Chapter 149: Grinding Stone

Federal Weird Investigation Bureau, underground level five.

This is the agency's highest‑alert heavy‑armor training ground.

On the cold alloy walls are scattered bullet holes and scratches of varying depth, and the air is filled with a sharp scent of gunpowder mixed with ozone.

"Alert! The test has entered the final stage."

"Simulated Weird unit deployment count: 32. Threat level: B+."

A cold mechanical voice just sounded.

A shrill buzzing suddenly ripped the silence inside the arena!

A lithe figure sped through the simulated city ruins.

Her sleek high ponytail flicked a sharp arc behind her head, and her beautiful Crimson Phoenix Eyes were now as cold as ice.

What catches the eye most is her knees.

The lightweight Exoskeleton, glowing with a pale blue electric arc, leaves a charred mark on the cement with each of her thrusts, granting her explosive power and mobility far beyond ordinary humans.

"Sss—"

Shadows surge from all directions.

Thirty‑two grotesque test robots emerged from every corner of the ruins. They mimic the movement pattern of some Weird creature, limbs planted on the ground in a reverse‑joint posture, silently surrounding the area.

Facing this encirclement that could make a rookie collapse on the spot, Qin Zhixia showed no extra expression on her face.

She didn't even pause.

The moment the encirclement closed, she thrust her foot hard, leapt high, and performed an incredible twist in mid‑air.

Her right hand flashed out a uniquely shaped silver pistol from her waist.

Codename, "Tail-Head Snake".

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The crisp gunfire rang throughout the training arena!

Each bullet pierced precisely into a robot's red Core.

Sparks flew everywhere!

The robots that had just been raging now seemed to have all power drained instantly, froze in place, and then crashed to the ground with a thud.

From drawing the gun to ending the fight took just over ten seconds.

Qin Zhixia landed lightly, her high ponytail swaying slightly, and the barrel still emitted a wisp of blue smoke.

Her demeanor has already been transformed; she is no longer the police captain who was lost in the system, but rather like a freshly tempered blade, its edge fully exposed.

"Test concluded. Overall rating: S-. Personal training record updated."

The mechanical voice sounded again, carrying a barely perceptible stiffness.

The arena lights flared brightly.

At the Exit, a figure in a plain Zhongshan suit stood quietly.

Wei Gong.

He watched the dashing figure in the arena, and a satisfied expression flickered in his clouded old eyes.

Qin Zhixia holstered her pistol, hurried to Wei Gong, and gave a standard salute.

"Chief."

"Not bad," Wei Gong nodded, handed her a kraft paper bag, "The Smiling Dummy countermeasure has entered the routine process; you can step back from the countermeasure team now."

Qin Zhixia took the file bag, did not open it immediately, and simply listened quietly.

"—You have a new mission."

Wei Gong's tone was flat, yet it made Qin Zhixia's heart skip a beat.

"【Sequence 011】 has appeared within their territory, and it is accompanied by another Weird we do not know. Besides these, there may be other Weirds we are unaware of."

Wei Gong adjusted his bifocals and continued, "This operation, codename 'Grinding Stone', will have you serve as the Federation‑sent 'Consultant Group' leader, heading to Bu Lie Dian to assist their investigation of the Weird. Any that can be contained should be contained."

"This is not merely assistance."

Wei Gong's gaze sharpened, as if it could pierce the soul.

"It is also a show of force, a stage to display the Federation's power to the whole world."

Qin Zhixia opened the bag and scanned its contents rapidly.

The bloody photos of the mass extermination inside Bu Lie Dian were enough to make any sane person feel uneasy.

But a flame ignited in the depths of her eyes.

She recalled Chu Che's assessment of her as a "Shepherd", and remembered her resolve to change this decaying system.

To change, one needs power.

To gain power, one must climb step by step, doing everything possible to rise.

Now is the best opportunity!

A perfect chance for her to achieve a great feat across the entire Federal Weird Investigation Bureau and before the world!

"I guarantee mission completion!"

Qin Zhixia closed the file, lifted her head, straightened her back, and spoke concisely; the powerful confidence she exuded seemed to solidify the air itself.

Wei Gong nodded approvingly.

He knew that this sharp blade had already been honed.

It is time to let it go out and taste blood.

Meanwhile.

North American Union, Pentagon.

Inside the highest military conference room, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Secretary of State Johnson, that obese white fat guy, was spitting as he reported to the generals and senior executives the content of that closed-door meeting.

Of course, it was an embellished version.

"...... Gentlemen, can you believe it? That old man surnamed Wei actually wants our entire North American Union to bow down and submit to their Federation!"

Johnson's face was filled with anger after being humiliated.

"What 'Weird', what 'New Era'! In my view, this is nothing but a complete political fraud!"

"They want to seize this opportunity to become the new world hegemon! I tell you, you're dreaming!"

By the conference table, a general wearing four stars on his shoulder, holding a cup of coffee, spoke with a look of disdain.

"Johnson, calm down. Even if there really is some supernatural phenomenon, so what?"

He chuckled lightly, with the arrogance unique to the North American Union.

"We have the world's most cutting-edge technology, the strongest military. Drones, space-based weapons, electromagnetic pulses... I don't believe there's anything our most advanced weapons can't solve."

"Even if we can't solve it right away, with our powerful research team and funding, we can quickly develop weapons that will solve it."

"Exactly!" another senior executive chimed in, "Let the Federation play with their mystical nonsense; we have no interest in this childish game. We just need to prepare, wait for them to be messed up by their own 'Weird', then swoop in for a share."

A light laugh rang out in the meeting room.

They simply didn't take Lord Wei's warning to heart.

In their view, this was nothing more than the Federation's mystifying trick when faced with phenomena they couldn't understand.

Any monster or demon will be wiped out before absolute technological power.

Just as Johnson was preparing to continue denouncing the Federation's 'conspiracy'...

"Bang!"

The meeting room's doors were flung open.

An operations staff officer rushed in without even having time to report, his face deathly pale, holding a freshly printed urgent intelligence.

"General! Secretary of State! Atlantic Third Patrol Fleet, emergency communication!"

The four-star general's brow furrowed; he really disliked being interrupted.

"What's so urgent?"

The operations staff officer panted, handing over the still-warm telegram, his voice trembling from extreme shock.

"Report to command center!"

"We... we found the 'Haiyang Ningjing Hao'!"

"It's sending out a distress signal along our route!"

"Repeat, we've found the 'Haiyang Ningjing Hao' that's been missing for days!"