The Furnace District
Total chaos had erupted in the Furnace District.
After the main steam pipeline burst, a colossal pillar of scalding steam shot skyward, shrouding half the factory complex in a thick, white fog. Blaring alarms, piercing screams, and the crashing of runaway machinery mingled together, as if the end of the world had arrived. The airships carrying the Parliament's high officials were grounded by the sudden pandemonium, hovering mid-air. Those dignitaries, clad in black alloy battle armor, their faces ashen with rage, trembled violently at the images of the nursery factories and the provocative broadcast sent by Jin Wanchao.
"Seize Jin Wanchao! Bring him to me alive!" The Butcher's roar was muffled by the swirling steam. As he dodged tools hurled by enraged workers, he screamed orders at the mechanical guards.
Jin Wanchao did not hesitate for a moment. Bursting from the transmission tower, he immediately "saw" that Ah Huo and another worker were surrounded by several mechanical guards, trapped in a desperate situation. Though Ah Huo fought bravely, against the cold, killing machines, he was already exhausted, and the "flame" around him had dimmed considerably.
"Ah Huo!" Jin Wanchao roared. His body moved like lightning as he charged forward.
He pressed both hands instantly onto the two nearest mechanical guards. A torrent of immense "flame" surged from within him. The guards' cold metal shells turned transparent in his grasp, revealing the intricate energy circuits inside.
"Stop!"
*Crack! Crack!*
Two ear-splitting snaps echoed. Jin Wanchao forcibly "deactivated" the energy cores of both guards. Their bodies stiffened, emitting wisps of smoke, then collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
Ah Huo and the other worker rolled out in the opening. Seeing Jin Wanchao descend like a god, hope flared instantly in their eyes.
"Brother Wanchao!" Ah Huo's voice carried relief at having survived and even more fervent admiration.
"Follow me!" Without further words, Jin Wanchao led the two, charging against the chaotic crowd toward the tallest watchtower in the Furnace District.
Along the way, he repeatedly pressed his hands onto fallen mechanical guards, forcibly "reactivating" their internal energy cores, sending them into temporary chaos and making them attack each other. The guards' weapons systems were warped; cold bullets and electric arcs no longer targeted the workers but fired randomly, buying the laborers precious moments to catch their breath.
The "flame" within him burned fiercely, filling his body with unprecedented power—but the consumption was equally massive. He could feel his strength draining rapidly; every second counted.
The three finally reached the watchtower, the highest point in the entire Furnace District, offering a panoramic view of the chaotic factory.
Jin Wanchao stood at the edge, facing the oncoming steam and searing heat. He could "see" the workers, riled by the nursery factory footage and infuriated by the Black Steel Parliament, pouring out from every direction. They were no longer numb, no longer compliant—their eyes burned with rage and agony.
But they were disorganized, like headless flies, venting blindly.
Jin Wanchao took a deep breath. The "flame" inside him was ignited by an iron will, roaring deafeningly. He channeled all his power, all his resolve, all his fury into his throat.
"You dogs of the Black Steel Parliament—give us back our children! Give us back our families!"
His voice was not loud, yet it carried an eerie penetrating power, cutting through the alarms, the machinery's roar, and all the screams and curses.
That voice traveled through the billowing steam, through every connected pipe, through every cold steel plate, echoing across the entire Furnace District!
His "flame" resonated—with the "wail" of this steel land, with the suppressed resentment and fury deep in the heart of every oppressed worker!
"They treat us as fuel! As slaves!"
"They lock our children in hell and call it 'optimization'!"
"How much longer must we endure? How much longer must we wait?!"
Jin Wanchao slammed his hand onto the watchtower's steel frame. An invisible force radiated outward from him, sweeping in all directions.
The workers, stirred by the footage but still bound by fear, shuddered violently.
They "saw" Jin Wanchao—the most inconspicuous odd-job worker, now standing like a burning war god atop the highest watchtower, posing a soul-shaking question to them all!
Countless long-suppressed flames of anger were fully ignited in that instant!
"Down with the Black Steel Parliament!"
"Give us back our children!"
"Freedom!"
Earth-shaking roars erupted from every corner of the Furnace District, merging into an unstoppable torrent that shattered all order and tore down all pretense.
No longer disorganized, the workers raised hammers, wrenches, crowbars—anything that could serve as a weapon—and charged screaming at the overseers and mechanical guards.
The Butcher panicked completely. His bloated body shook like a leaf in the wind. He never dreamed a mere inspection would spark a riot of this scale!
"Retreat! Retreat!" he shrieked, scrambling toward the nearest airship.
But Jin Wanchao would never give him that chance.
"Lao Zhong! Ah Huo! Keep up!"
Jin Wanchao leaped down, crashing into the chaotic crowd like a falling meteor. He did not linger in combat, only continuously channeling his "flame" into nearby workers.
The "awakened" laborers' eyes instantly cleared, filled with resolve. They seemed to see the weaknesses within this steel behemoth, the gaps in the guards' defenses. Their movements were no longer blind, but carried an uncanny precision and coordination.
Lao Zhong and Ah Huo followed closely, both gasping for breath, but their eyes burned with unprecedented fighting spirit.
"Brother Wanchao! The North Exit!" Lao Zhong pointed to a red arrow marked on a steel plate map.
Jin Wanchao nodded, leading the gathering crowd of workers sprinting toward the North Exit.
The North Exit was a path Lao Zhong had secretly cleared earlier, leading to the Lower City. Normally only garbage trucks passed through, making it the most lightly defended.
But the Black Steel Parliament's reaction speed was equally astonishing.
The high officials on the airships had recovered from their initial panic. Orders were rapidly issued over encrypted channels.
"Initiate the 'Meat Grinder' protocol! Seal all exits! Crush the riot at all costs! Capture Jin Wanchao alive!"
A dull thunder rumbled overhead—massive mechanical arms were lowering heavy alloy gates, attempting to seal the North Exit.
"Faster! Faster!" Jin Wanchao roared. His internal "flame" was nearly exhausted; his body felt like it was falling apart. Yet he gritted his teeth and persisted—he could not fall. Behind him were thousands of workers filled with hope!
He could "see" the alloy gate descending rapidly, leaving a gap of less than three meters.
He charged toward the gate, pressing both hands against the cold alloy. The last embers of his remaining "flame" erupted with astonishing heat.
"Open… for me!"
*Creak—*
The massive alloy gate, moments from fully closing, suddenly jolted to a halt, emitting a bone-chilling screech of friction.
Veins bulged on Jin Wanchao's arms. Clenching his jaw, he held the closing gate firm, buying the workers behind him one final chance.
"Get out!" he roared.
The workers poured through the gap like a bursting dam, escaping like a bursting dam, escaping the Furnace District's cage.
Jin Wanchao felt the gate's crushing pressure, as if it would grind him to pulp. He had reached his limit; the world blurred before his eyes.
Just as he was about to be crushed, Ah Huo charged forward, pressing both hands onto the gate, his internal "flame" exploding instantly. Lao Zhong followed, then dozens of "awakened" workers—all pooling their last strength into holding the gate.
*Boom!*
A deafening crash. The gate jammed completely, leaving a gap wide enough for a person to pass.
Jin Wanchao was dragged out by Ah Huo and Lao Zhong, trembling all over—but he had succeeded!
They had broken free from the iron-forged cage!
Yet freedom was not waiting for them outside.
What greeted them was the Black Steel Parliament's domain: the vaster, more dangerous Lower City. The night was deep; thick smoke blotted out the sky. Only distant alarms and the clamor of battle echoed.
Where would they go from here?