The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
"Hello," Ye Xiao imitated Ling Chen as he leaned casually against the tree trunk. After a moment of thought, he added, "Noah, long time no see."
The mechanical electronic voice laughed earnestly, "Hahaha, long time no see."
Ye Xiao honestly remarked, "Noah, don't laugh like that. It sounds strange."
The mechanical electronic voice disappeared for a while. Suddenly, Ye Xiao heard Ling Chen's soft laughter in his ear. He abruptly opened his eyes and looked around, but everything was quiet, and there was no one in sight.
Disappointed, he closed his eyes again and tugged at the oversized coat he was wearing.
Noah: "Sorry, I thought you would like that laughter. You seem sad? All your body's data has fluctuated, including blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing frequency."
Ye Xiao hugged his knees, curling up his body. After a moment of silence, he softly replied, "Yeah, I miss the Captain a little."
Noah: "Sorry, I don't understand."
Ye Xiao shook his head, "It's okay." He took a deep breath to adjust his emotions, "Noah, what's the next task?"
Every time the Rewind starts, the time and location are different, and Noah would initially tell him a meeting point. Only after reaching this meeting point could he establish a dialogue with Noah and learn the specific task details.
Noah's mechanical electronic voice reappeared, "Ye Xiao, open your eyes."
Ye Xiao complied and opened his eyes, only to find a silver-gray light sphere floating in front of him. It was small, and he recognized it immediately as he was somewhat surprised, "This looks so much like the Regional Core the Captain took away!"
Noah: "This is the Regional Core of D Zone. What those humans took away was a replica."
Ye Xiao didn't ask Noah why he had let Ling Chen and the others take the replica back. Instead, he reached out and took the light sphere in his hand before asking, "So what do I need to do?"
Noah: "Deliver this Regional Core personally to Bai Hengyun."
Ye Xiao noted the name, "Who is Bai Hengyun?"
Noah: "The chief scientist of the Earth Project Division at the Engineering Academy, female, forty-seven years old, one of my creators, the human who wrote my core program, and Ling Chen's maternal progenitor."
Ye Xiao was stunned, "The Captain's mother?"
Noah: "Mother? Yes, you could say that."
Ye Xiao grabbed his Long Blade and jumped down from the tree, all while walking and talking to Noah. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, "Noah, I have a question. Can you answer it?"
Noah didn't say yes or no, and just simply stated, "Ask."
"Okay." Ye Xiao asked, "Which way should I go now? I'm lost."
Noah paused for a few seconds before answering, "Four o'clock direction. I thought you would ask something else, like who wanted to kill you before the Rewind after your second rebirth."
Ye Xiao remembered that at that time, Noah had warned him that in three seconds, he would die from a sniper shot, and then the world would forcibly Rewind.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying on a tree and soon encountered Ling Chen and the others surrounded by Skeletal Wolves.
"You wouldn't tell me anyway." Ye Xiao walked in the direction Noah pointed and passed by a clear stream. He crouched down and carefully washed his face before asking in his mind, "Is there a time limit for delivering the real Regional Core to the Captain's mother?"
Noah: "Yes, it's limited to three months."
Ye Xiao casually wiped the water off his face a few times, "Alright, I'll complete the mission as soon as possible."
…….
Zone One
The sun had already risen.
Pan Wei sat in the passenger seat and kept glancing at the dilapidated armored vehicle following behind through the rearview mirror. His tone carried a hint of disdain, "The legendary Grand Commander of the Second Division is nothing special."
The smile he had plastered on his face when facing Ling Chen had completely vanished. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and his high cheekbones gave him a somewhat gloomy and harsh expression.
The other three people in the car didn't respond to his remarks. After he spoke a few more words, he took out the communicator and sent a message to the Command Center, "We have received the target mission and are on our way back."
At that moment, the soldier in the driver's seat spoke up, "The vehicle behind us is flashing its lights."
The convoy came to a halt.
They were near D Zone, a very remote area where there wouldn't be anyone within a kilometer radius.
Ling Chen jumped out of the armored vehicle with a cold expression and said to Pan Wei, who was quickly approaching, "Major Pan, one of my subordinates has reopened their wound and needs medical attention immediately!"
Pan Wei was startled by the tone and the murderous aura, and he quickly replied, "Someone from the Second Division is injured? Perfect, perfect! Before we left, the Command Center instructed me to bring a medic along. They're in the vehicle behind us!"
The medic was a young man wearing black-framed glasses. After following Ling Chen into the vehicle, he opened the medical kit he carried with him.
Jiang Cancan was lying on the seat, moaning and groaning with terrible acting skills, though the wound on his leg was real, which somewhat made up for the lack of acting.
After unwrapping the bandage, the medic carefully examined the wound and looked puzzled, "The wound is healing well; there's no sign of infection or reopening. Since it didn't damage the bones or nerves, he should be able to walk normally once the wound heals."
Ling Chen was playing with a piece of milk candy in his hand with his eyes half-lowered, "During a mission in D Zone, he was bitten by a Silver Ring King Snake. The venom hasn't been fully metabolized, and after the injury, his pain sensitivity has increased significantly. He can't sleep at night because of the pain. Is there anything you can do?"
After hearing Ling Chen's words, Jiang Cancan was utterly shocked— ‘Holy crap, he just made that up on the spot without even pausing!’
He began to silently consider the possibility of them switching careers and forming a fraud gang, with Ling Chen as the boss.
The medic was also surprised, "A Silver Ring King Snake? That species is highly venomous. I'll need a blood testing instrument for further examination." After saying this, he stood up and prepared to leave.
Jian Lan, who had been standing nearby the whole time, delivered a swift chop to the back of his neck, and the medic collapsed unconscious.
Jiang Cancan continued to moan intermittently while whispering, "What now, what now? Can Ye, what else do I need to do?"
"Keep moaning." Ling Chen said, then turned to Jian Lan, "You go."
Jian Lan nodded as she stood at the door of the rear compartment to push it open slightly, and leaned out, "Major Pan, the medic said he needs to perform a blood test. Could you send over a testing instrument?"
Pan Wei's face immediately lit up with a smile again, "Is that Major Jian Lan? I'll get someone to bring it right away!"
Jian Lan maintained her aloof demeanor, perfectly embodying the image of a high-ranking officer's descendant. She frowned slightly, as if somewhat impatient, "Hmm, make it quick."
Not long after, two soldiers carried over a detection device.
Jian Lan stepped aside to let them pass. Once the device was loaded onto the vehicle, she ignored Pan Wei and directly slammed the rear compartment door shut with a loud "bang."
By this time, the two soldiers who had boarded were already restrained. Their weapons had been confiscated and tossed aside, and they were staring in shock at the medic who was clearly unconscious while slumped in the corner.
Jian Lan leaned on her heavy sniper rifle and asked, "Chen Ge, what's next?"
Ling Chen looked at the soldier restrained by Jiang Cancan, stood straight, and gave a standard military salute. He then directly used his face as leverage, "I am Ling Chen, the Grand Commander of the Second Division. Do you recognize me?"
The soldier hesitated but nodded.
Having successfully used his face, Ling Chen instructed Jiang Cancan, "Let him go."
Jiang Cancan followed the command immediately as he released the soldier but stayed close and ready to act if the soldier made any sudden moves.
Ling Chen spoke in a calm tone, "Report your serial number."
"Y463871, Chen Yingbang," the soldier replied with his eyes fixed on Ling Chen. "Ling Zihui, what are you planning to do?"
"Don't worry, I won't harm a comrade." Ling Chen said with his mere presence exuding a convincing aura. Chen Yingbang visibly relaxed upon hearing this, clearly still trusting Ling Chen despite witnessing an inexplicable scene.
Ling Chen asked, "Have you seen me before?"
Chen Yingbang nodded, "Reporting to Ling Zihui, yes. Four years ago, I served in the Cheetah Special Operations Team and went on two missions with you."
"You were with the Cheetah?" Ling Chen inquired further, "This time, were you dispatched as a squad or as scattered troops?"
Chen Yingbang carefully replied, "We were scattered troops. For the sake of mission confidentiality, the higher-ups randomly selected personnel. I didn’t know anyone else in the vehicle."
"What’s the destination?"
Chen Yingbang looked puzzled, "The destination is, of course, the Command Center in Zone One." He seemed to realize something as his expression changed slightly as he added, "The people in Major Pan’s military pickup truck are likely his trusted aides. They didn’t speak to us. The remaining eight of us exchanged a few words, and our task was to assist Major Pan in safely escorting you back to the Command Center."
Ling Chen continued to leverage his face, "Do you trust me?"
Chen Yingbang didn’t hesitate, "I do!"
Ling Chen nodded, "Good, I need your cooperation."
After Jiang Mu followed Chen Yingbang out of the vehicle, Jiang Cancan couldn’t help but whisper to Jian Lan, "Damn, I’m getting an eye-opener here. In the eyes of these rookies, our Chen Ge is that authoritative? Just using his face to turn them?"
Jian Lan glanced at him, "Have you forgotten? I remember when you first joined the Second Division, you also idolized Chen Ge and practically worshiped him three times a day."
Jiang Cancan waved his hand, "That doesn’t count! I was young and blind back then!"
Ling Chen, with his sharp hearing, caught every word. He clenched the candy in his hand— ‘Little Fuzzball was still the most well-behaved!’
Jiang Mu returned quickly, "It’s done."
As they got out of the vehicle, they found that, apart from Chen Yingbang, everyone else had been knocked out. Jiang Cancan eagerly ran over and wanted to show off, "Xiao Mu, does your hand hurt? Do you need me to massage it?"
Jiang Mu touched Jiang Cancan’s forehead, "Are you running a fever?"
Jiang Cancan: "..."
On the other side, as Ling Chen approached, Chen Yingbang immediately stood at attention and saluted, "Ling Zihui!"
"You've done well, thank you for your hard work." Ling Chen returned the salute and said, "I'll be taking the people away in a moment. Since your mission isn't completed, will there be any issues?"
Chen Yingbang replied, "The military district has been in chaos recently, and we're all scattered troops who were temporarily assigned. Before you leave, just knock me out. The higher-ups won't have time to worry about us."
Ling Chen nodded, "Alright. Before we leave, we'll set up the scene. You've learned counter-interrogation in Cheetah, right? If you're really dragged into an interrogation room, make sure to keep yourself out of it."
Given their previous encounters in D Zone, where they had frequently raided Holy Judgement squads, the armored vehicle was stocked with plenty of Holy Judgement supplies. They picked and chose some weapons to set up the scene, and soon, the "scene of being ambushed and robbed by Holy Judgement" was complete.
Using a device, they wiped all fingerprints clean. Ling Chen stood in front of Chen Yingbang, ready to act. Chen Yingbang clenched his fists and hesitantly asked, "Ling Zihui, has something happened in the military district?"
Ling Chen didn't hide it, "Yes."
Hearing this answer, the stone that had been weighing on Chen Yingbang's heart for over half a month finally fell. He was a veteran and had been in the Cheetah special forces, so his instincts were sharp. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he asked, "Ling Zihui, what else can I do to help you?"
Ling Chen said succinctly, "Play along with this act, and then, live well."
With a "snap", Chen Yingbang's heels clicked together with his left hand pressed against his trouser seam, and his right hand touched his eyebrow, "Yes! Take care!"
Confirming that Jiang Mu had already copied all the data from Pan Wei's vehicle, Ling Chen led the group back to the armored vehicle.
Inside the vehicle, Jiang Cancan excitedly asked, "Chen Ge, Chen Ge, where are we going next?"
"To my house." Ling Chen peeled open a milk candy and tossed it into his mouth.
The sweetness quickly spread in his mouth— ‘Tsk, too sweet. Only Little Fuzzball would like this.’
With Jiang Mu at the wheel, they smoothly avoided all surveillance along the way and arrived at the outskirts of City A.
Jiang Cancan was surprised, "Chen Ge, isn't your house in the family compound of the Engineering Institute?"
Ling Chen watched the passing tree shadows outside and satisfied his curiosity, "There's a house in the family compound, but my parents found it too noisy, so they built a small house in the suburbs. But over the years, they haven't stayed there for more than a few days. Later, when I joined the Second Division, I mostly lived in the military district and rarely came back."
What he didn't say was that outsiders didn't know this house was under his parents' name. Now that his parents had been labeled as "defectors", the house in the family compound would surely be under 24-hour surveillance. So he guessed that the "home" mentioned in the phrase "the flowers at home need watering" must refer to this house.
When the vehicle reached its destination, Jiang Cancan jumped out first and was instantly shocked, "Holy crap, what the hell kind of small house is this! Chen Ge, Can Ye is jealous of the rich now!"
The so-called "small house" Ling Chen referred to was a three-story villa with an attic, a garden, a lawn, and a garage—it looked very high-end.
Ling Chen ignored him and walked straight to the door before verifying his iris and fingerprint. With a "snap", the door opened.
After closing the door, the group entered the house. Ling Chen asked, "Has anyone else been here?"
Jiang Cancan was about to ask Chen Ge who he was talking to when suddenly a voice emerged from the room, "After you left, no one else has come."
Jiang Cancan was so frightened that she immediately clung to Jiang Mu, "There's a ghost!"
Ling Chen looked at Jiang Cancan, whose face had turned pale, with a complicated expression, "This is the Smart Butler my parents made, named Ling Yi."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Smart Butler's voice rang out again, "I am not a ghost, I am Ling Yi, hello. Oh, I almost forgot, after you left, the mistress came back once."
Ling Chen paused in his steps, "My mother came back?"
"Yes, the mistress returned in a great hurry and left quickly again."
Ling Chen: "Did she have any message for me?"
Smart Butler: "Yes, here is the recording."
Soon, a calm and restrained woman's voice echoed in the room, "Chen Chen, the Holy Judgement has infiltrated the upper echelons and the Command Center is no longer trustworthy. Your father and I are about to transfer with our colleagues and take important data from the Engineering Institute. Come find me with the Regional Core as soon as possible."
As the voice faded, the Smart Butler commented, "The mistress's voice is still so enchanting."
Ling Chen didn't respond and instead turned to Jiang Mu and the others, "There are three bathrooms upstairs, finish in twenty minutes, then we'll set off directly."
Jian Lan, upon hearing this, quickly ran upstairs while shouting as she went, "Damn, I haven't had a proper bath in a whole month!"
Jiang Cancan swiftly followed, and the two disappeared in no time.
Ling Chen returned to his bedroom to take a ten-minute shower, and emerged from the bathroom bare-chested with water streaming down the lines of his abs. He didn't pay it any mind and directly opened the storage cabinet in the corner, which was filled with various weapons.
The Smart Butler exclaimed in a monotonous electronic voice, "Young master, you've hidden so many weapons, you could get arrested!"
Then, it began reciting legal statutes to inform Ling Chen of the severity of privately storing dangerous weapons, much like when Ling Chen returned from fights as a child, it would prattle on about "The Eighty Hazards of Juvenile Fighting and Brawling", always very noisy.
Ling Chen habitually tuned out the voice while he picked and chose among the weapons before stuffing the ones he liked into a large box. Estimating that Jiang Cancan and the others were done, he carried the box downstairs.
The four of them descended to the basement through a hidden door in the storeroom. Ling Chen turned on the light, revealing a modified black Sabertooth Tiger in front of them.
Jiang Cancan's mouth fell open, and after five seconds of stunned silence, he threw himself at the front of the car, "What is this? What is this? Ahhh, Chen Ge, are you a secret rich kid? This is so damn luxurious! A Sabertooth Tiger! And fully modified, even the tires are bulletproof! The cabin is so big that five people could lie side by side without a problem!"
Ling Chen kicked him on his uninjured calf, "Enough, stop babbling and get in the car."
As the vehicle started, the Smart Butler's voice suddenly came from the basement, "Good luck!"
Ling Chen, holding the steering wheel, gave a faint smile, "Hmm, take good care of the house."
At that moment, the Smart Butler's voice suddenly changed, "Intruders detected! Warning!"
Ling Chen's expression remained unchanged but his eyes turned extremely sharp, "How many?"
"Seven people, with six of them carrying firearms."
"And the last one?"
The Smart Butler's voice sounded a bit puzzled, "The remaining one, male, has a metal object on his wrist."
Ling Chen was quite accustomed to its way of describing things and asked, "Handcuffs?"
"Yes, handcuffs."
Ling Chen opened the car door, "Let's go. We'll deal with the newcomers before making our escape."
After everyone had left the basement, the smart system muttered softly, "Seems like another person has arrived, equipped with a cold weapon—a Long Blade."
Translator:
Ahh Ye Xiao!!!
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