CHAPTER 1532: CHAPTER 36: GONE WITH THE WIND

"I am Frelia of the Four Winds Family, here to meet Mr. Aisheng of the Mocodanta Group. We have an appointment this afternoon, let me through, darling~" After she spoke, she leaned her cheek against the soldier’s shoulder, leaving a charming lip print on the visor of his exoskeleton helmet.

Suddenly approached by such beauty, the still inexperienced soldier felt a tinge of surprise and astonishment. According to the data scanned from his helmet, this indeed was the young lady of the Four Winds Family, her status unquestionably noble.

If this were the case, should he step aside? At that moment, he hesitated, and the woman gently tapped his shoulder with her delicate fingers, then slipped past him through a gap.

When she had walked several meters away, his companion finally looked over in confusion and asked.

"What happened? Why did you let her through?"

"She said she is the young lady of the Four Winds Family, Frelia, and the data on the identity chip matched..." The soldier responded somewhat sheepishly.

His teammates on the same channel paused as well. After all, for them, the heir of a giant corporation was someone of a status infinitely superior to theirs, a figure on the clouds. This huge gap in status brought them such a shock that they were unsure whether to strictly enforce orders, for fear of causing offense or being disapproved by even their superiors.

It was only half a minute later when a stern voice cut into the channel, shocking them back to their senses.

"What are you doing?! Letting someone walk right through the blockade!" It was their superior’s angry voice.

"She said she was..." One of the soldiers explained in a small voice.

"Bullshit! Just because she says so, you let her through based on the data check? When have I ever mentioned such a precedent!"

"You immediately reassign a quarter of your personnel to join the pursuit team. A vehicle will arrive in 7 seconds, act swiftly!"

"Yes!"

Not long after, the second capture operation unfolded on the city’s streets. Since this was a tourist city with many visitors coming and going, in order not to affect the local reputation and minimize impact, the local government had to act with caution, not daring to use weapons of mass destruction.

However, over the next hour, their pursuit repeatedly failed. The opponent’s methods were ever-changing, evading capture time and again.

"The other side might be a core operative of a top agency, blindly pursuing like this, it’s unlikely to succeed," someone said worriedly in the command room.

"Seal Star Harbor, cut off all incoming and outgoing starships, and completely blockade Zone 3. Raise isolation barriers along the route, we must keep them here."

"Is it necessary to go this far? You know tourism is the pillar industry of the residential star ’Venus’, and such large-scale blockades will definitely bring bad publicity." Local officials were still hesitant, reluctant to give the order.

"Fool, at this point, you’re still worrying about this. All you need to know is that if they escape with that critical patent data, the Eastern Star Region will lose another important bargaining chip, and by then, there will be plenty of people for you to regret not acting!"

"This, this, alright, I understand. Immediately order the blockade of the area, and stop all starship entries and exits at Star Harbor." Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the official gave the uneasy order.

With orange lights illuminating various locations within the area, all broadcasts began taking over to inform residents and tourists of the regional blockade. They announced that a large-scale war movie rehearsal was about to take place, and advised all audience members to quickly enter nearby shelters and avoid remaining on the streets.

"Is this for real?"

"Why arrange such a rehearsal suddenly? How are we supposed to vacation if we come all the way here?"

"This is such a bummer."

"War movie, along with such a large rehearsal, is the scene going to be that explosive?" Some people had different thoughts and were becoming even more excited.

Though slightly disgruntled, the street tourists began queuing and separating under the guidance of the Autonomous Units, following the bright yellow lines projected onto the ground as pathways into nearby safety facilities.

"Look over there!" someone shouted with excitement and urgency.

In the distance, outside the huge barrier that was slowly rising, an elite blue Mecha charged forward like a giant, violently shattering the hundreds of meters high, pale yellow transparent barrier, and then rushed into the city.

The energy of the shattered barrier, the fiercely whirling airstream, and the scorching gust of wind hitting their faces almost made passersby fly up and fall, causing many to panic. Meanwhile, a few were ecstatically shouting.

"It’s the Federation’s Elite Mecha!"

The cold, blue-toned Mecha reflected under the sunshine, passing through numerous obstacles. Amidst the firepower from many Autonomous Units, it seized a figure standing on a high platform. Then, with a violent swirling air current, black hair danced wildly in the wind, and the sunglasses originally worn flew off, revealing an exceptionally beautiful face.

Countless bullets poured, all deflected by the Mecha’s armor and barriers, spraying a shower of sparks. It then abruptly changed direction, protecting the woman in its grasp against its chest, before soaring into the dazzling sky.

This scene was accidentally captured by a photographer on the road. The intense firefight, shattered metal shells, the towering, robust Mecha, and the beauty in the wind made this a photo with intense impact, becoming the most influential image of the year, and many enthusiasts gave it a classic and timeless name.

———— ’Gone with the Wind’