Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 202 - 179: Safety Contractor

Chapter 202: Chapter 179: Safety Contractor

"Gentlemen, the Katsuragi Gang has already taken control of most of Katagi District, and this has frightened you?" Du Qianqian spoke with confidence. "I must remind you that they’re just a fledgling gang that rose less than a month ago. People are not convinced by the protection they offer; the quality of their officers is low, and there is much within this that can be exploited."

Her raspy yet penetrating voice echoed inside the factory, stirring great excitement among the gang members below. Several key members felt an unprecedented passion from "Takeichi Jiro’s" words, and the other gang members showed surprise on their faces.

After transforming into the likeness of Takeichi Jiro, Du Qianqian wore retro clothes and, with her older appearance and white beard, she looked quite otherworldly, earning the admiration of the younger gang members.

"Oh-oh!"

"Yeah!"

"Well said!" The gang members who had been dispersed by Asa Katsuragi harbored resentment and were all intent on taking ruthless revenge. They were now ready to take back the territory they had lost.

They swore to strike back at the Katsuragi Gang to the death.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Du Qianqian was very pleased. Her spy training had proven useful; she could imitate all sorts of behaviors and tones, and her voice was completely identical to Takeichi Jiro’s, with no flaw to speak of.

She secretly signaled the Katsuragi Gang to be ready to storm in at any moment.

"The Bamboo Gang only needs to satisfy one condition to win!" Du Qianqian began to talk nonsense without any limit.

The gang members in attendance focused intently; they too wanted to regain their lost pride.

Ever since the Bamboo Gang fell from power, the Suzuki Group and Toshiaki Family Group in Katagi District, including the Chainsaw Angel Gang in Hui City District, had gained greater fame, causing discontent among the Bamboo Gang’s core members. Now, they finally found a chance to rally and reclaim their glory.

Regain the splendor!

"What kind of condition?" asked a member who was holding his arms, from below.

"Naturally, it’s—funds!" Du Qianqian continued to boast, "Money talks, and the Katsuragi Gang is full of holes, a bunch of disorderly, poor, and greedy fools. Just offer them the right amount of money, and they’ll betray without a second’s hesitation! We can buy their loyalty, kill Asa Katsuragi, and make the Katsuragi Gang ours. Now, everyone start contributing! I’ll lead with a donation of 1 million funds for a special operation!"

The Bamboo Gang’s officers found this very appealing and had a sudden realization.

Undoubtedly, this Mr. Takeichi Jiro with his profound schemes had thought it all through!

First gather everyone together, collect funds under the grand cause of "eliminating the Katsuragi Gang"—those new members from outside are all flush with cash, something the Bamboo Gang had long coveted. Now, with the old man’s command, wouldn’t they have a legitimate reason to extract money from them?

Upon hearing this, the crowd buzzed.

"This is exactly what we should do, no, what we must do!"

"Alright!"

"We’ve got to figure out a way to pool this money!"

"I’ll donate 1,000!"

"I’ll give 10,000!"

Some of the Bamboo Gang officers, understanding the old man’s intent, started to set the rhythm. The new gang members were certainly reluctant to fork over money, and they needed to be motivated and pressured in such a group setting.

Watching the befuddled gang members of Katagi District, Du Qianqian couldn’t help but smile. However, she suddenly felt her form twitching; the magic power necessary to maintain her disguise was unraveling.

The once rowdy scene fell silent at once, and the faces of the crowd turned tense and concerned as they all stared at her.

Since when did the old man make such big waves?

"You—you are—"

Du Qianqian realized that the magic power’s maintenance period had passed, and in her negligence and complacency, her appearance fluctuated. She quickly ducked backstage, at the same time sending a message urging the Katsuragi Gang to take action.

"Where did the old man go?"

"Go have a look!"

"Follow!" The Bamboo Gang officers hurriedly followed suit.

"They’ve begun their attack!" At the same time, a messenger boy ran over to the officers, tearfully reporting.

Boom!

The main cannon of the "Innovation" large shuttle machine had fired, targeting the robot factory for attack. The four hovering cannons of "White Smoke" had also risen into the sky, continuously bombarding and sweeping the factory. A large number of electromagnetic pulse grenades were thrown over the walls, crippling equipment and robots.

"Charge!"

"Surrender quickly!"

"Kneel down!"

The members of the Katsuragi Gang shouted frantically as they launched a do-or-die charge. Kong Tai, wielding an ion axe, leapt into the fray, followed by the professional mercenaries he had brought with him from the Boundless Organization. Clad in black armor with obscured faces, they moved swiftly. Previously scattered in various locations, they had thought Kong Tai was abandoning them. But now they were pulled back into action, becoming the new backbone of the entire troop.

The gang members and summoned stamp peddlers in the factory tried to put up a desperate resistance, but they were corralled into a tight area and were quickly rounded up. The mercenaries fired bullets, grenades, and high-powered incendiary rounds at them.

Boom! Boom!

After the explosions, the scene turned gruesome with blood and severed limbs scattered everywhere. The survivors lay on the ground, terrified out of their wits.

This was a truly terrifying violent group, incomparable to the ragtag underworld gangs of the Underground City.

With this, even the remnants were rounded up, leaving only the Chainsaw Angel Gang of Hui City District in the way of the Aizu City control plan.

Du Qianqian reverted to her original form, running wildly with her head in her hands, screaming that she was harmless. She often heard about spies being attacked by their own people and feared being killed amidst the chaos.

Not until 101 leaped over and carried her back to the safe zone did she regain her calm.

"I’ve completed my task!" Du Qianqian yelled, "Now I should be able to meet Mr. Xu, right?"

"I’ll inquire about it," said 101.

At that moment, Xu Yang was looking at the data chip brought back from Cui’s Prosthetic Diagnosis and Treatment Center by 101. Cui Junyou’s analysis of the Giant Tower plan was starting to come into focus, revealing the tip of the iceberg of this complex project.

The Giant Tower project was an extraordinarily special, world-scale venture, involving two crucial members. They belonged to the strongest witch organization within the Corporate Alliance, known as "Skydrive Agreement," two Dominator Witches referred as the Tower Guardians. Their abilities unknown, with indeterminate power levels, but they both seemed to be Reality Manipulators.

These two Tower Guardians carried significant responsibilities, seemingly guarding the key that led to the very heart of the Giant Tower plan. Developed after the Witch Wars, they, along with the Skydrive Agreement, served as the Corporate Alliance’s last line of defense. Although the Corporate Alliance was in decline and heavily influenced by Lighthouse Core, with the military organization "Skydrive Agreement" that consisted of elite witches still in existence, the Corporate Alliance’s influence would not vanish.

A tower that pierces the sky...

Xu Yang could not help but think of Farosa’s description. In Farosa’s memory, the Giant Tower was a marvel built by humans to visit the gods, located somewhere in the world. But according to Cui Junyou’s investigation, it was a construct of the Corporate Alliance that had been initiated and used after the war.

The only logical explanation was that the Giant Tower had already existed; after the Witch Wars, the Corporate Alliance had found and taken control of it. They also appointed Tower Guardians to guard this major secret and forbade anyone from discussing it.

Having securely stored the data chip from Cui Junyou, Xu Yang learned that Du Qianqian wanted to meet him.

As the new favorite of the Witch Division and a shapeshifting witch of no small talent, Du Qianqian had always been extremely curious about the true leader of the organization.

"If she sees your real face and knows your real name, she will transform into you," said 101.

"Let it wait a while," replied Xu Yang, "There are new developments in the situation at Aizu City."

"Understood," 101 conveyed Xu Yang’s response to Du Qianqian, who couldn’t help but feel deeply disappointed.

There was nothing to do but wait.

This only doubled Du Qianqian’s curiosity. She had prepared many words, many questions, ready for when the meeting would happen.

The fate of Aizu City indeed hinged on the stance of Anjiu City; there was no falsity in that statement. After the Katsuragi Gang had broken other underworld organizations and taken control of Number 26 Highland and Katagi District, the news also reached Anjiu City, prompting them to adjust their strategies.

The rise and fall, the mutual undermining of gangs, was commonplace, but against the backdrop of the current corporate wars, it inevitably put Mayor Oohara Nobuhiko of Anjiu City on high alert.

Sharp news disclosures pointed out that Black Fire Innovation had breached the Kyoto Infinity’s maritime defense line and was ready to attack metropolitan areas with long-range missiles at any time. Such reports sent waves of panic, affecting Kyoto Infinity’s brand image and stock prices. Animation enthusiasts from around the world flamed Kyoto Infinity online, lambasting the negligent company for letting their fantasy worlds suffer the plight of war.

In such times, what Oohara Nobuhiko needed was a stable environment in Aizu City, where further conflicts could not be tolerated.

This was especially true for the conflict that was brewing between the emerging Katsuragi Gang and the Strongest Gang of Hui City District, the Chainsaw Angel Gang. According to official news sources, a battle between the two was inevitable, which would trigger countless more instances of chaos, something Anjiu City did not want to witness.

Therefore, Mayor Oohara Nobuhiko of Anjiu City proposed the concept of a "Security Contractor."

In other words, this was an initiative led by Kyoto Infinity to create an entity capable of controlling Aizu City and enforcing maximum security measures. A local Security Contractor would have the authority to control and disband other gangs, consolidating non-corporate power in their hands.

Moreover, the compensation was very generous. Each year, Anjiu City would provide 32 million funds to the Security Contractor for maintaining Aizu City’s underground environment.

To take the title of "Security Contractor" was the last step in unifying Aizu City.