

After emptying his ammunition belt, an armored soldier roared and punched the rock wall, creating a dent.

"Where did these bastards come from! We've been killing them for almost three days, and they haven't decreased at all! Even scorched earth can't kill them!"

His companion, changing the scalding hot barrel, said with equal frustration, "Where else could it be? There's probably another zombie hiding nearby."

"What are those useless idiots in command doing? Can't they just blast that giant white worm out?"

"Who knows? Maybe they just think we have nothing better to do," the soldier sneered, picking up his machine gun again.

Deputy Commander Marcus was patrolling the edge of the defensive line. He had just finished scolding a deserter and was about to turn around when he suddenly froze.

A fleet of black hovercars flew in from a distance, landed on the ground, and slid open their doors, from which Minister Edward stepped out.

His impeccably tailored black uniform stood out starkly against the backdrop of the smoke and fire on the front lines.

"Edward!"

Marcus looked somewhat surprised, quickly went to meet him, and familiarly punched him on the shoulder.

What brought you to the front lines?

"Let's come and see an old friend."

Minister Edward stopped and looked up at the still-smoking battlefield in the distance, his expression grave.

"Old Ma, how's the defense?"

"It's alright, it can hold up."

Marcus seemed relaxed. "It's just that there are several times more sandworms and zombie hordes than usual, which is really annoying."

"Is it because of the scorched earth?"

"Yes, every time the scorched earth is baked, those dead insects and hordes of corpses come to escape."

Marcus actually wanted to talk about the series of chain reactions brought about by the scorched earth, but he noticed that Edward's condition was not quite right.

He pointed to the canyon, grinned, and said, "Anyway, it won't cause any trouble. After the shift change, come over to my place for a drink?"

Edward wore a perfectly balanced smile, neither distant nor overly friendly.

"I'm sorry, Lao Ma, I have official business to attend to and I'm afraid I won't have time to drink."

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "Well then, come with me first."

Marcus paused for a moment: "Now? Where to?"

"Go to the review department. Don't worry, it's just a routine matter; they'll ask you some questions."

But Edward knew this was not a routine matter.

Just half an hour ago, a storm swept through the board of directors of the Nuclear Group.

An anonymous letter from the southern suburbs was sent to all members of the board of directors, including Edward himself.

The nuclear base in the south city urgently dispatched drones to search the area where the signal source was located, but in the end they only found a communicator that had been burned to a crisp.

The letter contained detailed information, with a clear and complete chain of evidence, and included bank transfer records and encrypted call recordings.

This is not slander, but a trial.

The board of directors was instantly enraged and immediately granted Edward the highest authority, issuing a cold and clear order: "Bring back everyone outside headquarters before the news leaks."

Marcus is just the first on the list.

He didn't doubt it and followed behind Edward, but the relaxed smile on his face gradually froze.

Beside the hovercraft, a dozen fully armed soldiers stood quietly, with two armored soldiers guarding the hatch like door gods.

Marcus's battle-hardened intuition immediately sounded the alarm; this was no "interrogation" session.

"Old friend, you..."

He paused instinctively, wanting to back away.

Two inspectors stepped forward, blocked his path, and forcefully pressed down on his shoulders with precise movements.

One of them brought up a light screen, his voice devoid of emotion:

“Commander Marcus, we suspect that you accepted a bribe of 500,000 gold coins from Mori-Saka Networks four years ago. Please cooperate with the investigation.”

"Innocent! Absolutely innocent!"

He hurriedly defended himself, "I returned that money on the spot! I have a record of it; I didn't accept it!"

"We know you didn't accept it."

Edward gently patted his old friend on the shoulder, a hint of regret in his voice. "But your good-for-nothing son took it with his personal account."

"..."

Marcus's face drained of color, and he stood there muttering to himself, "Impossible..."

"take away."

Edward did not give him a chance to explain.

"Edward! You can't do this to me! I've been framed! I'm your friend!"

Marcus cried and struggled, his voice hoarse, but he was still dragged into the airship by the soldiers.

Edward kept a straight face and didn't turn around.

He raised his wrist, looked at the list of more than thirty people on the screen, and sighed wearily.

This trip has likely offended almost everyone in the upper echelons of the desolate valley, which explains why the Minister of Review is feigning illness.

……

At the headquarters of Fengmang, in a small meeting room.

Chu Ningyan, wearing a tactical mask, sat quietly on one side of the sofa. Next to her was a stranger in plain clothes, with an unremarkable appearance, who was Zhuang Fan in disguise.

Harpenson's gaze swept over Zhuang Fan, his expression revealing an undisguised curiosity.

"Captain Grey Goose."

He picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "Your reinforcements... you've been hiding them really well. Is he your friend?"

Chu Ningyan didn't speak, but Zhuang Fan responded in a flat tone: "You've misunderstood."

"I am merely a messenger, sent by the minister to assist Captain Grey Goose and ensure her personal safety."

Minister Edward values ​​her so much...

Harbenson slowly put down his teacup, a look of frankness and seriousness on his face.

“Captain Grey Goose, I’m sorry about Harry. Actually, I knew from the beginning that you were wronged, and I also knew what kind of person my son is.”

Harpenson sighed, as if reopening a wound.

“My son… was a good-for-nothing who had been drained by wine and women, arrogant and stupid. He deserved his fate and had no one else to blame.”

Zhuang Fan listened quietly, knowing that the man was lying.

Harpenson cared for his son far more than he showed.

Harpenson maintained his pained expression: "Captain Grey Goose, I have reviewed all the operation reports, including everything you encountered at Strange Rock Hill."

"Given Harry's reckless nature, he had far too many chances to die at your hands in that desperate situation, but he came back alive."

Harbenson looked at her sincerely, "The only explanation is that you didn't kill him, and even secretly protected him, otherwise Zhang Dafan could have taken his life."

"So when Qiu Shan produced those flimsy pieces of evidence in an attempt to convict you, I knew it was a trap, and at the same time... a golden opportunity for us to cooperate."

The fact that the eerie atmosphere surrounding Harpenson's words was very calm suggests that he was telling the truth.

"Soren and Qiushan's gang."

Harpenson's voice turned cold, no longer concealing his anger, "They are the real cancer of the Sharp Edge, having entrenched themselves for so many years, it's time to eradicate them completely."

"I need your strength, Captain Grey Goose, and I also need the strength of the minister behind you."

Chu Ningyan finally spoke: "What do you want?"

"I want the chairman's seat."

Harpenson's eyes were piercing. "And you will take the vacant position of combat commander, or even a member of the board of directors."

He slowly extended his hand, his palm broad and exuding the confidence of someone in a superior position: "Let's join forces and bring them down."

Chu Ningyan did not extend her hand, but said softly, "Yes, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

Harbenson's smile froze for a moment, but he casually withdrew his hand and picked up his teacup.

Zhuang Fan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

"But the minister is worried about one thing."

"Oh?"

"Kill the donkey after it has done its work."

Harpenson frowned upon hearing this. After thinking it over carefully, he was still confused. "What donkey?"

"..."

Zhuang Fan put it more bluntly, "After you become the chairman, will you deal with Grey Goose?"

"of course not!"

Habenson immediately denied it, looking at Chu Ningyan with righteous indignation and sincerity.

"Captain Grey Goose, you are the future of Sharp Edge, an S-class hunter. I rely on you so much, how could I possibly do such a treacherous and despicable thing!"

His voice was loud and clear, and his expression was sincere.

However, in Zhuang Fan's perception, the eerie mist inside Habenson's head began to churn and stagnate.

He lied again.

After finishing speaking, Habenson remembered something and gestured to his deputy to bring a metal box.

"Just now, Soren sent men to ransom those you captured last night."

He pushed the metal box in front of Chu Ningyan.

"Click."

The box was opened, and inside was a bright yellow gold bar, quite heavy.

"Two kilograms, they paid in full upfront."

Chu Ningyan didn't move. She glanced at Zhuang Fan first, and Zhuang Fan nodded slightly before she accepted the gift.

After noticing this small detail, Harpenson didn't say anything and continued to ask, "...The hostage?"

"A total of thirty-six prisoners."

Zhuang Fan calmly replied, "They are safe now, staying in an abandoned basement. I will send you the address later."

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Harpenson stood up readily and said, "I wish us a pleasant collaboration."

"It's a pleasure working with you, Director Habenson."

Zhuang Fan and the other person walked out of the room.

Outside the corridor, six mercenaries in sharp uniforms had been waiting for a long time. These men were all Chu Ningyan's old subordinates.

After seeing that Chu Ningyan was safe and sound, they visibly relaxed and stood at attention.

"team leader."

Chu Ningyan nodded slightly: "Let's go."

She is now the captain of the second team, nominally in charge of ten group leaders, with a total of two hundred members.

Although she has not yet returned to the camp for an inspection, it at least means that she has begun to cultivate her own power.

Zhuang Fan and Chu Ningyan got into a black hovercar, while six of their subordinates boarded another vehicle.

The doors closed silently, and the hovercraft rose smoothly into the air.

Zhuang Fan pressed the privacy mode switch inside the car, and a dark film rose up, covering all the bulletproof windows and completely isolating the car from the outside world.

The in-vehicle light screen inside the carriage lit up automatically, a glaring neon sign flashed a few times, and then switched to a program that was playing, called "Edge Radio".

A host appeared on the screen, his left eye flashing with electronic light, and several metal wires extending from his neck to his chin, giving him a strong cyberpunk vibe.

"Good evening, Linhai City! This is your best buddy, Diego!"

The host's voice, processed electronically, was extremely penetrating and filled with excitement.

"I love this city! I love it more than anything!"
"It's like that 'happy injection' you get at that shady clinic you frequent; that initial jolt feels fucking good, so good that you forget you still owe next month's rent~"

Diego laughed exaggeratedly, while heavy metal music played in the background.

"Just now, another large-scale disturbance broke out in the Aston neighborhood! Gang fights, security forces trying to smooth things over, dear, it's that familiar scene again."

"I bet that old man Finn is hiding in his office right now, crying and banging his poor hair on the table."

He moved closer to the camera, and the electronic eye flashed clearly.

"Speaking of which, the latest betting odds for Brother Zhang have been released! That's right, your hero Brother Zhang, the real man who dared to slap a nobleman in public, still hasn't been caught today!"
"The bounty has been increased again! Those idiots who bet on Brother Zhang being caught, you all deserve to lose money today!"

The excited sound abruptly stopped, the screen switched, and a sweet electronic song entered.

Still troubled by phantom pain and phantom limbs?

A soothing female voice rang out, and the scene showed a cyborg clutching his empty shoulder in pain.

"Are you still superstitious about mechanical ascension? Honey, don't let cold steel bind your soul. You deserve a better experience."

The scene shifts to a researcher in a white coat, who is smiling and pointing to a row of gene sequence models behind him.

"Umbrella Corporation is proud to present its mid-year promotional packages. Whether you want to enhance your senses, block out pain, achieve extraordinary sights and sounds, boost cell division, or regenerate telomeres and regain your youth..."

"We can meet all your needs! 30% off for the last day only! Umbrella Corporation, protecting your future!"

Chu Ningyan spoke softly, "This era is truly absurd."

"Before we could even distinguish between humans and androids, cybernetic humans, enhanced humans, and clones were already about to start fighting each other."

She looked over. "Zhuang Fan, are we living in a huge, chaotic laboratory?"

"Perhaps. After all, even the Umbrella Corporation has appeared, so nothing is impossible."

Chu Ningyan didn't continue the topic; instead, she took out two kilograms of gold bars.

"Take this."

"Two kilograms, that's no small amount." Zhuang Fan turned his gaze back from the window.

"It's more than enough for me."

Chu Ningyan's reason was simple and direct: "The Spark team needs money everywhere, so don't be polite with me."

The Torch Base is just starting out, and power armor, weapons and ammunition, personnel salaries, infrastructure materials... each item is a money-devouring behemoth.

"Okay, I'll take it."

Zhuang Fan didn't refuse too much, reached out and took the gold bar, and then started talking about the conversation they had just had.

“Harbenson is actually very sincere.”

Chu Ningyan turned her head to the side. "You believe him?"

"I do not believe."

Zhuang Fan said calmly, "Almost every word he said in the reception room was a lie."

Chu Ningyan was not surprised: "He is very shrewd, I can hardly see through him."

"...I can."

Zhuang Fan paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words.

"I can observe the strange mist fluctuations within his body to determine whether he is lying."

Chu Ningyan's eyes flickered slightly as she gazed at him.

"His anger and grief over his son's death were not something he could fake."

Zhuang Fan stated an objective fact: "He really valued that good-for-nothing son, much more than he said he cared about him."

He paused, then changed the subject: "Of course, some of what he said was also true."

Chu Ningyan immediately understood what he meant: "For example, Soren and Qiushan are cancerous tumors that must be eliminated."

"Yes."

Zhuang Fan met her gaze. "He needs your strength and the deterrent power behind you, but once he's used you and secured his position as chairman, he'll discard you like a used tool."

Zhuang Fan leaned back in his chair. "Even if you didn't kill Harry, he'll find a reason sooner or later to eliminate you, the most uncontrollable threat."

“Every word he said could not be hidden from me.”

(End of this chapter)