"Big Brother Gu, where are we going?" Qiji asked, following behind Gu Ya.
"Can you act?" Gu Ya retorted.
"Ah? Not really..." Qiji chuckled awkwardly.
"Then just follow me closely and don't speak."
The two of them piloted their mechas and flew swiftly out of the Black Star Central Metropolis, heading towards Xia Xin City.
The Black Star Empire's mainland, though not as vast as Xian Xia, was still considerably large.
After the "Night of Descent" 300 years ago, fragments of a comet tore through the once-intact Black Star continent, creating hundreds of impact craters.
Seawater poured into the interior through these craters, shaping the land into its current form,
which is also the origin of the name "Land of Ten Thousand Islands."
Like Xian Xia,
due to war and disaster, almost all Black Star inhabitants lived in cities,
while the vast territories were uninhabited.
These continuous mountains, winding rivers, and inland seas,
when viewed from high above, offered a magnificent panorama, as if one could stand at the very peak.
What Gu Ya found perplexing was that while transportation was now primarily done by mechas,
the Black Star Empire had still constructed magnificent bridges connecting the various continental islands.
These bridges, spanning gorges and lakes, stood like solitary figures in a scene where all tracks had vanished.
The powerful visual impact of the scenery captivated Gu Ya.
"The Black Star Empire is truly beautiful..."
"I still think Xian Xia is more beautiful," Qiji said dismissively.
Gu Ya smiled gently, "Yes, in no time, Xian Xia's land will also be covered in vegetation."
"Big Brother Gu, I miss home."
"Who doesn't? When we finish our business, we'll go home!"
After a bumpy flight,
when the sun was slightly north of the zenith,
Gu Ya and Qiji finally flew over Xia Xin City.
This city was built on a mountain peak 3,000 meters above sea level.
Its towering city walls, constructed from white sea rocks, stretched like the Great Wall along the mountain ridges, encircling the city.
There were no skyscrapers on the peak; the tallest buildings did not exceed ten stories.
The true main city of Xia Xin was located within the body of the giant mountain itself.
The entire mountain peak had been hollowed out, leaving only a strong, empty shell.
Interestingly,
the people of Xia Xin City had carved thousands of light-guiding caves into the hillsides and cliffs.
These caves were lined with super-conductive light materials that channeled sunlight indiscriminately into the mountain's interior.
The diurnal cycle within the main city was the same as outside, but it was warm in winter and cool in summer, with lush vegetation and good air quality, making it very suitable for human habitation.
After Gu Ya and Qiji entered the mountain city without incident,
they were still exhilarated by the sight before them.
The entire city seemed to be nestled beneath a giant bowl-shaped structure.
The edges of this bowl-like structure were riddled with thousands of holes, as if gnawed by ants, and sunlight, exhibiting the Tyndall effect, streamed in as straight beams, illuminating every corner of the city.
At first glance, it possessed a strangely magnificent beauty.
The only aspect that Gu Ya found slightly disorienting was the difficulty in discerning direction without the sun's guidance.
If not for the mission,
Gu Ya would have genuinely wanted to stay in this city for a while to experience the novelty of this "otherworldly" place.
The two parked their mechas,
changed into Black Star officer uniforms,
and Gu Ya, with Qiji trailing behind him like a subordinate, entered the Government Affairs and Records Building.
After passing through security and identity checks, they took an elevator directly down to the seventeenth basement level.
As soon as the elevator doors opened,
they saw an old woman sitting by the elevator entrance, engrossed in slowly knitting a sweater.
"Ah, what do you need?" the old woman mumbled, her hands and eyes never leaving the half-finished sweater.
However, Gu Ya felt he had been thoroughly scrutinized by her.
Gu Ya said coldly, "We are consultants from the Military Intelligence Department, dispatched by Commander Lai Jing to investigate the files of newly enlisted personnel."
The old woman chuckled, "Your Military Intelligence Department is quite amusing, asking for people in Section Nine-Nine."
Gu Ya continued to feign an air of superiority, "I am acting on the Commander's orders, not those of the Military Intelligence Department."
The old woman calmly replied, "Then do you know about the intelligence leak that occurred this morning?"
"Section Nine-Nine has currently lost contact with the Commander."
"Until the cause of the leak is identified, we are not open to external access."
"This is stipulated in the confidentiality agreement personally signed by the Commander."
Gu Ya had no patience for her explanation and stated firmly, "I am acting on the Commander's orders. Those who defy will be executed immediately."
With that, Gu Ya slowly raised the gun in his hand and aimed it at the old woman's head.
The old woman finally put down her knitting, tilted her head slightly, revealing a cunning and sinister gaze. Her lips curved upwards into an evil smile, "Hehehe, I am old, a person destined to die. Since you wish to kill me, go ahead and try."
"If you wanted to die, you should have said so earlier. Why all the pointless talk?"
"Bang!"
Gu Ya calmly fired. The bullet pierced the old woman's head, and blood and brain matter splattered onto the white wall, blooming like crimson and ivory flowers.
Qiji was stunned on the spot.
"Big Brother... Big Brother Gu, aren't you afraid of surveillance here?"
Gu Ya retracted his gun, smashed the elevator call button with a punch, and said coldly, "Why do you think I brought you out here?"
"You said... we were... coming out to play..."
"Exactly."
Gu Ya walked steadily towards the end of the corridor.
Qiji glanced at the deceased old woman and quickly followed.
Not long after they walked away,
the already dead old woman suddenly stood up, her head a bloody mess, and lunged at them with a wild roar.
Gu Ya instantly vanished from Qiji's sight, reappearing behind him.
Facing the old woman, his dual light swords instantly extended.
After a few sharp flashes of blade, the old woman was dismembered, her body parts flying everywhere, splattering the ceiling, walls, and floor.
"Let's go."
Having dealt with the old woman, Gu Ya said coldly, leading Qiji towards the end of the corridor.
He pushed open the door at the end,
revealing a massive, cylindrical inner chamber.
The walls of the thirty-meter-high chamber were covered with holographic projections.
In mid-air, many people stood on levitating platforms, rapidly flying towards the holographic images on the walls and interacting with the people within them.
They wore headphones and closed-microphone headsets.
The only sound in the entire hall was a faint "whooshing," the sound of weak exhaust from the levitating platforms.
Gu Ya looked at the hall and smiled at Qiji, "See, Section Nine-Nine is truly thoughtful."
"What do you mean, Big Brother Gu?" Qiji asked, confused.
"Didn't you hear that old woman? Due to last night's intelligence leak, Section Nine-Nine has severed communications with the Central Tower."
Qiji still didn't understand how this related to their arrival.
Gu Ya patiently explained, "That means, no matter how much trouble we cause, no one will know, right?"
Qiji suddenly understood, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked at Gu Ya, trembling with excitement!
The two instantly encased themselves in powered exoskeleton armor, transforming into three-meter-tall mobile suits!
Simultaneously, all the holographic projections in the hall flickered and died!
The entire hall plunged into darkness.
Before the emergency power could activate,
Gu Ya and Qiji leaped forward.
Two streaks of ethereal blue exhaust cut through the darkness, rushing into the depths of the hall.