Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 121 Recruiting the Team
Qiu Shan's elite troops quickly arrived at their various hideouts, but Jetta's team had already vanished without a trace.

The team leaders weren't fools either; when they realized they couldn't contact headquarters, they vaguely sensed something was wrong.

A team leader immediately led his team back to base, saying, "The enemy might be using a diversionary tactic; we need to get back to camp quickly!"

Over the communications channel, another team leader suggested, "The enemy is coming on strong. Should we report to headquarters and have them send troops over?"

“I don’t think it’s appropriate… You don’t even know if the attackers this time are from headquarters.”

"Where's Captain Qiu Shan? Haven't we been able to contact him yet?"

"He and Director Soren have completely disappeared. At this crucial moment, it must be Harbenson's gang who are behind this!"

"Hey! Don't we have a newly promoted combat officer? Where is Solin?!"

"Supervisor Soren is still on a mission outside the city, and we can't get in touch with him."

One of the team leaders cursed, "Holy crap, how did they all manage to poop? Forget it! Let's hurry back and fix things!"

These elite teams pushed the hovercraft to its limits, and their return time was faster than Zhuang Fan's team had anticipated.

In the darkness, ten hovercars sped by, and Mao Shanwang, hiding in the wall, suddenly pricked up his ears.

"Here it comes, five minutes earlier than expected, but it's okay, these metal shells are quite brittle!"

A makeshift "aircraft artillery unit" of more than a dozen cat-men and rat-men lay in ambush on both sides of the road, carrying disposable rocket launchers on their shoulders.

"Wait until they get a little closer... then release!"

With a command from Mao Shanwang, more than a dozen dazzling trails of flame streaked across the night sky.

"Whoosh—Boom! Boom!"

A hail of rockets and armor-piercing shells rained down on the unsuspecting relief convoy.

The two airships at the forefront were hit, exploding into two huge fireballs, with fragments flying in all directions.

The hovercar following behind tried to evade, but had nowhere to hide in the narrow streets.

"boom--!"

Another salvo was fired, and the three hovercars, like birds with broken wings, plummeted out of control, belching black smoke, and crashing to the ground, triggering a series of explosions.

One of the hovercars was hit in the cockpit by Xiong Er's Gauss sniper rifle, and the pilot was decapitated on the spot.

Inside the crashed train car, some surviving ordinary soldiers crawled out of the wreckage, trying to find cover to fight back.

But what awaited them was a precise kill from the top of the tower.

"puff!"

Xiong Er calmly pulled the trigger, each bullet precisely piercing the head of a mercenary, ensuring no one was left alive.

Gunshots echoed in the night, like the whispers of death.

However, for mercenaries wearing power armor, the rockets could only leave some charred marks on their bodies, without causing fatal damage.

Eight powered armored vehicles rose from the burning wreckage, their rotary machine guns roaring as they unleashed a furious barrage of fire at the ambush site.

“Da da da da—!”

A barrage of bullets sent debris flying through the ruins, pinning down the "aircraft artillery units" so they couldn't even lift their heads.

"Damn it! Tin cans are hard!" Mao Shanwang cursed, and quickly hid behind a broken wall.

He was prepared for this, "Here comes the main course!"

With a strange cry, several cat-men sprang out of the shadows and threw pre-prepared disc-shaped objects at the armored soldiers.

"Om-!"

An eerie low-frequency sound wave spread out.

The eight armored soldiers froze abruptly, and the inner walls of the armor trembled violently.

Inside the cockpit, the mercenary screamed in agony as his body was shattered into a bloody pulp by the resonance.

"Boom...thud..."

Eight massive steel structures knelt on the ground, utterly lifeless.

"Beautiful!" Mao Shanwang waved his cat paw.

The slightly slower armored vehicles returned, but they couldn't stop the devastating combination of rockets and armor-destroying weapons.

The mercenaries' will to resist was far weaker than that of the soldiers, and they quickly surrendered.

This elite force was completely wiped out.

When Mao Shanwang returned with a group of men, he soon received an urgent reminder from Chu Ningyan:
[Attention everyone! Evacuate the area within twenty minutes. Security officials may be arriving!]

……

Inside the temporary camp of the Nuclear Corporation, the atmosphere remained tense in the meeting room.

"Speaking of which, I've heard a lot about the Sharp Edge Mercenary Group."

The black chicken's voice carried a hint of approval, "Especially in the areas of eliminating mutants and handling high-risk bounties, their achievements are remarkable and admirable."

"Manager Wu, you flatter me."

Soren put down his teacup and gave a polite smile. "Fengmang was just doing his duty. It is our honor to cooperate with Nuclear Group."

Wuji sighed softly: "I remember a few years ago, when the Nuclear Group was building an outpost in the outer city, they hired the Sharp Edge security team, and the cooperation between the two sides has always been very pleasant."

"Unfortunately, later, due to some extreme actions by the flintlock guild, our two families became somewhat estranged."

Wuji's words not only brought them closer and affirmed Fengmang's strength, but also attributed the previous conflict to a "misunderstanding," while conveniently using the guild as a shield.

The people of the nuclear world are all silver-tongued and shameless… Soren put down his teacup and smiled:
"Director Wu, you're exaggerating. It's just a minor friction; there's no need to take it to heart. Fengmang and the Nuclear Group have always had a good cooperative relationship, and we hope to strengthen our cooperation in the future."

Qiu Shan chimed in, "Yes, it's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up. We're all on the same side."

Wu Ji adjusted his posture, his gaze sweeping over Qiu Shan and Soren's faces, and slowly said, "I heard that something seems to have happened inside Feng Mang?"

Ah, finally getting to the point!

Qiu Shan's spirits lifted, and he was about to speak when Soren spoke first, his face filled with heartache and indignation.

"Manager Wu, to be honest, Fengmang is in a very bad situation right now. It has Xunlong, its mortal enemy, on the outside, and separatist factions that are disrupting the order on the inside..."

Soren spoke at an extremely fast pace, giving Wuji no chance to interrupt, and explained all the pros and cons in one breath.

"That's the general situation, Manager Wu. I wonder if you would be willing to help us get through this difficult time?"

"Yes, I finally understand."

Wuji nodded. "Please wait a moment, I need to take care of something..."

He ignored Soren and glanced down at the panel on his wrist. Almost an hour had passed, and he wondered how far Ms. Grey Goose's progress was.

The adjutant simultaneously sent a message:
[Sir, the security bureau has dispatched personnel. They couldn't withstand the pressure and need to go through some procedures.]

The black-boned chicken simply replied:
Go and inform Ms. Grey Goose, then intercept the pursuers. Ms. Grey Goose will thank us.

Yes, I'll arrange it right away.

After replying, Wuji showed a hint of apology on his face and stood up.

"I'm so sorry, you two. I just realized we've been chatting for so long, and now I'm getting hungry."

He stretched and rubbed his non-existent belly. "The camp here is rudimentary, there's nothing to offer. How about... we go outside and roast a chicken?"

Soren and Qiushan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.

Weren't we talking about serious business? Why are we suddenly roasting chicken?
"Manager Wu, I'll do as you please." Soren nodded politely, forcing a smile.

When the three arrived at an open area outside the camp, and saw the adjutant have someone bring over a makeshift grill and charcoal, Soren and Qiushan realized that Wuji really intended to... do it himself.

"I don't have many hobbies. I just like to bake something myself and enjoy the feeling of cooking."

Wu Ji rolled up his sleeves, picked up the fire tongs, and clumsily fiddled with the charcoal. "When I was an adjutant, I was so busy that I barely had time to breathe. It was rare to have this much leisure time."

As he spoke, he threw kindling into the charcoal pile, struck a match, and black smoke mixed with sparks rose up, choking him and causing him to cough repeatedly, his white cuffs also getting stained with black ash.

Qiu Shan and Soren stood aside, watching the nuclear supervisor fiddling with the grill with great interest, as if they were playing a childish game of make-believe.

Soren's expensive suit looked out of place in the smoky environment, and he instinctively took a half step back to avoid the drifting sparks.

Qiu Shan tried hard to maintain a smile, but his heart was filled with anxiety. With so many things still unresolved, he had no time to sit here with the roast chicken.

"Manager Wu, how about... we send one of your men?" Soren couldn't help but ask.

"no, I'm fine."

The black chicken waved its hand. "People should experience different kinds of fun while they're alive, don't you two agree?"

"That's right..."

Soren's tone was slightly somber as he suppressed his inner irritation.

The black-boned chicken, oblivious to everything, picked up a frozen chicken, placed it on the grill, and frantically brushed on the sauce.

Soren and his companion saw this but couldn't say anything, so they could only step forward to "help," only to end up just as flustered.

Soren's clothes were stained with a lot of oil, and Qiu Shan's cheeks were also covered with a streak of black ash.

Three high-ranking figures, usually shrewd and calculating, were now gathered around a smoky grill, creating a scene that was undeniably absurd.

……

Inside the headquarters command center, the flames of war were still raging, but the resistance was nearing its end.

The deputy stared at the one-sided massacre on the monitor screen, his face drained of all color.

The elite reinforcements... were completely annihilated before they even caught a glimpse of the enemy?
Where did the other side get so many explosives and missiles? They squander them like they don't care about the combat experience on our side.

He tried to contact Qiushan and Soren again, but the communicator remained silent.

The deputy slumped in his chair, his eyes vacant.

This was definitely a meticulously planned trap. First, a feigned attack drew away the main force, then an ambush was set to wipe out the returning reinforcements. I'm afraid even the captain and Director Soren...

Looking at the flames outside and hearing the dense gunfire and explosions in the distance, his eyes were numb.

It's really over this time.

The outer defenses have completely collapsed, and the mercenaries left behind have suffered heavy casualties. How long can our side hold out?

At this moment, the internal communication channel of the command room was forcibly accessed, and a cold female voice rang out.

"Are you still going to put up a stubborn resistance?"

The deputy regained some color in his face, his eyes filled with resentment: "Enough with the nonsense, if you've got the guts, then break in."

Chu Ningyan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner: "Qiu Shan and Soren are dead, and the reinforcements have been wiped out. If you surrender now, you can still save your lives."

The deputy still refused to believe it and sneered, "Don't try to fool me with these surrender tricks. You're just using a silence field to block the signal."

Chu Ningyan said softly, "Even the most advanced silent field can only last for less than twenty minutes. Can't you feel the change in your voice?"

Upon hearing this, the deputy suddenly realized something; all the surrounding noises were indeed not distorted or dull.

The silent field is truly gone.

He frantically tried to contact Qiu Shan, Soren, and the various elite squad leaders, but all to no avail. Even the city's security forces blocked his contact.

Was everything that woman said true?
"Sir, the enemy is bluffing. We have eight armored soldiers, which can hold them off for a while."

The quartermaster next to him had already raised his rifle, but his deputy had lost his will to fight and shook his head.

"Didn't you see there are more than twenty armored soldiers on the other side? Even if we can hold them off for a while, what's the point? We've already run out of reinforcements."

The battle between Soren and Habenson has been decided, and the tide has turned.

If he surrenders now, he might leave a good impression of being "pragmatic" in front of his new master; standing is always better than lying down.

The deputy took a deep breath, slowly picked up the communicator, and his voice carried a hint of dejection.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and cease resistance."

Once the order was given, the sporadic gunfire that had been putting up resistance instantly ceased.

The surviving mercenaries stood there, looking at each other blankly, and finally put down their weapons.

Cole's armored squad was in the heat of battle, preparing to charge into the command room, when he discovered that the enemy's firepower had disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, news came that the other side had surrendered.

One of the members of the Fireline organization was somewhat surprised: "Give up so quickly?"

Cole frowned and signaled to his players to halt their advance and remain vigilant.

On the battlefield, feigning surrender is a common occurrence.

Chu Ningyan's order came through: "Kerr, continue to maintain firepower and make sure the enemy takes off their armor first, then bring them all to the hall."

"Old Cat, you guys are in charge of looting the valuables. Be quick, we don't have much time left."

On the other side, Zhuang Fan was observing the situation at the front and judging the performance of each team member.

Cole has performed exceptionally well in these raids, leading by example and driving the members of the Fireline forward, finally shedding some of his past naiveté.
Although Jetta's team is small, they are reliable and do not have the laziness and procrastination of the rats. Jetta and Santana work together very well.

Old Cat remained cautious and fearful of death, successfully completing the interception mission, using up the stored rockets and explosives, and preserving the team's manpower.

As for Chu Ningyan, she controlled the pace of the battlefield throughout, serving as both a strategist and a general, possessing the strongest overall abilities. Unfortunately, she will not be in her team for the time being.

Zhuang Fan turned his head and looked at Pipi in white next to him.

He was a very principled military doctor, quick-witted and intelligent, but a bit strict with him.

Pipi was preparing the nutrient infusion bottle. She glanced at Zhuang Fan and said, "You don't need to watch me. Anyway, you're not allowed to step out of this room."

"……understood."

Outside the nuclear camp, the campfire crackled.

The three roasted chickens were blackened by the smoke and emitted a strong burnt smell.

Seeing that both of their faces were blackened by smoke, Wuji suppressed a laugh and clumsily cut off a piece of Wuji meat with his military knife, handing it to Soren.

"Director Soren, come and try my cooking."

Soren looked at the thing that was worse than charcoal, his facial muscles twitched, but he still reluctantly took it and symbolically took a small bite.

It was dry, tough, and bitter, even more disgusting than lizard or wolf meat.

"The meat is quite unique and has a good chewy texture."

Wu Ji laughed heartily, "Thank you, Captain Qiu Shan, why don't you give it a try too?"

Qiu Shan also received a piece, but he was already feeling down, and now it tasted even more bitter and was hard to swallow.

He didn't know what the black-boned chicken was acting, and he didn't dare to ask.

Soren gradually understood; this was definitely a test, a test of obedience, and a trial for them...

He subtly warned Qiu Shan with his eyes that he must eat it all and not waste a single bit.

Qiu Shan cursed inwardly, "If you like to eat, then eat your fill. Why are you sharing half with me?"

The three of them silently ate the black-boned chicken, the atmosphere frozen to the extreme.

Finally, Soren put down the chicken leg bone, wiped his hands with a napkin, and his gaze fell on the black-boned chicken.

"Manager Wu, what kind of cooperation do you want to discuss by inviting us here today?"

The black-boned chicken suddenly realized what was going on and remembered the important matter: "Oh dear, look at my memory, I was so focused on roasting the chicken."

He put down the "grilled chicken leg" in his hand, his smile faded, and his tone became serious.

"To be frank with you both, the Nuclear Group does indeed intend to engage in deeper cooperation with your organization, especially in intelligence sharing and joint operations."

His gaze swept across the two men's faces: "But before that, I need to figure out who's in charge inside Fengmang... After all, when it comes to betting, you have to choose the right people, right?"

After hearing this, Soren quickly made a decision.

Wu Ji is the person in charge stationed in Linhai City. To what extent can his words represent the will of the Nuclear Group? And how much substance does this "cooperation" actually have?
Seemingly seeing through Soren's doubts, Wuji's voice carried a hint of mystery: "Speaking of which, the minister is also very concerned about the situation here, but he is busy with official duties and cannot spare the time to come forward."

Soren's eyes lit up. So it was Minister Edward's order. No wonder...

"Before I left, the minister specifically told me to communicate more with the local... well, friends."

Soren and Qiushan exchanged a glance and instantly understood.

It was all Edward, that old fox, trying to use the chicken to build his own power base.

Soren's politeness faded, replaced by a sincere and heartfelt expression.

"Manager Wu, since you're so straightforward, I won't hold back anymore."

Soren leaned forward slightly. "The current situation is like this..."

……

Inside the Qiushan headquarters, the once heavily guarded command center had been easily captured by the enemy.

Looking at the enemy force before him, the deputy realized he had made a fatal misjudgment.

The number of enemies... is not large.

The armored soldiers who rushed in numbered only twenty-four at most. Although their firepower was fierce, they were not invincible.

They broke through the defenses so easily not because of their numerical advantage, but because of their inexhaustible supply of bombs and surprise attack tactics, creating the illusion of an unstoppable force.

He originally thought the enemy had unlimited ammunition, but in fact, they had already used it all up when he tried to persuade them to surrender!
They still had dozens of men on their side. If they hadn't surrendered, if they could have held out a little longer...

Everything is too late.

The deputy was furious, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white.

At this moment, Chu Ningyan walked over and said, "Lieutenant, you made the right decision, reducing unnecessary casualties."

The deputy awkwardly looked up, intending to make a few sarcastic remarks, but when he saw her beautiful eyes beneath the tactical mask, his resentment subsided somewhat.

"Then tell me, where did Captain Qiu Shan and Director Soren go?"

"They went to a friend's house to catch up and don't have time to come over for the time being."

The deputy was taken aback, but assumed that the so-called friend must be Harpenson.

Cole and his team loaded all thirty sets of power armor they had captured onto a vehicle and carried them away, along with some nano-bulletproof vests, tactical helmets, combat uniforms, and so on, stripping them completely bare.

Inside the ammunition depot, bundles of unopened weapons and equipment were carried away. The group moved swiftly and skillfully, committing the crime with practiced ease.

Several armored soldiers attempted to open the vault, but upon discovering that biometric verification was required, they simply used a cutter to break it open.

"Bang!" The door was forcibly broken open.

Cole led his men inside and stuffed all the gold bars and bundles of banknotes into several huge sacks.

Qiu Shan's wealth accumulated over the years was thus completely looted.

Chu Ningyan glanced at the panel: "The security bureau is coming soon. Stop the search and evacuate everyone."

She glanced at Mao Shanwang, her brows furrowing slightly: "Old Cat, let's forget about the boots, you..."

Mao Shanwang chuckled and said, "It can still be sold for some money. It's free stuff, so don't waste it."

All the prisoners were herded into the abandoned underground pipe network and escorted by the Jetta team.

Looking at the engulfed headquarters engulfed in flames, the second-in-command sighed, filled with endless regret.

A rat guard wearing power armor walked over and pressed the muzzle of his gun against his back.

"Let's go, Mr. Prisoner."

……

At the nuclear camp, the campfire still burns, but the atmosphere has already subtly changed.

After patiently listening to Soren's "heartfelt words," Wuji's face showed a look of understanding.

“I see. Director Harbenson… did indeed overstep his bounds.” He casually echoed, making his position clear.

"Manager Wu is right."

Soren was overjoyed: "We are willing to engage in in-depth cooperation with Nuclear, but... if you can clearly express your support for us at tomorrow's trial, it will be of great help in stabilizing the situation within the Edge."

The black chicken hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to politely refuse, a hint of difficulty appearing on its face:
“Director Soren, I understand your thoughts, but since this involves your group's affairs, our hasty intervention might be somewhat sensitive, and there are also internal procedures that need to be followed…”

Soren was shrewd enough to immediately understand the chicken's subtext: the chicken was dissatisfied with the offer and was raising the price.

“Manager Wu, I understand.” He gave his assistant a look.

The second-in-command immediately understood, took out an inconspicuous black metal box from his pocket, and quietly handed it to Soren.

Soren took the box and gently placed it on the low table next to the chicken.

"Manager Wu, it's a pleasure to meet you. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Soren's smile remained unchanged. "Consider it... wishing us a pleasant cooperation."

The black chicken was taken aback. It seemed that it hadn't meant anything by that. It appeared that the other party had misunderstood.

He smiled and opened a corner of the box, revealing a golden color.

That's a really big gold bar!
Three kilograms!

This weighty sentiment made him instantly understand the other party's sincerity, but unfortunately, his stance remained firm.

"Director Soren is too kind."

Wuji discreetly accepted the gift, saying, "Maintaining the stability of Linhai City is also our responsibility."

Soren and Qiushan stared at him, waiting for what would happen next.

Wu Ji coughed lightly: "Tomorrow, I will personally send a team to ensure the order of the trial and its smooth progress."

"Thank you, Manager Wu!" Soren felt relieved.

Qiu Shan stood to one side, his old face darkened by the campfire, but it couldn't hide the grin that revealed a row of white teeth.

It was a tacit agreement, and both sides got what they wanted.

(End of this chapter)