Chapter 114: Fierce Battle
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Tian Wenyuan took the identification documents and began speaking with the police officer, while Zhang Mingyang led the rest of the policemen to the scene.
“Crab, tell everyone to put away their weapons.”
Crab nodded and relayed the order to everyone.
After several criminal investigators and forensic examiners arrived, they began their preliminary examination. The results came shortly afterward.
The deceased was a native of Nanyang, Yun Province. His name was Wu Yi. He was twenty-four years old, one meter seventy-seven centimeters tall, and weighed sixty-five kilograms. The fatal wound was a single stab beneath the left armpit...
As Zhang Mingyang listened to the forensic examiner’s report, one thing puzzled him. Yun Province was more than two thousand kilometers away. Why had this man died here?
“What did Forensic Examiner Three say?”
Tian Wenyuan walked over and patted Zhang Mingyang on the shoulder.
“The cause of death was more or less what Crab said. But the man was from Yun Province. How did he end up dying here?”
“That isn’t for us to worry about,” Tian Wenyuan replied. “We still have a mission. I’ve already spoken with the police. We’ll be leaving shortly and won’t stay here any longer.”
“We’re leaving just like that?”
Tian Wenyuan nodded. “This place is no longer safe. Even if the man wasn’t connected to the Black Hole Organization, we still have to go.”
“Number One, didn’t you ask Director Wang what he thought?”
“Director Wang said this had nothing to do with them. He told us to leave quickly and not get ourselves involved in a criminal case.”
“Fine. I’ll tell them now.”
“All right.”
Zhang Mingyang then informed everyone over the radio to pack up the camp equipment and prepare to depart.
The others began moving as soon as they received the order.
Half an hour later, everything had been loaded onto the vehicles. After Tian Wenyuan spoke briefly with the police, the convoy set off.
At three in the morning, Zhang Mingyang was so sleepy that his eyes seemed to be fighting one another, each trying to knock the other out.
“Number Three, if you’re tired, get some sleep. Black Panther and I will keep watch.”
Zhang Mingyang rubbed his eyes. “I’m fine. Tonight is different—I have to stay alert. Brother Panther, how far have we gone?”
Black Panther replied, “We’re still in the mountains. In another ten hours, we’ll reach Guyuan. From there, it’s only a little over a hundred kilometers to the Monan Base.”
“Oh.”
“Beep... beep...!”
At that moment, Zhang Mingyang’s communicator began to ring.
“Who is it? Doesn’t anyone sleep at this hour?”
“Grandpa Wang?”
Zhang Mingyang glanced at the screen and saw that it was Wang Bowen. He hurriedly answered the call.
“Director Wang, you’re still awake at this hour...!”
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Before he could finish, the voice on the other end shouted, “Mingyang, members of the Black Hole Organization are right near you! Prepare for battle!”
“What?”
Zhang Mingyang instantly sobered. Staring at the pitch-black fields outside the window, he shouted into his headset, “Everyone, pay attention! The target is nearby! Everyone, pay attention...!”
Before he could finish, a tremendous explosion shattered the silence of the night. A burst of gunfire followed, bullets striking the vehicles and making them crackle and clang.
“Stop the vehicles!”
Crab took control and positioned the vehicle at the designated defensive point according to their battle plan.
“Number Three, stay close to me!”
The dense barrage of bullets could not penetrate the vehicle’s body, but they shattered the surrounding windows. Shards of glass flew through the cabin, some striking Zhang Mingyang.
The instant the gunfire began, Black Panther activated the combat robot. As soon as the vehicle stopped, the robot opened the door, drew its rifle, and exchanged fire with the enemy.
Listening to the deafening gunfire and explosions, Zhang Mingyang lowered his head, opened the door, and crawled over to Crab.
“Crab, what’s the situation?”
Crab fired while shouting, “I can’t see clearly! It feels like we’re surrounded!”
Using the vehicle as cover, Black Panther fought back relentlessly.
“Number Three, launch the drone and see what’s going on!”
At Black Panther’s reminder, Zhang Mingyang launched the drone with trembling hands. He lay flat on the ground, gasping for breath and unwilling to raise his head.
A dozen seconds later, the drone reached its designated position. Just as it was about to unfold, an electromagnetic pulse struck it, sending it crashing down.
“Damn it!”
Seeing the drone shot down, Black Panther shouted, “They have pulse weapons! Everyone, be careful!”
The headsets had already dissolved into a chaotic hiss. When Zhang Mingyang tried calling the others, all he heard was static.
“Crab, no one’s answering on the headset?”
Crab tested his own headset and shouted, “They’ve jammed our signal!”
Zhang Mingyang pulled out his communicator and tried calling Tian Wenyuan, but there was still no response.
“Crab, who are we fighting? Can you see them clearly?”
Crab shouted back, “Number Three, go into the vehicle and get the night-vision goggles!”
“All right!”
Zhang Mingyang crawled toward the vehicle inch by inch. He did not dare raise his head. Above him was a dense web of gunfire; one wrong movement would get him killed.
Using the thick grass as cover, Zhang Mingyang struggled back to the vehicle and retrieved the night-vision goggles from the rear seat. He then crawled back through the storm of bullets.
“Crab, here!”
Crab took the goggles and put them on. In an instant, everything around them became clear.
“Damn it! Those aren’t people! They’re all robots!”
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“What?”
Black Panther put on the night-vision goggles as well. When he saw the robots surrounding them, he cursed furiously.
“What the hell is going on? Did the plan say anything about fighting robots?”
Boom!
A convoy vehicle was blasted into the air. Zhang Mingyang ducked and scrambled for cover in terror.
“Number Three! When are the reinforcements getting here? If they don’t come soon, we’re all going to die!”
Boom!
Another deafening explosion tore through the night, blowing Black Panther’s combat robot to pieces.
“Damn it! Then I’ll take you all down with me!”
Seeing his robot destroyed, Black Panther returned fire like a madman.
As the battle continued, the life detector showed the number of living personnel in the convoy steadily falling. Fewer than thirty people remained.
It was over.
That was Zhang Mingyang’s first thought. He had never imagined that he would die in a place like this.
Black Panther and Crab were in terrible shape as well. Each had been shot three times. Black Panther was in the worst condition: one bullet had passed through the left side of his chest, sending blood gushing out. Zhang Mingyang stared at him in shock.
“Number Three, stay behind me!”
Black Panther covered his wound with one hand while firing back with the other.
Crack!
At that moment, a bullet struck Black Panther in the head. It entered through the front of his face and exploded out the back of his skull. In an instant, the spray of blood and brain matter splattered across Zhang Mingyang’s face.
Black Panther collapsed.
Zhang Mingyang stared blankly at his body for a moment. Then he touched the matter coating his face, his eyes bloodshot.
“Brother Panther! Brother Panther!”
He cried Black Panther’s name, trying to wake him. Crab glanced back at the fallen man, then shouted and charged out.
Staring at Black Panther’s corpse, Zhang Mingyang clenched both fists as rage surged through him. He snatched up Black Panther’s rifle and opened fire wildly at the enemies outside.
“You animals! I’ll kill every one of you!”
Crack!
A bullet struck Zhang Mingyang in the right shoulder. But by then, bloodlust had consumed him, and he felt no pain.
Whir... whir...!
A humming sound came from above, followed by a powerful gust of wind.
Zhang Mingyang looked up with his blood-red eyes.
A Super Great White Shark helicopter was flying toward them.
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