Chapter 545: Chapter 320: Bad News! (3rd Update)
(The third update for the 25th is complete; the climax of this volume has officially begun.)
It’s impossible not to praise the degree of extravagance at this evening’s party, which has exceeded most people’s imaginations.
While everyone assumed that Youshi Wang would monopolize the hosting duties, the arrival of the popular and stunning Rachel amidst cheers caught everyone by surprise.
The two beautiful hosts, with their contrasting personalities, along with the abundant talents of Dingchuan Academy’s hidden experts and scholars, had elevated the atmosphere to its peak.
In contrast to the thunderous applause resonating through the grand auditorium, there was tense rehearsal happening backstage.
Wang Nuonuo’s clear, wide eyes were filled with excitement!
This was the young miss’s first time on stage, finally able to showcase her dance skills in front of an audience.
Humph, just watch and see.
Remembering Mu Fan’s initial look of disdain, Wang Nuonuo’s lips puffed with annoyance.
“Nuonuo, you’re distracted again, thinking about things!” Olsiya nudged, signaling that her facial expressions were too rich.
This made the little princess of Loki Heavy Industry stick out her tongue immediately.
From the stage came the announcer’s voice, “Please enjoy the second performance of this evening’s party…”
It’s almost my turn, just 7 more to go!
“Beep beep, beep beep.”
“Whose Sky Communication is that? Please silence it for now.” someone complained nearby.
Following the direction of the sound, Wang Nuonuo apologised, “It’s mine, I’m so sorry, I’ll turn it off right away.”
After saying that, she left the rehearsal lineup and ran to the side to pick up her exquisite Crystal Sky Communication device to turn it off.
“Incoming caller… Rodrick?” Seeing the signal light blinking rapidly on the screen, Wang Nuonuo, still apologetic, said to her three teammates, “Please wait, it’s family, I’ll just ask what’s up and hang up.”
She then slipped into the corner piled high with props and pressed the answer button.
“Uncle Rodrick?”
“Miss Nuonuo… Please hurry to Space Port 15, we encountered Star Thieves mid-journey, Mr. Wang Ji has been critically injured, life or death uncertain! And now we’re surrounded by the military, they’re accusing us of smuggling illegal weapons. Miss Nuonuo, please come quickly!”
There was no video communication, only a voice, a voice filled with endless panic and exhaustion.
This familiar voice was none other than Loki Heavy Industry’s Grand Chief Mechanical Master — Rodrick!
Wang Nuonuo, who had been expecting news that the Mechas were safely docked, stood frozen on the spot.
Clutching the Sky Communication, her jade arm trembled uncontrollably as she tried to suppress the panic within her heart, and with the most composed tone she could muster, she asked, “Repeat that, what did you say, my grandfather has been heavily injured!?”
“Yes, Miss Nuonuo!! Hurry up, the military is about to break in, I have to hang up my Sky Communication,” the voice on the other end gasped for air, clearly facing something horrifying.
“Space Port 15, Terminal B22, Third Passage, quick, quick… damn, they’re here!”
Then a loud thump was heard through the Sky Communication, followed by a click as the call ended.
Grandfather, critically injured, life or death uncertain…
The Sky Communication device slipped quietly from her hands, shattering into pieces as it hit the ground with a sharp clang.
Her clear eyes fogged over with a mist, and beneath the fierce pounding of her heart, the little princess of Loki Heavy Industry felt a suffocating sense of helplessness.
Grandfather, you mustn’t be in trouble; Nuonuo is still waiting to go hiking and watch the sunrise with you!
You said you were coming to watch our Loki Heavy Industry’s competition, how can you go back on your word now…
You promised you’d watch Nuonuo grow up. I’m only 17 and not yet grown up; so you must be alright!
Aching in her chest, her right hand pressed against her left breast, Wang Nuonuo turned her head dazedly, then her gaze seemed to focus.
She murmured to herself, “Space Port 15, Terminal B22, Third Passage, Uncle Rodrick!”
Right, first go find Uncle Rodrick!
She abruptly grabbed her coat that was thrown aside and rushed straight out.
The shattered Crystal Sky Communication device lay quietly on the ground behind, its panicked owner having long ceased to care about it.
“Nuonuo, where are you going!”
“Nuonuo!”
“I have a family emergency! I’m sorry!” Wang Nuonuo, as she ran, glanced back at her companions with tears brimming in her large eyes, her voice choked with emotion.
Then, without looking back, she ran away from the rehearsal area.
“How can this be!”
“What do we do now?”
The group looked at each other, clueless.
“It’s an emergency, let’s quickly notify Senior Sister Youshi and then we’ll change to a three-person dance!” In the end, it was Olsiya who stepped forward and stabilized the situation.
At the backstage rehearsal venue, in the sequence marked number nine, a minor incident occurred.
However, such situations had also arisen in the past; hence, with decisive action from the host and the academy, the four-person performance was temporarily changed to a three-person one.
The storm seemed to have passed just like that.
…
On the N104 highway in Zhongjing City, on the east side of Dingchuan Academy, lay the shortest route to Space Port 15.
At the midsection of the N104 highway, a fork in the road led directly to a vast warehouse district on the outskirts.
And within that area stood a massive building marked as Warehouse 55, where from the outside, only faint lights could be seen shimmering through the cracks of the ventilation ducts.
But the vast interior space was brightly lit, filled with a large group of people standing at attention.
Under the bright lights, the faces of several individuals were clearly visible.
Other than the gloomy, pale-faced Donald Natello, the group was startlingly joined by Rodrick, dressed in tattered Mechanical Master gear, and Bearded in his dark green family uniform.
At that moment, Bearded’s gaze was intense, looking at Donald with admiration.
“The Lord’s arrangement is flawless!”
Donald, with his narrow eyes, glanced at Bearded and then at Rodrick across from him, letting out a light, amused laugh, “Mechanical Master Rodrick, truly a veteran of many battles, your tone is natural with no flaws.”
“Hmph! Where is my family? Let me see them first!” Rodrick completely ignored Donald’s words and glared at the young man in front of him, whose presence was venomous like a serpent.
All of this, it turned out, was orchestrated by the noble named Donald Natello standing before him.
These nobles who consume people without spitting out their bones!
Only after returning to Blue Capital Star with Bearded, and being brought to this place by these people, did Rodrick realize who the real mastermind behind the incident was.
What chilled him further was that this pale-faced young man had asked carefully about his entire journey and then, with a smile, said, “Wang Ji might indeed be dead.”
It was then that Rodrick understood that the opposition had waited until the day before the formal registration to ensure that Wang Ji hadn’t returned to Loki Heavy Industry before they truly started their plan!
What did this imply?
It implied that the opposition had begun plotting a long time ago!
And…
Looking icily at the man behind Donald, draped in a black cloak, Rodrick’s heart turned cold.
From the few words he had overheard on his arrival, that man was…
A military man!
Just how many people were involved in this affair…
Donald’s mouth curled into a sinister smile, as he gestured with his finger for someone to come forward, and a light-shadow tablet was handed to him.
“Rest assured, your wife and children are fine, they have been well looked after these past days. We only hope that Your Excellency will stay with us until the end of this grand performance, after all, the restructured Loki Heavy Industry still requires you to serve as the Grand Chief Mechanical Master.”
“Also, thank you for bringing the Extreme Special Soldier Ge-R, truly a beautiful Mecha~”