Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 662 - 554: Surrounded on All Sides_2

Chapter 662: Chapter 554: Surrounded on All Sides_2

"She wants to take over the burden from her father’s shoulders, Lu Sizhou wants to take control of the entire Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing Group," Xu Yang said, his voice steady. He had the right to speak about matters related to Xia, where the logic was fairly clear.

"Lu Shibo is still in his prime, is it already time to switch to his daughter?" Lila found it hard to accept this conclusion.

At 26, Lu Sizhou was still youthful. Lu Shibo, at 70, was only considered middle-aged by today’s biomedical technology, far from decrepit.

"So it means, Lu Sizhou’s thirst for power has finally overcome everything else, although it’s unknown what triggered her to be so confident," Xu Yang nodded.

"That would mean they want to end the war and sign a treaty. What about the other actual power holders of Xia? What would they think?" Lila deepened her analysis, her logic tree branching and expanding continuously, exploring all possibilities.

Actual power holders.

Xu Yang recalled the important figures within the two corporate giants.

At the top were the seasoned entrepreneurs and investors who had been running companies for a long time, including their kin entrenched within the group with massive influence.

Then there were the select elite from human resources, transferred from branch offices to the corporate headquarters, each with a complete resume and strong connections.

Xia was vast, and the magnitude of a giant corporation was beyond imagination, with endless internal strife. If Lu Sizhou wanted to go this far, it was likely she did not have absolute confidence and would certainly look for ways to minimize risks, Xu Yang thought.

Considering the series of events that had happened in the company, Xu Yang knew that the group pursued maximum stability. If Lu Sizhou wanted to stir things up, she would need to enlist the Nestor Corporation as an external ally.

"They will take sides," Xu Yang explained, "to choose whether to support or oppose Lu Sizhou. We’re also insiders, but our option is only one, that is to defeat Black Fire Innovation and then force Black Fire Innovation to sign a peace treaty."

"Lu Sizhou’s strategy lies here," Lila also deduced, "She knows we can defeat Black Fire Innovation, and knows that Black Fire Innovation will inevitably come to attack the Nestor Corporation."

"Most of the war operations were planned by Lu Sizhou. She has accumulated a lot of experience on the battlefield and wants to see the dust settle so she can directly prove her merits to others," Xu Yang sighed, only feeling pity that during the year-long war, Xia suffered countless casualties, and fleets sank. This sacrifice ultimately became the capital for entrepreneurs and the elite to boast with.

Regardless, due to Lu Sizhou’s plotting, the powers in the Eastern Hemisphere will be reshuffled and enter a new structure.

"Let’s win this battle first, then watch for changes," Xu Yang contemplated how to maximize benefits and minimize casualties.

Also, if Xia seeks peace with Black Fire Innovation, ending the war, wouldn’t the A40 currently guerrilla fighting in Charo Island of the Taiya Archipelago be annihilated by Black Fire Innovation once they turn their full attention to it?

It seems A40 needs to be relocated, especially since A40 has an even more important task to accomplish.

That is to take Huang Feng away.

...

The Storm Princess returned to the Baraya.

When she looked down at her leg, her heart suddenly pounded.

A Star-Chasing Spear had pierced right through the middle of her thigh, muscles and bones! Only a negligible amount of tendons and flesh hung on, the wound was deep enough to see the bone.

She shivered. She had always sheltered her torso with violent winds strong enough to deflect most attacks, even sniper bullets couldn’t harm her in the slightest.

But that was Pan Ruiyi!

As a Dominator Battle Witch specialized in close combat, bolstered and wielding a magical weapon to launch a heavy strike, she overpowered the Storm Princess’s protection.

In fact, when Pan Ruiyi struck with her spear, she didn’t feel the Storm Princess’s protective winds at all, because her lance was too fierce! It directly smashed through the Storm Princess.

In extreme pain, the Storm Princess’s control over the battlefield’s storm weakened somewhat; she couldn’t maintain the storm over the entire field if she was distracted.

Unconsciously, she retracted her magic power, and the sky began to clear up.

"Look—"

"The storm is about to stop!"

"The rain is getting lighter—"

"The Storm Princess is having problems, pursue her!" The Nestor air force’s morale soared, and they immediately reformed their formation, pushing forward.

This was the first time in her life that the Storm Princess had sustained such heavy injuries, especially since she was wearing hardly any proper clothing. Now, with a downward glance, she could see her own woeful thigh, needing the help of the blowing wind to keep half of her leg from falling into the sea.

Such a pitiful condition put tremendous pressure on the Storm Princess. She needed to receive medical aid immediately, or she might have to live the rest of her life with a prosthetic leg.

Onboard the Baraya, the gravely injured Storm Princess was taken away by the medical staff upon her return to the ship, quickly entering the treatment process to save the leg that Pan Ruiyi nearly severed with his spear.

"What do we do next?" The staff officers looked at each other in dismay, turning their gaze to Captain Cavalier of the Baraya.

"The Yokozuna is almost self-destructing, the Orochi’s firepower is too weak, and half of the Chika Island’s sky machines are damaged. There’s still a chance to fight," a senior staff officer suggested.

The Yokozuna still burned and melted in its charge, but its fate was inevitably to sink into the sea.

"We retreat," Captain Cavalier furrowed his brows, looking over espionage reports, military maps, and new intelligence. Judging by the latest intelligence, the situation was rapidly deteriorating, "The Heavenly Cardinal and Tianxuan warships are both on the way. Be quick, don’t let the Baraya get surrounded."

"The Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing’s company troops are now joining the fight..."

"Wasn’t Kyushu High Pavilion supposed to launch their offensive in July? It seems like this is an unilateral action by the Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing."

"All fronts are requesting reinforcements," another staff officer reported, "the Baraya should retreat as quickly as possible."

"The soldiers still long for a battle, it’s not in the Baraya’s style to just sit idly by and wait for death!" the senior staff officer opined.

"Preserving our fighting force is the best strategy. Both the Storm Princess and Huang Feng’s magic powers have been greatly depleted. Sato City’s military base has been intensely attacked and can’t serve as a supply point. There’s no other option but to retreat now," another staff officer couldn’t help but share his view.

Captain Cavalier inspected the ship’s damage and sighed.

That damned Yokozuna wasn’t willing to sink. Those madmen of soldiers didn’t abandon the ship; they charged right through the flames, even hitting two missiles.

The Orochi’s speed was neck and neck with the Baraya. If it weren’t for the Yokozuna’s desperate hit, the Baraya could have shaken it off! But now... Captain Cavalier could calculate that this meant the Baraya was unlikely to return to its home port today.

He couldn’t spread this tragic news.

"Full speed retreat," Captain Cavalier quickly ordered, confirming the Baraya’s course of action, "Pull out of the cloud zone, we’re going back."

"The Orochi is closing in!" another scout yelled.

The staff officers turned their gaze to the battlefield imaging device as the Orochi, moving at high speed, had entered their attack range and was now launching long-range supersonic anti-ship missiles at the Baraya.

Boom!

The missile was intercepted and exploded high above. If that missile had hit the Baraya, the terrifying anti-ship destructive power would have completely immobilized the vessel.

The observers on the Orochi quickly reported the missile firing situation, filling the entire ship with a heated atmosphere, morale high as a rainbow. Even though they missed, they were still quite happy because the ship had plenty of spare rounds, and they were in a dominant airspace. It was like a true snake constantly entwining its prey until it could swallow it whole.

"The boss demands we stick close to the Baraya!" Orochi’s Captain declared in the command room, "Let the citizens see how we defeat those arms dealers! We’ll sink it and then drag it back to Shangjing Bay as a trophy!"

The Orochi full speed ahead, relentlessly pursued!