As dusk approached, the sky gradually darkened, and three off-road vehicles raced in a certain direction on the desolate wilderness.
In the leading vehicle, there was a large parcel placed on the backseat. Chen Chong crossed his arms and closed his eyes to rest.
The message left by Qiao Jun was quite detailed. In addition to a barely recognizable route map, there was also the manpower arrangement for this operation at the Gathering of Dawn. Including the leader, Long Ying, a total of forty-two people were involved, including eight awakened individuals and thirty-three well-trained, fully armed soldiers. Seven vehicles were deployed, carrying some valuable goods.
This time, the Gathering of Dawn took a highly elite route, with more than half of the awakened individuals mobilized. Such a luxurious lineup showed Long Ying's determination to win.
Chen Chong was aware that although the armed team of guards and Di Ruisi in the base outnumbered the Gathering of Dawn by more than 50, the presence of eight awakened individuals on the side of the Gathering of Dawn gave them an absolute advantage in a one-on-one battle. Under the circumstances of soldier against soldier, general against general, it was unlikely that the base could withstand these people.
However, even so, this was a rare opportunity for Chen Chong, so he still intended to make a move. Not to play the role of a decoy, but to witness with his own eyes whether the base would be destroyed and whether there would be a chance for him to take advantage of the situation and seek revenge. For Chen Chong, the current resources in the Scarlet Territory were sufficient for his cultivation, and the attraction of the base to him was not significant. Therefore, he had no intention of bringing anyone with him and decided to go alone.
There were only five awakened individuals left in the territory, and maintaining the order and normal operation of the territory had become difficult due to the shortage of manpower. With his current strength, Chen Chong could easily handle most situations, but ordinary lackeys would only hinder him, so it was more convenient for him to act alone.
Knowing that the people from the Gathering of Dawn planned to attack the base through the magma cave they had escaped from initially, Chen Chong decided to go there in advance and wait for an opportunity. This trip was expected to take two to three days. He had already informed Bone Army and others, and Blood General's corpse was still hanging at the highest point of the territory. He believed that as long as these people were not idiots, they would behave obediently and not cause any trouble.
At this moment, the convoy had already traveled a hundred kilometers away from the Scarlet Territory and arrived at a desolate ruin. The speed of the vehicles slowed down, and the driver cautiously reminded from the rearview mirror, "Leader, this is the place."
Chen Chong raised his head, looked at the surrounding terrain and the distant misty peaks, and then took out the map drawn by Qiao Jun to compare it with his own map. "Not bad, this is it."
Chen Chong picked up the parcel, got off the vehicle, and leaped down. Then he turned around and ordered, "Considering the distance, do you think you can safely return before it gets dark?"
Not knowing the exact time of the action at the Gathering of Dawn tomorrow, in order to avoid collision or missing it, Chen Chong decided to go near the Dark River Magma Cave in advance and wait for an opportunity. Therefore, he had the convoy drive more than a hundred kilometers to drop him off at the middle section of the safety route drawn by Qiao Jun. Most of the wilderness within this distance had been explored and cleared by various gathering sites, so there were basically no undefeatable dangers. However, the danger level multiplied beyond this range, so Chen Chong didn't intend to let the convoy continue to accompany him.
With his current strength, there weren't many radiations that could threaten him. Even if he couldn't defeat them, he could escape. But these lackeys might not be so lucky. What was more important was that their deaths were insignificant, but if the few vehicles were destroyed because of this, it would be a great loss.
Not knowing what Chen Chong was thinking, they thought that the new leader was worried about their safety. The dozen or so lackeys on the vehicles immediately showed expressions of gratitude and patted their chests, making a loud sound. "No problem!"
"Leader, rest assured. This range isn't too dangerous. With so many of us, we can handle it."
"With vehicles, people, and the weapons in our hands, as long as we're not too unlucky, we should be able to return safely to the territory before it gets dark."
Chen Chong smiled slightly. "That's good. I'll be back in two or three days at most. You guys maintain order in the manor and the territory."
"Yes!"
As the resounding agreement echoed, Chen Chong carried the package packed with a large amount of dried meat and water, turned around, and ran towards the direction where the base was located, dozens of kilometers away, under the darkening sky.
...
The long night has passed, and the dawn brings a day that is completely different from the past.
"Hurry, hurry!"
"**, be careful with these **. Remember to wrap them in a quilt before lifting them onto the car!"
"**! Is everyone's ** ready?"
In the early morning, shouts and calls echoed constantly. The gathering place in the morning sun appeared orderly at the main entrance. Seven vehicles, all looking worn-out with patches everywhere, were lined up in a row. Around these vehicles stood teams of spirited and vigorous soldiers, inspecting the equipment they carried.
"Vehicle number one, ready!"
"Vehicle number two, ready!"
"Vehicle number three, ready!"
...
After a moment, everything was ready. Lin Kun, along with eight other awakened individuals including Qiao Jun, were fully prepared, and they shouted in unison. Then, just like soldiers, they stood at attention without looking around, as if waiting for inspection. The atmosphere instantly became solemn.
The leader Long Ying's powerful figure slowly walked over, like a general inspecting his soldiers, his gaze sweeping across each person's face.
"Everyone, by now you should all know the objective of our operation."
Long Ying's gaze was sharp and piercing, his voice low and filled with an indescribable sense of solemn killing intent:
"Are all the battle plans and strategies clear?"
Except for a few awakened individuals who shared the same exploration route, all the others had only learned about the exact objective and battle plans last night. But there was no fear on anyone's face, only eager anticipation. They all shouted together, "Clear!"
"Very well! Let those foreign devils know that this was our land before the catastrophe, and it still is after! Anyone who dares to invade will pay with their lives!"
With a wave of his big hand, Long Ying's cold voice carried a strong taste of iron-blooded violence, echoing in all directions:
"Move out!"
Boom, boom, boom...
All the combat personnel immediately got on the vehicles, and amidst the exhaust fumes, the engines of the seven off-road vehicles roared together as they drove away from the gathering place.
The official explanation was that they encountered a large group of radiation mutants, and all of Qiao Jun's team members were wiped out. Qiao Jun and the leader Long Ying were in the same vehicle. He gazed at Long Ying's stern face on the front seat, his eyes struggling for a moment before finally closing in resignation.
He didn't know if Blood General had received the message he passed on. He also didn't know if Blood General would notice the slight deviation he deliberately made to the route map. But given his current situation, there was only so much he could do.