69: Chapter 69: The Fool's Celebration Ceremony
3:00 PM, downtown Donghai City, at the top of the under-construction "Donghai Pearl Tower".
This was the pinnacle of the entire city, and also the core eye of the Spirit Induction Array.
The massive rooftop platform had been transformed into an open-air precision construction site. Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo personally donned a hard hat, directing a giant tower crane to slowly hoist the energy confluence ring, numbered "G-37", into place.
"Slower, a little slower!"
"The left side is three millimeters too high, adjust it!"
"Good, it's aligned! Prepare the interface!"
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo held the walkie-talkie, shouting with a hoarse voice. His eyes were bloodshot, but his spirit was highly excited.
This was not just a simple equipment installation; it felt more like a sacred ritual.
As the last bolt was tightened, the energy confluence ring docked perfectly with the hundreds of energy conduction interfaces pre-embedded under the platform.
"Hum —"
A slight humming sound arose, as if it were the breath of a giant beast awakening.
The entire platform, along with the countless lines connected beneath it, began to glow faintly. An invisible flow of energy began to establish a connection through this core hub with the one hundred and seven basic array points scattered throughout the city.
On the command center's massive sand table, the light points representing the one hundred and eight array points began to flicker synchronously like breathing at this moment.
"Report to Engineer Jiang! Core array eye installation complete!"
"Report to Engineer Jiang! All basic array points connected normally!"
"Report to Engineer Jiang! Energy circuit self-test program started, all data normal!"
Reports from various posts converged upon Jiang Ning.
Director Zhao Lixin stood beside Jiang Ning, his palms sweating from nervousness. Although he couldn't understand the complex data, he could feel that something in the air had changed.
"Engineer Jiang, is this... about to be finished?"
"There is one last step left." Jiang Ning's gaze never left the sand table.
"What?"
"Ignition." Jiang Ning said calmly, "This great net has been laid out, but it is currently dead. It needs a powerful external energy to activate it and make it truly 'come alive'. Just like an engine, it needs a spark plug to ignite it."
"Then... where is our 'spark plug'?" Director Zhao Lixin asked.
Jiang Ning did not answer, only quietly looking at the light point on the sand table that represented the core array eye.
Deep within the light point, that imperceptible "impurity" remained quietly lurking.
...
Meanwhile, on a private yacht thirty kilometers outside Donghai City.
Snake Eye and his "Ghost" team were gathered in the cabin.
This was their final command post.
The giant holographic screen displayed the real-time footage of the top of the "Donghai Pearl Tower". They were using a button camera sent back by a peripheral informant mixed in with the construction workers to capture this final footage.
"Boss, the target is in place." The "Witch's" voice was somewhat excited, "The Xia people haven't noticed at all; they are holding a celebration ceremony."
On the screen, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was excitedly hugging the engineers beside him.
Rhino sneered: "A bunch of fools, still celebrating their own death date. I really want to see the expression on their faces when we press the button."
A rare smile also appeared on Snake Eye's face.
For the past half a month, he had been under immense pressure. The Obelisk headquarters in Country M was urging for progress every day. He knew that this mission allowed only success, not failure.
Now, the fruits of victory were right before his eyes.
He walked over to the console, where there was an independent controller connected via a quantum-encrypted satellite link. On the controller, there was only one red button.
"Everyone," he looked around at his team members, these were the partners who had braved life and death with him for many years, "We are about to make history. We will prove to the world that any attempt to challenge Country M's technological hegemony will pay a heavy price."
"When this button is pressed, the solid-state EMP bomb we implanted will release a powerful electromagnetic pulse within one ten-thousandth of a second, enough to destroy all electronic equipment in an aircraft carrier battle group."
"That so-called 'Spirit Induction Array', no matter what it is, will have only one outcome when its energy core is detonated — total paralysis, or even a chain explosion."
"At that time, Donghai City will fall into darkness and chaos. And we, as victors, will slip away quietly."
He took a deep breath and slowly placed his finger on that red button.
"Witch, start all backup servers and record all energy data at the moment of the explosion. These data are more precious than gold."
"Understood, Boss."
"Chameleon, Rhino, check the evacuation route. We leave here in one minute."
"Received."
"Doctor, get the champagne ready. We'll celebrate properly when we get back to the base."
"It's already chilled, Boss."
Everyone held their breath, their eyes burning as they watched Snake Eye's finger.
Outside the yacht, the sea breeze was gentle, and the sun was bright.
In their view, in a few minutes, that bustling oriental city would fall into a huge disaster because of their single click.
A flash of cruel excitement crossed Snake Eye's eyes.
He remembered the security guard in the park who had repelled Chameleon in a way he couldn't understand.
He remembered the stubborn old engineer at the construction site who had pointed at his nose and scolded him.
He remembered even more the mysterious young Chief Consultant who had never appeared from start to finish, yet controlled everything — Jiang Ning.
Aren't you guys very capable? Don't you have mysterious technology?
In the face of absolute, overwhelming modern technology, those little tricks of yours are nothing but a joke!
He no longer hesitated, using all his strength to press down hard on the red button.
"Activate!"
He shouted this long-awaited word into his headset.
"Let that so-called 'Pearl of the East Sea' return to darkness!"
The invisible signal crossed the thirty-kilometer distance at the speed of light, precisely arriving at the top of the "Donghai Pearl Tower".
That silver "impurity", smaller than a grain of rice, lurking inside the "G-37" energy confluence ring, had its core constraint field released the moment it received the signal.
A destructive energy was about to explode at the "heart" of the array!