Chapter 127: Chapter 99: Hardship and Sacrifice (2)

Yang Wangtao’s steady voice rang out again, his words pointed as he gestured to the surrounding crowd.

Lu Chao turned his head to look and saw many people rubbing their hands together in anticipation. Even though they knew the operation was extremely dangerous, their faces were full of expectation.

Even knowing that the final credit would most likely go to that Elite Level Captain Wang and Ruan Hui, they still wanted to fight for their chance.

"There’s one thing about the Patrol Department that the higher-ups can’t block. As long as everyone sees you do it, the credit is yours."

"And..."

The emotion in his eyes gradually calmed as Yang Wangtao looked toward a medical vehicle on the side.

There were wounded men having their gunshot wounds bandaged, and there were cold bodies on stretchers, their faces covered by white cloths.

"Our brothers shouldn’t have died for nothing."

"At the very least, we should be the ones to reclaim their dignity."

...

THUD, THUD, THUD!

Some ten minutes later, the thud of heavy footsteps echoed in the secret passage beneath the factory.

Several bright flashlight beams pierced the darkness, illuminating the floor of the narrow passage.

Following the light, one could see a filthy stream in the damp, dark sewer, flowing slowly toward the river mouth.

Plastic bags and grimy foam occasionally drifted by, and a foul stench rose from the water, permeating the entire tunnel, impossible to disperse.

"How disgusting."

Qian Hu, walking at the front, frowned and shook his head. The group of seven or eight men, all armed with live ammunition, walked along the narrow ledge of the passage.

The underground passage was a complex, crisscrossing network; even moving quickly, it would take more than ten minutes to traverse.

Most of the men wore wary expressions, periodically scanning their surroundings. The sound of squeaking rats, startled by their footsteps, echoed as the creatures scattered in every direction.

Ruan Hui, standing in the center of the group, frowned at the sight. Seemingly uncomfortable, he subconsciously raised a hand to gently cover his nose.

"Congratulations, Captain Ruan."

Captain Wang, who was walking beside him, suddenly spoke up. He deliberately slowed his pace to close the distance between them. "Barring any surprises, once this mission is complete, you’ll be able to break the Patrol Department’s precedents and secure a promotion with exceptional merit."

"Then, the Patrol Department will have its youngest-ever captain."

Although he was an Elite Level expert, he took the initiative to smile and curry favor.

The men around them found this unremarkable and silently remained vigilant of their surroundings.

"You’re too kind, Captain Wang."

At his words, Ruan Hui lowered the arm covering his nose and said casually, "My father often mentions you. I imagine that after this matter is settled, the position in the Second Division will be yours for the taking."

His tone remained calm, yet it made Captain Wang’s smile grow even wider.

They were in the middle of an urgent rescue and capture mission, yet they were chatting and joking as if on a casual trip, a world away from the intense firefight and cries of bloodshed above.

"Speaking of which, I owe my success today to Director Ruan’s guidance."

"Once we’re inside that factory hideout, I will give you my full cooperation, Captain Ruan, to capture or kill Qiu Shan and his men."

"Then I’ll be counting on you, Captain Wang."

Ruan Hui nodded slightly, but a flash of disdain crossed his eyes.

’The outcome was decided the moment this operation began.’

’Since that Vice Director Liu wants the credit for the Rebels so badly, then the credit from this side naturally belongs to me.’

Besides.

A cruel, playful glint appeared in his eyes. He thought of Yang Wangtao, who had been pushed out to compete against him, and of that Third Squad, who didn’t seem to know their place.

’Once I become a captain...’

’...it’ll be time to have some fun toying with those grunts.’

"I hope this will be a little more fun..."

...

DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!!

The sound of a ’Berserker’ machine gun ripped through the night again, firing relentlessly.

Dozens, hundreds of bullets streamed out, striking the riot shields that were slowly advancing up the concrete slope. The shields rang out with loud CLANGS, throwing off a shower of sparks.

Lu Chao and the others, advancing behind the shields, felt their eardrums vibrate as their hearts leaped into their throats.

Constrained by the threat to the hostages, and with the terrain and environment of the cement factory working against them, they were unable to provide large-scale covering fire. They could only passively take the beating, moving forward like turtles.

The riot shields were like sturdy turtle shells, firmly protecting their advance.

CLICK!!

Suddenly, an unusual sound cut through the machine gun fire.

It sounded like a pin being pulled, or maybe a small object falling to the ground.

Lu Chao’s ears twitched. He sensed something was wrong. Further back, the spotter with the vehicle convoy widened his eyes and yelled a hasty warning.

"Watch out, grenade!"

The shout came over the shared comms channel. Lu Chao and his men tensed up, and then the explosion hit.

BOOM!

The sound was deafening, and the ground shook.

The squad at the very front, with a full two riot shields, was rocked by the blast. The shields were thrown into the air, nearly flying backward.

The metal shields were scorched black, and several cracks had spiderwebbed across their surface. The men behind them were dazed, their ears ringing. They froze on the spot, left with only the grim, animal instinct to clench their teeth and hold on to the shields.

DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!!

Seizing this opportunity, the machine gun opened fire again, spraying the cracked riot shields, which groaned as if about to shatter.

Amidst the chaos, the muffled crack of a sniper rifle exploded, like a giant hammer falling to the earth. It targeted the exposed hands and feet of the officers behind the shields.

BANG! BANG!!

As the shots rang out, a man screamed. His calf had been shot through, and he collapsed to his knees.

He lost his grip on the riot shield, which began to topple forward, about to expose their flesh and blood to the enemy.

"Smoke grenade, cover!"

Yu Yong, leading the charge from the side, roared furiously. He rushed forward alone, holding a riot shield, and managed to block the patrol officers, absorbing the brunt of the machine gun’s barrage.