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墨書 Inktalez
The mountain range was nameless, or rather, it had yet to be named before it fell into disaster. The terrorist incident had turned what could have been a flourishing Administrative Star into a desolate wasteland, leaving the merchants displaced, having poured all their savings into this place, only to find it had become a disastrous gamble. Now, they struggled on all sides.
Life is like a chessboard; one must be cautious with every move.
This mountain range was also like a chessboard, but the pieces upon it were far more complex.
The colors were dim, the rocky cliffs steep and jagged, and the bizarre stones provided the terrorists with an advantage of time and place. The trio of Jufeng had witnessed many tragic scenes along their journey—some involving terrorists, but more often than not, they encountered the Cosmic Police. Especially the Fighter Jets; while they initially held an advantage flying high, in the night they became targets. The thunderous roar posed a significant threat to the terrorists, making those chaotic Fighter Jets their primary target.
As they rounded a hill, they suddenly spotted a Fighter Jet patrolling nearby. Vera, at the forefront, abruptly halted her craft, causing Jufeng and Liu Gulang to hover in place.
A faint voice from Vera came through their communications. "We're following behind this Fighter Jet; there's a good chance we can wait for them."
Indeed, Vera's choice was wise. Liu Gulang secretly admired her keen military insight. Coupled with what he had heard about her illustrious history on Earth from Jufeng, he had already mentally categorized her as one of the most dangerous women he knew.
Of course, this was not in reference to him but rather to her enemies.
While Liu Gulang was still pondering this, he suddenly heard Jufeng's voice in his ear.
"Truly worthy of being the squad leader of the Landing Troops; she knows her own people well. Impressive..."
Liu Gulang was taken aback and cautiously observed the state of the woman in front of him. Ten seconds passed without any movement or sound from her before he finally let out a long breath.
What was Brother Jufeng up to? He seemed much more optimistic since returning from Earth—perhaps even overly so; it felt almost like teasing...
Thoughts flashed through Liu Gulang's mind as he quickly shook his head, forcing himself not to dwell on that last word. He focused intently on the nearby Fighter Jet, ready for battle at any moment. Jufeng's leg injury had healed completely; now he could unleash his full strength without having to act as merely a turret like before on Pirate Star.
The Fighter Jet continued to circle nearby, its patrol hindered by towering ancient trees nestled among the rocky terrain, complicating their reconnaissance efforts.
The Fighter Jet hovered uncertainly, the pilot contemplating a lower altitude for a closer inspection. He was diligent and responsible, but it was precisely such qualities that often led good people into danger.
And so, misfortune struck him.
...
Vera and her companions were intently waiting when they suddenly saw the Fighter Jet descend. Before it could make any further moves, it was caught off guard by the lurking Ape hidden among the rocks.
A black mech, initially blending into the night, suddenly leaped down from the cliffside. It landed atop the Fighter Jet, its Iron Arms gripping the jet's nose tightly, intending to send it crashing into the valley below.
The pilot felt a violent tremor throughout the aircraft and immediately sensed trouble. He quickly pushed the engines to gain altitude, only to find that the Fighter Jet was struggling to operate independently.
Just as the Fighter Jet teetered on the brink of disaster, a Shell came flying in unexpectedly, striking the black Ape's cockpit with precision. The impact sent both the injured mech and the Fighter Jet plummeting sideways.
At that moment, Vera propelled her mech at high speed toward the wounded machine. Just before they hit the ground, she delivered a powerful punch that sent the mech flying off, stabilizing the Fighter Jet and allowing it to land smoothly.
The entire sequence unfolded in mere seconds, so swiftly that Jufeng and Liu Gulang were left dumbfounded, momentarily forgetting that Vera had pursued after the mech.
Liu Gulang swallowed hard, still processing what had just happened. The Shell had been incredibly accurate; its timing and Vera's urgent response were impeccable. Was this really a woman?
"Brother Jufeng, do all your acquaintances have to be so extraordinary?" he asked incredulously.
Jufeng replied tersely, "Shut up. With those skills in real combat, I wouldn't stand a chance on the battlefield. Stop dawdling and go check it out."
Only after the Fighter Jet had landed did they finally approach the heavily damaged mech.
Vera stepped back after the Fighter Jet, appearing calm as if nothing had happened. However, Jufeng couldn't shake the feeling that the woman in the steel cockpit was undoubtedly pleased with herself.
Having been bested by the woman, Romain took out his frustration on the Terrorist. He quickly removed the power source from the heavily damaged mech and jumped down to begin interrogating the captive.
The interrogation was swift and brutal. The Terrorist pilot, instead of being blown to bits by Shell, ended up with a bruised face thanks to Romain's fists.
"You dare to mistreat a prisoner? I'm going to take you to Military Court!" the Terrorist shouted.
Romain responded with another punch, knocking him out cold while muttering angrily, "You’re so stupid you can’t even dodge a Shell. I’m Captain of the Universal Landing Force’s 521st Squadron. Go ahead and report me!"
After venting his anger, Romain noticed that the Fighter Jet pilot was watching him intently. When their eyes met, the young man quickly looked down, avoiding direct contact.
The pilot looked very young, as if he had just joined the military. It was no surprise; an experienced soldier wouldn’t have recklessly lowered altitude for reconnaissance like that.
Romain chuckled and walked over to the young man, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, brother, which unit are you from?"
The young man felt grateful for Vera's rescue and was already anxious after hearing Romain's rank and witnessing the Terrorist's fate. He replied cautiously, "Reporting, sir. I’m Private Yang Yehe from the 207th Landing Troops."
"Oh, so we’re from the same unit. Good. Just now… what did you see?"
"Uh," Yang Yehe hesitated, thinking about how he had just witnessed Romain mistreating a prisoner. However, he couldn’t say that outright. After careful consideration, he finally said, "Reporting, sir. I saw the Terrorist get hit and crash down, sustaining serious injuries."
Romain smiled with satisfaction. "I see potential in you, young man. Here’s what I want you to do: when you report back, say that you were the one who discovered the Terrorist and alerted your teammates who then captured him. Got it?"
"Um…" The young man showed a troubled expression; having just entered the military, he felt brave in spirit but lacked the courage to go along with such a scheme.
Jufeng continued to persuade, "I still need to go and strike at the enemy. This person will be in your care. Do not be afraid; I have always been a strong supporter of the young. As long as you work hard to protect your home and country, that will be enough repayment for me."
The young man's eyes brightened with Jufeng's words. Although it felt somewhat awkward for him to be called a young man by an officer of similar age, he could not think of a good reason to refuse such a favorable offer.
"Then... thank you, sir."
Jufeng smiled and patted the young man's shoulder again. He then helped him escort the captives onto the Fighter Jet, watching as they flew away before turning back to retrieve a black box from the downed mech and returning to his own mech.
It was the Communication Box of the mech, capable of recording communication logs from the past half-day. Fortunately, Vera had struck with great precision, leaving behind this crucial item.
Jufeng installed the Communication Box onto his mech and decoded the geographical coordinates of the incoming communications. He filtered through them to find a location that was relatively close, hoping to discover where the Terrorists were gathering.
(To be continued)
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