Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 513 - 360 Equilibrium Seal

Late at night, Chen Changrui had taken Big Head, Preserved Fruit, Cone, Brick, Huajia, Orange, Cornbread, Crabapple Fruit, and over a dozen other key members of the Dark Star Bureau to Yuezhou Sanatorium.

These key members were handpicked by Chen Changrui. Xiao Zhenggong did not trust them; he did not approve of any of them. He also wanted to be there, but he could not leave the Dark Star Bureau.

He had already used the Equilibrium Seal, and now he had to bear its consequences.

For the foreseeable future, if he wanted to continue being a Balancer, he had to comply with all the Bureau’s arrangements.

Aside from these key members, Old Chen also brought some team members with potential for growth and who would benefit from the experience.

This included Dumpling, Qin Minghui, Light Bulb, and Ming Xing.

On their way, Preserved Fruit could not help but grumble, "Isn’t Candy high-ranking and highly capable? Don’t the higher-ups praise her every day? Why isn’t she coming?"

Cone sneered, "The higher-ups say it’s her comprehensive abilities, not her combat abilities. But I think with your attributes, your comprehensive abilities shouldn’t be any worse than Candy’s."

Indeed, Preserved Fruit’s attributes were not bad; both her appearance and figure were far superior to Candy’s.

She snorted, "I’m a decent person."

Orange laughed, "The way you say it, isn’t Candy a decent person then?"

Chen Changrui coughed and said, "He Jiaqing is high-level. For this operation, everyone must strictly follow the combat plan.

Dumpling, the rest of you are the future core members of the team. Tonight’s mission is to observe and learn. Without my command, no one is allowed to join the action. Understood?"

Dumpling was very excited; she treasured this learning opportunity.

Light Bulb was a bit nervous; he kept recalling the hospital’s layout, wondering if he could find a suitable escape route should anything go wrong.

Ming Xing felt some despair because Captain Chen had said he was a future core member.

The current core members all had one thing in common—they were very capable in combat, but their positions were not high.

Qin Minghui was staring blankly at a newspaper.

As they were about to arrive at the hospital, Chen Changrui reiterated, "He Jiaqing’s level is very high. Everyone must strictly follow the combat plan."

Crabapple Fruit asked, "Captain Chen, isn’t the highest level of a Dark Energy User the Seventh Layer? Is He Jiaqing at the Seventh Layer?"

Chen Changrui did not answer.

According to the Dark Star Bureau’s work procedures, the highest level of a Dark Energy User is the Seventh Layer.

Five hundred meters from the hospital, all team members exited the vehicle and went to their assigned positions.

Big Head gently touched the button on his cuff.

「...」

Preserved Fruit and Crabapple Fruit took the elevator to the inpatient building. Dressed as nurses and carrying thermometers and record books, they approached He Jiaqing’s sickroom.

Once they arrived at the sickroom, they did not see He Haisheng, only He Jiaqing lying in bed.

Crabapple Fruit shook the thermometer three times—a signal for Chen Changrui.

He Jiaqing was present, but He Haisheng was not.

Chen Changrui contacted Huajia. Eyes sprouted all over Huajia’s body, extending outwards to observe various locations in the hospital.

"Captain Chen, He Haisheng is in the back courtyard smoking. I see him," Huajia reported to Chen Changrui, having located He Haisheng.

Chen Changrui ordered Huajia to keep an eye on He Haisheng. Meanwhile, Big Head and Brick took their positions in the corridor, Cone and Orange at the staircase entrance, and Cornbread, a Wanderer with swift feet, took position with the others downstairs.

According to the combat plan, Preserved Fruit and Crabapple Fruit were to act first.

Preserved Fruit was a Restrainer, capable of instantly controlling He Jiaqing.

Crabapple Fruit was a Sleep Inducer, able to quickly make He Jiaqing fall into a deep sleep.

Once they accomplished this step, their mission would be considered complete, with Big Head and Brick responsible for the capture.

Big Head had a Prohibited Item with him, a Hunting Net, which left no possibility for a Cultivator below the Seventh Layer to break free.

Brick had another Prohibited Item, a very handy brick. If it struck He Jiaqing directly on the head, it would render He Jiaqing unconscious for half a minute.

If a direct hit was not possible, throwing the brick was also an option. Hitting He Jiaqing’s head with it would also render him unconscious. The period of unconsciousness would be shorter, but the chance of hitting him was very high—normally over eighty percent.

Once they successfully captured him, everyone would work together to bring He Jiaqing back to the Dark Star Bureau.

If the capture failed and He Jiaqing escaped down the stairs, he would run into Cone and Orange’s ambush. If he attempted to escape out the window, he would encounter Cornbread’s ambush.

If the capture failed, Brick, Cone, and Cornbread, all carrying highly lethal Prohibited Items, were to kill He Jiaqing.

Huajia was to watch He Haisheng throughout. They did not need to capture He Haisheng, but they could not let him interfere with the operation.

With everything ready, Crabapple Fruit approached He Jiaqing and first took his temperature. She had already activated her Technique, putting He Jiaqing into a deep sleep.

Preserved Fruit, seemingly observing data on a monitor, had also activated her Technique, binding He Jiaqing to the bed.

As soon as they succeeded, Big Head and Brick rushed into the sickroom.

Big Head pulled out the Hunting Net, and Brick swung the brick.

BANG!

He Jiaqing exploded, turning into a mess of flesh and blood.

Crabapple Fruit stood rooted to the spot, covered in blood—part of it was He Jiaqing’s, part of it her own. She was injured, struck by flying bone fragments.

Preserved Fruit, who was slightly farther away, was not as severely hurt and quickly stepped forward to support Crabapple Fruit.

Big Head and Brick froze in the sickroom, not knowing what to do.

Cone and Orange heard the explosion and guarded the stair entrance, awaiting Chen Changrui’s orders.

Everyone’s attention, including Chen Changrui’s, was drawn to the explosion in the sickroom.