Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Another Nuclear Explosion, Is the Greenfield City Crisis Over?

The Si Clan’s meticulously planned attack, costing a full seven hundred million Credit Points, completely failed thanks to Lin Qi’s secret intervention.

Inside the Liu’s Heavy Industry Building, Liu Xuan stared down, witnessing everything without saying a word.

It was as if she could see Lin Qi through the many floors.

Lin Qi’s attention wasn’t on the interior of Liu’s Heavy Industries for the moment. He continued to survey his surroundings.

The Mercenary attack was, perhaps, just the beginning.

Lin Qi refused to believe this was the extent of the Si Clan’s plan.

That was precisely why Lin Qi had called in King Arthur, a Tier Three Top Level Knight, as insurance against any opponents he might not be able to handle himself.

...

On the top floor of Si Pharmaceutical’s A Tower.

Si Li gazed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, his eyes fixed on the Liu’s Heavy Industry Building.

He had a clear view of the scene below, where Mercenaries were being cut down in swathes.

A young woman stood silently by Si Li’s side.

"Sigh..."

Si Li let out a long sigh and shook his head.

He couldn’t figure out where, exactly, his plan had gone wrong.

’First, use Si Ranran’s faked death to create a shared crisis for the Si and Liu Families.’

’Then, use the cover provided by the Iron Curtain to seal off Greenfield City, and exploit the trust from their supposed alliance to lure the Liu Clan’s heir and one of their top combatants, Liu Xingzhou, into a trap in Greenfield City.’

’Finally, through a deal with the European Big Business Alliance, have Tier Three Knights take action, slowly chipping away at the Liu Clan until they are isolated and helpless in Greenfield City, left to collapse on their own.’

’But where did it go wrong?’

’Why would someone assassinate Tier Three Knights? And actually succeed?’

’Why did the Iron Curtain train explode while it was carrying the Tier Three Knights away?’

’Why, after all this, does the Liu Clan still have a top-tier fighter capable of instantly eliminating over a hundred Mercenaries and dozens of A-Class Prosthetic Implanters?’

Si Li even suspected that old bastard Liu Xingyuan had broken through to become a Tier Four Wizard and had secretly come to Greenfield City.

But his rational mind told him otherwise.

In the Asian Administrative Region, during this phase of power redistribution, it was absolutely impossible for S-Class or Tier Four Combat Power to intervene.

The unseen hand that secretly maintained stability throughout the Asian Administrative Region would make sure anyone who broke the rules understood the consequences of overstepping their bounds.

Si Ranran’s gaze was ice-cold as she asked, "Is the Si Clan backing down?"

Si Li nodded dejectedly. "We can’t gamble any further. The Liu Clan has a mysterious Wizard in hiding, with at least Tier Three Top Level strength."

Si Ranran pressed, "Then did Si Ying die for nothing?"

At the mention of Si Ying, a flicker of intense emotion crossed Si Ranran’s eyes.

Si Li turned to look at Si Ranran. "As the heir to a major corporation, you need to understand something. The company can discard anything non-essential. As long as our foundation is intact and we don’t violate the fundamental rules, the Si Clan will always have a chance to turn the tables."

With that said, Si Li turned and sat down at his desk.

With a wave of his hand, the holographic projection system in the office displayed numerous files.

"You no longer need to manage the Greenfield City gangs. It’s time to adopt a new identity and step into the public eye as the true heir to the Si Clan."

"The Si Clan will have to abandon many things after this Iron Curtain lockdown. Furthermore, we must find new partners in Asia."

Si Li had a very clear understanding of the situation.

The plan to use the Liu Clan, a Wizard Clan, as a pledge of allegiance to curry favor with the European Administrative Region was now a failure.

The Liu Clan would not be the piece of meat carved up by a pack of circling wolves.

But the major corporations whose attention had been drawn would not simply withdraw.

Many of the Si Clan’s assets would undoubtedly be mercilessly carved up.

Now, Si Li had to consider how to preserve the Si Clan’s core businesses and completely break free from the control of the European Political Zone Big Business Alliance.

’All evidence of the Si Clan’s betrayal of the Asian Administrative Region must be destroyed!’

’The only remaining evidence now is...’

’...the remaining Tier Two Knights stranded in Greenfield City!’

"The Inch Retreat Plan. Go and carry it out."

Si Li waved his hand, dismissing Si Ranran to leave the office and carry out the plan.

Si Ranran nodded, schooling her features and hiding all emotion.

She cast one last, deep look at the Liu’s Heavy Industry Building in the distance.

’The one who killed Si Ying must be the Liu Clan’s hidden Wizard.’

’I will have my revenge!’

Tearing her gaze away, Si Ranran exited Si Li’s office.

...

Lin Qi waited in the underground tunnels for a long time, but the Si Clan made no further moves.

Instead, he felt two hostile gazes coming from the direction of Si’s Twin Towers A Tower.

The gazes weren’t fixed directly on him, and his perception wasn’t sharp enough to pinpoint their exact floor of origin.

After waiting for a long while more. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted in the distance.

A dazzling, incandescent white light lit up the entire interior of the Iron Curtain.

’A nuke!’

’Another nuke!’

’What happened?’

’Did the Si Clan find Liu Li’s location and attack her directly, bypassing Liu Xuan?’

’How is that possible?’

The arrival of an email dispelled Lin Qi’s confusion.

The email was from Guang Ling.

"This intel is a courtesy. Just a moment ago, the Intercontinental Stability Trauma Emergency Company initiated the death-claim process for all the Tier Two Knights who came to Greenfield City. The Si Clan has destroyed the last piece of evidence that could expose their betrayal of the Asian Administrative Region and has pinned the blame on the Mercenary Corps that assassinated the Tier Three Knights."

"We’re the scapegoats."

The intelligence in the email surprised Lin Qi.

’The Si Clan has stopped its operations against the Liu Clan? And they’ve cut ties with the European Administrative Region?’

’After all these days of effort, not only did they gain nothing, they’re about to be abandoned by their staunchest ally. What is the Si Clan playing at?’

Lin Qi didn’t know.

But Lin Qi knew one thing: the crisis in Greenfield City was likely over.

The reason was very simple.

Shortly after that dazzling nuclear explosion, the Iron Curtain System disengaged.

Around the perimeter of Greenfield City, the massive sections of the Iron Curtain slowly retracted into the ground, like a blossoming metallic lotus.

The long-absent starry sky reappeared above Greenfield City.

The glow of neon lights reflected on the clouds, announcing to the world outside that a massive Cyber City stood here.

The civilian network resumed normal communications.

Lin Qi was instantly flooded with a massive amount of data. Some of it was from his father, Doctor Lin, in Red Fruit City. The rest was advertising spam from various corporations.

’It’s over just like that?’

Lin Qi found it all a bit surreal.

Just then, Lin Qi’s wristband vibrated.

The message was from King Arthur.

"Looks like you won’t be needing me after all. The crisis in Greenfield City appears to be resolved. As for that ten million Credit Points... I can refund you half, at most!"

The deactivation of the Iron Curtain was a major event, and King Arthur had clearly used his own methods to observe the outside world.

And even though they had agreed that the ten million Credit Points were non-refundable whether he fought or not, King Arthur was still willing to give Lin Qi half of it back.

This Golden Knight, who stood under five-foot-three, was a good man.