“Who is the City Lord of Panshi City? Which family does he belong to, and what is his strength?” Su Wan asked.
Pei Su thought for a moment. “The current City Lord is named Zhao Wuji. He is a member of a branch family of the Zhao family.”
“His strength is kept secret, and he has never displayed it to the public.”
“But I suspect he is at least Level 5.”
Su Wan's fingers paused slightly.
Level 5.
Her current strength was at Level 4 Mid Stage. According to the rules, to break through to Level 5, she had to personally kill a Level 5 Ability User to unlock the advancement potion.
If Zhao Wuji really was Level 5—
Did that mean she only had to kill him to take that most crucial step?
Pei Su continued, “Master, the reason Zhao Wuji is the absolute core of power in Panshi City is that he controls the city's lifeblood...”
Su Wan was startled. “Lifeblood? What is it?”
“The Inner City Key!”
The token of power for the Outer City was an Outer City Key. To win her over, Pei Su had given it to her back then.
“The Inner City Key has the same nature as the Outer City Key; both are made of a special alloy left behind from the Old Era, containing extremely complex energy codes. However, their functions are worlds apart.”
Pei Su organized his thoughts and explained slowly.
“You already know the function of the Outer City Key, Master, but the function of the Inner City Key is even more central...”
“Because it controls the energy shield of the entire Inner City!”
“The Inner City's constant temperature and humidity, the energy barrier that wards off the Death Tide and Cold Wave, and the entire Inner City's defense system...”
“All of them are controlled by the Inner City Key!”
“That key is the master control core of all energy systems, equivalent to the brain of the entire Inner City.”
“The Inner City's energy shield system consumes a massive amount of energy during daily operation.”
“The Inner City has a dedicated energy supply system, but starting or stopping the shield, adjusting its power, and modifying its coverage area must all be done through the City Key.”
“Without that key, the Inner City's energy shield can at most maintain its current state and cannot be actively controlled.”
A sudden thought welled up in Su Wan's mind.
“Since the Inner City Key can control the coverage area of the energy shield, is its coverage fixed, or is it adjustable?”
“If I bring it to Terminal Station and activate it, will the coverage area of the energy shield move with it?”
Pei Su froze.
His breath hitched for a few seconds in that instant.
“Master... theoretically, it is possible.”
“The Inner City Key is not fixed to the Inner City's geographical location. Its core function is to project the energy shield.”
“As long as the key is activated and there is a sufficient energy supply, the energy shield will expand with the key as its center.”
“If... if you bring the Inner City Key to Terminal Station and activate it, Master...” Pei Su's voice grew faster and faster, filled with irrepressible excitement.
“Then the energy shield will expand with Terminal Station as its center, and all buildings within its coverage area will fall under its protection.”
“The Death Tide, Cold Wave, radiation, pollution... all of it will be kept out!”
“At that point, Terminal Station will no longer be just a vagrant shelter on the edge of the Ruin Zone.”
Pei Su said word by word, “By then, Terminal Station will become the core of the Safe Zone for the entirety of Panshi City!”
“The Inner City will be rebuilt around Terminal Station, and the boundaries of the Outer City and Ruin Zone will be reorganized accordingly.”
“Everyone will gravitate toward Terminal Station. They won't even need to choose, because only by staying close to Terminal Station can they live within the protection of the shield.”
“So, when that time comes, every single person in Panshi City will become a tenant of Terminal Station!”
Pei Su nodded heavily. “Yes, Master. As long as you hold the Inner City Key, you hold the lifeblood of the entire Panshi City.”
Su Wan was incredibly excited.
It seemed that as long as she could take down Zhao Wuji, she would not only control the entire Panshi City but also turn Terminal Station into its core!
“Where is the City Lord's Mansion located?” Su Wan asked.
“The City Lord's Mansion is in the northeastern corner of the Inner City. The entrance is guarded by designated personnel, and only those with the City Lord's token can enter.”
“Although I am the Commander of the City Defense Force, even I have never been inside.”
Su Wan sighed inwardly, realizing she had oversimplified things.
If Zhao Wuji really was a Level 5 Ability User, it meant he could crush the entire City Defense Force on his own.
It also meant she had no way of dealing with him at all.
The later the stage of cultivation, the wider the gap between each major realm.
Facing a Level 5 Ability User, even if they had Level 4 Ability Users, they probably wouldn't stand a chance.
Of course, if Zhao Wuji could be lured to Terminal Station, that would be a different story.
Su Wan leaned back in her chair, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest as her gaze fell on Pei Su.
“What is Zhao Wuji's personality like? Does he have any special hobbies or habits?”
“For example, what does he like, or what is he interested in?”
“Zhao Wuji is extremely cautious. He keeps a low profile and rarely appears in public.”
“His greatest hobby is collecting relics from the Old Era. It is said that there is a dedicated exhibition room on the third basement level of the City Lord's Mansion, filled with antique artifacts excavated from ruins in various Non-Safe Zones.”
“He also enjoys reading historical documents of the Old Era, especially books about the technological systems of the Old Era.”
Su Wan nodded and asked, “How often does he leave the City Lord's Mansion?”
“Sometimes he won't show his face for ten days or two weeks, and other times he won't appear for a month or two,” Pei Su replied.
“Even when major matters within the City Defense Force require his signature and approval, he never personally comes to the City Defense Force Headquarters. Instead, he has someone deliver the documents to the City Lord's Mansion.”
“He only makes occasional appearances when Panshi City faces a major crisis, or when an important figure from the higher-level City Defense Force visits.”
Su Wan pondered for a moment. “Then, if we invite him to visit Terminal Station in the name of the City Defense Force, do you think he would make the trip?”
Pei Su shook his head, his tone certain. “Master, I'm afraid the name of the City Defense Force alone won't be enough.”
“Although Zhao Wuji is the City Lord, he has never cared much about the affairs of the City Defense Force.”
“In his eyes, the City Defense Force is merely his watchdog. With my status, it's not enough to make him give me the face to come out.”
Su Wan's brow rose slightly, but she didn't say anything.
Pei Su continued, “But if we add the Director of the Deep Blue Research Institute, it should be about enough.”
“The Research Institute's status is far higher than that of the City Defense Force. In the power structure of the Dawn Federation, scientific research institutions carry more weight than armed forces.”
“If the Director of the Deep Blue Research Institute personally comes forward and says that clues to an Old Era ruin have been found in the Terminal Station Ruin Zone, Zhao Wuji should be interested.”
“If we also add the Boss of Panshi Company, it will be foolproof.”
Rate on N.U.
