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墨書 Inktalez
The empty sky gradually shifted from a pale white to a light blue.
The red clouds of dawn began to paint the sky, as if bursting forth with golden-red light. Soon, it would break free from the earth's grasp, spreading its brilliance to every corner of the world.
After a night of commotion, the base became quiet in the early morning light.
The soldiers on duty changed shifts punctually and efficiently. At the Training Ground, Lu Fei Fan was already drenched in sweat. The improvement in his skills with Fu Mai Xi Shu made him restless; he felt an urge to train even harder at the base. This sensation was not exhausting; rather, it invigorated him, filling him with energy.
To many observers, this young man's vitality seemed excessive. Several veterans shook their heads; they had once been like him. However, here, it was better to conserve energy for the impending crisis than to waste it idly when there were more pressing matters at hand.
After completing three hours of physical training at the Training Ground, Lu Fei Fan headed to the Camp's bathing area for a refreshing hot shower. He then indulged in a hearty double breakfast at the dining area before patting his satisfied belly and making his way to the Base Hospital.
At the Base Hospital, the doctor was checking on the patients in their rooms. When the kind deputy director examined Da Biao's condition, he nodded and explained to Lu Fei Fan.
"He should be stabilized now. The coma is a normal state. Once the serum clears the virus from his system, he will wake up at any moment."
Hearing this news, Lu Fei Fan let out a long sigh of relief. If anything were to happen to Da Biao, he would certainly not let Sun Xingcai off easily, even if they left the base; he would not forgive them lightly.
However, with Da Biao's condition stable, Lu Fei Fan felt no need to pursue retribution against Sun Xingcai. As for his nephew's death, it was simply a case of reaping what one sows.
At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed above the base, causing the glass in the hospital to tremble. Lu Fei Fan leaned out of the window and saw a black steel beast roaring past. Behind it, countless parachutes descended with supply crates like scattered flowers. The base erupted in cheers as much-needed supplies were replenished—ammunition, food, and even scarce medical supplies.
This was part of the Expeditionary Force's monthly supply drop for these bases—a fundamental guarantee for their survival. Despite the internal decay within the Expeditionary Force, at least they did not skimp on essential supplies.
Ren Dongchuan stood by his office window watching the supplies slowly descend, lost in thought. On his windowsill sat a pot of lilacs blooming vibrantly under the morning sun. He returned to his desk and sat down; behind him on the wall hung a large military map detailing all deployments on this island, clearly marking various factions' territories, mining points, and observation posts.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk where three or four books were stacked in one corner: "Great Path Walks Alone," "Economic Revival Empire," and "Guns and Roses."
His interests were broad, and his knowledge could be considered extensive, spanning both ancient and modern times. However, it was precisely this breadth that seemed to prevent him from excelling in any particular area, which led to his assignment under the Expeditionary Force of the Free Federation. If it weren't for the connections within the Expeditionary Force, he might not even have been in charge of this expanding base.
He considered himself an idealistic person. Given ten or eight years to manage this place, he was confident he could achieve remarkable results. Yet at present... he seemed to be facing a significant dilemma.
He turned the sand in his hands and looked at the enlarged military map on the wall. When he arrived on this island, it was quite desolate. However, under his exploration and management, the island's greatest value was being continuously unearthed. There were three or four mineral veins discovered, with several types of metals being rare, which greatly benefited the industrial needs of the Free Federation.
This was also why the base, despite not reaching full operational capacity, qualified for double airdrops of military supplies from the Expeditionary Force.
Knock knock.
Someone was knocking at the door.
"Come in."
Creak.
The door opened to reveal one of his assistants, a Lieutenant Colonel.
"Major, we lost contact with the last two outposts in the southwest early this morning," the Lieutenant Colonel reported with a serious expression.
Ren Dongchuan fell silent. After a moment, he stood up and paced around the office as if deciding on something. He stepped out of the office, accompanied by several aides waiting at the door. As they passed through the bustling base, many soldiers and officers saluted him; under his management, discipline within the base was quite rigorous. He made his way to the tallest lighthouse at the center of the base.
At the entrance of the lighthouse stood a man and a woman guarding it.
"Tell your superior that I need to speak with him."
The man and woman stood expressionless, exchanging a glance before the man stepped forward to explain, "I’m sorry, but the master is in seclusion and cannot meet with anyone right now."
"Hmph, not even for me? Is it only when this base is on the brink of collapse that he will emerge?" Ren Dongchuan seemed to harbor a strong bias and dissatisfaction towards the so-called Big Shot who was hiding away in the lighthouse.
As the man and woman hesitated, the door of the lighthouse swung open with a loud bang, revealing a robust man with dark skin, full of energy.
"Haha, old Ren, your authority is still as great as ever," the dark-skinned man laughed heartily.
"Niu Han, I have something to discuss with you," Ren Dongchuan intended to throw in a few more jabs but decided it was better to get straight to the point.
"Come in," the burly man waved him inside.
As Ren Dongchuan entered, his aides attempted to follow but were stopped by the two guards. Ren Dongchuan gestured for his aides to wait outside.
Following the robust man into the lighthouse, Ren Dongchuan noted how surprisingly simple and even primitive the interior was. The furniture was made of rough stone, and the staircase leading to the second floor was also carved out of rock.
Ren Dongchuan approached a stone table firmly fixed to the ground in the center. The dark-skinned man brought over a pot of freshly brewed coarse tea, sat down, and poured a cup for Ren Dongchuan.
Looking at the primitive earthen cup, Ren Dongchuan observed that its craftsmanship left much to be desired; however, the rich aroma of the coarse tea wafting from it was surprisingly refreshing.
"Weren't you in seclusion?" Ren Dongchuan scrutinized the burly man across from him.
"Mm." The robust man disregarded the heat of the tea and took a sip before pouring himself another cup, finishing it in one go. He only paused after his third cup, waiting for Ren Dongchuan to get down to business.
Ren Dongchuan was taken aback; this man was the commanding General of this base who usually refrained from involving himself in its affairs. It was precisely because of this that Ren Dongchuan had faced rejection when he sought his help on previous occasions, leading to his growing dissatisfaction with this often-reclusive General.
"Are you here just to mooch tea from me this time?" The dark-skinned man asked, noticing that Ren Dongchuan remained silent.
Ren Dongchuan waved his hand and explained, "I'm not here to bicker with you; I have serious business."
"When have you ever come without serious business?" Lao Niu teased.
"Here's the thing," Ren Dongchuan got straight to the point. "All the lookout posts I've set up on the island have been taken down."
Lao Niu, sipping his tea, paused in surprise at this news. "What about the mine?"
"Two of them were attacked by monsters. Just as the front base encountered a beast attack, I ordered them to close up and retreat to the base overnight," Ren Dongchuan clarified. The profits from the mine included a share for Lao Niu; this was an unspoken agreement between them.
"So what do you want me to help you with?" Lao Niu asked, taking the initiative this time. Clearly, when it came to his own interests, he couldn't afford to sit idly by.
"Based on my unusual observations, I feel like we're surrounded by a massive vortex," Ren Dongchuan shared his thoughts.
"A vortex?" Lao Niu blinked in confusion. "Haha, Old Ren, you've been reading too many books. This is a hot, arid tropical island—where's the vortex?"
"No," Ren Dongchuan continued to explain. "I mean a different kind of vortex. Like there are people or forces larger than us secretly pushing things along. If we're not careful, a storm could break out here at any moment and swallow us whole."
"Is it really that serious?" Lao Niu seemed skeptical of Ren Dongchuan's mysterious speculations.
"My instincts tell me so; you can't dismiss it. However, I can show you the recent reports from the outside Special Operations Teams that have been hunting here. In our area, there has been a sudden spike in S-class beast attack incidents, each one more bizarre than the last. Very few teams that took on bounty missions have returned safely intact, and several of the best Special Operations Teams have gone missing. This is far too unusual compared to previous years," Ren Dongchuan expressed his concerns.
"So you think someone is pulling strings behind the scenes?" Lao Niu grasped the crux of the matter.
"I don't know, that's why I came to discuss it with you. I want you to investigate the strange places, especially where several members of the Special Operations Team have gone missing," Ren Dongchuan said, pulling out a simple map from his pocket and pointing to several locations on it. "These spots are my lookout bases; you can check them out while you're at it."
"Alright."
After their discussion, there were no more unnecessary words exchanged. Ren Dongchuan, busy with his affairs, took his leave.
Half an hour later, a single flying vehicle took off from the base, whirring into the air. This was Niu Han's exclusive craft, clearly heading out to investigate the matter that Ren Dongchuan had requested help with.
Watching Niu Han's vehicle disappear from the base, Ren Dongchuan issued the highest alert for the base.
With General absent, the base naturally needed to be on high alert; they could not afford to be careless. Moreover, with his heart filled with unease, he knew they had to remain vigilant.
Less than two hours after the heightened alert was issued, smoke billowed from the other side of the base.
In an instant, alarms blared throughout the facility.
Personnel rushed to their combat positions, and heavy weapons on the turrets aimed at the rolling smoke in the distance. The base fell into a state of readiness as if facing a formidable enemy.
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