Li Wenjia naturally didn't get to enjoy his delicious meal for long. In fact, he only took his second bite of the stew when his terminal rang with a notification.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"I didn't mess with her! She's having a seizure! You know, Old Ma."
"Again? Okay, when do we leave?"
"I just ate two mouthfuls of food, how can I have time to think about this?"
"Okay. See you later."
Li Wenjia placed the terminal back on the table and let out a long sigh. That Qin Xin was truly restless. It hadn't been so long, and she'd already come up with a new way to cause trouble. The old woman suggested they investigate the tunnel's interior and, ideally, open the south exit.
"That would be great~" Li Wenjia tapped the table with her fingers, which meant that she had other options. Anyway, she was determined to get rid of the tunnel.
"Aren't old women supposed to like long sticks? Why do they also like drilling holes?"
Naturally, no one dared to respond to his words. The people present stopped talking and began to fiercely deal with the food on their plates.
Li Wenjia quickly finished today's dinner and then put the helmet on his head.
When he arrived at the mobile command vehicle, several people were already waiting outside. They were fully armed and sitting in a Gladiator III. They were clearly reconnaissance team members on break, having likely just received their mission. They gave Li Wenjia a casual military salute, as usual.
A battle that lasts for several months is enough to turn any well-trained soldier into a rogue, not to mention that the battle is far from over.
Li Wenjia didn't return the greeting, he just nodded at them. He didn't even slow down, just walked past the Fighter at the pace of a post-dinner stroll, then opened the isolation door of the command vehicle and got in.
The space inside the mobile command vehicle is not very large, slightly smaller than the supply vehicle, but it looks no different from the others.
When Li Wenjia arrived, there were three people standing or sitting here.
Lao Ma was holding a cup of brown liquid and drinking it slowly. He was sitting at a combat table with a tactical map and a precious food processor on it.
Li Wenjia recognized one of the other two. He was likely the Wild Wolf Squad's captain, codenamed Wolf King, though his real name was unknown. He sat on the other side of the table, wearing an exoskeleton identical to Li Wenjia's, gesturing at the map. Wolf King and Li Wenjia had collaborated several times, each time losing several teammates. Their relationship wasn't exactly close, more like a shared interest.
The last one looked like the operator of the command platform. He was only halfway dressed in his protective suit, the upper part tied around his waist. He looked like he'd been doing some heavy labor; his exposed vest was soaked with sweat. He leaned against the vent of the command vehicle, steam rising from his body.
"Is everyone here? Xiaowen, please get the materials out."
The man shrouded in mist moved, and a tablet was placed on the operations table. The tablet displayed the mission details mentioned in the communication, and in the top column was the code name of the mission.
"Operation Sharp Sword? Isn't this just a tunnel reconnaissance operation? Is it necessary to give it such a loud name?"
"Look down. The tunnel is only part of the operation. I talked to a few others, and they think it would be better to move the base to the tunnel. Since the Rangers like this place, it must have its advantages. What do you think?"
"Are there other people in the tunnel? How should we deal with them? It would be fine if they were willing to cooperate, but we haven't encountered many kind tribes along the way. If a conflict breaks out, we won't be able to deal with them all at once."
"Let's start with courtesy and then use force." Lao Ma sighed softly. He put down the enamel cup and then took out a tin box from under the table. "This is the courtesy."
"What...chocolate? You still have so much hidden?"
"Didn't I give them all to you? They're all from the same batch. The reconnaissance team found them this morning. They're probably from a collection of the Youbei tribe. They were very valuable before the war, and now they're probably worth as much as gold."
"I guess this thing of yours may not be useful enough. It's better to find a guide." Li Wenjia stared at the chocolate on the table. He was still savoring the stew he had just eaten.
Damn it, that sour smell comes back up, just like the stinky sole of a fucking shoe.
"You have a guide? Are you talking about those two rat-traveling guys? Did you find out anything?"
"Didn't Sister Qin report to you? They say there are more than a dozen people hiding in the tunnel, led by a man called Changgu. They're running a livestock business in the tunnel, and there might even be a large rat colony living there. They also say the south exit is blocked. If we proceed in step by step, they probably won't have anywhere to escape."
"You're digging your own grave!"
"It's hard to say, but we can certainly give them a try. Let's stick to the plan. Where are those two guys now?"
"If Boss Qin hadn't killed them, he should still be in Medical Cart No. 3."
"Hmm..." Old Ma nodded. He looked at the Wolf King with sincere eyes and asked, "How is it?"
The Wolf King stood up from his seat and saluted Old Horse skillfully.
"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"
The Wolf King acted quickly, quickly gathering eight team members using the terminal. Of course, the group Li Wenjia encountered outside the command vehicle wasn't traveling the same way as them; by the time they emerged from the vehicle, they had already left.
The Wolf King's plan was simple. He divided the team into two groups. One, the more dangerous one, would be led by him personally, exploring the tunnels. The other would act as a signal relay station. They had suffered losses before: the thick mountain was enough to block all shortwave radio communications, and the tunnels were not suitable for flying drones.
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