The Legendary Mechanic, page 39
Qi Bai Jia understood the importance of this information immediately. If Hesla did not know about the existence of the inner sector of the base and the army went ahead to attack the outer base, they would simply retreat when they took down the outer base, declaring it a military success. In that case, the core force of the enemy would be entirely unharmed, and the inner base would remain safe. The enemy could move back secretly in the future, ensuring that hideout was secure from the enemies.
Qi Bai Jia was dumbfounded. He could not believe that Han Xiao’s solo act could bear such critical intel!
“Cough, cough. Even though it was a move well played, I still have to emphasize that it is unacceptable to act on your own without any orders.
“Hold on for a while. I will report this to the commanding officer immediately!”
Qi Bai Jia was stopped by the deputy officer when he requested to meet Colonel Carl. He waited anxiously for five minutes before was allowed to go into the office. He realized Ye Fan and Winna were there too.
Colonel Carl looked at Qi Bai Jia and asked, “What do you have for me?”
“One of my team members just discovered some critical information that needs to be reported to you.”
“Han Xiao?”
“Yes.”
Qi Bai Jia nodded, but he did not realize that the other three started having a weird look.
Colonel Carl’s eyes flickered. “Speak.”
Han Xiao repeated what he said before, and at the end, he added, “If we attack brashly, we will only take down an empty shell. I hope we can pause the operation until our guys get hold of the enemy’s evacuation time, evacuation route, and the detailed structure of the inner base. By doing so, we can directly kill their evacuating troops and prevent a direct attack against their fortification. This will greatly reduce our casualties.”
Colonel Carl was expressionless after he heard everything.
“Where did you get this intel from?” he suddenly asked.
“I infiltrated the base by disguising my face, and I managed to capture two personnel from the inner base…”
All of a sudden, Colonel Carl yelled, “You are lying!”
To Colonel Carl, it was impossible for Han Xiao to infiltrate, even if he said he could disguise his face. It would take at least tens of minutes to make a legitimate face mask. During that time frame, Han Xiao would have faced all kinds of danger. At the same time, he could not predict which enemy he would encounter next, so it was impossible for him to make the face mask beforehand. So, it was an impossible situation that Han Xiao could never achieve.
Han Xiao was startled. He realized that these people did not know the capability of his Facial Simulator.
The function of the Facial Simulator was his trump card. He would not divulge such information. However, without exposing it, he could not explain the details of his infiltration.
“I have the capability to do so.” Han Xiao had to give an ambiguous answer.
“Unless you can demonstrate, there is no way we can believe you.”
Colonel Carl was still expressionless, but he was more untrusting of Han Xiao’s words.
This person… is really suspicious!
Chapter 80. Bold Move |
Han Xiao’s brows furrowed.
“Do you have any evidence to support your claim?” Qi Bai Jia quickly provided a solution as he trusted Han Xiao. However, Hesla had a different position. Both parties were mutually untrusting toward each other.
Han Xiao paused and said, “I have two captives with me. You can test them with a lie detector to confirm that I am not lying.”
Colonel Carl squinted. “Well then, you can bring them over.”
Qi Bai Jia heaved a sigh of relief. Although he was skeptical of how Han Xiao had managed to infiltrate the base, he chose to believe that Han Xiao had his own ways.
Fortunately, he had captives to prove to them that what he said was true.
However, after the radio connection was cut off, Colonel Carl told his deputy, “Order the troops to move out. Our target will be the Dark Crow Valley.”
Qi Bai Jia was stunned—it was the complete opposite of what was previously promised.
Colonel Carl was reluctant to explain his rationale. It would take Han Xiao a few hours to bring the so-called captives in, and if Han Xiao was to play tricks and delay further, the enemies from the Dark Crow Valley base might seize the opportunity to evacuate completely before his troops could reach the target. As the commanding officer, he would not simply alter his decision based on certain unverified intel.
He was more inclined to trust Ye Fan’s intel; it had witnesses, evidence, and originated from reliable sources.
Colonel Carl believed that he would not risk any damage for moving out earlier even if Han Xiao was right. Han Xiao could still bring the captives to him. The only difference was that the base would be on high alert earlier, and that would cause danger to Han Xiao’s team.
But, he didn’t care about the lives of a bunch of Stardragon agents. Even if they were killed, the Hesla top-level officers would not look into it. Someone from Hesla would naturally block the protests from Division 13.
Furthermore, Han Xiao had already provided the information about the inner base. Colonel Carl did not give a hoot whether or not Han Xiao could prove his story. He could verify this information himself after he took down the base.
“My men are still stationed near the base. Your rash attack will put them in great danger!” Qi Bai Jia was clearly enraged.
“Such a great opportunity may pass at any moment. We cannot risk a delay because of one or two agents. Since they are agents themselves, I am sure they can understand the bigger picture,” Carl replied calmly.
“Objection!”
Qi Bai Jia’s face was filled with anger.
“It’s not your place to disagree.” Carl pressed on an electric bell to summon a section of troopers; they pointed their rifles at Qi Bai Jia. “Send our ‘friends’ from Stardragon to the vehicles. We will move out together later. I do not want them to communicate with anyone else as that may leak our plan, so remove all of their communication devices.”
Carl emphasized the word ‘friends’ to stress his point.
Qi Bai Jia was so furious that his body started shaking vigorously.
“Sigh. How did things come to this stage?” Ye Fan was bereft of words. Han Xiao had suggested a conservative method, while Carl was more radical. Neither was wrong, but Carl was the commanding officer, and Han Xiao was only a subordinate. Furthermore, they were not from Hesla.
Winna watched coldly from the side.
….
After the connection was cut off, Han Xiao’s face blackened.
He had a hunch; Carl was a radical commanding officer, so he would most likely attack in advance.
This guy is eager for a quick success. Han Xiao was clearly irked. It seemed like he had to complete the mission by himself since time was running out.
However, he only knew about the existence of inner base but not the enemy’s evacuation route and time. He needed to infiltrate again to gather more information.
This time, Han Xiao did not plan to accomplish it himself. To achieve his plan, infiltrating alone was not the optimal option.
The best option for a partner was actually Lin Yao, a hacker that could be planted inside the base. Like a computer virus, he could cut the enemy’s communication network at the critical junctures, rendering them blind and deaf.
Therefore, he had to make two facial masks based on the two captives. There were molds and make-up tools in the truck storage. Thus, he could craft the masks in an hour or so.
Han Xiao forced his mind to focus and used his remaining energy to drag the two captives toward their secret base. He reached it in the afternoon, and his teammates came out to welcome him.
“Are you alright?” Lin Yao quickly came forward to support the exhausted Han Xiao.
Han Xiao shook his head and said, “There is not much time left. We need to make two facial masks based on the captives. Lin Yao and Lambert will use their identity cards to infiltrate the inner base. I will explain the details later.”
“Brother Xiao…Brother Xiao, I have no experience in spying. Can you give the job to another person? ” Lin Yao’s face turned pale due to the overwhelming fear.
“You are our only hacker, so it has got to be you.”
Lin Yao looked petrified.
“I will take the other slot.” Li Ya Lin volunteered herself.
Han Xiao peeked at her and shook his head without any hesitation.
“What are you trying imply? Are you looking down on me?” Li Ya Lin was infuriated.
“These things are too big, making them hard to conceal.” Han Xiao pointed at her breasts.
Li Ya Lin was speechless.
Lin Yao anxiously grabbed onto Han Xiao’s sleeve and said in a hopeful voice, “Brother Xiao, are you going in with me then?”
“Nah. I won’t. This mission is too dange… cough… too simple for me. It is not challenging enough for me!”
You definitely said something fishy there! Lin Yao and Li Ya Lin were screaming in their hearts.
“I shall do it then,” Zhang Wei said.
Han Xiao shook his head again. “No, you can’t. No one else can operate the armored suit. And, you are the team leader.”
” Oh , so you still know that I’m the team leader?” Zhang Wei gave a bitter smile. Ever since the appearance of Han Xiao, he had become a mere figurehead.
There was only one possible candidate left.
“It has been decided that it will be you!” Han Xiao pointed at Lambert.
“…” Lambert.
“Oh my god. I am definitely going to die.” Lin Yao was exasperated.
Lambert slapped the back of Lin Yao’s head with an expressionless look as he was unhappy with Lin Yao’s attitude at the decision; he made it seem so much worse than choosing Han Xiao.
…
One of the team members drove the truck closer toward Dark Crow Valley so that they didn’t need to walk so far, while the rest were busy putting on make-up to disguise the two unlucky souls. They parked the truck right outside the alert zone.
After more than an hour, Lambert and Lin Yao’s disguises were completed. They looked exactly like the two captives. After putting on micro-earphones, they held the access cards and entered the Dark Crow Valley base from the side gate.
“Brother Xiao, how concrete is this plan?” Lin Yao asked Han Xiao softly.
“If you dream of its success with sincerity, you will make it.”
Lin Yao felt a clot of blood stuck in his throat as he was made speechless by that answer. He turned to Lambert for more assurance.
“Are you not afraid?” Lin Yao asked Lambert in a quiet voice.
“To accomplish the mission, we must try even if there was only a slight possibility of success,” Lambert said calmly.
“Well said. You seem to be very dedicated to the mission.”
“…” Lambert.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the gate. Lin Yao was so nervous that his jaw was trembling.
“Will we get exposed?”
“The more nervous you appear, the easier it will be for you to be exposed.” Lambert patted Lin Yao’s shoulder and reassured him.
Lin Yao took out his access card after he had gathered his senses.
The security guards checked the access cards, and shortly after, they opened the gate for them.
They then walked to the storage room under Han Xiao’s instruction. They found the access card reader and successfully opened the secret door using the two captives’ access cards. A metal pathway appeared before them.
The pathway was long; it took them ten minutes to reach the inner base.
The defenses were much tighter in the inner base, and many computer screens were seen hung on the walls. The enemy personnel were busy moving supplies and data.
Lambert and Lin Yao looked each other in the eye.
Now, they were really deep inside the enemy’s base!
All of a sudden, a screeching alarm was heard in the base, and the lights turned red.
Lin Yao was scared to death as he thought that they had been discovered. Lambert frowned slightly and held onto Lin Yao.
“Calm down. The alarm was not triggered by us,” he said softly.
The personnel in the base were whispering to one another.
“What is happening?”
“Is the enemy invading us?”
Ji Jie walked out calmly and updated everyone, “Be quiet. Hesla’s border troops are advancing toward the base. The military personnel in the outer base have already set up the necessary defenses. They will be able to hold our enemy back long enough for us to get ready to evacuate.
Lin Yao’s expression changed, and he whispered anxiously over the radio, “You guys must leave now!”
Chapter 81. A Bug Named Giggs |
As expected, Carl did not choose to wait; instead, he ordered the early deployment of his troops.
Zhang Wei violently slammed the tabled and screamed, “Damn it! It took Han Xiao so much effort to obtain the critical intelligence, but now this lot are going to leave us in the lurch!”
Such a scenario had been predicted by Han Xiao, and therefore, he looked rather calm. The rest were puzzled when they saw Han Xiao being so composed. Through the communication set, he ordered Lin Yao and Lambert, “You guys remain undercover. Always keep your safety at the front of your mind. We are going to retreat soon.”
“Copy that!”
There was an air of uneasiness around Zhang Wei and Li Ya. The truck was parked not far away from the Dark Crow Valley base, and once the base entered the battle mode, more enemy troopers would be deployed. The tracks of the truck would definitely be discovered quickly.
There was no time to waste.
“Li Ya Lin, you are in charge of driving the truck!”
Li Ya Lin was a pugilist, and she would not be able to launch attacks while they were driving anyway. Therefore, she did not disagree with Han Xiao’s decision.
Han Xiao and Zhang Wei stayed in the container, where they were able to carry out their strikes at the enemy.
Li Ya Lin stepped hard on the accelerator, making no effort to cover their tracks. The engine of the truck blared, and the tires started to spray the mud and soil from the ground. The truck moved forward loudly.
In a while, the sounds of approaching vehicles could be heard. The retreating party could feel the heavy beating of their hearts. Through the window, Han Xiao could see a large group of armored jeeps chasing behind their truck. The headlights of these jeeps could be seen flashing around the truck. There were more than ten jeeps around, and each had a heavy machine gun attached.
“We have been discovered.” Zhang Wei’s heart sank.
Han Xiao was not affected by the heavy rocking of the moving truck. He started preparing the weapons to be used for the impending battle.
“Drive fast, Ya Lin!” Zhang Wei yelled.
“I know!” Li Ya Lin replied, biting her lips. She was trying to change gear to speed up even more. The full power of the truck’s engine was unleashed, and it growled like an enraged beast. The anti-slip tires left deep marks in the moist ground. The uneven, hilly terrain and winding paths caused the truck’s body to spring away from its tires as a result of the shock absorbance effect created by the vehicle’s suspension. Even with the suspension working well, the truck rocked violently.
Han Xiao peeked out of the window in the container and saw the enemy’s jeeps closing in.
“Can’t you go faster?” Zhang Wei shouted.
“This is a truck, not a sports car!” Li Ya Lin was evidently irritated by Zhang Wei’s comments.
“The four buttons beside the gear lever can be used to activate the nitro boost,” Han Xiao said.
“You added nitro boost to the truck‽” Li Ya Lin was shocked yet excited to try it out.
“Do not activate the boost now. We are still travelling through dense vegetation, and you may destroy the truck with it. Use this to pick up more speed once we reach the plains!”
Da da da da…
The enemy troopers from the jeeps started firing their machine guns. Thick smoke emerged from the guns’ barrels. Countless enemy bullets were sprayed at them. However, the shots fired from further away were largely inaccurate. The firing encompassed a huge radius, and trees along the way were getting destroyed. Some bullets also managed to scrape the surface of the container, and sparks were created from friction.
Li Ya Lin glanced at the rear mirror, and the next moment, the rear mirror was destroyed by a bullet. She cursed in silence. The heavy truck was difficult to control; it rocked violently as she tried to evade the oncoming trees that were obstructing the path. She could feel the pain in her butt due to all the incessant vibrations of the vehicle. The contents of the truck were flying all around, and Han Xiao had to use locks to fasten the weapons and machinery in place.
The two prisoners were sitting at the corner of the container, trembling profusely.
The Sun was setting, and it looked as if the skies had been stained red with blood.
Dozens of armored jeeps were engaged in the intense pursuit of the fleeing truck. The enemy troopers were fast approaching, and bullets were fired everywhere; gunshots could be heard all over the forest. The blares of the engines sounded like the roars of a wild dragon. The Wanderers who were at Crow Forest Town could hear the sounds of battle and started to search for the source of the faint sounds.
Closer and closer… closer and closer!
Suddenly, a truck emerged from the forest and entered Crow Forest Town like an uncontrollable rhinoceros. It crashed into a building, which instantly crumbled under the huge impact. The shape of the crash barrier at the head of the truck became warped.
The truck sped past the streets.
The Wanderers on the streets were shocked and quickly searched for shelters to hide. Only after confirming that the truck had driven past did they come out of hiding. Many of them were confused and astonished. Before they could even calm down, the armored jeeps entered the town, driving recklessly. Many buildings were destroyed, and it was a complete mess.
