29: The mystery of Blackrock Town: A D-level newcomer is granted city-destroying authority!

The atmosphere in Zhou Weiguo's office was solemn.

The head of the Dragon Shield Bureau in Jiangcheng sat behind his desk, his face grave as he looked at the two people in front of him.

"Sit."

His voice was deep and powerful.

Lin Yuan and Su Wanqing sat down as instructed. The sofa was soft, but the atmosphere was tense.

"First, I still want to commend you two." Zhou Weiguo looked at them, a hint of approval in his tone. "The steel factory mission was completed exceptionally well. Especially Lin Yuan, your ability to adapt on the spot exceeded all our expectations."

Lin Yuan grinned, about to say something modest, like "It was all due to the leader's brilliant command."

But Zhou Weiguo's tone suddenly shifted.

"However, don't get complacent."

His expression became incredibly serious.

"That Abyssal Lair Matriarch was only the lowest Warlord Rank beast. The true battlefield is ten thousand times more brutal than you can imagine."

Zhou Weiguo operated the light screen in front of him a few times, and a file marked "Special" was projected before the two.

The file contained only a man's photo and a few simple lines of text.

Code Name: The Explorer

Rank: D-rank - Condensation Realm (High-tier)

Status: Lost Contact

"Dragon Shield Bureau, D-rank Agent, Code Name 'The Explorer'."

Zhou Weiguo spoke slowly.

"Three days ago, he lost contact while on a special mission in Black Stone Town, a remote mountain town under Jiangcheng's jurisdiction. It has now been over 72 hours."

Su Wanqing's brows furrowed.

"Black Stone Town?" She had some impression of the name. "I remember the spiritual energy concentration there has always been below the safe threshold, a 'green zone'. Why would an agent be stationed there?"

"Because The Explorer's ability is very special," Zhou Weiguo replied, his expression serious. "His ability is Geomantic Induction, which allows him to sense underground energy anomalies more acutely than any precision instrument."

"So, he's responsible for the routine quarterly inspections in Black Stone Town. Logically speaking, this should be one of the lowest-risk missions for him."

Su Wanqing's eyes sharpened.

"Did he send back any abnormal reports before losing contact?"

"No." Zhou Weiguo shook his head. "That's the crux of the problem. His last data upload was 73 hours ago, and all indicators were normal."

"After that, there was no further communication. We tried all means of contact, but couldn't reach him."

All normal.

These two words, in themselves, were the greatest abnormality.

An experienced D-rank high-tier agent, performing a routine monitoring mission in a "green zone" rated as absolutely safe, then simply vanished into thin air.

Behind this lay an indescribable strangeness.

Lin Yuan sat to the side, listening to their conversation. On the surface, he remained calm, but in his mind, he had quietly activated Electromagnetic Induction.

He wanted to see Director Zhou's fluctuations at this moment.

Whether he was hiding any crucial information.

However.

Just as his perception was about to touch Zhou Weiguo.

Buzz—

An invisible barrier appeared!

Lin Yuan's Electromagnetic Induction was like hitting an invisible wall and bounced back.

Lin Yuan's heart tightened!

Blocked?!

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation since his awakening!

Although his Electromagnetic Induction couldn't penetrate the special shielding materials of a Dragon Shield Bureau base, his probing of biological electromagnetic fields had never failed.

But now, in front of Zhou Weiguo, he hit a wall.

What did this mean?

It meant that this seemingly amiable Director, who usually appeared approachable, possessed unfathomable strength!

Within him, there must be a higher-level energy field, or he himself possessed a special ability to block probes!

At the very least, he was B-rank!

Perhaps even higher!

A trace of cold sweat seeped from Lin Yuan's back.

It seemed the Dragon Shield Bureau truly harbored hidden talents.

He collected his thoughts, casually crossed his legs, and asked half-jokingly, "Director Zhou, you're not being very forthright, are you?"

"Lost contact, eerie situations, it's clear that Black Stone Town is a den of dangers."

"Are you holding back some 'inside information' from us? Like, is the place haunted? Or is there a thousand-year-old demon undergoing tribulation?"

Zhou Weiguo glanced at him, ignoring his jest.

Lin Yuan pouted and switched to a more practical question.

"So... this mission, is it considered a business trip? How are the travel allowances calculated? And, the most crucial question, what's the power grid coverage like in Black Stone Town? Are there high-power charging stations?"

Su Wanqing: "..."

She silently turned her head, not wanting to admit she knew the money-grubbing person beside her.

Zhou Weiguo was momentarily stunned by his questions, then became somewhat exasperated.

Throughout the entire Dragon Shield Bureau, Lin Yuan was probably the only one who would inquire about such matters before accepting a special mission.

He didn't answer directly, but his deep eyes quietly observed Lin Yuan.

"With your current clearance, this is all you can know."

"Once you're there, your primary task is to ensure your absolute safety."

Zhou Weiguo said, enunciating each word.

"Secondly, it's to investigate the truth behind The Explorer's disappearance."

"I don't care what methods you use, whether you dig three feet deep or turn the entire town upside down, I want a result."

Having said that, he clicked on the light screen again.

Two electronic authorization documents were sent to Lin Yuan's and Su Wanqing's terminals respectively.

"This is...?"

Su Wanqing's pupils constricted as she saw the authorization information pop up on her terminal.

Mission Authorization: On-site Decision-making Authority

Clearance Level: Below A-rank

Description: During the mission, the authorized holder has the right to make independent judgments and handle any unforeseen events Below A-rank (excluding A-rank) without reporting. This includes, but is not limited to... activating tactical-level weapon deployment protocols.

Activate tactical-level weapons?!

This was almost equivalent to handing over wartime command of a small city to the two of them!

One C-rank, and one... D-rank.

Su Wanqing looked at Zhou Weiguo, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Although Lin Yuan wasn't very familiar with the Dragon Shield Bureau's rules and regulations, he could tell the weight of this authorization from Su Wanqing's reaction.

On-site decision-making authority Below A-rank?

Didn't that mean he could do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't encounter a monster of Monarch Rank?

This power... was a bit terrifyingly huge.

This also indirectly indicated... the potential danger of this mission was unimaginably high!

"Director, this..." Su Wanqing wanted to say something.

"This is an order."

Zhou Weiguo interrupted her.

His gaze swept over the two of them.

"Su Wanqing, you are one of our Jiangcheng branch's aces, with rich combat experience. You will be in charge of leading the operation."

"Lin Yuan," he looked at Lin Yuan, "your ability is very special, extremely special. In certain critical moments, you might play a decisive role."

"Remember, you are partners; you must entrust your backs to each other."

Lin Yuan and Su Wanqing exchanged glances.

Both saw an unprecedented solemnity in each other's eyes.

Despite the numerous doubts.

Despite the unknown path ahead.

Despite the town named "Black Stone Town" waiting silently like an abyssal beast with its jaws wide open.

But, as agents of the Dragon Shield Bureau.

They had no retreat.

"Yes!"

Both stood up simultaneously, responding in a deep voice.

A new storm was quietly brewing in the distant "Black Stone Town."