Noah Project, Third Step

Not only Yang Jia had doubts, but everyone else in Black Gate City was also wondering.

Red Eyes Ling Ping, Old Zhou Under the Bridge, the Serpent Sisters, and other dispatched personnel have all returned to Black Gate City. However, unlike Xiao Xiao, who went to a woman's house as soon as he returned to Black Gate City, and then went home for a late-night snack and sleep without contacting Yang Jia and Mister Ye, they were all excited and quick-witted. The first thing they did upon returning was to report to Mister Ye, and then they gathered at the Red Eyes Club. On each of their faces, there was a calm but undisguised joy, clearly showing their pride in the results of this business trip.

"Nightmare Anchor, S-rank".

Red Eyes Ling Ping, changed into a sharp, expensive suit and wore black glasses. The Orange Cat perched on his shoulder, its expression even more arrogant than his. He introduced himself to everyone, saying, "He possesses the ability to maintain inner peace in any complex environment."

"Of course, this doesn't mean you won't die, it just means that if you possess this item, even in death, your heart will remain at peace."

"This item was originally worth hundreds of thousands of points, but fortunately, I lived up to the guild leader's expectations and obtained it with just over 30,000 points."

"..."

The group of Black Gate City newcomers who had gathered looked at the veteran knight with admiration, thinking to themselves, "Hundreds of thousands! He only spent tens of thousands of points to get it?"

On the other side of the Red Eyes Club, with his clothes tattered and torn in places, revealing large wounds on his skin, Old Zhou Under the Bridge looked completely opposite to Ling Ping. One showed no signs of injury at all, while the other looked like he had almost died. He also deliberately ignored his wounds, simply sitting in front of the bar with a cold expression. He pulled a rope, and a man with his hands bound and a black hood over his head was dragged in front of the group.

Seeing this helpless fellow, Old Zhou Under the Bridge wanted a shot of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), but the bar didn't have any, so he had to settle for a glass of vodka, which he downed in one gulp, and said coldly:

"Eternal Helmsman, S-rank".

"I don't know exactly what his abilities are, but I'm certain that he's the one the chairman pointed out was needed. I tried it on the way back, and this guy always seems to be able to point in the right direction."

"Even though it was his first time in Black Gate City, while I had lived here for decades, and he was blind despite wearing a hood, he could still give me directions."

"No matter which intersection it is, he can always point me in the right direction and help me avoid traffic jams."

"..."

He paused slightly, then added, "It didn't cost any money."

"After I dealt with the assassins sent by City of Rest, I wanted to go find him, but I didn't expect that he would actually appear by my side."

"He said he knew the right direction, so he volunteered to come back to Black Gate City with me."

"..."

"Oh..."

Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned to Old Zhou Under the Bridge with surprise. This guy was even more amazing—he didn't spend a penny!

In addition, they also carefully examined the guy named Eternal Helmsman. It was obvious that he was a person, a living person, but to the strangers, they could see his characteristics: he was an indigenous person.

Therefore, it essentially exists as a weapon, an object.

Upon closer examination, this becomes somewhat complex, but it is quite common within the circles of strangers.

That's why no one thought there was anything wrong with Old Zhou Under the Bridge.

Some people also turned their attention to the Serpent Sisters. When the Serpent Sisters first entered the Red Eyes Club, they were full of vigor and couldn't hide their smiles. They even walked with a swagger, their waists swaying so much that they could be used to mix noodles. Anyone who took a look could tell that their sense of accomplishment was the highest among the three groups, and their faces were practically bursting with self-praise. However, after hearing the reports from Red Eyes Ling Ping and Old Zhou Under the Bridge, their expressions gradually became somewhat awkward, and they could no longer smile.

Thirty thousand?

Didn't spend any money?

Are those two bastards really that good at currying favor?

My sisters handled things very well. They survived the siege of ten knights from City of Rest without even spending the points to make a wish. Moreover, we not only negotiated a deal for that S-grade mysterious item, but we also managed to bargain down the price...

They originally wanted 500,000!

So when someone couldn't help but look at them, they simply blinked and glanced smoothly at Little Four, who was silently sitting in the corner.

"Our mission is complete. What about yours?"

"..."

Their demeanor was impeccable, and they looked at Little Four with the gaze of elders, saying, "City of Rest has dispatched such powerful forces to ambush the three of us, and City of Rest has been targeted by our guild leader again..."

"Has Black Gate City encountered any danger?"

"..."

"No..."

Little Four squatted obediently by the wall, watching enviously as the three groups of dispatched personnel returned to Black Gate City in glory. He said dejectedly, "I stayed in Black Gate City and didn't get any good things..."

"Yes..."

Some of the bolder newcomers nodded in agreement. "If only we had gone out on the mission with them, nothing would have happened in Black Gate City..."

"Sigh, it's not that we don't want to go, it's that we're not qualified to leave the city right now..."

"..."

"..."

In short, the second phase of the Noah Project is progressing much more smoothly than expected.

They returned excitedly, all with a desire to curry favor with the chairman, and indeed, the tasks they had accomplished warranted such recognition.

But where is the president?

In the ensuing silence, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, none knowing the answer, including Little Four, who was rummaging through the ashtray for cigarette butts in the corner. Just as everyone began to feel something was amiss, the phone rang at the Red Eyes Club. Ling Ping pressed the answer button and heard Mister Ye's voice, "Gentlemen, you have all completed your tasks very well. I can tell you that not only have you completed your tasks, but the Chairman has also retrieved the remaining four major components needed for the second step of the Noah Project. In short..."

"We now have all the essential materials to build Noah."

"..."

"Ah?"

Everyone was taken aback. They had each obtained one item and could not contain their pride, but the guild leader had quietly obtained the remaining four items.

Subconsciously, much of the pride in my heart disappeared.

But then came the excitement. Now that all seven components were assembled, then...

"But here's the problem..."

Mister Ye's voice rang out calmly. "Our president has disappeared..."

"Missing?"

At this moment, everyone couldn't help but show extremely strange expressions. "What kind of joke is this?"

"Or rather, it's not that they've disappeared."

Mister Ye added casually, "He has simply cut off contact with other people. Perhaps he is on vacation, or perhaps he needs his own space to think about some issues."

"In short, I tried to communicate with him, but he had no desire to communicate with me."

"..."

A sense of unease crept into everyone's hearts. Why was this happening?

Now we can build the real Noah! The Noah Project has never progressed so smoothly in decades. Not only have we completed the first and second steps, but even the third step of the Noah Project can be advanced...

Why would the president disappear at this time?

"Of course, although the president has been missing for a short time, there is still one thing we can be at ease about."

Mister Ye seemed to be pondering as well, and then slowly announced, "He has already begun to advance the third step of the Noah Project."

Just as everyone was filled with confusion, they were suddenly horrified upon hearing this. "When did this happen?"

"It was right after the president invited everyone to that grand feast."

Mister Ye explained softly, "The first step of the Noah Project was to find a suitable Dragonbone; the second step was to build the seven major components of the ship; and the third step..."

"Clear the flight path!"

"..."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Originally, this was the most difficult step."

"Clearing the shipping lanes means we'll have to face various cities scattered across the Mist Sea and deal with different foreign organizations. They might not support our Noah Project, and could even covet our advanced weapons. I've calculated that Black Gate City's overall strength is now comparable to some Tier 1 cities, but we'll still be quite weak when facing an siege from various cities. Therefore, clearing the shipping lanes is the biggest challenge we face..."

"However, I never expected that our president would have foreseen this step in advance..."

"He has already started to take this step, and has even handled it better than any of us imagined."

"All I can say is that his execution ability is simply too strong..."

"Of course, Miss Ruan Ruan did not attend the meeting, but I must acknowledge her contribution. She was a great help in this aspect."

"..."

"..."

Ruan Ruan did indeed help a lot, but the way she helped was a little different from what others would have thought.

From the moment she returned to Black Gate City, she had been thinking about her computer, but she didn't dare ask Xiao Xiao for it. So, she reluctantly returned to her house. In a bad mood, she didn't want to go to the Red Eyes Club and attend the meeting with the others. She silently turned on her computer and habitually opened the forum. Her expression gradually began to change; a certain unusual intuition suddenly made her realize that something extraordinary was brewing within the forum...

Who says that those with strong spirits can't have superhuman sensitivity?

It's Ruan Ruan enough!

At this moment, the most discussed topic on the forum was the feast in City of Rest.

That freakish guild leader from Black Gate City actually held a grand banquet in City of Rest, and the main course was City of Rest itself. It was so shocking that it sparked countless discussions.

What does it mean to divide up a city?

Many people initially disbelieved it upon hearing the news, but upon realizing that the host of this grand event was the guild leader of Black Gate City, they unconsciously began to believe it to some extent.

Furthermore, as more and more people who participated in this event appeared online and released various pieces of evidence, people suddenly had no choice but to believe it.

It is fair to say that in just one short day, countless people's worldviews have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Isn't the City Will an inviolable deity?

If cities can be divided up, then what are we outsiders?

And if City of Rest can be divided up, then what will our city taste like...?

Is it moisturizing?

Ruan Ruan sensed the undercurrent of power in these posts. She felt angry as she watched people boast about their experiences in City of Rest.

This Mingming all his own limelight!

Why was it stolen from me?

So she took a deep breath, immediately pulled out her hidden camera, and removed the chip.

She didn't know when it started, but the camera she was using had become increasingly professional. She felt that she was now more like a war correspondent than a strong warrior...

Thankfully, the camera wasn't borrowed...

So she quickly exported the content, carefully reviewed it, and then deleted a few parts that were easy to misunderstand...

Then, quickly drafting a proposal in my mind, I kicked off my shoes, squatted down in the computer chair, grabbed the keyboard, and started typing rapidly. "Family members, does anyone understand this...?"

"Our guild leader loves to eat people..."

"..."

The entire forum was brewing a storm. The events in City of Rest shocked everyone, but they also vaguely felt that something was missing.

Ah, that's it!

They are opinion leaders!

No matter how much others speculate or stir things up, the most credible Old Auntie hasn't spoken yet. Everyone knows that nothing about Black Gate City, no matter how exaggerated others' claims are, is as real and explosive as that old auntie's revelations. There are already many rumors circulating that the Old Auntie is deliberately hiding in Black Gate City to dig out an undercover agent. Therefore, the entire forum discussion is just brewing; a huge storm is waiting for the Old Auntie to come online and ignite it...

And the Old Auntie certainly didn't disappoint; her first sentence completely stunned everyone.

The central idea of the post is very clear:

Our president loves to eat people.

Of course, cannibalism is nothing compared to the fact that many well-behaved, cute, kind, and gentle young girls have also been forced to eat people.

But oh my god, he ate his dearest person...

Of course, Ruan Ruan wasn't without her bottom line. Because she knew Yang Jia was actually still alive, she hesitated for a moment before typing out this crucial sentence and added a parenthesis at the end: (This is just hearsay, I can't guarantee it's true or not, you know what I mean!)

This then led to the following line of thought.

The guild leader loves to eat people, and he doesn't even take the provocations from City of Rest seriously.

City of Rest did such crazy things, roaring like a mad beast, but the guild master only told them one truth: a barking dog doesn't bite.

Therefore, in the face of City of Rest's all-out attack on Black Gate City, the leader of Black Gate City did only one thing: he dismantled City of Rest and then invited everyone to a banquet.

The main point is to create a lively atmosphere...

And he wasn't satisfied with just eating the City of Rest; he became addicted...

As the banquet came to a close, he was already considering which city's cuisine would be served next...

The entire forum, or rather the entire community of people living away from home, was instantly ignited.

It is true that a city was dismembered and devoured.

The fact that the legendary Black Gate City guild leader is a cannibal is hard to believe, but surprisingly, several people on the forum have personally confirmed it.

They had only confirmed that there were indeed traces of Yang Jia being eaten by him.

However, during the reposting process, it became the claim that someone had personally witnessed Yang Jia being eaten by him.

However, those who witnessed it firsthand, whether out of fear of being targeted by Black Gate City or for other reasons, added, "But we asked him ourselves, and he doesn't eat just anyone."

"He doesn't eat with friends, of course, only the kind of friends he doesn't really like..."

"..."

From the moment the first video of this newly appointed president of Black Gate City was uploaded to the forum, until now, no one in the outsider community has any doubts about his character.

He really is that kind of person.

Therefore, the news that he had dismembered and devoured a city and was preparing to choose his next target immediately went viral on the entire forum.

Everyone felt insecure and trembled with fear.

So what should I do if I feel insecure?

Of course, it's about having more strength and more self-protection. Besides, with City of Rest around, the conflicts between various cities were always suppressed. Although not everyone was willing to ally with City of Rest, its strength was undeniable. When it sent people to act as persuaders, everyone had to give it some face. But now City of Rest is gone, replaced by Black Gate City, which is now the most famous and powerful city... and also the most dangerous city in history.

It is no longer possible to maintain the previous stability.

Especially during the process of dividing up City of Rest, many cities gained enormous benefits, and their strength increased dramatically in an instant.

Facing cities that hadn't participated in the feast, they suddenly had a significant advantage, greatly increasing their chances of winning. How could they not be tempted?

Those who participated in the feast did not receive an equal share of what they gained; some received more, and some received less.

Therefore, those who gain more benefits are coveted by others who want to take advantage of them. Those who gain less benefits are also coveted because their strength has improved less. If they don't act now, when will they?

Of course, it's okay if you're a little weaker...

Isn't the wishing altar right there?

Some people have already made wishes at this grand event, and it's confirmed that the effects are very good.

It's only 20,000 points, and you can't even part with that?

The landmine that Xiao Xiao had planted long before he went to City of Rest was finally detonated by a war correspondent at this moment.

The fragile balance between cities was shattered almost overnight. It started with a small city launching a surprise attack on a medium-sized city, and Pandora's box seemed unable to be closed. Suddenly, attacks and wars between cities erupted on the forums. Initially, these news reports were quite eye-catching, but later, with so many breaking out, no one paid attention anymore. Of course, more importantly, those accounts that could reply to posts were now somewhat neglected...

"I've thought countless times about how our chairman will complete the third step of clearing the waterway..."

Even Mister Ye, a member of the Red Eyes Club, couldn't help but sigh, "But I never expected that his method would be to directly clean up the entire world."

"Now that the fuse has been lit, the balance between the cities is destined to be impossible to maintain."

"Under these circumstances, our Black Gate City should have been the most watched, even the one that would be united against. But in the end, we became the one who remained unscathed in this war."

"If the route clearing step was initially classified as an SS-level mission..."

"Now, I even think this mission has become a Class B difficulty, which any knight from Black Gate City can complete."

"..."

"As expected of the president..."

Everyone listened in stunned silence, and they were all somewhat amazed and impressed. "They had already considered the third step before the second step was even completed, and it's progressing so smoothly?"

"But where is he now?"

"..."

No one could answer the question, so someone thought of Yang Jia. Although everyone now tacitly agrees not to disturb Yang Jia who is hiding, at such a critical moment, she is probably the only one they can turn to.

Didn't they both... you know?

When this issue came up, Mister Ye was a little embarrassed. "I tried asking her."

Everyone was very concerned. "And then?"

Mister Ye said, "Then she got quite angry..."

Yang Jia was indeed quite angry. Xiao Xiao had Mingming returned to Black Gate City, but he hadn't even said hello.

Furthermore, some of the things she discovered were too astonishing, and she finally couldn't hold back any longer. She took the initiative to leave the small building, retrieved her white SUV, and sped off towards Xiao Xiao's house.

If you shield yourself from everything in your mental world, you can't escape the real world, can you?

She went straight to Xiao Xiao's house, pushed the door open without knocking, and exuded an air of accusation.

Then, the moment she opened the door, she froze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and the anger on her face quickly dissipated. She forced an awkward smile and said, "Hello, Auntie..."

Xiao's Mom was picking celery in the yard when she was startled by the sound of Yang Jia opening the door. When she looked up, she recognized Yang Jia.

Her expression quickly turned to surprise. "Oh, Xiao Yang, what brings you here?"

"Come in and sit down, Auntie is making dumplings for lunch today, celery and pork filling..."

"..."

"...good."

Yang Jia glanced at herself and realized her hands were empty, making her feel even more embarrassed. But Xiao's Mom had already gotten up warmly to welcome her in.

She keenly noticed that Yang Jia seemed to be in a bad mood and whispered, "Did you two have a fight? She seemed unhappy when she came back yesterday..."

"What's wrong with him?"

Hearing that Xiao Xiao was indeed at home, Yang Jia felt much relieved. A thought flickered in her mind, and she asked curiously.

"I don't know..."

Xiao's Mom said, "She said she saw a woman being bullied and felt a little sad because she couldn't help..."

Yang Jia frowned slightly. "A woman?"