Chapter 91: Waiting for the Hare by the Stump

As dusk approached, the sky gradually darkened. Three off-road vehicles sped in a certain direction across the desolate wilderness.

In the back seat of the lead vehicle, Chen Chong sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, resting. A large bundle sat beside him.

The message Qiao Jun left behind was fairly detailed. Besides a barely recognizable sketch of the route, it also included the man power setup for Dawn Gathering Place’s operation this time. Including their leader, the Transcendent Long Ying, there were forty-two people in total. Among them were eight Awakeners, thirty-three well-trained and fully armed soldiers, seven vehicles mobilized, and they carried a number of high-yield explosives.

Dawn Gathering Place’s operation this time was entirely an elite strike force. Over half of their gathering place’s Awakeners were mobilized. Such a lavish lineup showed Long Ying’s determination to succeed at all costs.

Chen Chong understood clearly that although the base had over fifty combatants, including the guards and Diris’s armed squad, giving them a numerical advantage, the Dawn Gathering Place side had eight Awakeners. Each of them could easily fight ten opponents. In a situation where soldiers fought soldiers and generals fought generals, the Dawn Gathering Place held the absolute advantage. Barring any unforeseen events, the base likely could not withstand these people.

However, even so, with this rare opportunity, Chen Chong still planned to make the trip.

Not to be the mantis stalking the cicada, but to witness firsthand whether the base would be destroyed because of this, and if there was a chance to fish in troubled waters and take revenge personally. For Chen Chong, the resource supply of the Crimson Territory was already enough for his training. The base held little appeal for him. Therefore, he had no intention of bringing his subordinates along and decided to go alone.

There were now only five Awakeners left in the territory, barely enough to maintain order and normal operations. They were already stretched thin. With his current strength, he could come and go as he pleased in most situations. Ordinary lackeys would only hold him back. Being alone made it easier to act.

Knowing that the people from Dawn Gathering Place planned to attack the base through the karst cave they used for their prison break, Chen Chong planned to head there ahead of time and wait for the hare by the stump. This trip was expected to take two to three days. He had already informed Gu Jun and a few others. The Blood General’s corpse was still hanging at the highest point of the territory. He believed that unless these people were idiots, they would behave honestly and not dare to cause any trouble.

At that moment, the convoy had traveled far, over a hundred kilometers away from the Crimson Territory, arriving at a desolate ruin. The vehicle slowed down. In the rearview mirror, the driver cautiously reminded him, “Leader, this is the place.”

Chen Chong raised his head and surveyed the surrounding terrain and the vast mountain peaks not far away. He then took out the sketch Qiao Jun drew and compared it with his own map. “Good, this will do.”

Chen Chong picked up his bundle and hopped out of the vehicle in one leap. Then, he turned his head and instructed, “At this distance, you should be able to return safely before dark, right?”

Unsure of the exact time of Dawn Gathering Place’s operation tomorrow, and to avoid running into them or missing them, Chen Chong decided to go near the underground river karst cave ahead of time to wait for the hare by the stump. So he had the convoy drive him over a hundred kilometers to the midpoint of the safe route Qiao Jun had drawn. The wilderness at this distance had mostly been explored and swept by various gathering places. Basically, no irresistible dangers existed here. However, beyond this range, the danger in the wilderness multiplied. Therefore, Chen Chong did not plan to let the convoy send him any further.

With his current strength, there weren’t many Radiation Species that could threaten him. Even if he couldn’t win, he could still run. But these lackeys might not be so lucky. More importantly, their deaths would be a minor matter, but if the few vehicles they had were damaged as a result, it would be a huge loss.

Naturally unaware of Chen Chong’s inner thoughts, the dozen or so lackeys in the vehicles thought this new leader was worried about their safety. They immediately put on expressions of overwhelming gratitude and beat their chests loudly. “No problem!”

“Don’t worry, Leader! This area isn’t too dangerous. With so many of us, we can handle it.”

“We have vehicles, people, and the hardware in our hands. Unless we’re terribly unlucky, we should be able to return to the territory safely before dark.”

Chen Chong smiled slightly. “Good. I’ll be back in two or three days at most. You all maintain order in the manor and the territory.”

“Yes!”

Amidst the booming acknowledgments, Chen Chong, carrying a bundle prepared with a large amount of dried meat and water, turned around and sprinted into the gloomy sky towards the direction of the base, dozens of kilometers away.

…

The long night passed, and Dawn Gathering Place ushered in a day completely different from usual.

“Move it, move it!”

“Idiot, be careful with these explosives! Remember to wrap them in quilts before loading them onto the vehicles!”

“Ammunition! Is everyone’s ammunition ready?”

In the early morning, shouts and calls rang out endlessly. At the main entrance of the seemingly orderly Dawn Gathering Place, seven vehicles, equally beaten up and patched everywhere, were lined up. Around these vehicles stood squads of soldiers with sharp, spirited bearing, inspecting the equipment they carried.

“Vehicle one, ready!”

“Vehicle two, ready!”

“Vehicle three, ready!”

…

A moment later, all preparations were complete. Lin Kun, Qiao Jun, and the other six Awakeners were fully geared up and ready to go. They shouted out in unison, then stood at attention like soldiers, staring straight ahead as if waiting for inspection. The atmosphere immediately turned solemn.

The leader, Long Ying, with his burly and powerful figure, slowly walked over like a general reviewing his troops, his gaze sweeping across every face.

“Everyone, by now, you should all know the target of our operation this time.”

Long Ying’s gaze was sharp as a knife, piercingly intense, but his voice was low and filled with an indescribable killing intent. “Are all the combat plans and schemes clear?”

Except for the few Awakeners who had jointly explored the route, these people had only learned the exact target and combat plan last night. But there was no fear on their faces, only eager expressions. They shouted in unison, “Clear!”

“Very good! Then, let those White-skinned Ghosts know—this land was ours before the Cataclysm, and it is ours after! Whoever dares to invade shall pay with their lives!”

Long Ying swept his hand out grandly. His cold voice was full of an iron-blooded, murderous air, echoing in all directions. “Move out!”

Boom, boom, boom…

All combat personnel immediately boarded the vehicles. Then, amidst the exhaust fumes, the engines of the seven off-road vehicles roared to life and they drove out of the gathering place.

Qiao Jun, whose official story was that his entire squad had been wiped out by a large group of Radiation Species, was in the same vehicle as the leader, Long Ying. At this moment, he looked at Long Ying’s stern face in the front seat. His eyes struggled several times, but ultimately, he closed them in despair.

He didn’t know if the Blood General had received his message, nor did he know if the Blood General would notice the slight deviation he had intentionally made in the route sketch. But in his current situation, this was all he could do.