Chen Jiadong looked rather ordinary, about twenty, with hair of an indeterminate length and wearing a black coat. He stood quietly outside the security wall, waiting for permission from the local host.

Zhou Yi sent Red Kestrel over to bring this young mayor into Maria Hospital.

In the ward, Chen Jiadong saw the sea lord of Sand Port, his eyes firmly closed.

His face showed no sign of grief or sadness; instead, he sighed with relief, "As long as the lord is still alive, that's good, that's good, Sand Port can still be saved."

Zhou Yi recited the sea lord's command.

"Emerald wind feast, a thousand tangled strongholds."

Upon hearing these eight words, Chen Jiadong suddenly tensed up.

His eyes went blank as if a switch had been flipped inside him.

After a few seconds, Chen Jiadong came out of his daze, bowed slightly, and in a submissive tone, said, "Master, please give me your orders."

Zhou Yi didn't understand.

What sort of mechanism was this?

Were there still spells in the Wasteland Era?

He immediately wondered, "Does this command have something to do with your enhanced body?"

"Yes, master."

Chen Jiadong said, "My enhanced body 'Drum Snail' is deep in my ear, connected to my head."

He pointed to his ear, "Drum Snail helps me filter certain sounds; I can identify noises caused by the Death Light. Whether it's the sound of friction with the wind caused by the flight of a Guangna Species or the contact between the limbs of an enhancer and the ground, Death Light is constantly exchanging and cycling with them, so it reacts with my Drum Snail."

He answered Zhou Yi's questions without reserve.

Chen Jiadong essentially acted as a human Death Light detector, ensuring the internal stability of Sand Port City and the timely discovery of external intruders.

The command given by the sea lord could put the "Drum Snail" enhanced body to sleep for 12 hours, allowing Chen Jiadong to become an ordinary person during this time.

This was because Chen Jiadong was an enhancer crafted by the sea lord himself. When undergoing Light Imprint Structure transplantation and the making of enhanced body organs, the sea lord had requested the manufacturer to integrate a series of simple commands for control.

It could even make Chen Jiadong's head explode instantly if it desired.

Therefore, upon hearing the relevant instruction, Chen Jiadong knew it signified his master, the sea lord—or a replacement.

"Winter trade in Sand Port City has suffered some impact, with part of the payments still outstanding. The total revenue for the winter currently stands at 2207 Light Seeds."

Chen Jiadong took out a Guangna Box from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

Zhou Yi accepted it directly.

He thought he deserved a fee for managing Sand Port now.

What concerned him most was, "How are things over in Sand Port City?"

Chen Jiadong explained, "It's stable in the short term. Sand Port has experience in dealing with external shocks, and the city has sheriffs, guards, government officials, and arbitration officers to maintain social order. However, the enhancers in the city now know that the sea lord has been severely injured, so it's only a matter of time before further unrest, and we need to clarify the matter soon to avoid internal turmoil."

Zhou Yi relayed the sea lord's intentions, and the other party suddenly understood, "Got it. So after I have completed all your orders, I will go into the city to handle the situation and make a public announcement. As for Jade City and the Wasteland Development Company, actually, Sand Port City has always been aware of them. If you have an Alien presiding over, then the enemy wouldn't dare to make a rash move."

"Tell me about Duke Baili."

Zhou Yi started to study his opponent.

Chen Jiadong's eyelids drooped slightly, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

Then he said, "Duke Baili's army has blockaded the Northern Dead Sea Region, causing our shipping costs to skyrocket, and some cities we collaborated with have turned to other ports. The enemy's military strength is spreading out to both sides, tightening the encirclement and squeezing our space."

"If this continues, our northern sea trade routes could be completely severed."

"In retaliation, the sea lord has also stopped all trade with Duke Baili, no longer purchasing his steel and tools. We have diverted the chicken meat and papyrus pollen originally exported to Steel Refining City, dumping them instead to southern cities at low prices."

"This winter, we were prepared for a large-scale invasion by Duke Baili. However, the enemy launched harassment attacks on one city and three towns in the Sand Port Region, causing the public to panic."

"Under the enemy's eroding pressure strategy, the Sand Port Region continues to suffer damage. The sea lord to the east is also demanding increased trade tariffs, exerting steady economic pressure on us."

"Another risk is that some merchants in Sand Port City are showing signs of wavering."

"Although I have not obtained definitive and strong evidence, I have reason to suspect that several merchants have already turned to Duke Baili, acting as his internal supporters and spies. As a result, before our guards and Tianjin Knights arrive, the enemy pillagers always manage to escape..."

Zhou Yi listened with furrowed brows.

The seemingly calm Sand Port was actually beset with internal troubles and external threats, teetering in the storm.

Previously, Lord Sha Hai had also admitted that his military and overall strength were inferior to Duke Baili's. If he were to attack proactively, it would inevitably leave the rear vulnerable, leading to more serious consequences.

Thus, Sand Port was forced to assume a defensive posture.

The past peace was also due to Duke Baili's lack of interest in this direction and the low value of the Sand Port Region. As his expansion was hindered in other directions, Duke Baili turned his target toward Lord Sha Hai, who had the weakest combat power.

Although Chen Jiadong was the mayor of Sand Port City, his knowledge was limited, focusing more on the city economy and trade issues.

Zhou Yi asked him to go back and reassure the citizens.

Then he sought out Red Kestrel.

"Does the database of Recursive City have any information on Duke Baili?"

The drone's electronic eye flickered once.

"Yes."

"Duke Baili is a B-class Guangna Species 'Fighting General,' evolved from the C-class Guangna Species 'sea warrior,' and is naturally a combat-oriented Guangna Species. According to existing records, Duke Baili initially led a group of sea warriors to occupy a small piece of land and built Shell City."

"Shell City is located 340 kilometers north of Sand Port in a region where the Dead Sea covers the actual ocean, and nearby, many types of shells grow. Among them, White Shell is a high-quality bait for fishing Bone Fish, and the Wave-shaped Shell can be used to carry Light Imprint Structures, making it an excellent natural Death Light material."

"The main industries of Shell City are the export and sale of these two types of shells, as they are natural resources with low profit margins."

Red Kestrel continued, "After establishing Shell City, Duke Baili plundered a large number of humans, sending them into Shell City for construction, breeding, and selling shells."

"Before long, he waged war against the owner of Steel Refining City, 'Iron Capital Duke.' The war lasted five years; Iron Capital Duke was defeated and killed, and his territory of one city and four towns became part of Duke Baili's lands."

"Next, Duke Baili sought a breakthrough in the north, but the vast seas there were occupied by the powerful 'Duke Destructive,' making it impossible for him to advance and also bringing great pressure upon him. His move against the southern Sand Port Region likely had something to do with this."

Zhou Yi pondered thoughtfully.

Duke Baili's combat strength was stronger than expected.

Looking at the military field alone, even if Lord Sha Hai were unharmed, Sand Port probably wouldn't hold out any longer than Steel Refining City did back then.

While he was contemplating this, Zhou Yi suddenly saw an electronic pictorial pop up on the remote control screen.

Displayed was a four-armed monster covered in armor, with only a pair of eyes visible, somewhat resembling an enlarged and armored version of a ninja turtle.

...

[Duke Baili]

Strength: B+

Skills: C

Vitality: B+

Rating: B

...

"Duke Baili has rich combat experience; this is an evaluation result collected from his combat data by Recursive City, for reference only."

"What needs particular attention are two of Duke Baili's skills."

"[Brawl]—During combat, he can temporarily convert the damage he receives into defense, further enhancing his ability to withstand blows."

"[Skillful Hands]—He can quickly and efficiently master various tools, especially Light Imprint Devices or weapons, which will react specially with his body to produce excellent effects."

Red Kestrel said, "Although these two abilities are not complicated, Duke Baili has developed them to a very high degree. In existing combat records, Duke Baili has used seven types of weapons; his hand-to-hand combat is proficient, and his long-range shooting is precise, able to use four weapons simultaneously in battle."

Zhou Yi thought to himself.

Duke Baili truly deserved to be a sea lord who started with combat. With his strength and vitality maxed out, he was capable of both fighting and resisting, and he could use a variety of eighteen weapons.

Indeed, as an opponent, he was troublesome.

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