Chapter 232

Frank Square is the most central area of the upper half of Second Avenue.

Most of Wildo City's banks, fund companies, stock exchanges, and investment advisory firms are clustered here.

Aside from Song Saint Corp, most of Wildo City's wealth is also concentrated here.

They fall into two extremes.

One is various banks, whose valuables are stored in vaults built by Song Saint Corp; with these vaults, the most valuable assets are secured, eliminating the need for autonomous defense systems.

The other is financial investment firms, whose true value lies in the funds they manage and the long-term clients they've cultivated—physical office buildings are comparatively unimportant.

They don't need independent autonomous defense systems; relying on Second Avenue's public defense system is enough.

In their eyes, Second Avenue is second only to Song Saint Corp in importance within Wildo City—who would dare cause trouble here?

No one used to dare, but after seeing Xiao En attack the Orens Estate, receiving no punishment, sparking no outrage from the wealthy, and instead earning massive bonuses and praise, now whether anyone dares or not is uncertain.

Three field vehicles parked a short distance from Second Avenue; twenty to thirty silver-rank employees emerged from them under the leadership of two gold-rank employees.

One group changed into civilian clothing, blended into the crowd, and entered Second Avenue.

The other group changed into orange work uniforms and loaded the massive transport crates from the field vehicles onto pre-prepared municipal engineering trucks.

Second Avenue is a public space, welcoming strangers and lacking energy walls—far easier to infiltrate than the Orens Estate.

To ensure not a single detail went awry, Farrell, seated in the passenger seat of the engineering truck, prepared to oversee the entire operation.

He gazed at the brightly lit Second Avenue in the distance, cursing inside his mind at these capitalists and tycoons for their lack of backbone.

If they'd known the rich district could be attacked without consequence, why should Xiao En, that fool, have gotten to harvest the Orens Estate first?

Blame his mentor who brought him into the field—for forcing him to learn useless unwritten rules. My mentor has ruined me!

Yet recalling how his promotion to Level Seven Supervisor came from discovering his mentor was uniquely suited as material for Primordial Armor, his heart felt somewhat balanced.

You hindered my future, yet gifted me one—teacher and disciple, we're even.

Farrell reconciled with his regrets in his mind and turned his focus to the present.

His target tonight was the western district of Frank Square, where the Korn Group and Cavens Fund ranked among the top two investment firms on Second Avenue; their behind-the-scenes owners were only slightly inferior to Moretz.

Had Moretz not just been hit by Xiao En, attacking him again might have provoked a desperate backlash—had that been the case, Farrell would have wiped out Moretz's company too.

The transport crates were loaded onto the trucks; the operatives who entered Second Avenue ahead reported the route was clear.

Farrell extended his hand out the window, fingers clenched together, making a downward slicing gesture in the air.

Initiate operation!

Upon receiving the order, Farrell's employees quickly boarded their vehicles, and the drivers sped toward Second Avenue.

At this moment, if one held their breath and listened intently, the employees inside could clearly hear each other's heartbeats.

This operation was more nerve-wracking than any they'd ever undertaken.

Farrell came from humble origins, and most of his trusted subordinates did too.

He believed only those truly from the bottom, who had known poverty and suffered hardship, would throw themselves recklessly upward when they saw the light shining from above.

That hunger deep in their bones was something children born into middle-class or wealthy families could never understand.

Thus, this vehicle full of bottom-dwellers was about to strike at the apex dwellers atop the Jin Zita.

They were filled with anticipation—not just for the massive bonuses, but for something else too; merely thinking of it sent shivers crawling over their skin.

The municipal engineering truck had all necessary permits and passed inspection smoothly, slowly entering Second Avenue.

The truck stopped on the eastern side of Second Avenue; several employees got out, laid down construction warning tape, erected massive barriers, then pried open a wide sewer entrance.

Under cover of the construction barriers, the employees lowered the transport crates into the sewer and, following pre-planned routes, dragged them forward with tow carts.

Twenty minutes later, they finally reached their destination—directly beneath the western district of Frank Square.

As Wu Chang had done before, Farrell authenticated himself and unlocked the crate; the indicator lights at its corners turned red.

They immediately retreated, retracing their path to the entrance and returning to the engineering truck.

At the spot where they'd placed the crate, the cubic container disassembled, revealing within a towering black mushroom two meters high, its cap spanning over four meters in diameter.

On its cap were a pair of closed eyes; as the crate opened and the mushroom contacted air, the closed eyes trembled slightly, then slowly opened.

At the base of its thick stalk grew countless sharp little mouths, which rapidly devoured the transport crate; each portion consumed made the mushroom grow larger.

When the entire crate was consumed, the mushroom's cap top had already pressed against the sewer ceiling.

"I smell the scent of laziness—you're in your prime, why quit before six a. m.?"

As the Pressure Mushroom murmured, a circular area roughly twenty meters in diameter in the western district of Frank Square instantly sank ten centimeters.

Employees who had just finished work and were preparing to leave Second Avenue were crushed to the ground by the sudden pressure; the immense force even snapped the legs of some.

After a brief silence, screams erupted across the square; those still on the square fled wildly in all directions.

The crushing pressure kept falling relentlessly on the same spot, quickly pulverizing the trapped company employees and the ground beneath them into pulp.

The Pressure Mushroom's body slowly rose from the massive hole.

Its root system, bristling with mouths, devoured the crushed employees turned to blood slurry; the flesh and blood nourished it, making it grow even stronger.

"Your miserable lives are because you don't work hard enough—knowing your own stupidity, you should burn your lives even harder!"

The Pressure Mushroom's eyes glowed with terrifying red light; it fixed its gaze on the two buildings before it, sensing abundant flesh and blood within.

These two buildings belonged to the Korn Group and Cavens Fund.

The Pressure Mushroom instantly thrilled.

Early-leaving cattle were tasteless scraps; these nuclear-powered cattle working to their limits were truly nourishing—worthy of marrow-sucking, bone-cracking.

It narrowed its blood-red eyes and began charging energy.

Meanwhile, Farrell in the engineering truck on the eastern district of Frank Square also had bloodshot eyes.

In his right hand he held a telescope; in his left, he clenched his fist, holding his breath, not daring to blink.

He would witness firsthand the attack on the two towers, see his own success with his own eyes.

But the next moment, blinding light erupted from the western district of Frank Square—dozens of spotlights flared from every angle, shining directly onto the Pressure Mushroom's face.

The Pressure Mushroom was blinded by the intense light, and the massive pressure it had been building up was released, failing to discharge.

Its charged attack didn't have time to release, but the charged attacks of the others were not ambiguous in the slightest.

Over a dozen thick light pillars pierced the anomalous domain around the Pressure Mushroom, punching through its body.

He didn't need to see the attackers; just from the rays piercing the Pressure Mushroom, Farrell could recognize that these attacks came from Hymn Corporation's latest high-energy weapons.

It was obvious that the attackers were Hymn Corporation employees. Being able to requisition so many new high-energy weapons meant the opposing leader had to be a senior employee.

Good news: the timely intervention from Hymn Corporation salvaged the losses of the companies in the west district of Frank Square, helping to complete the upcoming cooperation.

Bad news: these people were not arranged by Farrell.

Farrell was furious. Which bastard was so bold as to cut in on his deal!

After the dozen or so thick rays, the Pressure Mushroom was only heavily wounded, not killed.

Injured, it needed to replenish nutrients even more, and craved the flesh and blood in the two buildings even more.

It pushed forward against the constant energy attacks, moving toward the two buildings. This behavior instantly turned the surrounding cheers back into screams.

However, the people ambushing the Pressure Mushroom had never intended to take down the anomalous monster with just these high-energy weapons from the start.

Just as the Pressure Mushroom was about to charge into the building housing the Cavin Foundation, the high-energy weapon fire from all around stopped instantly, replaced by over a dozen high-intensity flashbang grenades.

The brilliant light, like a sun sprouting from flat ground, not only blinded the surrounding onlookers but nearly blinded Farrell, who was observing from afar.

Taking advantage of the intense light, Fei Guang and Qian Ye, wearing sunglasses, rushed to the Pressure Mushroom's side.

The two used their powerful attributes to forcefully resist the Pressure Mushroom's pressure-filled anomalous domain, enduring injuries to reach its side.

Qian Ye thrust her hand into the Pressure Mushroom's wound. With her plant-control ability, Qian Ye could be said to be the Pressure Mushroom's nemesis. Under Qian Ye's power, the Pressure Mushroom's plump body rapidly withered, and the pressure it could wield plummeted rapidly. Not only that, from the wounds blasted open by the high-energy weapons, colorful little mushrooms kept growing. These little mushrooms fed on the Pressure Mushroom's flesh and blood, growing wildly at extreme speed. Once they grew to a certain size, they burst open, splitting into countless seeds that took root again.

Parasitize, grow, burst and split, parasitize again.

Each cycle inflicted massive trauma on the Pressure Mushroom.

Unlike Qian Ye, who attacked from the inside out, Fei Guang's attack was much more direct. He pushed his speed to the maximum and punched between the Pressure Mushroom's eyes.

The flashbang's light masked the burst of light from his attack. Having first been hit by high-energy weapons, then attacked by Qian Ye, the Pressure Mushroom, now in a weakened state, had nearly a third of its cap shattered by this punch.

Under the joint assault of the two top-tier players, the Pressure Mushroom finally stopped moving.

Once it stopped moving, it would face further attacks from Qian Ye and Fei Guang, as well as the resumed high-energy weapon fire.

By the time the effects of the flashbangs faded and people's vision gradually recovered, the Pressure Mushroom had already become a dried mushroom, lying on the ground on its last breath.

On the top floor of the Cavin Foundation building, Wu Chang, wearing sunglasses, clinked glasses with Cohen and Cavin, who were also wearing sunglasses beside him.

Wu Chang said: "Gentlemen, as I said, as long as you trust our Hymn Corporation, we can help you sweep away all troubles and guarantee that your assets won't suffer any losses."

"Tonight's early warning and defense were just advance deployments. If you want to keep enjoying this sense of security, I suggest you purchase our Hymn Corporation's latest automatic defense system. They can guarantee that your assets won't be harmed by anything within a certain period."

!

"Paired with our company's Safety Guardian Insurance, during the period the automatic defense system is active, you can count on the highest-level rescue from our Hymn Group. If you purchase the two products as a bundle now, I can use the maximum authority I can secure to give you two a five percent discount."

From the moment he discovered Farrell's movements, every single action of Farrell's was under his observation.

Mist had been lurking around Farrell the entire time, syncing his plans and deployments to Wu Chang and the others.

Farrell's actions had to be done in secret, concealed and hidden, but Wu Chang was different. His actions were open and aboveboard, every procedure straightforward and simple, yet he moved later and arrived first.

In this situation, what did Farrell have to fight him with?

Cavin and Cohen exchanged a glance and burst out laughing simultaneously. The two clinked glasses with Wu Chang again and said:

"Deal."

Seeing the two men's excited appearance, Wu Chang couldn't help but frown slightly. What was wrong with the rich in Wielde City? Why were they more excited about being attacked than about attacking others?

Were they all masochists?

Wu Chang shook his head inwardly and said to the two: "Since you've both agreed, I'll have them bring the contract template. We'll discuss the specific details further in a moment."

While the three were talking, the battle on the square outside was nearing its end. Hymn Corporation employees, pre-ambushed on the upper floors of the surrounding buildings, were whittling away the Pressure Mushroom's last bit of life with high-energy weapons.

But then a sudden change occurred. Two beams originally aimed at the Pressure Mushroom suddenly veered off, the muzzles tilting, and fired toward the municipal engineering vehicle in the east district of Frank Square.

Farrell on the engineering vehicle had just recovered from the flashbang's effects when he saw two thick beams rushing straight at him.

"No!"

Boom!

Under the high-energy weapon attack, the municipal engineering vehicle exploded into a fireball on the spot.

Wu Chang shrugged and said to the two bosses beside him: "Department staff training wasn't up to par. I'll dock their pay when I get back."

Saying so, he walked out of Cavin's office. The moment he came out, Mist appeared beside him.

Mist asked quietly: "Farrell escaped. Do you need us to chase after him?"

Wu Chang shook his head and said calmly: "No need. It was just to teach him a lesson; we weren't planning to actually do anything to him. Instead of worrying about him, you might as well call Fei Guang and Qian Ye up to sign the contract."

"You all put in great effort this time. I'll double the performance credit for both contracts."

Mist was stunned for a moment, then immediately said excitedly: "Thank you, boss!"

Watching Mist rush off excitedly to notify Fei Guang and Qian Ye, Wu Chang curled his lip.

Three top-tier players with hidden class advancements, sincerely grateful to a local native over a pittance.

All this change was just because of the Abyss Game's instance side quest.

To make top-tier players like little superheroes willingly work like oxen and horses in a subsidiary company, it seems the Abyss Game is the biggest blood-and-sweat factory.

In the east district of Frank Square, the municipal engineering vehicle, blown into the air by the explosion, fell back down. Farrell crawled out of the burning wreckage and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.

Although the two attacks just now weren't aimed directly at him, the shockwaves from the strikes still injured him quite badly.

He glared fiercely toward the west district of the square.

It was obvious that the bastard who cut in on his deal had been targeting him from the very start.

The other party had somehow learned of his plans and kept tabs on his every move.

And the other party not only wanted to cut in on his deal, but also to take the opportunity to eliminate him.

Who is it?

That damned eternal third-place finisher from the Psionic Energy Activation Department, or the androgynous freak from the Unmanned Weapons Department?

Vultures were circling all around — he absolutely could not fall.

He glanced back at the burning car behind him, hesitated for a moment, and chose not to rescue his subordinates.

The one who had leaked his secret was very likely hiding among them; the other side's grasp of him was so precise that now, apart from himself, he could trust no one.

He struggled to his feet, pushed away the passersby who wanted to help him and urged him to wait for an ambulance, and staggered away from Frank Plaza, away from Second Street.

As he walked, he stripped off his work uniform and changed back into his previous disguise.

Leaving Second Street, he headed toward where the field vehicle had been parked earlier.

On the way, he kept glancing toward the distant Shengge Company.

Survive — he had to survive, and then return there to keep climbing!

All the way up, to the very top!

A powerful will drove Farell's actions, and at last he saw the parked field vehicle.

The moment he got in the car, he would be safe.

Just as his spirit relaxed, four unfamiliar figures stepped out from the shadows of the field vehicle.

A burly man, a red-necked biker in a headwrap, an elite-looking man, and a short-haired woman whose features were as exquisite as a mannequin's.

The four of them sized him up from head to toe, as though appraising a piece of merchandise.

It was obvious they had come with no good intentions.

Farell forced himself to stay calm and said, "You few — what business do you have standing in front of my car?"

The headwrapped Burk flashed a brilliant smile. "Nothing much. Just someone who'd like to invite you over for a chat."

Farell refused. "Who hired you?"

Burk: "Why do you care so much? You'll find out once you get there."

Farerl snorted. "Do you have any idea who you're laying hands on? I am Farell, Level Eight Manager of Shengge Company. To dare strike against Shengge Company's management is to make yourselves enemies of Shengge Company."

As he spoke, Farell pulled out a card. "I don't care who you are, and I don't care who you take orders from. Whatever price they're paying you, I'll double it. All I need is for you to leave right now and say you never saw me."

Burk nodded after hearing this, and said to Zhenwo, "He says he's Farell — looks like we grabbed the right one."

Having said that, Burk ignored Farell's struggles, stepped forward, and dropped him with a single punch.

When Farell opened his eyes again, he was already in a strange, dimly lit cabin.

Two people stood inside the cabin — one was the leader of the four from earlier, and the other stood in the shadows, his face impossible to make out.

The figure in the shadows said, "Manager Farell, I didn't expect us to meet again like this."

As the other stepped out of the shadows, Farell realized the man was someone he knew.

"Lei Mengde, have you lost your mind? Why send people after me?"

Lei Mengde maintained a modest, courteous demeanor and said to Farell with a smile:

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. Standing before you is Lei Mengde — Tax Supervisor of the Federal Internal Revenue Bureau, and ace agent of the Zhongqing Bureau."

Farell froze for a moment; just as he was about to speak, the words were cut off by Lei Mengde's next line.

"Or, as you've all been searching for — the Shengge Company Executive Hunter."

(End of this chapter)