Racing across the sea to intercept invaders

Out on the open ocean, a cruise ship sailed across the sea, its bow cutting through the surging waters and sending up sprays of white foam.

After the two state-owned enterprises took over the outer seas, they began building all kinds of facilities on the key islands. As a result, numerous transport ships and cruise liners had traveled these waters in recent years, and this ordinary vessel was entirely unremarkable among them.

In a spacious first-class cabin on an upper deck, created by joining several cabins together, golden sunlight streamed through the thick window glass. Chen Chuan sat leaning against the cabin wall, turning the pages of a book amid the rhythmic sound of the waves.

He wore a casual checked shirt. Although it was December, the shipping route lay in a warm wind belt, so the weather remained pleasant.

At his age, no one would have guessed at first glance that he was the director of Central City's Defense Department. He looked more like a young man who had just entered college.

But once he stood up or met someone's eyes to speak, the outward presence of a fighter became difficult to suppress. The rhythm of a fighter's movements and his distinctive bearing were impossible to conceal.

Zhao Ming stood at the window, looking outside. It had stayed here very quietly over the past few days, without making a sound. Chen Chuan provided its food and water, and anyone absent from the cabin would never have known another living creature was there.

The book in Chen Chuan's hands was a translated volume from the Federation, an old publication of the New Light Sect. Although the sect was internationally recognized as a cult, it wielded considerable influence. It could appear openly at many formal occasions, including the Continental Assembly, and