Chapter 030: Crystal String Cannon!

A month later, in September of the Year 3526 by the musical calendar, Beihai Military Base.

This was a heavily fortified military stronghold hidden among the mountains, guarded with utmost vigilance and shrouded in a chilling, oppressive atmosphere. On the wide airfield sat rows of planes and military vehicles, their presence a testament to the base’s formidable might. Soldiers, weapons in hand and faces set in stern determination, patrolled the grounds—that was their duty. In the monitoring room, three-dimensional holographic screens displayed streams of data at breakneck speed, keeping constant watch over the surroundings.

At that moment, the soldier in charge of the main screen, having observed the footage and received the gatekeeper’s report, transmitted a message: “General Ying has arrived. The tanks are military supplies. Permission granted to enter.”

Instantly, the lightning defense grid enveloping the entire base was lifted. Sixteen military vehicles and thirty-two Exploding Tiger tanks rolled in. With a thunderous roar, the thirty-two tanks advanced in formation, their gun barrels aligned in a chilling display of order and power.

Once they halted, a lieutenant general emerged from one of the vehicles. Activating the loudspeaker, he announced, “In one minute, we will seize this base. This is not a drill—this is live combat.”

A strange and unsettling silence swept over the scene. Then, chaos erupted among the soldiers stationed at the base. An urgent message was transmitted at once: “Beihai 851 under attack! Led by General Ying Dengbo!”

That single minute felt endless for Ying Dengbo, as it did for the other officers and soldiers. Yet, no matter how interminable, it could not change the outcome.

When the minute was up, the thirty-two Exploding Tigers opened fire simultaneously.

Boom!

A colossal explosion shook the air, distorting it with heat and force. The vehicles vibrated with a metallic resonance as thirty-two armor-piercing shells shot through the sky.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dozens of planes and rows of military vehicles were blasted skyward, consumed by roaring fireballs. The ground became a sea of flames. As the base’s soldiers rushed out, rocket launchers and weapons in hand, the tanks reloaded. Thirty-two electric shells were fired in an instant.

Crackling arcs of blue electricity flashed, and within a hundred-meter radius, scores of soldiers collapsed, writhing and screaming.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The third reload, the third adjustment of gun barrels.

Now, with their sights set on the heart of the base nestled in the mountains ahead, they unleashed another barrage. Thirty-two armor-piercing shells were fired in unison, converging before the indestructible blast shield at the base’s core. The coordinated assault was flawless; the combined force of thirty-two shells seemed to freeze the very air.

Boom!

A deafening explosion shattered the blast shield, leaving nothing to stop the tanks’ advance into the heart of the base.

Whistles and hisses pierced the air—flashbangs, tear gas, and smoke grenades were deployed in the standard assault sequence. But these were no ordinary flashbangs; combined with electric shells, they wreaked havoc in the center of the base, filling it with screams of agony.

As the steel behemoths pushed forward, the sixteen military vehicles entered the central complex first. The heart of the base was a colossal structure with a ceiling twenty meters high. Now, everywhere, soldiers lay coughing and groaning on the ground.

The convoy stopped, and General Ying stepped out with dozens of soldiers. The surroundings were all too familiar. The soldiers made their way directly to the building’s center—a circular chamber with an eighteen-meter diameter.

The defenses were disarmed, the hatch opened, and the structure resembled a blue abyss descending below, water cascading along its edges. Nine soldiers fastened their ropes and swiftly rappelled down. At the center of the chamber, on a stone pedestal amidst a fountain, rested a crystal violin. The sight stopped them in their tracks.

Translucent and radiant, six meters long with five shimmering strings, this was no ordinary weapon but a legendary instrument of war—the Crystal Violin, capable of unleashing a chord cannon powerful enough to obliterate an entire city.

Without hesitation, the nine soldiers moved to lift the violin. Suddenly—

One soldier’s clothing brushed against a string. In that instant, his face froze in shock, then twisted in terror.

Simultaneously, the soldiers above shouted in alarm and slammed the hatch shut.

A faint, rapid vibration ran along the strings of the Crystal Violin, sending out waves of sound undetectable to the naked eye.

“Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!” The sound of nine soldiers coughing up blood rang out in succession. Their organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and more—ruptured and bled at that very moment.

Watching this scene from above, the soldiers and officers near the hatch broke out in a cold sweat.

Though he could not see it, Ying Dengbo knew his nine men had perished. His expression shifted, but resolute determination soon returned to his face.

After a while, when the violin’s resonant echoes faded, another group of nine soldiers descended.

Meanwhile, several soldiers from the base center, their eyes streaming and still coughing from the gas, struggled to their feet. They understood what had happened. With heavy hearts, they pleaded with Ying Dengbo, “General, please stop!”

Glancing at them, Ying Dengbo’s tone was stern: “Soldiers, it is time for Fama to awaken. Your oath was sworn to Fama, not to certain leaders. Do you understand? I hope you will not bring disgrace to Fama.”

He paid no further heed to these former subordinates and approached to observe the situation. Learning from the previous mistake, this attempt succeeded. The devastating Crystal Violin was carefully hoisted up.

The nine soldiers handled it with utmost caution, scarcely daring to breathe. Once the protective casing was secured, they all exhaled in relief. That had been close!

The order was given to withdraw. They boarded their vehicles, with the Exploding Tigers leading the way. No sooner had they left the base than a formation of ten armed helicopters appeared in the sky.

Switching frequencies, Ying Dengbo, seated in his vehicle, issued the command: “Blue Moon Island.”

Blue Moon Island—under a cloudless sky, the world was painted in every shade of blue. Azure heavens, white clouds, emerald waves—all hues shifted with the changing perspective.

At that moment, the guides of hundreds of tour groups were introducing their guests: “Blue Moon Island is the most famous isle in Beihai. Not only is it renowned for its beauty, it is also home to Blue Moon Prison, one of Fama’s three major penitentiaries. Only the most notorious celebrity criminals are confined here, each serving a sentence of no less than one hundred years.”

Thousands of eyes followed the guides’ direction, all gazing up at the island’s tallest structure. “That is the Star Tower of Blue Moon Prison, where the celebrity criminals are held. It stands 326 meters high. Ahead lies a marvel of Fama’s architecture—the Grand Stairway of Eighty-Eight Pearls. To reach the Star Tower, you must ascend the great stairs…”

As tens of thousands of tourists marveled at the majestic architecture, they all became aware of an unusual disturbance—the commotion was simply too great.

Amid the arrival of planes, yachts, and speedboats, over a thousand soldiers and Zhang Hao’s followers descended upon the island.

Standing on Blue Moon Island for the first time, Zhang Hao glanced at the Star Tower. Then, turning his gaze to the tightly controlled crowds, he smiled and declared, “I am the celebrity Zhang Hao. If you’d like an autograph, please line up.”

Beihai’s dark clouds had officially gathered.