Chapter 30: Strategy Meeting

Vance City is a renowned tourist destination in the Seventh Administrative District. Thanks to the picturesque stretches of sandy beach to the south, rent in the Southern District is always staggeringly high. As one moves toward the north of the city, however, rents recede like an ebbing tide.

Wang Hu’s burly figure navigated the dimly lit corridor of the Mica Apartments. According to the Empire’s latest urban planning blueprint, many old buildings were slated for demolition to make way for brand-new apartment complexes. The building before him clearly met the criteria for redevelopment, its walls covered in disarray by the "artistic creations" of local delinquents. Given the low rent, the landlord couldn't be bothered to clean up these "decorations."

"That’s some ugly art," Wang Hu muttered. His right hand habitually reached into the bag of potato chips he was clutching, pulled out a generous handful, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to crunch away loudly.

He walked to the door of Room 306 and fished out his keys to unlock it. The living room was empty. Familiar with the layout, he turned right and twisted the door handle of the master bedroom. The scene inside was far from a typical bedroom; the right wall was covered in a massive mind map, sparsely dotted with photos, names, and connecting lines. In the center of the room stood several devices designed to prevent eavesdropping.

Petite Li Qingwan was sitting in front of the equipment, on a call. She glanced at Wang Hu, quickly ended the conversation, and asked, "How did the investigation go?"

"Commander, with me on the job, you can set your heart at ease a hundred and twenty percent..." Wang Hu patted his chest, sending potato chip crumbs spraying from his mouth.

"Enough nonsense, report on the work!" Li Qingwan detested those who were flippant and slippery while on duty.

Wang Hu shrank his neck in fear. Standing at one meter ninety-five with a broad build, he looked fierce and dependable, but in reality, he was quite timid.

"According to the clues I found," he said, straightening his expression, "the 'Prophet' booked a presidential suite when he checked into the hotel, using fake identification. Besides him, there was a woman with purple hair and a cold expression. Both were wearing capes with a blue base and white auspicious cloud patterns—it looks like an organizational uniform."

"Who forged their identification documents?"

"I... I didn't find that." Seeing Li Qingwan’s face darken, Wang Hu quickly added, "But I discovered that the Chairman of the Oya Group visited that hotel on the same day. It’s highly likely he had contact with the Prophet!"

Li Qingwan’s brow immediately furrowed.

The Oya Group was a renowned cosmetics giant in the Seventh Administrative District, and its products had long been popular in the Empire’s high-end market.

"Immediately arrange personnel to strictly monitor all of the Oya Group Chairman’s phone calls and track his every movement!"

"Yes!" Wang Hu stood tall to receive the order.

Just then, Li Qingwan’s encrypted phone beeped again. She answered it immediately.

"Your Excellency, Commander of the Second Legion, the Saint has issued an order for you to come to the Main Hall immediately to discuss matters. Please report your precise coordinates; the Anywhere Door will be opened for you."

"My coordinates are..." Li Qingwan quickly rattled off a string of numbers.

No sooner had she finished speaking than an antique oak door appeared out of thin air in the middle of the room. She hung up the phone, her gaze sweeping sharply toward Wang Hu. "Put down the chips."

"Yes!" Wang Hu hurriedly set his beloved bag of chips on a nearby table, intending to return to them later. He reflexively reached to push the door, but Li Qingwan, eyeing his greasy, chip-dusted hands with disdain, pushed the door open herself.

Inside the door lay the solemn Main Hall.

Li Qingwan stepped through. Wang Hu followed closely behind, his footsteps incredibly light, like a kitten that had wandered into a predator’s den, filled with trepidation.

Teleported directly inside the Main Hall?! Was it appropriate for a minor captain of the personal guard to be standing here, in a place for high-level meetings? He nervously glanced up, his heart leaping into his throat.

Other Anywhere Doors were appearing one after another, from which various figures emerged. The First Commander, the Third Commander, the Fourth Commander... All thirteen commanders of the Great Han Legion had arrived, along with the Director-General of the National Police Agency. Each one exuded an invisible, crushing pressure.

Beads of sweat instantly broke out on Wang Hu’s forehead. Just as he was about to whisper and ask if he needed to withdraw, a loud and majestic announcement echoed through the hall.

"The Saint has arrived!"

Li Qingwan was slightly stunned and immediately commanded Wang Hu in a low voice, "Stand behind me! Do not move, do not make a sound!"

After saying this, she walked quickly toward the seat of the Second Legion Commander. Since this was a purely military meeting, the commanders' seats were arranged in two rows.

The heavy hall doors were pushed open, and Bai Yuqing walked in with a steady gait. He did not intentionally release any powerful aura; he was simply walking forward. Yet, Wang Hu felt as if his entire body had been struck by an invisible electric current, instantly tensing like iron.

Almost reflexively, he balled his right hand into a fist and struck it hard against his left chest, over his heart. Then, he swung his arm forward into a standard 45-degree military salute. Because he used too much force, his voice cracked:

"Loyalty—!!!"

Bai Yuqing took his seat on the dragon throne in the center. His gaze swept over the commanders and their personal guards, and he waved his hand casually. "At ease. All of you, sit. As for the captains of the guard, thank you for your service—stand and listen."

"It is... it is no trouble at all!" Wang Hu and the others shook their heads like bobbleheads, indicating that standing was perfectly fine.

Bai Yuqing turned his gaze to Gao Jinzhong. The latter understood immediately and activated the holographic projection screen on the massive wall behind the throne, bringing up the detailed profiles of 132 suspects.

"I have summoned you to discuss how to efficiently and safely arrest these 132 suspected demons." Bai Yuqing’s voice was steady and powerful.

The screen began to scroll rapidly through each suspect’s photo, personal history, ability assessment, and current residential address.

"Some of these individuals are at the Control Realm, some at the Transcendent Realm, and others at the Legendary Realm. However, now that they are possessed by Demon Seeds, we must never judge them by their previous cultivation levels again. They are likely to erupt with combat power far beyond our imagination."

Bai Yuqing’s gaze sharpened. "You must memorize their profiles. When you take action, you must treat every target as a true demon and formulate your arrest plans with the utmost caution."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingwan felt her spirits lift. Her eyes locked onto the screen, her brain racing as she prepared to use her extensive capture experience to contribute the most optimal strategy for this large-scale operation.

The other commanders also stared at the scrolling information, each calculating their own operational plans. Among them was the Eleventh Legion Commander, Edmond. He had no particular opinion on the specific tactical deployment, but he was pondering a different question: which opponent should he choose? He wanted the strongest, the hardest nut to crack.