Squatting in front of the bull's head, observing the bullet holes, Zhao Qiang was somewhat disappointed. The electromagnetic gun wasn't as powerful as he'd imagined. Its penetrating power was sufficient, but the damage inflicted at the point of impact didn't meet his requirements. It seemed improvements were still needed. However, Zhao Qiang didn't have much experience in increasing the destructive force at the wound points. He'd better go back and discuss it with Xiao Wei. Zhao Qiang pulled out a screwdriver, which transformed into a longsword, and chopped off a whole bull's leg. He then carried it back to the tree hollow. The rest would have to be transported in trips; Zhao Qiang didn't have the stamina to pull a whole bull back to the tree hollow in one go.
Everything remained the same inside the tree hollow. Yang Shiqi was still fast asleep. Zhao Qiang continued to cook the beef in the pot. Seeing that he was running low on firewood, he found a dead tree nearby and cut down several bundles. After finishing these tasks, he took off his shoes to examine the soles of his feet. All he saw was a patch of tender red flesh; the wound was almost indistinguishable. Zhao Qiang was quite satisfied. This speed was acceptable, not much slower than he had expected. He could no longer feel the injury to his leg bone. After replenishing some energy, he could try to repair the anti-gravity device.
The tree hollow was a bit stuffy, and Zhao Qiang, afraid that the firelight would attract the attention of the search troops in the distance, didn't dare to move out. He could only endure it for now. He skewered a few pieces of meat onto a screwdriver and roasted them by the fire. While discussing weapon improvements with Xiao Wei, Zhao Qiang continued to wait for the food to cook.
"I don't know much about firearms, so this electromagnetic gun has a design flaw. The barrel doesn't have rifling; the bullet is accelerated in mid-air and doesn't contact the barrel, so the bullet doesn't spin after being fired," Zhao Qiang said.
Xiao Wei said, "But because we can calculate the effects of wind and air resistance and make adjustments in advance, the problem you mentioned doesn't really matter."
Zhao Qiang said, "But I think the bullets from the electromagnetic gun are enough to hit a person's head; any larger and they become extremely weak."
Xiao Wei asked, "How do you plan to change it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "My professional knowledge is too weak. I think since rotation can increase the bullet's penetration and range, why don't we give the bullet a rotational force during electromagnetic acceleration? This would also reduce errors caused by calculation mistakes or sudden changes in external airflow. Then we can increase the bullet's caliber and detonation method to increase its lethality."
Xiao Wei said, "Hehe, if you think it's necessary, we'll change it. Anyway, what you said isn't complicated. It's just that the new type of warhead requires a lot of metal and other materials to synthesize. You need to be prepared for that, brother. This is a forest, and many materials are hard to find."
Zhao Qiang said, "I think we can use the mercenary equipment on the riverbank, but the round trip is too far. It's best to wait until we improve the anti-gravity device before going to get it. Now we realize how important the anti-gravity device is to us."
Xiao Wei said, "Alright, haste makes waste. How's your foot injury, brother?"
Zhao Qiang took off his shoes and showed them to Xiao Wei: "You've almost recovered, the rest are fine, but you're low on energy again. Let's quickly grill some meat and eat. I'll give you some more energy later. But eating meat all this time is making my teeth hurt. Is there any way I can digest the food directly on the outside?"
Xiao Wei chuckled: "Nothing in this world is ever so easy, brother. You have to take things one step at a time."
You are reading [328] Improvement. If there are any errors, please contact us to correct them!
Volume 2 [329] Going to Kill
Yang Shiqi slept soundly through the night. When she woke up, Zhao Qiang had already brought back the second beef leg and eaten it. A pot full of beef was still simmering, filling the tree hollow with a delicious aroma. The smell alone would easily attract the attention of any search party, rendering the branches used to conceal the entrance useless.
Zhao Qiang had also dozed off when Yang Shiqi crawled out of her sleeping bag, waking him up. He smiled at Yang Shiqi and said, "Awake? There's beef in the pot; you'll need to take your medicine soon."
Yang Shiqi waved her fist: "No need, I'm all better now. It's just that this bloody mess is unpleasant. I'll find a puddle to take a bath and wash my clothes too, including yours. Take them off together. You washed me last time, let me help you this time."
Yang Shiqi went to do laundry. After half a night of research, Zhao Qiang and Xiao Wei had designed a brand new anti-gravity device. Using the original materials and adding some metal from a rifle, Zhao Qiang decided to modify it. Calculations showed the modification would take an hour, consuming exactly the energy replenished the previous night.
Worried that the search party might appear at any time, Zhao Qiang didn't dare delay. He got up and began modifying the device, separating the energy to control the old anti-gravity device to extract various substances again. Then, he rearranged it according to the design drawings. The missing parts were extracted from the rifle and ammunition. When Yang Shiqi returned from showering and washing clothes, Zhao Qiang already had a new anti-gravity buckle in his hand. This time, it would work even if it was thrown into water. Zhao Qiang breathed a deep breath. This design flaw had cost him dearly and almost cost him his life. Although the anti-gravity device was Xiao Wei's design, she couldn't be blamed. The finalization of any product requires countless repeated experiments.
"Wow, how come you've lost weight again in such a short time?" Yang Shiqi asked, puzzled.
Zhao Qiang said, "We've improved the anti-gravity device. Now we have two choices: either we stay, or we go home."
Yang Shiqi was so excited that she even threw down the clothes she was holding. "Can we go home now?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, if we travel in a straight line, it will take at most half a day to get back to Hedian District."
Yang Shiqi held Zhao Qiang's hand: "That's great! But... are we in such a hurry?"
Zhao Qiang scratched the back of his head. "I don't know either."
Yang Shiqi asked, "What about the people who injured you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I was afraid you'd be anxious, and besides, your body needs further treatment."
Yang Shiqi pulled up her trouser leg to show Zhao Qiang: "It's a minor infection. The swelling is going down after taking the medicine. I don't think you should let yourself be bullied like this without saying a word. That's not like you."
Zhao Qiang pointed to the tree hole and chuckled, "I was afraid you wouldn't like living here."
Yang Shiqi said, "This is the happiest place I've ever lived in."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's good, that's good. I plan to go back to the riverbank to retrieve the mercenaries' equipment. You stay here and wait for me. I'll leave the compression gun with you; use it to hold off any trouble. I'll be back soon."
Yang Shiqi, gun in hand, lay prone at the cave entrance. "Go ahead, I'll be waiting for you."
Because the light was too bright, Zhao Qiang dared not fly recklessly through the air. He could only move forward by using the launch function of his running shoes between the trees. What would have taken him and Yang Shiqi a day and a night to cover, he returned in just one hour with the help of the anti-gravity device and the running shoes. It was clear that people had been on the riverbank, but the mercenaries' equipment hadn't been taken. General Li's men weren't short of weapons; their target was people.
After observing that there were no ambushes around, Zhao Qiang tied his backpacks and the loads left behind by Hongtashan and the others together. Then, he activated the anti-gravity device again and headed back. Carrying so much stuff slowed him down considerably as he traversed the dense forest. It took Zhao Qiang about an hour and a half to return to the tree hollow. Yang Shiqi had already grilled dozens of skewers of beef for him, and his clothes were half-dry.
Yang Shiqi handed over the beef: "Eat some first before you get busy, otherwise you'll run out of energy."
While chewing on beef, Zhao Qiang began modifying the electromagnetic gun. Because many parts required alterations, he decided to disassemble and rebuild the entire gun, which increased its energy requirements. Therefore, he needed to replenish his energy reserves. Fortunately, Yang Shiqi had already completed the preparations, allowing Zhao Qiang to progress much faster. He first designed a cluster munition type bullet. When the bullet entered the target, it would explode into several smaller bullets under pressure, scattering in all directions to ensure an absolute kill. Even an elephant should be killed instantly by multiple hits from such a large-caliber bullet. However, to increase concealment, Zhao Qiang decided not to eliminate the ordinary bullet; he would use both, depending on the situation.
By evening, Zhao Qiang had finished modifying the electromagnetic gun. Every piece of equipment requires countless trials to finalize, a principle Zhao Qiang wholeheartedly agrees with. He even nearly paid with his life for it, so he's now extremely cautious and meticulous in repairs and modifications, striving to eliminate flaws at their inception. Of course, absolute perfection is impossible.
“They might be able to find us soon,” Zhao Qiang told Yang Shiqi, expressing his concern based on the estimated timeline.
Yang Shiqi said, "That's even better, it allows us to test whether your modification was successful."
Zhao Qiang said, "But I'm worried about leaving you here alone."
Yang Shiqi said, "Then take me with you in this battle. I don't think I've changed at all since I killed that prey."
Zhao Qiang stared at Yang Shiqi for a while: "Yes, she seems more composed now."
Yang Shiqi said, "That's what I think too, that's why I want to kill someone!"
Zhao Qiang was startled: "Murder?"
Yang Shiqi said, "Yes, I want to kill people like you. I think only after I've truly killed someone can I grow up, become independent, and never be afraid or worried about anything again."
Zhao Qiang gritted his teeth: "Fine, I'll take you to kill someone!"
As night fell, General Li's search party had to halt its operation. They lit a fire in a clearing in the forest, throwing thick logs into it. The roaring bonfire illuminated half the sky. Soldiers huddled around the fire to dry their wet clothes, while others, oblivious to their dampness, lay down and fell asleep by the fire. After several days of searching, they had found nothing except two wandering American mercenaries. Based on the mercenaries' dying confessions, General Li deduced that the person who had bombed his base was still lurking in the jungle. Therefore, he issued a death order: this person must be found and eliminated to avenge his son!
A soldier lazily got up, pulled up his trousers, and went to urinate. The loud splashing water angered two nearby soldiers: "Get lost! Go somewhere else to pee! This smell is unbearable for our meals!" The two soldiers were munching on biscuits.
The soldier, fearing a beating, could only pull up his trousers and walk behind a tree. Before the water flow could resume, a bullet suddenly whizzed in from the side, entering his right temple and emerging like a mad drill, leaving a hole the size of an egg in his head! Whoosh! The soldier's urine gushed out—he had lost control of his trousers. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Yay!" Yang Shiqi couldn't help but cheer. Behind her X-ray glasses, her eyes held no pity, but rather a hint of excitement.
Zhao Qiang grabbed Yang Shiqi's hand: "Come on, let's change seats."
Zhao Qiang's hand gently touched Yang Shiqi's gaze, and she loaded another bullet. She then peered through the dense trees to select her second target, but there weren't many people relieving themselves. Now she could only fire at the team members near the fire, prioritizing those hidden in corners and difficult to spot.
When Yang Shiqi hunted down her third target, someone finally heard a strange noise and realized she was being sniped. A grenade was thrown into the fire, extinguishing the flames with a bang and leaving only sparks scattered on the ground. Because the ground was too damp, the sparks gradually died out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. A large number of soldiers scattered and fled, some firing blindly, and many fleeing soldiers were accidentally wounded.
Extinguishing the fire would theoretically reduce a sniper's vision, but this had no effect on those with night-vision goggles. The panicked crowd actually gave Yang Shiqi an opportunity. Zhao Qiang led her to hide in a treetop, where she continuously fired at the crowd below. Apart from a few who escaped from sight and survived, the search party was almost completely wiped out.
At dawn, another search party prepared to set off. Last night's gunfire seemed to foreshadow a difficult day. Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, a soldier at the head of the column suddenly screamed and vanished. A hidden cave had appeared underground; the soldier had fallen in and was impaled by a sharp wooden stake. A scream rang out. Before his panicked comrades could react, a large wooden stake fell from a tree, striking at least three soldiers. The wet, heavy stake was like a boulder, unable to withstand the impact. One soldier's brains splattered out instantly, and the other two were broken in half at the waist. They weren't dead yet, but the gruesome sight was too painful to behold.
The soldiers turned and fled back the way they had come. The trees on either side creaked and groaned as they slid. Then, two rafts, each bound with dozens of sharpened stakes, attacked the soldiers in the middle of the road from both sides. A dozen or so soldiers couldn't dodge in time; their bodies were trapped between the two rafts, stakes piercing their chests, blood gushing out, their cries deafening.
Rat-a-tat, tat-tat, Yang Shiqi emerged from behind a tree, rifle in hand. Wearing Zhao Qiang's armor, she fired at the heads of the soldiers. Although some soldiers reacted and returned fire under the cover of the trees, the bullets seemed to have no effect on the person covered in a layer of shiny armor. When she raised her hand to attack with a weapon with an egg-shaped body, the surroundings were bombarded. The surviving soldiers were blown into the air. The soldiers who were hiding behind the trees and waiting for cover thought they had escaped the disaster, but suddenly a bullet pierced through the tree trunk and hit their heads, causing them to explode!
General Li had received news that the fourth wave of men had been wiped out. His mouth trembled, not from fear, but from rage! Almost all the sentries on duty that night were dead, leaving him with no one to vent his anger on. The farmers in the valley were too scared to come out and hid in their homes. The drug business of the past few days had almost come to a standstill. The weapons and ammunition destroyed and the drugs stored in the barracks had almost destroyed all his hard work of the past few years!
"General," someone reported from outside, his voice trembling with fear as he knew the general was in a bad mood.
"Come in!" General Li roared, expecting more news of defeat.
"Someone outside is requesting an audience, saying they know information about the enemy."
General Li's expression changed: "Oh, who is it?"
The soldier said, "One of Big Beard's former teammates said his older brother was killed by our enemies, and he hopes to use us to avenge his brother."
General Li turned and went out to greet him: "Good, good, I'll go see him right away."
Volume 2 [330] Destruction
Hongtashan waited nervously in the makeshift, crude barracks, his team members beside him also looking uneasy. Fortunately, General Li was unaware that they were the ones who had brought him here; otherwise, they would have walked right into a trap.
General Li strode into the barracks and eagerly reached out to shake Hongtashan's hand. "Brother, why did it take you so long to arrive? Something came up on my end, so the other party in the transaction is temporarily staying outside the valley. I'll send them a notification right away."
Hongtashan's voice was low: "General Li, I'm so sorry, our mission has failed."
General Li raised his voice: "What happened? What happened? I think the last report I received said you had led men into the dense forest. Why did you fail? Do you know how important that man is to us? Getting him would be more than enough to rebuild my valley base." The ten billion US dollars was just the amount given to the bearded man; General Li also had his own source of income. The Monta Valley was severely damaged, and General Li was counting on this money for restoration and reconstruction.
Hongtashan said, "He has a very powerful protector by his side. We did our best, and my eldest brother and second brother both died at his hands..." Hongtashan had no choice but to tell the truth; now he had to rely on General Li's power for protection.
After listening to Hongtashan's account, General Li's gaze turned somewhat malicious: "Oh, so you've brought this trouble upon me. Why didn't you eliminate all of his protective forces before taking action? Your elder brother patted his chest and assured me that he would never leak the information. Now it seems I trusted him wrongly. Go out and take a look at my base. Do you still recognize it?"
General Li slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage, causing Hongtashan and the others to shrink back in fear. They now regretted coming to Mengta Valley for help; they had no idea it had become like this. They only thought Zhao Qiang had come to steal medicine, been injured, and fled back, unaware that he had turned the place upside down.
Hongtashan mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying, "General Li, please calm down. Actually, we have already injured him." Hongtashan shamelessly claimed credit for detonating the landmine, since General Li had no idea why.
General Li asked, "He was wounded? Where is he now?"
Hongtashan said, "He is seriously injured, bleeding profusely, and unconscious. Our target is also suffering from an infected wound and fever, so their fighting strength should be at its lowest right now. It's a perfect opportunity for us to launch a sneak attack on YZUU."
General Li said, "If I told you that four of my search teams, each with nearly a hundred men, had been ambushed, who do you think did it? The weapons used by the enemy were extremely powerful; they could penetrate several trees, hitting heads with every shot, and they could even fire some kind of unidentified bomb from pistols, with astonishing destructive power."
Hongtashan Erran: "Ah, those are the weapons his bodyguards use!"
General Li roared, "Didn't you say he was seriously wounded, and our target was feverish and unconscious? Then how did they manage to kill nearly a fifth of my troops! Look at my base, look at the state of it now!"
Hongtashan broke out in a cold sweat: "There... there might have been some unexpected incident. They were indeed seriously injured before we arrived, who knew..."
General Li roared, "He was seriously injured? Why didn't you take the opportunity to eliminate them then! Or subdue him and take him to Mengta Valley!"
Hongtashan wasn't just sweating profusely; his body began to tremble, and his crotch was soaked. He regretted listening to those team members and leaving the shore camp. It would have been better to stay with that scoundrel than to face this even more vicious old man.
Hongtashan's hand reached for the pistol at his waist. He knew General Li all too well; now that General Li was blaming him for everything, he couldn't afford the losses General Li would suffer.
Bang! How could General Li give Hongtashan a chance? He had already drawn his pistol and fired a shot into Hongtashan's head. Hongtashan's hand had just reached for the gun, but he couldn't pull it out. His large eyes were filled with regret. Thump, his body fell to the ground.
Several cowardly team members knelt on the ground, filled with regret. Following the two men had initially been quite good, but the temptation of a billion US dollars had swayed them. Greed had led them to persuade Hongtashan to bring men to Mengta Valley for the transaction. However, Hongtashan was too afraid to climb the trees, so they urged him to borrow General Li's troops from Mengta Valley to capture the men. Who knew Mengta Valley would turn out like this? And after nearly two days of traversing the complex river valleys, the two men, thought to be critically injured and likely to die, miraculously recovered and wiped out half of the search party sent by General Li. Now, all the blame was being placed on them—they were certain to die.
General Li sneered as he raised his gun and pointed at the heads of the team members one by one. This was a way of avenging his son who was killed in his sleep. Even if it meant exhausting all the troops in the valley, he would definitely bring them back and tear them to pieces!
Hongtashan and his men got a quick death; otherwise, if Zhao Qiang had caught him, he would have faced a terrible fate. It was his mistake, or perhaps intentional, that caused Zhao Qiang to be blown up by a landmine, for which Zhao Qiang paid a heavy price. If Hongtashan had been captured, he might have been hacked to pieces and tortured daily. So, being killed by General Li's bullet was actually a good thing.
Large numbers of search troops were dispatched again, but they were much more cautious and less likely to fall into ambushes. However, the enemy, lurking in the shadows, continued to snipe at their lives. The battleground was even slowly moving closer to Mengta Valley. After two days, General Li no longer needed to search the forest, as search troops were often attacked shortly after leaving the valley. The enemy appeared and disappeared without a trace, making them impossible to defend against. After suffering heavy losses several times, General Li finally learned his lesson. He withdrew all his troops and retreated deep into the base, preparing for a decisive battle with the enemy.
Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiqi were leisurely eating roasted meat. Three prisoners were squatting by the fire. Zhao Qiang glanced at Yang Shiqi, then at the rifle lying on the ground beside them—the prisoners' weapons. Suddenly, Yang Shiqi threw down the roasted meat, grabbed the rifle, and pulled the trigger. The three prisoners fell to the ground before they even had a chance to utter a sound.
Zhao Qiang said, "Alright, you passed the test. Decisiveness and ruthlessness are the qualities a soldier should have! Continue eating your barbecue!"
Yang Shiqi suppressed her stomach discomfort and started eating again. She quickly got used to it; it was really no big deal. Once it was over, it was over. Before doing it, it felt terrifying, but afterwards, it wasn't so bad. This was important for changing Yang Shiqi's mindset. It wasn't easy for a sissy to lead an army. If she didn't even have this much courage, Zhao Qiang decided not to carry out the so-called independence plan, because it might not be good for Yang Shiqi. However, since Yang Shiqi had successfully passed the test these past two days, Zhao Qiang felt that achieving that distant plan wouldn't be too difficult.
After swallowing the last bite of roasted meat, Yang Shiqi asked, "What do we do next? We can't find any soldiers searching for us outside."
Zhao Qiang said, "Fight our way into his lair! If we don't eliminate those who are detrimental to us, he'll retaliate later."
Yang Shiqi grabbed the electromagnetic gun beside her: "Let's go."
In the dead of night, flames soared into the sky in Mengta Valley, illuminated by burning firewood. General Li had lit fires all around the base and turned on searchlights to prevent another sneak attack. However, he still didn't know that the enemy could silently descend from above.
Although Zhao Qiang wasn't sure who General Li was, the newly erected wooden house in the center of the base was very conspicuous and surrounded by the most soldiers. Zhao Qiang figured that even if the person inside wasn't General Li, he must be an important figure, so it should be the first target.