Translator: AnubisTL
As for Jiang Cheng's methods of attack, he could barely understand forty percent of them.
The remote space teleportation gate was technology from the Galactic Federation, capable of transporting inanimate objects over vast distances but unable to transport lifeforms. However, the maximum width for civilian-grade remote space teleportation gates was only fifteen meters.
To breach this fifteen-meter limit, one would require authorization for military-grade remote space teleportation gates.
He could achieve this himself, so there was nothing surprising about it.
Opening such a massive remote space teleportation gate would consume a substantial number of star coins. While the cost would certainly be less than the price Jiang Cheng had quoted, it likely wouldn't leave much profit either.
Moreover, the energy consumption from the exaggerated cannon barrel's continuous bombardment must have been astronomical.
Rough calculations suggested that Jiang Cheng Company's expenses for this operation far exceeded three hundred million star coins.
A loss-making venture?
While some might risk their lives for profit, no one would willingly engage in a business that guarantees losses.
But these were secondary concerns.
The crucial question was: how had Jiang Cheng Company breached Eugenia Planet's Star Ring Defense and successfully activated a remote space teleportation gate on the planet within mere minutes?
The entire operation had taken less than ten minutes!
Only two possibilities could explain this:
First, the Jiang Cheng Company possessed technology or high-star items beyond his comprehension.
Second, the Jiang Cheng Company wasn't limited to just these three individuals. They might have countless employees scattered throughout the galactic federation, ready to activate their identities and assist the company's missions whenever needed.
Regardless of the explanation, it was clear that the Jiang Cheng Company wielded significant power. His decision to refrain from rash action had been wise.
X stared at the fading white text and the satellite feed, now just static, for a long moment before speaking. "Investigate the origins of the Jiang Cheng Company."
"Operate discreetly. Ensure all investigative methods are untraceable."
"If traced back to us, you'll handle the consequences yourself."
The woman in the short skirt standing beside him nodded, her face pale and trembling. "Yes."
"Don't worry too much."
X pulled out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on. He then drew the woman into his arms, pinched her mouth open with one hand, and pressed his eye against hers, as if trying to force his own eye into her socket.
His expression dazed, he murmured softly, "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't kill you. After all, you're one of my favorite women."
"Come, let's go. I'm eager to hear the good news from Jiang Cheng Company."
With a single arm around the woman, he leaned backward off the rooftop, appearing like a pair of lovers committing suicide. But after falling only a few meters, they were caught by a magnetic levitation spacecraft that had sped toward them from the distance. Without pausing, the craft shot away into the distance.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of North Creek City on Orange Red Star, Chen Jiang and his two companions stood at the center of the warehouse.
A massive barrel dominated the warehouse's center, the ground trembling slightly as red patterns on its surface pulsed violently.
"Mr. Jiang Cheng," Wu Lengjing murmured, his voice filled with awe as he watched the communication screen projected in mid-air. "With your firepower, we might be able to complete our mission much sooner than anticipated."
"We estimate we can clear the entire Eugenia Planet within three hours."
Eugenia Planet was a small, privately owned world. A planet used as a warehouse couldn't possibly be as large as a habitable one.
"Hmm."
Chen Jiang leaned on his cane with one hand, his gaze sweeping across the dust-covered warehouse floor. He frowned slightly as he looked at Wu Lengjing on the screen. "Have you prepared a plan to transport the goods from these three warehouses?"
During the bombardment of Eugenia Star, he hadn't used any set effects, relying solely on ordinary light bullets.
In truth, he could have moved much faster.
He possessed a rather unique item:
[Item Name: Firearm Cooling Token]
[Item Star: Two-Star Item]
[Item Effect: Rapidly cools down overheated gun barrels, allowing continuous firing.]
[Item Description: The Durex of the firearm world—choose it for enhanced weapon endurance.]
This item allowed him to bypass the three-minute cooldown period after firing the [Giant Super Annihilation Bomb], effectively turning the weapon into a standard attack method. He could unleash devastating barrages at an extremely high frequency, overwhelming his enemies with lethal force.
And he had a staggering 500 of these tokens.
If he wished, he could have streamlined the process of clearing this private planet even further.
But it wasn't worth it.
Time wasn't particularly pressing, and there was no need to exhaust his limited supply of 500 tokens just to save a little time.
"Naturally."
On the screen, Wu Lengjing spoke solemnly against the backdrop of artillery fire: "The satellite base on Eugenia Star has been completely reduced to ashes under Mr. Jiang Cheng's bombardment."
"Currently, the entire planet is in a state of communication blackout. No one will know what's happening here."
"The transport ships have already begun loading cargo."
"We estimate that all cargo will be loaded within three hours. Eugenia Planet isn't far from the subhuman star; it will take only two hours to reach our destination."
"In approximately five hours, this shipment should arrive safely at the subhuman star."
"My father has already taken care of all the key points on the subhuman star. The transport ships can enter the planet smoothly and unload the cargo without incident."
"Unless we encounter interstellar pirates or cosmic behemoths along the way, there shouldn't be any unexpected complications."
"Hmm."
Chen Jiang casually glanced around before saying, "Keep up the good work. I have high expectations for your company. The three of you—father and sons—are all business prodigies."
"My father said the Black Europe Company's most successful deal in its history was securing Mr. Jiang Cheng's friendship."
What followed was rather uneventful.
In truth, with Chen Jiang's firepower, he could have cleared the small planet in far less than six hours.
Unfortunately, his range and maneuverability were limited.
Most of the time was wasted moving the Remote Space Transmission teleportation gate.
But everything would be resolved if this batch of miscellaneous items successfully reached the subhuman star and were assimilated into one-star items. This would mean he would have hundreds of millions of items to enhance again!
After this enhancement!
His firepower would undergo another comprehensive upgrade, and the new set effect should also be unlocked.
"That kid's got a ruthless streak," Scar Dog remarked, leaning against a dusty, abandoned machine bed without a hint of disgust. He casually lit a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. "Even though that pet had been following his orders for a while, he killed it without hesitation, showing no mercy at all."
"What else could we do but kill him?" Li Hao replied, unfazed. "If we didn't, we'd make an enemy. Enemies lead to trouble. Eliminating potential threats preemptively is just common sense."
"It's logical, but I'm still surprised. The kid looks so honest with his square jaw, yet he showed no hesitation when he struck."
"An honest man wouldn't be caught dead at a place like the Rose Club."
"True."
Scar Dog nodded, dropping the subject. He gazed through the hole in the warehouse ceiling at the starlit sky above, murmuring, "I actually quite like this world. It's far more interesting than Blue Star. When do you think we'll finally conquer it?"
"If we survive, we'll take it eventually."
"And if we die?"
"Then we'll be dead."
"...Do you even hear yourself?"
Scar Dog rolled his eyes, about to retort when his eyes narrowed suddenly, as if sensing something. He snapped his head up, staring intently at the hole in the ceiling again.
At the edge of the previously empty hole in the ceiling now stood a young man dressed in athletic wear, thick-rimmed glasses, and even carrying a backpack, looking every bit like a student.
"A student?" Scar Dog slowly slipped one hand into his jacket, his voice tinged with disdain. "Wandering around at night isn't safe, kid. You might run into the wrong people."
Chen Jiang had already noticed the uninvited guest, but he remained motionless, merely raising an eyebrow as he waited for the young man's response.
"Walk the night long enough, and you're bound to meet a ghost," the young man said, his voice cultured as he gently pushed up his glasses with a single finger. A strange glint flickered in his eyes as he gazed down at the trio standing below.
"And tonight, I am your ghost."
"The Jiang Cheng Company, making quite a name for themselves tonight."
"Publicly destroying the North Star Corporation's office building in North Creek City on Orange Red Star—you didn't think you could just walk away, did you?"
As the words faded, the man, who appeared to be a student, suddenly dropped to one knee. With a furious roar, he slammed his fist against the ceiling beneath him. "Night Watcher Owl sends his sincerest greetings to you all!"
"Prepare to die!!!"
In the next instant—
A blinding blue light erupted from the young man, instantly engulfing the entire warehouse. As if drawn by some unseen force, every speck of dust in the warehouse began to float into the air, each particle distinct and separate. Under the influence of a vibrating magnetic field, the dust particles began to tremble violently at an impossible frequency.
Without hesitation!
The violently vibrating dust particles, now suspended in mid-air, shot toward Chen Jiang and his companions with a speed utterly imperceptible to the naked eye, like a torrential downpour.
The entire process took less than a second!
When the dust settled, the warehouse was completely empty. Only a thick layer of dust remained on the floor. The massive turret and Chen Jiang's group had vanished without a trace.
"Is that all you've got?"
The young man in sportswear, perched atop the warehouse ceiling, caught his breath and slowly straightened up. Glancing down at the warehouse floor, he murmured with a hint of disdain, "Their strength is rather weak. Fortunately, the bounty from Jiang Cheng Company isn't low. Looks like my ranking will climb a few more spots this time."
He had meticulously analyzed the footage from Jiang Cheng Company's raid on the Rose Club.
His conclusion was clear: while the group carried formidable long-range firepower, their close-quarters combat skills were virtually nonexistent. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so easily hit by a single laser gun.
Once engaged at close range, the group would offer little resistance, leaving them helpless.
As predicted, the moment he closed in, the group offered almost no resistance, resigning themselves to their fate.
Just as he was about to upload the recorded footage to claim the bounty and brag about it in the Night Watcher group chat, a sudden chill ran down his spine. His body froze instantly, and without looking back, he bolted forward.
But it was too late.
A massive cannon barrel suddenly descended from the sky, plummeting straight toward the warehouse ceiling and engulfing the young man entirely.
His body, now beyond his control, crashed through the ceiling and landed on the open ground. He immediately flipped over, drew an item from his chest, and held it aloft, bathing the surroundings in blinding light. His expression flickered between grim determination and uncertainty as he rapidly scanned the area.
Pitch black. Something had enveloped him.
Was this a domain-type innate ability or some kind of binding item?
He had underestimated these people. The man codenamed Owl felt a pang of regret for rashly following them alone. Anyone outside the domain could easily shatter it.
If he had a teammate, they could have easily broken the domain from the outside, freeing him.
Fortunately, he had a life-saving item.
Owl glanced around. With the situation unclear, he decided to retreat temporarily. But just then, a searing crimson light erupted overhead!
"Damn it!"
The man's face paled instantly as he ripped the backpack off his shoulders. This wasn't some domain-type innate ability, nor was it a binding item. It was, in fact, the massive cannon barrel he had seen earlier!
But it was too late.
[Crimson Light Pillar]
A scorching laser column, tens of meters thick, erupted from the cannon's muzzle, instantly vaporizing the man and piercing thousands of meters into the earth.
Close-combat capabilities?
While not his forte, they certainly weren't nonexistent.
Chen Jiang stood on the rooftop of a dilapidated building in the distance, observing the scene. He glanced at the communication interface beside him and casually said, "A minor hiccup. A Night Watcher grunt stumbled upon me, but he's been dealt with. We can proceed now."
"A Night Watcher?!"
Wu Lengjing, who had been wondering why the turret had vanished, heard the name and his expression darkened. "Mr. Jiang Cheng," he said grimly, "you didn't kill that Night Watcher, did you?"
"If he lacked any powerful defensive or resurrection items, he's likely been completely vaporized by now."
(End of the Chapter)
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 6,100+ FREE