A long silence followed. Everyone held their breath and waited until, at last, an extremely reluctant voice came over the channel.

“No-Fun, in position.”

Someone had forgotten to mute their mic, and a soft laugh slipped out. Pfft.

That was the thing about codenames: everyone else chose them for you. The person involved had no say. It was like a little game to loosen up before battle. No matter how solemn and rigid Tong Shan was, he couldn’t stop everyone from finding a bit of fun in their misery. Although he resisted the codename with every fiber of his being, the team had passed it by unanimous vote, so he had no choice but to accept it.

“A vehicle is approaching. Everyone, stay alert,” Xu Guan, also known as Gossip Junkie, warned quietly over the channel. “Mechanic, are you ready?”

“Ready.” Ji Jue grinned and pulled the bolt. Lying prone on the soft mercury dustproof mat, he...