novelraw Chapter 16 : The Coming Storm
Chapter 16 : The Coming Storm
Chapter 16: The Coming Storm
At five-thirty in the morning, the sky had yet to brighten, and most of the people in Jiang City were still deep in dreams.
On a large training ground on the outskirts of the city, a tall and muscular figure had already been running shirtless on the plastic track for nearly an hour.
His name was Liu Gang. He was fifty years old, a retired soldier, and now the owner of Jiang City’s largest security company—“Blackwater Security.”
Sweat streamed down Liu Gang’s bronze skin, tracing the rock-hard lines of his muscles.
Even after years of retirement, his life remained as disciplined and orderly as it had been in the army.
Ten kilometers of morning running, a set of five hundred push-ups, followed by weight training and combat drills.
On the day the game began, he had been doing a bench press in the gym.
Just as he pushed up two hundred kilograms and felt exhaustion overcome him, that oracle descended.
【Welcome to ‘Game of Gods’】
【Matching player identity and faction】
【Identity match complete】
【Faction match complete】
【Player: Liu Gang】
【Identity: Metallurgist】
【Faction: Radiance】
【Steel is your bone, and also your crown】
……
In that instant, Liu Gang felt a strange connection between himself and the barbell in his hands.
The cold, heavy steel seemed to become an extension of his body—light as air.
With a mere thought, that two-hundred-kilogram barbell defied gravity and slowly floated above his chest.
Liu Gang stood stunned for a long while. When he finally regained his senses, he immediately stopped training and returned to his office.
In the days that followed, he tested his new abilities while also beginning to collect information on a large scale.
A veteran’s instinct told him that in this “game,” intelligence was the key to life and death.
So, the moment the game began, Liu Gang mobilized all the resources and connections of his company to systematically investigate every incident in Jiang City marked as “abnormal.”
At the same time, he divided his company’s nearly one hundred security guards into dozens of investigative teams.
Most of these guards were retired soldiers with exceptional execution capability.
They worked in pairs, conducting door-to-door visits and exhaustive investigations at every “abnormal event” site.
They appeared in Deshengli Third Alley, questioning residents one by one about sightings of “flames and explosions.”
They even tracked down the drunk office worker who had uploaded the “Battle of Fire and Wind” video. Under his incredulous gaze, they threw one hundred thousand yuan in cash in front of him—just to obtain the original footage and firsthand testimony.
Liu Gang’s flamboyant, even arrogant, style initially went unnoticed; people merely assumed it was a personal hobby.
But after the official establishment of the 【Candle Dragon】 Special Task Force and the government’s citywide grid investigation began, Liu Gang and his “Blackwater Security” quickly drew the attention of all major factions.
……
Jiang City Public Security Bureau, 【Candle Dragon】 Special Task Force Temporary Command Center.
Originally the Bureau’s wartime command room, it had now become a massive information-processing hub.
Dozens of top experts from various departments were busily working, while on a huge electronic screen, streams of data cascaded like a waterfall.
Once the machinery of the state began to move, its efficiency was terrifying.
“Report! The ‘SkyNet’ system has completed an initial backtrace of 7.83 million cameras across the city. All abnormal footage related to the incident’s time and location has been flagged!”
“Report! The Big Data Center has joined the operation, screening all citywide communication and online activity for ‘anomalous patterns.’ The first list of high-risk individuals will be ready in three hours!”
Chen Mo stood before the roaring data streams. His eyes were bloodshot, but his spirit burned with intense focus.
“Report, Deputy Leader Chen,”
A technical officer hurried over and handed him a document. “During our information screening, we discovered an ‘anomaly.’”
“A private security company called ‘Blackwater Security’ has repeatedly posted high-value bounties on underground websites, seeking all clues related to ‘supernatural incidents.’”
“And they’ve dispatched numerous personnel to investigate the same ‘supernatural events’ we’re tracking.”
Chen Mo’s brows furrowed tightly.
“Check the background of this company.”
“Already did.”
The officer quickly pulled up another file. “The owner’s name is Liu Gang, age fifty, retired special forces, clean background.”
“After retirement, he founded this security company, mainly providing high-end protection services. Most of his employees are also retired soldiers.”
“A retired soldier, a security company boss—why is he so interested in these ‘supernatural incidents’?”
“Why would he spend so much money and make such a public spectacle of his investigations?”
Chen Mo’s index finger tapped lightly on the desk, his eyes glimmering with thought.
His instincts told him—there was something very wrong with this Liu Gang!
Either he knew some inside information… or he himself was supernatural!
“List Liu Gang and his ‘Blackwater Security’ as top-level surveillance targets!”
Chen Mo ordered decisively. “I want to know his every move—who he meets, what calls he makes, what he discovers!”
“Yes, sir!”
……
Under Jiang City’s night sky, a black shadow flitted swiftly between buildings, ghostlike in speed and silence.
Zhang Jie, acting on intelligence from Sun Na, had come to investigate the truth behind “Blackwater Security.”
Like a cat, he landed soundlessly atop a water tower about five hundred meters from the target company, pulled out a high-powered binocular, and began observing.
He saw guards posted at every entrance, and all the windows were sealed shut.
“This guy’s pretty paranoid… but he seems to be acting alone. Doesn’t look like a member of 【Shadow】,” Zhang Jie muttered.
He knew that infiltrating a place like this was nearly impossible.
So he stayed on the perimeter, hoping to find some clue that could reveal the man’s faction.
But what Zhang Jie didn’t know was that while he was observing others, he too was being watched.
Not far behind him, perched atop a utility pole, a strangely shaped stray cat crouched silently, its eyes glowing with an unnatural gleam as it stared fixedly at his every move.
……
Inside a private club.
Lin Lan laid a background investigation report on Liu Gang before Chen Xiang.
“This Liu Gang is a player from the 【Radiance】 faction.”
Pushing up her glasses, Lin Lan continued, “His behavior patterns perfectly match those of a player. And because he’s so conspicuous, he’s already on the government’s radar.”
Chen Xiang chuckled. “Then we can just sit back and watch the show. Let the officials hunt him down.”
But Lin Lan shook her head.
“No.”
“We can’t let him get caught by the authorities.”
“Once the government confirms his supernatural identity and learns about the existence of the ‘Game of Gods’ from him, all of us will face full-scale pursuit by the national machinery.”
“By then, the nature of this game will change entirely.”
Lin Lan stood and walked to the window, gazing down at the bustling streets below.
“This Liu Gang is like a bomb about to explode.”
“Before he detonates, we must defuse him.”
“This task will be yours.”
……
Inside Yun Ge’s apartment.
Yun Ge watched with great interest as multiple factions began moving against Liu Gang simultaneously on the glowing screen.
He lifted his teacup and gently blew the floating tea leaves aside.
“The mortals’ ‘order’ and the ‘chaos’ I bestowed upon them are finally about to collide head-on.”
“What kind of spectacle will you put on for me?”
“Will technology triumph over the supernatural… or will the supernatural crush humanity?”
He took a slow sip of tea, the corners of his mouth curving into an elegant yet wicked smile.
“How very… exciting.”