Chapter 131: The Campsite
Chapter 131: The Campsite
Obtaining the necessary items from Wei Chang'an was effortless, and by the afternoon of the following day, everything was delivered.
With the assistance of Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan, Chen Chuan spent a day coordinating and preparing, ensuring all required items were ready.
He Senior Sister provided them with five off-road vehicles, and with Ren Xiaotian driving his own car, they had a total of six vehicles, sufficient to accommodate everyone and the essential supplies and weapons needed for their journey through the wilderness.
The next day, just past midnight, all participants in this operation gathered at the square in front of Wu Yi Academy's entrance.
Chen Chuan's group consisted of five people, while Wei Chang'an brought six, including Ren Xiaotian, making a total of thirteen.
Due to her young age, Lin Xiaoti did not join this raid but remained in Yangzhi City, keeping an eye on the exchange delegation and staying in contact with the Foreign Affairs Bureau via radio. They intentionally brought two radios on this trip, ensuring immediate notification through the radio if anything unusual occurred with the delegation.
Before departure, everyone checked their belongings once more, confirming they were in order. They nodded to each other and boarded the vehicles, driving off into the night along the open roads.
Wei Chang'an's team of six included individuals capable of driving, so they took turns behind the wheel, and the original drivers were not used.
The vehicles left Wu Yi Academy, heading east, and soon exited Yangzhi City. They ventured into the wilderness, and those inside the cars quickly felt the road beneath them become bumpy and uneven.
Ideally, they could have reached the vicinity of their destination in a maximum of two hours if they had traveled on the National Highway. However, the highway was lined with remnants of the Great Expansion era, including guardrails, barbed wire, and protective ditches, making it impossible for vehicles to leave the road.
The only place where they could go off-road was near the checkpoint, but that was also the most heavily guarded area. Descending from there required additional checks and registration, which was quite troublesome. Sometimes, they might even be detained for verification, making it more convenient to travel directly through the wilderness.
Ren Xiaotian, who frequently ventured into the wilderness for commissioned tasks, was very familiar with the area. He had also scouted the Rusty Crew's campsite, so he was assigned to lead the way this time.
Sitting in the back seat, Chen Chuan examined the assault rifle in his hands. The gun was approximately 1.2 meters long and weighed around 20 kilograms, but for a fighter like him, holding it with one hand was effortless.
The most unique aspect of this rifle was its ammunition. He took a closer look at the bullets, which were about 7 to 8 centimeters long and had sharp tips. They felt heavy in his hand, and he had brought along fifteen rounds, which seemed like a small amount but was sufficient.
This type of rifle was usually strictly controlled because, except for the protective suit he wore during his previous raid on Fang Dawei, most protective suits were like paper within their effective range.
Among Wei Chang'an's team of six, two were technicians responsible for vehicle maintenance and telegraph operation. The most distinctive member was an exceptional marksman.
Although he did not possess a firearms license, he had grown up around the Patrol Bureau and often sneaked into the shooting range for practice. He had developed exceptional shooting skills, and when he heard about the opportunity to use the assault rifle, he insisted on joining, even if it meant paying for the privilege.
After putting away the rifle, he flipped through the information Ren Xiaotian had given him, which contained records about the Rusty Crew.
The leader of the Rusty Crew was a Makah-mixed man named Mi Tai, nicknamed 'Rusty Bandit Leader'. He was in his forties and had grown up with a gang in the wilderness, earning a place as the boss's sidekick due to his quick wit.
However, when the boss was killed in a conflict, the new leader drove him out, primarily because he was a Makah-mixed man.
The main reason was that he was a Makah-mixed individual.
Although those from the wilderness were generally looked down upon by city dwellers, there was still a hierarchy of contempt, especially for Makah-mixed people and pure Makahs, who were considered even lower than those from Jiaoshan. They were at the bottom of the contempt hierarchy, making it extremely challenging for them to rise above their circumstances.
Since then, this man had been doing odd jobs in the wilderness without any notable achievements until the past year or two when he suddenly rose to prominence and formed his own gang.
Just from this background, it was clear that he had gained support from a powerful force.
Mi Tai had two main subordinates: Yu An, nicknamed 'Venom Snake', who was the gang's strategist and a pure Makah, and Ya Tan, nicknamed 'Mad Bear', a Makah-mixed man standing at 2.35 meters tall.
Ya Tan had demonstrated exceptional fighting skills and was saved by Mi Tai in a conflict. He was likely a naturally talented individual.
Chen Chuan pondered Ren Xiaotian's words, considering that aside from Ya Tan, the gang members' individual martial prowess was not particularly high, and they relied on weapons and equipment in confrontations.
This was understandable because those with higher martial skills could usually find better opportunities in the city. Unless they were fugitives or had mental issues, few would choose to live like hyenas in the wilderness, although there might be a rare few who genuinely enjoyed it.
He speculated that if the Makah nation supported this group, there must be Makah experts among them, ensuring supervision and control over these wilderness bandits.
Discussing this with Ren Xiaotian and Wei Chang'an, they believed that this expert was likely of Duoma's caliber, and if his martial skills were even higher...
It was important to note that Makah had a population of just over one million, while Yangzhi City, the surrounding six counties, and nearby towns had a combined population of over ten million, ten times that of Makah. The average skill level of Wu Yi teachers was around the second limit, and many teachers and assistants had not even reached this level.
After all, one's potential was limited by their talent. No matter how hard one trained, few could break through their upper limit without sufficient talent. Only with a large population base could there be enough individuals with exceptional talent.
Therefore, those with high skill levels in Makah were considered national treasures, and losing even one was a significant loss. It was unlikely that Makah would send such individuals to other countries for tasks like this, especially since fighters in protective suits with weapons could cause immense destruction. Once they set foot on Dachuan's soil, they would undoubtedly attract attention.
In reality, even if such a person were to come, they still wouldn't be able to withstand the assault rifle, so there's no need to worry too much.
The road conditions in the wilderness weren't great, especially with the need to avoid roaming convoys, so the vehicles had been driving for over three hours before they finally reached the vicinity of their destination.
As the outpost offered a wide field of view and the sound of vehicles was clearer at night, everyone got off the vehicles and parked them in a covered area when they were close. Two technicians were left to guard the vehicles while the rest proceeded on foot under the cover of darkness.
The wind in the wilderness was strong, carrying sand and gravel. Everyone wore scarves and masks. As they slowly approached, a camp came into view.
Ren Xiaotian and Wei Chang'an, according to the plan, went to scout in two other directions. Chen Chuan took out his prepared binoculars and observed.
He noticed that the camp's structures were scattered and disorderly, but it was situated on higher ground, so the entire layout couldn't be seen at once. Several campfires burned near the camp's entrance, and the algae oil generator provided dim lighting in the night, it seemed like a sea of stars.
The camp was surrounded by winding ravines. Closer to the interior were hanging ropes and nets filled with various metal scraps. On the north and south sides stood two semi-open watchtowers, each with a shorter guardhouse at its base. From time to time, shadows could be seen moving, likely the patrol guards on duty.
After observing for a while, Ren Xiaotian had circled back and said to him, "There are two armed vehicles, and they should all be here. No one has left."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Usually, this was the peak time for such armed groups. Only a small number of people would be left in the camp. If that was the case, it would be simple to take them out one by one.
The current situation wasn't unusual. If they had important matters to attend to in the next two days, they wouldn't be causing trouble outside. Staying in the camp was the normal thing to do.
Directly attacking this type of camp was out of the question. They didn't have enough manpower. The only way to utilize their strengths was to infiltrate close to the camp and then charge in to fight.
Before that, they needed to take out the watchtower guards first.
After Wei Chang'an returned from the other side, Chen Chuan communicated with them and gathered everyone to brief them on the situation. In the end, it was decided that he, Ren Xiaotian, Wei Chang'an, and Cai Sai would sneak into the camp first. They would take out the guards in the watchtowers, deal with the sentries if necessary, and then signal the rest of the group to enter.
If everything went smoothly, they would split up and gradually eliminate the people in the camp while sabotaging the vehicles. If they were exposed, they would throw smoke grenades and launch a direct attack.
Chen Chuan looked around and said, "I'll take care of the slightly taller watchtower in the north. Ren Shixiong, you take care of the one in the south."
Ren Xiaotian nodded.
Chen Chuan then turned to Wei Chang'an and Cai Sai, "The patrol point and sentries at the front are up to you two, Wei Ge and Si Ge."
Wei Chang'an confidently said, "Once we take care of the people in the watchtowers, the rest won't be a problem." From the sentries' postures, it was clear that they were just ordinary people. With their speed and reflexes, once they got close, the sentries would have no chance to fight back.
Chen Chuan said, "Then let's begin."
Each of them took out a small box and started applying oil to their bodies. This oil masked their scent, a precaution against possible patrol dogs.
After the preparations, the group split up.
Chen Chuan sheathed his Snow Lady Sword and slowly walked forward a few steps before sprinting ahead. With his powerful transmuted organs, he practically skimmed along the ground at an incredible speed.
Despite the wide ravines, he easily leaped across them. As he jumped, he could see below him a bed of spikes with an unpleasant odor. He deduced that the camp's inhabitants likely disposed of their daily waste here.
Throughout this process, he kept himself in the shadows. For the scattered debris on the ground, including broken glass, metal nails, soda cans, and other objects, he avoided them when possible. If he couldn't, he didn't fear injury and simply pressed on, only the innermost layer being slightly troublesome.
The ropes and nets were crisscrossed, with several layers leaving no gaps. They were filled with noisy objects, very close to the edge, leaving almost no room to land.
He thought for a moment and then leaped over. He thrust his hand into the wall, hanging there. Then, he slowly moved sideways to the entrance of the front passage. With a push and a step, the campfire in the distance barely flickered, and he had already darted inside. The sentry in the guardhouse at the entrance was completely unaware.
Chen Chuan quickly reached the interior of the camp, avoiding the campfire and light sources. He cautiously circled around and approached the watchtower. After a while, he saw the guard in the opposite watchtower turn away, and he immediately rushed out, climbing up silently within a breath or two.
He opened the door and turned the handle, entering the watchtower. The guard inside was meticulously trimming his nails. Startled by the opening door, he reacted quickly upon seeing a stranger and grabbed the handgun on the table, aiming it forward.
However, before he could pull the trigger, Chen Chuan stood in front of him, gripping his wrist. With a light squeeze, the guard's wristbone shattered. Before he could even scream, his head turned 180 degrees, and he slumped softly into the chair.
Chen Chuan looked at the guard's neatly trimmed nails and thought about the poor hygiene conditions they had encountered along the way. He gave his evaluation, "That's a good habit."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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