stonecrandall Chapter 101 Just Wait
Chapter 101 Just Wait
Chapter 101 Just Wait
Buck's one eye widened, his finger resting on the butt of his gun. He asked, "What did you say? Take over? Do you know how badly the crops here are ravaged? Do you know how many laborers died yesterday?"
"Watch your tone, soldier." The captain of the guard behind Valentine stepped forward, his power sword humming. "You are speaking to a special envoy with legitimate Imperial authorization."
The atmosphere was tense and ready to fight.
However, Lowe did not show any anger.
He didn't even frown, because he was mentally prepared to confront the Valentine family sooner or later.
He was observing.
Observe the size of the convoy, and the eagerness of Valentine to perform in front of the camera.
They were also observing the quiet communication channels.
As of now, the Governor's Office has not issued any new instructions, nor has it given any hints from Chief of the Guard, Lilith.
Clearly, Governor Alicia had tacitly approved of all this.
Lowe, a shrewd strategist, immediately grasped the political calculations behind the silence:
This is a necessary "balance".
Not long ago, Governor Alicia defied public opinion and promoted Lowe, a "white glove" with no connections, to the official position of the Eastern Granary.
This move was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the conservative faction of the Executive Yuan, breaking the long-standing unspoken rules of power.
Politics is the art of compromise, and even more so, the exchange of interests.
Now that Loeve has obtained the position of director, Alicia must, in order to maintain the balance of power, offer some benefits to the executive council, headed by the Valentine family, in other places as compensation.
The upcoming "bumper harvest" is the bargaining chip that the governor has thrown out.
The Valentine family needs this honor to gild the lily of their heirs.
The Executive Yuan also needs a way to back down gracefully.
If Lowe refuses to relinquish command at this moment and resorts to force, he is not only confronting Valentine, but also undermining the political balance of the governor's painstaking efforts to maintain.
This will put Alicia in a difficult position.
This will also turn Luo Wei himself from a "useful pawn" into a "troublesome player who doesn't know the rules."
"I want to pick the peaches."
Faced with the arrogant young master Valentine, Lo Wei felt rather helpless.
But since the governor had tacitly approved the deal, he naturally had to cooperate.
However, young master Valentine seemed unaware of what he was about to face.
Thinking of this, Lowe gently pressed Buck's hand, signaling him to step back.
"Since it's an order from the Executive Yuan, we will naturally cooperate."
A humble smile appeared on Luo Wei's face.
He took out the key chip for the command channel from his pocket and presented it with both hands.
"Your Excellency Valentine, it is an honor for the Eastern Granary to have a nobleman with such rich management experience as yourself personally overseeing the operation."
Valentine raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Rowe's tact.
However, he felt mostly smug.
He arrogantly accepted the chip, as if he were receiving a scepter that rightfully belonged to him.
"Very good, Lowe. You know how to read the situation. After this mission is over, I'll consider putting in a good word for you with the Governor."
"Thank you, sir."
Lowe maintained his bowed posture.
"However, before handing over command, I must explain the current status of the risky assets to you as part of the procedure."
Lo Wei pointed to the wheat field in front of him.
"This batch of Gray Mule-1 crops incorporates unstable Teren biological genes; they are highly sensitive to vibration and sound, and exhibit swarm aggression."
"The current harvesting pace is precisely calculated. The speed of each harvester cannot exceed five kilometers per hour, and specific intervals must be maintained throughout the process."
"Most importantly—"
Luo Wei pointed behind him to the dark and menacing "Wall of Gluttony".
"This chimera vehicle must remain in the core command position. The bio-field it emits can suppress the plant uprisings and acts as a safety valve for the entire system."
Valentine scoffed, "Terren genes? Biofield?"
Valentine laughed, as if he had heard some rural legend.
"Love, don't use these technical terms to cover up your incompetence. I've seen the report; it's just a bunch of tougher-looking poisonous wheat."
He then glanced at the "Wall of Gluttony" with disgust.
The chariot was covered in translucent purple crystals because it had consumed too much biomass.
It looks both blasphemous and disgusting.
"Your car is so ugly, it smells like heresy. Get it out of here."
Valentine waved his hand, pointing to the core command position with the best view.
"Park my command vehicle there. I want everyone to see that this land is reaping a bountiful harvest under the Valentine family banner."
Lowe did not argue.
He simply nodded calmly.
"As you wish, Your Excellency."
Luo Wei turned around and ordered into the communicator: "All units, take note: command has been transferred. Chimera 1, evacuate the core area."
With the roar of its engines, the black chariot, which had been suppressing the entire field like a mountain rock, slowly retreated.
They gave up that crucial position.
Valentine's luxurious, gold-trimmed hovercar then drove in.
Rowe, along with Buck and Father Alpha, retreated to a safe observation zone several hundred meters away.
"Boss, are you crazy?" Buck asked anxiously. "This kid has absolutely no idea how to deal with these monsters. Without the tanks to hold them off, the wheat will tear them to shreds!"
Lo Wei pulled out a brass pocket watch from his pocket and snapped it open.
The second hand ticked mechanically.
Lowe watched the gears turn and said, "Bark, in auditing, there's a fascinating concept called contingent liabilities."
"This kind of debt is usually hidden under the books, invisible and intangible. Only when a certain triggering condition is met will it suddenly erupt and become a huge debt that can bankrupt the company."
"Now, His Excellency Valentine has voluntarily accepted this debt."
"So be patient, we just need to wait."
Harvesting site.
To showcase Valentine-style efficiency on camera, the new commander issued his first order: "All harvesters, full speed ahead! Double the speed! We must complete the harvest of this area within one hour!"
The drivers hesitated for a moment on the communication channel.
However, under the watchful eyes of the honor guards, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and push down the accelerator.
The engine roared, and the chainsaw spun wildly.
What was originally a slow cutting process turned into a brutal advance.
The violent tremors traveled along the earth.
The Tyranid genes that lay dormant beneath the grayish-white shell were awakened by this hostile frequency.
At first, only a few wheat stalks were trembling.
Immediately following, a buzzing sound, similar to the rubbing of insect wings, rang out from deep within the wheat field.
Without the suppression of the "Gluttony Wall" psionic black hole, this biological signal instantly resonated throughout the entire experimental field.
"Click—click—"
The hard ground cracked.
Countless gray-white roots, like a swarm of enraged snakes, burst forth from the soil.
They are no longer the roots of plants, but the tentacles of predators.
"what!"
A scream ripped through the communication channel.
The harvester at the very front had its tracks tangled with more than a dozen thick root systems.
The roots secreted strong acid, which instantly melted through the armor plate and pierced into the cockpit.
The driver didn't have time to escape and was dragged deep into the wheat field, where he became fertilizer.
"What happened? Why did we stop? Keep going!"
Valentine sat in the command vehicle and yelled into the microphone.
He hadn't realized what was happening; he just thought these troublemakers were slacking off.
The next second, his vision went black.
Countless roots surged in from all directions, instantly engulfing the luxurious command vehicle at its core.
The golden double-headed eagle emblem was squeezed and deformed.
The bulletproof glass began to shatter under the immense crushing force.
"Enemy attack! Protect your Excellency!"
The honor guard attempted to open fire.
However, their attack only angered more plants.
The roots, like spears, pierced the guards' armor, lifted them high, and then slammed them to the ground like rag dolls.
The once orderly harvest site was instantly transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Valentine's once-proud command vehicle has now been transformed into a metal coffin.
The roots are penetrating the gaps in the car door.
The serrated blades slapped against the car window, making a chilling scraping sound.
"Help! Help! What the hell is this thing?!"
Valentine was completely devastated.
His perfectly maintained face was now contorted beyond recognition, covered in snot and tears.
He frantically pounded on the car window and screamed into the malfunctioning communicator, "Love, Love, where are you? Make them stop!"
Safe zone.
Lowe held his binoculars and watched the scene quietly.
The servo skull faithfully recorded the entire process of young Valentine's transformation from arrogance to weeping bitterly.
"That's about it."
Lo Wei closed his pocket watch.
Five minutes have passed.
This amount of time was enough for Valentine's dignity to be completely shattered.
It was enough to make him remember the horror of this wheat field forever in his future nightmares, but not enough to actually kill him.
The death of a high-ranking nobleman would become a difficult political mess to handle, and he might also be buried with him.
Looking at the wrecked luxury command vehicle, Buck warned, "Boss, if we don't save him soon, he'll be scared to death."
"Then let's go help this poor commissioner."
Lowe put down his binoculars and connected to the full-band broadcast.
His voice was no longer humble.
It regained its undeniable coldness.
"Attention all units, this is Lowe."
"Take over command."
"Alpha, activate the acoustic jamming array, tune the frequency to the band that Teren bio-averse!"
"Buck, full blast with flamethrowers! Burn a path through!"
"Break through the wall of gluttony!"
Following Luo Wei's command, the black tank that had been lying in wait roared deafeningly.
The engine was running at full throttle, billowing black smoke.
Chimera 1, like a Tyrannosaurus Rex awakened, crushed all obstacles in its path with its tracks.
The compound eyes on the front of the car suddenly opened.
The purple crystal shield shone brightly, forming an invisible psionic repulsive field.
The frenzied wheat roots recoiled as if electrocuted the moment they touched this force field.
"boom!"
The tank crashed through layers of encirclement and came to a precise stop next to Valentine's command vehicle.
The robotic arm extended and, like tearing open a can, ripped open the deformed car door.
Valentine slumped limply in his seat, his crotch soaked with sweat.
When he saw Luo Wei's indifferent face again, appearing at the car door, it was as if he had seen a savior.
"Love, take me away! This place is hell! It's hell!"
Lowe reached out and lifted the distinguished special envoy out like a chick.
Then it was thrown into the rear compartment of the chimera.
"As you wish, Your Excellency."