Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-694

As an employee of Pangu Biology, Jiang Baimian was no stranger to nuclear warheads. She knew that several large factions had them and that they were relics from the Old World. They also seemed to have grasped the corresponding technology needed to maintain them.

But over the years, apart from the Chaotic Era's records of nuclear bombs being deployed, such weapons—which were manufactured by Old World humans—had never appeared again after the establishment of the New Calendar. They only existed for deterrence.

Pangu Biology's intelligence personnel had once suspected that the nuclear warheads left behind by the Old World would gradually lose their effects over time and couldn't be used again. Be it First City or the Salvation Army, they lacked the ability to create new ones.

Now that she had suddenly heard the term 'nuclear warhead' and that it had appeared in the city she was in, Jiang Baimian couldn't help but be a little dazed.

"A nuclear warhead?" Long Yuehong was also shocked. In his impression, these were weapons that could destroy the world. Many cities in the Old World had become ruins because of them.

In the various rumors of the Old World's destruction, this was the source of nightmares that were on par with the Heartless disease.

Once someone detonated the nuclear warhead, the entire Ubei might be implicated. The Old Task Force—which was in this city—was most likely unable to survive.

Bai Chen also blurted out, "How large is the yield?"

As far as she was accustomed to, talking about bombs without considering their yield was considered boorish—excluding those that were responsible for producing radiation or chemical pollution.

Shang Jianyao had a curious expression. "Was it made using uranium, plutonium, or—uh, hydrogen isotopes?"

He momentarily forgot how the word was written and what the pronunciation was.

Ding Ling shook her head. "I'm not sure about that; I only heard a rumor. I'm mainly telling you as a warning, lest you feel disgruntled from being confined to the hotel."

"I have no complaints now; I just want to escape," Shang Jianyao replied honestly.

That's right, that's right! Long Yuehong shouted crazily in his heart. He only wanted to leave Ubei and escape the nuclear warhead's detonation range.

Ding Ling consoled him. "Don't believe the rumors in the wilderness. A nuclear warhead's power isn't that great. A single one can't destroy a city. Furthermore, nuclear warheads that can be stolen have definitely been miniaturized. The yield is probably only a few percent of the original."

But Ubei now can't compare to the large cities of the Old World. It's a question if it's even one-tenth the size… Jiang Baimian muttered inwardly but didn't say anything.

Like First City, Ubei was rebuilt in a relatively well-preserved city ruin. However, the population here was quite different from that of First City. At present, it only used the area near the Yuelin River.

Upon seeing the Old Task Force members fall silent, Ding Ling added, "When you meet a commissioner of our Ubei Supplies Management Committee today, I can take you out of the city district in advance if you are willing to undergo relatively strict inspections. Don't worry. I've already reported the matter regarding the military exoskeletons and bionic artificial intelligence armor. There won't be any problems."

Long Yuehong was just about to say, "Sure, sure," when Shang Jianyao suddenly said righteously, "No! How can we flee in the face of battle? There are still hundreds of thousands of humans here!"

Ding Ling was immediately speechless. You spout both the good and the bad. What do you want?

Jiang Baimian quickly cleared her throat. "The commissioner of your Ubei Supplies Management Committee wants to meet us?"

"Yes." Ding Ling heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the topic had returned to normal. "He's in charge of military supplies statistics and allocation. He wants to know more about your experience in Wasteland Ruin 13."

Uh, why is he meeting us? It's not like we'll contribute military supplies to him… Long Yuehong was a little surprised.

Jiang Baimian—who knew the Old World well—understood what was going on.

'Military' and 'statistics' might very well represent the intelligence services. Names were often just a designation.

"No problem," Shang Jianyao replied in Jiang Baimian's stead in a tone as though they were all family.

Jiang Baimian rolled her eyes at him and took a deep breath. "Are we to go over now?"

"Yes." Ding Ling nodded. "You can't bring your military exoskeletons or bionic artificial intelligence armor. Uh, it's best to leave two people here to watch the area. Although the Salvation Army has relatively good public order and there aren't many cases of theft, many of the people staying in this hotel are foreign Ruin Hunters. You should know their way of doing things."

Most Ruin Hunters were often part-time bandits in the wilderness. They would transform into thieves when they entered larger settlements.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said to Bai Chen, Long Yuehong, and Genava, "Stay here and guard the supplies. Hey and I will follow Captain Ding to meet the commissioner."

She actually had the intention of leaving an Awakened on each side to prevent any accidents. However, she was worried that Shang Jianyao would have a brain spasm and head out to help find the missing nuclear warhead to save all the residents in Ubei. Nobody could stop him.

Bai Chen and the others immediately agreed.

…

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao didn't drive their jeep. Instead, they got into Ding Ling's green mountain car. After making many turns, they saw the Ubei Administrative Committee building they had previously been to.

Ding Ling didn't stop. She instead chose to circle around and arrived at a quiet courtyard on the next street.

Deep in the courtyard stood a three-story building. The vertical sign hanging by the door had the words 'Ubei Supplies Management Committee.'

After being examined by the soldiers on duty at the gates and handing in their weapons, Ding Ling drove the green mountain car in and parked it in a corner of the courtyard. She then led Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao to the west wing of the building and conversed with a young man in the Salvation Army's black uniform.

The young man turned around and disappeared around the corridor's bend. He returned a few minutes later and said to Ding Ling, "Commissioner Huang is in the reception room. Follow me."

After passing three sentry posts along the way, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao followed Ding Ling into the ajar reception room.

In the reception room, there was an elder sitting at the main seat. He also wore a black uniform representing the Salvation Army, but he didn't wear an epaulet.

Ding Ling respectfully pressed her right hand to her left chest and bowed. "For all of humanity!"

Shang Jianyao wanted to do the same, but his right arm was secretly gripped by Jiang Baimian's left hand, preventing him from moving it.

Ding Ling then said, "Commissioner Huang, October Xue and Zhang Qubing are here."

Commissioner Huang wasn't too tall—not more than 1.7 meters tall—but he had an imposing aura. When he didn't move, he was as deep as an abyss. When he looked around, it made people afraid to speak. It was obvious that he had been through mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

His white hair was neatly combed. He stood up without any airs and replied to Ding Ling with the same etiquette before pointing at the sofa opposite him. "Have a seat."

After Ding Ling signaled for Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao to take their seats, she left the reception room and closed the door.

Commissioner Huang sat down again, and the sharpness in his eyes didn't decrease because of his age. He laughed and said, "Relax. Back then, all of us came from different places. How can we be considered locals or foreigners?"

He swept his gaze and said, "The older I am, the more impatient I become. I won't beat around the bush and will get straight to the point. How did you discover that the secret laboratory has a New World node? Not to mention normal people, even most Awakened can't sense it."

Jiang Baimian turned her head and looked at Shang Jianyao.

This was indeed one of the few flaws in her previous recount.

Shang Jianyao tacitly took off his tactical backpack and took out the ordinary-looking silver angel pendant.

"We have such an item," Jiang Baimian explained before he could.

This was the truth, but not the entire truth.

Commissioner Huang narrowed his eyes slightly as if he were sensing the aura in the Life Angel necklace.

"Do you need to hold it for the inspection?" Shang Jianyao asked kindly.

Commissioner Huang glanced at him and replied confidently, "Alright."

He wasn't at all worried that this was a trap.

Shang Jianyao propped himself up with his hands and jumped toward Commissioner Huang with one foot.

One foot.

Commissioner Huang had seen plenty throughout his life, so he didn't lose his composure. After some thought, he took the Life Angel necklace and nodded. "The price is the paralysis of one limb?"

Upon seeing that he had really taken away the Life Angel necklace for inspection, Jiang Baimian finally confirmed one thing: This commissioner was likely an Awakened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to discover anything with the item other than suffer the price.

After a few seconds, Commissioner Huang returned the Life Angel necklace to Shang Jianyao, who was still standing on one foot in front of him.

He nodded in satisfaction. "You aren't lying. This item's aura is indeed relatively special; it can help you sense the New World's nodes."

He didn't ask where the other party had obtained this item. The Salvation Army still had the necessary bearing.

However, there was a mole in the Old Task Force. Shang Jianyao—who had his back facing Jiang Baimian—found an opportunity to confess. "We obtained this from a commissioner of the Eighth Research Institute."

Commissioner Huang's eyebrows twitched. "A commissioner from the Eighth Research Institute?"

He sounded a little surprised.