69novels Chapter 34 The Arrival of Caesar
Chapter 34 The Arrival of Caesar
Inside the Golden Curtain: The Future World: China's Three Gorges
The sky was leaden gray, with thick, cotton-like clouds hanging low, almost pressing down on the river. A gale, carrying large raindrops, pounded on the deck of the Moniach like thousands of steel needles, producing a dense and violent thud.
The converted research vessel belonging to the Kassel Institute was currently tossed about in the middle of the Qutang Gorge section of the Yangtze River. The 180-meter-deep water churned beneath the ship, and the surging currents resembled the breathing of a giant beast. The hull rose and fell violently with the waves, and the steel frame groaned under the strain.
On the deck, a group of people dressed in black diving suits were conducting final checks.
Professor Mans Rundstedt—Senior Specialist in the Executive Department and Field Commander of the Kuimen Project—was roaring at the storm, his voice almost drowned out by the wind and rain: "Final check of equipment! Oxygen cylinder pressure! Communication equipment! Diving bell status!"
Ye Sheng and Aki Shuto stood beside him, both fully armed. Ye Sheng was checking the emergency dagger at his waist, while Aki Shuto repeatedly checked the seal of his diving helmet. Their expressions were calm, a professional composure honed through countless life-or-death experiences, but deep in their eyes, a hint of barely concealed tension remained.
SS-rank mission.
The palace of the King of Bronze and Fire.
They knew better than anyone what these words meant.
"The principal and the others are here!" Ye Sheng suddenly looked up.
A black helicopter, like an iron bird in a storm, struggled to approach amidst the raging wind and rain. Its rotors sliced through the rain, emitting a deafening roar. The helicopter hovered over the Moniach for several seconds before the hatch opened and a rope ladder was lowered.
Angers was the first to come down.
Even in such severe weather, the 130-year-old man remained calm and composed. He wasn't wearing a diving suit, but rather a sharp gray suit with a black overcoat over it, his silver hair remaining perfectly styled in the gale. He gripped the rope ladder with one hand and leaned on his signature black cane with the other, landing steadily on the deck with a few quick movements.
Next up is Lu Mingfei.
He was wearing the same black wetsuit as the others, but he was noticeably thinner. Rain streamed down his pale cheeks, and his wet bangs clung to his forehead, obscuring most of his face. He moved somewhat clumsily, nearly slipping as he descended the rope ladder, only to be caught by Ye Sheng.
"Thank you." Lu Mingfei's voice was barely audible in the wind and rain.
Angers walked up to Professor Mans, and the two shook hands briefly.
"How is the situation?" Angers asked.
"The storm is even worse than predicted." Professor Mans's expression was grave. "Visibility at the bottom of the river is almost zero, and the current is reaching three meters per second. Moreover..." He paused, "The sonar detected abnormal biological activity at the bottom of the river. The creatures are very large and do not resemble ordinary aquatic organisms."
"Dragon Servant," Angers said calmly, "the guard Norton left behind before he fell into slumber."
Everyone fell silent.
Dragon servants. Even the lowest-ranking dragon servants possess strength and defense far exceeding that of humans. In underwater environments, humans would have virtually no chance against them.
"The plan remains unchanged." Angers looked at Lu Mingfei. "Lu Mingfei will go into the water alone. Ye Sheng and Ya Ji will be on standby at a depth of fifty meters as the second echelon. I will be in the command center."
"Principal," Professor Mans couldn't help but say, "isn't it a bit too much to let a freshman carry out this task alone..."
"This is his trial," Angers interrupted him, his gaze falling on Lu Mingfei, "and also his destiny."
Lu Mingfei looked up and met Angers' eyes. There was no worry, no pity in those blue eyes, only an almost cold trust—a belief that he could do it, a belief that he could come back alive.
Even he himself didn't believe it.
"I'm ready," Lu Mingfei heard his own voice say, calmer than he had imagined.
Just then, the roar of a second helicopter came from the sky.
Everyone looked up and saw a white helicopter breaking through the rain. The Gattuso family crest—a soaring eagle—was emblazoned on its fuselage.
"Damn it," Professor Mance muttered, "what are they doing here?"
The helicopter hovered, the cabin door opened, and a blond figure jumped out directly—without using a rope ladder, he leaped directly from a height of more than ten meters, rolled on the deck to dissipate the impact, and then stood up steadily.
Caesar Gattuso.
He wasn't wearing a diving suit, but rather a white, custom-made suit, his blond hair still dazzling in the rain. He patted the raindrops off his shoulders, walked up to Angers, and bowed slightly: "Headmaster."
"Caesar," Angers raised an eyebrow, "I did not approve your participation in this mission."
"I'm not here for a mission." Caesar straightened up, turning his gaze to Lu Mingfei. "I'm here to see him."
His eyes were complex—there was scrutiny, curiosity, resentment, and a kind of jealousy that Lu Mingfei couldn't understand?
"Look at me?" Lu Mingfei asked blankly.
"I want to know," Caesar walked up to him. The two were about the same height, but Caesar's aura was as powerful as a king's. "What is it about you that makes Nono care about you so much?"
Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat.
Nono.
The name was like a needle, pricking the softest spot in his heart.
"Senior Sister Nuonuo and I are just..." He tried to explain, but Caesar interrupted him.
"No need for explanation," Caesar said, his tone carrying a condescending tolerance. "I'm not here to interrogate you. I just want to see for myself whether this 'S-class' that Nono holds dear is truly worthy."
He turned to Angers: "Headmaster, I request to board the ship as an observer. I promise I will not interfere with the mission."
Angers paused for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay. But you must stay in the command center and cannot go into the water."
"clear."
Just then, Ye Sheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Professor, the sonar detected that the biological response is increasing! And very quickly!"
Everyone's expression changed.