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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 201: Storms Over the Mountains
The faint light of dawn accompanied by rolling thunder arrived quietly. On this day at the end of October, the long-awaited rainy season poured over the dusty Gobi Desert, a curtain of rain connecting heaven and earth, slowly marking the beginning of this deadly chase.
Last night, no one slept. Although the sky was beginning to brighten, the sun remained hidden behind leaden clouds, casting a shadow over the hearts of many who still stood on this land. It seemed that even though they had survived until dawn, whether they would see the sun today was uncertain.
Shaoshan tilted his face up, the cool raindrops soaking his parched lips, gradually suppressing the flames of anger in his chest. What was supposed to be a one-hour raid had turned into an all-night Mountain Battle. By dawn, Wang Zhongyu still had not emerged from underground, and the original thirty-member team had dwindled to half. In the latter part of the night, unable to contain himself, Shaoshan launched a fierce attack. According to their original plan, Wang Zhongyu should have led the team to retreat by now. But times had changed; emotionally and rationally, this opportunity was rare. It was easy to withdraw completely but difficult to return once again.
The opposing Mercenaries had initially held their ground at Container Camp, but something changed in the latter part of the night. For reasons unknown, they abandoned their camp and helicopters and retreated entirely to defend the main gate of their base. They even pulled back further inside, completely distancing themselves from Shaoshan's forces and adopting a defensive posture. In this situation, drawing fire became an empty phrase; they remained behind closed doors while Shaoshan could only stare helplessly. Unless he had heavy firepower at his disposal—which was clearly not the case—his accompanying personnel lacked pilots for armed helicopters that could provide effective support.
Shaoshan prevented his men from launching wave attacks out of frustration; their numbers were limited, and small waves could not shake a large ship. Several attempts failed to yield results and instead resulted in several casualties from snipers. Before dawn broke, a truce medal was hung inside; the enemy announced: ceasefire and negotiations at dawn.
This scene was truly absurd and left Shaoshan perplexed. It was certain that Wang Zhongyu's internal strategy had failed; either they would be annihilated or tightly blocked. In any case, they could not come out while he could not go in. The only strange thing was why they did not first eliminate internal threats before addressing external ones? Given their Armed Forces, it might be challenging to guard both fronts simultaneously, but dividing their forces should not pose much pressure. After thinking it over, Shaoshan could only conclude that the enemy must have leverage over Wang Zhongyu, which made it impossible for them to kill him or abandon him.
Shaoshan was not worried about the enemy playing for time; after all, he only had these people beside him. Whether they sent one hundred or one thousand against him, he would not back down. Since they wanted negotiations, fine—he would wait until dawn. He led his team into Container Camp while personnel rotated for defense so that some injured soldiers could rest for a moment.
Shaoshan wiped the rainwater off his face and noticed several soldiers yawning. He felt a bit uneasy and spoke up: "Get your act together; we’ll be negotiating soon! You look like a bunch of slackers—you're embarrassing me!" The Soldiers chuckled awkwardly and mimicked Vice Commander's actions by rubbing rainwater on their faces to wash away dirt and sweat, revealing their vibrant and determined expressions.
The fires that had burned around the high walls all night were extinguished by rainwater, leaving large patches of charred marks on the ground. There were two large holes in the field—remnants of last night's helicopter activity. Rainwater pooled on the ground in streams rushing toward deep pits, quickly filling half a basin.
Shaoshan glanced at his watch; it was just ten minutes until seven o'clock. The Launch Base shrouded in rain curtains appeared silent and solemn, resembling an iron fortress exuding a heavy atmosphere.
At exactly seven o'clock, the iron gates on the high wall slowly opened. Foreign Mercenaries lined up like an honor guard in two rows and rushed out. Leading them was a well-dressed Black Behemoth; however, he was not the main character but merely holding an umbrella. Beneath it stood a somewhat thin man with slicked-back hair and wearing elegant gold-rimmed glasses with an indifferent expression on his face; beside him was a young woman with flowing long hair and an alluring figure. Following closely behind was last night's Blonde Woman who led the counterattack, cradling a small child in her arms while dozens of armed Militants trailed behind her.
Shaoshan and the group of warriors stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape. After all, it was a rare sight to see the emperor traveling incognito.
The Foreign Girl handed a half-grown child to the nearby Militants and strode forward, signaling towards the Container. Shaoshan guessed she was calling them over, but he felt a bit confused. What was this about? Were the two countries exchanging diplomatic documents? Or was this local emperor bestowing some sort of title upon himself?
Shaoshan chuckled for a moment before quickly pulling the dazed warriors back to attention. They couldn't afford to lose face; if the other side was putting on a show, they had to match it. A small squad of more than ten straightened their backs and tightened their nerves, trying to display military bearing while remaining vigilant. Two warriors, caught up in the atmosphere, couldn't help but march in place, splattering Shaoshan with mud.
The delegations—oh no, both sides stood silently, twenty meters apart, within each other's range, demonstrating enough courage and sincerity.
Shaoshan squinted his eyes and met the gaze of the Gold-Rimmed Glasses Man. He wondered what tricks he had up his sleeve. The woman beside him looked pale; whether from anxiety or cold, she kept her eyes fixed on a puddle at her feet, her features delicate and lonely.
After a moment of silence, Shaoshan pondered what he should say. Since it was the other party who proposed negotiations, he had no idea about their bargaining chips. Speaking out of turn might cost him dearly. Hesitating for a moment, he chose to remain silent; if they didn't move, neither would he. It was just a standoff, after all—who feared whom?
The other side also seemed unwilling to speak. The Glasses Man smirked slightly and raised his arm. His team shifted sideways and stepped back a distance, clearing the main entrance. Inside, the ground rose slightly; rainwater had swiftly carved out channels in the soil, flowing down the slope and soaking into the parched earth.
At the back of the line, some Militants rushed back into the building and shouted something at the entrance. Moments later, the large double doors facing west slowly opened again, revealing another team of black-clad Security personnel stepping out. Indeed, these individuals were retreating backward, each maintaining a shooting stance as they moved slowly down the street with their guns still aimed at the entrance.
After they had retreated a short distance, another group emerged from behind the doors. Shaoshan's brow twitched as he realized what this so-called negotiation entailed.
The first row of soldiers stepped forward, each holding a white-coated figure hostage. The doctors raised their hands above their heads, their backs pressed against the cold barrels of guns as they took small steps down the stairs. Both sides maintained their distance in this standoff, not daring to relax for even a moment.
When Wang Zhongyu appeared with an air of arrogance, Shaoshan's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, and a hint of a smile crept onto his face. Just as he was about to make a teasing remark, Jiang He emerged from behind the door with a serious expression.
"Damn it," Shaoshan muttered under his breath as his eyes widened.
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