Forge a path to success.

Chapter 336 Blood Smoke and Blooming Thorns (1)

Long, long ago, the thorn bush was just a small tree.

The world back then was much simpler than it is now. Zhulong had only recently become the sun, and the World Tree was blooming in the sunlight. Its seeds were carried by the wind and spread all over the world, spreading the ideals of peace and love.

Thorn Robe was one of the lucky ones among countless ordinary seeds. Its luck lay in befriending friendly beasts and like-minded people willing to protect it. It took root and grew in a corner of the secret realm, uniting with its followers to repel invasions from heretics time and time again.

After the great battle that made the mercenaries famous, the warriors returned to the great tree to drink and celebrate their victory. The day after the party, they discovered that flower buds were growing among the tree's dense foliage, and the tree had been given the opportunity to grow further because of their hearts.

This blossoming will determine the future direction of the city. Will it become a hidden paradise, or a secret haven of harmony for all things? The sacred tree never makes decisions on its own; it leaves this question to the citizens. The choice of what kind of city to live in is up to everyone.

Whether locals or mercenaries, humanoids or beasts, the citizens spoke freely under the great tree. They had different personalities and desires, and their words often clashed. However, no real conflict occurred, because those who shared the hardships with the sacred tree all possessed a simple and kind heart.

After long and drawn-out discussions, they finally reached a consensus: to uphold the will of the World Tree and become an open, inclusive, and egalitarian city. They also decided that no one should suffer the same hardships they had experienced, and that they must become the fortress at the forefront of righteousness, transforming into a wall of life protecting all living beings.

This goodwill and unity caused the Thorn Tree to bloom, and from then on, the Thorn Tree truly became a force to be reckoned with. They have upheld their covenant, fighting for themselves and all living beings to this day. Even now, the citizens still remember the ancient story, and after three days of celebration, they announce the results of this year's vote, participating in the city's future as if they were their ancestors.

This is the origin of the "Vitex Flower Festival".

Before we knew it, another year had passed, and the annual Vitex Flower Festival had begun. This also means—

"The annual super overtime is about to begin," Trek said.

The meeting room was filled with wailing and screaming; the members of the Divine Guard looked utterly devastated, as if their kingdom was about to collapse. The Squirrel team members cried out for everyone: "No!!"

Trek reassured everyone, "It's alright, it's alright, we'll definitely arrange compensatory time off for everyone after the holiday..."

"Captain, I'm not listening to your nonsense! I still haven't received my compensatory time off from last year!!!"

"I haven't even taken my vacation from two years ago yet..."

"I don't want to celebrate the holiday! Please let me go to work as usual!!"

The third team exuded a pervasive sense of pessimism, a stark contrast to the boisterous atmosphere outside the window. For the diligent members of the Divine Guard, the Vitex Festival was arguably the three most difficult days of the year, as the three-day holiday would leave the entire city-state in a state of utter disarray.

Drunk driving is commonplace, providing thieves and robbers with the perfect environment to commit crimes. Those with differing political views seize the opportunity to make trouble, and impulsive crimes committed by those seeking advancement are routine. Not to mention those who harbor malicious intentions and pollute the world... If ordinary holidays are a nightmare, the politically charged Vitex Festival is simply hell!
Trek took a big gulp of his cold drink: "Cheer up, everyone! The captain will be working overtime with you guys too."

"This isn't a matter of work enthusiasm, it's a matter of the objective difficulty of the task, Captain!" the rabbit team member cried out. "With so few people, how are we supposed to handle this massive outbreak of crime in the entire Pulse Order? Especially since our Pulse Order has unique rules, and this year's circumstances are so special, we desperately need divine support!!"

"We've already negotiated for the divine power allocation, and it's still the same amount." Trek feigned tears. "I'm sorry everyone, I'm really not popular as the captain. Even with Lord Jing Sha's best efforts to give me the maximum amount, it's still less than the Fifth Meridian next door..."

"Captain, you should tidy up your disheveled appearance before trying to boost your popularity!"

"As compensation, I will use my personal connections to think of a solution for everyone."

Trek pulled in Lico, who had a stern face, from outside the door: "This is my old friend, Miss Lico. She is honest and reliable. You can use her as a squad leader."

“Dad, you can just wait to come home and cook for yourself for the next week,” Lico said.

"You actually dragged your own daughter into working overtime, you bastard!"

"Then, please reorganize the teams after adding Miss Lico to your forces. I will inform everyone of any further personnel additions. Happy Vitex Festival~"

"I can't be happy at all!!"

Despite his daughter's disapproving look, Trek left the conference room and strolled over to the door of a secret room on the third floor. The array set up by Huan Ge was still functioning smoothly, even though he could hardly detect the presence behind the door.

"Looks like it won't be resolved anytime soon..." Trek muttered to himself, "The best able-bodied men are all gone."

To be honest, he still hoped that Chu Hengkong could operate normally. With such a capable and proactive guy around, the overall situation would be much more relaxed. But right now, Chu Hengkong was busy upgrading his mutation point to level 4, and given his mindset, it would be difficult for him to succeed in the short term.

Conversely, if he hadn't encountered the chaotic surprise attack on the Great Archives, this kid probably wouldn't have been in such a hurry to break through. Did another unforeseen event lead to an undesirable outcome? Also because of the chaos, the mushrooms went missing. If a few mushrooms had been lost in that kind of chaos, even Kaoki probably wouldn't have noticed them.

It's hard to tell whether it's accidental or malicious, and that's precisely why the accumulation of such incidents is unsettling.

Trek took out his Cup of Honor, a "compass" used for navigation. He stepped forward from the door of the secret room to the counter of the small bookstore.

"Give me a cup of tea," he said with a grin.

The editor, Dudu Otter, waved its paws dismissively, as if it had seen something dirty: "Go away! Go away! It's a holiday, get out of here!"

Trek poured himself a glass of iced tea from the beverage machine and leaned against the sink: "Actually, I have some small things I'd like to ask the seniors for help with."

"I knew this bastard wouldn't come over with anything good during the holiday."

"I'm waiting—to go out and parade!" Manager Carp, wearing several wreaths on his head, glared. "If something happened—why didn't you say so earlier?!" "The enemy's intelligence network is very powerful. Making arrangements in advance is risky because we're worried about being targeted," Trek said. "The environment this year is unstable, and I'm worried that someone might take the opportunity to cause trouble. And if there's trouble in the current environment, multiple simultaneous actions are the most difficult to deal with."

"Where do you think the target is?" the big seal interjected, holding up a sign.

"The first to be affected are of course us diehards... followed by the fourth and fifth lineages."

"Fourth? We should be concerned about first, right? Fields are Parriman's base of operations." Poison Otter frowned.

“The field has the largest population, and although there are a lot of votes in favor on the surface, the ‘majority’ who don’t pay attention to politics haven’t taken any action yet, and they won’t care about voting this year unless something unexpected happens. If I want to take advantage of this, I’ll start with these most easily influenced voter bases,” Trek pointed out. “And with Kaomu in Mansa Starburg, even if there’s unrest, it’s just a smokescreen. If we really want to take action against him, our past actions won’t be of much use.”

"Do you think the target is the 'silent majority'...?" Poison Otter pondered, holding his glass. "I agree with that deduction. Then I'll go to the amusement park."

"Going to the fields—me?" Bangbangji stared with wide eyes. "I don't like eating fruit!"

"The dairy products over there are great too. If all goes well, we can ask Little Bee for a couple of drinks." Poison Otter put on a small jacket. "It would be best if nothing happens."

"Unpaid overtime during holidays—what's going on!"

The carp manager, transformed into a gloomy cloud, carried the otter out the window. The sea seal waved its paw, held up a sign, and said: "Looks like I'll have to lead today's parade."

Gulibo said worriedly, "Manager, you're going to block the road, aren't you, Bo?"

[I can be a float!] A large seal larva is emerging from the pool; [and while you're at it, please check out the important locations!]

"Thank you very much, senior." Trek took off his sunglasses.

The sea lion hummed in response, and despite the unfavorable situation, Trek felt a sense of relief. The prevalence of the bill had allowed selfish voices to dominate, but he knew that more citizens could distinguish between petty gains and the greater good; otherwise, the thorny shroud would have long since crumbled.

As he was about to head to the next designated location, the girl called out to him, "Uncle Trek, what about our work?"

Ji Huaisu leaned on the second-floor railing, watching him, with Vande in a grass skirt perched on her head. Trek chuckled, "Uncle is a little embarrassed to make tourists work... but if you're interested in volunteering, come with me."

He took out his compass. The next second, the three of them appeared simultaneously in front of a specially customized float. The float was shaped like a giant tortoise, with a high platform on its back. A middle-aged man in a suit stood on the platform, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

“Congressman Croz,” Trek greeted.

Croz quickly came over and shook his hand: "Captain Trek, thank you for your trouble. And this is..."

“This is Officer Ji from Huilong City. She will assist with the security of the speech team,” Trek introduced. “Officer Ji, this Congressman Crozier is a rare politician with a conscience these days. He plans to use the holiday opportunity to gain more dissenting votes.”

Because of Jing Sha's history of universal political participation, campaigning for votes during holidays is commonplace. However, in the past, it was mostly the disadvantaged who made a last-ditch effort, and it was rare for the powerful to spoil the fun at this time.

“Uncle, you’re a good official,” Vande said, peeking out.

Kroz was sweating profusely and said with a wry smile, "The captain was just joking. Once you become a politician, what 'conscience' do you have left... You can only barely call it a sense of responsibility, fulfilling your duties."

Ji Huaisu glanced at him and said, "Mr. Croz, wouldn't you consider changing your clothes? They're not very clean right now."

Croz's collar was soaked with sweat. He touched it and didn't seem to care: "It won't be long before everyone throws rotten fruit at me. It's a waste to wear clean clothes."

"Wow, being a politician in a city-state is really not easy..."

Ji Huaisu gestured for Trek to get back to work. Trek knew his old friend's daughter was experienced and didn't need much guidance, so he left without worry. As he left, he noticed Crozier fiddling with a silver badge.

Just to be on the safe side, perhaps he should double-check the congressman's belongings...

By the time the thought crossed his mind, Trek was already in the command room of Team Three. He abandoned the idea of ​​conducting a more thorough inspection because Rico was rushing towards him.

"Dad——"

“Take me there,” Trek said.

Lico dragged him to the entrance of the Third Team headquarters, where a black toy soldier stood. It was like a child's game piece enlarged to adult size, meticulously crafted from clothing to joints, except that the place where the eyeballs should have been was brutally pierced, and black blood, like machine oil, flowed from the eye sockets.

"Please give this letter to the captain." The soldier's jaw opened and closed. "Please give this letter to the captain."

Trek took the letter from its hand. He opened the bright red envelope and saw a malicious message.

I want to play a game with you.

(End of this chapter)