Bright lights illuminated the vast hall, where dense streams of soldiers and civilians moved between rows of glowing equipment.
Screens hung overhead throughout the hall, displaying surveillance footage from different angles along the city walls.
At the far end of the hall stood four enormous screens several meters tall, arranged in a semicircle. Each was divided into twelve smaller windows showing different views around the four city gates.
He Ao stepped out of the elevator, his gaze sweeping over the bustling hall.
"Mr. Sot,"
At that moment, an officer who appeared to be administrative staff approached him, saluted, and pointed toward an area at the end of the hall partitioned off by control consoles. "Mr. Ovi is over there."
He Ao looked in the direction the officer indicated.
He could vaguely see Ovi standing behind the console, intensely discussing something with several officers.
"Alright, I understand."
He Ao nodded lightly.
"Then please carry on."
The officer saluted He Ao again and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
He Ao swept his gaze over the surveillance feeds around him and slowly walked toward Ovi along the relatively empty edge of the hall.
Just then, his wristband vibrated, and a crisp ringtone squeezed into his ear through the tiny Bluetooth earpiece.
He raised his wristband and looked at the incoming number displayed on it.
It was an unfamiliar number that was not in his online contacts.
He Ao reached out, declined the call, and continued forward.
The wristband fell silent. The other party did not call back immediately, but after He Ao had taken only a few more steps, it vibrated again.
He raised his wristband. It was still the same number.
The surrounding clamor seemed distant. At that moment, He Ao was standing in an empty corner by a window in the