Flame War Anthem: Beyond the Galactic River (GL) - Chapter 13

She gave Crowe a reassuring glance.

“It’s been fairly smooth. There were a few conflicts, but they were all resolved. In a few days, we can officially start selling.”

Wu Chen spoke earnestly, “After I leave this time, you’ll need to be extra cautious in everything. He won’t let this go easily.”

“I know.”

“If possible, don’t come back. Start fresh over there…”

“And what about you… is that what you want too?”

Crowe seemed to realize something.

She responded with a quiet hum.

“So you’ve always wanted to leave North America and start over…”

He was almost certain now.

Wu Chen smiled faintly, her eyes lowered in silence.

Crowe didn’t press her, simply leaning against the wall quietly.

“Crowe, I belong there…”

Her voice carried a hint of melancholy, yet also a trace of hope.

For some reason, Crowe felt that once she left this time, she might never return. His heart sank with overwhelming disappointment.

“Will you still come to see me?”

Wu Chen lifted her gaze to meet Crowe’s bright eyes, a relieved smile tugging at her lips. “You’ll always be my best friend.”

Crowe understood—no further words were needed.

Best friends should trust each other unconditionally. They could even entrust their lives to one another.

Even if they might never meet again, having found a kindred spirit in life was a tremendous fortune for both of them.

Wu Chen and Crowe lightly clinked their glasses, then downed their champagne in one go. They exchanged smiles, as if celebrating the new lives awaiting them.

Bound by hardship and life-and-death loyalty, this farewell would take them to opposite ends of the world. But they would never forget each other—not unless life itself faded away.

The party finally came to an end. Sen Jie was waiting in the castle’s parking lot for Wu Chen, having already inspected the entire car and found nothing amiss.

When he saw her emerge from the castle with Crowe, hugging him goodbye, followed by the other party guests, his eyes remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings.

Wu Chen paid no mind to the stares fixed on her, walking steadily toward Sen Jie with composure.

He opened the bulletproof rear door, waited for her to settle in, then closed it gently before circling to the driver’s seat.

Inside the car, Wu Chen adjusted her skirt, her gaze calm and indifferent as she looked out the window.

Soon, the car slowly pulled away from the castle grounds, the interior dim and silent.

“Jie, before we leave for China, tighten security. Find people we can trust.”

Her low voice carried a trace of exhaustion she couldn’t quite hide.

“Understood.”

Sen Jie knew exactly what she meant—he had already taken precautions.

Now that she was no longer with NAS, this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate her. Without her as a threat, everything in North America could rightfully fall into others’ hands.

“Did you run into an assassin in the restroom…?”

Wu Chen closed her eyes, replying calmly, “It’s been handled. Don’t worry.”

“Should we take any countermeasures?”

Sen Jie’s tone turned icy.

“I’ve already arranged it. Just focus on preparing for China.”

An eye for an eye had always been her principle. Anyone who dared cross her would regret it.

A month later, Wu Chen and Sen Jie boarded a flight to China from Hawaii.

Seated in the spacious and tranquil first-class cabin, Wu Chen gazed out the window at the cotton-like clouds swiftly passing beneath the wings, her thoughts drifting far away.

At this time, China was in the midst of summer, with everything on the land scorched by the blazing sun, the air thick with lingering heat.

On the surface, her assignment to China to take over the market had multiple considerations.

The most obvious was her distinctly Eastern features, which naturally fostered a sense of familiarity when interacting with Chinese people.

Whether in communication or business negotiations, this reduced unnecessary obstacles, making operations smoother and more convenient.

But beneath this surface advantage lay an even more critical factor—her own formidable skills and exceptional abilities.

Having spent years navigating the competitive landscape of North America, she had honed her sharp business acumen, decisive judgment, and outstanding adaptability, carving out her own set of principles.

Her capabilities were widely recognized and respected.

After all, China’s increasingly pivotal role in the global economic landscape made it a tantalizing prize, attracting countless opportunists.

Yet, while this land of opportunity made it relatively easy to reap substantial profits in some respects, it also presented a thorny issue that left many frustrated.

China maintained extremely strict controls on firearms, with laws explicitly prohibiting any form of illegal possession, sale, or trade.

This ban stood like an insurmountable wall, turning the thriving and sought-after arms trade—commonplace abroad—into a criminal offense within the country, deterring many with its severity.

Unwilling to give up this “lucrative market,” some resorted to covert smuggling operations.

Others strayed further from the law, turning to drug trafficking or acting as purchasing agents for various goods.

Though the world continued to progress, the smoke of conflict never truly dissipated, lingering in some corner of the globe.

While others were driven by profit into the dark trade of narcotics, Wu Chen developed a deep fascination for weaponry.

This passion even extended to biochemical weapons, a field many nations were now feverishly researching and producing.

Since its liberation, China had steadfastly adhered to a philosophy of peaceful development—a fact well known to the world.

Yet beneath this peaceful facade lay a resolute determination to buy time for growth and strength.

Only by becoming powerful enough could it maintain balance on the international stage, casting the humiliations of the past into the dustbin of history, never to return.

However, recent years had seen domestic turbulence—or perhaps, in some sense, true peace had never existed.

This was precisely why foreign arms dealers had set their greedy sights on China’s vast market.

Each harbored ulterior motives, eager to claim a share of the spoils.

Yet their schemes were invariably shattered by the nation’s formidable, ghost-like defense forces. To this day, none had managed to challenge or undermine it.

Over the past three decades, Haishi had risen like a dazzling new star, becoming one of China’s most rapidly developing metropolises.

Behind its rapid development, besides occupying a uniquely advantageous geographical position, the massive influx of migrants played an absolutely crucial role.

These people from all corners of the country not only injected continuous vitality into the city’s economic growth, propelling it to achieve a qualitative leap, but also brought with them rich and diverse cultures, greatly enriching the city’s depth and heritage.

Naturally, where there is light, there are inevitably dark corners.

Beneath its glamorous exterior lurks a decadent lifestyle of chaos and debauchery.

In the neon-lit nights, crime quietly breeds in unseen corners.