Chapter Thirty: Codename "2148"

After a long while, Chen Nian slowly stood up.

That other self had spoken the truth—no matter what, he would continue his investigation. At this point, he was like a gambler about to wager everything he owned. He wouldn’t just listen to others’ advice and place his bets accordingly; he had to uncover the truth for himself, down to every last detail.

Moreover, he already had a clear idea of what his next step should be.

“Once I get out, I’ll head to No. 172 Xingguang Road and find out who used to live there. That should shed light on most of the truth. The only problem is, after I leave, will I be able to come and go freely from Space Command One?”

Chen Nian pondered silently. Judging by the current circumstances, he would be hard-pressed to leave the base, let alone use his own phone.

So before he got out, he needed to gain Wang Yinlong’s absolute trust. Only then, when he asked to leave the base, would Wang Yinlong find it difficult to refuse.

In the end, it still came down to performing well in the virtual realm. This was perfectly in line with the plan he’d set before coming in.

…

Having clarified his next steps and cast aside all distractions, Chen Nian looked over at Wang Yinlong, who stood near the teleportation array not far away.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yinlong was looking at him as well, and their eyes met for an instant.

Wang Yinlong grinned.

Before coming in, Ye Guangyu had specifically reminded him to find ways to deepen Chen Nian’s sense of belonging to the Space Forces, and to the nation itself.

He had already thought of a way outside.

“Chen Nian, are you feeling better now?”

“I’m fine. I just remembered some unpleasant things from the past,” Chen Nian replied offhandedly.

“Good, as long as you’re alright. Come here for a moment—I have an important task for you,” Wang Yinlong said with a serious face.

Without hesitation, Chen Nian strode over quickly.

It seemed the two were of one mind.

Once Chen Nian was near, Wang Yinlong crouched down and drew a nine-square grid on the ground, marking two dots in the center square.

“This spot is our point of origin—the Space Forces… well, let’s just call it that. Old habits die hard. The main Space Forces unit should be right here. The other dot is our lakeside outpost; everyone from the advance party—except those who didn’t come this time—are gathered near this point. Last time before we came in, you made a good point: as crucial nodes, the teleportation arrays have to be guarded carefully. But right now, our team hasn’t regrouped yet, so we can’t spare anyone.

“The task I’m giving you is simple, but important. Find some decent, eye-catching boulders, carve the character for ‘Xia’—Summer—on them, and place one at each of the four directions around the five-colored pillar teleportation arrays.”

As he spoke, Wang Yinlong tapped several points on the nine-square grid.

Each node represented integer coordinates, and also a teleportation array.

“Except for the teleportation array we’re at now, you’ll place four boundary stones at each of the remaining fifteen arrays, declaring our claim. From now on, this nine-square region will be our territory in the virtual realm—sacred and inviolable. If anyone trespasses and gets wiped out by us, it’s their own fault.”

…

“Wow, claiming new lands! Take me with you!” Ye Qiang exclaimed enviously from the side.

“None of your business. You’re coming with me to meet up with the main force!” Wang Yinlong shoved him aside.

Chen Nian stared at the nine-square grid, momentarily lost in thought. The task wasn’t difficult, but it carried a sense of solemnity.

Wang Yinlong hadn’t arbitrarily staked out an enormous area, just this single nine-square grid. If he’d gone bigger and failed to control it, it would have been a joke. Claiming a smaller area actually lent the act more gravity.

In reality, though, the area wasn’t small at all—over ninety thousand square kilometers, about the size of a province.

“Alright. I promise to complete the mission,” Chen Nian said earnestly.

Wang Yinlong gave his shoulder a gentle pat.

“Take Old Li and Xiao Hu with you—you’ll need help with the bigger stones. As for safety, don’t worry. Our outpost’s coordinates have most likely already been exposed, so other nations’ large units won’t come near. Even if they wanted to target us, they’d need time to assemble, and at the current pace, that can’t be done in a day.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

“Heh, as long as you’re willing to work hard, I’ll make sure you’re well looked after,” Wang Yinlong chuckled, then stood up.

…

With the mission in hand, Chen Nian, Xiao Hu, and Old Li set to work immediately.

First, they surveyed all fifteen surrounding teleportation arrays to ensure safety, then found a rocky area to collect large stones.

They were meticulous in their selection—each stone had to be at least waist-high and roughly square. Once chosen, Chen Nian used a bone knife to carve on them: first a huge “Xia” character, then below it, a line in smaller script—“Trespassers bear the consequences.”

Chen Nian worked with great care. As Xiao Hu put it, if the carving was good, the boundary stone could be reused even if a better outpost was found in the future. Wherever the stone was carried, that would be Xia’s territory.

As the one doing the carving, a deep sense of pride naturally welled up.

With that in mind, Chen Nian threw himself into the task with all his strength.

“Chen, if only we had a phone! I’d take some pictures—I could brag about this for a lifetime!” Xiao Hu sighed regretfully, holding a torch.

Though they were just stones, he knew countless people would guard them in the future.

…

Sixty boundary stones took the three of them over ten hours to carve and transport. Once all were finished, they hauled them one by one to the nearby teleportation arrays. By then, dawn was already breaking.

After placing four stones at each of the four directions by the array, they carried another four into the teleportation array.

…

Repeating this process, the pile of stones steadily diminished. When they finally finished placing the last ones, the three of them sat down on the ground in unison.

From now on, this nine-square region—over ninety thousand square kilometers—belonged to Xia.

Looking at the boundary stones by the teleportation arrays, even Old Li, usually so stern, couldn’t help but smile.

But just as he was about to lie down and rest, he suddenly sensed something amiss.

He sat up quickly, sniffed the air, then reached out to the ground half a meter ahead.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Nian asked, noticing Old Li’s odd behavior.

Old Li turned back and showed his hand to Chen Nian. The soil on his fingers was tinged with red.

“There’s blood. Human blood, and it hasn’t dried yet. Someone came through here while we were carving the stones.”

He stood up and examined the area closely.

“There are some footprints as well.”

At this, both Chen Nian and Xiao Hu instinctively stood up.

“Don’t move. Let me check,” Old Li warned, then cautiously walked forward. After two steps, he crouched again, touched the ground, and found another smear of blood.

Chen Nian stayed where he was but kept a sharp eye on their surroundings.

Before long, he too noticed something odd: inside the western teleportation array, there were faint signs of a struggle. The glow of the array concealed the marks—one wouldn’t notice them without close inspection.

But who would fight inside a teleportation array, especially one so close to Space Command?

Chen Nian looked toward Old Li. The blood trail also led west, but there were no obvious signs of a struggle—just some faint footprints.

A moment later, Old Li picked up a large leaf from the ground nearby. Its presence seemed out of place, as the leaves on the surrounding trees were all noticeably smaller.

Turning it over, Old Li revealed a number written in blood on its underside: 2148.

“Come over here. This could be serious,” Old Li said gravely.

Chen Nian stepped closer and glanced at the leaf, immediately recalling something from the files he’d read before entering. Some special codes had been mentioned.

And “2148” was the emergency distress signal.

By now, the main Space Forces unit should have regrouped and be establishing their outpost, ready to start large-scale exploration at first light. Why would someone show up here at this time and leave a bloody plea for help?

Before he could think further, Old Li said in a grave tone, “It’s very likely… one of our agents stationed abroad.”