Chapter 146 – The Thousand-Floor Demon-Suppressing Tower

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

"Ding! This is a Challenge-Type Treasure Land."

"The rules are as follows: The Demon-Suppressing Tower before you has one thousand floors. Each floor contains a different minor task. The exit will open at the top of the tower. Challengers may not leave the Treasure Land until the challenges are complete."

"An Exchange Pillar is available every hundred floors for resupply."

"Challengers may not attack one another within this Treasure Land."

"Please enter the Demon-Suppressing Tower to receive the specific challenge for each floor."

Those few sentences revealed the nature of the place.

"Well, well, well…"

Wen Yu clicked his tongue several times and read the rules on the Stone Platform again.

"Perfect. How long do you think it'll take us to clear all thousand floors?"

Kuangliu sighed deeply. "I think we're going to miss the entire operation against Peng Jun."

Wen Yu nodded.

Even if the tasks were easy, at one task an hour, a thousand tasks would take a thousand hours. Nearly a month and a half…

He looked up at the towering structure and beckoned to Kuangliu.

"Let's go. I just wonder whether Commander Lin can take Peng Jun out without us."

"Shouldn't be a problem." Kuangliu sounded certain.

"The Military has plenty of cards left to play."

…

The Military did indeed have plenty of cards left to play.

It had agents and informants even inside Modu Settlement.

As a result, Lin Haifeng learned that Wen Yu and Kuangliu had gone missing almost as soon as contact was lost.

He frowned over the report in his hand, his mind working ceaselessly as he considered his strategy for the war.

At last, he made his decision.

"Tell Xiao Xue to take Vermilion Bird and every combat-ready unit toward Modu Settlement."

"Have the missile forces target Modu Settlement. Instruct our agents inside to spread rumors and sow disorder."

"Tell the Academy of Sciences to bring out the biological and chemical weapons they've developed. Deploy the Armored Clone Corps as well."

"Notify the special operations team. Send them to the front."

The orders came in rapid succession. Lin Haifeng watched his secretary leave. Once the office was empty, he rose and approached an oil painting behind him.

Its colors were vivid and the brushwork skilled. It wasn't famous, but it belonged to the more expensive end of the market.

Or it had, before the Apocalypse.

He tore it open as casually as a sheet of wastepaper, revealing a safe behind it.

The safe was small, but its security was extensive.

First he removed the key hanging around his neck and opened the old-fashioned outer lock. Then came the combination dial, fingerprint scan, and iris verification. Only after all three steps did the safe beep.

He pulled it open and examined the contents.

A Scroll. An eerily lifelike statue resembling a demon. A vial of potion…

And a device that looked like a communicator.

He stood beside the safe in thought for a long while before taking out the communicator and carefully closing the door.

With the palm-sized device in hand, he returned to his chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and placed a call.

Beep…

Beep…

Beep…

The tone went on. Lin Haifeng showed no impatience. He sat sipping tea, relaxed with the ease of a man who had everything under control.

At last, a clear female voice came through.

"Hello, welcome to 10086 Customer Service1. For Mandarin, press one…"

Lin Haifeng's eye twitched at the familiar greeting. He sighed inwardly.

What a peculiar sense of humor.

Before the voice could finish, he interrupted.

"This is Lin Haifeng. Isn't this communicator supposed to be my dedicated line?"

The woman paused, then started again.

"Hello, Commander Lin. It is your dedicated line, but… doesn't that make it feel like we're spies making contact? Actually, next time I should add some code phrases and passwords…"

"Heh. If you want to be a spy, I can set up a special team just for you. Come work for me."

Without missing a beat, Lin Haifeng began trying to poach her.

There was a long silence before she spoke again.

"How can I help you?"

"Put your Boss on."

"Please hold."

…

Her voice faded. Then a rough female shout burst through the communicator.

"Boss! Boss! Stop fucking sleeping! Commander Lin wants you!"

Heavy pounding followed.

Then came a succession of splintering cracks and a man's shriek from inside the room.

"Fuck! I sleep naked! And can you knock? Knock, understand? Not smash! Definitely not smash the bloody door to pieces!"

"Commander Lin wants you. And you've got morning… wood. Good morning, little guy."

Her laughter rang out like silver bells. There was the sound of clothes being pulled on, accompanied by the man's muttering.

"This team is impossible. Every last one of you walks all over me. Now even the newcomer thinks she can get away with it."

He sounded more resigned than resentful.

"Hang on."

Something seemed to occur to him.

"Unless my eyes are going, that communicator in your hand is still connected, isn't it?"

Silence.

"Oh, right! Looks like Commander Lin heard my entire wake-up service…"

"How am I supposed to show my face now?"

"Forget boring things like your dignity. Not everyone gets to enjoy a wake-up call from me… And your underwear's on backward."

The communicator in Lin Haifeng's hand went to a busy tone.

…

Listening to the beeping, Lin Haifeng burst out laughing.

After a while, the connection reopened. A dispirited voice came through.

"Ahem. Good morning, Commander Lin."