Upon returning to the headquarters of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau with his subordinates, Long Qian began to contemplate their next course of action. They were critically short of combat-type ability users. Su Liuying and the main force of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau had already perished. Regardless of how outstanding the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's ability users had been before, whether they could instantly melt steel or trigger minor earthquakes, they were all dead. Moreover, Yuzhou had directly divided the ability potions, completely disregarding the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's dignity.
Consequently, the Heavenly Dragon Bureau was now merely an empty shell. It couldn't even compare to the Bureau of Ability Management, let alone the newly established Heavenly Chosen Bureau.
The most crucial task now was to increase the number of ability users in the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. Otherwise, the Heavenly Dragon Bureau would inevitably face further setbacks and might even be absorbed by other ability user organizations. To illustrate, the recent operation against Yue Hengyi and the other two had required a temporary plea for assistance from the Thirteen Protectors of Mount Lyang for the ambush. Without external help, it was uncertain whether they could have captured Yue Hengyi.
Long Qian sat down with his people, feeling utterly exhausted. He thought, "I should have torn Su Liuying to pieces long ago. He led the main force out to battle, not only failing the mission but also losing all the elites outside. This has put me in such a passive position; it's unforgivable!"
At this moment, Long Qian's resentment towards Su Liuying was far beyond a mere trifle. He then extended his hatred for Su Liuying to Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi. After all, if Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi hadn't suddenly appeared in Yuzhou, Su Liuying and his group wouldn't have been so easily killed.
"I had already sent a message to Su Liuying, telling him that Yue Hengyi had returned to the country. Why did he still insist on proceeding? Getting himself killed by the enemy, what a fool!" Long Qian suddenly recalled that he had indeed sent a message to Su Liuying earlier, but it ultimately failed to prevent Su Liuying's plan. He was baffled by Su Liuying's decision-making at the time.
Long Qian was unaware that the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's ability users in Yuzhou had their signals completely cut off. This was orchestrated by Lu Kaiyang. Lu Kaiyang's ability was unfortunately not combat-oriented, but it was effective in disrupting signals.
It was precisely because of Lu Kaiyang's ability that the channel for Long Qian to send messages to Su Liuying was severed.
However, contemplating the current situation, Long Qian's confidence surged. He sneered, "This time, we must pin the disaster caused by Yue Hengyi on Shen Feng. We'll claim it was Shen Feng who instigated it. I don't believe this won't implicate Shen Feng. It will also prevent any reconciliation between Yuzhou and Yanjing in the future."
Suddenly, Wang Like asked, "Captain, didn't we obtain over a dozen ability potions from Qin Kewei earlier? When are we going to recruit new members?"
Hearing this question, Long Qian frowned and replied, "New ability users are already being trained and will emerge in a few days. I hope we can get some powerful ability users this time, otherwise, the Heavenly Dragon Bureau will truly be in danger."
Long Qian's own ability gave him a significant advantage in acquiring information. All the insects in Yanjing were under Long Qian's control. If Long Qian wanted to know something, he only needed to manipulate the insects to observe, and he would know. However, in terms of combat, his abilities were not particularly strong. At most, he could use insects for sneak attacks. What the Heavenly Dragon Bureau lacked were dedicated combat personnel.
Zhan Jinsu couldn't help but ask, "Captain, my brother has always performed exceptionally well and has admired you since childhood. Why don't you consider him?"
Although Zhan Jinsu didn't explicitly state it, her intention was clear: she hoped her brother could also become an ability user. Nowadays, the power of ability users was undeniable, and prominent families were starting to vie for their family members to become ability users, providing an additional layer of security.
Upon Zhan Jinsu's suggestion, others immediately began to criticize, "How can you be so selfish? Your family already has you as an ability user, and yet you're still not satisfied, wanting another family member to become an ability user. This is truly wishful thinking."
"Exactly. You didn't achieve any merit in this operation either. You were tasked with capturing Lin Yue, and you let him escape. You're useless."
"You're useless, and your brother is just as useless. The Heavenly Dragon Bureau has no need for useless people."
Hearing these accusations, Zhan Jinsu became angry and directly retorted, "If I failed to complete the mission, did you succeed? In the capture of Yue Hengyi, wasn't it the Captain who contributed the most? You didn't even qualify to participate in the mission; you were only responsible for liaison. I was almost killed by Lin Yue while trying to capture him."
Once the argument started, it became endless. Everyone was a member of a prominent family or an outstanding individual selected from the military. None of them were willing to concede to the other, and they all found each other displeasing. After the argument, the conference room became noisy.
Just then, Long Qian slammed the table with a loud bang.
Everyone immediately stopped arguing and looked at Long Qian, their faces filled with apprehension.
Long Qian looked at them with disappointment, saying, "What kind of behavior is this, being so rowdy? Can ability potions be obtained through arguments? Let me tell you, I also have to follow instructions from above. I can't just give them to whomever I please. If you truly want additional ability potions, then you must complete your missions diligently, and I will eventually ensure you all receive ability potions."
In the current society, everyone knew the preciousness of ability potions. Under the leadership of the headquarters, obtaining ability potions was not an easy feat. The distribution of ability potions was essentially decided by the headquarters, and only those approved by the headquarters could use them.
When the headquarters heard that people from the Bureau of Ability Management had been hoarding ability potions, they were also furious. After all, these were items that should be handed over, and hoarding them was a clear act of indiscipline. However, the main force of the Bureau of Ability Management was currently mining oil fields in Siberia, so the headquarters could not deal with them at this time and had to pretend not to know.
With Long Qian's suppression, the conference room finally became much quieter. He looked at the people in the room, feeling helpless. Except for a few whose abilities could barely be used in combat, the abilities of the others were almost useless. Yet, these individuals had many demands. Leading them was not an easy task.
At that moment, Long Qian suddenly sensed something and quickly said, "Someone is invading. Prepare for battle. Also, call for backup at any time. Follow me now!"
With that, Long Qian rushed out. The others were stunned by this news. At this time, having just captured the formidable Yue Hengyi, who would dare to invade? This was Yanjing, after all. Who would dare to attack so openly?
In ancient times, Yanjing was the imperial capital. Any adverse event occurring in such a place would undoubtedly attract immense attention.
The fact that Yue Hengyi went on a rampage in Yanjing this time was also a result of a scheme. Under normal circumstances, Yue Hengyi would not have had the audacity to do such a thing.
But now, with Long Qian announcing an invasion, it startled the others. Their first reaction was to find a place to hide. They were not combat-type ability users. They could argue with others, but if it came to a real fight, they might suffer a disadvantage.
There were those who were timid and those who were brave. They rushed out with Long Qian, grabbing weapons as they went.
When everyone followed Long Qian to the entrance of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau, they saw Gong Changfa approaching with a group of people in the distance. The entourage of over twenty people might not seem like a large number, but they were all ability users, making them formidable opponents.
"Gong Changfa, what are you doing? Are you bringing your men here to attack my Heavenly Dragon Bureau?" Long Qian immediately began to question him.
Gong Changfa smiled and led his men to stand outside the main gate of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau, saying, "Please don't accuse me without reason. I am not the lawless person you imagine. I am here today simply to visit the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. Are you, Mr. Long Qian, going to refuse me entry?"
Upon hearing this response, Long Qian thought, "These people are likely here to create chaos and seize Yue Hengyi. They are certainly capable of doing such a thing. They might even get away with it by relying on their sheer numbers of ability users and eventually shifting the blame to Yue Hengyi. Therefore, we absolutely cannot let them in!"
Long Qian was very worried that these people would enter the Heavenly Dragon Bureau and cause chaos. Capturing Yue Hengyi was currently the greatest achievement. If Yue Hengyi managed to escape at this moment, it would be a huge loss. Moreover, they had not yet obtained any ability potions. They could not afford to take any risks now.
However, as Long Qian spoke, Gong Changfa and his men continued to walk forward. As they walked, Gong Changfa remarked, "Young people these days are too shy. It's a bit stingy not to let us see. No, I must go in."
Long Qian snorted coldly and said, "I'd like to see who dares to trespass. Since the establishment of my Heavenly Dragon Bureau, who has been able to enter freely? If you intend to force your way in, don't blame me for being impolite!"
With that, Long Qian immediately unleashed his ability. The insects in Yanjing were mobilized. Whether they were flies or bees, they all flew into the air, gathering together and swirling in the sky like a black dragon.
Countless cockroaches also flew out from the sewers. These cockroaches were foul-smelling and not very lethal, but they were extremely disgusting.
Cockroaches are also known as "little strong" for a simple reason: their resilience. They can survive in any adverse environment. If a place cannot even support cockroaches, then humans certainly cannot survive there.
It is said that cockroaches can survive for a month without food or water. This ability to endure hunger is something that ordinary animals cannot match.
Upon seeing this, Gong Changfa remarked, "All show, but very intimidating."
Xun Yan also chimed in, "It's just a matter of a fire. I'll burn them all, no matter how many there are. What harm can a swarm of insects cause?"
The two sides began to confront each other at the entrance of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. The Heavenly Chosen Bureau had a numerical advantage, especially since Gong Changfa was already a well-known expert. On the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's side, besides Long Qian, only a few scattered individuals had come out with him, resulting in a severe imbalance of strength.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Yue, accompanied by Song Huairui, navigated through the sewers.
The sewers in Yuzhou were blocked with steel bars and wire mesh to prevent the mutated rats, which had been painstakingly cleared, from re-entering the city. While mutated rats were not particularly strong, their destructive capabilities were not to be underestimated. They carried viruses, and a single misstep could lead to an epidemic.
Yanjing was no different. Obstacles were placed in the sewers to prevent mutated rats from entering or exiting, which was a precautionary measure.
However, this made the cleaning of the sewers a problem. With the obstruction of the steel grates, some waste that could have been directly discharged accumulated in the sewers. Upon fermentation, it produced a stench that was unbearable.
Lin Yue, with cotton stuffed in his nose, still couldn't block the waves of stench that penetrated his nostrils, causing him to frown. He said, "I will never come to the sewers again."
The sewers contained silt, with a layer of sewage floating on the surface. However, stepping into it would cause one to sink into the mud. When lifting one's foot, it would bring out the foul-smelling silt. Some people threw cigarette butts into the sewers, thinking it was harmless. Others threw vegetable scraps into the sewers, believing they would eventually decompose. As a result, Lin Yue's path forward was filled with stench.
Lin Yue could even smell methane, which is biogas. If ignited, it could cause an explosion.