Kunlun Corp, Blackrock Branch.
The lights in the Security Division’s command center were a sterile, blinding white, making everyone’s face look like a corpse.
Commander Andrew Zoe stood before the holographic projection, motionless.
He had been staring at the combat footage Karl last transmitted for three full minutes.
The screen was frozen on a single moment—
A hooded figure rising from the ground, pressing a muzzle against the back of Karl’s skull.
A pull of the trigger.
The transmission cut to static.
Over a dozen security personnel in the command room didn't dare to even breathe.
They knew a storm was coming.
Yet, strangely, Andrew didn't explode.
He didn't even show an expression.
His cybernetic eye flickered with a cold blue light, like two dead stars.
This silence was more terrifying than rage.
A young technician couldn't help but swallow, the slight sound echoing in the room.
Andrew’s gaze locked onto him instantly.
The technician turned deathly pale, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
"What is your name?"
Andrew’s voice was soft, as light as casual conversation.
The technician stammered, "Levy... Levy, sir."
"Levy."
Andrew repeated the name.
"Do you know how many years Karl followed me?"
Levy shook his head, cold sweat dripping from his temple.
"Twelve years."
Andrew turned around, his back to everyone.
"Twelve years ago, he was just a cyborg scraping for a living in the Undercity. His left arm was a second-hand piece stripped from a corpse, and the hydraulics in his right leg leaked so badly he limped when he walked."
"It was I who pulled him out of that mire."
"It was I who fitted him with military-grade exoskeletons, gave him the best equipment, and assigned him the most dangerous missions."
Andrew paused.
"It was I who forged him into the sharpest blade in Blackrock Town."
Silence reigned in the command center.
Everyone could hear their own heartbeats.
Andrew turned around slowly.
The blue light of his cybernetic eye suddenly became piercing.
"Now, that blade is broken."
He raised his right hand.
The bio-electric generator in his palm began to charge, emitting a low hum.
Levy’s pupils contracted violently. He tried to run, but his legs felt like lead.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A blue electric arc shot out.
It hit Levy squarely in the chest.
Levy screamed as he was blasted back, slamming into the wall. He convulsed wildly, frothing at the mouth.
But Andrew didn't stop.
He walked over to Levy and squatted down.
"Do you know why I chose you?"
Andrew stared at Levy’s spasming face.
"Because the sound of you swallowing just now reminded me of that 'Ghost'."
He paused.
"He must have been very nervous when he killed Karl, don't you think?"
Andrew stood up and turned to look at the others.
"Is anyone else nervous?"
No one dared to speak.
Andrew let out a cold sneer.
"Very well."
He walked to the holographic projection and pulled up the map of Blackrock Town.
The map was densely marked with Kunlun Corp’s surveillance points, patrol routes, and blockade zones.
But at the center of the map, there was a gray area.
The Rat Run.
The intricate network of smuggling tunnels beneath Blackrock.
Andrew stared at that gray area and narrowed his eyes.
"Adjutant."
"Present!"
The adjutant stepped forward immediately.
"Bring up the tracking logs of Karl’s squad after they entered the Rat Run."
The adjutant operated the projection.
The screen switched, displaying the movement trajectories of Karl’s squad.
But the tracks cut off abruptly near Exit 3.
The adjutant frowned. "Sir, the surveillance at Exit 3 was manually deactivated. We cannot confirm if the target left through there."
"There is no need to confirm."
Andrew pointed at Exit 3 on the map.
"Exit 3 is one of the 'Grey Channels' controlled by Felix."
He paused.
"He helped that 'Ghost' escape."
The adjutant hesitated. "Sir, Felix is deeply rooted in Blackrock. He’s backed by several directors from The Arctic Legion. If we move against him directly—"
"I know."
Andrew cut him off.
"Felix is a rat who has spent twenty years burrowing into Blackrock. He holds the lifeblood of half the black market in his hands."
He turned to face the adjutant.
"Moving against him directly would be like kicking a hornet's nest."
The adjutant breathed a small sigh of relief.
But in the next second, Andrew’s words caused his heart to stop.
"Therefore, I won't move against him."
A cruel smile curled on Andrew’s lips.
"I’ll move against his business."
He walked to the window, overlooking the night view of Blackrock Town.
"Send out the orders. From this moment on, Blackrock enters Level 1 Martial Law."
"Every shipment entering or leaving—check them all."
"Every suspicious individual—detain them all."
"Every underground passage—seal them all."
The adjutant’s pupils shrank.
"Sir, doing this will paralyze the black market trade for the entire town. Many people will—"
"Will what?"
Andrew looked at him coldly.
"Come looking for trouble?"
He let out a sharp sneer.
"Let them come."
Andrew turned back, his cybernetic eye flashing with a manic blue light.
"I forged Karl with my own hands."
"Now that he's dead, I want the entirety of Blackrock Town to be buried with him."
The adjutant swallowed hard and braved a question: "Sir, should we increase the bounty?"
"No."
Andrew shook his head.
"Keep the bounty as it is, but add one condition."
He stared at the blurred silhouette of Kane on the holographic projection.
"Capture him alive, and the reward doubles."
"Kill him, and I only pay half."
The adjutant was stunned. "Sir, why is that?"
Andrew didn't answer.
He simply glared at the hooded figure on the screen, a deep-seated hatred flashing in his eyes.
"Because I want to personally take him apart, piece by piece."
He paused.
"Oh, one more thing."
Andrew pulled up another image.
On the screen was the metal box from Karl's chest, marked by high-temperature scoring.
"The item Karl was carrying... has it been found?"
The adjutant’s expression shifted. "Sir, according to the reports from the surviving squad members, the metal box... was taken by the target."
Andrew went silent for several seconds.
Then, he suddenly laughed.
It was a freezing laugh.
"Interesting."
He turned to the adjutant.
"Do you know what was inside that box?"
The adjutant shook his head.
Andrew didn't explain.
He just stared at Kane's blurred image, a trace of complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
"That 'Ghost' is worth more than I imagined."
He paused.
"Notify the Tech Department. Activate the backup protocol for 'Project Hound'."
"Also, get me a link to Headquarters."
The adjutant froze. "Sir, you're reporting this to HQ?"
"No."
Andrew shook his head.
"I’m going to request the deployment of the Silver Wolf Squad."
The adjutant turned deathly pale.
The Silver Wolf Squad was Kunlun Corp’s elite special operations unit.
Every single member was a fully cyberized cyborg; their combat power was comparable to small-scale mechs.
Their very existence was a classified secret.
Activating them meant that the situation had spiraled far beyond conventional limits.
The adjutant swallowed. "Sir, mobilizing the Silver Wolf Squad requires Board approval, and—"
"I know."
Andrew interrupted.
"That's why I'm going to HQ to apply in person."
He turned back to the window.
The lights of Blackrock Town were brilliant, but in Andrew’s eyes, they looked like candle flames about to be snuffed out.
"That 'Ghost' killed my man and took my property."
Andrew’s voice was low.
"He thinks he’s safe just because he fled Blackrock?"
He sneered.
"I’ll show him that the reach of Kunlun Corp extends to every corner of the Wasteland."
Andrew turned and strode out of the command center.
Behind him, the adjutant watched his retreating back, a deep chill rising in his heart.
He knew the storm in Blackrock Town was only just beginning.
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