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墨書 Inktalez
After leaving the bar, Jiao An noticed the two people who had followed her out. She realized she was being tracked, but these two couldn't have been following her for long, as the military's Cadillac that was sent to pick her up was less than two hundred meters ahead on the street. Once she got into the car, Jiao An successfully shook them off, and the followers sent by Hu Yitian could only watch helplessly as she drove away.
News of Jiao An's return to the base quickly spread among the team, and everyone waited in the command center for her to arrive, dressed in her stylish attire. However, to their disappointment, Jiao An was no longer the heavily made-up woman in revealing clothes; she had changed into a military uniform and stood tall before them as the door opened. Although some were disappointed, Jiao An's cold and unapproachable demeanor made them hesitant to ask for more, and they quietly praised her from their seats.
Only Qin Weishan stepped forward, teasing Jiao An without any sense of distance, which instantly shattered her sense of accomplishment: "Baby, hahahaha—"
Jiao An, who had been putting on a cool facade, nearly fainted from anger at Qin Weishan's words—calling her that in private was one thing, but doing it in front of so many people? Where was her image supposed to go? Holding back a laugh, she delivered a swift kick toward Qin Weishan as he approached her, not holding back any strength since she knew he could handle it. Qin Weishan seized the opportunity and grabbed Jiao An's calf, refusing to let go while continuing to tease: "Come on, share with us! What does it feel like to be held by a man? Hahaha..."
"You..." Jiao An's face turned red as she forcefully pulled her leg away and walked past Qin Weishan with a frown. His playful antics had genuinely annoyed her. However, Qin Weishan was the only person in the world who could make Jiao An drop her guard; he was also her only confidant. No one else dared to joke with Jiao An, but Qin Weishan did.
"Hey, don't ignore me! I'm just messing with you; don't be mad! The cute and beautiful Sister Jiao An ~"
"Get lost! Disgusting Foolish Qin!"
In the command room
"Since we already know the location, why aren't we taking action?" an officer frantically gestured beside An Xiaotian, questioning him. "You... you're also a vice commander; don't you understand how important this opportunity is? Hurry up and give the order! Everything is ready and just waiting for your command."
Other officers from the Reaction Group looked at An Xiaotian's back on stage with some dissatisfaction. If General Jiang hadn't deliberately claimed to be unwell and missed today's decision-making meeting, no one would have expected to take orders from this young rookie.
"No!" An Xiaotian focused intently on operating his computer and firmly rejected the request.
"Why?! We've been suggesting this issue for half an hour now, and you've just kept saying 'no' without giving us any reason! At least you should provide an explanation!"
His thoughts were ultimately interrupted by their pointless shouting. An Xiaotian took a deep breath and couldn't hold back anymore: "Please don't disturb me while I'm trying to think! I'm not trying to brush you off; I genuinely don't have time to answer!"
An Xiaotian pointed at the screen displaying multiple split-screen recordings stacked on top of each other. These were videos from last night during that time frame in the neighborhood. He was simultaneously observing seven camera feeds; even a momentary lapse in concentration could cause him to miss hidden clues.
An Xiaotian pressed the enter key and turned to say, "Alright, let me tell you, you must have seen the two men in black following Sister Jiao An, right? There are only seven cameras in the entire block, and they have appeared on them no less than ten times! They were even spotted before Sister Jiao An left! As for Hu Yitian, he acted like a normal drinker, staying in the bar for a few hours before coming out."
The command room fell silent as everyone listened to An Xiaotian's passionate remarks. Although An Xiaotian's tone was harsh, everyone had been interrupting him and pressuring him to give orders; his restraint was already a sign of politeness.
Moreover, what An Xiaotian said seemed quite reasonable.
"I currently have a hypothesis and a concern. The hypothesis is that those two men in black initially seemed unremarkable, but when they started following Jiao An, I looked back and saw they had been loitering around the block. It is highly likely they were providing cover for Hu Yitian. Offering such covert protection to partners is typical of Viper's style."
"My concern is that we have no idea when Hu Yitian became wary of Jiao An. It’s possible that throughout the entire exchange time, he was on guard against Sister Jiao An. If that’s the case, he might have provided false information..."
An Xiaotian slammed his fist down on the control panel: "I cannot allow our soldiers to repeat the mistakes made in April at Shengfeng Village!"
"But time waits for no one."
"Am I not explaining this clearly enough?! Are soldiers' lives just expendable for reckless risks?" An Xiaotian shouted, his face flushed with anger as he neared his breaking point.
The officer wanted to argue further when suddenly there was a "tick" from the door. General Jiang entered briskly with Jiao An and Qin Weishan.
"General Jiang!" Everyone stood up to salute the three.
"The military values unity. Furthermore, if we have to choose between a comrade's life and the timing of our deployment, then that would be a dereliction of duty," General Jiang said, glancing at the officer with his distinctive voice. "A cautious approach has always been wise. You all return to your positions."
The officer who had just argued with An Xiaotian reluctantly returned to his spot.
An Xiaotian stepped forward and addressed General Jiang and the others: "General, there's something I really don't know how to handle. The other team members have further investigated all identities captured by the seven cameras in the block at that time and confirmed there are no other potential associates. The next question is how do we verify whether the information Sister Jiao An received is true?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Weishan snapped his fingers. "I have a plan."
He approached the main control computer and pulled up the street surveillance from outside the bar last night, smoothly pausing the video at 12:23 AM. An Xiaotian and Jiao An realized he had pinpointed the exact moment when Hu Yitian and Zhao Xiong walked out—Qin Weishan must have been watching them last night.
"Were you not sleeping at this time last night?" Jiao An noticed the dark circles under Qin Weishan's eyes.
"Although the mission ended last night, I couldn't relax. You were still outside looking for a pickup, and I was worried something might happen to you, so I checked your progress."
"Hmph... unnecessary concern, but thanks anyway."
In the footage, a van without any lights on emerged from the darkness, driving away from the camera's view.
"Even though it didn't have its lights on, based on the time it took them to walk into the darkness and then drive out, which is generally around two minutes from opening the door to driving ten meters, they took exactly two minutes and twelve seconds. What I mean is, this could very well be the vehicle they were driving. We can trace its route based on where it appeared in the surveillance footage. We follow their path and find their temporary hideout to catch them and make them talk! It's a bit risky, but it's the only plan I can think of."
General Jiang Yan immediately ordered, "Retrieve all surveillance footage regarding this van's whereabouts after 12:23 AM!"
In the next five minutes, all surveillance capturing the vehicle's movements from various streets was submitted to the main control computer. An Xiaotian organized each video file in chronological order. Soon, a complete route of the van emerged; it entered a city ring road and drove to the outskirts of the city. After stopping by a small inn for the night, they reappeared at 6:40 AM, driving down an unnamed road filled with gravel and overgrown barley grass.
"There are no cameras there, and even the signal is weak," an officer reported to General Jiang.
The lead was cut off.
After pondering for a moment, General Jiang turned to An Xiaotian, Jiao An, and Qin Weishan behind him. "It seems we need to conduct an on-site inspection."
An Xiaotian immediately understood General Jiang's intention and commanded the members of the Reaction Group below, "All personnel, listen up! Your task is to connect with the armed drone system to pave the way for their operation! An Xiaotian, Jiao An, Qin Weishan, Chen Hao, and a team will head straight to the coordinates of the unknown road! They likely know shortcuts connecting City S with Viper's main base."
"Understood!"
Before leaving, An Xiaotian specifically instructed General Jiang, "General, please allow me to arrange another 'Bunker' class heavy rescue vehicle, equipped with the Fierce Eagle Armor, to maintain at least a five-kilometer distance from our convoy. In case of an emergency, I still have the 'Fierce Eagle' for immediate support."
General Jiang nodded and placed his hand on An Xiaotian's shoulder. "Got it. Be careful on the road."
Two hours later, two military Humvees arrived at the intersection of the path originally taken by the van. Dr. Chen looked at his laptop and gasped, revealing his concerns. "This road is a bit dangerous."
"Hmm?" Jiao An inquired with a glance.
"This road... there is actually no signal coverage. And it's very narrow; we can't even turn around. If we encounter danger, we'll only be able to retreat. The sides are filled with dense bushes; it would be too easy for them to launch an ambush."
As the convoy continued on, Jiao An and the others swayed with the motion of the vehicle, nervously watching the deep, impenetrable forest passing by, always on guard.
Dr. Chen suddenly added, "There's a fork ahead; one path leads up the mountain, but our vehicles are too large to enter... The other leads to an abandoned train station. No matter which direction we take, it will be advantageous for them."
"Ha," Jiao An chuckled lightly. "There can't be that many dangers; don't..."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang as a massive steel jack burst out of the ground! It was as if a giant fist had emerged from the earth, and its tremendous force sent the vehicle in front soaring into the air. Their vehicle immediately slammed to a stop as they watched the front vehicle's body crumple inward.
"Don't say that!" Chen Hao's head slammed against the cushion of the front seat before bouncing back.
"I told you not to stick your head out of the window while riding!" Jiao An gripped the handrail tightly and quickly turned to grab the weapons box from the back of the vehicle.
"MK Military Jack! It can be buried underground and activated manually by its operator—it's remote-controlled!" Dr. Chen explained.
"The meaning of being ambushed!" An Xiaotian raised his gun.
"Unless absolutely necessary, never let others see that you can summon 'Fierce Eagle' armor," Qin Weishan suddenly leaned close to An Xiaotian's ear, grabbing his hand that was about to press the energy core and slowly lowering it.
"The heat source shows at least thirty-five people nearby!" Chen Hao said.
"So many!" Qin Weishan was taken aback.
Including the people from the overturned vehicle, there were only fourteen of them in total.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the surrounding forest, ringing against the vehicle and sparking.
"Prepare for battle!" An Xiaotian shouted. However, just as he opened the car door, a rocket propelled toward the overturned military vehicle.
In an instant, flames shot up into the sky, and in this familiar scene, several lives turned to ashes before An Xiaotian's trembling eyes behind a concealed arm.
Seeing that they were outnumbered, the enemies boldly emerged from the bushes, ready to encircle them directly.
"Are you ready?" Qin Weishan asked Jiao An beside him. Jiao An raised the Fate Conqueror and nodded.
With a loud "bang," Qin Weishan kicked open the car door.
He didn't have time to put on his metal battle suit; braving a hail of bullets, he charged to the front with his hands shielding his face. Two Particle Shields unfolded from his mechanical gauntlets and slammed into the gravel road. He knelt down, creating a human barrier for Jiao An.
With the car door and Qin Weishan providing cover on both sides, Jiao An drew her bow and aimed her gun, the tactical scope on her helmet marking an ever-increasing number of targets.
The enemies stepping out fell one after another under Jiao An's gunfire.
However, relying on their numerical advantage, they showed no fear of Jiao An's marksmanship and continued to advance.
The enemies were already on the road!
An Xiaotian reloaded while comforting Dr. Chen, "Don't be afraid, we can win this."
Dr. Chen trembled and pointed outside. An Xiaotian immediately raised her gun and aimed at the person carrying a rocket launcher.
"You all stay back and watch the seven o'clock position!" An Xiaotian shouted as she pushed a soldier beside her.
Seeing that they were unable to break through, some enemies even put down their guns. It wasn't a retreat; they had their sights set on Qin Weishan's slightly exposed elbow and fired a shot! Qin Weishan let out a scream as the bullet easily tore through the deep cut in his arm, which was only covered by clothing since his alloy battle suit protected only his torso.
Seeing this, Jiao An tried to drag Qin Weishan to the back of the vehicle. "Don't worry about me! It's just a small injury!" Qin Weishan shook off Jiao An's hand.
They were almost upon them! Jiao An had emptied her magazine, and now the only option was to rely on Qin Weishan for close combat. But no matter how fast she could throw a punch, it couldn't outpace a bullet. There were still at least twenty-six or seven enemies left; if Qin Weishan charged forward, he would only become a live target.
Suddenly, a voice came from the other side of the vehicle: "Surrender! We surrender!"
The gunfire stopped in an instant.
Everyone was stunned—surrender? Were we, the proud Special Forces Soldiers, really going to surrender? Become hostages for these villains?
"An Xiaotian! Are you still a soldier?!" Qin Weishan shouted angrily.
Qin Weishan's shout quickly attracted heavy fire. Jiao An hurriedly pulled Qin Weishan behind the car door and reassured him, "Trust him, he wouldn't really surrender."
An Xiaotian raised both hands and walked out from behind the car door, two enemies grabbing one of his arms to restrain him.
"Hahaha! What a wise captain! To protect the lives of his teammates, he decisively surrenders, good job!"
Hu Yitian emerged from the woods, clapping and laughing as he said, "What should I call you, young man?"
"An Xiaotian."
"Ah! Nice name, you have 'Tian' in it too, huh? What a coincidence! Let me tell you, I met a beautiful girl named Qiao Yi-Yi last night. If I’m not mistaken..."
Hu Yitian stretched his neck to look in that direction and whistled, "She's hiding behind the car door right now, isn't she? Hahaha..."
"An Xiaotian, you piece of trash!" Qin Weishan continued to curse; he could only believe that An Xiaotian had a plan.
"Put down your weapons. You have no protection; a bullet could kill you with just a touch. Sister Jiao An is strong, but two fists can't fight four hands; she won't be able to handle it. We're out in the open now, we have basically no chance." An Xiaotian casually analyzed.
Though he said that, even with preparations made, a hint of sadness crossed his mind.
"Exactly... Hey, why is there something flashing on your chest?"
Through his military uniform, Hu Yitian curiously stared at his chest.
"Ha, toy light, my little hobby," An Xiaotian grinned.
The lights flashed more frequently.
Hu Yitian looked suspiciously for a moment and suddenly shouted, "Is it a time bomb? Do you want to self-destruct?!"
"No, it's not that. I'm just..." An Xiaotian calmly smiled, "I'm just waiting for my partner. What are you all waiting for?"
A harsh sound came from above, and the two people controlling An Xiaotian curiously looked up to see a humanoid object flying towards them!
Taking advantage of their distraction, An Xiaotian forcefully swung free from their restraints, turned around, and threw one person over his shoulder, crashing right into the other.
Fierce Eagle's armor arrived just in time. An Xiaotian quickly leaned into the armor, and the holographic work window began flashing in front of him. He could feel the unique coldness of Fierce Eagle's armor tightly wrapping around him.
"Human-machine neural interaction completed. I arrived just in time, sir?" The artificial intelligence Xiao Ling asked from within the armor.
"Just in time." Fierce Eagle spread his wings, and the thruster's nozzles began to emit a violent mechanical roar—
"Because the real show is just beginning."
"What is that thing!"
"Don't worry about it, open fire!"
Intense firepower surged towards An Xiaotian, but what good would it do?
"Ah! Ah—" The living person in front of him suddenly transformed into a mech, causing Hu Yitian to fall to the ground in fright. "What kind of monster is this!"
"I am not a monster," An Xiaotian said through the armor, activating the sound restoration system and officially declaring, "Remember, my name is Fierce Eagle!"
With a heavy punch, Hu Yitian took the blow and lost consciousness.
An Xiaotian soared into the sky, locking onto all the enemies on the ground who were screaming in chaos.
"Target locked," Xiao Ling informed An Xiaotian.
"Bring it on." Fierce Eagle extended both arms, and the armor quickly transformed under the sunlight, shining with intense light.
"Scatter Shot Launcher, ready."
In an instant, a swarm of micro warheads poured out, with Angel's Trumpet tracking missiles accurately hitting their targets one by one.
Two seconds later, as the wind blew away the smoke, silence remained on the ground.
Fierce Eagle returned to the ground, looking at the wreckage of the destroyed military vehicle. He unlocked the head armor, resembling a statue.
"When you get back, you better explain everything properly."
An Xiaotian picked up the unconscious Hu Yitian and walked toward everyone behind the car door.
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