320: Chapter 321: The Federation: Please

That evening.

The Federation's highest military channel broadcasted a non-military news segment for the first time in history.

The content of the news was simple: just one photo and a single sentence.

The background of the photo was the D-3 Region under the night sky.

At the construction site, the lights were blazing, and hundreds of engineering soldiers wearing exoskeleton armor were working furiously on foundation excavation.

In the center of the photo, a fresh-faced youth in casual clothes was carrying a uniquely shaped entrenching tool, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with another man and woman.

The youth was smiling brightly.

The text accompanying the photo read: "Warm congratulations on the successful Perfection of the foundation laying ceremony for the private laboratory in the D-3 Region! Let us work together to add bricks and mortar to the future of the Federation!"

Once this news broke, the entire Federation was in an uproar again.

The general public was completely confused.

"D-3 Region? Isn't that the haunted place that was designated as a restricted zone a while ago? How did construction start there?"

"Who is that kid in the photo? Such a big show? The military is sending him congratulatory messages?"

"I recognize that fat guy next to him, the young master of Huichun Hall! He's filthy rich!"

"That woman is so cool! She's my type!"

However, the true high-level officials, upon seeing this news—especially when seeing the entrenching tool Lin Qi was carrying in the photo and his bright, smiling face—collectively fell into silence.

Their feelings were complicated.

On one hand, they felt a hint of relief at Lin Qi's "down-to-earth" posture.

Look, our "Savior" is someone who can do manual labor himself; how modest.

On the other hand, they felt a deep sense of irritation.

Because through various channels, they already knew what the "Materials" for that entrenching tool were.

Using the pillars of the Four Directions Prison Formation to make an entrenching tool?

Using the Core of Eternal Burning as a cornerstone?

This, damn it, was no longer luxury; it was madness!

This was a naked, ruthless trampling of the entire Federation's existing values!

But apart from silently weeping in their hearts, they could do nothing.

They even had to grit their teeth, put on a smiling face, send congratulatory messages, and put it on the news.

This feeling was like your most mischievous child taking your most beloved antique vase and using it as a chamber pot; you not only couldn't scold him, but you also had to praise him for being "creative and making good use of waste."

Frustrating!

Too frustrating!

But even more frustrating things were yet to come.

The very next day after this news was broadcast.

The Sector S-17 frontline observation post in the Eastern Rift Zone suddenly sent back an extremely eerie monitoring video to headquarters.

In the video, the previously relatively stable spatial rift suddenly began to fluctuate violently.

Countless black, tide-like low-level Void Realm creatures swarmed out from the rift frantically.

This was not uncommon in the past.

The stationed troops were long accustomed to this daily routine of "cleaning up cannon fodder."

But this time, it was different.

Behind those low-level Void Realm creatures, a huge, twisted humanoid figure, seemingly composed of shadows, slowly squeezed out of the rift.

The moment it appeared, all electronic equipment at the observation post instantly failed.

The last few seconds of the video only recorded a blinding static and a scream from the observer filled with despair and fear.

"Report! Sector S-17 observation post, contact lost!"

"Report! The frontline 'Skynet' System detected ultra-high-spec energy reactions! Energy Rank... cannot be determined!"

"Report! The 'Gaia Law' in the rift area is being rapidly eroded and assimilated! Our weapons are failing!"

One piece of bad news after another flew like snowflakes toward the Eagle-7 Conference Room.

General Luo Zhenbang looked at the dangerous area on the holographic map that was rapidly expanding and turning from green to red, his face so gloomy that water could drip from it.

"What do our experts say?" he asked in a deep voice.

"The expert group... is still analyzing," a staff officer answered, biting the bullet. "They believe this might be a new type of Abyss Lord with the ability of 'Law Pollution'. They suggest... suggesting the use of the 'Space-Based Annihilation Cannon' to conduct indiscriminate coverage strikes on the area."

"Bullshit!" General Luo Zhenbang slammed his fist on the table, making the water in the cup jump.

"Space-Based Annihilation Cannon? Do you want to wipe the entire Eastern Theater Command off the Federation's map?!"

"Then... then what should we do?"

The conference room was dead silent.

Everyone was at a loss.

Facing this kind of unreasonable enemy at the "Law" level that exceeded the existing cognitive System, their proud steel torrents and technological weapons seemed so pale and weak.

Just then, Zhao Shouzhen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

"Perhaps... we can ask for the opinion of a 'professional'."

Everyone's eyes focused on him.

Zhao Shouzhen slowly brought up the news from last night.

The photo of Lin Qi carrying the entrenching tool, smiling like a two-hundred-pound child, appeared on the main screen of the conference room.

"He..." Zhao Shouzhen pointed at Lin Qi in the photo, saying word by word, "is the true expert in the 'Law' Domain."

General Luo Zhenbang looked at the photo, his eyes complex.

He remembered Lin Qi's "new neighbor" theory, and the phantom of the "Throat of Devouring Heaven" that had been shattered with a single finger.

Yes.

When it came to dealing with these "unclean" things, who could be more professional than him?

"Contact him."

General Luo Zhenbang made his decision, his tone carrying a hint of... consultation that even he hadn't noticed.

"In the highest name of the Federation Military and the Academy of Sciences, send a 'Technical Guidance Request' to the D-3 Region."

"Tell him exactly what problems we have encountered."

"Just say... we want to ask him to help us take a look at what kind of stuff this new 'neighbor' really is."

...

Half an hour later.

Lin Qi, who was sweating profusely while "adding bricks and mortar" at the construction site with Zhang Wei and Instructor Su Qing, received the encrypted communication from Zhao Shouzhen.

The content of the communication was concise.

A video, a field data report, and a very humble request.

[Mr. Lin Qi, the Eastern front is in an emergency. A new type of "Law Pollution" unit has appeared. We are at our wits' end. We implore you... in your busy schedule, to take a look and provide some valuable 'Technical Guidance'.]

Zhang Wei peeked at it from the side.

When he saw the twisted shadow monster in the video, he was so scared that the "Core of Eternal Burning" in his hand almost dropped.

"Oh my god! What the hell is this thing again? It looks even scarier than the phantom of the 'Throat of Devouring Heaven' from last time!"

Lin Qi's reaction, however, was very calm.

He just played the video, which was only a few seconds long, over and over again a dozen times.

Then, he used his finger to draw a circle around the twisted shadow monster.

"This one..."

He stroked his chin, like an experienced old farmer appraising a deformed pumpkin growing in a neighbor's field.

"It's a bit ugly, but... looking at the purity of this Law Pollution, it's actually a decent piece of 'fertilizer'."

"It's just right to be the first 'appetizer' for my Pangu Formation foundation."

After speaking, he looked up and smiled at Zhang Wei, who was still breaking out in a cold sweat, and Instructor Su Qing, who had a grave expression.

"Let's go, stop digging here."

"Since someone is delivering a gift to our door, we have to go out and receive it."

"By the way, let the folks in the Federation see exactly how our 'private laboratory' handles 'Technical Guidance'."