Falling Star

"I don't know. One landed near Anyang City. You can go investigate."

Lu Chengchuan didn't know everything either. Who knew whether those points of light were monsters, meteors, or both.

"We'll head over immediately. Where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up." When faced with an unknown situation, Zhou Yaning's first instinct was to bring Lu Chengchuan along. With an expert around, they could handle any danger they encountered.

Lu Chengchuan sent her his address and prepared to head out.

"Mom, I need to go out for something."

Huang Yuyun had been resting in her bedroom. She came out after hearing a loud noise, and when she heard her son say he was going out, her expression immediately turned tense.

"Y-you be careful. Don't push yourself too hard."

She didn't know what her son was going out to do, but the money in his bank account told her that he wasn't doing safe work. She had no idea what kind of job could earn several million in just a few days.

Huang Yuyun worried about her son, but she didn't want to interfere too much either. After all, he had grown up and become capable...

"I know." Lu Chengchuan froze for a moment, then nodded.

Lu Chengchuan arrived at the entrance of the residential complex and waited. Less than half an hour later, a military helicopter flew overhead.

The helicopter's rotors tore through the air with an overwhelmingly oppressive roar. A fierce wind swept down from above, kicking up leaves and dust around Lu Chengchuan's feet.

"Mr. Lu!"

Qian Xiaoling stuck her head out and shouted at the top of her lungs when she spotted Lu Chengchuan below.

"Take us down! He's right beneath us!"

The pilot guided the helicopter down slowly. Lu Chengchuan stepped back several paces to clear the space. As the helicopter descended, his clothes fluttered wildly and his hair was blown into a complete mess.

A group of people stood in the distance watching the helicopter, while the residential complex's security guards watched from even farther back.

They were all dumbfounded. Dozens of pairs of eyes settled on Lu Chengchuan as they each silently guessed at his identity.

The helicopter stopped once it had descended to a certain height. Qian Xiaoling waved at him. "Mr. Lu! Hurry up!"

Lu Chengchuan forced his way through the gale and reached the helicopter in a few strides. Qian Xiaoling reached out and pulled him aboard. The moment he had settled into his seat, Qian Xiaoling turned and told the pilot to take off.

The helicopter's roar suddenly intensified, and it swiftly rose into the air, climbing several hundred meters.

This was Lu Chengchuan's first time riding in a helicopter. It was incredibly noisy inside, and people had to raise their voices to be heard. The door was open too, and the wind was rather strong.

Aside from him, there were several soldiers aboard. They sat in their seats and paid Lu Chengchuan no attention.

"The captain and the others have already set out! We're heading there now. The meteor landed west of Anyang City. The advance team hasn't found the exact location yet, so we'll go take a look first!"

The moment the meteor struck the ground, the advance team had immediately set out. They had narrowed it down to a general area and were searching within that range for whatever had fallen.

Beneath the night sky, the helicopter sped toward the area where the meteor had landed. Quite a few people were destined to lose sleep tonight.

"Attention, all units. This is Headquarters A1. The advance team has found the target location. I repeat, the target location has been found. Coordinates are now being transmitted. Acknowledge receipt. Acknowledge receipt."

Half an hour later, the helicopter reached the area where the meteor had fallen. Before they could begin searching, a message came from headquarters. The advance team had found the location, and headquarters was now sending the coordinates.

The pilot gave a reply and guided the helicopter toward the coordinates.

When they reached the skies above the coordinates, Lu Chengchuan saw several more military helicopters of the same model.

"There's nowhere to land below. All personnel, prepare for airborne descent."

The helicopter switched on its searchlight, only to find poor terrain and fog below. There was no suitable place to land, so the personnel could only descend via rope ladders.

The helicopters spread out, each looking for a place to land. As long as they stayed reasonably close to the coordinates, it would do.

The pilot flew forward for a while before stopping. The helicopter slowly descended, and when it was still more than ten meters above the ground, the soldiers threw down the rope ladder for their descent.

"Mr. Lu, do you know how to use this?" Qian Xiaoling asked.

As an official member of the Investigation Bureau, Qian Xiaoling had undergone extensive professional training. Though she looked frail, descending by rope was no challenge for her.

She didn't know whether Lu Chengchuan had trained before or whether he could handle it, but she was clearly worrying for nothing.

"I don't need it!"

Lu Chengchuan looked at the ground. Before Qian Xiaoling could say anything else, he jumped straight down. Before she could even cry out, Lu Chengchuan had already landed safely. He raised a hand and waved, signaling that he was fine.

It was only a little over ten meters. That height was child's play to him.

Seeing that he was completely unharmed, Qian Xiaoling realized that what she had been worried about was nothing at all in his eyes.

After Lu Chengchuan jumped down, the soldiers in the helicopter descended one after another. Qian Xiaoling soon came down as well. The soldiers took out flashlights and illuminated the surroundings, while Qian Xiaoling pulled out her phone.

"Captain, we've arrived... All right, I understand..."

Qian Xiaoling lowered her phone and turned around. "Let's go! Move toward the coordinates!"

Lu Chengchuan followed them forward. After walking for ten minutes, they reached the spot where the "meteor" had landed. They were not the first team to arrive. Zhou Yaning and several others had gotten there before them.

Zhou Yaning and a few people were gathered around a stone. It stood over three meters tall and was shaped much like an egg.

"Captain, we're here."

Qian Xiaoling led Lu Chengchuan over and found her captain, speaking to her quietly.

"Come take a look. What is this thing?" Zhou Yaning pointed at the stone, beckoning them all closer.

Lu Chengchuan stepped forward. Under the surrounding lights, a black stone egg was reflected in his eyes. Its surface was coarse and covered in irregular protrusions.

This was the meteor that had fallen. It looked like nothing more than an ordinary mineral.

"Captain Zhou, the experts and equipment are on the way. We'll guard this place and make sure nothing goes wrong."

An officer came over to discuss matters with Zhou Yaning. The main force had yet to arrive. They only had a few dozen people, most of them ordinary soldiers rather than professionals.

"Please set up a perimeter. Also, stay on guard against monsters at all times."

Zhou Yaning couldn't shake the faint unease in her heart. She was afraid something might go wrong, but when she saw Lu Chengchuan here as well, her heart settled slightly.

"Where is this place?"

Lu Chengchuan looked around. It was pitch-black, with no roads in sight, only towering trees and dense clumps of wild grass.

"This is Fengjiang Wild Forest Park. The government hasn't developed it much, so it's difficult for cars to get in. We may have to wait for a while."

The soldiers set up defenses around the area. Normally, no one came to a place like this. Now, they hoped that there would be nothing here except people.

Several hours passed, and it was deep into the night when Lu Chengchuan heard rumbling from the distance. Soon, headlights appeared before them.

The vehicles stopped not far away, and a group of people got out carrying all kinds of equipment.