Chapter 1155: Can I Count Me In

In the eleventh year of the Calamity, Xia Qing was already strong enough. The casualties from this mission certainly wouldn't cause her physical burdens like difficulty breathing or vomiting—mainly it was psychological.

The experienced Yang Jin certainly wouldn't say something as shallow and useless as "It's not your fault," because that wouldn't just fail to comfort Xia Qing, it would also cause her to develop a sense of self-efficacy denial.

Yang Jin first asked, "I've already watched the combat footage recorded by Tang Zhou—may I see yours?"

Watching footage shot from different angles of the mission is the only way to properly analyze how the mission was carried out.

This mission involved three parties: the military's Zhu Zhenming and Shiyue, the Azure Dragon Squad's Tang Zhou team, and Xia Qing. Zhu Zhenming and Tang Zhou certainly both recorded footage. As the Azure Dragon Brigade Commander, Yang Jin could naturally get Tang Zhou's footage; as for the military's side, an application to base command would be required to obtain it.

Xia Qing had already planned to show Yang Jin her footage, so she had exported the video to a USB drive, which could be played on the surveillance screen in this conference room.

This battle was intense, but not long. From spotting the first intruder to the end of the fight, the total time was 21 minutes.

Yang Jin played Tang Zhou's perspective footage on another screen for Xia Qing to watch.

After watching, Yang Jin first introduced the intruder squad to Xia Qing: "This intruder squad is the Phantom Squad, ranked first overall among the Black Panther Squad, which is ranked first in Hui-5. This squad has 11 regular members: one top sniper, three senior snipers, one senior olfactory Evolver, one senior auditory Evolver…"

"The Phantom Squad often hides behind the main force squad, carrying out sniper and ambush missions. The Azure Dragon Squad has encountered this squad six times during missions. In those engagements, 16 died and 13 were wounded. Two of those times I led the team, and one time Brother Luo led. In those fights, don't talk about wiping out this squad—because the main force squad blocked us, we didn't even get a chance to engage them head-on."

Then Yang Jin affirmed Xia Qing's squad's achievement: "Last night, your 13-person squad, at the cost of 2 dead and 5 wounded, took down the Phantom Squad's 11 members and 2 Wanderers. You avenged the nearly hundred people of our base who were killed by them, and prevented more casualties in future engagements. Your outstanding record completely exceeded the expectations of everyone, including the Base Commander."

After affirming the achievement, Yang Jin guided Xia Qing to recognize the value of her two fallen teammates: "You're a Lord, your main duty is farming and managing the Ninth Center. The Base Commander transferred you, and Brother Luo invited you to carry out the Bird Hunt sniper mission—those were things outside your duties."

"During the mission, the Base Commander suddenly reassigned you to a more dangerous task. You made a reasonable request to the Base Commander—that was completely correct. Because no Evolver would go to an unfamiliar area with an unfamiliar squad to carry out a mission. After the Base Commander agreed to your request, he immediately called me. It was I who agreed to send the Tang Zhou team. Because among all the squads operating on Mountain Six, the Tang Zhou team had the second-strongest overall combat power. Their 10 people, plus the Special Ops Squad Leader Zhu Zhenming, senior sniper Shiyue, and you, formed the strongest squad on Mountain Six. The Base Commander's decision had no problems at all."

"From the footage just now and Tang Zhou's footage, we can confirm that during the mission there were no command or tactical execution errors. Evolvers have strong physiques; none of the five wounded are missing any parts, and the most seriously injured of Tang Zhou's people will fully recover in two and a half months. So last night's personnel losses were only Sun Si and Zhang Gang."

"Sun Si was a mid-level sniper. Zhu Zhenming placed him in the second sniper position, which had a lower danger rating. He was killed by a headshot from an enemy senior sniper when switching sniper positions. Zhang Gang was killed in direct combat with an enemy Evolver who was attacking Tang Zhou, when he stepped forward to block the attack during the final assault. In combat, this kind of casualty is unavoidable. This is not a tactical error, and even less is it your error."

"Everyone who joins the military or a squad, drawing a salary and allowances, understands the weight of these points and has made peace with the possibility of sacrificing themselves in a mission."

Then Yang Jin hoped Xia Qing would speak out the grief and guilt inside her, so he could share part of the burden: "You trained with Sun Si?"

As fellow snipers practicing at the same shooting range, Xia Qing knew almost all the snipers in the Azure Dragon Squad. She felt sad inside, but she had long been used to hiding her emotions in front of her own kind, and only nodded expressionlessly.

"Mm."

Xia Qing didn't want to talk, and Yang Jin didn't press her. He pushed the tea at just the right temperature toward her.

Xia Qing cupped the bowl and took a sip. The green-light food flowed down her esophagus into her stomach, very warm—this was the feeling of being alive.

"Captain Yang, thank you." Xia Qing accepted Yang Jin's kindness, then continued with business: "How many points do you think I should pay you?"

"Sun Si and Zhang Gang both have no families, so there's no family compensation to pay." Yang Jin got up and went to the kitchen, bringing out the stuffed flatbreads in the pan and the boiled eggs, placing them on the table.

"The medical costs for the four wounded are also covered by the base—the base covers half, the Azure Dragon Squad covers half. According to the rules, you shouldn't have to pay. When you have time, you can bring some food to visit them. If Sister Qing is willing, when you team up with Old Four to go find the supplies the Wanderers hid on Mountain Twenty-Nine, take me along too—split me twenty percent?"

Xia Qing picked up a stuffed flatbread with more meat than celery and took a big bite. "The Base Commander isn't sending people to look?"

"That would require actually finding it. Both Wanderers are dead, and the captured Phantom Squad members definitely don't know where the supplies are hidden." Yang Jin also picked up a stuffed flatbread and started eating. "By the way, how are they calculating your pay for the mission on Mountain Twenty-Six last night?"

"…"

Xia Qing's mouth paused for two seconds, then she answered calmly, "I didn't bring it up."

Huh?!

Yang Jin's face showed visible heartache as he comforted Xia Qing: "If you didn't bring it up, it should be calculated according to the military's method for conscripting senior Evolvers. You're the top contributor of this mission—at least thirty percent of the seized supplies go to you. The Phantom Squad's weapons, new-material protective suits, and other equipment together are worth no less than five million points—that's 1.5 million right there. Those two Wanderers might have had senior Yi Stone particles on them, which are worth some points too. Add in the points from the Bird Hunt mission last night, and you definitely didn't lose out on this trip."

"Mm." Xia Qing responded, and after finishing six stuffed flatbreads, two eggs, and a bowl of tea, she asked, "How is Phantom doing?"

"That wolf bit his cervical spine, causing a fracture that compressed the spinal cord—he might be paralyzed. Once we've squeezed every bit of value out of him and send him back to Hui-5 Base to rot in prison, his last breath will be gone." Well-fed and well-watered, Yang Jin leaned back in his chair, stretched, yawned, then brought up the deal from earlier: "Sister Qing, if the supplies on Mountain Twenty-Six aren't brought out, they might stay hidden in that cave or underground forever."

Xia Qing certainly understood this point. "The Base Commander will definitely step up surveillance and sweeps of that area. I wasn't planning to go there anytime soon."

Yang Jin followed up immediately, "When Sister Qing wants to go, give me a shout?"

Xia Qing explained, "If it's teaming up with the Northern Wolf Pack, no problem, but the Southern Wolf Pack isn't mine to decide. If the Base Commander's people really can't find it, then when the time comes you draw away the human searchers there, and Old Fourth and I will go—I'll split you twenty percent."

"Deal." The fact that the entire Phantom Squad had been deployed meant that batch of supplies must be substantial. Getting twenty percent left Yang Jin quite satisfied.