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William Hansen's face was ashen. He stood before the massive control console, staring at the flashing alarms on the screen, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.
The entire base was in chaos. The shouts and explosions outside were clearly audible, but they couldn't contact the outside world; even the signal from the undersea cable had been cut off.
"Damn it!" Hansen slammed his fist on the command platform. "When will the signal be back on at the earliest?"
The technicians worked tirelessly, though they were drenched in sweat. One engineer, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, answered tremblingly, "Reporting, Colonel, it seems... connection is lost. The explosion damaged the external signal terminal, making it unrepairable."
Hansen's eyes were filled with despair and resentment. As the supreme commander of Base 5, he had never imagined facing such a dire situation. He didn't want to take that step until the very last moment.
Just as he was struggling with his decision, a commotion suddenly broke out outside. Hansen's face turned pale instantly; he knew the enemy had arrived. He quickly grabbed the gun beside him and warily watched the doorway.
But what entered wasn't the enemy, but a panicked squad of American soldiers. A captain with shoulder insignia rushed in anxiously, and Hansen lowered his guard upon seeing him.
"Joseph, what are you doing here at this time? I need a reasonable explanation." As he asked, Hansen's heart tightened with suspicion. Could it be...?
Joseph betrayed us? But he doesn't seem like it.
Joseph had no time to ponder Colonel Hansen's meaning; he hurriedly reported, "Colonel, our armory is gone."
Hansen's face turned even paler. "What do you mean? It just exploded along with it?" No, that's impossible. The weapons depot and fuel depot are far apart. That arrangement was a precaution.
They couldn't possibly have made such a mistake. Joseph didn't know how to explain it, but that was the reality. Everything in their armory had vanished.
"Colonel, it's all empty, nothing was left. Colonel, retreat now. The soldiers' current ammunition won't last ten minutes."
Joseph was frantic, but his squad was out of ammunition. Right now, Colonel Hansen's location was the safest place in the entire Base 5. Only by staying with Colonel Hansen did they have a chance of survival.
Colonel Hansen had calmed down by this point. Since everything was futile, there was no point in persisting. However, giving up like this was definitely not an option.
"Shut down all non-essential systems. How long will it take for the self-destruct mechanism to activate?" Hansen asked calmly.
The technician stared at the mechanical counter in front of him, his fingers nervously turning the gears: "Sir, the backup power is unstable, and it will take at least ten minutes for the countdown to start."
Hansen lost control of his emotions. He slammed his fist on the table, causing the thumbtacks on the map to bounce up: "Ten minutes? We won't last that long!"
His fingers traced the buttons. If he pressed the destroy button, the entire command center would be razed to the ground, all classified information would be lost, and he would become a sinner against the United States.
However, if he doesn't press the button, he will still face certain death if the base is captured by the enemy.
Hansen placed his finger on the destroy button, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "From now on, no matter how difficult it is, you must hold on until the self-destruct device is activated."
Hansen's fingers tightened slightly as he spoke.
Chang Yin and Tang Shengkai were already prepared when Hansen uttered his last words. They exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with determination. They absolutely could not allow this place to be destroyed.
They quietly took out the small hand grenades Tang Yue had given them, unscrewed the safety caps, and with two loud "Boom! Boom!" explosions, a large hole was blasted in the ventilation duct. The two men used the blast wave to leap down, bullets and flying wood chips mingling in the command room. The final showdown had begun...
With two loud bangs, Chang Yin and Tang Shengkai leaped down from the breach in the ventilation duct like ghosts. Chang Yin's gun spat fire first, accurately hitting the guard closest to Hansen, while Tang Shengkai, wielding a dagger, went straight for another enemy who tried to stop him.
Hansen reacted extremely quickly, rolling to the side the instant the explosion occurred, thus dodging Chang Yin's first wave of attacks.
He seized the opportunity to rush to the self-destruct control console, the crimson countdown display flashing wildly in his eyes. "The base can fall, but it must not fall into the hands of the Chinese!" he roared, his bloodshot hand slamming into the activation button.
At the critical moment, Chang Yin pounced like a cheetah, delivering a flying kick that sent Hansen flying off the control panel. Sparks flew as the metal floor grazed Hansen's cheek; enraged, he drew his pistol and fired back.
The bullet grazed Chang Yin's shoulder, leaving a charred bullet mark on the wall. Chang Yin rolled on the spot and hid behind a large vacuum tube computer, his eyes warily observing the movements around him.
"Kill them!" Hansen shouted hoarsely. The remaining guards immediately split into two groups: one group rushed towards Chang Yin, while the other group blocked Tang Shengkai's path.
Facing four guards, Tang Shengkai showed no fear. The dagger danced in his hand, flashing with a cold light, as he engaged in close combat with his enemies.
He was agile, dodging left and right, and seizing the enemy's weaknesses to deliver a fatal blow.
Chang Yin knew that time was of the essence and he had to deal with Hansen as soon as possible to prevent him from getting close to destroy the button again.
He took a deep breath, leaped out from behind the computer, and fired a series of shots, instantly felling the two guards in front of Hansen. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chang Yin charged towards Hansen like an arrow released from a bow.
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