Chapter 465 2: Change of Identity

"Is that so?"

Lu Chao nodded, quickly recalling what Ji Lixian had once said.

Whether it was the Rebels or the megacorporations, both hindered the development of Earth Star's civilization to some extent. One day in the future, they would all be purged. Obviously, Ji Lixian's past words had not been empty. He had genuinely been considering these arrangements all along, wanting to gradually reduce the influence of Al-Qaeda and the megacorporations in the Alliance Country.

Aside from that...

"Brother Hao."

His eyes flickering, Lu Chao retracted his gaze from the clinic. The Dreamfire Bar was a thing of the past, and the Hongyi Society had completely perished. He wondered how Brother Hao was doing in Fortress Mountain City.

...

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

In the northwestern wilderness, gusts of howling wind scraped across the land like blades. Built against the mountains, Fortress Mountain City was magnificent and expansive, its black walls stretching across the mountain range like the Great Wall. A flying eagle-like Mutant Beast soared through the sky. From its bird's-eye view, the city's architecture varied greatly, ranging from sturdy, bunker-like stone towers to tall and short cement-coated buildings.

At this very moment, inside one of these stone towers near the southern side of Mountain City...

"This is going too far!"

BANG!

Someone slammed their hand onto the iron table in the room, letting out a dull thud. Around the table sat four figures in mahogany armchairs, with flashes of Superpower Level auras periodically emanating from them. Several warlord field officers at the Elite Level Peak stood respectfully to the side.

"We went through so much trouble to find that mine and stationed hundreds of men there, only for it to be snatched away overnight!" The man who slammed the table had a burly, imposing physique akin to a Giant Bear, wearing a cloak made from Beast King skin draped over his shoulders. "There's no need to even think about it. It's definitely Lu Weilong playing dirty tricks.

"We cannot just let this matter slide!"

His voice was exceptionally deep and filled with fury.

The other three commanders seated on both sides of the iron table had mixed reactions. One nodded in agreement, repeatedly insisting they needed to retaliate, while another looked hesitant and voiced his objection, seemingly unwilling to clash head-on.

"Lu Weilong is, after all, the top warlord here. He inherited most of Lu Shan's legacy, has the largest territory, and commands the most troops," the hesitant commander argued. "If we clash with him head-on, our Red Flame Army probably won't gain any advantage."

"Damn it, Old Feng, just admit it if you're scared! You don't represent the entire Red Flame Army."

"Fuck, what kind of bullshit is that? Do you think I'm scared? I'm considering the bigger picture..."

The two warlord commanders argued until their faces turned red, nearly coming to blows.

Seeing this, the remaining commander shook his head inwardly and quickly spoke up to mediate. He then looked toward the man sitting in the seat of honor, who was draped in a military general's greatcoat. The man had rugged features with a bit of stubble and a long, narrow scar at the corner of his left eye, giving him an aura of resolute decisiveness.

"That's enough."

He spoke in a low voice that reached everyone's ears. Instantly, the room fell dead silent. Whether it was the burly man who resembled a Giant Bear or the Superpower Level commander known as Old Feng, both gradually ceased their shouting and looked over.

"Boss?"

"This matter ends here." With a calm expression, Chen Junhao lit a cigarette.

The others were bewildered. The burly man known as Violent Bear, in particular, felt suffocated and frustrated.

"Boss, Lu Weilong is bullying us right to our faces. Are we really just going to let it go?"

Chen Junhao glanced at him. "Can you beat him in a fight?"

His expression was somewhat obscured behind the smoke, but Violent Bear understood his underlying meaning. The atmosphere grew heavy. Gritting his teeth, the burly man didn't dare say another word.

But still... Giving in time and time again. With such stifling endurance, were they really still the Red Flame Army?

...

Later that day.

The moving motorcade first went to the Patrol Department to hold a city circle meeting. Lu Chao met with several Ring City council members, along with the top executives and their deputies from various major departments. It wasn't until late in the evening that he returned to the inner city, escorted by the motorcade into the Superpower Bureau.

"Let's leave it at that.

"We can discuss anything else tomorrow."

CLICK.

The door closed. Lu Chao politely declined everyone's dinner arrangements and refused all welcoming greetings from the megacorporations. Everything was progressing steadily, and the intelligence on Fortress Mountain City had been properly organized. He simply decided to stay in a resting suite within the Superpower Bureau. The suite included both a living room and a bedroom, as well as a small Cultivation Chamber. The walls were painted white, and sturdy light-gray flooring lay underfoot, covered by a layer of plush carpet.

"MEOW~~"

Ghost Element leaped down from his shoulder, taking elegant steps toward the center of the living room. Its ruby-like beastly eyes flickered slightly as a wave of Spiritual Power swept outward, thoroughly scanning the entire room. After confirming everything was clear, it let out a soft purr.

"Thanks for the hard work." Lu Chao smiled faintly and rubbed its head.

Ghost Element was too unique, entirely different from any Beast King he had ever seen. Because of this, he confidently allowed it to appear in front of others without worrying about it being easily exposed. And that was indeed the case. Even Yue Zhenhong and the other Superpower Level experts failed to recognize that Ghost Element was a Beast King. Instead, they mistakenly assumed it was some special breed of gem-cat Mutant Beast.

"Go on."

Dismissing his thoughts, Lu Chao told Ghost Element to act freely, as long as it didn't hurt anyone at random. After the creature walked away with elegant strides, the room returned to silence. Lu Chao then walked to the window to take in the night view.

Skyscrapers stood tall throughout the inner city, with glass corridors suspended in mid-air connecting the buildings with floor-to-ceiling windows. Amidst the brightly lit surroundings, many office workers could still be seen inside those high-altitude corridors and buildings. Down in the city blocks below, illusory electromagnetic projections drifted in the air like blue clouds. Colorful neon signs shone brightly, and the streets alongside the endless stream of traffic were bustling with pedestrians.

"Time really flies."

The scene was both familiar and strange, with subtle changes to many of the streets. Lu Chao calculated the time; it had been over a year and a half since he left Ring City. The phrase "things remain, but people change" surfaced in his heart, feeling almost perfectly apt. Aside from not having officially visited the Jinshi Boxing Hall yet, he had already encountered many familiar traces of his past.

At this thought, Lu Chao's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced in the direction of the Patrol Department. According to the information he gathered today, after he broke through to the Superpower Level, Ruan Hui's father was transferred away to Yao Capital. Because of this, Liu Xun was able to smoothly take over the position of director.

Retracting his gaze, Lu Chao looked toward the distant Biotechnology Subsidiary. This colossal entity was undeniably powerful, practically dominating this land. However, a year and a half had passed, and he had now gained a certain degree of power to resist them.

"Soon."

With bright eyes, Lu Chao knew that once he stepped into the Transcendence Level, many things would be resolved. Even Non-human Level experts would have to treat him as an equal, no longer able to intimidate him.

Thinking of this, he glanced at his panel.

[Potential Progress: 88%]

His Potential Progress was nearing completion. He only had to wait until tomorrow to use his contribution points at the Superpower Bureau in exchange for resources.

Before that, however, Lu Chao took out his communicator and logged into the Dark Web. There was one thing he needed to confirm.