Without further incident, after an hour and a half of travel, He Kui and Shi He finally arrived at Tashue, a small desert city near the Libyan desert. Compared to the technological and military atmosphere of Gibraltar, the base at Tashue was much simpler, with even the Tiger's headquarters being nothing more than the former mayor's mansion.
Their battle had lasted about two hours, and with the time spent on paperwork and repairs, it was already late at night when they arrived.
As they disembarked from the Zaku at the designated spot, the cold desert wind mercilessly slapped against them, bringing a chill.
"This is warmer,"
He Kui said with a gentle smile, taking Shi He's soft hand in his to offer warmth, noticing her slight frown.
"Mm,"
Shi He replied sweetly, just thinking the ordeal was over and looking forward to sharing a comforting embrace with He Kui, when a voice interrupted them.
"Director He, I heard you volunteered to go into battle earlier?"
Tiebi approached, both nervous and respectful, glancing at their clasped hands without comment.
"Something like that,"
He Kui replied, teasingly looking at Shi He, whose face was flushed with embarrassment, yet neither released the other's hand.
Seemingly cherishing the warmth, Shi He held onto He Kui's hand tightly.
"That was very dangerous, and why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, it's truly impressive. I heard you even tested the weapons? Director He, you're taking all our jobs! The pulse cannon functioned well?"
"It worked as accurately as during testing."
"That's good to hear. Tomorrow we'll be attacking the last remaining Earth Alliance base here after speaking with the Desert Tiger. You two should get some rest afterward."
With that, Tiebi led them to the reception room. Inside the lavish room sat only a few people: the legendary Tiger and a mature woman in a blue bodysuit, along with several Haros bouncing around their feet.
Seeing the Haros, Shi He's own Haro jumped into the mix with its newfound companions.
"Director He, welcome!"
The Desert Tiger seemed enthusiastic, yet there was a touch of flamboyance to his warmth.
"Thank you, Mr. Andrew."
"So, I heard Director He made quite a splash at the Gibraltar base."
Pushing two cups of coffee towards them, Andrew's cheerful smile resembled that of a harmless, charming uncle.
"Yes, just happened to be there."
"Such achievements don't happen by chance."
"Thanks to Shi He, too."
"You two must be operating as a pair, right? This is my co-pilot, Aisha."
The Tiger proudly introduced his partner.
After all, without genetic matching, she was technically his lover.
"Hello there,"
Aisha greeted, her gaze lingering on the pair for a moment before sporting an ambiguous smile.
Meanwhile, Andrew was giving He Kui a knowing look, clearly assuming he was a kindred spirit.
"Uh, yeah."
He Kui and Shi He were just sitting together for better coordination, not for the reasons Andrew's insinuating gaze suggested!
He wasn't that kind of person!
Shi He, sitting beside He Kui, shyly hid her face behind the delicate coffee cup, her other cheek blushing a soft pink like the dawn, both bashful and beautiful.
"Haha, you two have a great relationship."
The Tiger teased them once more before continuing.
"I hear Director He is quite the battle enthusiast, yet it's hard to tell now."
A glint of admiration and curiosity flashed in the Tiger's eyes as he looked at He Kui.
"Battle enthusiast?"
He Kui's lips twitched at the nickname.
The Tiger seemed to have misjudged, thinking their volunteering for battle equated to enthusiasm.
In reality, he wished he could stay safe at home, far from any battle frenzy.
As they talked, a sudden alarm blared urgently throughout the base.
"What happened?"
The Desert Tiger's demeanor shifted seamlessly from amiable to lethal.
A murderous aura filled the room, revealing the Tiger's claws, sending chills down spines.
"I see. Inform them to prepare for deployment."
After a brief exchange, the Desert Tiger hung up the phone and shared a look with Aisha.
"Apologies, Director He, it seems we have some guests."
"Let's also test the pulse cannon's application in the desert."
He Kui stood up to join them.
"The system OS has been adjusted for desert specialization, so there should be no issues."
Only in the four-shield Zaku could he find a sense of security.
"Alright then."
Given He Kui's recent performance, the Tiger didn't press further, though he added a reminder about following orders.
"No problem."
After swiftly planning, He Kui returned to his Zaku.
"Earth's wars are so frequent."
Shi He remarked while checking the system.
In one day, they faced the Eurasian Federation in the afternoon and the Blue Cosmos at night.
With both sides focused on building strength, it was indeed a busy day for battles.
"Mm."
He Kui responded, reflecting on the day's events.
Could it be because of him?
It seemed too targeted.
But why would they target him so quickly?
Could there have been a breach at PLANT, leaking his information prematurely?
"He Kui? System checks are done. Are you too tired?"
Seeing him lost in thought, Shi He asked with concern.
"It's fine. Let's head out."
Following orders, they stood firmly at the city's edge, with the city's lights behind them and the approaching Blue Cosmos armored units ahead.
He Kui felt little excitement, having barely seen the city's lights.
"Something's not right."
Watching the blurry surveillance from the Scream Eagle, He Kui furrowed his brow.
"What is it?"
Shi He asked urgently.
"There's someone behind us."
He Kui said, fully powering the engines. The blue flames lit up the darkness like a brilliant star, illuminating the surroundings with intense energy, turning the sand beneath into a sea of azure light as the Zaku rocketed skyward.
At the same time, three anti-tank missiles pursued them relentlessly.
Shi He reacted swiftly, shooting down the missiles despite the foggy conditions.
It wasn't just He Kui and Shi He who were shocked, but the Iron Wall team beside them also turned with machine guns pointed at where the missiles were launched.
"Don't fire."
He Kui stopped their action and opened a channel to the Tiger.
The Scream Eagle's images showed it was the city area. Even a Vulcan cannon's large-caliber rounds could harm civilians.
"Captain Andrew."
"I've already dispatched soldiers to that area. Director He, keep your distance for now."
The Tiger's voice and He Kui's overlapped.
Without needing instructions, He Kui was already moving away under the Iron Wall team's escort.
An ambush works only once; distance would nullify further attempts.
With the situation stabilizing, He Kui breath
ed a sigh of relief.
As planned, without the previous threat, He Kui's Iron Wall team and the Tiger's Zaku team quickly cleared the linear tank units that served only as a feint.
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