madnovel Chapter 8 The Tomb of Crystal Rock
Chapter 8 The Tomb of Crystal Rock
Seven days later, Cheng Xu returned to the Chengmingxing Branch Bureau, satisfied with his vacation.
During those seven days, he simply looked up travel guides online to plan his route, visited a few famous scenic spots in Chengming, and simply strolled around and ate at various scenic spots.
It was just a simple holiday, but Cheng Xu felt a long-lost sense of bliss.
In his previous life, he died suddenly from overwork. After coming to this world, he became a self-disciplined scholar from a young age, spending his holidays studying hard to plan his life.
Cheng Xu himself couldn't even remember how many years it had been since he had traveled so leisurely alone.
Carrying two large bags of souvenirs, Cheng Xu walked into the office building, only to find that the atmosphere in the branch office was slightly discordant.
The branch office staff all have many tasks to handle, but it's rare to see everyone rushing around like this now.
With doubts in his mind, he pushed open the office door.
"Has Xiao Cheng finished his vacation?"
"Where did you go for the past seven days? Did you enjoy your vacation?"
Cheng Xu greeted his welcoming colleagues one by one and handed out souvenirs to each of them.
Reaching the innermost part of the office, Cheng Xu didn't see Director Hu. He placed the souvenir on the table and turned to look at Xiang Sicun, who was sitting next to him.
"Sister Xiang, isn't Director Hu here?"
This young and capable female employee was only three years older than him. When he first joined the company, she patiently guided Cheng Xu, who was still a newcomer, to become familiar with the job.
"Brother Hu has been called to a meeting," Xiang Sicun said, pointing to the sky above.
"oh--"
Cheng Xu returned to his workstation, and while tidying up the documents, he casually asked:
"Sister Xiang, has anything happened at the branch office lately?"
"Yes, there is an emergency. Brother Hu was called to a meeting to discuss countermeasures because of this."
Only after Xiang Sicun explained the situation did Cheng Xu understand the whole story.
The Chengming Star Branch is located in the Chengyu Galaxy, and it is responsible for coordinating and managing various anomaly-related matters within the galaxy. This is the background.
Yesterday evening, a special incident alarm sounded at the Chengming Star Branch. The alarm originated from the Administration Bureau's outpost on the planet Golun, on the edge of the Chengyu Galaxy.
Whenever the planet Golun is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the anomaly that covers one-third of the planet's surface: the Crystal Tomb.
The formation of the Crystal Tomb dates back more than a thousand years and is associated with an extinct silicon-based species.
It is also the only anomaly in the past hundred years to have its rating adjusted from the third level "critical" to the second level "alert" by the Anomaly Management Bureau.
The message relayed from Ge Lunxing's outpost to the Chengming Star Branch was only a short sentence—
[The Tomb of Crystal Rocks has taken a turn for the worse!]
Since then, the Chengmingxing branch has been unable to contact the personnel stationed there.
Ten minutes later, the branch office received interplanetary communication from headquarters.
The General Administration stated that the Interstellar Explorers Association, in its official capacity, requested assistance from the Anomaly Management Bureau to rescue its members trapped in the Crystal Tomb.
"I heard from Brother Hu that the only son of the Explorers' Association president was also in the Crystal Rock Tomb at that time and lost contact with him."
"No wonder they were in such a hurry; it's really rare for an official request for help to come out of nowhere."
After Xiang Sicun's explanation, Cheng Xu finally understood why the entire branch office was on high alert.
Information about the Crystal Rock Tomb came to mind.
Since ancient times, a silicon-based biological race called the "Crystal Rock Clan" has lived on the planet Golun. They can be roughly considered to be stone people born from some special rock.
About 1,300 years ago, for some purpose, the Crystal Rock Clan initiated a massive ceremony that affected the entire planet.
The ritual ultimately failed, and the Crystal Rock Clan suffered annihilation as a result.
A death storm swept through the tribe, stripping all the Crystal Rock Clan members of their life force in a very short time, turning them into desolate crystal rocks that could be seen everywhere.
Several days later, catalyzed by the residual effects of the ritual, the core area of the ritual site and the remains of the extinct Crystal Rock race underwent mutations, eventually forming the critical anomaly, Crystal Rock Tomb.
The core area of the ritual became a forbidden zone, filled with terrifying high-energy radiation, enough to melt ordinary metals and form a no-man's-land.
At the same time, driven by some unknown force, the rock remains of the Crystal Rock Clan began to move again.
It is not a resurrection from the dead, but rather like a puppet on a string, maintaining the most basic life activities, such as eating, working, and resting, in a soulless shell.
When intruders with destructive intentions appear, these remains will also exhibit aggression and fight back against the invaders.
Therefore, the Administration initially classified the Crystal Tomb as a dangerous anomaly and imposed strict control over Golun Star.
However, it was soon discovered that as long as one did not approach the core area or disturb the crystal remains, there would be virtually no danger in the Crystal Tomb.
After a period of observation and evaluation, the Anomaly Management Bureau decided to grant certain permissions to the outside world, allowing qualified interstellar research teams and explorers to enter the Crystal Tomb after approval.
For some scholars, crystal rock remains are excellent samples for observing silicon-based life forms and are of great research value.
In addition, the rich mineral deposits of Golun Star also contain many treasures, and it is often heard that explorers have found rare minerals within the Crystal Tomb area.
For nearly a thousand years, the Crystal Tomb has remained in a stable state.
Seventy-three years ago, the Crystal Tomb, which was deemed to have "extremely low risk," was downgraded to "alert level" in the files of the Anomaly Management Bureau.
If it weren't for its enormous size, occupying a third of a planet, it could easily be classified as the lowest level of "safety-level" anomaly.
To this day, in addition to the Anomaly Management Bureau's outpost, several research institutes have been built on Golun. The Explorers' Guild has also established a base on the planet.
"But why did the Crystal Rock Tomb suddenly change?"
This was Cheng Xu's biggest question. After thousands of years of development, the operating mechanism of the outer area of the Crystal Rock Tomb had long been thoroughly studied.
"It's still unclear. Ge Lunxing is currently completely out of contact with the outside world. The branch office sent out the first reconnaissance team last night, but there's been no new information coming back yet."
Xiang Sicun lowered her voice:
"Because the incident happened suddenly, and the Crystal Rock Tomb had been quiet for too long, it caught the branch office off guard, so they had to urgently dispatch a small team to go there."
"It is said that the branch office is selecting suitable personnel to form a formal investigation team to go to Golunxing. Some departments have already begun to solicit opinions from employees privately."
What she didn't tell Cheng Xuming was that the most urgent task for the Chengming Star Branch was to ensure the stability of his status as a terminal-level abnormality.
Under this premise, the number of personnel that the branch office can allocate is extremely limited.
Just as Cheng Xu was about to ask for more details, the office door was pushed open, and a tired-looking Hu Zhou walked in.
"Meetings are so tiring... Hmm? Xiao Cheng's back? Did you have a good holiday?"
"After a week's rest, I visited scenic spots such as Biluo Gorge, Gentle Cloud Village, and the Forest of Wordless Steles. Now I feel much more energetic and ready to get back to work at any time."
Cheng Xu struck a pose showing off his biceps to indicate that he was in great shape, which drew laughter from Hu Zhou and his other colleagues.
"Director Hu, what's the latest progress on the Crystal Rock Tomb project?"
Cheng Xu moved closer to Hu Zhou.
Hu Zhou's legs trembled, but he forced a smile, patted Cheng Xu's shoulder, and casually pulled over a chair.
"Sit down and let's talk in detail."
The other team members in the office, who had been handling their daily work while keeping an eye on the commotion, also put down what they were doing and gathered around.
Given the fame of the Crystal Rock Tomb, everyone wants to know how something so unusual could suddenly go wrong after thousands of years.
Hu Zhou took a sip of warm water to soothe his throat, tapped his index finger lightly on the table, and then delivered a bombshell announcement.
"The advance exploration team that set off yesterday has also lost contact."
Cheng Xu and his colleagues exchanged bewildered glances: "Huh?"
Hu Zhou didn't keep them in suspense: "According to the last images and data transmitted back to the branch office, the interstellar spaceship carrying the advance team lost power as soon as it entered the atmosphere of Golun Star and subsequently crashed."
His expression gradually turned serious.
"The advance team activated the emergency escape device and made an emergency landing on Golun, but the branch office has been unable to make contact with them so far."
Xiang Sicun began to speculate: "Could it be that there are some strong interfering factors on the planet Golun?"
Hu Zhou nodded: "More or less. Director Wen said it's very likely some kind of special endogenous magnetic field originating from the core of the planet Golun."
"This magnetic field covered the surface of Golun, causing all mechanical equipment and remote communications to malfunction."
Cheng Xu looked into Hu Zhou's eyes: "In other words, the branch office has not yet grasped the situation on Golun Star, and only knows that this is an anomaly caused by the Crystal Rock Tomb."
"Yes."
Hu Zhou held the water glass, his fingertips stroking the smooth surface of the glass.
"The higher-ups just convened a meeting with the department heads, where they not only briefed them on the latest situation but also conveyed the notice to activate combat readiness."
"In one hour, the Chengmingxing branch will enter a state of high alert. In addition to maintaining necessary daily operations, manpower and resources will be allocated to support Gelunxing."
"Our department also needs to select someone to accompany me to Golun Star as an anomaly researcher, to analyze the specific causes of the anomalies and solutions from the rear."
Hu Zhou took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and looked at Cheng Xu.
"Xiao Cheng, I want to take you with me."
"Huh?" Everyone was stunned for half a second, almost thinking that Hu Zhou had lost his mind, and rushed to dissuade him.
"Director, no one knows the specifics of the situation over there. Perhaps we should send someone with more experience with you..."
"This mission is not simple; it's very dangerous. Xiao Cheng just got promoted; perhaps it's better if he doesn't go?"
"Director Hu, I'm volunteering to go to Golunxing. Don't let Xiao Cheng go."
Are you kidding me! If Cheng Xu goes to Golun Star, things will really get chaotic!
Most of the arrangements made by the Anomaly Management Bureau against Cheng Xu, including various advanced weapons and a large number of professional personnel, were centered around the Chengmingxing Branch.
With these arrangements in place, even if a terminal anomaly suddenly goes out of control, the Authority can use prior preparations to delay it for a period of time and minimize its harm.
Even the last time Cheng Xu went on a field mission, the entire management bureau began preparations months in advance.
Only after ensuring that every link in the chain was in perfect order did the General Administration issue instructions to conduct further observation of Cheng Xu through field missions.
But now, the changes in the Crystal Rock Tomb have happened so suddenly. If Cheng Xu is sent to Golun Star and something goes wrong, it could be a catastrophe that destroys the world.
The team members even wondered if their captain had taken the wrong medicine today.
No matter how much the Crystal Tomb changes, it is at most at the level of danger, which is not even in the same league as the danger of the final level anomaly.
As everyone offered their advice, Cheng Xu raised his hand, interrupting his colleagues.
"Director Hu, I want to go."
Cheng Xuyi said sternly, "I have just been promoted to a full-time position, and this is the time for me to accumulate experience."
"Participating in the support operation for Golun Star was a great training opportunity for me, which will be beneficial to my future work."
"Furthermore, with the branch office coordinating the operation and Director Hu leading me, I believe that safety will not be a problem as long as we are only conducting analysis and research from the rear."
"Don't worry, I will strictly follow the instructions of my superiors and will absolutely not cause you any trouble."
The reason Cheng Xu agreed so readily was that he had tasted success in the field mission he had just finished.
Five days of fieldwork earned Cheng Xu a full week of paid leave and a bonus equal to six months' worth of basic salary, which opened up a whole new world for him.
After transmigrating to this world, Cheng Xu had a dream: to buy a large flat apartment in Chengming Star City outright.
Although the bureau's employees can purchase high-end interstellar accommodations such as Sky Garden and Star Lodge at discounted prices, Cheng Xu has his own obsession with large single-level apartments.
After all, in his previous life, he never owned a house, even until he died from overwork.
He had carefully calculated that, with his current salary level, it would take him about five or six years to achieve this dream.
However, by actively participating in various tasks, it might be possible to shorten this time to less than two years.
If he can play a role in a major event like this one, it will not only benefit his future promotion, but the rewards will also certainly not disappoint him.
The team members hung their hands limply, their hearts sinking, completely at a loss.
Hu Zhou immediately made the decision: "Then it's decided. Xiao Cheng, go back and pack your luggage. We'll leave in an hour."
After Cheng Xu left the office, Hu Zhou turned to look at his teammates.
"Please calm down. I know you can't understand, but the order to send Cheng Xu to Golun Star was given by my superiors. Even I'm still confused about it."
"Superior? Which superior? Director Ke?" one of the team members asked, his tone still unfriendly.
Hu Zhou pointed to the sky above his head: "Director-General."
The team members who had initially raised objections immediately fell silent, their minds filled with only one thought:
"The Director-General must have had her reasons for issuing this order."
Kober smiled wryly, recalling the scene at the meeting earlier.
At the time, he and other members of the branch office felt that although the incident at the Tomb of Crystal Rock was urgent, it was more important to keep the terminal anomaly under control within the branch office to prevent any accidents from happening.
Then a temporary communication came through from the General Administration, and a emotionless female voice rang in his ear.
"Let him go."