Chapter 255: Airborne Deputy Captain

Late at night.

Chen Ling, wearing a brown overcoat, leaned against a wall in the deserted alley corner. He was completely hidden in the shadows, silent as a ghost. His eyes were narrowed, his gaze piercing through the gaps between the leaves to observe the Enforcer Headquarters across the street.

The Enforcer Headquarters was still brightly lit. A group of about twenty figures in black trench coats gathered at the entrance, seemingly waiting for something.

"It seems Chu Muyun's information was correct," Chen Ling murmured to himself. "The Aurora Base is indeed going to rotate its Enforcers..."

At that moment, Chu Muyun's plan from earlier replayed in his mind:

"...Just today, I received secret intelligence from the public hospital. A group of Enforcers began undergoing systematic physical examinations. Besides routine physical function tests, these also included bio-genetic identification – the deepest level of identity verification – to prevent any Playwrights from infiltrating... This is one of the Aurora Base's security measures. Additionally, they conducted large-scale psychological screenings. Enforcers with unstable emotions or claustrophobia, in particular, were meticulously recorded. This is likely to facilitate long-term confined operations underground... Based on these details, it's largely certain that the Aurora Base's security will be rotated, and this is our opportunity... I obtained the list and photos from their examinations at the hospital. You can cross-reference them and find a suitable target..."

A faint blue light gleamed in Chen Ling's eyes, allowing him to clearly see every face in the gathering, even in the dim night. As he cross-referenced the faces with the list, Chen Ling's gaze suddenly shifted, landing on a figure hurrying from a distance.

It was a young male Enforcer, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old. His trench coat had only a single silver stripe on its hem, indicating he was a first-rank Enforcer who had been promoted just a few years ago.

The moment he saw the face, a stream of information flooded Chen Ling's mind.

"Chen Xin, Asura Path. Promoted to Enforcer three years ago, currently at first rank..." Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

This Enforcer was somewhat interesting. As an Asura Path practitioner, he originally had considerable potential, yet he had remained at the first rank for so many years. To some extent, this indicated an appallingly low talent.

"He's the one."

Chen Ling didn't hesitate. On one hand, the other Enforcers were already gathered, making it difficult to find an opportunity to act. On the other hand, this Enforcer was only first rank, making him easy for Chen Ling to control. The only drawback was that his rank was too low, making it difficult for him to hold an important position even if he entered the Aurora Base, and thus less likely to approach the Aurora Sovereign.

However, for Chen Ling, he simply needed an identity that allowed him to enter the base. According to Chu Muyun's plan, as long as Jian Changsheng cooperated properly, the mission could be completed and he could withdraw within half a day, so the specific position wasn't that critical.

Chen Ling acted without hesitation. He struck like lightning from the dim shadows, seizing the first-rank Enforcer by the neck and dragging him into the nearby alleyway!

Faint muffled sounds emanated from the alley. A few minutes later, "Chen Xin," now clad in a black Enforcer trench coat, slowly emerged from the shadows.

The moment he stepped out of the alley, a look of urgency appeared on his face. He quickly hurried across the street to the Enforcer Headquarters, like a rookie about to be late.

"Chen Xin, why are you only just arriving now?" a three-stripe Enforcer asked with a frown. "So many people are waiting for you... How dare you be late for a top-secret mission of this caliber?"

Chen Ling replied, beads of sweat on his forehead, "I'm terribly sorry... I spent a bit too much time saying goodbye to my family..."

"Are you expecting the entire Aurora City to wait for you and your family to have a pleasant farewell, then? Why didn't you just eat and sleep at home before coming?" the three-stripe Enforcer snorted coldly. "If the system wasn't short-handed, a first-stripe Enforcer like you wouldn't even qualify to glimpse the Aurora Base... Don't you appreciate an opportunity like this?"

Chen Ling stammered, lowering his head further and further, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"What's all this noise about?" a voice suddenly came from behind.

The moment the voice rang out, everyone stiffened slightly and made way to either side. The three-stripe Enforcer who had been scolding Chen Ling immediately fell silent and respectfully stepped aside.

Four figures in black trench coats moved through the crowd, slowly stopping in front of the entrance.

One seven-stripe, two six-stripe, and one five-stripe.

This was the second time Chen Ling had seen a seven-stripe Enforcer since entering Aurora City; the first was Judge Guyuan at the Tribunal. If he wasn't mistaken, there were only five seven-stripe Enforcers in all of Aurora City, holding extremely high positions within the Enforcer system.

Chen Ling kept his head down, his peripheral vision continuing to observe the other three. The two six-stripe Enforcers were unfamiliar faces, and their expressions seemed somewhat displeased. When he saw the five-stripe Enforcer standing beside the seven-stripe Enforcer, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes...

It's him?

Why is he here??

"I told you to gather. Why are you making such a ruckus?" the seven-stripe Enforcer asked coldly.

"Lord Qiong Xuan, it's Chen Xin here who was late, I was just reprimanding him..." the three-stripe Enforcer quickly explained. "Being late for such an important mission due to lingering with family shows a lack of prioritizing and disregard for the bigger picture."

Qiong Xuan's gaze briefly swept over Chen Ling, dismissing him like an ant passing by the roadside. His peripheral vision caught Han Meng behind him, and the two six-stripe Enforcers standing further back with displeased expressions. A thought stirred within him.

"What do you mean by complaining about this to me? Do I need to handle such minor matters?" Qiong Xuan said indifferently. "Commander Tan Xin has already ordered that anything not endangering the Aurora Base's security be handled by Vice-Captain Han Meng... As for me, the Captain, I don't concern myself with these things."

Upon hearing the words "Vice-Captain Han Meng," the expressions of the two six-stripe Enforcers behind grew even darker. The other Enforcers also paused in surprise, looking at the five-stripe Enforcer standing alongside Qiong Xuan... They hadn't noticed earlier, but now, this positioning itself seemed very intriguing, didn't it?

A five-stripe Enforcer possessed such immense authority that even two six-stripes had to stand behind him?

Just what was the background of this "Vice-Captain" who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere?