In the wartime command center of the abnormal beast research department.
Lu Siya's report had already given a simple description of the battle in the lair.
When Meng Chao returned, he brought more details and a large amount of evidence, including the Vortex's carcass.
There were also letters requesting reinforcements from the Leprosy Village and the gangs. They were all covered in bloody fingerprints.
Meng Chao's bizarre and near-death experience in just a short seventy-two hours stunned the veteran investigators, including Nie Chenglong.
After speaking nonstop for more than an hour, Meng Chao concluded, "Vice Director Nie, the situation forced us to do so. To get rid of the negative effects caused by Jin Wanhao's death within the shortest amount of time and restore order in the lair as soon as possible, we could only use the name of the Lair Reconstruction Committee to gather all the people and resources together.
"That includes being the leader. Honestly, I don't care about fame and fortune, and I don't want to be the leader at all. You know, I'm already the leader of the Broken Star Club and a director of Blue Home. Sometimes, I even have to manage Superstar's business and cultivate.
"But the leaders of the gangs are certain that I'm their savior. They're crying and hugging my leg, insisting that I be the leader.
"If I didn't agree to it, the gangs would have fallen apart, and the carnage would have continued. More innocent people would have died, and the reconstruction of the lair would have taken a long time.
"That's why I acted first and reported to the higher-ups later. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
Nie Chenglong was stunned for a long time before he slapped Meng Chao's forehead lightly. "What's done is done, and you're still pretending to be innocent after getting the benefits!
"Based on legal principles, you're not an official member of the abnormal beast research department. The gangs in the lair aren't some disciplinary force either. They're just clubs formed by business groups and citizens. There's nothing wrong with dozens of clubs working together to form a civil society and even choosing you as the president. As long as the civil society doesn't commit crimes and break the law, it'll be fine."
"Of course. I'm willing to take on this heavy responsibility because I want to guide the gangs in the direction of normalization, legalization, and commercialization so that I can contribute even more to Dragon City!"
Meng Chao paused for a moment before he probed. "Also, even though it sounds like I'm making things up, Underground Emperor Jin Wanhao and I hit it off the moment we met. He admired me a lot and insisted on becoming sworn brothers with me. Before he died, he gave me his divine arts and most of his personal wealth. If I didn't take it, he wouldn't be able to die in peace. This should be legal, right?"
"Speaking of which, I'll ask you one question."
Nie Chenglong stared at Meng Chao. "Is your report real? Did Jin Wanhao really join the battle to destroy the Vortex?"
"Of course it's real. The scene is right there, and the experts from the abnormal beast research department and secret police are welcome to investigate it at any time. Jin Wanhao didn't just join the fight, he even burned his life and delivered two Celestial Tyrant's Star Shattering Slashes at the Vortex.
"When a powerful fighter at the level of the Underground Emperor goes all out, he will definitely leave behind a lot of traces. It's impossible for us to fake it."
"Don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't trust you. Rather, this matter is simply too sensitive. After all, you know Jin Wanhao's identity."
Nie Chenglong pondered deeply and said, "Then, how will you deal with this astronomical figure after you obtain Jin Wanhao's inheritance?"
"A thirty to seventy chance?"
Meng Chao had long since made his plans. 'I'll use thirty percent of it for my cultivation and leveling up. The greatest epiphany I gained from the battle in the lair is that I'm still too weak. Being the youngest Heaven Realm superhuman in Dragon City might sound mighty, but when it comes to fighting, no one will compare their age to me.
"I will pour the other 70% into Big Sis He Ya's new company and pour all of it into the reconstruction of the lair. I hope that soon, the lair citizens will be able to live the same good lives as the normal citizens outside. If the research department or you're interested, you're welcome to invest in it. We'll help the lair change and rise from the ashes!"
Compared to the secret police, the abnormal beast research department was an even more secretive and important organization.
The Survival Committee's financial allocation and the special war budget alone were not enough to cover their expenses.
The abnormal beast research department had a lot of peripheral businesses, and they used their power in exchange for business benefits. Then, they used those benefits to buy equipment, increase the strength of their investigators, and use them as funds for their operations.
Meng Chao's family's Superstar had received the abnormal beast research department's support, which was why it had been able to grow so quickly. In just a short year or so, it managed to become famous in Dragon City's business circle.
Since they were working together happily, Meng Chao believed that Nie Chenglong had no reason to reject the olive branch he extended to him.
Of course, Meng Chao would not be an idiot and hand over all the wealth and resources Jin Wanhao left behind.
Small but valuable treasures like Hell's Blood were naturally left for him, Big Sis Ya, his sister, and the people closest to him to enjoy.
But there were plenty of materials, crystals, and cultivation facilities that were large and had high spirit energy radiation. They were not easy to move and were easily discovered by others. It would be difficult for them to get rid of them without anyone noticing.
With the abnormal beast research department's endorsement, it would be much easier for them to deal with these things in public.
Just as he expected, Nie Chenglong thought about it for a while and said, "Underground Emperor Jin Wanhao might not be good or evil, and his reputation is mixed, but overall, he has protected the lair for decades. During Dragon City's most dangerous moment, he protected tens of thousands of citizens and kept them away from the threat of bloodshed. He has contributed greatly to the city and our entire civilization.
"As for him and the other problems in the lair, they're the inevitable products of a unique period of history. We've struggled through the bloody era when zombies and monsters roamed the land. After all, it's only been a few decades. It's impossible for us to expect the people who were born in the apocalypse, where order was broken, the strong preyed on the weak, and lawlessness to instantly become gentle, polite, and modest gentlemen. That's not realistic.
"In any case, I believe that when the Survival Committee makes their final verdict, they will give Jin Wanhao a fair evaluation. The honor and power he deserves will not be reduced in the slightest. No one will ignore the big picture and go against his wishes when he was alive to deal with his inheritance. If they did that, it would only chill the hearts of the powerful and make everyone selfish, so they would hide their resources.
"So, don't worry, Meng Chao. As long as the evidence you provide is real, clear, and effective, the abnormal beast research department will definitely support you. We're willing to rebuild the lair with you so that all the lair citizens can bask in the light that belongs to them!"
Nie Chenglong's firm promise made Meng Chao feel at ease for the past seventy-two hours.
When Nie Chenglong saw how relieved he looked, he asked about his and Lu Siya's plans for their next step. By risking their lives and contributing to the war, the two of them had the right to enjoy the best treatment and recuperation. They just needed to rest up and receive flowers, applause, medals, and rewards.
Meng Chao waved his hand and said that even though the battle in the lair had come to an end, the flames of war inside and outside Dragon City had not been extinguished. Even if they stayed at the core of the main city area, they could still occasionally hear the deafening sounds of cannons, sense the continuous tremors on the ground, and smell the thick scent of gunpowder.
He really wanted to know just how far the pitched battle at the borders of Dragon City had progressed.
"It's terrible."
The topic made Nie Chenglong's slightly relaxed face turn solemn again. He said briefly, "According to preliminary statistics, in the first twenty-four hours of the full-scale war alone, the number of our casualties exceeded five thousand."
"What?!"
Meng Chao and Lu Siya were shocked.
There were only tens of millions of people in Dragon City.
Five thousand casualties among tens of millions of people was equivalent to fifty thousand casualties among hundreds of millions of people.
And this was just the first day of the pitched battle.
Even though all the citizens in Dragon City were soldiers and the way humans fought against monsters was completely different from Earth's, they could not mechanically use the standard of casualties from Earth.
But no matter what standard they used to measure it, this was a rather devastating number.
It was no wonder then why the frontlines could not mobilize enough powerful fighters to provide reinforcements to the lair.
All the experts were fighting valiantly and sacrificing themselves in different ways on different fronts!
Nie Chenglong showed Meng Chao and Lu Siya some photos and short videos.
They were all taken from the frontlines and sent to the rear while the spirit energy magnetic field interference was not too strong.
The first photo was of a forward operating base that had been conquered by a monster horde.
There was a super alloy defense wall that was around five meters tall, and it was filled with the carcasses of large insect-type monsters. Their broken limbs were piled up to form a slope, allowing the monsters at the back to step on the slope and charge into the forward operating base.
There were signs of explosions and burns everywhere in the forward operating base. The carcasses of humans and large insect-type monsters had been burnt to a crisp, but they were still wrapped around each other as if they wanted to stab each other with their teeth, claws, and fists.
Blood had gathered to form a red fungal carpet, and there were crisscrossing, crooked claw marks. They looked like a suicide note written by humans who refused to retreat even when they fought to the death. Even though the words were ugly, they contained an indestructible will, which made Meng Chao and Lu Siya respect them.
The second short video should have been taken by the soldiers defending the forward operating base during their final moments and sent to the rear.
At that time, the spirit energy magnetic field interference was pretty bad. Their recording equipment was affected, and the images were blurry and distorted.
They could only hear the humans' roars and monsters' roars mixed together. It was like a soul-stirring rock song that went straight to the clouds.
"Go to hell, you bastards!"
"Come on, all of you, f * cking come up here!"
"Long live Dragon City! Long live Earth! Long live humans! "
In the face of the overwhelming monster horde, countless normal soldiers and pathfinders who had not awakened to supernatural abilities but shone with the light of life lifted heavy weapons that were even thicker than their thighs and fired desperately.
When they ran out of ammunition and the recoil crushed their organs, the monster horde arrived under their feet, and the humans laughed. They covered their bodies with grenades and crystal bombs before they pounced on the monster horde.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
