Chapter 1458 One Half

Late at night, the command bureau.

Under the dim light, only the staff were running around silently.

The overhead mechanism is still running. The night shift members calmly completed the handover with their colleagues who got off work on time, came to their work stations, and continued working like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Outside Ms. X’s office, there was a knock on the door.

Yegor.

"Excuse me." He nodded slightly: "Is there any news?"

"What a pity. Intelligence work is always a grind. You can't just let me be the magical blue-skinned robot cat who can do anything and come up with a plan when things get tough."

Ms. X stood up calmly and asked casually: "Bourbon? Or Highland?"

"Or just whiskey?" Yegor frowned.

"You need to order these things. Look at your face where you are almost dying of coffee. Have a cup and you will thank me." Ms. X put the cup in front of him.

The glass was full, and the heavy amber liquid exuded an alluring fragrance, making Yegor smile helplessly.

"Spare me, it's not time to celebrate yet."

"So, what do you want to see me for?" Ms. X returned to her seat.

"Bringing you good news." Yegor submitted the observation report of today's regeneration plan, which made Ms.

"What's wrong?" Yegor said: "In the past two hundred years, the overhead agency has participated in the regeneration plan for the second time and gained such a strong position. I think you should be happy."

"Happy? Well, a little bit, but she shouldn't be too happy." Ms. Are you rebellious?"

You want me to do this?

OK.

Are you ready to face the consequences?

It was as if one could imagine that the subordinate's sharp questioning made Ms. X's lips curl into an expectant smile.

Of course, Ai Qing.

Of course...

"Your sense of smell is still so scary. Are you prepared in advance?" Yegor asked curiously: "Did you notice something?"

"I can only say...intuition? There is no evidence and no speculation...it's just an instinctive feeling that something is not right, so I want to prepare early to avoid accidents."

Ms.

"Which one?"

"Um?"

Yegor asked persistently: "In your opinion, which one is the uncontrollable factor, the regeneration plan or Ai Qing?"

"It depends, doesn't it?"

Ms.

"So, are there really no concrete investigation results?" Yegor finally asked before leaving.

"Huh? Are you talking about the abnormal trends in London's logistics? Or are you talking about the strange trends that are prevalent in the current situation? The rising extreme emotions in the decision-making room? Or the problems in the operation of various departments? The sudden rallies at the border? There are thousands more The sky-high price bounty that appeared on the Collection of Sins?

All, and more. "

Ms.

All the clues are intricate and intricate. Which one do you want to hear? "

Yegor asked: "Something simple, straightforward, something I can understand."

"Then just watch this."

Ms.

"That's the preliminary analysis result, hehe, novice." Ms.

She said: "Just go to the second page."

The place marked red by her.

[...At 0:35 in the morning, according to chaos calculation statistics, all thirty-three investigators entered the scene, and the regeneration plan began...]

"What's wrong?" Yegor still didn't understand.

What answered him was another list, stamped with the seal of the Pioneer Association, listing all the organizations participating in the regeneration plan.

Total…

"Thirty-two?" Yegor frowned.

incredible.

Not believing it, I counted it again, and then again.

"Yeah, thirty-two institutions."

Ms. X murmured softly: "Where did that extra one come from?"

There are thirty-two organizations, thirty-two agents, and the authority issued by the Pioneer Association is only thirty-two.

But who is the extra one?

Yegor was silent for a long time.

He picked up the wine on the table, raised his head, and drank it all.

He needs a little heat.

In the terrifying coldness that felt like falling into an ice cave...

The next day, in the morning, eight o'clock.

North London, Old Town Hall.

In the early days of the Authority, this was the heart of London. As time goes by, the blocks and buildings age. After the city hall was moved more than a hundred years ago, it became a commemorative tourist attraction.

There was silence in the ancient and huge building at the moment. Only the lights were on. Together with the surrounding blocks, they were bathed in the dark and dense rain. Just in front of the door, there was a temporary visit sign.

But in fact, the cognitive impairment had already started when Maxim moved in a few days ago.

Today's city hall has become the headquarters of the office.

At the same time, they are also the only institution that has never concealed its location, just like a decision-making room, exposing all processes and operations to everyone's prying eyes.

Declare your own existence.

Since early in the morning, low-key vehicles have been parked around the office, and there is an endless stream of visitors wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas.

After spending a frightening night, the participants finally met the dawn and the set time, and gathered here.

It would be nice if the situation were different...

Maxim, who personally stood behind the door to greet all visitors, had this thought more than once.

If in normal times, under the pressure of Solomon, everyone formed such an alliance with the general office as the center, it would almost be possible to declare victory.

Whether it is negotiation, suppression, threats or transactions, a complete camp can always be truly formed.

Regrettably...there are still two fishbones in the throat of the fictitious institutions and the financial weaving bureau. The alliance can only ever be such a loose alliance.

Once Solomon exits, everything will fall apart.

We can only try our best to show the influence of the general office during the operation and attract more free organizations.

Looking for opportunities…

And just as he was thinking, a sharp voice suddenly sounded from in front of him.

drop! ! !

For a moment, everyone in front of the security gate felt like they were facing an enemy.

And just in front of the door, the woman who came in the rain slowly put away her umbrella and handed it to the dull security guard beside her: "Don't be nervous, it's just a metal plate on two bones.

If you're so nervous, should you take it out? "

Ai Qing.

Under the surveillance of the secret ritual, the bones of her lower body were revealed from the screen, as well as the metal structures attached to her legs, hip bones, and spine.

Those are the tragic traces left by the car accident...

Maxim was the first to react.

"welcome."

He reached out his hand: "Do you have time to talk?"

"After the operation is over?" Ai Qing suggested.

"Are you so confident?"

Maxim sighed slightly.

"I have confidence in myself, and you should have confidence in me too."

She said: "It's better to have."

Just like that, she crossed the door in front of her and walked towards the conference hall.

Omitting red tape and skipping all unnecessary procedures, when Ai Qing entered the 'prison' prepared for herself, the command center was ready.

"A new type of Tianmu system?"

When she sat in front of the chair and looked at the complicated command system in front of her, she couldn't help laughing: "You are really well prepared."

Maxim nodded slightly and said nothing.

As an agent of the office, he holds the authority issued by the decision-making room [Decisive Moment] - when necessary, he can take over all agencies, departments and systems in London and issue and issue orders.

He can do everything City Hall can do, and do it better.

Even though she had expected it, when Ai Qing saw the data and formation in front of her, she still couldn't help but sigh with emotion at this remarkable talent.

Coordination, planning, arrangement, integration...

In just the middle of the night, he had compiled all the information and manpower submitted by all the agents, and even the historical information, combat experience, background, and skills of each key figure.

Even, he thoughtfully gave many suggestions for reference only.

There is absolutely no drag on anything, which is amazing.

In contrast, the available manpower is... downright interesting.

"There are two hundred and twenty-six ascendants, and a total of five hundred and sixty elite soldiers... It looks like a gathering of elites."

Ai Qing looked at the luxurious lineup in her hands and smiled silently: "Should I thank everyone for placing unrealistic expectations on me?"

Use this few manpower to fight against Solomon?

Are you serious?

"Conditions are limited." Maxim replied.

You can't tell whether he is helpless or gloating, his expression is always solemn and calm.

This is the combat power that Ai Qing tried her best to obtain from her "allies" - "one-half" of the entire team.

This was the question raised by someone at the end of yesterday's meeting.

"What if you deliberately consume everyone's manpower?"

The person who asked the question said: "It best suits your needs to let both us and Solomon lose. It's okay if we win against Solomon, but what if we lose after a command mistake? And how can you ensure that you will not deliberately consume our subordinates?" , to seek your own victory?”

"So, what do you think should be done?" Ai Qing asked.

"It's very simple. I believe that if the alliance works together, it won't be a problem to capture Solomon. If that's the case, then it shouldn't be necessary to use all the combat power, right?" The questioner said confidently: "If there is half of it, I will I think that should be enough.”

"really--"

Ai Qing sighed in admiration: "Your Excellency is quite far-sighted."

What's weird is that the echoing sounds are also endless, like the sound of an abacus being fiddled with, so clear and crisp.

In response, Ai Qing just smiled silently.

Should I say stupid or smart?

Regardless of the proposer or the approver, in the final analysis, no one has ever trusted Ai Qing, even if she paid so much in exchange.

Even those who understand will remain silent, hoping to use this as an excuse to wrest more chips from Ai Qing.

No, maybe they have already seen the future after defeating Solomon, right?

Whether it was to avoid the loss of strength, or to have more say in the subsequent struggle...or simply to judge others by oneself, thinking that Ai Qing must have some dark thoughts.

Actually...

Well, they're right.

If there was a chance to make everyone present bleed, Ai Qing would never hesitate. If they can suffer heavy losses, they must rely on the protection of overhead institutions. If they have no choice, then they will have no choice but to go their own way.

The key to bureaucracy is to rule, and the struggle to rule is always full of compromise. There is no doubt that all of you here are the embodiment of compromise and struggle.

But the key point is...even if Ai Qing does this, it will only be after she is absolutely sure of defeating Solomon.

Instead of holding back before the war begins.

In response, Ai Qing just smiled politely, drank tea, and waited for the discussion to come to an end. When the proposer, who almost everyone agreed with, asked Ai Qing for her opinion, she just nodded slightly.

"sure."

"No problem," she said.

In the weird and short silence, she smiled slightly and made the final decision: "Let's make this decision... There shouldn't be any objections from anyone, right?"

She was answered only by silence and astonishment.

In fact, even the definition of "one-half" manpower is completely unclear. Is it half the number of people? Or half the strength?

There is so much room for making fuss.

Everyone knows very well that once this hole is opened, it will give too many people excuses and reasons to deal with it passively. Most people will probably not even use half of the manpower!

As for quality, even if it looks like a gathering of elites, compared with the real family background, it's probably not worth mentioning, right?

And among the few institutions that fully cooperated, besides Maxim, there was actually Camilla?

Ai Qing was quite surprised by this.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, "Possessed?"

"I'm willing to admit defeat."

Camilla smiled sweetly and said sincerely: "GIRLS HELP GIRLS!"

This is disgusting. Why are you pretending to be a cute sweetheart?

Is this old woman over thirty?

Ai Qing smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Camilla said without any shame, holding her chest up and raising her head, as if she had been praised.

Ai Qing, on the other hand, just silently moved her up one spot from the cleanup list.

Expedited.

Then, the work begins.

The actual command work is not as cool as in the movie. In order to first find out how many people there are and how many can be used, the specific level and composition, as well as the composition of each part, team reorganization, and checking the time and code name The tables, group numbers and more took her an hour.

This is already amazing speed.

As time passed by, it was approaching noon, but the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and some people were already starting to get impatient.

"Please tell me when does it start?"

In the command center, among all the agents watching, someone said, "It won't be delayed until the afternoon, right?"

"Soon, right away."

Ai Qing asked the question warmly without any irritation: "In a while, there should be news."

"information?"

The questioner was puzzled: "What news?"

Ai Qing didn't answer.

Only in the distance, there was a faint roar of explosions.

The hall of the old city hall was shaken, and then, a high-pitched alarm from the secret ritual suddenly sounded - an unknown force invaded!

Then, as the air twisted strangely, it seemed as if an invisible drill suddenly pierced out from the void. Bit by bit, debris flew forward, forming a crystallized light.

That's a path that unfolds quickly!

——[Mingguang Tunnel]!

And just before that, outside the city hall building, in the thick curtain of rain, on the rooftop a block away, the heavy poncho was torn open, revealing the sharp outline below.

The messy cables, chips and even the motherboard were exposed to the rain, causing sparks to fly, while the screen that was randomly welded on was still flickering with noise and black spots.

But now, as the operator completed the final input, the huge frame suddenly shook, and then thick smoke and flames rose into the sky.

Follow the steel bird soaring in the sky.

That is……

"missile!!!"

In the front row of the command center, observers shouted in horror.

boom! ! !

In the midst of the heavy rain, a dazzling flame suddenly burst out.

Terrifying heat that was enough to completely incinerate the entire neighborhood rose into the sky. Along with the storm and thick smoke, the thick clouds were torn apart, allowing the dark sunlight to shine from beyond the clouds.

It illuminates the riddled city hall, which is full of cracks and crumbling.

And just above the city hall, the alchemy matrix and framework originally used for defense had begun to flicker violently, unable to support this sudden attack.

Then, the second one!

Then, the third one!

He did not hesitate to use the means of war on his opponents.

As a result of three missile bombardments, the building on the right wing screamed and collapsed amidst the tremors of the earth. Amid the violent turmoil, the lights in the command center flickered.

A large amount of metal foil fell in the heavy rain, and the intense electromagnetic pulse quickly dimmed the lights in several blocks. Even the screen in front of Ai Qing began to flicker violently.

Chaotic reports and roars came from the communication channel.

And, gunshot——

The Mingguang Tunnel suddenly opened, and immediately after, what poured in like a torrent behind the tunnel were countless steel soldiers shrouded in layers of armor!

——The undead army armed to the soul!

At this moment, Ai Qing finally waited for the news from Solomon - his declaration of war!

"what happened?"

In the turbulent dust, someone screamed: "Why..."

"I've already told you that there is a traitor among us, do you want me to repeat it a second time?" Ai Qing interrupted him: "Can't you just shut up and be quiet for a while?"

His sharp gaze swept over every face, distinguishing their applications, confirming his guesses, or adding more suspicions.

I'm afraid Solomon had already received the news before the alliance was established, right?

Hearing that his opponents chose to unite and even choose a commander under his pressure... If he were Solomon, he might laugh his head off.

He just lacked a chance to catch all his enemies in one fell swoop.

No matter when, the most annoying person is always Er Wu Zai.

For this kind of mole hiding around me...

Ai Qing just wanted to say thank you.

If there wasn't really a mole, then she could only find a way to find someone to call Solomon to inform him.

Listen up, Solomon, the overhead agencies have joined forces and are throwing a great party at City Hall tomorrow. All participants will be present, guess who didn’t receive an invitation?

--you!

And now, the students who were 'bullied' came to the door with guns in hand.

Braving the heavy rain, I rushed to the invitation.

Wouldn't it be beautiful to go in both directions?

War comes suddenly.

It was like the vague prelude to the opening of a dance party, amidst the roar of the electromagnetic knife and the roar of the curse bullets.

Looking down from the internal surveillance, it can be seen that the steel soldiers gathered in an array, moved straight forward, and began to destroy everything with jaw-dropping efficiency.

Even with the old administration's maintenance of the city hall, this place has long been turned into a barrier.

Even, as if he knew the internal layout clearly, he went straight to the weak points of the defense.

The layers of secret rituals and matrix blockades quickly collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and all the people gathered here began to hurriedly deploy their defenses.

In less than half a minute, the ground floor of the north wing of the city hall was about to be lost.

And it was only at this time, in the chaos, that Maxim noticed the amazing calmness and calmness of the woman next to him - making people wonder whether she had expected it.

No, she had already seen such a result, right?

Even facing the accusation of 'betrayer' raised by someone among the agents at this moment, he did not raise his head or look at it, and quickly mobilized the newly reorganized manpower to start organizing the defense.

"Please rest assured that Solomon will not be able to break through our defenses for the time being, thanks to careful planning and preparation with the General Office."

When all the parts were gradually in place, Ai Qing sighed softly: "In a short period of time, everyone and I will be safe, but..."

"It's just what? Can't you just do it!"

Someone asked angrily, dissatisfied that she was still being pushy at this time.

"It's just that defense is passive after all. Since Solomon dares to attack us, he may be sure to completely destroy us."

Ai Qing answered bluntly: "For this plan, our chance of victory is to be the first to capture the opponent's fortress before it completely falls here."

As soon as he said that, the command center fell into dead silence again.

More than one person wanted to urge her to launch an attack quickly, but then, they remembered that the combat forces that had just been assembled were already besieged in the city hall!

For a moment, I couldn't help but feel depressed.

"Now that things have happened, how can we still do it in time?"

"It's coming in time, of course it's coming."

Ai Qing comforted her considerately: "You don't have to be so depressed."

Just like that, she smiled, looking at those faces that seemed to have a glimmer of hope, and told them: "No, is there any 'half' left?"

In this damn hot weather, after experiencing air conditioner downtime, maintenance difficulties, overnight orders, expedited delivery, emergency installation... and after a whole day of flying pigeons yesterday, the air conditioner was finally installed this afternoon. .

Woohoo, air conditioner, my air conditioner...