Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 235 A Feeling of Awe (Third Update)

The near-self-destructive annihilation of the Arasaka Mokugoro carrier battle group in a very short time was like a silent yet overwhelming spiritual tsunami that swept across the global elite, leaving an indelible mark on the minds of all informed corporate giants and political leaders.

Previously, Chen Yu's "Imperial Guard" crushed the Arasaka ground forces with overwhelming superiority. Although it was shocking, the shield technology, energy weapons, and unimaginable individual combat power it displayed were still within the scope of what could be explained by "technological gap".

While the R&D departments of major companies were shocked, they could at least try to analyze, understand, and even dream of one day being able to reverse engineer the data.

But this time, the fate of the Arasaka Fleet completely overturned their understanding.

There was no overwhelming battle between aircraft, no dazzling clash of energy beams, and not even a large-scale energy burst was detected.

All that remained was an incomprehensible madness that suddenly erupted within the Arasaka Fleet, and ultimately, the tactical nuclear bomb that they themselves dropped, burying their main force.

This goes completely beyond the framework of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and even any known military theory.

"A virus attack?" Inside the command center of the military technology headquarters, a senior technical advisor shook his head, pale-faced, as he faced questioning from higher-ups. "No, General, this doesn't make sense. What kind of virus could simultaneously drive all systems, from the command network to individual prosthetic bodies, and even the delivery control system of a nuclear missile, into the same self-destructive frenzy in an instant?"
Fifty years ago, Barthemos triggered the 'First Web Collapse,' destroying the Old Web, but he could never have so casually allowed an entire fleet to physically annihilate itself.

This unknown brings with it the most primal fear.

Originally, when President Miles decided to "transfer" the actual management of Night City to Chen Yu, there were some dissent within the military technology sector and the opposition party in the NUSA Congress, who believed that this was a sign of weakness to an unidentified entity and would damage national dignity.

However, after the news of the Arasaka Fleet's annihilation was confirmed by multiple parties, all the doubts disappeared overnight.

The painful memories of the unification war are still vivid. It was Arasaka's White Whale battle group that intervened at a critical moment, forcing the then-powerful NUSA army to stop at the outskirts of Night City and ultimately have to sign a ceasefire agreement, recognizing Night City's independence.

This fleet was once a thorn in the side of NUSA and military technology, a symbol of corporate power superseding the nation.

Now, Chen Yu has casually wiped away this thorn in a way they cannot understand.

Faced with absolute and incomprehensible power, the so-called "dignity" and "questioning" seem so ridiculous.

Some shareholders of military technology have even privately stated that if this "wise man" truly intends to rule the world, they would not mind "changing the boss." After all, NUSA is no longer the superpower it once was, but merely a second-rate country that barely maintains its influence by nationalizing military technology. Assessing the situation is the way to survive.

However, the thoughts of awe and submission were always accompanied by a deep sense of apprehension.

An unavoidable question lingered in everyone's mind: Who exactly is Chen Yu? Where does his terrifying technology originate? Is he really from Earth? Or is he a representative of some extraterrestrial civilization?

More importantly, given that he possesses such power, what is his ultimate goal? Is it really just for Night City?

The same shock and apprehension also resonated in the heart of other global giants.

The senior management meeting room at the headquarters of Kangtao CN was completely silent.

They have a collaborative relationship with Chen Yu, have gained tangible technological advancements, and consider their relationship close.

But at this moment, this "closeness" made them feel a chill.

A technical analyst, dressed in a neat white lab coat, pointed to the fleet's final image on the screen, his voice hoarse: "The technical support we received before was probably just the tip of the iceberg."

What he showed us was what he wanted us to see. Our 'ally,' capable of such complete control over electronics and mechanics, may be far more powerful than we imagine.

Some radical internal proposals to "deepen technological penetration" or "strive for more dominance" were quickly suppressed, and replaced by the tone of "maintaining the status quo and absolutely avoiding offending anyone".

However, behind the scenes, the investigation into the source of Chen Yu's technology and the analysis of his weaknesses were elevated to a higher level of secrecy.

Upon learning of the news, the board of directors of Pfizer Petrochemicals immediately strengthened the physical isolation and cybersecurity of all global refining facilities and pipeline control systems.

They control the world's energy lifeline, and their systems are also highly dependent on automation and network control.

Chen Yu's methods showed them a possibility—the industrial empire they depended on for survival might be more vulnerable than Arasaka's fleet in the face of some unknown attack.

On the surface, they sent a carefully worded letter to Night City expressing "respect for the status quo," but privately, plans for "de-automation" and "human redundancy" backup of critical infrastructure were urgently initiated. The unease felt by the biotechnology elites at this moment was far more acute and piercing than that of other companies.

Unlike other giants, they had an unpleasant past with this mysterious sage due to some short-sighted actions.

Although the conflict did not escalate to an uncontrollable point, the old grudge, like a buried thorn, began to ache after Chen Yu demonstrated the terrifying means to cause the Arasaka fleet to self-destruct.

This realization brings not only apprehension, but also a lingering fear stemming from past actions.

They were secretly relieved that the initial conflict had not escalated to an irreversible point, but at the same time, they were acutely aware that they might have once walked on the edge of destruction.

They immediately adopted the most low-key wait-and-see approach, and all tentative moves that might cause misunderstandings were stopped.

At the same time, security measures for its core gene bank and cutting-edge biological research base have been raised to an unprecedented level.

This is not only about guarding against unknown risks, but also more like a subconscious defensive posture that tries to make up for past mistakes, for fear that the sage might one day remember the past and casually "purify" the very foundation upon which they depend for survival.

European banking oligarchs have been more cautious and uneasy than other companies in assessing the situation.

They control the lifeline of global capital and are acutely aware of the fragility of order.

Chen Yu's existence, and the unknown methods he demonstrated that were capable of destroying a fleet, were seen by them as the most fundamental threat to the existing financial system.

Could an entity that can disregard physical rules and directly distort mechanical logic also paralyze or throw global banking systems and transaction networks into chaos in an instant using a similar method?
Even the slightest possibility of this is enough to keep them up at night.

This deep fear even suppressed their impulse to take extreme measures.

There were radical factions within the organization who proposed preemptive strike plans—for example, influencing the European Space Agency through affiliated forces and using the mass accelerator deployed on the moon to carry out an orbital strike against Night City.

However, this proposal was quickly rejected by more cautious voices.

The core concern is that they have no confidence that they can completely eliminate Chen Yu in one strike.

If the operation fails, even if it only disturbs him, how terrifying will the counterattack be?
The consequences would be unimaginable if a force capable of destroying a fleet were to be used against a global financial network.

They dared not gamble on Chen Yu's limits regarding retaliation.

Therefore, on the surface, European banks, like other companies, have remained silent and wait-and-see.

But behind the scenes, their actions were even more thorough.

This not only significantly reduced asset risk exposure in Night City and the surrounding areas, but also accelerated the implementation of an extreme emergency financial plan that was highly isolated and even partially returned to the era of physical certificates, in order to preserve core capital and operational capabilities in the event of the worst possible digital catastrophe.

For them, Chen Yu is an ultimate source of risk that they must be constantly vigilant against, but dare not easily offend.

In conclusion, Chen Yu, at the cost of the destruction of the Arasaka Fleet, declared to the world an undeniable fact—he possesses power that transcends the current understanding of civilization.

This forced all forces, whether harboring ulterior motives or attempting to cooperate, to temporarily restrain their direct hostility and excessive schemes, and outwardly display great awe and obedience.

But beneath that seemingly calm surface, undercurrents never cease to surge.

Fear breeds vigilance, and reverence breeds planning.

Each side is reassessing the situation and adjusting its strategies.

They were all waiting, waiting for a possible opportunity, or waiting for the "sage" to reveal his next intention.

Prior to this, silent observation and cautious avoidance had become an unspoken consensus among the giants.

(End of this chapter)