The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
“Is the little friend a spy?” Jiang Cancan suddenly stood up and not even noticing that his arm brushed against the heavy sniper rifle leaning in the corner.
He instinctively glanced at Ling Chen’s expression first and found that the side of his commander’s face was as cold as ice, exuding an aura of “don’t mess with me.”
But Ling Chen didn’t refute it.
Jiang Cancan quickly averted his gaze, his throat feeling dry. “Is it confirmed?”
Fang Wenzhe nodded gravely and repeated the information he had previously shared with Ling Chen.
Jiang Cancan was still in disbelief. “How could he be… a member of Holy Judgement? The little friend followed me around, calling me ‘Can Can Ge’ so obediently. I can’t believe it—”
Hearing this, Jiang Mu, who was sitting beside him, looked up. “Your imagination?”
Jiang Cancan patted his buzz cut and forced a laugh. “Alright, he was obediently following Chen Ge around and asking for candy.” He sighed while remembering how Ye Xiao had gone with him to wash their helmets at noon, and his nose started to ache.
Sitting back down, Jiang Cancan silently reached for his K57 and found the frayed piece of cloth before starting to carefully clean the gun barrel.
As he cleaned—damn it, why does it always feel off? Something’s just not right.
Jiang Cancan tried to use his limited intelligence to think hard, feeling that something was very out of place. He replayed the scenes in his mind, frame by frame, and trying to figure out what was wrong, what—
Holy shit! The little friend had his hand on the hilt of his knife when facing Chen Ge!
Would the little friend draw his knife on Chen Ge? Impossible.
Jiang Cancan shot up again and this time successfully knocked over the heavy sniper rifle in the corner. Jian Lan, who was driving nearby, seemed to have x-ray vision and shouted, “Jiang Cancan! If you touch my heavy sniper rifle again, I’ll kill you!”
Jiang Cancan quickly picked up the rifle and put it back in place before yelling back, “It’s back, it’s back! Don’t hit me, buddy! Please remember our camaraderie!”
He sat back down on the chair and tentatively spoke up, “Well, if he’s from Holy Judgement, then I even kindly gave him a bunch of nutrient solutions. Does that count as enabling the enemy?”
“Bang!” A muffled sound came from the driver’s seat—Ling Chen had punched the steering wheel, followed by a voice as cold as ice shards, “Stop talking nonsense. If you keep blabbering, get out of the car.”
Jiang Cancan quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
Once Ling Chen’s attention shifted, he moved his butt slightly before leaving a small gap between his hands, and whispered to Fang Wenzhe, “Chen Ge’s definitely lost it. You don’t know, Ye Xiao was so attached to our Chen Ge. Who would’ve thought he was a spy? Ah, poor old man, his sincere feelings were misplaced.”
As soon as Jiang Cancan finished speaking, the armored vehicle came to a sudden stop. Without a word, Ling Chen pushed the door open and got out to stand by the river. Watching his back, no one in the car dared to ask what was going on, all as quiet as mice. After all, at times like this, even breathing felt wrong.
The sun had already been blocked by the clouds, and the wind by the river carried a damp chill. Ling Chen stood by the river for over twenty minutes before suddenly calling out, “Jiang Cancan.”
“Here!” Jiang Cancan responded loudly.
Ling Chen tilted his tightly clenched jaw. “Bring your gun and get over here.”
Jiang Cancan wore a look of grim determination, wiping his face. "Brothers, remember to burn two sticks of incense for Can Ye during Qingming!" After saying this, he grabbed his gun, grimaced, and ran off like the wind.
Fang Wenzhe asked in confusion, "What's going on?"
Jiang Mu glanced at the two people by the river and explained, "The commander is in a bad mood and needs to vent. Can Can just happened to be in the line of fire."
Seeing Fang Wenzhe's somewhat guilty expression, Jiang Mu calmly added, "It's fine, he's got thick skin."
By the river, Jiang Cancan ran over with the K57 in hand before standing at attention. Just as he was about to ask what he needed to do, Ling Chen snatched the gun from his hands, raised it, aimed, and fired a series of shots at a large tree on the opposite bank. Each bullet embedded itself in the same bullet hole, demonstrating extreme precision.
After wasting seventy or eighty bullets and destroying a row of trees, Ling Chen threw the gun back into Jiang Cancan's arms and said coldly, "Why the hell didn't you give him a few cans of cherries?"
Jiang Cancan fumbled to catch the gun, bewildered. "Huh?"
Ling Chen kicked him in the shin and walked back to the armored vehicle with a cold expression. Left behind, Jiang Cancan patted his slightly overgrown buzz cut and muttered to himself, "Yeah, why didn't I give the little friend a few cans of cherries as a snack?"
After saying this, he stood there and chuckled to himself.
Jiang Cancan lingered by the river for a good five minutes before finally getting into the vehicle with the K57. He felt that everyone in the vehicle was an Oscar-worthy actor, and they could probably all win little golden statues if they left the military district. He didn't dare compare.
So he kept a straight face while looking aggrievedly at Jiang Mu to roughly convey the message of "You all actually conspired to keep me in the dark." Then he hugged the gun with his expression cold but his heart secretly delighted, and pretended to sleep with his eyes closed.
The road conditions weren't great, and the vehicle moved slower than before, not covering much distance.
Ling Chen remained silent the entire time, and no one dared to provoke him. Even Jian Lan spoke softly, like a lamb seeing a lion. With just one glance from Ling Chen, she and Jiang Cancan held hands and huddled in the corner, shivering.
When Jiang Cancan prepared dinner and was serving the food, he realized he had habitually set out six helmets. The extra one was next to Ling Chen, where Ye Xiao used to sit.
Seeing Ling Chen eating without any outburst, Jiang Cancan breathed a sigh of relief but also felt worried—what would the little friend eat tonight? Should he save some food for him? Nutrient solutions were just awful.
At that moment, someone sent a message in the team channel. Jiang Cancan opened it and saw it was from Jiang Mu, with just two words: "They're here."
Holding his helmet, he noticed that Ling Chen and Jian Lan acted as if they hadn't felt the message alert and just focused on drinking their soup, not even glancing at the team communication. He was once again bewildered—what was here?
Two minutes later, Ling Chen put down his helmet and asked, "Finished eating?"
Even if they weren't finished, they had to say they were. Everyone quickly stood up. Ling Chen, with his hands in his pockets, ordered, "Jian Lan, go wash the dishes."
Jian Lan hurriedly replied, "Alright, I'll wash them all!" After saying this, she grabbed the stacked helmets and ran off quickly.
Inside the vehicle, the remaining four people sat in a circle. Jiang Mu pulled up the weather data, "The air humidity is increasing. If the instruments aren't malfunctioning, it's certain that there will be a heavy rainstorm tonight. The river water will rise, and parking along the river is quite risky. I suggest we change locations."
Ling Chen nodded, glanced at the 3D map Jiang Mu had prepared, and pointed to a spot with his finger, "Park here."
Jiang Cancan took a quick look and silently complained in his heart. This was really too casual. If a flash flood or mudslide occurred, the parking spot would be the first to be hit—clearly, Ling Chen hadn't even considered driving the vehicle there.
At that moment, the sound of wheels crushing grass and gravel suddenly came from outside the vehicle. Jiang Cancan's nerves tensed, "I'll check it out!" Before the words even finished, he grabbed his gun and headed for the vehicle door. Looking outside, he exclaimed, "Holy shit!"
It was pitch black, filled with gun barrels.
They were surrounded by Holy Judgement.
The four of them stepped out of the vehicle one by one, with Ling Chen leading the way. There wasn't a trace of fear on his face. On the contrary, he appeared completely relaxed from head to toe, and he wasn't even carrying a weapon—yet, the Holy Judgement members were on high alert, almost tempted to disobey orders and take him out on the spot to avoid any trouble.
Ling Chen leaned against the front of the vehicle while surveying the surroundings. He noticed the scale of the operation—three armored vehicles and twenty-three people had arrived.
He lowered his sharp eyes and smirked lightly, "So, the entire Holy Judgement Group Five is here? I must be quite important." As he spoke, he turned to a tall, mixed-race man with brown hair and greeted him, "Long time no see, Konins. Didn't expect you to be leading the team again."
Konins was the deputy leader of Group Five. The scar slanting across the corner of his right eye was a gift from Ling Chen. Now, he personally aimed his gun at Ling Chen, "It has indeed been a long time. Last time, you left me with a scar. This time, I'll take your life."
Ling Chen responded indifferently, "Take my life? Are you worthy?"
Seemingly provoked, Konins flares his nostrils and places his finger on the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and the bullet landed two centimeters in front of Fang Wenzhe's left foot, sending gravel flying.
Fang Wenzhe's face turned pale, but he stood his ground without retreating a single step.
Konins sneered maliciously, "If my hand slips, his foot will be blown open!"
Ling Chen replied, "Oh, is that so? Then why don't you try it?"
Fang Wenzhe instinctively turned his head to look at Ling Chen in shock, "Ling Zihui—" His voice trembled slightly.
Konins fired another shot, this time landing two centimeters in front of Fang Wenzhe's right foot.
Ling Chen scoffed, "Your aim is way off. Has your marksmanship deteriorated after not seeing you for a while?"
Fang Wenzhe's forehead was already beaded with sweat. He clenched his fists and his lips drained of color, "Ling Zihui, is it because... I'm not your soldier?"
Ling Chen finally turned his head until his sharp eyes locked onto Fang Wenzhe. In a deep and clear voice, he recited eight names and asked, "Then, may I ask, Group Leader Fang Wenzhe, are they not your soldiers?"
Fang Wenzhe's entire body stiffened and a string in his mind pulled taut. He licked his dry lips, "These names... they, they were all my comrades, who sacrificed their lives in the ambush."
Ling Chen patiently waited for him to finish, then his eyes turned fierce. In an instant, he kicked Fang Wenzhe squarely in the chest.
This kick was delivered with full force, and with a loud "bang", Fang Wenzhe was sent flying until his back slamming heavily against the side of a small armored vehicle. The impact was so strong that the entire vehicle shook. After hitting the ground, Fang Wenzhe was momentarily unable to move.
Ling Chen, wearing steel-toe military boots, ground the tip of his boot against the ground with his entire demeanor resembling an enraged lion. He spoke slowly, word by word, "Comrade? Don’t you dare tarnish that word!"
Ignoring the surrounding gun barrels pointed at him, Ling Chen walked straight up to Fang Wenzhe and stood before him while cracking his knuckles as he looked down at him with a cold gaze.
"You’ve heard my name, but have you also heard that what I hate most is betrayal? So, who gave you the guts, as a traitor, to not run away but instead walk right into my hands? Are you tired of living?"
Fang Wenzhe had a broken rib, and blood foamed at the corner of his mouth. As he processed Ling Chen’s words, fear flooded his eyes—he had heard the rumors.
The former commander of the Second Division had failed to return from a mission because of a traitor within their ranks who had sold them out. Since then, Ling Chen had become utterly intolerant of betrayal.
He had been exposed.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Fang Wenzhe wanted to call out to Konins for help, but Ling Chen’s kick left him seeing stars. The broken rib seemed to have punctured his lung, and every breath brought excruciating pain.
"I once promised someone that if you were truly a traitor, I’d personally put a bullet in you." Ling Chen said in a low, icy voice. "After I deal with them, I’ll deal with you. You’d better not move. If that broken rib pierces your lung all the way through, I might not even need to lift a finger."
Konins watched the scene with amusement, and when Ling Chen stepped back, he sneered, "Finished with your family drama? Quite the show." His tone was mocking, like a cat toying with a mouse, especially since this "mouse" was the commander of the Second Division, the sworn enemy of Holy Judgement. It was thrilling.
He gestured with his gun and barked, "Go, inject each of them with one—no, two doses, then throw them in the vehicle."
Ling Chen: "Sorry, I’m not a fan of injections."
With that, he raised his hand and made a gesture. In the next second, a bullet precisely struck the forehead of one of Konins’ men, killing him instantly.
Konins’ face turned pale.
"A sniper?"
"Indeed." Ling Chen replied casually while flipping a military knife in his hand. He asked Konins in a friendly tone, "Would you like to see how many of the twenty-two men you brought are still standing?"
Konins’ men had surrounded them, with some positioned behind the armored vehicle to block any possible escape routes. But in complete silence, the eight men stationed behind the vehicle had all been shot dead, their lives extinguished without a sound.
Ling Chen added nonchalantly, "There was some noise, but it was all drowned out by Fang Wenzhe’s screams."
The veins on Konins’ gun-wielding arm bulged. If he still didn’t realize that Ling Chen had been prepared all along, he might as well die a thousand deaths. Abandoning the order to capture them alive, Konins barked, "Shoot them all!"
However, from the moment Jian Lan left and took up her sniper position, Konins had already lost.
The Military Knife that Ling Chen had been toying with flew through the air, piercing the wrist of an oncoming mercenary. Ling Chen seized the gun, coordinating with the sniper for cover fire. The three of them crouched down and pulled out weapons they had hidden under the vehicle earlier. The two sides exchanged fire—four against fourteen.
The sky grew increasingly overcast, with not a trace of sunlight to be seen. A heavy rain was about to pour down. Using the Armored Vehicle as cover, Ling Chen took down another enemy with pinpoint accuracy and casually tossed a grenade in their direction.
At that moment, his brow twitched, and he instinctively turned his head to look toward the right corner.
Damn, Little Fuzzball really followed him.
Seeing Ye Xiao, Ling Chen didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. He watched as Ye Xiao deftly used the Water Cutter to silently take out a mercenary from behind and successfully grab two guns. Although his aim wasn’t great, out of three shots, at least two hit their mark.
But the scene was chaotic, and there was always the risk of friendly fire. Worried, Ling Chen found an opportunity to get close to Ye Xiao. His tone, though trying to sound stern, couldn’t quite manage it, and he said helplessly, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me to come back and get you?”
Ye Xiao’s small face was tense as he tried to put on an expression that showed no guilt. The wooden rabbit on the black scabbard swayed back and forth. He first looked Ling Chen up and down, front and back, making sure he wasn’t injured, then leaned in and whispered, “I didn’t wait for you. I came to find you.”
Ling Chen’s body was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Holding a gun in one hand, he quickly pulled a milk candy from his pocket with the other and swiftly fed it to Ye Xiao. “Tsk, you really are a little clingy one.”
After saying that, he couldn’t help but laugh.
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