Chapter 86: A Brief and Swift Action Conference

It truly was an eyesore, resembling an elongated, yet disjointed, pickup truck. The front end bore the look of an ordinary private sedan from decades past, but the trunk had been deliberately sheared off, leaving a flat surface. Beneath, however, sat four perfectly normal wheels. In addition, thick steel plates were oddly welded onto either side of the doors, the front, and even the roof.

Behind the vehicle, attached to the flat surface where the trunk had been removed, a coupler similar to those used on train cars connected to an open-top trailer with two wheels. The trailer seemed utterly superfluous—just looking at it made one want to remove it altogether.

“Don’t underestimate my car, Elder Mu. This isn’t an ordinary electric vehicle. I put a lot of work into it—it’s my very first creation. The appearance may be a bit rough, but it’s my first time, after all,” Zhuang Xiaoyuan explained sheepishly, clearly a little embarrassed by her vehicle being called a wreck. Still, it was her first self-modified project, blending the abilities of the Fourth Figure with the knowledge in her mind. While the exterior was indeed bizarre, its performance was anything but mediocre.

“Oh, your first creation, is it? Let’s see. You’ve certainly added a lot of features.” Upon this reminder, Mu Gengnian noticed the array of buttons on the dashboard, and as he observed more closely, something else piqued his interest. “Xiaoyuan, the materials you used for this car aren’t ordinary. The density and hardness are impressive.”

“That’s thanks to my guardian spirit reinforcing it. Originally, it was just ordinary iron plating.” As she spoke, Zhuang Xiaoyuan drove the electric car straight into a curve, not bothering to brake. With a beautiful drift, she rounded the sharp bend. All the while, she and Mu Gengnian discussed the vehicle and weaponry, speeding swiftly along.

“We’re here, Elder Mu.” After a few minutes, Zhuang Xiaoyuan delivered Mu Gengnian to the research division.

“Aren’t you coming in with me, Xiaoyuan? I can tell that Xiao Feng intends for you to stay here as well.” Opening the door, Mu Gengnian didn’t get out immediately, instead turning to ask her.

“No, I have things I need to do myself.” Having experienced the unexpected battle last time, and then undergoing the trial of her guardian spirit for over half a month, Zhuang Xiaoyuan had matured greatly—not only in strength, but in spirit as well. The confusion she had once felt was gone, replaced by new resolve. This inner growth was evident in the way her divine power increased more rapidly with each passing day.

Watching Mu Gengnian walk through the doors of the research division, Zhuang Xiaoyuan turned her car around and headed toward the headquarters of the logistics division. Though she had always appeared relaxed, even taking on side jobs to earn extra money, Zhuang Xiaoyuan did have an official position. Her duties were usually light, only becoming urgent when she was suddenly summoned for assignments like this.

“Reporting for duty, Commander. Zhuang Xiaoyuan present.” After dropping Mu Gengnian off, she drove straight to logistics headquarters, parked in a private spot in the corner, and hurried into Conference Room One. Whenever a major incident occurred, important meetings were always held here. At this moment, the room was filled with more than just Feng Guoqing; every senior officer from various posts had been gathered.

“Come in and find yourself a seat,” Feng Guoqing commanded, his face grave, devoid of his usual geniality. This was the true Feng Guoqing at work—exuding the aura of an authority figure, worthy of being one of Maple City’s two highest-ranking lieutenant generals.

“Yes, Commander.” Zhuang Xiaoyuan saluted, then walked to the last available seat. As she passed, the officers—though all wore serious expressions—each nodded to her in acknowledgment.

None of the officers present held a rank lower than second lieutenant, and all were much older than Zhuang Xiaoyuan. Her rank was second lieutenant, as was standard for any soldier who awakened a guardian spirit and became an Armored Warrior. In truth, given the nature of her guardian deity, she should have held a higher rank, but her initial test results were too weak, making her the lowest-ranked among the Armored Warriors.

The officers’ respectful nods were not solely due to her being an Armored Warrior; another key reason was Feng Guoqing’s influence. They all knew there was some familial connection between Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Feng Guoqing. Moreover, Zhuang Xiaoyuan conducted herself well and had never given anyone reason to dislike her, so the officers were generally friendly toward her.

Nevertheless, camaraderie had its limits. When it came to official business, none of these officers would let personal feelings interfere. If any delay or loss occurred due to Zhuang Xiaoyuan, they would not hesitate to hold her accountable.

Despite her sufficient rank to attend operational meetings, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s actual post was only that of a squad leader—she had only recently enlisted and lacked seniority.

“Very well, everyone should be up to speed on the situation. We’ll now begin assigning tasks,” Feng Guoqing announced, his gaze sweeping over his subordinates before consulting the documents in his hand. “Li Dageng, you and your team will go out first. Clear all major roads leading to and from the four city gates. Make sure traffic flows smoothly.”

“Yes, Commander. Consider it done.” A robust man in his thirties or forties, bearing the insignia of a colonel, stood and saluted solemnly.

“You may go,” Feng Guoqing replied, waving him off. Ensuring smooth transit was the top priority.

“Yes, Commander. Old Fan, Xiao Zhang, bring our team—let’s move.” Calling his subordinates, Li Dageng led the way out, and with their departure, the room was noticeably less crowded. Six or seven junior officers left with him.

“Zhang Weili, you’re next. Begin arranging personnel for inventory deployment. Make absolutely certain supplies keep pace with consumption.” With Li Dageng gone, Feng Guoqing’s eyes turned to the brigadier general seated before him. Though wrinkles lined his face, suggesting he was in his fifties or sixties, his hair remained jet black and glossy.

“Yes, Commander. It will be done.” Zhang Weili stood, saluted, and departed, followed by several lieutenants and captains. Zhang Weili was head of the Resource Allocation Department—one of the three main branches of the logistics division—and the direct superior of both the recently departed Li Dageng, commander of the vanguard regiment, and Wang Tianshang, who remained seated as commander of the transportation regiment.