Eve's convoy moved steadily along the elevated highway.
"Elders, the target convoy will enter the ambush zone in two minutes," a voice reported.
"Good." Wang Chenxing replied, casually shutting off the holo-report, then switching the main screen to the live feed of the ambush site.
Soon, very soon, he would cement his position in the Council of Elders.
Time ticked by, each second dragging like an eternity. The entire meeting room held its breath.
They waited in silence. If this operation succeeded, they would not only remove the troublemaker Eve but also crush the Rising Faction completely.
Even if news leaked or someone tried to investigate later, who in the First City could oppose them? No one. Any whispers would be dismissed as rumors.
Tonight, if everything went right, tomorrow's sunlight would shine brighter than ever.
Finally, the cameras on the skyscraper rooftops picked up the convoy weaving through the aerial highways. Every elder in the room tensed.
Almost there… almost within range…
A comm notification popped up.
"Elders, the target convoy is now within firing range."
"Excellent. Wait until they reach the center of the trap before taking action. Remember—capture the occupants of the lead vehicle alive. Casualties don't matter. Even if they die, it's fine," Wang Chenxing said, forcing a calm tone while his heart raced, blood pressure spiking. He had never felt such excitement in his life. This might be the most important moment of his career.
But the next second, as he shifted his gaze to the main screen, his expression froze. No, every elder's expression froze…
On the big screen, the convoy had stopped. It sat at the intersection of two aerial roads, partially hidden under a bridge.
"What the hell is going on?!" Wang Chenxing roared.
"Target is within range. Should we fire?" the field commander's voice asked through the holo-feed.
"No!" Wang Chenxing bellowed. Now was absolutely not the time. The range weakened the firepower, and the bridge provided cover. More importantly, this operation wasn't meant to kill—it was to capture Eve. Attacking now might make them flee.
"Switch to the view under the bridge! I want to see what they're doing. Now!" His voice was sharp and piercing, like a screeching witch. The other elders froze in terror at his outburst.
The screen switched.
Under the bridge, Eve's convoy had stopped. Armored bodyguards hired from the security company were inspecting the vehicles. Two of them opened the trunks, pulling something out.
"Car trouble?" Wang Chenxing squinted at the screen.
If Eve's antique vehicle broke down and ruined this plan… her luck was absurd. He clenched the cup in his hand, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Suddenly, the two guards lifted shoulder-mounted mini rapid-fire cannons from the trunks!
"This… this is…"
Before anyone could react, the guards charged forward, stepping out from the shadow of the bridge, aiming the cannons directly at Wang Chenxing's ambush teams.
Then came a flurry of counterattacks. Chaos erupted. Gunfire rained down, yet the bridge under Eve's team seemed untouched.
There was no turning back now…
No casualties occurred. The team under the bridge abandoned Eve's antique car and made a swift U-turn, weaving through the bridge supports. Four hovercars scattered in different directions, deploying smoke screens. No one could tell which car carried Eve.
"Idiots! Who gave the order to fire?!" Wang Chenxing screamed, his voice ripping through the room.
"But… but they were attacking us…" the field commander stammered.
It was useless. They'd already fallen into the trap. Eve didn't need to risk herself entering the ambush. She only needed a pretext. The bullets fired at her? Blank rounds. As the First City's queen, firing a few blanks in public was hardly a crime. But ambushing her with heavy forces in the city? That was treason.
Watching the convoy disappear, Wang Chenxing slumped in his chair. His face turned gray, his eyes vacant. He panted uncontrollably.
Every camera—public, private, even satellites—had recorded everything. The operation had begun, and there was no undoing it. Yet Eve… the one they needed… had escaped.
"This was your plan? You'll get us killed!" Chen Xiangdong yelled, flinging the cup of water in his hand at Wang Chenxing. But Wang Chenxing didn't react. He had misjudged—the most important moment of his life had arrived, but it wasn't what he expected. He wouldn't become the most powerful man in the city. His political career was over. The other eleven elders would never trust him again, no matter what.
"Quick! Pursue her immediately! Declare martial law! Arrest the Rising Faction leaders!" Huang Jingfeng shouted, losing his usual calm.
Several vectored-engine craft rose into the sky.
Inside the speeding hovercars, Eve and Feng Mi laughed, wide smiles stretching across their faces. Just a few craft trying to catch Eve? Pathetic.
Unfortunately for the elders, all nearby forces had been redeployed to ensure Eve's plan went perfectly. The city was undefended. The number of fast-response units was limited. And they had no idea which car carried Eve.
On the other end, Karnay broke into a cold sweat. This queen wasn't just beautiful. He had felt his heart skip a beat at her face—but now, all he felt was dread.
"Alright. We're taking a detour to the Network Control Center. Fast. Before they arrest the scapegoat, we need to arrive. C-car straight to the TV center. Your team prevents anyone from reaching the news center—draw their fire. Make it look like I'm heading there," Eve ordered.
"Yes!" Karnay snapped out of his shock and shut the comm window.
"Scapegoat?" Feng Mi asked, operating the hovercar system.
"The leaders of the Rising Faction," Eve said with a sly smile, tapping Feng Mi's forehead lightly.
An attack on the queen needed a scapegoat to satisfy the city. Who would it be? Naturally, the Rising Faction leaders.
Eve's ambush ensured the elders would declare martial law. Capturing someone would be easy. Whether they executed them publicly or held a secret trial was another matter.
Now, the attack had failed. The elders had no public advantage, and the Rising Faction leaders still awaited Eve's "call for help." They had no idea the true enemy was the Council itself.
Completely unprepared, they might not survive. Eve's priority was reaching the broadcast center before the elders acted, giving the Rising Faction control of the forces—and the green light to move.
"Why didn't you warn the Rising Faction leader earlier?" Feng Mi asked. Her voice trembled.
Eve's expression went icy. The silence made Feng Mi shiver. She had never promised alliances. The Rising Faction wasn't any better than the Council. Removing the Council only to empower them would jeopardize Eve's control. A strong subordinate meant potential problems.
The only solution? Use this moment to disrupt them as well. With their leader gone and forces distracted, Eve could seize control while manipulating internal conflict.
Breathing slowly, Eve looked at the car roof, worry in her eyes.
"Will it go smoothly? Or is this just the beginning? Almost… just a little more… soon it will succeed, Adam."
Far away, on the outskirts of Corsica, Adam watched the pirate camp from the perimeter.
"That's him," Adam said, pointing.
A pirate dwarf in a gray shirt, one-eyed, dagger at his waist, gnawing on a leg of lamb.