Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 120 Night Attack
The night in Linhai City was still deep.

Several patrol cars bearing the gleaming emblem drove slowly down the filthy streets, their searchlights appearing listless.

"It's been three days, and we haven't found a single ghost. Has the captain gone mad?" a mercenary complained in a low voice.

His companion, sitting opposite him, was absentmindedly wiping his rifle.

Upon hearing this, he looked up, first confirming that the surveillance equipment inside the car was turned off, before a hint of sarcasm appeared on his face:
"Crazy? I think he's been driven to desperation. Who is that woman Grey Goose? If she really wants to hide, let alone three days, even three months, we won't be able to find a single hair on her head."

"Yes."

Another mercenary couldn't help but interject, "I heard that Grey Goose was already taken away by Huppenson. We're just wandering around here, putting on a show for Sauron."

"Keep your voice down."

The other man glanced around warily. "If the captain hears this, you'll be in big trouble."

The complaints gradually subsided, and the carriage fell silent once more.

……

Inside the temporary base, Qiu Shan stood in front of the light screen, his back slightly hunched.

A holographic image of Director Soren floated in front of him, his face hidden behind smoke, his expression obscured.

"director……"

Qiu Shan's voice was hoarse: "We searched all possible hiding places outside the city three times, and we also searched some wastelands inside the city... but we still didn't find any trace of the Grey Geese."

“I don’t want to hear about the process, I want the result,” Soren interrupted him, the cigar between his fingers flashing.

"Director, the most likely explanation is that Grey Goose was rescued by that old dog, Harpenson," Qiu Shan said with a hint of resentment.

"Well, then tell me, how are you going to handle tomorrow's trial? Are you going to pronounce the sentence in front of an empty chair? Make me a laughingstock in front of everyone?"

Soren's voice was devoid of emotion, yet it sent a chill down Qiu Shan's spine, draining the last trace of color from his face.

Backed by Edward, Harpenson, and possibly even the Nuclear Group... these forces are deeply entrenched, and he simply cannot defeat them.

If Soren's faction loses power, his fate will be terrible. Not only will he lose his position as captain, but he may even be purged.

A wave of despondency washed over him. Perhaps he should really give up and sneak out of the city tonight, heading to the south.

Just as Qiu Shan was feeling disheartened, his communicator rang, displaying an encrypted number with the identifier "Nuclear".

Qiu Shan paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at the light screen.

Soren frowned slightly. "Receive it."

Then, a familiar-looking man appeared on the screen. Qiu Shan recognized him as Wu Ji, the person in charge of Nuclear in Linhai City.

"Captain Qiu Shan?" The other person's voice carried an imposing aura that could not be underestimated.

Qiu Shan quickly adjusted his posture and forced a smile: "It's me... Manager Wu, good evening."

"I heard that things have been quite lively inside Sharp Edge lately?"

Qiu Shan felt a chill run down his spine, wondering what the other party was up to. "This matter is a bit complicated."

Wu Ji chuckled, his tone playful: "I'm quite interested in the power shifts within your organization. I wonder if Captain Qiu Shan would have time to come over and explain it to me properly?"

Qiu Shan was stunned. What was going on here?
Soren nodded slightly to him, and Qiu Shan immediately understood, nodding back quickly: "Of course I have time! It is my honor to be summoned by you! I will go right away!"

"Very good, welcome."

Qiu Shan responded and immediately cut off the communication.

He stood there, the respect on his face quickly fading, replaced by confusion and wariness.

Some time ago, the nuclear blockade of the headquarters of the Edge of the Blade caused a great uproar and a major conflict with the Flintlock Guild, and the relationship between the two sides has long been at a freezing point.

I thought the nuclear issue had finally subsided, but I didn't expect it to come back so quickly, and even specifically asking about internal struggles?
Soren saw through Qiu Shan's thoughts and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "What, are you afraid this is a trap?"

"Director, I find this strange."

Qiu Shan frowned: "Is Wuji contacting us at this critical juncture to try and win us over, or is there something else going on?"

"It's all possible."

The smoke obscured Soren's face. "But don't forget, Wuji has only recently taken power, his authority is unstable, and he has few capable subordinates."

“What he needs most right now are allies, forces that can establish a foothold in Linhai City, and we… happen to be one of the options in his eyes.”

Qiu Shan seemed to understand: "I see."

Soren chuckled: "The power struggles within the nuclear reactor are far more dramatic than ours. Edward values ​​the Grey Goose, but the Black Chicken might not. The Black Chicken may very well want to use us to eliminate the Grey Goose, this potential threat."

Qiu Shan's eyes flickered slightly, realizing that Soren's analysis made sense. "Director, so what you mean is..."

"Go see him, find out his background. If he's willing to cooperate, then tomorrow's trial..."

A ruthless glint flashed in Soren's eyes. "Perhaps it's not just a simple trial."

Qiu Shan understood the unspoken meaning: "You mean to take this opportunity to make a move against Harbenson's faction..."

"Yes."

Soren's voice was resolute: "Now that we have the support of nuclear forces, we have enough confidence to wipe out all the opponents in one fell swoop."

“But it’s the board of directors.”

Qiu Shan was still somewhat hesitant: "Those two neutral board members might not agree. A forced purge could lead to a mutiny or even a split."

"Mutiny? Split?"

Soren scoffed, "Then kill! Kill anyone who objects! Kill them all until they all agree!"

He stared coldly at Qiu Shan, "As long as we firmly control the 'Sharp Edge' brand, even if we lose half our strength, we can quickly recover! Those opportunists will eventually come to us."

Qiu Shan fell silent, forced to admit that Soren's plan was insane, yet it also hit the nail on the head.

But he still seized on another key hidden danger: "Director, in this way, Fengmang is tantamount to letting wolves into the house. I don't believe that Nuclear and the others don't have ulterior motives."

"Inviting a wolf into the house?"

Soren shook his head: "Nuclear and Morisaka are too busy fighting to care about our little troubles. They just want to install a compliant proxy."

"Let's get through this difficult time first, and get things sorted out internally. Then we can promise Nuclear three board seats."

Are three board seats enough? Qiu Shan had serious doubts, but there was no better option at the moment.

Qiu Shan bowed slightly: "Director is wise. I will go see Manager Wuji immediately."

"No, I'll go with you."

Soren extinguished his cigar and stood up. "This will show our sincerity and persuade him."

Qiu Shan nodded slightly. Director Soren was meticulous, and his presence certainly added to the company's influence.

Without delay, the group boarded a black hovercar and flew to the Nuclear Group's temporary camp.

The camp was heavily guarded, with towering alloy walls covered with sensors and automatic machine gun turrets, and armored soldiers guarding the entrance.

After undergoing rigorous testing, the airborne vehicle landed on the designated helipad.

A nuclear officer was already waiting there, his face expressionless, as he led Qiu Shan and Soren across the training field.

Wuji didn't have many troops under his command, but Qiu Shan glanced over and found at least a hundred armored soldiers, exuding a murderous aura, far superior to the undisciplined mercenaries of Fengmang.

Qiu Shan secretly observed his surroundings, feeling slightly uneasy. If Wu Ji had any ill intentions, they would have no chance of escaping.

Soren, however, remained calm and watched the soldiers train with great interest, occasionally offering a few comments.

The officer led the two men to a stand-alone office building and gestured for them to wait.

A moment later, Wuji's adjutant came out with a formulaic apology on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Director Wu is currently communicating with the Minister, and it will probably take some time. Please wait in the conference room next door."

“It’s alright, we have time.” Soren nodded, appearing very patient.

The adjutant led the two men into a conference room.

The meeting room was clean and bright, simply furnished, with a water dispenser and several clean cups on the table.

"Please make yourselves at home," the adjutant said, turning and leaving, gently closing the door behind him.

After Qiu Shan sat down, he subconsciously glanced at the communication panel on his wrist and found that there was no signal.

“Strange…” he frowned.

"Isn't it normal for a military camp to have an electromagnetic barrier?" Soren picked up a glass of water, blew on the steam, and seemed unconcerned.

"Wait patiently and see what this Manager Wu is up to."

……

Inside the safe house, Chu Ningyan, Ke Er, Mao Shanwang, and twenty-four fully equipped armored soldiers left first.

Only Zhuang Fan and Pi Pi remained in the room.

Zhuang Fan sat in front of the terminal, wearing a brainwave controller covered with cables on his head.

This is a relatively outdated human-machine interface solution with low transmission efficiency, high latency, and the potential to damage the operator's brain.

True mechanical soldiers are implanted inside the skull to achieve a more efficient human-machine integration.

Pipi stood beside him, observing his condition.

"How do you feel?"

"Yes, everything is normal so far."

On the light screen in front of Zhuang Fan, a hundred green dots were neatly arranged, displaying the operation of each mechanical dog in real time.

Pipi stood behind him, holding a data tablet, monitoring his brainwaves closely.

Chu Ningyan's repeated instructions before her departure still echoed in her ears:

"If he becomes abnormal, immediately disconnect him without hesitation. Regardless of whether the operation goes smoothly or not, force disconnect after twenty minutes. Pipi, do you understand?"

"Yes, got it!"

Meanwhile, the Jetta team had already taken action in advance, transporting one hundred robotic dogs to the underground pipe networks or hidden corners of various hideouts, ready to be awakened at any time.

Zhuang Fan closed his eyes and probed his consciousness into the brainwave controller.

Connection successful, synchronization rate 92%

[Package 1-100 are in normal condition and on standby]

In an instant, Zhuang Fan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, as if he had been forcibly torn into a hundred pieces.

Countless chaotic visual, auditory, and sensor signals flooded in, as if trying to overwhelm his consciousness.

But he quickly adapted to this situation.

It turns out that this is not multitasking, but rather switching between scenes at high speed among a hundred mechanical dogs.

Each robotic dog has its own logic for movement, and it can move stealthily or avoid obstacles.

He is only needed to intervene at critical moments to make accurate judgments.

One hundred perspectives, one hundred battlefield environments, and one hundred unexpected situations to handle at any time—this puts a great strain on his mental capacity and reaction speed.

"Can you adapt?" Chu Ningyan's voice came through the encrypted channel.

"completely fine."

Instead of backing down, Zhuang Fan added fuel to the fire: "Connect the remaining thirty drones and those steel spiders as well, and the attack will be much smoother."

Chu Ningyan was silent for a moment: "...Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I have to ensure the diversity of our attacks. If it's just mechanical dogs, it will be difficult to break through."

"Ok."

Soon, dozens more dots representing drones and steel spiders appeared on the light screen.

"Holy crap, this guy... he's not human."

Mao Shanwang muttered under his breath, "Nobody can control so many things at the same time."

"Attention, news has come from Wuji that Qiushan and Soren are already at the nuclear camp."

Chu Ningyan's voice came again, confirming the final intelligence: "The enemy's strongholds are now scattered and their defenses are weak, making it the best time to attack."

"Okay, leave it to me."

After confirming that all units were ready, a cold glint flashed in Zhuang Fan's eyes.

"The action begins."

At this moment, somewhere in Fengmang's hideout.

Several mercenaries who were on guard duty on the perimeter were sitting around a table playing cards, with several bottles of cheap liquor on the corner of the table.

A sniper leaned against a sandbag bunker, spitting as he boasted about his past "achievements," a half-empty bottle of whiskey dangling from his hand.

In the shadows behind him, the ventilation duct grilles were silently removed, and a flat, steel spider quietly crawled out.

The eight slender mechanical legs made no sound.

The sniper was still gesturing, "Marksmanship is the most important thing, understand? Then it's angle, wind speed..." A metal claw suddenly slashed across the back of his neck.

"Pfft-"

The sound stopped suddenly.

The sniper's head rolled to the ground, the neck cut clean, and his eyes still wide open.

Almost simultaneously, the ratman hiding on the roof, carrying a launcher on his shoulder, fired a "defense nemesis" that hit the concrete wall of his hideout.

"boom!"

There was no violent explosion; the wall seemed to be corroded by an invisible force, instantly collapsing into a large hole with a diameter of two meters, and rubble fell down in a flurry.

"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh—"

Smoke grenades followed closely behind, and thick white smoke quickly filled the air, engulfing all light and vision.

"Enemy attack!"

"Cough cough...Where is he?!"

In the chaos, dozens of mechanical dogs swarmed in, crouching low and moving swiftly, aiming at the panicked figures.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

The miniature machine guns on the bellies of the mechanical dogs spewed fire, while some of the mechanical dogs directly launched bombs, turning this small hideout into a battlefield.

"Boom—!"

Several drones also flew in through the breach, hovering in the smoke and dropping small fragmentation grenades, further creating chaos.

A mercenary had just slashed down a mechanical dog and hadn't even had time to catch his breath when he was pounced on by three other mechanical dogs, their mechanical fangs tearing open his throat.

"Hold on, everyone! The enemy numbers aren't high!"

A mercenary threw a grenade, but it was caught by a mechanical dog, which then attacked and killed the other man.

"boom--!"

In the corner, an automatic machine gun turret began to rotate, attempting to lock onto a target.

"Buzz—Boom!"

A mechanical dog pounced without hesitation, detonating the thermobaric grenade in its abdomen.

The flames engulfed everything, and the machine gun turret, along with several mercenaries around it, was instantly reduced to charred remains.

"The enemy is in the ventilation shaft!"

"Wait a minute, how come there are enemies in the sewage ditch too!"

A mercenary, hiding behind metal bunkers, yelled into his communicator, "Requesting backup! Enemy numbers unknown, lots of mechanical dogs, their firepower is overwhelming!"

At the same time, the other six marked hilltop hideouts also suffered devastating blows.

"...Under heavy attack! The enemy is carrying a large number of bombs!"

"...The machine gun turret has been destroyed! Repeat, the machine gun turret has been destroyed! We need..."

"...Signal jammed! We can't hear you! Sizzle...sizzle..."

SOS alerts and chaotic shouts were transmitted intermittently back to base camp via backup lines.

In the command room of the Qiushan base camp.

The deputy on duty turned pale as he listened to the screams coming from the communication channel.

On the holographic map in front of him, one of the green signal lights representing the various hideouts had gone out, while the others were all glaringly red.

The number of enemies is unknown, they have numerous attack points, and their firepower is fierce... This is clearly about to cause a big incident!

He couldn't get in touch with Qiu Shan no matter what he tried, and there was no news of his other deputies. Even Director Soren had disappeared.

"Damn it! Of all times!"

The deputy paced anxiously, his uniform soaked with sweat, before finally gritting his teeth and making a decision.

"Give me the order!"

He roared into the communicator, "All elite squads, move out immediately! Reinforce all attack points! Other squads, stand by, remain vigilant!"

……

The meeting room at the nuclear group's temporary camp.

Qiu Shan and Soren had been waiting for almost half an hour, and their two cups of cheap coffee had long since gone cold.

Qiu Shan picked up his water glass and took another sip. The water was warm, but it couldn't ease his inner anxiety.

Soren leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest, seemingly indifferent to everything around him. In reality, he was craving a cigarette but dared not smoke here.

Finally, the meeting room door was pushed open.

The black-boned chicken's adjutant walked in, his face bearing just the right amount of apology.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The supervisor has just finished a call. Please come with me."

Qiu Shan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and then the two followed the adjutant through a corridor to Wu Ji's office.

The black chicken stood in front of the holographic map, and after hearing the noise, it slowly turned around with a smile on its face.

"Director Soren, Captain Qiushan, welcome! Please forgive any neglect we may have shown."

Soren said gently, "Manager Wu, you're too kind. We hope our visit won't be a bother to you."

"Come on, take a seat first."

After some polite greetings, the three of them sat down.

However, instead of getting straight to the point, Wuji chatted with great interest about the local customs and culture of Linhai City, as if old friends were reminiscing.

"...Speaking of which, Linhai City has great potential, but its previous management was too chaotic."

Wuji picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "The former Crow manager acted too... radically, which angered both heaven and the people. No wonder the citizens are complaining."

Soren responded with a smile: "I heard that the manager has just taken over the affairs of Linhai City. I imagine you must be very busy. If there is anything we can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Director Soren is too kind."

Wu Ji quickly waved his hand: "To be honest, the affairs of Linhai City are indeed complicated. I have just taken over and I am not familiar with many things yet. Dealing with some historical issues is really a headache."

Then he changed the subject and started talking about his "grand blueprint" for the future development of Linhai City, from port expansion to new district planning, from energy structure adjustment to public security reform, as if he were the master of the city.

Qiu Shan glanced at Soren suspiciously; this black chicken was really good at keeping people in suspense.

The black-boned chicken seemed oblivious and continued its rambling:

"...Especially the border zone policy, I think it's too conservative, restricting too many potential workers. That Administrator Fein, I think, is also a conservative and lacks courage."

Soren maintained a smile throughout, occasionally nodding in agreement, listening with great interest.

"Manager Wu's insights are unique, and he has indeed pointed out the shortcomings in the management of Linhai City."

"Not at all, just my humble opinion."

The two sides exchanged words, their conversation full of probing, yet each hinted at something but then stopped short, neither willing to reveal their hand first.

The meeting room appeared harmonious, but undercurrents were swirling beneath the surface.

……

"You said the signal was blocked? The other side activated a silence field? Damn! No wonder I couldn't get in touch with the captain!"

The deputy roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

Now the main base is also falling. The enemy's bombs are like a bottomless pit, and the explosions outside are incessant and never stop.

"Boom—!" Another loud noise rang out, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.

A mercenary covered in blood stumbled in, shouting, "We can't hold them off! The gate's been blown up!"

The once-proud alloy gate, along with the thick walls on either side, was blown away by a series of directional explosions, billowing thick smoke.

More than twenty black armored vehicles rushed in, some carrying rotary machine guns and others carrying launchers on their shoulders, tearing the fortifications inside the stronghold to shreds.

“Da da da da—!”

The bulletproof glass of the command room was covered with countless white dots.

"Where did all these armored soldiers come from?!"

The deputy felt a chill run down his spine and could only hope that the reinforcements he had sent out would notice something was wrong and hurry back.

There are fewer than twenty armored vehicles in the main camp.

In this chaotic battle, ordinary soldiers who are not wearing powered armor are basically destined to be cannon fodder.

Both sides' armored forces are engaged in combat.

"Hold on tight!"

The second-in-command, his eyes blazing with fury, grabbed the grenade launcher and fired at the steel monsters.

But ordinary explosions are like a tickle to armored soldiers.

The deputy, as if struck by a sudden thought, pulled the quartermaster aside: "How many Armor Buster weapons are left in stock?"

"Report, there are three left."

"Throw them all out! Make sure they're blown to bits!"

But Cole had the same idea, and he threw out even more armor-destroying bombs—a total of eight.

Immediately, a buzzing sound filled the arena.

The deputy discovered that more than a dozen of their armored vehicles had fallen, while the enemy remained unscathed.

"What's going on?!"

The deputy grabbed the quartermaster by the collar: "You're carrying counterfeit goods?!"

The quartermaster was stunned for a moment, then said dejectedly, "No, it's because they installed a nano-lining. I tried to dissuade them for a long time, but the captain said it was a waste of money..."

Upon hearing this, the deputy felt dizzy and saw stars.

There are no second chances on the battlefield.

No matter how desperately the mercenaries who stayed behind fought, they were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in front of the steel behemoth.

Cole didn't give the enemy a chance to put on power armor, charging forward fearlessly and launching a crushing attack.

"boom--!"

Any resistance would be met with an immediate onslaught from this armored squad, resulting in the crushing of both the person and their cover.

"Contract our defenses and hold out until reinforcements arrive!"

The deputy decisively ordered that they should not engage the enemy head-on. At this point, only eight of their own armored soldiers remained, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not stop the enemy.

He drew his pistol, loaded it, and prepared for a final, desperate struggle.

……

Inside the safe house.

All the signal lights on the light screen went out.

The surviving mechanical dogs also activated their self-destruct mode, turning into a pile of burning parts.

Pipi had already wiped Zhuang Fan's nosebleed several times, and she kept a close eye on the timer.

"Phew, it's finally time." She immediately cut all the cables of the brainwave controller.

In an instant, Zhuang Fan's consciousness returned to his body. He leaned back in his chair, his face somewhat pale.

It took him a while to calm down and suppress the discomfort. Pipi carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I... can hold on for a few more minutes. Headquarters needs manpower right now."

"Your mission is complete. Now you can rest well."

Zhuang Fan shook his head: "Soren also has a combat commander who oversees five teams. If they get wind of this, then..."

"I said, no way!"

Pipi's attitude was serious. "The team leader repeatedly warned me not to let you do anything reckless! She said that you can leave the rest to them."

She paused, mimicking Chu Ningyan's tone:

"The team leader also said... if you damage your head, she'll be heartbroken."

"..."

Looking at her lifelike expression, Zhuang Fan knew that the last sentence was definitely made up on the spot, but he still felt a warmth in his heart.

"Dr. Pipi, I understand."

"Yes, be good."

(End of this chapter)