Chapter 2641: Unearthing Clues

Discovering human DNA in such a massive ruin was not particularly surprising to the command center.

However, finding shell casings from a close-in weapon system in a place like this was truly bizarre.

The discovery of these casings meant that the site had been subjected to an attack by a close-in weapon system.

Given the effective range of less than four kilometers for such a system, even if the weapon wasn't inside the copper mine, it must have been positioned nearby when it opened fire.

Whether the people inside the mine had used the weapon to attack others, or if someone outside had used it to attack the mine, both scenarios were incomprehensible.

At this moment, an adjutant put forward an idea: "Could the copper mine have been the target of a terrorist attack?!"

As soon as this thought was voiced, it immediately gained the agreement of most of those present.

Over the years, terrorist attacks in the Middle East had never ceased, and those extremists would stir up trouble every few days. Could they have set their sights on Cyprus this time?

However, the field commander had a different opinion.

He couldn't help but say: "I consulted with experts. This type of former Soviet-made close-in weapon system has a dry weight of nearly two tons. If you include the ammunition and the entire fire control system, it weighs at least three to four tons. Who among you has ever seen terrorists go to such great lengths? Besides, although a close-in weapon system is very powerful, its caliber is only 30 millimeters. If used to strike a building, even a thousand rounds might not necessarily collapse a structure. Yet, this place has been reduced to its current state, which must have required a massive amount of explosives for demolition. Since the terrorists were already capable of blowing the entire copper mine into ruins, why go through the trouble of dragging a close-in weapon system here?"

"This..." Everyone immediately fell into deep thought.

The commander's logic was sound. While powerful, a close-in weapon system would be like a mosquito bite compared to the massive destruction required to level the mine; the terrorists had no reason to bring such a heavy piece of equipment to cause trouble here.

The group immediately hit a dead end.

However, the multi-point excavation at the site continued.

The excavation point where the shell casing had just been discovered soon yielded more casings, and they also found soil containing human DNA.

But at other excavation points, there were no similar findings.

The samples from other points consisted almost entirely of copper mine debris, with no traces related to human bodies or the close-in weapon system.

By this time, the sky was beginning to brighten. Wu Shutong, leading several trusted subordinates, was on his way to the copper mine.

Along the way, they noticed a constant stream of heavy machinery and military convoys speeding toward the mine, which made Wu Shutong even more uneasy. Consequently, when they were still three kilometers away, they found a concealed spot to stop.

Unsure of the actual situation at the mine, Wu Shutong dared not drive any closer, so the group began to sprint along the coastline.

Wu Shutong himself was a master at the Transformation Realm; although his combat ability was not as high as Ou Bojun's, his physical speed was immense, and he was difficult for ordinary people to track.

The few people accompanying him were also experts at the late stage of the Dark Realm, so a distance of three kilometers was nothing to them.

They chose to proceed on foot because they feared the area around the mine might already be cordoned off by Cypriot authorities, making it impossible for their vehicle to get close.

However, when they stealthily approached the perimeter of the mine, they relied on their strength and agility to easily slip into the scene.

Since Cyprus had mobilized a large number of personnel and equipment from various departments to support the operation, the site was chaotic. The military personnel responsible for the perimeter were focused on preventing media and reporters from getting close, so they had no idea that Wu Shutong and his men had bypassed their defenses.

When Wu Shutong silently reached the perimeter of the copper mine, he was completely stunned by the scene before him.

He had never imagined that this massive copper mine, which had taken decades to complete, had now become a ruin more than ten meters deep!

Within the ruins, a large number of engineering machines were excavating at various points.

There were even several drilling rigs on-site, boring hundreds of meters into the ground to bring up soil samples, attempting to determine if there was human DNA at the bottom to judge whether anyone had been present when the mine collapsed.

Wu Shutong felt a chill down his spine. He stood frozen for a long time before taking out his phone to snap some photos, intending to send them to the Lord later.

Seeing several command tents set up around the perimeter, he decided to sneak in to understand the progress of the Cypriot authorities.

Noticing people delivering samples to one of the tents, he silently crept up to it.

Through the rainproof fabric of the tent, he heard the conversation inside.

One person said: "Commander, we have discovered more shell casings at the same spot where the previous ones were found. We have now recovered over thirty, four of which have human DNA on them."

This statement left Wu Shutong horrified!

He couldn't help but mutter to himself: "A close-in weapon system?! How could there be a close-in weapon system at the Dead Soldier station?!"

At this moment, the commander said: "Have the biological experts examine the human DNA on these four casings to see if they belong to the same person."

The reporter replied: "Understood, Commander. I will arrange that right now."

The commander added: "Also, there is one more thing."

The reporter said respectfully: "Please speak, Commander!"

The commander said: "I need to know where these shells were fired from—whether they were fired from inside the copper mine or from the outside. Therefore, the top priority now is for you to find the shell casings!"

After saying this, the commander added: "Pass the word down: have the excavation team keep an eye out for shell casings in the ruins. Also, have the second team search for clues within a two-kilometer radius around the mine!"

The reporter immediately said: "Understood, Commander. I will arrange it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came over the walkie-talkie: "Reporting from Unit 31, reporting from Unit 31! We have found some 30mm close-in weapon system shell casings in the ruins. Please have the weapons expert take a look and see if they match the previously discovered casings!"

Upon hearing this, the commander exclaimed excitedly: "Bring the casings to me immediately!"

A few minutes later, a staff member carrying several shell casings that had been crushed and deformed in the ruins ran in at full speed.

The remote weapons expert, after receiving the photos, provided a preliminary opinion: these casings were indeed from Soviet-made 30mm close-in weapon system shells. They matched the caliber and model of the previously found casings perfectly, and it could be basically determined that they were from the same batch.

After receiving the confirmation, the commander exclaimed: "These close-in weapon systems were inside the copper mine... which means this copper mine wasn't hit by a terrorist attack... they had secretly equipped it with close-in weapon systems themselves!" ===== CHAPTER 2642 =====