Celestial Human Diagram

Yinglu District, Ferris Wheel Company Headquarters.

Beneath the conference room’s light screen, a massive landscape of the Outer Ocean was displayed on the table.

Beneath churning white clouds and azure ocean waves lay a dense spread of islands. A name was labeled above each one, representing the various island nations of the ocean.

The total number of islands in the ocean was difficult to count precisely, but it exceeded thirty thousand.

In today’s world, to prepare for the coming Great Collision, nations were strengthening their ties and cooperation under immense pressure. Besides the great powers that dominated the globe—like the Dashun Republic, the Lynx Federation, and the Nolos Religious Country—the remaining countries and regions gradually formed regional alliances.

Examples included the remote Northern Alliance of Western Nordland, the Paranio Faith Region located at the junction of the East and West Continents, and the Sangma Wogar State Conference, which faced the Western Continent across the sea.

In the Eastern Ocean, there was also an Ocean Alliance composed of numerous island nations. However, compared to other regional alliances, it was an extremely loose coalition.

When the Dashun Republic overthrew the Old Imperial Family, most of the island nations in the Outer Ocean sided with the latter. Consequently, even after the Imperial Family was deposed, the hostility remained. The Dashun Republic suppressed and sowed discord among them for decades, leading to severe internal conflicts.

To escape this situation, twenty-eight of these island nations formed a high-level conference and established the Ferris Wheel Company with the help and support of certain external forces. On the massive, perpetually turning Ferris Wheel at the company headquarters, each of the twenty-eight cabins represented one of those nations.

Although a prototype of the Ferris Wheel Company existed before the old era, less than ten years had passed between its official announcement and its establishment.

Over the past decade, following a parallel strategy of in-house R&D and purchasing technology from around the world, the company had developed rapidly. Its technology was particularly strong in island agriculture, marine husbandry, artificial landscape spaces, regional transport, and waste processing and recycling.

In the conference room today, all twenty-eight primary directors were present, standing before the landscape table. The person presiding over the meeting now spoke:

"Representatives from the Federation are currently conducting a three-month to one-year observation and evaluation of our Ferris Wheel Company. This will determine whether we can join the Company Federation. Consequently, we will also be facing a severe challenge."

The faces of all the company directors were grim. They had reached a crossroads. This next step would determine if the company could survive, if the capital and technology they had amassed could find a path forward, and more importantly, what they believed to be the fate and future of their respective island nations.

They had to be fully prepared before the Great Collision truly arrived.

"Fellow directors, you should be well aware that once the application process begins, we will inevitably attract the hostility of the Dashun Government and local companies. The veil of peace and cordiality will be torn away, and they will spare no effort to suppress and marginalize us..."

The speaker’s voice rose. "They will do everything in their power to knock us down, kill us, devour our flesh and blood, and draw nourishment from our corpses! Therefore, we cannot fail. We must ensure our success!

After the end of the Imperial War and the overthrow of the Old Imperial Family, the Dashun Government used the Canglong Company and the Overseas Development Group to continuously infiltrate and suppress us for decades.

Our lifelines—bio-ecology, algae cultivation and refinement, ore prospecting and mining, oceanic transport, military weapons, and Implant technology—are all controlled by Dashun’s state-owned enterprises and capital groups.

But now, by joining the Company Federation, we can break through the technological blockade and even gain military support from the Federation. If we shrink back at this step, the islands of the ocean will forever be reaped by the Dashun Government and the companies of the world."

The presider addressed the directors. "The Federation has its own demands as well. Our advantage is that they need us. They need a stable foothold here in Dashun. But the prerequisite is... that we can maintain our existence."

He reached out and touched the Lower Realm Token, then tapped the light screen a few times. A dense array of figures immediately appeared on it, about a hundred people, with brief profiles attached to each.

These individuals included corporate executives, government officials, and military personnel, as well as contractors, gang members, and some who looked like ordinary drivers, warehouse managers, and even unemployed people.

"According to Wu Qi’s analysis, these are all individuals who have posed a threat to the company over the past few years. And recently, the most critical among them are these few..."

The scene changed again. Many of the figures faded, leaving only seven. Among them, conspicuously, were the three people Sister Huan had learned about, including Chen Chuan.

The presider said, "To ensure that our plan to join the Federation is not disrupted, we must eliminate these seven threats as thoroughly as possible."

One of the directors glanced at the screen and said, "I recall we sent a team to eliminate one target last time, but it ended in failure. Because the target was a member of the Processing Bureau, it led them to increase their surveillance and monitoring of us. Our team of Litigation Masters is still dealing with the fallout."

"That only further proves the threat this individual poses to us, and it shows we didn’t take the matter seriously enough before."

The presider said, "We should reassign personnel and elimination teams to take out these targets, at any cost. I hope to see results in a short amount of time."

A director spoke up. "The Fighters currently assembled by the company are all being closely watched by the Processing Bureau. It will be difficult for us to mobilize anyone. Given that the targets possess extraordinary strength, I propose we request assistance from Langtao Hall. This will require someone from the Gongshi family to make the request."

Langtao Hall was the most famous fighting hall in the ocean, and many highly renowned Fighters had emerged from it.

The hall was originally established on land granted by the Gong Royal Family, so the true masters within would only act upon an invitation from a direct heir of the Gongshi family.

The presider said, "Then have Gong Zhanxin make a trip there."

He looked at all the directors on both sides of the table. "In the next three months to a year, for the good of the company and the future of our nations, we need to eliminate every single person on Wu Qi’s list!"

Inside his dorm at Wuyi Academy, Chen Chuan finished packing all his things. In a flash, it was already the twenty-eighth. He planned to set off for Yangzhi tonight.

He recalled the task Specialist Liang had given him and did a quick search. There were indeed some scattered discussions about Chen Bitong on the station’s platform.

The main topic was that Chen Bitong would be setting up a training and guidance class in Central City. Someone had smugly shown off an invitation, sparking the envy of many others.

He took a look and saw that the person who posted the invitation was likely the son of some Central City Government official. Most of the comments below were also from young people with similar backgrounds.

It was clear that Chen Bitong’s influence wasn’t limited to the Merging Land; it stemmed from his personal reputation as well as the power of the faction behind him.

He noticed the invitation was for February. ’That’s around the time the new semester at Wuyi starts,’ he thought. ’I should be back from Yangzhi by then.’

After a moment of thought, he logged out of the platform and headed to the training room to continue his daily practice.

At eight o’clock that night, he left his dorm with a suitcase in hand. He drove his Gard Car out from the Profound Palace Building. As he departed, he gave his customary farewell nod to Hong Fu, who stood on the building’s eaves. He then drove off into the distance, watched by the gaze from above her veil.

He had arranged to return to Yangzhi with Lu Fang, so he drove toward the Deep Unexplored District first. A little over an hour later, he arrived in front of the underground fighting hall.

The lights of Central City flickered endlessly at night. Even on this quiet street, crisscrossing neon and beams of light were visible.

Lu Fang was already waiting there with his bag. Seeing the car approach, he waved and walked over.

Chen Chuan reached over and unlocked the passenger-side door, then got out and went around to open the trunk for him. After Lu Fang put his bag inside, Chen Chuan got back in the car.

After getting in, Lu Fang noticed Chaoming perched on the back seat and asked, surprised, "This is...?"

"His name is Chaoming," Chen Chuan said.

Chaoming let out a chirp, as if greeting Lu Fang.

Lu Fang smiled. "Hello there."

Chen Chuan asked, "Did you get everything taken care of, senior?"

Lu Fang turned his head. "All taken care of. There are two seniors at the fighting hall who aren’t going home for the New Year, and not many people come to train during the holiday anyway. Oh, and as for No. 13, she won’t be taking any more commissions during the break either."

Chen Chuan nodded. He’d heard Lu Fang mention before that although No. 13 had resonance technology, her lack of official identification meant clients often tried to stiff her on payments for commissions. Sometimes, Lu Fang had to step in to help her resolve it. In return, she would give him a cut of her earnings, making their relationship mutually beneficial.

He started the car and drove onto the main road.

His mind drifted back to what Ni Qianqian had told him a few days ago.

’I don’t know why the Ferris Wheel Company is targeting me. Maybe conventional logic doesn’t apply here.’

’Attacking me in Central City would be difficult, but it’s much easier outside.’

’If I were them, I probably wouldn’t try to make a move in Yangzhi. The National Path would be a more likely spot for an ambush. It’s open, remote, with no one around to provide support, and easy to stage an attack.’

’However, from the moment I left until now, Wubei hasn’t reported anyone tailing or watching me, and my travel plans have been shielded. So the trip back this time should be safe.’

’The real danger might be on my return trip to Central City. Someone determined enough could figure out my arrival time based on my telegrams and past behavior.’

’So if they’re going to make a move, that’s probably when it will happen.’

’But that’s just a hypothesis. I still don’t know their objective or how determined they are. It’s also possible I’m just overthinking things.’

’Regardless, it’s always better to be prepared.’

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