Chapter 478 9: Brother Hao, Night Talk

That night, amidst the RUSTLE of movement, the negotiation team settled into a concrete building in the eastern sector of Mountain City.

Black sedans and off-road vehicles were parked downstairs. Superpower Captains clad in black combat uniforms stood guard around the building with rifles in hand, rotating shifts to stay on high alert against any attacks. Drones were quietly deployed, blending into the night as their infrared detection devices were silently activated.

"Just put the equipment here."

"We can't be careless. We must establish scheduled communications with Ring City and Yao Capital every day."

"Drone Two's feed is normal. Drone Three has been activated..."

Low-pitched reports and murmurs echoed from an empty room upstairs. The negotiation team's accompanying experts and assistants had selected it to serve as a command room. They were setting up communication and detection equipment and had begun reporting the situation to the Alliance Country. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Lu Chao had also moved into an empty room at the end of the second-floor corridor. He watched Yan Zhengfeng and the others set up anti-interference devices for him before setting down his luggage.

"Special Commissioner Chen, if you need anything, just call for us anytime," Yan Zhengfeng said.

"Alright. Thanks for your hard work." Lu Chao nodded, watching Yan Zhengfeng and his men leave.

Once the door clicked shut, a low cry echoed in the room.

"YOOO..."

Ghost Element lay by the half-open window, letting out a soft trill. Relying on the connection of their spiritual source mark, Lu Chao understood its meaning.

"Do you want to go to the nearby wilderness?"

Ghost Element nodded gently, a trace of human-like longing flashing through its ruby-like beast eyes. It was a Beast King, after all, and required a certain amount of food—not to mention it had yet to fully heal from its injuries. Since Mountain City was located right in the middle of the wilderness, it was naturally a very suitable place for it to hunt other Mutant Beasts and consume Spiritual Power.

"Alright." After pondering for a moment, Lu Chao instructed it to act carefully.

If Ghost Element could return to its peak condition as soon as possible, certain tasks would undoubtedly become much easier. As for whether it would encounter danger upon leaving this place, unless Lu Weilong and Xiao Chen joined forces, it would be extremely difficult for anything to pose a fatal threat to it.

"YOOO..."

The soft cry faded into the room. Ghost Element leaped up, disappearing out the window under the cover of night. The Superpower Captains standing guard outside failed to detect its movements; its invisible spiritual interference was enough to shield it from most people's senses. Lu Chao stood by the window and watched it leave, his gaze lingering until its agile form merged into the darkness and vanished from sight.

"This Spiritual Link really is quite special," Lu Chao thought.

Focusing his senses, he looked out into the dark night, gazing at the distant fortress walls at the edge of the city. He could vaguely sense Ghost Element's general direction. It was as if the Spiritual Link had planted an invisible tracker on the beast, allowing him to sense it even from a great distance. This was somewhat similar to the Life Mark from his Hunter talent.

With this in mind, Lu Chao naturally glanced at the surrounding architecture of Mountain City.

The bright moonlight cascaded down, draping the earth in a soft silver glow. Rows of bunker-like stone towers rose from the ground, interspersed with closely packed concrete buildings. The place looked rather barren, giving off a primitive, backward, and savage vibe.

Yet, low-wattage light bulbs occasionally hung along the edges of the flagstone streets, serving as streetlights. A few neon signs also flickered to life in certain districts and plazas. "Beast Hide Trading Post," "Xinqiang Clinic," "Charming Hair Salon"... The interlocking, multicolored neon lights barely managed to dispel the darkness of the night. Drunken warlord soldiers stumbled down the streets with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and grinning wildly. A small number of local residents also walked by quietly, seemingly trying to blend into the night and avoid making any unnecessary noise.

"So this is a wilderness city..." Lu Chao murmured.

Fortress Mountain City occupied a sizable area and housed hundreds of thousands of residents. No matter how backward it was, it still qualified as a city. The major warlords, led by four commanders, had divided the area into autonomous sectors to serve as their respective territories within Mountain City.

The rules within each sector were dictated entirely by its corresponding commander. Under this rule, the conditions of Mountain City's residents varied greatly. Some were numb and backwards, living like primitive savages, while others—those closer to the gathering points and inner city circles—pursued better material and technological goods. Additionally, merchants and desperadoes from the Alliance Country operated here, and even a Dark Web branch and black market existed in secret.

"I should find some time to check out the Dark Web branch here. Since this place is located in the wilderness, there shouldn't be much of a shortage of pharmaceutical materials," Lu Chao thought, his eyes flashing.

He was only a step away from Peak Exploration Level, and he still had sixty thousand points sitting unused on the Dark Web. If he could use them to boost his strength, that would be ideal. Moreover, his experiences upon arriving in Mountain City today had given him some ideas. Although he had anticipated that this negotiation trip wouldn't go smoothly, both Yan Xiong's provocation and the attitudes of Lu Weilong and the others at the negotiating table were enough to expose numerous underlying issues.

At this thought, Lu Chao narrowed his eyes.

Stationing an army here was the Alliance Country's greatest objective. That was the only true way to prevent the warlords from rebelling or the Rebels from interfering in the region. Their ultimate goal was to one day seize full control of Fortress Mountain City, using it as the Alliance Country's anchor in the wilderness. However, looking at it now, achieving that step did not seem like it would go very smoothly.

RUSTLE.

As he pondered, a faint sound reached his ears. Lu Chao's expression remained unchanged as he silently looked out at the street below. Through his Life Sensing, he had already detected a Peak Exploration Level Life Magnetic Field steadily approaching.

In that very moment, peering through the moonlight and the veil of night, he spotted a figure draped in a black military overcoat standing at the end of the flagstone street. The lighting on both sides was exceptionally dim, practically nonexistent, and the moonlight stretched the shadows of the stone buildings, making them look like giant black beasts swallowing the ground. The figure practically blended into the darkness, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to notice his presence. Even the drones deployed by the Superpower Bureau had failed to detect him.

In an instant, their eyes met. One stood above, enveloped in layers of protection. The other stood below, alone in the darkness.

Shrouded in the night, Chen Junhao's gaze was profound as he stood rooted to the spot in absolute silence.

Until a few seconds later.

RUSTLE.

He took a step and turned to leave.

At that exact same moment, inside the negotiation team's building, Lu Chao vanished without a trace, melding into the darkness.

...

"Aren't you afraid I'm setting a trap, Special Commissioner Chen?"

Several minutes later, inside an isolated concrete room, Chen Junhao wore a slight smile as he lit a cigarette and looked at the Special Investigation Team Commissioner who had followed him.

A low-wattage bulb dangling from the ceiling swayed gently. The concrete room was completely empty, lacking even a single table, chair, or stool. The only window, suspended beside the two men, was pasted over with newspapers, making it very difficult for anyone to see inside from the outside.

"I think, compared to me, the Third Commander must dislike Lu Weilong a whole lot more, right?" Lu Chao said softly from across the room, feigning a casual tone.

The Brother Hao in his line of sight was still as familiar as ever, with his rugged facial features and that black military overcoat draped over his shoulders. Although the knife scar at the corner of his left eye had faded slightly, his aura felt several degrees deeper and more reserved than in the past.

"Heh." Chen Junhao chuckled and took a drag of his cigarette. "You seem to know me very well, Special Commissioner Chen?" he asked in return, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

Lu Chao smiled faintly, naturally noticing the other man's wariness. After all, he hadn't revealed his true identity yet. However, he didn't press the matter.

"I've heard some stories about the Third Commander," Lu Chao said peacefully, affecting an air of nonchalance. "Born in Ring City, you spent your childhood years in an Alliance Country orphanage.

"Later, due to a gang's internal strife, you slaughtered the gang's upper echelon and fled into the wilderness..."

Chen Junhao's gaze darkened slightly, as if recalling past memories. As he drew the smoke into his lungs, the cherry of his cigarette glowed a deeper crimson.

"From an initial team of just ten people, you slowly rallied people from various gathering points and made a name for yourself. It only took half a year.

"Rumor has it that the Red Flame Army's rules regarding wilderness residents are different from other warlords. You never kill indiscriminately, nor do you confiscate their scavenging hauls... In private, you preach unity. You work, hunt beasts, and mine together in cooperation. The gathering points under your command are mostly integrated communities where soldiers and civilians live side by side," Lu Chao continued, recalling the intelligence gathered by the Special Investigation Team and the Superpower Bureau as their eyes locked.

Lu Chao had weighed many considerations in his heart. In truth, he had been worried that his old friend might have turned into someone like Yan Xiong. But everything had turned out better than he expected. Even after becoming a warlord, Brother Hao remained vastly different from the rest. It was precisely because of this that Lu Chao had decided to follow him and speak to him face-to-face.

"Your intelligence seems very detailed, Special Commissioner Chen." Chen Junhao nodded, a smile gracing his lips. But a second later, he added, "However, that doesn't seem to have much to do with the matters between me and Commander Lu, does it?"

He seemed to be trying to confirm something, no longer blindly defensive as he probed tactfully.

Hearing this, Lu Chao smiled, his tone relaxing. "Lu Weilong is paranoid and temperamental. He wants to monopolize control over Fortress Mountain City more than anyone else.

"As far as I know, the Red Flame Army has been repeatedly targeted by the Red River Army over the past half-year.

"Mines being attacked, military supplies being stolen... I imagine the Third Commander is far more aware of these situations than I am."

He didn't spell it out explicitly, but Chen Junhao nodded gently, as if letting go of some hidden burden. Exhaled smoke wreathed around him as the atmosphere in the room fell into silence for several breaths.

"Three days ago, Lu Weilong met privately with a representative of the Rebels," Chen Junhao suddenly said, as if having come to a decision.

Lu Chao's gaze hardened, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. Although he had guessed that Brother Hao showing himself and luring him here meant he wanted to initiate cooperation, he hadn't expected the other party to lay all his cards on the table so directly.

"Who was it?"

"I couldn't identify him, but he was stronger than me."

He was undoubtedly giving a warning. To be stronger than someone at Peak Exploration Level, the visitor had to be at the Transcendence Level without a doubt.

"Understood," Lu Chao nodded, his expression composed.

His confident demeanor allowed Chen Junhao to release a sliver of tension.

"How does the Third Commander plan to cooperate?"

"What are your plans, Special Commissioner Chen?"

The two exchanged a look, both seemingly reading the other's mind. Lu Chao smiled and glanced at the newspaper-covered window, as if he could see the outside world through the obstruction.

"Fortress Mountain City can only have one voice. What does the Third Commander think?"

"Indeed." Chen Junhao didn't deny it. A gleam flashed in his eyes as he offered a faint smile, looking as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Seizing the momentum, the two began to negotiate, hammering out quite a few plans. During their discussion, both tacitly ignored the Second Commander, Xiao Chen, neither bringing him up. It wasn't until the very end, just as Lu Chao was about to leave, that Chen Junhao spoke again.

"Special Commissioner Chen."

"Yes?" Lu Chao paused in his steps. Standing at the doorway of the room, he looked back.

"Why didn't you choose Xiao Chen?" Chen Junhao asked.

This was his biggest question of the night. Compared to himself, Xiao Chen—the commander of the White Bone Army—undoubtedly wielded far greater power. He had originally thought he would have to waste a lot of breath to convince the commissioner before him to trust him and agree to cooperate. But...

"Xiao Chen?" Lu Chao's brow smoothed out as he shook his head with a laugh.

Naturally, he couldn't tell the other man that it was because of their past friendship. It was because Chen Junhao was the Brother Hao of the Hongyi Society who had looked out for him countless times, helping him safely navigate through his weakest phase.

"He's old," Lu Chao said softly, before stepping out the door.

When people grew old, they became hesitant, overthinking every move. Not to mention, Xiao Chen wasn't exactly someone easy to cooperate with anyway.

"Is that so?" Chen Junhao stood frozen for a brief moment.

A mighty Transcendence Level expert was brushed off as so insignificant in the other man's words. Yet, strangely enough, he chuckled and nodded in agreement, watching Lu Chao leave.

"Transcendence Level?"

WHOOSH!

Flames danced across Chen Junhao's palm as he lit another cigarette. With a profound gaze, he stared out at the night enshrouding Mountain City, his eyes drifting toward Lu Weilong's stone tower in the distance.

"Ah Qiang, oh Ah Qiang... Don't worry. I'm holding on to this grudge for you."