During these six days, Jill Young investigated everyone who could possibly be a Chosen One, but the results were far from encouraging.
Because of the Blade Head Incident, many staff members were sent all over the world, which seriously messed up Jill's plans. She was basically running nonstop between suspects, checking them one by one using a priority system. But visual scans couldn't spot any Boundary Marks, and her senses didn't detect anyone much stronger than a normal human. The whole base was just regular people, top to bottom.
So the only possibility left was that those Chosen Ones had already left.
But according to field records, only three people had been transferred out between the incident and Jill's investigation. That didn't match the theory of 'four or more.' Maybe those Chosen Ones sneaked out some other way, but that's just pointless guessing. The investigation hit a dead end, and it seemed like the trail had gone cold.
But things don't wait for you. With Blade Head causing more and more trouble, Jill decided to take a wild approach and try a different route. If she couldn't find the Chosen Ones, maybe focusing on ordinary people would bring some unexpected results. And that annoying Special Commissioner was her first target. The young guy was way too suspicious, and sure enough, Jill caught him red-handed not long after she started watching.
In this deserted corner, Jill stared at the Special Commissioner like a wolf eyeing a sheep.
"Oh, you're here too, haha, what a coincidence!" The young man forced himself to act calm. He had no idea if this woman had overheard his conversation just now, so he had to play it cool.
Jill Young, however, ignored his nonsense. Her gaze was intense, and her voice carried such pressure it made people want to shiver: "Who were you talking to just now? What's the 'plan'? Who are those 'big bosses'? And why don't you want Berserker on the battlefield?"
The young man's mind went blank, his face turning pale in an instant. Crap, it seemed like this woman had heard everything she wasn't supposed to! What now? He absolutely couldn't let her spread the word at this critical moment! Luckily, this was an empty corner—he still had a chance...
"Haha, you must've misheard! I was just chatting with my dad..." As he stalled, the young man discreetly reached for his lower back. There was a gun there—taking someone out wouldn't be a problem.
But Jill suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck, picking him up like a chick. With a shake, she rattled his whole body, and the half-drawn gun fell to the ground with a clatter.
I don't have time for your nonsense. Talk or die, your choice.
You... you dare lay a hand on me?" The young man still didn't believe it, struggling to say, "If you touch me, I can...
"Wrong answer." Jill's eyes were cold. She grabbed his left hand, and with a crack, bent his fingers into a weird shape. "Ugh!" The young man tried to scream, but Jill squeezed his throat, choking it back. His face turned red, but he couldn't make a sound and just had to endure the pain.
I told you, it wouldn't take me ten minutes to turn you into ground meat. You still have one hand, two legs, twelve pairs of ribs, so you've got plenty of chances." Jill's voice was like a demon whispering from hell, shaking the young man's soul. "Go ahead, keep talking nonsense, let me play a little longer...
The young man's pupils shrank. Even in pain, he realized one thing: this woman wasn't joking.
I'll talk, I'll talk..." The young man gasped, then tried to speak as clearly as possible: "My boss is the Vice Chairman of the Board. He made some kind of deal with a group of mysterious people. I don't know the details, but my job is to keep Berserker from interfering. I'm just a small fry, that's all I know!
That's all? I don't buy it.' Jill squinted, then grabbed the young man's other hand and started to apply pressure.
Alright! Alright! My bad, I did secretly meet with those mysterious people. They can control Kaiju, and their goal is world domination!
Control Kaiju?' Jill's mind flashed with insight, then she asked, 'So what's their so-called plan?'
I really don't know, I'm just the errand guy. Maybe my boss would know!
So where's your boss?
Huh?' The young man stared at Jill, his eyes darting around before finally giving an address: 'His house is in Seattle, but he's probably in Washington right now.'
Pick up your phone, use whatever method you want, and find out his exact location within ten minutes. If I go there and he's not there, I'll turn you into something even freakier than those three.' Jill grabbed the young man and marched out. Fifteen minutes later, at the Hunter Academy helipad, an armed helicopter started up slowly.
Jacob shouted while dodging the wind, 'Are you sure you want to do this? If your guess is wrong, do you know how serious the consequences could be?'
Absolutely sure!' Causing trouble is no big deal, she's used to it: 'Tell Kost to stay sharp, don't rush in like an idiot, wait for my call!' She pushed the controls, and the helicopter lifted off, heading for the US mainland.
Compared to her wild flying in Steelbull City last time, this time Jill flew smooth and fast. This armed helicopter was loaded with high-tech from this near-future world, way faster than anything on Earth. Thanks to Jacob waving the Hunter Organization flag around, none of the US defense zones flagged the helicopter as suspicious, so it barreled straight toward the US capital.
Queen, if you mess this up, I might lose my head too...' In the command room, Jacob let out a long sigh, looking exhausted. He was under a lot of pressure—if something went wrong, he'd definitely be on the chopping block come autumn.
But some things are worth betting on—and you have to bet. 'Everything's riding on you. I believe your hunch is right.'
Time ticked by and Jacob felt his sense of time was warped. Long and short at the same time—he only remembered going to the bathroom three times and drinking four cups of coffee. When he staggered back to the command room, suddenly an alarm went off. A staffer shouted, 'Report, sir! We've spotted Blade Head—it's in Brazil!'
Everyone perked up instantly. All eyes were on Kost—Blade Head had everyone on edge, and now the Hunter Organization's comeback depended on winning this battle. The plan was foolproof; now it was up to the top commander to give the order.
Kost thought for a moment, then asked, 'Has the teacher's final evaluation come out yet?'
No, the experts are still evaluating.
Kost looked at Jacob, who hurried over and whispered, 'Buddy, trust her—just this once, trust her! There's something fishy going on. The fifth-generation mecha is our last ace, don't use it lightly!'
Kost hesitated, then finally took a breath and said, 'Alright, begin the entrapment plan. Step one: release the bait and guide the target to the planned location. As for the fifth-generation mecha... stay put!'
Yes!
Night fell, and fierce fighting broke out on the coast of Brazil. For a moment, the whole world was watching.
In a mansion in Washington, a skinny old man was also watching the events on the Brazilian coast. As the Vice Chairman, he had channels much more accurate and forward-looking than the TV. 'The moment the three Kaiju show up, they grab all the attention. Kost's reaction is... heh, just as expected, he's only got so much to offer. Under normal circumstances, your plan would be solid, but right now—ha!' The old man sat on the sofa, smugly talking to himself.
But then he frowned, puzzled: 'Why hasn't the fifth-generation mecha moved? That's not part of the plan. With his personality, why would he do that...' Just then, his phone rang. This was his special phone, for special contacts—twenty-four hours a day, always answered. Even if he was about to climax, he'd hit answer first.
Hello? What's going on?' The old man listened, but heard the roar of helicopter blades on the other end. Then a woman's voice came through: 'You have five minutes to explain your scheme, or I'll level you and your house!'
Wh-what?!' The old man froze for a moment—this was so unexpected. For a split second, he wondered if it was a wrong number, but then he heard the same helicopter noise outside. He jumped up, looking out to see a huge armed helicopter flying in, its blinding searchlight shining through the window, forcing him to shield his eyes.
What the hell is going on?! Who the hell are you?!' The old man screamed into the phone, feeling a bad premonition as the helicopter arrived at such a critical moment.
'Wrong answer.' was the simple reply from the other end.
In the next instant, the helicopter's mounted cannon spun up, unleashing a storm of metal that shredded the mansion's glass and walls, tore through the ceiling and furniture, turning everything to dust and debris.
The young man, thrown into the cabin, watched Jill pour out all the bullets. He realized getting just a broken hand was actually pretty gentle. Five minutes later, the mansion was a wreck, and Jill finally stopped shooting.
Is he... is he really dead?' the young man asked, since the ruins didn't look like anyone could survive.
Jill wasn't worried at all. She landed the helicopter, jumped out, and walked straight to a spot in the ruins. She casually tossed aside a few boards, then dragged the old man with a broken leg out from under a collapsed pillar.
The old man gasped in pain—he'd never suffered like this in his pampered life. Jill grabbed his collar and hauled him up: 'I don't want to repeat myself, but if you want to play tough, go ahead. Now, I'll ask again: What's your partners' plan?!'
But the old man laughed, his laughter mixed with pain and hysteria: 'Too late, you're all too late! The moment you were distracted by Blade Head and wasted all your strength on catching useless bait, you already lost! I didn't expect you to see through me, but so what? It's too far, you can't save anything—Hong Kong Base will become history!'
'Hong Kong?' Jill suddenly understood the enemy's plan. The Hong Kong Base was the site of the Asian Design Institute, where all the fifth-generation mecha designs were stored!