The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 745 Take Action Now!!!

In a makeshift interrogation room at Kang Laoda's headquarters.

He Qiu, Liu Xiaotao, and Zhang Jincheng were interrogating Lang Laoda's chief of staff, Li Wencai, and finally obtained from him the information that Lang Laoda's threatening methods included planning a biological attack.

"The person in charge at the factory asked how to deal with these highly toxic substances."

Boss Lang said that such a good thing should not be wasted, and that it would be of great use to him once the village was established.

"At first I didn't understand what he meant either, but then I learned that Boss Lang left these things to threaten you..." Li Wencai said, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.

"Do you know where these toxic wastes are hidden?" He Qiu, who was listening in, couldn't help but ask anxiously.

"They were all hidden in a large cave, through which an underground river flows."

After the river water flows out of the cave, it merges into another river, and the downstream of this river is 'over there'.

A bomb was planted when the metal drums were placed; if the bomb were detonated, the waste would flow directly into the river, eventually ending up in…

"Where exactly is this cave located?" Zhang Jin asked hurriedly.

"Located in the mountains north of the old town, in territory controlled by the Allied Northern Army."

Boss Lang said that if any toxic substances were hidden here, he could absolve himself of responsibility should anything happen.

"Damn it, this old bastard is not only ruthless, but also cunning. He even considered the aftermath," Zhang Jincheng couldn't help but curse.

He Qiu frowned and said softly, "This accident was bound to happen sooner or later. The iron barrel hidden in the cave will eventually be destroyed by corrosion, and the toxic waste will leak out and pollute the river."

We must get there immediately and take control of that cave.

Liu Xiaotao immediately stood up and strode towards the battle map on the wall, pointing precisely to the mountainous area north of the old town. "According to Li Wencai's description, the cave should be in this area." He circled a mountain range covered with dense forest. "The terrain here is complex, and the cave entrance may be hidden by vegetation. We are not familiar with the terrain and need a guide."

"Is there anyone guarding that cave?" Zhang Jincheng asked Li Wencai again.

At this point, Li Wencai also cooperated and said, "Yes, actually this cave is less than ten kilometers away from Boss Lang's factory. There is a well-equipped guard company responsible for guarding the factory and the cave."

"We'll give you a chance. If you lead us to that cave and safely dispose of the toxic waste, we'll release you and give you a large sum of money. You can go wherever you want and live a normal life. How about that?"
"Otherwise, you will die in the earthen cave alongside those who were murdered. You have two paths to choose from," He Qiu said very seriously.

Upon hearing this, Li Wencai showed a look of surprise and disbelief, and asked, "Sir, is this really true?"

“Our people always speak with conviction and never lie, and I believe you know that,” He Qiu said seriously.

"You really are soldiers from over there. I suspected from the beginning that you were special forces from over there."

"It's alright if it falls into your hands, I promise you." Li Wencai suddenly realized.

Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao exchanged a glance and said at the same time, "Great, Chief of Staff, let's set off immediately."

He Qiu nodded, then turned to Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao and said, "There's no time to lose, let's move out immediately. Xiao Zhang, you take your men and prepare the equipment. We'll set off in five minutes."

Li Wencai's legs were still a little weak when he was escorted out of the interrogation room by two commandos.

He glanced at the commandos who were organizing their equipment and noticed that they were skillfully checking the gas masks and testing instruments.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind—these people clearly also had extensive experience in dealing with biological threats.

When He Qiu and the others came out of the interrogation room, they found Boss Kang waiting outside.

Kang Laoda stepped forward and asked with concern, "How did it go? Did you get anything out of them?"

"We've basically figured it out. Boss Lang hid those toxic wastes in a karst cave with an underground river running through it in the mountainous area north of the old city. We have to go and deal with it." He Qiu nodded to him.

“Alright, I’ll order the troops to halt the attack immediately. Once you’ve eliminated this threat, we can launch the final assault,” Boss Kang said cooperatively.

No one expected Kang Laoda to make such a decision, because stopping the attack would give the enemy time to breathe, allowing them to redeploy their defenses and drastically change the battlefield situation.

Kang Laoda has devoted his life to the recapture of the old city, and victory is within reach. To stop at this point requires a great deal of determination.

He Qiu grasped Kang Laoda's hand and said "Thank you... thank you..." several times.

Kang Laoda waved his hand and said very sincerely, "I have to do this. Because if my recapture of the old city leads to the suffering of your old Baisheng, I would rather give it up."

Mr. He, please don't hesitate to ask if you need any further assistance. We have manpower and guns if you need them.

He Qiu said gratefully, "If we need any help, we will definitely ask you. But for the current situation, our commando team is enough. I believe our lads will definitely be able to complete the mission successfully."

In case of any issues, we will communicate by radio.

Kang Laoda patted He Qiu on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll arrange for the communications team to provide you with the latest encrypted wireless equipment right away."

In addition, I will send a company of soldiers to try and get close enough to provide support, just in case.

Once everything was ready, the commando team took Li Wencai and set off in two off-road vehicles.

They also brought Bale along this time.

Because this mission involved dealing with toxic waste, unlike previous battles, Zhang Jin said he didn't bring Agui and Yankan along, and the two of them had strong objections to this.

After the "Warrior" off-road vehicle drove out of the camp, He Qiu immediately contacted Liu Wu at the command post using the vehicle's radio and gave him a detailed report on the current situation.

At the same time, a request was made to the command center to prepare several sets of chemical protective suits and testing instruments as quickly as possible and send them to the border inspection station bordering the eastern part of the old city.

Boss Kang only had gas masks here, and no professional biological and chemical protection equipment at all. The commando team hadn't prepared any of these when they arrived either.

The commando team was heading to a location north of the Old Town, so they needed to detour from the eastern part of the Old Town, which would take them across the border, allowing them to carry professional chemical protection equipment.

Zhang Jincheng studies the "Jin San area" every day and now knows the terrain there like the back of his hand.

The off-road vehicle sped along the dirt road in the mountains as fast as possible. Most of the road surface was paved with gravel, which had become potholed and uneven under the long-term pressure of vehicles. In some places, the rocks underneath were exposed. You can imagine how bumpy it was to drive fast on such a road.

The off-road vehicle bounced violently on the rugged mountain road, and the assault team members inside gripped the handrails tightly, their expressions solemn.

Caught between two teammates, Li Wencai was deathly pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He struggled to suppress his nausea, his eyes darting unfocused out the window.

The two SUVs, one in front of the other, bobbed up and down like small boats sailing on giant waves. If you weren't wearing a seatbelt, you could hit your head on the roof of the car when it was bumping around.

The team members could endure it, but Li Wencai suffered the most because his arms were tied up, his body was constantly being tossed around, and his head would sometimes hit the roof of the vehicle, causing him to howl involuntarily.

"Brother, could you slow down a bit? If you keep driving like this, I'll be hit and killed before we even get there."

The team members secretly rejoiced, and no one spoke up, thinking that this was your own fault and a punishment for you.

Zhang Jin glanced at Li Wencai's disheveled appearance in the rearview mirror and said coldly, "Bear with it. This is much gentler than the poison in your iron barrels."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the SUV suddenly ran over a protruding rock, the entire vehicle jolting violently upwards. Li Wencai's head slammed heavily against the frame with a dull thud. "Ouch!" Li Wencai cried out in pain again.

Perhaps fearing that Li Wencai might actually cause damage and affect subsequent operations, Zhang Jin said to Li Ming and the other man, "Keep an eye on him, don't let him break anything."

Li Ming and the other man nodded, then each of them used one hand to grab Li Wencai and steady his swaying body.

Two hours later, the off-road vehicle finally arrived at the border checkpoint, where several sets of chemical protective suits had been prepared in boxes, along with a small, elegant box for storing a detector.

He Qiu ordered his team to check everything to ensure it was all in order, and then loaded it onto the vehicle and set off as soon as possible.

The first car was driven by Wang Tao, and in the car were He Qiu, Zhuang Yan, Li Ming, Balai who was in charge of guiding, and Li Wencai.

Lu Da was driving the second car, which carried Zhang Jincheng, Liu Xiaotao, Xiao Dong, and Ye Peng.

Amidst the flames of war, people have become indifferent to life and death; death has even become a part of their lives.

The sacrifice of their comrades will only inspire their fighting spirit and will not bring them too much sorrow.

After a brief stop at the border checkpoint, the convoy continued its journey into the northern mountains.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the rugged mountain road, gilding the vast mountains with a blood-red hue.

He Qiu looked out the window at the gradually darkening sky, his brows furrowed—they had to reach the cave entrance before nightfall.

After resuming their journey, Zhang Jin said, "Everyone, check your protective suits again." Then there was silence.

Liu Xiaotao sat in the passenger seat and glanced around curiously, only to find that Zhang Jincheng had already fallen asleep with his head tilted to the side.

Knowing he was exhausted, Zhang Jin had been scouting in Mangshan Village for nearly a hundred hours, and he said he would never rest for more than five hours a day, meaning he only slept for one hour each day.

Even steel frames and concrete would find it difficult to withstand.

Liu Xiaotao pointed to the sleeping Zhang Jincheng and whispered, "Try to move slowly and let him rest a little longer."

Ye Peng nodded, then got up and knelt on the back of the car seat, leaning his upper body on the backrest to open the box placed behind him, so that he wouldn't bump into Zhang Jincheng.

Every special forces soldier is very familiar with protective suits, and defense against biological and chemical attacks is also a subject in special forces training.

Ye Peng quickly finished inspecting the boxes. As soon as he turned around, he heard Zhang Jincheng say, "How is it?"

"No problem." Ye Peng looked at Zhang Jincheng curiously, wondering how he woke up so quickly.

Liu Xiaotao glanced back at Zhang Jincheng and saw that the fatigue on his face had vanished. This guy had only slept for less than half an hour and was already full of energy.

The convoy continued its journey along the winding mountain road, the sound of tires rolling over gravel echoing through the silent valley.

Three hours later, the SUV in front drove into the woods by the roadside and stopped.

Two off-road vehicles drove into the woods and hid. The team members got out of the vehicles, and He Qiu walked over to Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao and said to them, "According to Li Wencai, Boss Lang's 'flour' processing plant and the cave where toxic waste is hidden are both in the same valley."

We climbed over the mountain in front of us, and below was the valley.

By flanking from this position, we can bypass the factory and avoid engaging in firefights with the enemy soldiers guarding it.

"Okay, let's get moving!" Zhang Jin was about to get the hazmat suit when He Qiu called him back.

"Wait a minute, Comrade Zhang Jincheng, you will still be in command of this operation." He Qiu didn't say anything more. Everyone understood what he meant, because Zhang Jincheng was most familiar with the assault team members.

Each team member is like his limbs, so Zhang Jincheng is the most suitable person to command the operation.

“Alright!” Zhang Jincheng did not refuse. Now was not the time to be modest; completing the task was everyone’s common goal.

Zhang Jin opened the car door and, together with Ye Peng, took out the hazmat suits.

Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao dragged Li Wencai out of another car, and then everyone gathered together to wait for Zhang Jincheng to assign tasks.

Zhang Jin looked at his team members and said in a serious tone, "Everyone understands the importance of this operation. It concerns the lives and safety of our compatriots over there, and we must ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Monkey and Wang Tao, you two, as the spearhead team, are responsible for scouting and clearing the way ahead;
002, Xiao Jiang, Li Ming, and Balai, you will escort Li Wencai and follow behind the Sharp Knife Group. After you find the cave where the enemy is hiding the waste, your task will be to guard the outside of the cave.

If the guards at the factory spot us, you must stop the enemy's attack.

Everything outside the cave is under 002's command.

At this point, Zhang Jin looked at Liu Xiaotao, Lu Da, and Ye Peng and continued, "The remaining four of us will each wear a hazmat suit and be responsible for entering the cave to eliminate the threat. Does everyone understand?"

"Understood!" the commandos replied in unison, including He Qiu and Bale.

Zhang Jin glanced at his watch, waved his hand, and said, "Let's move out!"

Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao nodded and set off first, quickly disappearing into the woods, with He Qiu and the others following closely behind, escorting Li Wencai.

The remaining four, including Zhang Jin, each carried a box containing a biohazard suit, maintaining a distance of several dozen meters from the people in front.

A damp mist filled the mountain forest as the team members silently advanced into the valley, stepping on the soft humus.

The "Jin San area" can be described as a very beautiful place, with almost all the mountains covered by lush forests, and both the plants and animals are exceptionally diverse.

If it weren't for the "flour war" here, it would definitely be a tourist destination that everyone longs to visit.

At this moment, the team members, weaving through the woods, had no time to appreciate the scenery of the rainforest.

Everyone was highly focused, closely watching everything happening around them.

Zhang Jin said he would occasionally contact the team members ahead using a miniature communicator to get information about the situation.

It wasn't until nearly evening that the assault team crossed the mountain ridge and descended to the bottom of the valley.

The valley runs east to west, and there is indeed a river at the bottom of the valley, flowing directly into the territory "over there".

Most rivers in this area flow north-south, and those flowing east-west like this are extremely rare, which is probably due to the terrain.

After flowing into the territory "over there", such rivers eventually change to a north-south direction, merge into the Yangtze River, and flow through the Indochina Peninsula into the sea to the south.

The valley is wide and relatively flat. Because of the abundant water, the vegetation here is lush, making it an environment very conducive to concealment and surprise attacks.

Less than half an hour after reaching the bottom of the valley, Zhang Jincheng received good news from Zhuang Yan through his earpiece: "Calling 'Phoenix,' the Sharp Knife Team has located the target!"

"What's the situation outside the cave?" Zhang Jincheng asked immediately.

"The cave entrance is very large, and there are sentries outside. There is a guard tower a dozen meters away from the cave entrance, as well as a row of wooden houses."

(End of this chapter)