Fantasy Game: Infinite City

After issuing the orders, Sebastian slowly turned around and sat back down at his desk, his face still radiating barely suppressed excitement. He picked up a wine glass, poured himself a glass of deep red wine, and gently swirled it, watching the liquid swirl within, his eyes gleaming with triumphant satisfaction. A plan that was originally just a preliminary operation had unexpectedly wiped out the entire Infinite Corporation's influence on the moon—it was truly a stroke of luck. Although he still didn't know why the series of explosions had occurred, that was no longer important. What mattered was that the Ferdinand family had finally seized the opportunity to rise, about to replace Infinite Corporation and become the new power controlling the entire interstellar landscape.

Meanwhile, on Earth, a silent storm was quietly sweeping across the planet. The Ferdinand family's action teams, like cheetahs lying in wait, launched surprise attacks from their hidden locations on various Infinite Corporation targets across the globe. Most of Infinite Corporation's branches and subsidiaries on Earth had already been gradually infiltrated by the Ferdinand family, and those still loyal to Infinite Corporation were completely unaware of the changes at the lunar headquarters and were utterly unprepared. The action teams encountered almost no effective resistance and smoothly took over these facilities.

In Infinite Corporation's various facilities on Earth, the task force swiftly took control of each floor, subdued all personnel loyal to the company, and then began a comprehensive search of the buildings for technical documents and core equipment. Inside research facilities, the task force carefully protected various precision instruments and experimental data, transferring all these valuable research findings. Secret bases and energy storage stations were also successfully seized by the task force; large quantities of strategic materials, energy reserves, advanced weaponry, and even the facilities and assets originally belonging to Infinite Corporation themselves, all fell into the hands of the Ferdinand family.

The entire process was swift and covert, without triggering any large-scale conflicts or alarming ordinary citizens or players of the Infinite City. Ordinary citizens continued their normal lives, going to work, shopping, and enjoying entertainment, completely unaware of this power shift unfolding in the shadows. Players of the Infinite City remained immersed in their virtual adventures, striving for equipment and levels, completely oblivious to the fact that the controllers behind the game had quietly changed. Unbeknownst to them, the entire landscape had undergone a dramatic transformation, like a massive earthquake affecting every corner. However, this upheaval was concealed beneath a calm surface by the Ferdinand family, whose power and influence had further increased.

Inside the Sky Dome space station, Falcon had received Sebastian's orders. Suppressing his doubts, he quickly adjusted his mindset and began deploying subsequent operations. He addressed the communications channel: "All units, take note. Immediately execute Mr. Sebastian's orders. Half of the core perimeter cluster will be evacuated to the moon via transport ships to search for any remaining forces and recoverable resources. Exercise extreme caution; the lunar surface environment is complex and may contain unexploded weapons and energy devices. The remaining forces will remain on the Sky Dome to reinforce the station's defenses and assist the technical team in a comprehensive system check of the Sky Dome to prevent similar unforeseen events."

"Roger that!"

The core perimeter cluster members immediately sprang into action, heading to the port to board transport ships and prepare for their journey to the moon. The technical team continued analyzing the cause of the lunar explosions while simultaneously conducting a comprehensive check of the Sky Dome's systems to ensure the space station's safety. Falcon stood at the observation window, gazing once more at the lunar surface. The moon was now utterly reduced to ruins; the smoke and dust from the series of explosions had formed a thick barrier, obscuring most of the lunar surface. His mind remained filled with questions: was this sudden, chain of explosions an accident, or was it deliberately orchestrated? If the latter, then who was it?

But Falcon quickly dismissed his own idea. He wasn't part of the decision-making team, and he didn't have time to think about these things in depth. These were useless questions for him. The most urgent task was to carry out Sebastian's orders, seize more resources, and consolidate the existing gains.

Soon, the transport ship carrying the team departed from the Sky Dome and sped towards the moon. The transport ship passed through the dust barrier on the lunar surface and slowly landed in a relatively safe area. They began collecting any surviving equipment or technology.

Back at Ferdinand's family headquarters, Sebastian had already received the report from the Sky Dome. He summoned the family's core technical staff for a comprehensive analysis of the report and found a plausible explanation. The energy from the orbital strike cannon had triggered Infinite Corporation's hidden self-destruct program, as well as numerous energy cores located throughout the lunar base, powering various facilities.

Sebastian looked at the report in his hand, a nonchalant smile on his face. He said to the technicians, "Alright, no need to investigate further. Whatever the cause, the result is in our favor. Infinite Corporation's lunar base has been completely destroyed, and we have taken control of all their forces on Earth. That's enough." In his view, dwelling on the cause of the explosion was meaningless; what mattered was seizing the opportunity to consolidate his position and expand his family's sphere of influence.

Upon hearing this, the technicians stopped what they were doing and nodded. They understood that Sebastian was right; this unexpected series of explosions was undoubtedly a great boon for the Ferdinand family.

Meanwhile, on distant Mars, in a secret base hidden beneath the Martian polar ice caps, the former chairman sat in a spacious command center, watching the lunar surface and the Ferdinand family's activities on Earth through a massive observation screen. Inside the command center stood several core members loyal to him, each with a calm expression, devoid of any surprise or excitement.

The former chairman wore a long black robe, a faint smile on his face, his eyes deep and unfathomable. He gently stroked a metal badge in his hand, engraved with the logo of Infinite Corporation, though its color had now faded.

“Sir, the Ferdinand family has taken over all of Infinite Corporation’s forces on Earth. The lunar base has been completely destroyed, leaving no remnants.” A core member stepped forward and respectfully reported the situation.

The former chairman nodded, his voice low and calm: "Very good. Sebastian certainly did not disappoint me. He performed his role very well and cleared all the obstacles for us."

Another core member beside him asked with a puzzled look, "Sir, if they continue investigating those series of explosions, won't...?"

The former chairman smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes: "The Ferdinand family is currently basking in the joy of victory. They will seize this 'hard-won opportunity' to expand their power even more frantically at top speed. As for the fact that a single orbital strike cannon could destroy the entire Infinite Corporation's lunar base, something even a fool would know is suspicious, they'll forget it completely in their excitement and arrogance. No need to worry, besides... no one can tell the truth anymore, can they?"

This series of shocking explosions was the work of the former chairman. Before deciding to evacuate the moon, he had already tampered with the energy core systems of all of Infinite Corporation's facilities on the moon. If the self-destruct program of any facility were activated, all energy cores would immediately overload, ultimately causing the overall system to overload and triggering the self-destruct programs of all facilities. His goal was to completely destroy Infinite Corporation's lunar base, allowing the Ferdinand family to reap the benefits. This would allow Sebastian to become enamored with the destruction of Infinite Corporation, gradually sinking into arrogance, eventually abandoning his pretense and exposing the Ferdinand family's ambitions and the location of their headquarters.

"Even if he can control himself, his subordinates can't. Not everyone has the mental fortitude to resist the feeling of accomplishment." The former chairman's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "After all, we weren't affected, were we? Alright, the little episode is over, we still have our things to do. Go on with your work."

Beneath the Martian ice, the secret base remains silent, like a hunter lurking in the darkness, quietly awaiting its opportunity. Meanwhile, on Earth and the Moon, the Ferdinand family is frantically consolidating its power, eliminating the remnants of the Infinite Corporation, and integrating the resources and technology it has seized. Ordinary citizens and players of the Infinite City continue to live under a facade of peace, completely unaware of this power shift unfolding in the shadows.

Inside the Sky Dome space station, Falcon had received a report from the lunar search team. Looking at the search results on the screen, a sense of relief appeared on his face. Although they hadn't found a large amount of resources, completely eliminating the remaining forces on the moon was a significant achievement. Their unit's mission was complete.

The transport ship slowly departed the lunar surface, speeding towards the Sky Dome. On the moon, only a desolate ruin and lingering aura of destruction remained. The once bustling headquarters of Infinite Corporation was now a desolate wasteland, a testament to the cruelty and ruthlessness of this power struggle.

On Earth, the Ferdinand family's operations continued. They methodically took over every facility of the Infinite Corporation, integrated every resource, and eliminated every potential threat. The intelligence department closely monitored the movements of all parties to ensure no information leaked; the armed forces strengthened security at all targets to prevent any accidents; and the technology department worked tirelessly to decipher and research the advanced technologies they had acquired, attempting to transform them into their own power. Unseen by the general public, a silent power reshuffle was underway, and the Ferdinand family, like a giant python awakening, began to bare its fangs in the shadows.

In the virtual world of Infinite City, players continued their adventures, challenges, and dungeon runs. Unbeknownst to them, the Ferdinand family had completely taken control of the game's backend. The family's actions were so swift that many players participating in the events were not interrupted, and even the official Infinite City organizers were completely unaware that Infinite Company was now defunct.

Sebastian sat behind his desk at the family headquarters, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he read the constant stream of good news. He knew the Ferdinand family had reached a historic moment; Infinite Corporation was now a mere shell of its former self. However, according to some scattered intelligence, perhaps someone had escaped to the moon beforehand. But his excitement and joy overshadowed this concern; what mattered was that he had achieved his goal, even exceeding expectations. Next, he would focus on consolidating his rule and developing the family's power.

However, among those not belonging to the Unlimited Corporation or the Ferdinand family, not everyone was kept in the dark. Using the contractor's technology, Han Zu, at his secret base on the island, had a clear understanding of the entire situation from the beginning of the incident to the present. He wasn't overly concerned about this major event, leisurely propping his feet up on the table, leaning back in his chair, smoking and eating snacks. This contrasted sharply with Christina, who, clearly unaware of the inside story but having witnessed the entire event through the contractor's equipment, was currently clutching her hair in despair.

"This...this is impossible!"

Looking at Christina, who was pacing around with her face contorted in a pained expression, Han Zu simply glanced at her and said nothing.

Perhaps reason had regained its advantage, Christina rushed over and grabbed Han Zu by the collar.

Why did you stop me from going...?

Han Zu just kept popping snacks into his mouth, as if nothing had happened, and said, "So what could you do if you went? Could you withstand the bombardment of the railgun? Could you save everyone in the company? We don't even need to figure out who should be saved right now. Besides, I thought you knew what that guy meant."

"...So many people have died, and you haven't reacted at all...?"

"What kind of reaction do you want to see? Neither the family nor the Infinite Corporation are good people. You should have known long ago that they would do the same thing sooner or later."

"...Even so, don't you care about the sudden expansion of the family's power? All our efforts to weaken the family during this period have been completely wasted from today onwards!"

Han Zu threw the empty snack bag into the trash can and wiped his fingers.

"If I hadn't received this intelligence a few hours ago, I would indeed be frowning, but now..."

Han Zu raised his hand, and a virtual screen appeared beside him. He casually tapped a few times on it, and an encrypted video message appeared on the large screen in the base.

The video showed the Ferdinand family headquarters, and even included a shot of Sebastian. Christina immediately understood why Han Zu had remained completely unmoved by such a major event.

"So you're planning to confront Sebastian head-on? But can you confirm the authenticity of this information? I've been to the family headquarters before, but even so, I can't be completely sure if those locations are fake information fabricated by the family."

"Indeed, your concerns are valid, but take a closer look. Don't you think the person next to you looks a little familiar?"

Christina looked at the video again and saw a familiar woman next to Sebastian—it was Garcia.

“You should know that Sebastian has been trying to find me because he must have also been in contact with the Creation Engine. His cooperation with Garcia was probably also based on the information she provided, which confirmed that my power is indeed related to the Creation Engine. So if the two of them appear in the same place, then it can be basically determined that that place must be the true core hub of the Ferdinand family. In that case, Sebastian will definitely appear in that place frequently.”

Han Zu stood up from his chair and stretched.

"And now it's completely certain that Garcia did indeed trick me, and I'll settle the score with her sooner or later."

"Then what are you going to do?"

“I plan to act immediately. After all, the whole family is currently basking in the joy of acquiring Infinite Corporation. They must think that no one would dare to make a move against Sebastian at this time. Especially me.”

“The family has a lot of people. Even if you are strong, you can’t fight against Sebastian and the entire power of the Ferdinand family by yourself. Even if you can kill Sebastian first, the family’s power that follows will drag you down.”

"What are you saying? Just because someone in your family can do that doesn't mean I can't?"

The explosive developments filled Christina's face with solemnity. Han Zu's confident and nonchalant attitude only added to the turmoil in her thoughts. On one hand, Han Zu's words did indeed make sense; even Sebastian himself would likely believe that no one would dare to attack the family at its current peak of power. This was indeed a golden opportunity. On the other hand, even with Han Zu's formidable strength, the numerical disadvantage remained a significant problem.

"Since things have come to this point, I won't keep anything from you anymore. Come on, let's go somewhere."

"Go? Where?"

"You've always been curious whether I have connections with any other forces, right? And it's very likely an alien civilization, isn't it? I can tell you now, yes, you're right."

"What...??"

"Let's talk about it when we get there; we need to hurry."

Holding Christina's hand, Han Zu led her onto the teleportation platform inside the base. After a flash of light, the two figures immediately disappeared from the spot.