71: Child of the Core Prophecy

Inside the office, the heavy air seemed to freeze time, with only the faint sound of paper turning occasionally.

He Hong sat behind the expansive desk, his fingers gently gripping his chin, traces of deep thought etched between his brows.

His eyes were sometimes deep, sometimes flickering, as if he were fighting a silent battle deep within his heart against a difficult dilemma.

Unable to make a decision, he pressed a bell on his desk.

Soon, accompanied by a polite knock, the door slowly opened.

A man wearing a crisp military uniform, appearing exceptionally capable and heroic, stepped into the room.

The man respectfully nodded to He Hong in greeting, then, upon being signaled, sat down in the chair opposite him.

He Hong looked at him and asked in a low, forceful voice, "Adjutant Yang, that child of prophecy found by Ye Zhanying is threatening to refuse the mission unless we collect one hundred bronze treasure chests and one gold treasure chest for him within three days. What are your thoughts on this?"

Upon hearing this, Adjutant Yang did not rush to give an answer but fell into a brief contemplation, his brows furrowing slightly, showing that he was carefully considering the matter.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Does he have any requirements regarding the type of treasure chest?"

"I haven't seen him mention that," He Hong said.

"If there are no restrictions on the type, the inventory of bronze treasure chests should be enough, right?" Adjutant Yang asked.

"There are many bronze treasure chests in stock, but as you know, those are all reserved for the core child of prophecy," He Hong said without hesitation.

During this period, the Dragon Kingdom Intelligence Bureau has discovered many people suspected of being the child of prophecy.

There are too many children of prophecy; although the Dragon Kingdom is powerful, it is impossible to focus on cultivating every single one of them.

Therefore, the upper echelons of the Dragon Kingdom, through various means and layers of screening, finally identified two core children of prophecy.

The so-called core child of prophecy is the person whom the Dragon Kingdom's leadership believes is highly likely to be the true child of prophecy.

Du Cheng is one of them.

Naturally, the Dragon Kingdom is pouring all its resources into cultivating these two core children of prophecy.

Low-quality treasure chests are definitely provided in abundance, and high-quality treasure chests are also provided as much as possible.

Therefore, although there are many bronze-quality treasure chests in stock, He Hong simply does not want to give them to Han Fei.

After all, in his view, Han Fei is very likely a fake.

Giving the treasure chests to Han Fei to use, thereby causing the Cultivation progress of the two core children of prophecy to slow down, is obviously a loss that outweighs the gain.

Adjutant Yang understood what He Hong was thinking, so he asked directly, "So your meaning is to refuse to give him the treasure chests?"

He Hong nodded affirmatively, "I do have that thought."

Adjutant Yang immediately frowned slightly and raised a question that left He Hong speechless.

"What if, and I mean what if, he really is the child of prophecy? Have you considered the consequences of doing this?"

He Hong's expression suddenly became stern.

He had not considered such consequences.

He personally just felt that there was a high probability that Han Fei was not the child of prophecy.

But just as Adjutant Yang asked.

What if?

What if he is the real one?

Then by doing this, he would inevitably offend him!

And in the Great Prophecy Granny's prophecy, it was clearly stated that one must maintain a good relationship with him and absolutely must not let him feel any aversion.

"He should..."

He Hong really wanted to say that Han Fei should not be the child of prophecy.

But the words died on his lips.

After all, he did not have absolute certainty.

It can only be said that he inwardly leaned towards Du Cheng being the real one, so everyone else, including Han Fei, should be fake.

Adjutant Yang saw He Hong's hesitation and proposed a compromise, "How about this: satisfy part of his request, give him one hundred bronze treasure chests, and for the gold treasure chest, just say that it really cannot be found in a short time. I believe he will understand."

After pondering for a moment, He Hong still shook his head, "One hundred is too many, give him fifty at most."

Adjutant Yang furrowed his brow, "Fifty is too few. I think giving him seventy or eighty is more appropriate."

"Seventy or eighty..."

This amount could be said to have reached He Hong's bottom line.

By only giving Han Fei seventy or eighty bronze treasure chests, he could still think of a way to transfer some from other departments, trying his best not to affect the Cultivation progress of the two core children of prophecy.

Especially Du Cheng's, which absolutely must not be affected in the slightest.

After thinking for a while, He Hong finally made the decision, "Then let it be as you said, seventy."

...

Han Fei waited in the dormitory for about half an hour before receiving a call from Xiao Shuai.

"Mr. Han, for a three-day timeframe, we can only help you find seventy bronze treasure chests at most." Xiao Shuai's voice revealed a bit of helplessness and apology.

"Seventy..."

Han Fei repeated softly, calculating quickly in his mind.

This amount was not unacceptable.

After all, he had the Infinite Matryoshka Plug-in; as long as his luck wasn't extremely bad, getting the milestone definitely wouldn't be a problem.

However, one question stuck in his throat, forcing him to ask, "What about the gold treasure chest?"

On the other end of the line, Xiao Shuai was silent for a moment, as if weighing his words, "This... there is really no way within three days."

"A gold-level environmental protection treasure chest shouldn't be that hard to find, right?"

Han Fei's tone revealed obvious skepticism. Various possibilities flashed through his mind, yet he found it hard to accept this fact.

"If it were normal times, it definitely wouldn't be a problem, but the situation right now is really very severe. Many resources have to be prioritized for the front line, so on your end..."

Xiao Shuai sighed endlessly, seemingly truly unable to do anything.

Han Fei was unwilling to give up just like that. His voice carried a bit of persistence, "I only need one gold treasure chest, any kind will do. Is there really no way at all?"

To find a gold treasure chest within three days, Han Fei could not think of any other method besides seeking help from the Special Guard Team.

"It really won't work, Mr. Han. Three days is too short. We are truly powerless here," Xiao Shuai complained.

"Can you help me contact Captain Ye Zhanying?" Han Fei still wanted to try.

Ye Zhanying had given him her contact information before, but that number could no longer be reached, and he didn't know what was going on.

"I'm afraid that is very difficult to achieve. Captain Ye is currently at the Great Wall defense line, where communication conditions are extremely limited, and the outside world is almost unable to make contact with her." Xiao Shuai's answer was firm and left no room for negotiation.

"I see..."

Han Fei sighed softly, and his last shred of hope vanished.

If even a massive organization like the Special Guard Team could not find him a gold treasure chest within three days, then for him to do it on his own was undoubtedly a fantasy.

After hanging up the phone, Han Fei slowly lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

Just as he was wondering if there were any other ways to obtain the milestone, his phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from an unfamiliar number.

Han Fei answered the phone, and a slightly hoarse voice came from the other side.

"Hello, is this Mr. Han?"

"Who are you?" Han Fei asked, puzzled.

"My surname is Yang. I am the Chief of Staff of the Special Guard Team's Third Army."

The other party introduced himself, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible steadiness and authority.

"Third Army?"

Han Fei didn't understand why the other party was calling him.

He should be under the jurisdiction of the Fourth Army, right?

"Is there something you need by calling me?"

"It's like this: I just learned that you need a gold treasure chest, right?" Adjutant Yang cut straight to the point.

Han Fei's heart jolted, and he confirmed, "That's right."

"On the side of the military warehouse, it is indeed difficult to find a gold treasure chest within three days. If you are really in urgent need, I can give you one privately."

Adjutant Yang's words carried an unquestionable certainty, making Han Fei feel a hint of surprise and delight.

"Do you mean that you can give me a gold treasure chest right now?" He asked, almost holding his breath, his tone filled with both disbelief and irrepressible anticipation.

"Yes, I happen to have an unassigned gold treasure chest on hand. If you are really in urgent need, I can give it to you immediately."

"I really need it, thank you." Han Fei thanked him repeatedly, his gratitude overflowing.

"Alright, I will arrange for someone to send it to you right away. However, since this is a decision I made privately, I hope you can keep it confidential."

Hearing this, Han Fei immediately understood that things might not be as simple as he thought.

"I won't tell anyone."

Han Fei responded firmly. He felt both grateful and a bit uneasy about this special help.

"Mm, that's good. If you have any urgent needs in the future, you can call my son's phone number. I will send his number to you via text message in a moment."

Sensing the other party's goodwill, Han Fei also seriously thanked him, "Alright, thank you."

After hanging up, Han Fei soon received the text message sent by the other party.

Looking at the number on it, Han Fei couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression.

...

On the other side, in a quiet study.

Adjutant Yang personally placed a glittering gold treasure chest into the hands of his son, Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong.

"Guodong, send this treasure chest to Mr. Han as soon as possible."

Taking the exceptionally precious gold treasure chest, Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong's eyes were filled with confusion.

"Father, why give this treasure chest to him?"

Adjutant Yang did not answer but slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the Great Wall.

After a moment of silence, he finally opened his mouth, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible melancholy and certainty, "Because I know Ye Zhanying very well. She would absolutely never fake anything regarding such a major matter as the child of prophecy."

Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong was not a dull person and immediately understood the meaning of Adjutant Yang's words.

"Are you trying to say that he might be... the real child of prophecy?"

"I can only say that there is a possibility." Adjutant Yang nodded gently.

After a brief pause, he emphasized his tone, adding a touch of solemnity, "At least in my opinion, this possibility is much greater than it is for Du Cheng!"

These words were like a thunderclap, causing Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong's heart to tighten suddenly.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, fearing that these sensitive remarks might fall into others' ears.

One must know that Du Cheng's father is the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Special Guard Team's Third Army and holds great power.

Furthermore, the Du Family has a prominent status among the powerful in the Dragon Kingdom, with many Family members holding high positions and wielding immense power.

In comparison, although their Yang Family also has some influence, in the eyes of a top powerful Family like the Du Family, they are just slightly larger than ants.

If they accidentally provoked them, the entire Yang Family would suffer.

"Father, please be careful with your words." Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong reminded him anxiously, his eyes full of worry for the safety of the Family.

However, Adjutant Yang's expression was steady, and the corner of his mouth curved into a calm smile, "Rest assured, it is very safe here. Our conversation will only remain within this room."

Nevertheless, facing his father's composure, the tension in Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong's heart did not completely dissipate.

After all, in this vortex of intertwined power, any disturbance could stir up massive waves.

Adjutant Yang sat back in his chair, pondered for a moment, and then spoke again, "Although the higher-ups have identified two core children of prophecy, I am very skeptical of them."

"But no matter how you look at it, they fit the prophecy very well..." Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong tried to say.

"It is precisely because it is too perfect, and there are two of them, that I am skeptical."

As Adjutant Yang spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were carefully chewing over every detail that might have been overlooked.

The child of prophecy is a very large piece of cake, and the top families and forces within the Dragon Kingdom will definitely want a slice.

After all, as long as someone in the Family has the possibility of being the child of prophecy, they will inevitably receive strong cultivation from the state.

With the foundation of the Dragon Kingdom, if they spare no effort in pouring resources into cultivating a person, they could definitely Cultivate them into a quasi S-Rank Expert in a short time.

And what a quasi S-Rank Expert can bring is not only the absolute Peak of personal martial power but also a qualitative improvement in the status of the entire Family or force, enough to make any Family leap to become a prominent existence with immense power.

Facing such a tempting prospect, no Family or force can remain calm.

When the Great Prophecy Granny's soul-shaking prophecy spread throughout the Dragon Kingdom, major forces immediately fell into intense thinking and planning, trying their best to explore how to take the initiative in this game concerning the future.

Soon, they found a loophole in the prophecy that could be exploited.

The child of prophecy might not necessarily be unable to be created artificially!

In other words, as long as one can accurately grasp every detail in the prophecy, through careful planning and layout, it is entirely possible to artificially "create" a child of prophecy that fits the prophecy.

Thus, a silent competition quietly unfolded among the major forces.

They screened the younger generation of their families to select candidates who barely fit the characteristics of the prophecy.

Subsequently, in carefully designed plans, they pushed these "candidates" to the forefront step by step, making them gradually become that irreplaceable child of prophecy in the eyes of the state.

Du Cheng and the other core child of prophecy are the products of this!

Such a method is obviously exploiting a loophole in the prophecy, causing the number of children of prophecy to spring up like bamboo shoots after rain, and also making this already confusing struggle for the prophecy become more complex and intense.

Later, the Great Prophecy Granny took action herself, risking backlash to forcefully make a prophecy once more.

Before falling into a coma, she gave fifteen more characteristics of the child of prophecy.

The first one is that the child of prophecy must be a new global profession: a trash cleaner.