Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 204 The Doomsday Train
On the top floor of the hospital, Miao Xin finally saw her target. It was a huge, modern machine shop, covering more than 500 acres, with rows of factory buildings, and a granite sign at the entrance that read "Jingji Heavy Industry Machinery".

"Why would such a big company accept such a small order?" Miao Xin asked, puzzled. "I used to be unable to even get into factory areas when I was delivering food."

"Don't you think you should ask your father?" Su Ming said.

The affairs of the other world are chaotic and complex, and Su Ming rarely focuses his thoughts on Earth, but that doesn't mean he's unaware of the various anomalies. Miao Mu's "connections" are becoming increasingly outrageous; he's practically stopped bothering to hide them anymore.

Aside from the suspicious factory, the Millet Studio he described was far too impressive. The newly developed system being usable without much debugging could perhaps be attributed to the developers' professionalism. But the ability to decipher the massive and complex skeletal imprints in such a short time suggests either an extremely professional execution team or a massive investment of resources.

Or perhaps, both!
"I can't get in touch with him anymore," Miao Xin said. "The person I was in contact with has been replaced."

Although the other party was using Miao Mu's name, the person had changed at a certain point. The messages sent were identical, but Miao Xin could sense it. However, she didn't perceive any malice, so she followed Su Ming's instructions and remained inactive for the time being.

Miao Xin unleashed the Netherworld Sea and observed it from afar. There were no unusual ripples or signs of malice in the factory and its surroundings. As she continued to study, Miss Vengeful Spirit's abilities were also improving. Although the true nature of the "Vengeful Mark" remained unsolved, a corner of the Netherworld Sea's depths was gradually being revealed.

However, while searching, Miao Xin sensed a familiar face. It was very close, in a consultation room just downstairs in the outpatient building.

[Alas, we've been targeted again.] Miao Xin couldn't help but giggle, while You Hai trembled. [Su Ming, this Ms. Ling Wen is even more persistent than I am!]

Su Ming was utterly exasperated. "Every time we come to the rooftop, nothing good ever comes of it. We shouldn't have copied the movies."

While chatting on the rooftop of the Vietnam Industrial Park, we were approached by this group of people claiming to be insurance claims agents.

But after a while, Miao Xin realized that Ling Wen had no intention of coming up. "If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain myself." She simply went directly to Ling Wen's location, only to find the claims manager sitting on a bench in the general surgery waiting room, holding a number.

Unlike last time when she was dressed in a formal business suit, Ling Wen was wearing a casual tracksuit. Miao Xin sat down next to her and found that she was playing a mobile game.

Ling Wen glanced casually to her side and didn't recognize Miao Xin, who was in disguise. She continued drawing cards, and golden light flashed on the screen.

"Oh no, it's crooked!" Miao Xin exclaimed.

Ling Wen turned her head angrily, then looked at Miao Xin with some confusion. Soon, she trembled and revealed a look of astonishment.

"Hi, good morning," Miao Xin greeted.

Ling Wen suddenly stood up, grabbed Miao Xin, and left.

"Your appointment with the specialist is almost here," Miao Xin kindly reminded her. "If you miss your turn, you'll have to wait in line again."

Ling Wen completely ignored her, dragged her all the way to the underground parking garage, pushed her into her car, and then got in as well.

****
Ling Wen rubbed her face, clearly trying to process the situation before her.

"Miao Xin, or Su Ming?" she asked.

“They’re all here,” Su Ming replied. “Why are you so surprised? We still prefer your calm and collected demeanor from before.”

"I was at the hospital for a check-up, and then you guys suddenly showed up—how ​​am I supposed to stay calm?" Ling Wen leaned back and slammed her head into the hippo-patterned headrest on the chair. "Okay, so how did you find this place? Were you tracking me?"

“We’re not that bored,” Su Ming said. “We’re here to see Kong Ruifeng to check on the progress of the boiler we ordered earlier. It’s rare for us to be the client, so we have to make sure it’s done properly.”

Ling Wen was even more puzzled, "Then how did you end up here?"

Su Ming didn't intend to reveal that Miao Xin had used her tracking ability to trace the truck's path. "Sorry, that's a secret."

“No, that’s not the point.” Ling Wen raised her hand. “Kong Ruifeng’s factory isn’t even here!”

Su Ming and Miao Xin were dumbfounded.

"Then tell us the correct address," Su Ming said. He could worry about where things went wrong later; first, he needed to get things back on track. This time, he absolutely couldn't let Kong Ruifeng cause another incident involving pearlescent substances.

“You can’t go over there,” Ling Wen stopped them. “Kong Ruifeng is bait, and so is Ji Su Studio.”

"A bait—" Su Ming looked at Ling Wen in disbelief, "Aren't you guys still pulling these tricks? Aren't you tired of it?!"

Ling Wen quickly explained, "It wasn't directed at you!"

"Who is this being targeted?"

Ling Wen thought for a moment, then simply took out her tablet and stylus. "Actually, we're all in a mess right now. Let me explain the current situation to you."

She wrote Miao Xin in the center of the screen, then drew three lines around her, circled the ends, and filled in Miao Mu, Kong Ruifeng, and Ji Su respectively.

Kong Ruifeng is currently the factory that provides the equipment, and Jisu is currently the studio that provides the software and design.

"The cooperation is going quite well. Is there any problem?" Su Ming asked.

Ling Wen drew another circle next to it and wrote "enemy" on it.

"We haven't yet identified the people plotting against us in Vietnam."

"No way, how can you guys be so useless!" Su Ming bluntly expressed his dissatisfaction. "When you're catching me, you're like ravenous wolves, but when facing a real enemy, you turn into Chihuahuas!"

Ling Wen made no attempt to hide her shame. "I'm very sorry about that."

"Besides, it's always right to investigate in the US, right? They're the ones who smashed the satellite!" Su Ming said angrily. "After all, I dismantled eight hundred million US dollars worth of their stuff."

Ling Wen corrected, "According to the US statistics, the losses you caused are $572 billion."

Su Ming's eyes widened. He never imagined that he would one day be associated with such numbers. "No, I only acquired one of their decommissioned ships, one old submarine, and one obsolete cannon—how did that amount to almost 60 billion!"

“They claim you destroyed the experimental center’s database,” Ling Wen said, “causing a large loss of data and technology, which led to delays in the development of new weapons.”

"I haven't even touched their server room!" Su Ming was extremely annoyed. "Isn't this a blatant frame-up? Aren't they afraid I'll go there again to 'clear' my name?"

"If you haven't done anything wrong, you're innocent; if you have, you're not innocent anymore"—a theory from a certain belladonna.

“...Actually, in principle, you should thank them,” Ling Wen sighed.

"Thank them for launching space-based weapons?" Su Ming said angrily.

Ling Wen hesitated again, and the car fell silent.

“Ms. Ling Wen, I have no interest in riddles, and besides, I have a lot of trouble in this other world, with dozens of lives being lost every minute,” Su Ming said. “Or perhaps you simply don’t believe the whole thing?” Most of the events had already been recounted to Miao Mu through Miao Xin, but it seemed—

“That’s not it,” Ling Wen said immediately. She was internally conflicted, then suddenly slammed her hand on the dashboard. “Fine, to hell with the secrecy rules!” she finally blurted out, “What good is keeping this mess a secret from you guys!”

Miao Xin clapped her hands, "That's the right way for me, sister!"

"Under the building in Vietnam that was destroyed by the tungsten rod, we found a person and a strange prop." Ling Wen composed herself and pulled up a photo on her tablet. Su Ming leaned closer and saw a palm-sized porcelain plate with an unreadable ancient script symbol on it.

"This character is the oracle bone script for '厄' (e')." Ling Wen clicked on the annotation.

Su Ming was stunned for a moment before he realized, "You mean to say that this thing affected Miao Xin—but it looks like a work of art!"

The porcelain plate doesn't look very well made; you could probably get three for ten yuan in Yiwu.

“We found it right at the center of the explosion,” Ling Wen recounted. “A large area around it was filled with that guy whose origins are unknown. It took the forensic team several days to piece together ten kilograms of wreckage—but this plate was completely undamaged!”

It's no surprise that the person was blown to pieces; after all, an impact equivalent to two tons of TNT would deform even the hardest metal. This strange porcelain plate must be something wrong!

"Is the satellite weapon meant to kill this person and save Miao Xin?" Su Ming murmured.

"...Judging from the scene, that's how it is." Ling Wen did not deny it.

Su Ming was immediately bewildered. What was wrong with this world?
"Are you sure you're not being sarcastic about the stories I told you about traveling to another world?" He still couldn't believe it.

"You're kidding me!" Ling Wen blurted out in her dialect, "We were just as confused!"

"OK, have you tracked this person down?"

“No clues, or rather, very strange.” Ling Wen pulled up a report on the tablet. Su Ming glanced at it; it was a complex DNA tracing analysis report.

Su Ming only recognized the characters on it.

“The deceased at the scene was neither white, nor Asian, nor Black, he was none of those things,” Ling Wen explained. “He had more than a dozen gene sequences that don’t exist on Earth.”

Su Ming's mind was buzzing. "Aliens?"

Ling Wen laughed in exasperation, “It’s only a difference of less than one-thousandth, and it’s still human!” She turned to the last page of the report, which stated the expert group’s conclusion: the individual was suspected of being created using gene-editing technology for special operations, and research on the abnormal gene sequence was requested.

Wait, bio-warriors have appeared?! Su Ming suddenly felt that it might be safer to stay in this other world.

“In short, we can’t find out anything about this person’s background,” Ling Wen said. “The same goes for this strange plate.”

****
After a moment of silence, Su Ming asked, somewhat confused, "So what's the current situation?"

“The enemy’s origins are unknown, but they likely have accomplices, and it’s even possible they’re part of an organization. That’s why we’re using a fishing method.” Ling Wen swiped Miao Mu aside on the tablet. “Based on the current information, if anything happens to Miao Mu, it will definitely have a serious negative impact on Miao Xin. So we drove Miao Mu away, and he’s gone into hiding with He Ran.”

She wrote the words "Fake Miao Mu" in a different color on the spot. Miao Xin wasn't surprised; she had realized that the replacement had been in place for some time.

"Don't try to contact your father now; it's better for everyone."

"Yes, as long as Dad and my sister are alright," Miao Xin replied.

“It’s really weird talking to the two of you who switch between each other so easily,” Ling Wen complained. She added a circle for Su Ming’s parents on the tablet, dragged it to the side, and wrote “fake” in the original place to replace it, “Su Ming, your parents are treated the same way.”

"Thank you. This trap was set around the Lunar New Year, right?" Su Ming said. "So this was a large-scale operation centered around us?"

"Yes, your movements are like those of a frolicking pig. We suspect the enemy will have a hard time making a move, so we've made preparations along every line."

"And then you've been in the Air Force ever since?"

“…” Ling Wen rolled her eyes at Su Ming.

"So what's the plan now?" Su Ming asked. "Continue this stalemate?"

“Of course not, this is too much of a waste of time.” Ling Wen crossed out “Miao Xin and Su Ming” and wrote “Fake Miao Xin” in a different color in the original place. “This is the second phase of the plan.”

"Where did this 'fake Miao Xin' come from?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

Ling Wen held out her hand, "Could you please give me your communication device?"

Miao Xin took two cell phones out of her pocket, which were turned off, and handed them to Ling Wen.

“That’s all of them.” Ling Wen took out a bag and gestured for Miao Xin to continue.

Miao Xin then pulled out more than twenty more items from her stomach, including several keyboard phones, which made Ling Wen's eyes twitch. Finally, Miao Xin stuffed a tablet into her stomach.

These things are so easy to obtain; you can just break into any house and find seven or eight old devices tucked away in some hidden corner. And most of the time, the owners will never even realize they've been robbed.

“Alright, next someone will use these communication devices to impersonate you and contact the original units to carry out various ‘activities.’ They will also ‘accidentally’ expose their location when necessary,” Ling Wen said. “As long as the enemy behind the scenes makes a move, no matter what channel they obtained the information from or which node they are targeting, they will 100% run into a trap!”

"Excellent!" Miao Xin clapped her hands. The pond was teeming with piranhas, making it easy for the enemy to attack!

****
“I understand your plan,” Su Ming said bluntly, expressing his dissatisfaction. “I need to repair the locomotive now, and I need the support of the processing system.”

"Did your locomotive break down?" Lingwen asked.

“No, the whole thing was blown up,” Su Ming said. “Many parts need to be processed here and then transported, which is faster than repairing them directly in another world.”

Ling Wen surprisingly breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll take you to see something."

She started the car, stepped on the gas, and drove out of the hospital's underground parking garage.

The destination was nearby—a large factory called Jingji Heavy Industry. Ling Wen drove to the factory gate, and the security guard, who clearly recognized her, quickly let her through.

The car drove onto the internal road, passed through the office area, and entered the perimeter of the production area. In front of us was a row of huge steel-structured factory buildings with white exterior walls and roofs with neat ventilation ducts and solar panel arrays.

Ling Wen parked the car in the parking space, then tossed a set of work clothes and a name tag that read "Factory Representative" to Miao Xin.

Miao Xin quickly put on the helmet, zipped it up, and followed Ling Wen off the bus.

(End of this chapter)