Chapter 62: Amusement Park (VI)

Chapter 62: Amusement Park (VI)

"Lu Tianchen," the Capital Star's military headquarters were brightly lit at three in the morning.

General Zhang Lingyu, the Supreme Commander, studied the investigation report in her hands with a grave expression.

"He is the founder of Tianchen Entertainment Company, with extensive connections. He's also a close friend of Rong Family's head, Rong Yan," the Chief of the Capital Star Guard reported on the holographic screen before her. "The organizer of the Ice and Fire Tournament, the prospering band Deep Space Echoes, and Yu Tiantian are all affiliated with this entertainment company. Rong Mi was initially planning to sign with them as a Star Network singer, but he didn't pass the audition."

"Rong Mi's parents knew that Rong Yan doesn't like people entering the company through connections. They feared that forcing their way into Tianchen Entertainment might hinder Rong Mi's growth, so they eventually sent him to Phantom Chord."

"After the accident during the Ice and Fire Tournament, we did thoroughly investigate Tianchen Entertainment and Lu Tianchen, but found no issues. The previous investigation indicated that the incident was entirely due to the director's arrangements and his connections. However... it's impossible for everything to be mere coincidence."

"Moreover, the amusement park where our operation will take place is currently managed by Tianchen Entertainment."

"While reviewing the amusement park project files, we discovered additional construction plans uploaded a year ago by Lu Tianchen's secretary, Cheng Wen."

"The blueprint matches the amusement park's layout, but... it's an architectural design unrelated to the amusement area itself."

Zhang Lingyu: "..."

"Lu Yi?" She sat in the conference room, facing a holographic projection of Lu Yi across from her.

Lu Yi rapidly scanned the blueprint, comparing it with the reconnaissance data brought by Rong Mi and Ayin.

"It's a hand-drawn diagram of the folding space within the amusement park," he said after a moment. "Sketchy, but the only notation is the location of the space-folding device."

"Perhaps it was meant as a warning."

"Keep the item safe. Investigate after the operation is over," Zhang Lingyu instructed with gravity.

"This operation will be under Lu Yi's full command."

"Any orders sent to you by anyone other than me or Lu Yi should not be acknowledged."

"I want to see... just how many moles there are hidden within the military."

The head of security replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Our mechs, aerial vehicles, and small starships are all prepared and awaiting orders in hiding near the amusement park." He glanced at his communicator. "We're currently evacuating the nearby residents under the pretense of a toxic gas leak in the area."

Zhang Lingyu was about to speak when she caught a glimpse of Lu Yi's palm out of the corner of her eye, causing her voice to trail off abruptly.

The general's skin was pallid. As he pulled up the light screen, a network of deep black patterns became visible on the back of his hand.

"It's nothing serious," Lu Yi glanced at her and retracted his hand.

Ever since receiving the news of Rong Mi's attack, the general's expression had been cold and distant. His focus was entirely on the preparations for the retaliatory mission; he didn't spare any attention for anything else. "Inspect the weapons and gear, we're getting ready to move."

Lu Yi rose and turned off the light screen.

He had arrived at the nearest spaceport to the amusement park base.

A small warship, transferred from the military, was preparing for departure.

Lu Yi stepped onto the ship's gangway, his brows knitted tightly as he coughed softly into his lips.

The black markings on the back of his hand were spreading rapidly, gradually merging into one contiguous pattern.

There was no moon in the sky that night.

On the capital planet's streets, Lu Tianxing stood before Lu Yi's apartment, gazing up at the night sky.

"I recall... when Xiao Yi first exhibited signs of his secondary awakening, it was also under such gloomy skies."

"They say that in the pitch-black battlefields, a moon suddenly rose... Many of our kind froze to death beneath its icy glow. Quite a spectacle, huh."

Lu Tianxing stepped onto the lawn in front of the apartment.

"At that time, I wasn't yet a coward fueled by hatred."

The apartment was eerily quiet in the night. Lu Tianxing calculated the time and confirmed that even if a dose had been missed midday, the consecutive injections into Lu Yi's body over two days should have taken effect as intended.

It was a high-concentration Ice Butterfly venom that would take its time to manifest.

Upon entering the apartment, he expected to find a corpse already in the initial stages of decay.

Crossing the lawn, Lu Tianxing climbed the steps and knocked on the door as a mere formality.

He had prepared himself to break in if there was no response, not noticing the shadowy figure lurking behind him.

The mighty Sandel, the Thundering Lion, concealed himself in the bushes near the apartment. His thick, padded paws stepped softly on the lawn as he pounced on Lu Tianxing while the latter was bent over to knock on the door.

Lu Tianxing, caught off guard, was knocked down headfirst and hit his forehead hard on the stairs, instantly losing consciousness.

Sandel's massive body pressed down on him without letting his guard down. The lion's sharp canines brushed against Lu Tianxing's neck, cutting his skin. A flying vehicle was swiftly approaching the landing strip nearby, its forward lights illuminating the lion and the fallen man.

"…My God… What in the world is happening?!" Chen Shu was the first to jump out of the flying vehicle, utterly stunned. Damon, the floppy-eared rabbit, leaped from the bushes where Sandel had hidden and rushed to his owner, chirping frantically.

A tall, young man dressed in a white lab coat followed closely behind, stepping down from the vehicle. He quickened his pace, surpassing Chen Shu, and silently positioned himself to block the other's view. Upon seeing the situation at the apartment entrance, he cursed under his breath.

"Call the authorities first," Chen Mo assessed that this Thundering Lion must belong to someone in the Legion as a battle pet.

There was no logical reason for the lion to attack visitors in front of Lu Yi's apartment. He instructed Chen Shu briefly but didn't dwell on it, instead activating his communication screen and gritting his teeth. "Where is Lu Yi?!"

"The Ice Butterfly venom hasn't been contained yet. While I was back at the hospital to prepare a potent antidote... Where did he go?!"

"…What Ice Butterfly venom?" Chen Shu scooped up his battle pet, his expression changing. As he dialed the emergency number, he asked anxiously, "Brother, what are you talking about?!"

He had planned to pick up Damon today, but Rong Mi's communication remained unanswered. Coincidentally, his usually elusive older brother, who spent most of his time at the research institute, was heading to Lu Yi's apartment. Concerned for both Rong Mi and Damon, Chen Shu decided to tag along with Chen Mo on his flying vehicle.

There was still some awkwardness throughout the journey.

Chen Mo was nine years older than Chen Shu and had joined a secretive science project at the Academy when Chen Shu had just graduated from primary school. He seldom returned home until Chen Shu became an adult. The year Chen Shu chose to attend military school after high school, Chen Mo's experiment finally concluded. Upon returning home, he found out about Chen Shu's enrollment in the military academy and tried to dissuade him.

Chen Mo was involved in research related to mental powers and had collaborated with the team studying Ice Butterflies. He didn't want his younger brother to be exposed to the dangers of war zones and those perilous creatures.

It was the first time in years that the two brothers had the chance for a proper conversation, but it ended in a heated argument. After Chen Shu entered military school and left for campus, Chen Mo continued dedicating most of his time to the research institute, making their annual meetings scarce.

Due to their distant relationship, despite Chen Mo's friendship with Lu Yi, Chen Shu's social circle didn't overlap with his older brother's. He had never been introduced to Lu Yi by his brother before meeting Rong Mi, and even then, he only saw the General a few times.

However, whenever he interacted with Lu Yi alone, he felt an inexplicable tension, as if he were meeting a superior in the military.

He knew about Lu Yi's poor health... but... he had never heard that Lu Yi needed an Ice Butterfly antidote?

Didn't this kind of medicine typically get used after a battle with an Ice Butterfly, when one had come into contact with its venom or was injured?

Chen Mo couldn't afford to focus on answering his brother's questions at the moment. He attempted to call Lu Yi, but only received an automated message indicating that the call was rejected.

A subtle change crossed Chen Mo's expression.

Most often, this indicated that Lu Yi's communication device had switched to the combat channel, automatically blocking all external communications.

Though he was ignorant of the situation at the amusement park base, he could tell that this was not a positive sign.

But they were on the Capital Star!

He lifted his gaze, catching the distinctive red and blue flicker of the guard's lights in the skyway.

The police flyers arrived promptly tonight, and the officer who parachuted down looked young, as if he had recently graduated from an internship.

Though still inexperienced in police procedures, upon learning that this was General Lu Yi's apartment and that a suspicious individual had been apprehended by the general's combat pet, he promptly brandished heavy energy-restricting handcuffs, usually reserved for the most heinous criminals.

After taking statements from Chen Shu and Chen Mo and obtaining their contact information, he immediately escorted Lu Tianxing onto the police starship, heading back to the station.

With the rabbit in his arms, Chen Shu wore a concerned expression.

"…General Lu Yi and Rong Mi aren't at home," he deduced from his own combat pet's chirping account of the events. "The general had Thunderclaw guard the entrance and instructed him to restrain Lu Tianxing if he showed up…"

He cared more about where Lu Yi and Rong Mi had gone than what Lu Tianxing was doing.

Unable to reach Rong Mi through communication, he felt genuinely uneasy.

"Let's not think about that for now," Chen Mo said with a serious expression, patting his brother's shoulder as he turned around.

"Head back home quickly," he instructed. "It's not safe at night."

For an intern police officer to be on duty alone without a seasoned officer accompanying him... such a situation wouldn't have occurred if the Capital Star's security forces weren't all deployed for other missions.

Above them, dark clouds gathered. A small spacecraft sailed over the layered clouds, its engines roaring loudly enough to draw many curious gazes upward in search of the source.

However, there were plenty of trading spacecraft passing by the Capital Star, and quite a number of wealthy individuals owned private ones as well. Thus, people didn't find it unusual. They glanced up for a moment but, seeing nothing, returned their attention to their own business.

Inside the spacecraft, Lu Yi finished off the last vial of Ice Butterfly Antidote.

These few bottles only delayed the onset and progression of the poison, not truly eliminating it.

The Admiral's palm had already been entirely stained black by the toxin. He cast a quick glance, estimating the time before the poison would fully take effect.

As long as the assault on the amusement park base was completed before the poison took full effect, they would make it in time.

Lu Yi could still seemingly smell Rong Mi's heavy, iron-laden scent on his nostrils.

His expression was detached, but inwardly, he despised himself for following Rong Mi's advice and fulfilling his duty as a commander once he knew the young man was out of danger. He also loathed himself for having to make a choice due to his injuries in the mental domain and limitations in strength.

Negative emotions hovered like persistent dark clouds, yet never descending. Nevertheless, Lu Yi's thoughts remained meticulous and calm as he swiftly issued orders through the communication channel.

"Report, we've reached the designated coordinates," Sun Tong, the first squad's deputy team leader who served as the starship pilot, turned back and said. "The target structure is in sight."

"Amusement park Ferris wheel location, main cannons adjust targeting ——"

Around the amusement park, the Capital Star Guard was already on high alert.

They had received the detailed layout of the amusement park base from Lu Yi. Several heavy assault vehicles were discreetly in position, lurking around the concealed space folding facility within the amusement park.

The minute hand pointed to twelve, and the seconds hand aligned — midnight fell silently.

Upon the somber canvas of the sky, a peculiar silver moon emerged, casting an unusual glow.