The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
After dinner, the five of them gathered together for a meeting.
Ling Chen tapped the wall of the armored vehicle with his knuckles and said, "I say, comrades from the Second Division, can we show a bit of the spirit of a proper military unit?"
Jian Lan covered her mouth as she yawned twice until her eyes glistened with tears from exhaustion. She replied weakly, "How about the Grand Commander setting an example first?"
Ling Chen sprawled lazily with his legs stretched out and his back not even straight. One hand rested on Ye Xiao's nape to occasionally massage it. After a moment of thought, he said, "Fine, let's just get this meeting started."
Jiang Cancan seized the opportunity to show off his mastery of idioms, "Wow, 'If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.' Chen Ge, ever heard of 'As above, so below'?"
Ling Chen ignored him and spoke in a casual tone, "Today is June 20th, the 27th day since we entered D Zone. All members are alive and no serious injuries. Thanks for still being alive."
Jian Lan yawned again and waved her hand, "Yeah, you're welcome."
Ling Chen continued, "During this time, we've encountered eighteen mini-monster attacks, eliminated about fifty members from Holy Judgement Teams Five and Seven, as well as two mercenary groups, 'Hearts' and 'Queen.' We also executed a traitor and, by the way, blew up a biological research institute. Additionally, all eight Data Probes have been successfully installed. Looking at it this way, we've done pretty well."
Jiang Cancan raised his hand, "Chen Ge, I request a barbecue feast when we get back! All-you-can-eat kind!"
Ling Chen nodded agreeably, "Approved, it'll come out of the public funds."
Jian Lan instantly perked up by sitting straight in a second, "Whole roasted lamb!"
Ling Chen, unusually generous, replied, "Fine."
Jiang Mu looked up, "I request a new set of equipment."
Quickly calculating the cost in his mind, Ling Chen took a deep breath, "Request... approved."
Jiang Cancan cheered, "Chen Ge, you're a good man! Can Ye will never call you an old man again!"
"Alright, alright, let's be serious, we're in a meeting." Ling Chen's smile faded, and his tone became more serious. "We're about to enter the central circle of D Zone. If Holy Judgement's target is the Regional Core, we're bound to run into them there. When that happens, it's either them or us. Whoever makes it out of D Zone alive will depend on their own skills."
No one spoke.
Ling Chen's voice grew heavier, "Even if we make it out of D Zone alive, surviving back at the military district isn't guaranteed."
His gaze swept over Jiang Cancan and the others, "You must have realized by now that, given the current situation, there are issues within the command center and even the military district. We don't know how many spies or moles are causing trouble inside. We also can't establish contact with the outside world. So I'll say this now—survival is the top priority. I don't want you to die at the hands of mini-monsters or enemies, only to be killed by our own people."
After a two-second pause, he raised his voice, "Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear!"
Ling Chen: "Good, meeting adjourned!"
The armored vehicle had been driving all day, and by dusk before it stopped at the edge of the central circle.
Jiang Mu fiddled with the instrument in his hand, "If we move forward another five hundred meters, we'll enter the central circle. The Chaotic Data Stream inside is like a vortex, rendering the magnetic field useless. The wind direction and bullet trajectory calculations have significant errors. Shooting by feel might actually yield better accuracy."
Jiang Cancan rested his head on Jiang Mu's shoulder as they both looked at the display screen. "So frustrating! Ever since we entered D Zone, my reputation as a sharpshooter who never misses has completely collapsed!"
Jiang Mu tilted his head slightly and glanced at him. "You're frustrated every day. Are you a pufferfish?"
"..." Jiang Cancan was even more annoyed!
On the other side, Ling Chen opened his mouth to eat the candied cherry that Ye Xiao fed him. His lips brushed against Ye Xiao's fingertips, and he instinctively licked his lips. Two seconds later, he felt that this action was a bit perverted and silently scolded himself in his heart.
Ye Xiao was happily eating the cherries. Whenever he came across a plump and large one, he would casually feed it to Ling Chen.
After Ye Xiao finished the entire can, Ling Chen reached out and pinched his chin before gently wiping away the faint red cherry stain from the corner of his lips. He spoke softly, "Once the mission in D Zone is completed, I'll lead the team back to the military district to report."
Ye Xiao nodded while holding the can.
He knew that, of course, they would leave D Zone after the mission was done.
Seeing Ye Xiao obediently looking at him, Ling Chen decided to be straightforward. "I'll be leaving soon."
Ye Xiao let out an "Oh" and tilted his head. "I also have to go on a mission." As he spoke, he fed the last cherry from the can to Ling Chen.
Ling Chen didn't eat it. Instead, he looked into Ye Xiao's clear eyes while feeling a surge of irritation—‘Damn, this heartless little thing!’
Seeing that Ling Chen wasn't eating the cherry, Ye Xiao popped it back into his own mouth. After a few seconds, he suddenly muttered, "Why does the cherry taste less sweet after hearing what you said?"
Ling Chen watched as Ye Xiao lowered his head with his fine black hair swaying slightly. Ye Xiao was holding the empty cherry can with both hands, and Ling Chen felt a heavy sense of frustration in his heart.
He really wanted to ask, "Do you want to come with me? Join the Second Division, and Chen Ge will protect you." But he knew deep down that the situation they were returning to was uncertain. There was a traitor in the command center who had even tried to have them die silently in D Zone.
The odds were not in their favor.
And Ye Xiao was still young. He shouldn't drag him into the whirlpool of power struggles.
……..
That night, Ling Chen couldn't sleep.
By midnight, he was still awake and staring at the roof of the vehicle for over half an hour with his mind a jumble of thoughts. After confirming that Ye Xiao, holding his long blade, was sound asleep, he reached out and pulled him into his arms.
Ye Xiao had no defenses against him, like a little kitten exposing its belly for a pet. He naturally nestled into Ling Chen's embrace before finding a comfortable position, and soon fell back into a deep sleep.
Ling Chen gently pinched the tip of Ye Xiao's nose— ‘Tsk, you little heartless thing.’
…..
Early the next morning, Jiang Mu started the armored vehicle and drove straight into the central circle.
The moment they entered, all the electronic instruments in the vehicle displayed a mess of garbled codes and were rendered useless.
Jiang Cancan poked the touchscreen in amazement. "Holy crap, it's really not responding? Even the map is gone?"
Jiang Mu reminded him, "Look outside the vehicle."
Jiang Cancan instinctively followed the suggestion and was immediately startled. "What kind of bizarre place is this? Why are there cactuses growing in the water? Tropical and subarctic trees are growing side by side?"
Jiang Mu: "Because the data is chaotic, there's no order." Suddenly, Jiang Mu slammed on the brakes. Jiang Cancan, caught by the inertia, leaned forward and tightly gripped his K57. "What's going on? Is there a situation?"
Jiang Mu stared at the road ahead. "There's a spike strip on the ground."
Jiang Cancan jumped out of the vehicle and crouched down to carefully inspect the spike strip hidden in the grass. "They really spared no expense!" After confirming it was safe, Jiang Cancan lifted the spike strip with both hands and assessed, "The quality is excellent. If our vehicle runs over it, we’re guaranteed a 100% flat tire!"
He searched the surrounding area once more before climbing back into the passenger seat. "That’s it, just that one."
Jian Lan propped her chin on her hand. "Why would Holy Judgement place a spike strip at the edge of the central zone? They don’t even know where we’re coming from. Could it be that their vehicle is already full?"
Ling Chen rubbed his fingers together. "It’s probably meant as a deterrent and a warning."
Jiang Cancan chimed in, "Are they trying to tell us they’ve already arrived and to watch our step?"
Ling Chen nodded. "Pretty much." He then instructed, "Don’t let your guard down. The combat strength of Group One is greater than Groups Five and Seven combined. They’re not here to hand over lives and supplies. All of you, stay alive."
Apart from the initial spike strip, they encountered no further traps along the way. Jiang Mu navigated the direction and driving steadily toward the location of the Regional Core. Ling Chen gazed out the window and suddenly spoke, "Xiao Mu, slow down."
They were on a winding gravel road, with low rolling hills to the left and a slope to the right. The sparse vegetation made it difficult for anyone to hide.
Jiang Cancan turned his head and asked, "Chen Ge, do you suspect an ambush?"
Ling Chen’s expression was grim. "A hunch."
Those who frequently tread through life-and-death situations have a keen sense of danger.
For a moment, no one in the vehicle spoke.
Jiang Mu maintained a speed of thirty kilometers per hour and moving forward cautiously.
A few breaths later, Ye Xiao confirmed that Ling Chen’s hunch was correct. "There’s a vehicle approaching."
Ling Chen narrowed his eyes. "Raise the vehicle-mounted machine gun. Hold your weapons steady."
In less than ten seconds, a military-green armored vehicle rounded a bend and suddenly appeared in their line of sight. Its wheels kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured visibility.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ling Chen ordered, "Fire!"
In the next instant, bullets sprayed from the vehicle-mounted machine gun, all deviating from their intended trajectory. Jiang Mu manually adjusted the aim, and ten seconds later, they fired again. A series of "bangs" echoed as the armored vehicle’s windows shattered and sent shards flying in all directions.
Ling Chen peered through the bulletproof glass and confirmed, "It’s a Ghost Vehicle, running on autopilot. There’s no one inside!" His heart skipped a beat, and he urgently commanded, "Turn the steering wheel to the right and head for the slope!"
Jiang Mu exerted force with both arms as he yanked the steering wheel sharply. The vehicle veered to the right, tilting as it did so. At the same time, a bomb exploded at the spot where they had previously stopped!
Amid the dust, the entire armored vehicle hung precariously on the slope, with one side of its tires deeply embedded in the loose sand. Ling Chen put on a helmet and then placed one on Ye Xiao’s head.
He kicked open the rear door, grabbed Ye Xiao, and jumped out before rolling to the ground and pulling him down to lie low on the slope.
Jiang Cancan pulled out a military-grade telescope and spat out the sand in his mouth. "Damn it, Holy Judgement is so loaded they’re showing off with mortars!" He quickly reported, "At a thirty-degree angle on the hill ahead is a mortar emplacement with three people. It was medium-sized, eighty-millimeter caliber, sixty kilograms in weight and maximum range of six thousand meters! Get down!"
As soon as his words fell, another shell exploded nearby, sending sand and dirt flying. Jiang Cancan coughed several times while being covered in a layer of sand.
Ling Chen shielded Ye Xiao beneath him and asked Jiang Mu, "Xiao Mu, what's their hit rate?"
Jiang Mu, lying to the right of Jiang Cancan, calculated quickly in his mind, "The hit rate is less than forty percent. Otherwise, our armored vehicle would have been half-destroyed by the first shell."
Ling Chen: "Good that they’re inaccurate. Watch the right side. I suspect there are people in that armored vehicle!"
As if to confirm his words, two figures in camouflage combat uniforms emerged from the roof of the previously ghostly armored vehicle. They adjusted their gun barrels to directly aim at their position.
The five of them quickly moved to the side.
As soon as they settled back down, Jian Lan, with incredible speed, set up a tripod.
The heavy sniper rifle's barrel aimed at the machine gun position on the armored vehicle. She pulled the trigger— "Bang!" —it missed.
Five seconds later, Jian Lan adjusted the trajectory. This time, three armor-piercing explosive bullets were fired in succession. One hit the machine gun position directly, while the other two struck the front and body of the vehicle. With a deafening "Boom!", the entire armored vehicle was blown to pieces.
"Successfully scrapped, though I wasted an extra bullet!" Jian Lan, holding the heavy sniper rifle and tripod, and her eyes filled with ferocity, said, "Chen Ge, cover me? I’m going to find a spot to hide."
Ling Chen gestured in response, and Jian Lan, hunched over before she ran off with her rifle.
She was bold as she barely concealed her movements, and immediately drew fire from hidden positions, which also revealed their locations.
Ling Chen extended his gun barrel, firing almost one shot per target. After seven shots, he quickly moved Ye Xiao to a new position. Just as they left their spot, another shell landed nearby, though it missed by a distance. Still, Ye Xiao’s eardrums were left ringing for over ten seconds.
Jiang Cancan got another mouthful of sand, "Damn, they’ve got mortars! So what?"
Ling Chen: "Exactly, but they won’t have them for long."
The group stayed hidden and completely still, as if waiting for something. Three minutes later, gunfire rang out. Jiang Mu confirmed, "It’s Jian Lan!"
Jiang Cancan pulled out his military binoculars, "The mortar crew is dead! All three were taken out. Nice work, bro!"
Ling Chen said gravely, "Jian Lan’s position is exposed. She needs to move fast. There might be snipers on their side too. Let’s go, move out!"
Immediately, the four of them emerged from their hiding spots.
Bullets rained down but most missed as it strayed far from their intended paths.
Jiang Cancan ran swiftly, "Damn, if I get hit by a stray bullet and die, can I apply for martyr status?"
Ling Chen: "Don’t even think about it!"
Jiang Mu, who rarely spoke, suddenly said, "Dare to die like that and see what happens?"
In the heat of the moment, Jiang Cancan couldn’t help but glance back at Jiang Mu, shocked, "My little brother would never talk to me like that!"
Jiang Mu was about to respond when he suddenly saw Jiang Cancan pivot and lunge toward him. The two of them fell to the ground, rolling several times until they're covered in sand and gravel.
The soft "thud" of a bullet embedding into flesh was faint, but Jiang Mu caught it. His pupils constricted and his voice trembled, almost tearing his vocal cords, "What the hell are you doing?!"
Jiang Cancan lay down on the side, "Damn, Can Ye's luck is still pretty good!" He bent his legs, and blood seeped out from somewhere, soaking his camouflage pants. Jiang Cancan grimaced in pain, "The bullet was way off, just grazed my calf."
"Grazed?" Jiang Mu's eyes were red as he quickly took out hemostatic medicine and bandages. He used a dagger to cut open the pant leg and swiftly bandaged the wound, but inevitably, his hands were covered in blood.
Seeing his hands trembling and his face pale with fear, Jiang Cancan still wore a grin, "Xiao Mu, I'm your big brother."
Jiang Mu paused for a moment, then continued bandaging while replying, "You only came out four minutes earlier than me."
Jiang Cancan: "No matter what, four minutes still makes me your big brother! How long has it been since you called me that? You always call me Can Can without any respect."
At that moment, they heard Ling Chen asking from a distance. Jiang Cancan raised his voice, "It's fine, Can Ye can still fight!"
The mortar and machine gun teams had already been taken out.
Ling Chen estimated that the Holy Judgement wouldn't bring too much equipment into D Zone. He recalled that after Jian Lan secured the high ground, they had taken out six people. He then commanded, "Let's go, head-on assault!"
However, soon after the two sides engaged in direct confrontation, they realized that the bullet trajectories were even more off than before. Even four out of the five shots Ling Chen fired missed, blown off course by the wind.
Jiang Cancan was shocked, "I'm really fucking impressed by this bizarre place!"
At this point, Ye Xiao's advantage became apparent. Bullets couldn't hit him, but wherever his blade flashed, a line of blood would spurt out.
Ling Chen simply threw away his gun and charged straight at the enemy in front of him.
He always fought ruthlessly.
Taking advantage of the enemy's inattention, he swiftly kicked the gun barrel away and then pinched the throat with his fingers. With a "snap", the enemy was lifeless.
Jiang Cancan, dragging his injured leg, was still agile.
He pulled out a military knife from the holster on his calf and was ready for close combat.
But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ling Chen's movements and shivered— ‘Thank goodness Can Ye and Chen Ge are on the same team. If we were enemies, I might as well just kill myself!’
Ling Chen swept someone to the ground with a whip kick, then pulled out a pistol from his back waist before pressing the barrel against the enemy's forehead, and pulled the trigger, killing the enemy instantly. At that moment, he was suddenly shoved aside by Ye Xiao, who had somehow rushed to his side. Ling Chen steadied himself and turned to see Ye Xiao dispatch the person who had tried to ambush him with a single slash. When Ye Xiao saw him looking, he habitually smiled at him.
Just moments ago, he had been holding a long blade with a fierce and cold expression, but now, he was smiling with eyes curved like a puppy seeking praise.
The thought that had been buried in Ling Chen's heart resurfaced.
"Little Fuzzball."
Ye Xiao heard Ling Chen call him and looked over in confusion.
Ling Chen swiftly pulled him behind cover eith his Adam's apple bobbing, "Do you want to—" follow Chen Ge.
But he didn't get to finish the question because, at the same moment, a bomb exploded nearby.
Sparks and sand poured over them, and he only had time to pull Ye Xiao into his arms to protect him.
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