Chapter 151 - 148: Day of Dawn
「Paris, Super Research Department Headquarters.」
THUD—
Kodell hung up and slammed his fist hard on the office desk.
"These bastards!"
He had only just received good news from his subordinates this morning. Before he could even leave for Lyon, two diplomatic notes arrived at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs at almost the exact same time.
The overwhelming pressure that followed gave Kodell no choice but to yield and share the results he had only just obtained.
Inside the office, a subordinate who had come to deliver a file was too scared to even breathe.
"The Americans and the Huaguo People! They must have spies watching us!"
Kodell vented at his subordinate.
After a long moment, as if resigned to his fate, he sat back down in his chair.
"Sigh... They would have found out eventually as part of some trade. It’s just... being forced like this leaves a bitter taste."
He sighed and was silent for a few seconds before pulling himself together.
Always look on the bright side.
Although he—and by extension, France—had gotten the short end of the stick this time, at least China and the United States had agreed to offer something in good faith in return.
Besides, this was also an opportunity to guarantee deeper cooperation between them.
...
Although it was already three in the afternoon, Huang Jiutian and his colleagues, who had been swamped with work, were only just sitting down for lunch.
Compared to their under-resourced French counterparts, the Special Security Team was constantly expanding. If they weren’t actively recruiting, they were in the process of doing so.
They had set up several new training bases across the country, drawing elites from the military, police forces, and various major agencies for multiple concurrent training programs.
Even so, the Special Security Team often felt understaffed. Or more accurately, they were short on experienced personnel who could take the lead on their own.
Today, Huang Jiutian and a few of his colleagues had been busy with two soldiers who were suspected of showing signs of evolution.
As a group representing peak physical conditioning, soldiers had a higher probability of evolving. After keeping a close eye on them for so long, there was finally good news.
The headquarters cafeteria was open twenty-four hours a day, serving regional specialties from all over the country, so no one had to worry about going hungry or not finding something to their liking.
The air conditioning kept the dining hall at a comfortable temperature, and the seating consisted of plush, sofa-style booths.
Huang Jiutian had just set down his bowl of braised pork with preserved greens and a side of seaweed egg drop soup, intending to enjoy a moment of peace, when his phone rang.
Tao Xingzhi’s voice boomed from the receiver.
"Jiutian, get your squad ready. You’re heading to the airport in half an hour. Destination is France. You’ll get the briefing on the plane."
"Yes, sir!"
The call ended. Jiutian gave his two colleagues a resigned look.
"That was the chief. So much for an afternoon nap. We’re heading to the airport in half an hour."
"Yeah, we heard. ’Going to France.’ Your phone’s not exactly quiet, you know..."
"Finish lunch in five minutes!"
The next second, all conversation stopped as they bent over their plates and began to eat furiously.
...
In less than an hour, a group of over thirty people, including Tao Xingzhi and Huang Jiutian, were seated on a special flight, accompanying a regular diplomatic delegation.
Shortly after takeoff, they received the specific details of their mission.
When Huang Jiutian saw the photo on his computer screen—a building with fantastical architecture, its hall adorned with the familiar Day of Dawn symbol—he immediately understood that one part of their plan had succeeded.
"Don’t wear yourselves out, everyone. Read through the materials, then get some rest. We should be running into some old friends when we get there."
Tao Xingzhi said with a knowing smile.
He already knew the Americans had also put pressure on the French. ’The French must be furious,’ he mused.
At almost the exact same moment, a special flight took off from Washington Airport.
Across from Norton sat Baru, who had been training with increasing intensity. He looked like a powerful brown bear, making Norton, who was by no means small himself, look like a child by comparison.
Surprisingly, Ben Baschel, nicknamed the Fire Dragon, was also in the cabin. Despite the sweltering heat, he was dressed in clothes that covered him from the neck down.
"I just got word. Our old friends from Hua Country are on their way as well."
When he was relaxed, Norton’s aura was more that of a handsome, roguish, blond uncle than a high-ranking government official.
"Will Mr. Huang be there too?"
Ben asked, sipping his coffee.
"Haha, Tao will definitely bring him. He’s a human Radar, after all. With him around, it saves everyone a lot of trouble."
...
It’s a funny world. France is six hours ahead of the United States, and Hua Country is another six hours ahead of France.
One group departed in the afternoon, the other overnight. The Chinese and American flights were both about eight hours long, and they arrived in Lyon shortly after nightfall.
So when Kodell went to the airport to greet them, much to his chagrin, he received two groups of unwelcome guests at almost the same time.
After working together for over a month, Norton and Tao Xingzhi had become quite familiar with each other. In fact, many members of their respective delegations knew one another. This, however, was the first time either of them had met Kodell.
He was a stern-looking, middle-aged Frenchman with a pencil mustache.
Making no attempt to hide it, Kodell let all of his displeasure show on his face.
"Trust me, you’ll get more than you’re giving."
Kodell felt slightly better after hearing Norton’s meaningful words during the greeting.
No one was in the mood for pleasantries. They all got straight to the point, driving through the night toward the reservoir in the countryside.
The reservoir on a tributary of the Rhône River was lit up as bright as day by an array of powerful lights.
Outside the ancient Dawn Secret Place, the water in the basin had been pumped out during the day.
A simple ground cover of sand and gravel kept the area from becoming a muddy mess.
The three parties arrived together.
The building had a large footprint, constructed entirely of square stone blocks and draped in aquatic plants.
But its soaring form—dynamic, yet understated—was still visually striking.
Even after so many years underwater, a safety inspection had still deemed it "structurally sound."
"Let’s go inside."
Although Kodell had already been inside several times, he went in again to accompany the groups.
Goosebumps erupted all over Huang Jiutian’s skin.
Compared to the association’s Secret Place in Tongqing Town, this place had a completely different feel.
The massive scale of the construction was clearly from the same origin. Though the floor was stained with a bit of silt, the Day of Dawn symbol on it shone like a blooming flower of the sun.
The walls were covered in carvings, filled with the legacy of the Dawn pioneers.
The mental exaltation and transcendent thoughts made his Magic Power stir restlessly. His thoughts raced at a frequency far higher than usual.
He closed his eyes.
It was as if he could hear a cacophony of sounds from the past—lively discussions, shouts rising and falling, and deafening cheers.
Powerful, fierce, gentle, wise... The elites of human history had gathered and dispersed in this very place.
If Qin Xiaoxia were here, he would surely throw up his hands, shrug innocently, and insist that all of this was purely a product of Jiutian’s overactive imagination and had nothing to do with him.
It wasn’t just Tao Xingzhi; Norton and his team were also watching Huang Jiutian’s condition closely. When they saw him stop, they all stopped as well, which left Kodell feeling utterly baffled.
When Huang Jiutian opened his eyes, everyone could read a single word in his expression—Awe!
"Jiutian, did your Perception pick up anything?"
Sometimes Doudou was scary good at reading people. That "Mrs. Huang" nickname really wasn’t for nothing.
Although Huang Jiutian wasn’t effeminate and was straight, his sentimentality and emotional depth surpassed that of many women.
He found it hard to describe what he was feeling. It was like he’d just had a meeting with heroes from a thousand years ago.
"I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like I looked through time and saw countless figures. Some of them radiated an aura of wisdom, while others exuded immense power..."
After a moment’s thought, Jiutian continued.
"This feeling... To use a popular internet phrase from Hua Country, this place is filled with a kind of historical ’positive energy.’ The people who were once here... they were all worthy of admiration."
He glanced at the floor, then back up at the prominent carvings on the wall.
The Day of Dawn still burned brightly, even after all these years.
"I really want to know what this symbol means!"
Most of the French team were still unhappy about their uninvited guests. And since many of the French were rather laid-back, Vernix quipped jokingly,
"Does our friend from Hua Country perhaps need to sleep off his jet lag?"
HSSSSSS—
Like steam being released, a wave of scorching heat washed over them as a stream of sparks shot from Ben’s nostrils.
"Watch your mouth, Frenchie. Mr. Huang is the only known Perception-Type Evolver in the world. Whatever he Perceives has, to this day, never been wrong!"
From Kodell down to Vernix and the other members, every single person on the French team was momentarily struck dumb.
The scorching heat still hung in the air. They weren’t seeing things.
’Did that person just breathe fire from his nostrils?’
Then, all eyes turned back to Huang Jiutian.
’An Evolver!?’
Kodell felt his heart start to pound. He looked toward Norton and Tao Xingzhi. Neither made any move to refute the claim; instead, they were frowning thoughtfully.
Seeing Kodell’s astonished expression and his look of inquiry, Norton and Tao Xingzhi exchanged a glance and gave him a slight nod, confirming Ben’s words.
P.S. Chapter three for Friday!
Why am I so slow at writing... ╥﹏╥