As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 229 Special Employees
When the Beast Taming Civilization reached its final, impending destruction during the Third Age, both humans and supernatural beings had elevated gene modulation technology to its pinnacle.

The harmless little bird, the "Phantom Bee," has also been caught up in the frenzy of "weaponization," and through round after round of cruel modifications, it has awakened collective intelligence and acquired a so-called "soul."

The collective intelligence of some of the "Phantom Swarms" escaped the apocalypse of civilization's destruction and has been preserved to this day as remnants of the past.

Establishing a mental link with a "Phantom Bee" does not enhance combat power or motor skills, but it greatly expands the range of perception and allows you to share everything you scan within your field of vision with nearby companions who have also summoned a "Phantom Bee".

Xu Yan had been researching the "Phantom Bee" for a long time.

The original intention was to provide it to delivery drivers and food delivery riders in re-employment training classes.

The goal is to enable them to quickly and accurately locate a specific address in a complex and unfamiliar environment, especially in old neighborhoods that are like a maze.

However, this skill, once enhanced, seems to be even more beneficial for patrol members in accomplishing their mission.

— It can quickly scan all entrances and exits in complex environments and use its robust, shield-like steel body to firmly block them.

Once a suspect is spotted, there's no need to rush to arrest them. Instead, use the "Phantom Bee" ability to share the information with all the patrol members in the vicinity, forming an impenetrable wall of defense.

Xu Yan felt that this was the tactic with the shortest training time, the easiest to implement, and the least likely to cause casualties among patrol members.

This tactic was fine-tuned by Xiong Tieshan, the master of the no-card strategy.

It quickly gained the approval of the security department.

As new patrol members joined the Security Bureau's combat teams, the chaotic situation in Dawn City was brought under control.

At least on the surface, the most vicious and dangerous criminals have temporarily gone into hiding, and no more horrific crimes have been reported for two consecutive weeks.

The Security Bureau was very satisfied with the work done by the Crazy Iron Club.

In particular, Xu Yan's card-making skills were highly praised.

Mutual trust has reached a new level.

In addition, Long Jianhuan strongly recommended it.

Ultimately, Xu Yan officially joined the Dawn City Security Bureau as a "special employee" rather than a "temporary employee."

The difference between the two is that the latter are simply temporary workers, laborers, meat shields, or even cannon fodder.

In addition to low pay, they are subject to quasi-military management, with 72-hour shifts being commonplace, and very little personal space or free time.

The latter refers to a highly skilled expert specially hired for a particular case.

Not only do they receive relatively high pay and have greater freedom of action, but they can also unlock more relevant intelligence as needed for the case.

Dr. Hyde, formerly known as the "Hand of Dawn," was a special employee of the Security Bureau.

After he turned to the dark side and became "Dr. Half-Brain," taking charge of the Dawn City branch of the Black Dream organization, just how much destruction did he cause?

This reveals the level of authority and benefits that this person enjoys.

However, the reporting address that Long Jianhuan gave Xu Yan was not the Dawn City Security Bureau Command Center, which Xu Yan was already very familiar with.

Instead, it was located in the south of the city, in an unremarkable warehouse.

She also mentioned that this was for the convenience of the investigation and for Xu Yan's personal safety.

Xu Yan's new identity cannot be revealed at this time. Hopefully, Xu Yan himself will also keep quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble or even danger.

Xu Yan's heart moved.

They knew that Long Jianhuan must have found a new clue while tracking down the blood-stained crystal coin.

Moreover, the clues are definitely related to a giant crocodile lurking deep within Dawn City.

"Very good. Judging from the current situation, Ms. Lelena was not lying. Dawn City is indeed facing annihilation."

"However, what exactly makes the Black Dream organization claim that they can save this resource-depleted mining city?"

"Could the answer be related to the hidden power behind this blood-stained crystal coin?"
"Have the elite forces of the Black Dream Organization already infiltrated Dawn City during the recent chaos? What kind of operation are they planning?"

Xu Yan grinned, licking his sharp canines, sensing that he would soon find the answer.

……

The next day, early morning.

South of Dawn City, in the Iron Slag District.

While Liming Heavy Industry's main business was still thriving, the largest quantity of minerals they unearthed from deep within the earth were not raw crystals, but various associated minerals.

Although these ores are not good materials for making sealing cards, they still have a certain attraction and strengthening effect on the remnants of the past.

When used to cast various parts, it not only has certain advantages in performance parameters such as hardness, high temperature resistance and deformation resistance, but also makes it easy to attach the power of the remnants of the past to it, creating all kinds of "soul weapons".

Leveraging this advantage, Limingcheng's metal smelting, machining, and parts manufacturing businesses once flourished.

At its peak, the southern part of the city, an industrial zone, was filled with hundreds and thousands of chimneys that spewed out colorful smoke day and night. A layer of fine metal shavings floated in the air at all times. The clanging and banging sounds from the workshops symbolized the ever-increasing numbers in bank accounts.

Unfortunately, yesterday's glory is long gone.

The first industry affected by resource depletion is the machinery manufacturing and processing industry.

The blazing blast furnaces had long since cooled, and the rows of chimneys looked like frozen, lifeless snakes, devoid of life.

In the past, countless people complained about the severe air pollution in the southern part of the city, and even pedestrians had to wear goggles and hooded capes when passing by.

But now, those who complained the loudest back then are now huddled in the streets and alleys, sighing and reminiscing about that golden age that seemed like a mirage.

The once vibrant industrial workers have either scattered to the four corners of the earth, or lay dormant in the shadows of poor alleys, or wandered the deserted streets like lost ghosts, their backs hunched over.

The streets, which hadn't been cleaned in a long time, were covered with a thick layer of metal shavings, which gleamed dimly in the morning sun and rustled underfoot.

This is the ashes of past prosperity.

Unfortunately, it has long since cooled down.

Xu Yan stepped on metal shards, bypassed several homeless people whose nerves had been eroded by inferior alcohol or who had simply developed a spiritual erosion disease, and found "Xinglong Warehouse" in dozens of dusty old warehouses.

He crouched down and squeezed through the half-open roller shutter door, passed through the mountain of rusty, unsold metal products, and then through another small door, revealing a hidden world inside.

(End of this chapter)