A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 85 A Feast for Four Guests, The Path of Chivalry Is Not Lonely

The rotation of the earth and the passage of time are independent of human will, but they are perceived as varying lengths by human senses.

Trivial matters could only occupy a small part of the daytime. In the evening, late at night, and early morning, Guan Luoyang would stay in the basement for long periods, accompanied by the low temperature, constantly refining himself.

Even after crossing that boundary, one only possesses a fleeting brilliance. Only by breaking through the illusion and grasping the spark of inspiration can one begin to solidify the achievements one seeks.

In the accumulation of each day, it seems like only a blink of an eye has passed, and a day of slightly special significance has arrived.

On August 25th, 1999, Fan Minzhi, the only son of the chairman of Tao Zhu Group, celebrated his 18th birthday.

On this day, starting at eight o'clock in the morning, the entire Tao Zhu Group celebrated the coming-of-age ceremony of their heir. All the industries under the Tao Zhu Group launched grand events on this day.

The daytime festivities continued past 3 p.m., as another, even more significant gathering was being planned.

If the daytime celebrations were a public announcement, with the focus on the high-rise hotel, offering guests views of the sea and traditional ceremonies, then the banquet that began after 7:30 pm was a special feast exclusively for the Singaporean and Malaysian elites.

The location is set up in the main hall of the Tao Zhu Building, on the 58th and 59th floors.

In the so-called high society, the guests, each occupying their own place, came to this nightly feast under the guise of celebrating Fan Minzhi, but with their own purposes.

Beneath the guise of celebration, countless trials, collaborations, job transfers, and fund transfers will be finalized amidst the glitz and glamour of these lively conversations.

The 300-meter-tall skyscraper had its lower 50-plus floors plunged into darkness, deserted and empty, except for the top few floors which were brightly lit, illuminating the entire southwest community so that everyone could notice the most conspicuous spot at the top tonight.

In a corner of the main hall on the fifty-eighth floor, Lang Feiyan smiled and said goodbye to Guan Luoyang.

"Minzhi is upstairs meeting with the chairman and those seniors. They probably won't be able to come down until after nine o'clock. But the people on this floor are all very valuable. Don't just wait here idly. If you see anyone you like, you might as well go up and talk to them."

Guan Luoyang nodded casually. After she left, he sat down at the long table laden with food, holding a glass of red wine, and quietly surveyed the crowd bathed in the warm glow of the crystal chandeliers.

Those who remained were mostly young people and women, each with their own small circle, standing or sitting in their own small area. There were also sociable young people and gentle, polite young women who occasionally moved among them.

Their harmonious and joyful demeanor suggests that everyone lives in a world of unparalleled beauty and peace, with harmless topics of conversation and a leisurely lifestyle of wealth and luxury.

During this time, Guan Luoyang had browsed through a lot of information and was able to match the faces of most people here. After just a moment of observation, a cold smile couldn't be suppressed from creeping onto his lips.

"President Guan is a little late."

A voice came from the side.

To the people here, Guan Luoyang is just a newcomer, but definitely a newcomer worth paying attention to, so it's perfectly normal for people to come and chat with him.

The person who walked over was a relatively familiar collaborator to Guan Luoyang.

His face was thin, his cheekbones slightly prominent, but his eyes were large and bright, and his straight nose added a touch of ruthlessness to his gaze—Kong Qingyun, the head of the special operations team of the Singapore-Malaysia Port Security Department.

After Yun Youbai's business was divided up, one of the properties was given to the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society to handle. The residents who had refused to move out under Yun Youbai's harsh oppression were represented by a family surnamed Kong.

Kong Qingyun was the nephew of that family, which is how he got involved with the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society.

However, when Kong Qingyun first met Guan Luoyang, the cooperation he proposed was not focused on that piece of real estate, but rather on carrying out broader assistance work across the entire territory of the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society.

Within the territory of the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society, in accordance with Guan Luoyang's will, many "businesses" that he despised were cut off. However, this severing was still not enough to eradicate the root of the problem. The lingering poison of the past bred smaller-scale transactions in too many corners that could not be properly managed.

Kong Qingyun's proposal was for the Ministry of State Security to fill this gap for the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society. The Shenzhou Brotherhood Society would provide existing clues and trends, and the Ministry of State Security would follow the clues to carry out a sustained and thorough crackdown.

Even if it's just for his own political achievements and future prospects, at least this person is one of the few people Guan Luoyang has met who he finds somewhat agreeable since arriving in Xinma Port.

Guan Luoyang glanced sideways and smiled, "The exact time for the gathering is 8:30. I'm already considered early, but I didn't expect everyone to arrive even earlier."

Kong Qingyun stopped, turned to look at the people in the hall, and said, "Actually, this is a common practice in Singapore and Malaysia. For large-scale high-society banquets like this, everyone will probably arrive by 8 p.m. at the latest, and these VIPs should leave around midnight."

Guan Luoyang swirled the wine in his glass meaninglessly and said, "There's such a rule? I was so ignorant."

Kong Qingyun glanced at him: "President Guan, did you come alone?"

"I guess so. The people under my command aren't really suited for this kind of situation."

Guan Luoyang asked, "And you?"

Kong Qingyun said, "I came here with the chairman of the Southwest branch. He's upstairs right now."

Guan Luoyang smiled and said, "It seems that Team Leader Kong is more valued in the council than I thought."

"I'm just working for someone else. I've been in the social council for a long time. In the last two years, they saw the trend of seeking order when things are in chaos, and I finally got to ride this wave and met a few benefactors."

Kong Qingyun paused, realizing he had inadvertently said too much; if he continued, it would seem like he was speaking too intimately with someone he barely knew.

He casually picked up a serving plate from the long table next to him, picked through the various delicacies on the table, and said, "A rough man with a big appetite can't help but feel restless when faced with such good food. President Guan, I won't bother you any longer."

"Please do as you wish." Guan Luoyang raised his wine glass in a gesture of respect.

Kong Qingyun picked out food with tongs and gradually walked away from the long table.

The clock in the distance of the hall gradually struck eight o'clock. The chimes rang softly, not attracting much attention amidst the chatter and laughter in the hall. Only the waiter standing at a distance closed one of the doors leading to this side.

Guan Luoyang saw this scene and understood that it meant all the invited guests had arrived. He then stood up leisurely, walked around the side passage, stepped through the clean and empty corridor, and headed towards the restroom.

The toilets here are cleaned very thoroughly. There are soap dishes by the sink and in the corner of each stall, and the odor has been largely eliminated, leaving only a very faint smell of disinfectant.

Guan Luoyang didn't go into the cubicle. He just washed his face with water, wiped his hands, and dried them with a towel. Then he turned around, sat on the sink with his back to the mirror, and took out a device that looked like a mobile phone.

Its appearance is almost identical to a mobile phone, and it also has a small display screen, but the raised distribution of the buttons on the surface is more like a game controller.

One button after another was pressed with the thumb, followed by a patient wait.

In the southwestern community at night, thick clouds cover the sky, the moon is obscured, and the low lights in thousands of households flicker and go out like the glow of fireflies.

Only the top few floors of the Tao Zhu Building are illuminated, like a man-made warm yellow moon, large and eye-catching.

As night fell from all directions, the remote-controlled flying device, resembling a giant four-legged spider, rose to a height of several hundred meters with the support of multiple small and medium-sized propellers, approaching the Tao Zhu Building with noticeable wind and noise.

The small and medium-sized flying grenade launchers produced by the East Kalimantan Allies could carry up to 160 kilograms of ammunition and were used in combat at altitudes below 500 meters. On the black market, they were valued at at least 2.6 million US dollars.

This thing also has many flaws: it is an obvious target, flies slowly, cannot be equipped with a machine gun, and has been shot down by sniper rifles on several occasions.

In the eyes of some veterans who have actually experienced war, this thing is jokingly called the "grandma machine," implying that it is like an old, toothless grandmother, weak and vulnerable, outdated and backward.

This "old woman" flew shakily from the night, gradually moving from the deep darkness to the area illuminated by the dim light, and even managed to leave a not-so-clear reflection on the glass curtain wall of the Tao Zhu Building.

The noise of the electric motor and the sound of the propeller were right next to us.

A flash of white smoke, and the reflection on the glass curtain wall shattered with a crash.

Boom!!!

The explosion startled countless people in the hall, knocking over their glasses, and screams rose and fell.

The first bomb dropped shattered the tempered glass on one side of the hall, causing large cracks that even spread from the fifty-eighth floor to the floors above and below.

Immediately afterwards, a steel monster with four legs and eight rotors spun around, hurling missiles that emitted thick white smoke into the hall one after another.

The irritating gas sprayed wildly, spreading outwards.

In an instant, half of the nearly 300-square-meter hall was shrouded in white smoke. The elegant and dignified celebrities scrambled to escape, and the entire hall descended into chaos.

Upstairs, in the main hall on the fifty-ninth floor, a similar banquet was being held, but with even more melodious music playing, and everyone's expressions changed.

Otherwise, they would have reacted further, bombs shattering the cracked windows, and smoke bombs, a familiar tactic, were also deployed on this floor.

Bodyguards from various companies rushed over in a panic, protecting their respective employers, and dispersed through the crowd.

The searchlights on the rooftop were turned on, and huge beams of light swept across the night, tearing through the thick fog and passing over the aircraft again and again.

In the monitoring room, Fan Buchou's most loyal confidant, the security minister of Tao Zhu Group, almost roared as he grabbed one of his men on duty and slammed him into a corner.

"What's going on?!"

As that person coughed up blood, the burly man with short, spiky hair and a beard like two daggers, while asking questions of the others, stared wide-eyed at the dozens of screens arranged like a wall in front of him.

The screen displays internal monitoring data, as well as images from external cameras and radar.

In this world with its advanced electrical infrastructure, any organization of any stature will install radar at its headquarters.

The Tao Zhu Building, which appears to be primarily a commercial complex, actually has multiple firing positions on its exterior walls and missile scattering devices on its rooftop.

Any threatening flying object that approaches within a kilometer will be immediately detected and shot down.

However, repeated searches failed to find any trace of the attackers.

On the screen following the searchlight, images of flying grenade launchers flashed several times.

The security minister stared with eyes as wide as copper bells, leaning forward to face the screen, but seemed blind to it.

The explosions continued as the aircraft circled the entire Tao Zhu Building, randomly shooting missiles up, down, left, and right.

"Turn on all the equipment. I don't believe there's such a high level of stealth coating in this world."

The security chief grabbed his pager and notified all his subordinates, "Everyone else, move out, maintain order, and focus on protecting the chairman."

In the night breeze, a classic-style pocket watch was firmly strapped to the aircraft, its hands ticking away.

The last time it took 24 minutes, and this time there are still 36 minutes left, but that's enough.

The masterpiece of the arcane master – the Forgotten Pocket Watch.

An item that can only be used on inanimate objects to provide an ignore effect is practically a useless support, but when used in the right combination, it can produce unexpected results.

As long as it is not higher than two stars, neither people nor technological exploration equipment can be exempt from the effects of arcane magic.

In the sight of others, not only could they not see the existence of the aircraft, but they could not even see the trajectory of the thick white smoke it had left behind.

All the missiles, in their eyes, seemed to appear abruptly, creating explosions or releasing smoke.

The seven-tiered cake collapsed to the ground, white cream smeared everywhere. The hollow support structure inside was flattened by high heels and leather shoes, almost causing people to slip.

The champagne tower was already broken, with shards and spilled wine scattered all over the floor, and even the food on the long table was in disarray.

The dignitaries, oblivious to their appearance, surged out and rushed towards the elevator.

Their bodyguards and Tao Zhu Group security personnel shouted urgently, turning everyone's direction and rushing towards the stairs and emergency exits.

The attacks, with no discernible source and the dropping of missiles, made it impossible for them to determine the exact number of enemies.

Taking the elevator at this time is absolutely unwise. Firstly, it has a limited weight capacity, and secondly, if someone takes the opportunity to damage the elevator and it falls from a great height, the people inside will certainly not escape.

They moved at different speeds and along different routes, like a large swarm of ants splitting into multiple streams from the top two floors and flowing down to the floors below.

In a crowded corner, Kong Qingyun was communicating with the security department through an earpiece, directing them to protect the chairman.

On the other side, a low sound came from his chest, and a digital password that only he could understand was displayed on his phone screen.

"Captain, what happened? It looks like it exploded up there?"

People from the security department only refer to Kong Qingyun as team leader, and there is no need to contact him in this way.

But when Kong Qingyun saw this message, it was as if a spark suddenly ignited in the ashes.

"It wasn't me, I'm fine."

He first sent out the numbers that represented this meaning, and suddenly a series of screams rang out in the corridor outside the hall.

Gunfire erupted, the sounds of heavy objects colliding with walls and the ground mingled together, a sudden surge of violence and chaos, until a figure covered in shattered blood crashed into the hall.

As the figure rolled halfway through the wine and cream, the broken glasses and blood-stained face were turned towards Kong Qingyun, allowing him to recognize its origin.

Han Yongzhi, one of the Four Valiant Ones.

This man, who was known as the fastest swordsman in Southwest China, couldn't even draw his personal short sword.

A large mass of blood gushed from his chest. With unstoppable force, in the blink of an eye, it severed his mechanical arm, smashing the severed arm into his chest.

One strike, and it's fatal.

The entire corridor outside seemed to quiet down again at this moment.

Kong Qingyun's face tightened, and he put his hand on his waist, but the way that person appeared in the hall was still unexpected.

The person didn't seem to walk in through the door at all; it was as if their eyes flashed and a figure appeared out of thin air in the hall.

"Close the pass, close the pass on Luoyang!!"

Guan Luoyang smiled slightly at Kong Qingyun, tore off his suit jacket, leaving only a loose shirt underneath.

He casually tossed the tattered clothes aside and laughed, "Team Leader Kong."

Kong Qingyun said stiffly, "You were responsible for the bombing attack? The people outside..."

"They're all dead. Oh, no, I should say only a small portion of them are dead."

Guan Luoyang said with a smile, "Many people will die here today, far more than before. But I'm satisfied with our cooperation. As long as you don't stop me, you won't be among those people."

The wind blew from high above in the dead of night, coming from the cracked glass curtain wall, and the pungent tear gas drew closer.

One of the crystal chandeliers in the lobby was blown off, and the lights in other areas were also malfunctioning, flickering on and off.

Kong Qingyun gripped her phone tightly, her teeth chattering, but she almost blurted out, "You mean me?"

"Me! How could I possibly stop you!"

The last syllable of his words sounded like a shout, his eyes were red with excitement and tears welled up, yet his mouth stretched into a wide grin, like a smile.

Guan Luoyang was slightly taken aback. Although there was no guarantee, his expression made it seem as if he had already understood a lot.

This intense expression, impossible to fake, was remarkably similar to Guan Luoyang's own current mood.

I initially thought it was just a personal matter, but now it seems...

Guan Luoyang felt increasingly exhilarated. He reached out and, with a flick of his wrist, manipulated the air currents, and a bottle of wine flew to his side from a short distance away.

The bottle was cut in half by finger force, and the half-cup with the neck down and the cork at the bottom flew towards Kong Qingyun.

Kong Qingyun caught it, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, not caring at all about the spilled wine.

Sometimes, the friendship between men doesn't need many words; an expression and half a bottle of wine are enough.

Guan Luoyang finished the other half of the bottle, crushed the bottle, and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, great!"

Before the laughter subsided, a gust of wind blew, and Guan Luoyang had vanished from the chaotic hall.

There were only a hundred or so guests on the two floors, but if you include the bodyguards and Tao Zhu's subordinates, there were probably over a thousand people. He felt that he had waited too long and today was the time to let loose and make a big splash.

Once again, only Kong Qingyun remained in the hall.

Half a wine bottle fell to the ground, the buttons on the phone dented, and Kong Qingyun's message was sent.

"Plan changed. Everyone, charge in!"

Outside the Tao Zhu Building, on many seemingly ordinary streets, in small shops, and inside trucks, all sorts of men and women, with the most common appearances, simultaneously took out their mobile phones.

Then, as usual, they deleted the messages, put away their phones, and took out black masks.

After peeling off the outer layer, white patterns resembling shark teeth appeared on the black mask, extending from the left ear to the right ear.

The population of Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong is almost entirely Chinese. They speak Mandarin, learn Chinese characters, read poetry, and discuss classics.

Perhaps the cultural atmosphere here is not enough for them to study thousands of years of history in detail, but at least, the context of major events, from the Han Dynasty's "even nine generations of enemies can still be avenged" to the 400 million people who created a new world a few decades ago, has been unconsciously engraved in their bones.

More than a decade of turmoil, a dark coexistence and oppression—perhaps there were many villains, and they were powerful enough, but how could there not have been resistance, nurtured and grown from the local people?

The security camera in the corridor was shattered by broken glass.

Kong Qingyun put on the same mask and ran his hand over his conventionally styled hair. The messy strands of hair rose, curled, and fell loose. The special dye, stimulated by his own spiritual energy, turned his hair into a faint blue color.

Beneath her shimmering, disheveled hair were tear-filled eyes, and the two rows of white, sharp teeth on her mask seemed to be howling and laughing angrily.

He is no longer the head of the Special Operations Group of the Singapore-Malaysia Port Security Department.

Instead, it was the leader of the Ghost Crying Squad who had been roaming the entire Singapore-Malaysia border region for the past six months, from the northwest community to the central community to the southeast, plotting assassinations, ambushes, and resistances time and time again.

With a furious head, he aspires to great heights.

"Guan Luoyang, President Guan, this is truly a surprise!"

"But no matter how strong you are, there's no reason for you to do this alone. Let's try together, let's see how much sin we can crush with 129 people!"

The hatred of the long night, the sorrow of becoming a ghost, the ghost's cry, became a song.

(End of this chapter)