Inside the headquarters of the Special Affairs Group in Yanjing City, a meeting room was filled with people.
Su Yuanshan stood on the podium, calmly announcing the results of the emergency investigation, with Chang Jinze, Ji Huai, and others among the attendees.
"D-Level instance: Alabaka Mountain Range currently has the last 20 minutes left until the time limit for conquest, and it remains in a 'currently being conquered' status."
"This instance was refreshed at 9:30 AM three days ago and entered that status at 9:34 AM. At that time, we had already arranged manpower to track and statistically analyze the instance's conquest status and quantity changes around the clock."
"According to the tracking results, the Alabaka Mountain Range has been in a state of conquest for more than 71 hours, and the status has not been refreshed, even during the period when the entrance to the dream realm was open."
"We have urgently screened the cases of missing Transcendents in the country over the past three days. Based on the current investigation results, there is a high probability that the Guide is not a player from Yanhuang Country."
At the end of the investigation results, Su Yuanshan for the first time used a word indicating uncertainty.
After all, it is impossible to be completely precise with investigations within a mere hour.
Once Su Yuanshan finished reading, the entire meeting room fell silent.
A moment later, an elder seated at the head of the room lightly cleared his throat, and everyone became solemn.
This elder was not the strongest individual among the attendees, but he held a very high status; he was a heroic general who had fought for the country both in the south and the north, and after the Extraordinary Descent, had been appointed to lead the Special Affairs Group.
The head of the Special Affairs Group, Zhai Weiguo.
"Two things," even in his advanced age, Zhai Weiguo's voice was still full of vigor, filling the meeting room without any need for an amplification device.
"First, the descent of instances is not a disaster for just one family or one country; we must always be prepared for the aftermath, even if the descent is not in Yanhuang."
"All the satellite forces we are able to deploy are in position." The head of the Extraordinary Equipment Department spoke solemnly from his seat, "The first generation of the Qintian Monitor satellite has entered its predetermined orbit, completed self-adjustment, and is operational."
Hearing this, the atmosphere in the meeting room noticeably lifted.
The Qintian Monitor first generation was an attempt by the Special Affairs Group's Extraordinary Equipment Department to combine technology with the Transcendent, applied to a geosynchronous satellite.
It boasted a monitoring capacity far superior to that of ordinary geosynchronous satellites.
To see people walking on the streets with a satellite was an exaggerated claim for other satellites, but under the astonishing Transcendent monitoring capabilities of the Qintian Monitor first generation, it was no mere boast!
Even before the instance had descended, the Qintian Monitor first generation had already completed its development. With the descent of the instance, three Qintian Monitor first generation satellites were swiftly completed in overtime and successfully launched into space, preliminarily achieving full coverage of Blue Star!
With their presence, the Special Affairs Group was confident that they could determine the location of the instance in the shortest time after its descent!
"Special Affairs Group personnel from various regions have already been dispersed into different areas of the city to ensure immediate response and maintenance of order and public safety if the instance descends within the borders of a Yanhuang City," another Extraordinary Coordination Department head spoke from his seat.
"A special plane is already prepared, no matter where the instance appears, we will set out immediately," stated the head of the Extraordinary Combat Department calmly.
The statements from the three senior officials brought a slight relief to Zhai Weiguo's expression.
"This is a disaster, but also an opportunity," he said slowly, setting the tone for the instance that had yet to be conquered, "The risk of instance descent exponentially increases with the number of instances, and the future is uncontrollable. We must be prepared more comprehensively."
"D-Level instances are the weakest. If we can properly resolve this instance descent, then we will have more experience to confidently face the possibility of higher-level instances in the future."
"However, all this is predicated on our understanding of why this D-Level instance has yet to be conquered." Zhai Weiguo's voice paused slightly, then a murderous intent emerged on his aged face, seasoned by bloody battles, "If there is treachery among mankind, they must be executed!"
As the words "they must be executed" echoed throughout the meeting room, everyone's expression turned grave.
A D-Level Secret Realm should be within the capability of Official Level Players to conquer smoothly, and even if they couldn't, it shouldn't take this long without emerging.
There must be something wrong.
And the most likely explanation was that someone was doing this deliberately.
In the face of calamity, if such a traitor truly existed, they deserved death without exception.
"Head of the Group, according to the statistical analysis of other instances, there is another instance displaying a similar situation to the Alabaka Mountain Range," Su Yuanshan pondered for a moment before speaking.
Instantly, everyone's gaze turned to him.
Zhai Weiguo's eyes sharpened, "How long? What Level?"
"This instance has 25 hours and 13 minutes left until the time limit for conquest," Su Yuanshan said with a grave voice. "Just like with the Alabaka Mountain Range, it entered the 'currently being conquered' status shortly after refreshing and has remained so ever since."
The second day's instance?
It seemed that today they only needed to deal with this one instance.
But before the crowd could relax, the second half of Su Yuanshan's statement hit like a sledgehammer.
"Its Level is B-Level."
Zhai Weiguo fell silent instantly, and the expressions of the others also fluctuated.
To stay within an instance for dozens of hours without defeating the instance boss suggested a strength that, at the very least, exceeded that of the instance boss.
In other words, one's own power had to surpass that of the instance.
While it wasn't completely impossible to do this in a D-Level instance, the weakest of instances,
For a B-Level instance...
The eyes of everyone in the room could not help but sweep over Ji Huai.
At this stage, excluding possible candidates who could achieve this, it was nigh impossible for others to keep a B-Level instance in a state of conquest.
If the conjecture of human treachery was overturned, then another likely explanation would have consequences far more terrifying than the prospect of a human traitor.
"Wait!" Zhai Weiguo's voice was firm as he glanced at the time, "Ten more minutes."
"In ten minutes, all will be revealed!"
While the Special Affairs Group headquarters was in the midst of an urgent and intense meeting, on the flight route from Changxing City to Yanjing City, an airplane was completing its ascent, transitioning from the troposphere to the high-stratosphere region at tens of thousands of meters.
Qin Chuan opened the window shade next to him, slightly dazzled by the sunlight that, unobstructed by clouds, gilded the layer of clouds beneath the plane with a radiant golden sheen. He was a bit lost in thought.
This was his first time on an airplane.
He, who had deliberately purchased a first-class ticket, was feeling the novelty of this brand new experience.
The golden sunlight, passing through the sealed window, spilled onto the handsome face of the young man, also giving his face a golden glow, drawing frequent glances from the flight attendants in the first-class cabin.
But this peaceful and beautiful moment was short-lived.
The airplane, which had been flying steadily, suddenly jolted violently.
Then, cries of alarm erupted from various locations throughout the cabin.
"What... what is that?!"