Chapter 81 Earthquake in the Land of Cherry Blossoms? The Prime Minister Demands Thorough Investigation with Tears in His Eyes!
At two o'clock in the morning, the hotel room was pitch black.
Before the alarm clock even went off, Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan opened their eyes simultaneously and got out of bed in perfect unison. A soldier's biological clock is frighteningly precise.
The two quickly changed into black, tight-fitting combat suits that allowed for easy movement; the lines that clung to their bodies outlined a powerful and beautiful silhouette.
Zhou Jue held two invisibility talismans between his fingertips, parted his lips slightly, and whispered an incantation.
"Imperial Edict!"
The talisman ignited spontaneously without fire, transforming into two faint rays of light that instantly merged into their bodies. The next second, their figures slowly faded into the air until they completely disappeared, as if they had never existed.
Zhou Jue was experiencing this strange state, and nothing around him, whether it was a mirror or the water, could reflect their figures.
But the two of them could see each other.
Cheng Gan also moved her hands and feet to get used to this novel experience. Although her face was expressionless, Zhou Jue could catch a fleeting excitement deep in her eyes.
Instead of using the main entrance, the two opened the window directly.
Without the slightest pause, the two leaped out, their figures plummeting rapidly in the wind, yet not a sound could be heard as they cut through the air.
Just before they were about to land, Zhou Jue mobilized his spiritual power and gently guided them, landing steadily in a deserted corner of the hotel's back alley without making a sound.
The whole process was incredibly smooth and fast.
Then, like phantoms in the night, the two sped toward the mountain range with the strongest energy reaction at an astonishing speed.
A dozen minutes later, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.
This place has been developed into a national forest park, with access control and guard posts at the entrance, but these are useless to the two people hiding there.
"Brother Tongzi, scan the surrounding area to check for any special monitoring equipment such as infrared sensors or vibration sensors," Zhou Jue cautiously ordered.
[Scanning in progress... Location of all surveillance equipment confirmed. There are 32 high-definition cameras and 5 infrared sensors deployed in the park; no vibration sensors are present.]
"Very good. Interfere with all signals in this area, including satellite signals. Blocking time: one hour."
[Command received, signal jamming activated.]
After doing all this, the two felt at ease and stepped into the mountains.
The deeper Zhou Jue ventured into the mountains, the more he could feel the immense energy fluctuations. The air seemed to be filled with a pure and cool aura, making him feel refreshed and relaxed.
Following the system's guidance, they quickly arrived at the core area of the mountains, a seemingly ordinary valley.
"Sister Cheng Gan is right here."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Gan immediately stopped, became alert to his surroundings, and waited for Zhou Jue to make his move.
"Brother Tongzi, pinpoint the energy source and analyze its components."
[Analysis in progress... The energy source is located 800 meters underground. Composition analysis: High-purity 'Void Stone' vein.]
[Void Stone: A rare spatial attribute ore, a core material for crafting storage artifacts, stabilizing spatial channels, and constructing teleportation arrays. This vein has enormous reserves, estimated to yield over three thousand tons of pure Void Stone.]
Three thousand tons!
Zhou Jue's heart skipped a beat!
Materials for crafting storage magic treasures! If this were in a cultivation world, it would drive countless sects mad!
We've struck it rich! We've really struck it rich this time!
"Can the entire vein be stored directly in the Starry Sky Box?" Zhou Jue asked excitedly, his voice trembling slightly.
[Yes. However, extracting the entire vein could disrupt the geological structure, causing large-scale surface subsidence and leading to a decline in the fortunes of the Sakura Kingdom. Should we continue?]
Collapse? Decline in national fortune?
Zhou Jue paused for a moment, then a big smile spread across his face.
Good thing the nation's fortunes are declining! Good thing the collapse is happening! A collapse is what makes things exciting! The bigger the commotion, the better it can cover up the truth about the disappearance of the mineral vein! At that time, everyone's attention will be drawn to "landslides" and "geological disasters," and who will think that an entire mineral vein has disappeared underground?
"Continue! Immediately! Right now! Take it!" Zhou Jue gave the order decisively.
[Command confirmed. Begin extracting 'Void Stone' ore from the vein...]
The next second, Zhou Jue felt a slight tremor coming from the ground beneath his feet.
Then, the tremors became increasingly intense!
She could clearly "see" an invisible force extending from her Starry Sky Box, penetrating deep into the earth, like a greedy beast uprooting the huge vein that shimmered with silvery-white light and devouring it madly!
"Boom!"
The earth began to roar with a deep rumble, and huge cracks began to appear on the rock walls on both sides of the valley, with gravel and soil falling down in a flurry.
"Oh no, the commotion is bigger than we expected! We have to get out of here!" Cheng Gan made a quick decision, grabbed Zhou Jue, and turned to run wildly out of the mountains.
Just as they rushed out of the valley, a deafening roar came from behind them!
"boom--!!!"
The entire mountain range seemed to have had its heart hollowed out from the ground by an invisible giant hand, and the core area of the mountain collapsed downwards by a large section!
A massive cloud of smoke and dust rose into the sky, obscuring the moonlight! The tremors could be felt for tens of kilometers around, as if a powerful earthquake had struck!
The two dared not linger for a moment, and ran all the way back to the hotel.
Just as I climbed through the window into the room, I heard a cacophony of footsteps and panicked screams coming from the hallway outside. The hotel guests were all awakened, running out in their pajamas, chattering about the "earthquake" that had just occurred.
The two quickly took off their combat uniforms, changed into pajamas, and pretended to be still in shock before opening the door and joining the discussion.
"Oh my god! What just happened? Was it an earthquake?"
"It definitely is! I felt the whole bed shaking!"
"The sound is coming from the direction of that mountain! Look out the window, it looks like something has collapsed over there!"
Not long after, the piercing sound of sirens grew louder as several police cars and fire trucks roared to a stop downstairs at the hotel. Soon, police officers went upstairs and began questioning and searching each room.
When it was their turn, a middle-aged policeman with tired and impatient eyes knocked on the door.
Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan immediately put on their dramatic personas, their faces displaying just the right amount of fear and bewilderment, as they stammered out their answers in fluent, authentic Japanese.
"Officer, what happened? The noise was so loud, it woke us all up!" Zhou Jue hugged her arms, her body trembling slightly, looking like a frightened little girl.
Cheng Gan remained calmer. She frowned and pointed towards the mountains outside the window: "We only heard a loud bang, and then felt the building shake. It seemed like the sound came from over there, but we don't know anything else. Is... is war about to break out?"
The police officer looked at the two defenseless "foreign tourists," and after checking that there was nothing unusual in the room, he impatiently waved his hand and said a few words in a reassuring tone, such as "It's just a small landslide, don't panic," before hurrying to the next room.
The door closed, and the two exchanged a glance, their lips curving into unspoken smiles.
The next morning, the whole city was in an uproar.
[A violent collapse of unknown cause occurred late at night in a national forest park, suspected to be a precursor to a strong earthquake!]
Experts investigated overnight but could not explain why the satellite signals collectively failed before the incident!
News headlines were everywhere, and media outlets from other countries also rushed to the scene to report. The internet was filled with pessimistic predictions.
"Hilarious! Sakura must have done too many bad things and is now being punished by heaven!"
"I think this island is about to sink. I suggest Sakura buy swimming rings in advance!"
"Holy crap, this is definitely a sign that the island is going to sink! I'm a prophet, everyone believe me."
"Baka! This is just a landslide!"
"Wow, I didn't know landslides in your country were this slippery! I hope all landslides in your country will be handled according to this standard from now on!"
......
The prime minister, who was over sixty years old, slammed a report on the table, his roar making the teacups vibrate.
"Baka! Can anyone tell me what's going on?! Why didn't the security cameras capture anything?!"
"Why were all the satellite signals in that area malfunctioning before the landslide?! Huh?!"
The subordinates all lowered their heads, silent and trembling.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, we...we are conducting a full investigation!"
"Investigate? I'm giving you three days!" The Prime Minister, his face flushed, slammed his fist on the table. "If you can't find out anything within three days, you'll all commit seppuku! And immediately deal with those comments online! Go now!"
While everyone's attention was drawn to this sudden "natural disaster," Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan were leisurely eating breakfast and starting to plan their next big task.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com