The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
Ling Chen had never been one for subtle thoughts.
From a young age, he had always been accustomed to settling things with a fight. If it didn’t work the first time, he’d fight again. But when it came to Ye Xiao, he couldn’t help but bring out all the patience and delicacy he had accumulated over the past twenty years.
The more time they spent together, the more he noticed that Ye Xiao always wore a stern expression around others and was ready to draw his blade at the slightest disagreement. But in front of him, Ye Xiao was like a soft, fluffy kitten eagerly seeking dried small fish from him.
No, even a kitten wasn’t as well-behaved as Little Fuzzball.
Ling Chen dismissed the thought as he wrapped his arm around Ye Xiao’s shoulder, and stood up before walking toward the crowd. As they walked, he asked, “There’s a reward for winning. What do you want? I’ll go ask Captain Wu for it.”
Ling Chen had already made up his mind—if Wu Ziyan refused, he’d fight until he got it.
Just then, Ye Xiao suddenly stopped as he gripped his long blade and looked around. “I feel something… strange.”
Ling Chen straightened up and glanced at the noisy group nearby. “Quiet.”
In an instant, the dozen or so people fell silent, and the sound of the wind around them became clear.
Ling Chen looked at Ye Xiao. “Listen carefully.”
A few seconds later, Ye Xiao confirmed, “There are vehicles coming. No, a convoy—four to five vehicles, from the west.”
Frowning slightly, Ling Chen asked Wu Ziyan, “Did you report our location to the Command Center?”
Wu Ziyan shook his head. “No.”
In the middle of nowhere, a convoy appearing was most likely hostile.
Just as Ling Chen was about to ask if they had made any enemies after completing their mission, a deafening “Boom!” rang out.
The Soaring Dragon’s armored vehicle that was parked near the construction site, exploded. A wave of scorching heat and flames surged in all directions, and rusted steel bars and chunks of concrete burst apart, raining down like a storm!
His body reacted faster than his mind. Instinctively, Ling Chen shielded Ye Xiao before rolling to the ground and taking cover behind a concrete slab. “Damn it, Wu Ziyan! Why didn’t you tell me we had pursuers?”
Wu Ziyan, also covered in dirt, leaned against a steel frame and panting. “I didn’t fucking know we had pursuers! If I knew, wouldn’t I have said something?”
With one arm still protecting Ye Xiao, Ling Chen, who outranked Wu Ziyan, took command of the Soaring Dragon. Amid the scorching smoke and sparks, he shouted, “Listen to my orders! Xiao Mu, set up the temporary communication channel! Snipers, step forward and find your positions!”
Jian Lan and a tall, thin young soldier, carrying their guns, disappeared into the shadows in no time.
Ling Chen continued issuing commands, “Scouts, step forward and check the situation. I want to know what’s going on within a minute!” Jiang Cancan and another short soldier rolled to their feet and sprinted westward while crouching low.
By then, Jiang Mu had already set up the temporary communication channel, and everyone could hear Ling Chen’s voice.
“Anyone seriously injured, take cover and don’t fucking stick your head out! The rest of you, disperse!” Finally, Ling Chen turned to Ye Xiao and said, “You stay with me.”
In less than a minute, Jiang Cancan reported back, “I see them—a convoy of five pickup trucks. The last one has a big thing on it, a portable howitzer, and what looks like an upgraded version of an A10 machine gun array! Thirty people in total, fully armed, of unknown origin and heading toward the construction site!”
Two seconds later, Jiang Cancan’s voice came through again, “Shit, they’re loading ammunition—they’re going for another round!”
Ling Chen barely had time to cover Ye Xiao's ears as a deafening explosion shattered the armored vehicle, Soaring Dragon, parked on the other side of the construction site.
Ling Chen shouted into the temporary comms channel, "Jian Lan, two minutes! Blow up that grenade launcher!"
Jian Lan sounded like she was running, "Copy that!"
At that moment, Wu Ziyan, with a bloodied scratch on his face, hunched over and squeezed through. Ling Chen's expression darkened, "Who did you piss off?"
Wu Ziyan was equally confused, "After leaving the research institute, I led the team back and sticking to remote routes. There was no chance to stir up trouble!"
Ling Chen narrowed his eyes with his gaze sharp, "Are you trying to tell me that the people chasing you were just doing it for fun?" He scoffed, "They’re using grenade launchers. What are you hiding?"
Wu Ziyan remained silent.
Ling Chen lost his patience and asked directly, "The Biological Research Institute—were you supposed to retrieve samples or destroy them?"
After five seconds of silence, Wu Ziyan replied, "Retrieve samples."
Ling Chen cursed under his breath and asked, "Do you think they’re after the samples?"
"Probably. But it’s also possible they want to silence us because of what we saw in the lab."
Over the comms, Jiang Cancan spoke rapidly, "They're almost at the construction site. Damn, they’re planning to lead with the grenade launcher and then charge in for a direct fight!"
Ling Chen asked, "I’ve got five here. How many can you bring?"
Wu Ziyan: "Six can fight."
Ling Chen nodded, "Eleven against thirty. That’s enough."
Wu Ziyan: "..." How is that enough?
Just then, Jian Lan's voice came through the comms, "Watch this, I’m about to get serious!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a loud "Boom!" echoed as the entire grenade launcher platform exploded. Jian Lan fired a shot and immediately ran while asking as she did, "Chen Ge, how was that shot?"
"Not bad." Ling Chen replied, then turned to Wu Ziyan, "The launcher’s gone. Let’s move."
However, while Ling Chen made it sound like they were going to charge head-on, his actual command was, "Everyone, stay behind cover and play it safe. Live to ninety-nine! No one charges forward. If anyone does, I’ll shoot them in the ass first."
Laughter erupted in the temporary comms channel.
Ling Chen ran with his fingers over the gun stock and listened to the approaching sound of wheels, "Alright, boys, the prey’s here. Get ready!"
When the twenty or so men stepped out of the pickup trucks, all they saw were two burnt-out armored vehicles. The area was eerily quiet and empty.
They stopped in their tracks, hesitant to move forward.
Ling Chen licked his dry lips as the corners of his eyes sharpened as he whispered, "On my command, everyone fires. Three—two—one—"
"Bang—Bang—"
A series of gunshots rang out, and the enemies at the front were all taken down in one wave. But the enemy reacted swiftly as they immediately directed their fire toward the source of the bullets and unleashed a barrage of shots.
Reports of injuries started coming through the comms.
Confirming that the wounds weren’t fatal and that everyone could still hold their guns, Ling Chen relaxed, sticking to the initial strategy of staying behind cover. He even had the leisure to lightly pinch Ye Xiao’s cheek for fun.
Ye Xiao whispered, "Captain, focus."
"Alright." Ling Chen, afraid of upsetting him, lay back down and saw the opposing forces advancing towards their hiding spot along the open line of intense fire, with bullet casings scattered all over the ground.
Ling Chen knelt on one knee and extended the barrel of his gun, "Little Fuzzball, wanna have a competition?"
Ye Xiao decisively refused, "No." His shooting skills were all taught by Ling Chen, so there was no chance of winning.
Ling Chen chuckled, "Alright, alright, no competition then. Let the Captain show off for our Little Fuzzball."
With that, Ling Chen pulled the trigger, and the red-haired man leading the charge with a small machine gun was instantly headshot. Ye Xiao followed with a shot of his own, not as precise as Ling Chen's, but it still hit its mark.
Wu Ziyan huddled with his deputy, "Damn, following Ling Zihui, even eleven against thirty seems like a breeze..."
Before he could finish, a military pickup truck drove in, causing Wu Ziyan's pupils to constrict, "Take back what I just said! It's the machine gun squad!"
Bullets loaded one after another into the chamber, spewing smoke and sparks as they were fired. The cover, under the intense barrage, was as fragile as a sheet of paper.
At this rate, it was just a matter of time before they were all dead.
Ling Chen peered out from behind the thick, sturdy concrete slab while rubbing his fingers together. The battle lust in his blood was ignited and impossible to suppress, "Jian Lan, cover me."
"Sure, Chen Ge, go wild. If anyone hits you, I'll take care of the dishes from now on!"
Ling Chen turned to Ye Xiao, "Let's go and cause some trouble with the Captain, shall we?"
Ye Xiao was easily persuaded, "Let's go!"
The entire construction site was filled with dust, the smell of explosives pungent and overwhelming.
Ling Chen supported himself on his elbows as he crawled around the pile of materials. As he passed a bundle of steel bars, a pair of camouflage military boots suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
Judging they weren't friendly, Ling Chen reached out to grab the ankle, and twisted it hard. As the man fell, Ling Chen pressed the barrel of his pistol against the man's back and pulled the trigger.
Jian Lan spoke over the comms, "Chen Ge, you said you'd let me cover you, but you've already taken care of it yourself. What do you need me for?"
"Now I really need you, two—one!" As soon as the countdown ended, Ling Chen suddenly stood up and started running towards the machine gun squad's position. With everyone else lying low, Ling Chen was impossible to miss and instantly drew most of the attention.
Jian Lan couldn't stay calm anymore, "Holy shit, Chen Ge, are you tired of living? I can't hold on much longer! Is the brother from Soaring Dragon there? Let's coordinate, or the Second Division leader is going to die a martyr!"
Just as Jian Lan finished shouting, the machine gun squad suddenly stopped firing. Ling Chen, covered in dust, looked towards the machine gun squad's position—his Little Fuzzball was standing behind them and gripping the hilt of a long blade with the three machine gunners who had been there already taken care of by Ye Xiao. Jian Lan reacted quickly by turning her gun to cover Ye Xiao.
Ling Chen took a few large strides to directly climb onto the vehicle before kneeling on one knee behind the machine gun squad. He glanced at the remaining ammo and said to Ye Xiao standing beside him, "Enough bullets, Little Fuzzball. Watch how the Captain crushes them."
What followed was indeed a personal firepower display by Ling Chen. The machine gun fire was inaccurate, but the barrage of bullets created a dense web of suppression. Wu Ziyan shouted over the comms, "Stop hiding and get up to charge! Let's kill those bastards!"
With Ling Chen's firepower suppressing the enemy, the rest of the team only needed to mop up, making the task incredibly easy. Soon, the advantage was clearly on their side.
Ye Xiao noticed that Wu Ziyan and his team were holding their own, so he didn’t intervene. Instead, he obediently crouched nearby and watched Ling Chen's performance.
Ten minutes later, Wu Ziyan walked with a swagger, "Ling Zihui, all enemies eliminated! Well, except for one captive we kept for questioning!"
Ling Chen released the machine gun mount before he jumped off the military pickup truck, and casually removed his still-hot camouflage gloves. He then walked over with Ye Xiao.
However, as they approached, they found that the captive they had kept alive was already dead. Ling Chen turned around and covered Ye Xiao's eyes with his hand, "Be good and don’t look." His palm was hot and his skin was rough, but his touch was gentle, carrying the lingering scent of gunpowder.
Wu Ziyan frowned, "What happened?"
A member of Soaring Dragon nearby explained, "There were steel bars embedded in the concrete slab. He took advantage of our distraction and rammed into them."
Wu Ziyan cast a questioning look at Ling Chen, who still had Ye Xiao pressed against his chest and absentmindedly rubbing the back of Ye Xiao's neck. "There’s nothing to ask, Captain Wu. Let’s first discuss the samples you brought back."
Wu Ziyan, who had previously withheld the truth, felt a bit guilty and followed Ling Chen to a corner.
Ling Chen didn’t press the issue, "I understand the mission details are classified, but we all risked getting shot to pieces to eliminate the enemy together. Can you give us a hint?"
Wu Ziyan hesitated for a moment before speaking, "The Command Center requested two types of samples. One was an embryo preserved in equipment that was about the size of a pinky finger. The other was a live specimen, which I had anesthetized and locked in the armored vehicle, but now it’s all blown up."
Ling Chen’s expression turned serious, "What kind of biological research institute did you enter?"
Since he had already started, Wu Ziyan decided not to hold back, "From what I saw in the documents, it was research on whether the genes of large carnivores could be fused with humans."
Ling Chen’s mind flashed back to the research institute they had raided in D Zone.
Wu Ziyan’s right foot tapped the ground repeatedly, "Isn’t it unbelievable? As soon as we entered, we were attacked by a Leopard-man. Those vertical pupils still give me goosebumps. Later, there was a Tiger-man moving on all fours. They had no human intelligence, and the researchers… had already been torn apart and eaten. Calling it hell wouldn’t be an exaggeration."
"So you almost didn’t make it out?"
"Exactly. When we first took the mission, the Command Center said it was just an ordinary biological research institute." Wu Ziyan rolled up his sleeve, revealing three deep claw marks on his arm, "This was from the little Leopard-man I locked in the vehicle."
He pulled his sleeve back down, "Chen Ge, I have a suspicion."
Ling Chen, "Go on."
Wu Ziyan took a few seconds to organize his thoughts, "I suspect that perhaps the Command Center is secretly conducting these experiments. The samples went out of control, the researchers were all killed, and the situation became unmanageable. That’s why they sent us in to clean up the mess. And it might also serve the purpose of depleting Soaring Dragon’s strength."
After saying it, he himself didn't quite believe it. "I have a wild imagination, so just take it with a grain of salt."
Ling Chen looked up at him. "No, I think it's possible."
Wu Ziyan slowly clenched his fist.
Ling Chen continued, "It's just speculation because we don't have evidence but it's possible that the Command Center is conducting such experiments, or it could be the Holy Judgement people doing it, and the Command Center wants to get a piece of the action."
After helping the Soaring Dragon team pack up the military pickup trucks, Jiang Cancan and the others stood to the side, waiting for Ling Chen and Wu Ziyan to finish their conversation.
Wu Ziyan raised his hand and bumped fists with Ling Chen. "See you around."
Ling Chen nodded. "Don't die."
The military pickup trucks kicked up dust as they headed towards Zone One, while Ling Chen and his group walked towards where the Sabertooth Tiger was parked.
Along the way, there was a muddy puddle filled with water.
Ling Chen's thick-soled military boots were waterproof, so he stepped through it without hesitation. Remembering that Ye Xiao wasn't wearing military boots and would get his shoes dirty if he stepped in, Ling Chen turned back before hedirectly grabbed Ye Xiao by the waist to lift him into his arms, and only put him down after crossing the puddle.
Ye Xiao was a bit dazed.
Jiang Cancan and the others, walking behind, were stunned by the smoothness of the operation. Afraid that Ye Xiao might feel embarrassed, Ling Chen forcibly explained, "His legs are short."
Jiang Cancan secretly rolled her eyes in her heart—if this lame excuse is true, I'll stop being a Jiang!
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