Chapter 9: Return to Old Grounds (2)
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Before long,
the suburbs less than ten kilometers from Ocean City were swarmed with reporters and onlookers.
Even the residents in the center of Ocean City heard that loud bang and felt the ground tremble slightly.
At first, people thought there had been an explosion—panic struck as they rushed into the streets, fearing they might end up as collateral damage.
But soon, the media clarified that the sound seemed to have come from outside the city.
At that moment, a live streamer living near the explosion site rushed towards the source of the noise, smartphone in hand, ready to risk it all for a spike in followers.
Thanks to his phone’s camera, the truth was revealed to the world in real-time.
There, before him, was a massive, crater-like pit! The streamer crouched down and touched the nearby soil, only to bounce back up like a spring.
“Holy cr*p, it’s hot!”
Before long, the arriving police set up a cordon around the pit, banning any media and curious folks from getting too close.
Poor streamer—just when he gathered a bit of attention, he got kicked out of the action.
Two years ago, Ocean City had experienced an epic battle.
The entire city had witnessed the birth of the Floating City while evacuated.
That was the beginning of a new era and a major leap for China in superpower research—a total game changer!
Without a doubt, the Floating City became the center of global attraction. Aside from a handful of insiders, no one knew how China managed to float a megacity weighing tons in the air.
Thus, the Floating City was established as a landmark, drawing thousands of tourists daily and playing a major role in Ocean City’s post-war recovery.
In just two short years, there were no signs left of the epic battle that had occurred here.
Thanks to the Special Operations Bureau being the first to make superpowers public, and Bureau Director Lin Nan’s heroic performances against enemies, the Bureau became a shining beacon in the people’s hearts.
If someone managed to land a job in the Special Operations Bureau, it was like getting a shiny halo—everyone looked up to and respected you!
So, when the Special Operations Bureau vehicles arrived at the pit site, both the media and the onlookers instinctively took a step back, letting out an audible gasp, afraid they might disturb the professionals at work.
After all, if the Special Operations Bureau was involved, it meant the event was anything but ordinary.
Out of the vehicle stepped a tall woman.
Dressed in the Special Operations Bureau’s sleek black uniform, she looked striking and impressive.
“Captain Cheng, you’ve arrived.”
A police official stepped forward to greet her.
Cheng Qiu, once the secretary to Bureau Director Lin, was now the leader of a task force in the operations department.
“What’s the situation?”
“This area used to be a vegetable field, with no nearby houses. We’ve checked with nearby villagers, and we can confirm there were no casualties. However, we found some bl**d at the bottom of the pit. Preliminary tests suggest it doesn’t belong to any known species at this stage.”
Cheng Qiu nodded. “Got it. From now on, the Special Operations Bureau will take over this incident. You’ve worked hard.”
“Uh… it’s our duty!”
Cheng Qiu and two of her subordinates carefully descended to the bottom of the pit.
Just as the police official described, there were indeed sparse bloodstains on the shattered soil surface.
She waved her hand, and her subordinates immediately stepped in, carefully placing the bloodied clumps of dirt into a portable case to take back for further analysis.
“Spread the word and see if there are any eyewitnesses in the area.”
“Yes, Captain!”
I must say, the Bureau’s efficiency was top-notch.
About three hours later, a witness’s recording arrived at Cheng Qiu’s desk at the Bureau headquarters.
It was an old farmer.
Afternoons were usually a time to relax and snooze.
He lounged on a chair under the shade of a tree, his gaze drifting aimlessly across the deep blue sky.
Suddenly, a few dark spots appeared in the sky.
He initially thought they were a flock of birds.
But to his surprise, those spots plummeted rapidly, followed by a deafening boom and a shockwave that sent him and his chair nearly flying.
Needless to say, that left quite an impression on him—no way would he mix up the details!
When Cheng Qiu played the recording for the attendees, everyone’s expression turned serious.
The trauma from the battle two years ago had only just begun to heal, and now, out of the blue, here we go again!
(For those who might not remember, I’ll throw in a little reminder.)
(There’s a Lin Nan in the modern Small World, who is the special operations bureau director. When the Cold Moon Witch crossed over, she directly possessed this Lin Nan.)
(To avoid confusion, in the modern Small World, the local Lin Nan keeps her name, while the other is referred to as Cold Moon, so we can keep things straight.)
(Plus, let’s be honest—the local Lin Nan is pretty, sure, but she doesn’t hold a candle to the Cold Moon Witch!)
Wasn’t the demon that fought alongside Director Lin also from another world?
Those guys seemed like they just popped up out of thin air in Ocean City, no life traces on Earth before this!
Lin Nan slowly said, “There’s one key difference here. Did you notice it?”
Everyone at the meeting, including Deputy Director Nie Zhengchu and everyone else above team leader level, shook their heads.
Lin Nan signaled Cheng Qiu, who quickly pulled up a video to show the attendees.
“This is the security footage from Central Park two years ago. Thousands of outsiders appeared in the park without causing any strange aftereffects. So why is it that this time, just a few figures appearing in Ocean City made such a big ruckus?”
Everyone perked up, suddenly realizing the brilliance of the Director. She spotted a detail no one else had!
Yep, this was indeed a head-scratcher!
“It seems we need to widen the search area and ensure police departments everywhere are on high alert for any suspicious activity.”
Nie Zhengchu instantly caught on, “Director, are you suggesting there are more people involved aside from these figures?”
“Exactly. Perhaps these few are merely a distraction set by our enemies, and the real bulk of their forces might have already shown up elsewhere.
We cannot let a repeat of the disasters from two years ago!
If we don’t have findings within 24 hours, then promptly notify the military to send in reinforcements.”
“Understood, Director!”
