Chapter 112: The Fishing Operation (Part Five)

The three of them walked more than five hundred meters north but found nothing, so they left the drone behind and returned.

“How’s the north side of Sector Three?”

Zhang Mingyang replied, “The three of us walked over five hundred meters but didn’t discover anything.”

Back at the camp, Tian Wenyuan asked Zhang Mingyang, “Did you leave the drone there?”

Zhang Mingyang nodded. “It’s set to automatic mode, scanning forward in designated zones.”

“Good.”

The drone they carried had night vision reconnaissance capabilities. It could be pre-programmed to scan specific areas, using its built-in infrared thermal imaging to detect heat sources in the vicinity.

At that moment, Peng Dongli ran over and whispered into Zhang Mingyang’s ear, “Junior brother, the director wants to video call you.”

“Director Wang? Where is he?”

Peng Dongli pointed to vehicle number eighteen. “Just get in; there’s no one inside.”

Zhang Mingyang nodded and hurried over.

Before entering the vehicle, he glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then stepped inside.

Once inside the back seat, the projector displayed Director Wang Bowen’s image.

“Grandpa Wang, you wanted to see me?”

Wang Bowen sat upright in his office on the screen. “Mingyang, we’ve received information. Someone started watching you as soon as you left the base gate.”

“What? So soon?”

Zhang Mingyang scanned the surroundings again. “No, not really. The day went smoothly; we didn’t encounter anyone suspicious.”

Wang Bowen replied, “You still need to stay alert. Our intelligence is reliable. They said they might suddenly launch an ambush at any time.”

Hearing this, Zhang Mingyang grew tense. It was pitch dark at night—perfect conditions for a surprise attack. There’s an old saying: a dark, windy night is a night for murder.

Seeing Zhang Mingyang’s unease, Wang Bowen reassured him, “Don’t worry. Our team is close by. If anything happens, they’ll arrive immediately.”

“All right.”

“Oh, and,” Wang Bowen added, “make sure to tell your two senior brothers too.”

“Got it.”

After ending the call, Zhang Mingyang stepped out of the vehicle and looked around the silent surroundings. A slight breeze stirred, sending a chill down his spine.

“I need to get back quickly.”

The entire convoy was stationed in a triangular formation resembling the Chinese character for “eight” (品), dividing the eighty-plus members into three groups corresponding to the three corners of the triangle, forming a defensive perimeter with all vehicles enclosed. Zhang Mingyang and his two senior brothers each led one group, with Zhang Mingyang responsible for the northwest sector.

Zhang Mingyang activated his headset and called his senior brothers, “Number One, Number Two, this is Number Three. Please rendezvous at the northwest corner.”

“Number One here, received.”

“Number Two here, received.”

Soon, Peng Dongli and Tian Wenyuan hurried over. “What’s going on? Did the director call you for something?”

Zhang Mingyang glanced around and whispered, “The director said we’ve been watched since we stepped out.”

“Normal!” Tian Wenyuan dismissed it. “If they couldn’t watch us, then we’d have failed. Without surveillance, how else would they plan to seize the magnetic boxes?”

Peng Dongli asked, “Did the director say anything else?”

Zhang Mingyang continued, “He told us to remain vigilant. They might launch a sudden attack at any moment. He also said his team is nearby, so we can be reassured.”

“Nearby?”

Peng Dongli looked around the quiet fields. “But we just scouted around; there’s no one here.”

Zhang Mingyang shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s what the director said.”

“Forget it, let’s not worry about that now.”

Tian Wenyuan pulled the two of them together. “Since the director warned us, we must be cautious. We don’t know what equipment the enemy has. If they have guns, they won’t hesitate to shoot. When you get back to your areas, remind everyone.”

“Understood!”

The two nodded.

“Break!”

Zhang Mingyang headed north.

At the northern camp, Crab greeted him. “Number Three, where have you been? If you don’t eat soon, there won’t be any food left.”

Zhang Mingyang sat down, took the food handed by Black Panther, and whispered, “Everyone, I just received news that we’re being watched. Our superiors want us to be alert.”

Hearing this, Black Panther quickly looked at the drone controller. “Don’t worry, Number Three. Anyone nearby can’t escape the drone’s watchful eyes.”

Zhang Mingyang nodded but insisted on raising their vigilance. “Brother Panther, how are we arranging the night watch for our group?”

Black Panther replied, “We have twenty-five people, divided into five teams of five. Starting at nine o’clock, each team takes two-hour shifts. This way, everyone gets enough rest.”

Zhang Mingyang nodded. “Good. Which team am I in?”

Crab smiled, “You don’t have to. You’re busy directing during the day; leave the night watch to us.”

“That won’t do!”

Zhang Mingyang was displeased. “Operating machines doesn’t require much brainpower. You patrol during the day and stand watch at night—it’s much harder than what I do. You have to schedule me a shift.”

Black Panther couldn’t argue further. “Fine. You’ll be with Crab from nine to eleven.”

“Okay!”

After settling the schedule, Zhang Mingyang saw that patrol time was approaching and quickly began eating.

At nine in the evening, the camp’s makeshift tents were all set up, and most people had gone in to rest.

“Number Three, do you have your weapon?”

Zhang Mingyang raised his pistol. “Time’s up. Let’s move.”

Crab nodded and led the patrol team out.

Tonight’s mission focused on securing a one-thousand-meter radius in the northwest corner, with the drone responsible for the outer area beyond that.

On the way, Zhang Mingyang eyed Crab’s backpack. “What’s in your bag?”

Crab answered, “There are no villages or residents nearby, so I brought directional mines. They’ll come in handy.”

He pulled out a rectangular object resembling an old-fashioned lunchbox. “This device automatically scans objects within twenty meters. It has an automatic recognition function. It can identify things like wild rabbits or pheasants, but it only detonates if it detects human-shaped objects within range.”

Zhang Mingyang took the mine and examined it. “Won’t this hurt our own people?”

Crab smiled. “No. Our bulletproof vests have identification codes, so the mines avoid triggering on us.”

Then he opened a small screen on his left wrist. “After I place it, its location appears on this screen. The patrol members behind can see it by opening their screens.”

Zhang Mingyang shook his head in amazement. “Is everything in your military really this advanced?”

Crab replied, “This system is decent. I heard the Navy has an even more insane setup. Once activated, it scans for humans, and the projectiles inside can automatically track enemies.”

“I’m stunned!”

“Nowadays, people don’t even know how they’re going to die in war.”

As Crab spoke, he placed the mines and marked their positions on the display.

Reaching the one-thousand-meter mark, another team member started controlling the drone to conduct a precise scan of the outer zone.

“Hey, there’s a rabbit too?”

On the controller screen, Zhang Mingyang saw a rabbit hopping about.