Upon hearing this, Elder Ye furrowed his brows and inquired, "Did Qi Guozhang say this?"
"It seems not, but it's likely one of Qi Lao's subordinates," Elder Peng replied.
"What a clever move, abandoning us after we've served our purpose. If they are willing to play it this way, then you should inform Xu Que," Elder Ye instructed.
Elder Peng nodded in agreement. "Understood. I will notify him once this fissure outbreak is over."
Everyone understood that this catastrophe for humanity was both a crisis and an opportunity. To maintain balance, those in power had no choice but to make certain compromises, which meant that Xu Que's Skyblast Company would inevitably be dragged into the fray.
...
As time passed, the first batch of fissures finally erupted.
Although the cities had prepared for this, many were still left stunned by the invasion of these otherworldly creatures.
Though the number of fissures had decreased significantly, the remaining B-grade fissures were numerous, and the ordinary defenses proved utterly useless in the face of B-grade beings.
Mass slaughter unfolded across the globe. Some human defenses, once thought impenetrable, crumbled in an instant.
C-grade and D-grade superpowered individuals were given no chance to retaliate.
Meanwhile, Country M was the first to deploy nuclear weapons.
Initially, it was thought that the weapons would annihilate many of the B-grade entities, but the result was shockingly the opposite. These B-grade creatures not only survived but grew stronger.
As this news broke, it was met with fierce condemnation from other nations, especially from Z country, which had previously warned that these creatures would not fear nuclear force.
In contrast to Country M, Z country had already managed to clear some cities of these otherworldly invaders, and even sent reinforcements to other cities.
In the city hall of Linan, Mayor Tang Guoshan glared at the casualty report in frustration.
"Explain this to me. Why are God Hidden and Honor only responsible for two districts?"
"Mayor, the other three districts were allocated to other companies, as per your directive," the secretary awkwardly explained.
"Then call the other two companies immediately and order them to send reinforcements," Tang Guoshan demanded angrily.
"They're currently engaged in hunting the creatures; they likely don't have enough personnel," the secretary replied.
Tang Guoshan slammed his fist on the desk. "Useless! I was even considering supporting these new companies, but this—this is slapping me in the face!"
The secretary watched him pace and quickly suggested, "Perhaps we should call in Skyblast Company? They've already cleared the creatures in Yinchuan and are now heading to Hezhou for reinforcements."
"No. Even if more people die, I will not call them," Tang Guoshan snapped.
The secretary, unsurprised by the mayor's reaction, recalling how he had rejected Skyblast Company the previous day, was about to speak when a clerk rushed in.
"Good news, Tianhui Company from Yanzhou is coming to assist us."
"Really?" Tang Guoshan asked, his face lighting up.
"Really. Their supervisor will be here soon," the clerk replied.
"Good. When they arrive, bring them straight to me."
The clerk nodded and quickly exited.
Not long later, the clerk returned with a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and black-rimmed glasses.
"Mayor Tang, greetings. I'm Wang Bo from Tianhui Company," the man said, offering a smile and extending his hand.
"Hello, Wang Bo," Tang Guoshan responded with a handshake.
"Mayor Tang, here's our offer. We hope you'll allow us to set up operations in Linan City," Wang Bo said, sliding two documents across the table.
Tang Guoshan nodded approvingly, quickly glancing through the contracts.
He was very satisfied with the resource allocation, and it wouldn't interfere with his own share.
"Alright. I'll handle the formalities now."
Tang Guoshan signed one of the contracts and placed the other in his desk drawer.
"Pleasure working with you," Wang Bo said with a grin.
After sending Wang Bo off, Tang Guoshan felt a sense of satisfaction. He now believed he could proceed without Skyblast Company.
What he didn't know, however, was that his fate had already been sealed.
Leaving the city hall, Wang Bo smiled as he took out his phone and dialed his boss.
"Linan City is taken care of."
"Good. Now, head to Yinchuan and Hezhou," the voice on the other end instructed.
"Understood, I'm on my way now."
Meanwhile, in distant Ningchuan, Xu Que sat alone on a pile of otherworldly corpses. Just as he was about to head to the next city, his phone rang.
Seeing it was from Shen Mengchu, Xu Que quickly answered.
"Where are you now?" Shen Mengchu asked.
"I'm in Ningchuan. What's up?"
"My father told me that the capital city no longer wants us to settle in. They seem to be targeting us," Shen Mengchu explained.
"Is that so? Alright, notify Zhang Hao and the others to pull back," Xu Que said indifferently.
"Aren't you going to ask why?" Shen Mengchu asked, puzzled.
"No need to ask, and I don't want to. If they don't think they need us, then we'll pull back. After all, our future targets will likely be abroad," Xu Que replied.
"But we don't have any fissures here. What about the resources?" Shen Mengchu pressed.
"Don't worry, trust me. Soon, someone will be seeking our help," Xu Que reassured her with a smile.
Although Xu Que was tempted by the domestic fissures, he knew that with the sheer size of Z country's population, he'd focus his attention on surrounding nations instead.
In his previous life, both R and H countries ceased to exist a year after the Abyss, and he had already set his sights on those regions.
As for the current crisis? Was it really a crisis?
Even with only 700 employees at Skyblast Company, he didn't fear resource shortages.
Since others had chosen to abandon him, he would show them that he was no weakling to be discarded!
As for those in the capital city... let them face their demise. With him in the Magic City, Z Country's fall no longer worried him.
As Xu Que and Shen Mengchu discussed other city quotas, Xu Que realized the challenges Skyblast Company was currently facing.
Though he now had the full quota for three cities, he knew he still had to plan ahead.
He hadn't placed much focus on Liaojiang and Lijiang, as even in the later stages, there wouldn't be much to gain from those cities. However, they were ideal places to train new recruits!
Just as Xu Que was about to leave, a regular off-road vehicle crashed into the scene. When the man who emerged—a man with black-rimmed glasses—approached, Xu Que frowned.
"Hello, Mr. Xu Que. Thank you for handling the southern and northern regions for us," the man with glasses said politely.
"What's the matter? I need to head to another city soon."
The man smiled, producing a box. "This is a token of appreciation from our mayor for your help..."
Before the man could finish, Xu Que cut him off, "I appreciate the gesture, but let's get to the point!"
"Our mayor no longer wants Skyblast Company to settle here," the man continued.
Xu Que interrupted again, "Fine. If you enjoy going back on your word, then remember, don't contact Skyblast Company when trouble comes knocking!"
Watching Xu Que walk away, the man muttered curses before dialing a number.
"Old Gao, I've delivered the items. He's satisfied and confirmed they won't be settling in Ningchuan."
On the other end, laughter echoed. "Xiao Li, well done. I'll report this to the organization."
"Thank you, Old Gao, for your promotion," the man said with a smile before hanging up the phone.
Opening the box, he saw ten spirit crystals neatly arranged inside. Just as he reached for one, a shadow suddenly appeared before him.
Xiao Li froze, a chill spreading through his body.
"You... you were already gone, weren't you?"