Chapter 414: The Meeting

News from Macon quickly reached the security headquarters of the Rising Sun Group.

It must be noted here that, in order to better allocate funds for expanding stores, neither Li Mochen nor Kadirun Jebsen had any plans to build a company headquarters for the time being.

Thus, the current Rising Sun Electrical Retail Company only occupied five floors of the Burt Building. Their security department, however, was housed together with the 'Rising Sun Security Company'—that is, the nine-story building previously used by the Blood Hand Security Company.

Although the building was old, Michael Wood was still quite satisfied. The structure had a semi-military layout. Next to it was 23 Anfac Street, a warehouse center that had already been converted into a fortress.

The vast majority of personnel from the Rising Sun Group's security department and the Rising Sun Security Company, along with their families, lived nearby. The high-level magical energy array of the Rising Sun Warehouse Center, along with its formidable defensive forces, ensured their livelihood and safety.

At this moment, in the war room that Michael Wood had spared no expense to build, Michael Wood, his capable wartime partner—Level 18 magic mage Brigadier General Noah Badru—his former adjutant, Level 14 magic mage Captain Sanche Virginia, as well as Sampson Brut, Thompson Adams, Eliza Targaryen, and others, were all gathered together.

“Today, in Macon, Columbus, Dublin, and Albany, a total of nine of our security teams were attacked, and five outlaws were assassinated, including Lieutenant Colonel Obdugal, a Level 15 magic hunter.”

Brigadier General Noah Badru’s face was ashen. Lieutenant Colonel Obdugal had once been his subordinate. It was at his invitation that the man had joined the Rising Sun Group and become the security director of Columbus.

“So far, we have suffered fifty-two casualties. The enemy’s casualties are zero.”

“These stores weren’t damaged, were they? This should be bait?”

Lieutenant Colonel Sampson Brut keenly noted that, in the battle damage report, these stores were nearly intact.

“They’re very clever!”

Thompson Adams spoke gravely: “The property rights of these stores are held by the company. Since they haven’t opened yet, burning them down wouldn’t be of much use—rebuilding would only cost five to sixty thousand gold shields. But if they’re left intact, they can tempt us to keep investing.”

“Badru and I think so too.”

Michael Wood was quite satisfied with the capabilities of the two CEOs—both positive and negative—who led the Rising Sun Security Company.

They lived up to their reputation as genius commanders; even in his former unit, they would have been used as core personnel.

Of course, their specialties differed. The 7th Mechanized Brigade was a regular army unit for front-line warfare, while Sampson Brut and Thompson Adams specialized in special operations.

However, in wars outside the military, the two men’s abilities were more suitable.

“What we need to discuss now is our next course of action. I plan to temporarily withdraw security personnel from these cities and focus on defending Manhattan, Boston, New Haven, and Miami.”

“So we’re temporarily abandoning these cities in the Southeast Region?”

Thompson thought for a moment: “I think that’s acceptable, but I estimate our CEO, Mr. Jebsen, will be very angry.”

Unlike Macon and Columbus, the Manhattan area, due to earlier deployment and the assistance of the Mitchell Group, already had fourteen stores open, with another forty-seven set to open in the coming month.

However, Georgia was the home base of the Rising Sun Group and the key area for their development. The Rising Sun Electrical Retail Company had laid out over a hundred stores around Georgia.

The company’s HR department had been waving checks wildly, poaching talent everywhere, and hiring experts at high salaries for employee training.

But if these stores couldn’t open on time, they would face immense pressure in terms of both salaries and supply.

“So we must resolve this within half a month.”

Michael Wood tapped the map of America on the electronic screen with his pointer: “Defense has never been my strong suit, and it’s too passive. Fortunately, although our Mr. Jeremy Burt’s intelligence-gathering abilities outside Atlanta are mediocre, the BOSS has other allies who provide us with strong intelligence support. So next, I will do everything in our power to go on the offensive. First, let’s talk about our combat strength. Badru!”

“I think our combat strength, on paper, is no weaker than the Dragon Witch Cult’s, and may even surpass it.”

Noah Badru adjusted his glasses: “Currently, we have 180 security teams with 540 magic professionals. However, given the nature of the coming war, we won’t need to use them. The forces we can now deploy consist of twenty outlaw-level combat squads totaling 200 people, including 90 outlaws, seven above Level 17, and three legendary combatants, including two Level 22 construct puppets. Additionally, the Teutonic Cross Order’s branches in five major eastern cities will join as mercenaries, providing us with twenty-five outlaw-level combat squads and ten members above Level 17.”

“As for our opponents: six death squads, meaning eighteen individuals above Level 17, over two hundred outlaw-level magic professionals, and possibly three to five legends.”

“Wow, it seems they’re finally taking our BOSS seriously enough.”

Thompson Adams chuckled lightly, then grew serious: “Even in a direct confrontation, we wouldn’t be afraid. The key is that we’re in the open while the enemy is in the shadows.”

“If this were decades ago, that would be true. But in modern times, with the help of advanced technology, many of the Dragon Witch Cult’s concealment methods have become ineffective. And our BOSS is exceptionally strong in intelligence gathering.”

Noah Badru enlarged the map, revealing countless red dots marked across the southeastern part of America.

“These followers of the Dragon Witch Cult also need to eat, live, and obtain various resources for cultivation. So they can’t be truly traceless, especially after they suffered successive blows from the half-saint paladin Saint Sith in the late 19th century, which nearly shattered the entire organization. Although they have recovered now, their grassroots organizations have shown a trend toward lordification and localization. Just like the high priests of Atlanta, Cressy Jakes and Edwin Antonio. And now, we have information on nearly a thousand of their properties and twenty-seven smuggling routes. Notably, fifteen of these are used for drug trafficking and human trafficking, which we believe are their main sources of funding.”

“So our next operational goal is to make them feel real pain, right? To make them reconsider the consequences of fighting the Rising Sun Company?”

Sampson Brut’s eyes narrowed, a glint of excitement flashing—any operation against the Dragon Witch Cult stirred his fighting spirit and blood.

“Then what should we do next?”