Chapter 978: Parting Ways

It was now 6:20 PM, forty minutes until sunset.

The evolution forest here was extremely dense; after dark, human evolvers without night-vision ability, even with night-vision equipment, could not detect enemies wearing stealth gear.

The enemies in stealth gear were in the dark, playing defense; the rescue squad, whose stealth tech on their protective suits was two tiers inferior, was in the open, playing offense, at a disadvantage.

In that case, they'd just have to brute-force their way forward with raw combat power—there was no qiang-46 in the atmosphere here, so heavy firepower could all be used!

Fully confident, Du Zuohang revised the battle plan. "Within forty minutes, we must reach the target's cave. While their snipers and gunners haven't had time to reposition, the helicopter lands at the target location; Squad One and Squad Two push forward from the ground. Brother Huo activates the helicopter's general infrared anti-missile system; Sister Qing and Brother Huai, along with the observer and the gunner, operate at 1,900 meters altitude to execute sniping and fire suppression."

Missiles were high-tech weapons with very high production and maintenance costs, and the precision guidance tech required was also demanding. Apart from base safe zones, field combat squads rarely carried such advanced, expensive weapons—but the rescue squad still had to be prepared to defend against them.

At 1,900 meters altitude, what could he do? Shoot blind?

Tang Huai refused to stay on the helicopter as dead weight. "Two squads need two snipers—I'm going down. Captain, don't worry, I'm wearing special bulletproof armor; even if I take a bomb hit, I won't die."

Since Tang Huai had said as much, Du Zuohang took him and jumped down from the helicopter to push forward on the ground. On the helicopter, besides Xia Qing and Huo Zhun, only two strength evolvers, one observer, and one gunner remained.

After the aircraft took off again, Xia Qing calmly ordered, "Brother Huo, altitude 2,100 meters. Gunner, concentrate firepower and execute suppression. I'll snipe the snipers and gunners ambushing at high ground."

Time was critical; now was not the moment to hide combat power. Raising the helicopter's altitude by two hundred meters bumped the coefficient up a notch.

"Copy." Huo Zhun quickly took off, holding altitude at 2,100 meters, advancing forward together with the ground combat squad.

"Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat—"

Under the observer's direction, the gunner opened fire at full capacity, sweeping the ground squad's advance path to clear a passage for them.

"Boom—"

"Boom!"

The machine-gun fire swept two anti-personnel mines buried in the ground; the rising smoke made most of the rescue squad's hearts sink twice over.

Huo Zhun, who had seen plenty of big scenes, steadily piloted the helicopter, advancing forward with the ground force while adjusting altitude according to the terrain to ensure the helicopter stayed 2,100 meters above the highest point below.

"Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat—"

"Boom—"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Air against ground held an overwhelming advantage. Accompanied by machine-gun fire and explosions like popping beans, the top sniper Xia Qing, looking down from above, calmly squeezed the trigger again and again, eliminating enemy gunners and snipers occupying the high ground one by one.

The enemy certainly didn't want to sit and take a beating, but the shoulder-fired grenade launchers they carried only had an effective range of 500 meters. Their snipers ambushing at high ground, under daylight conditions, simply couldn't dodge the kills from that ultra-accurate sniper on the helicopter!

The enemy captain had just been feeling smug about holding the advantage of time and terrain, waiting for the rabbits to come to him. Only now did he see clearly—he'd fallen into Zheng Jialin's scheme of luring the enemy in deep!

They were in the full-base disaster-elimination phase—where the hell did surnamed Zheng pull such a fierce rescue squad from?!

"Everyone fall back and take cover! After dark, we'll go in together with me and kill them!" the enemy captain cursed as he gave the order.

After the enemy retreated, the rescue squad's joint air-ground assault reached the vicinity of the target cave in just 20 minutes.

Zheng Jialin personally led Little Eleven out of the cave and linked up with Du Zuohang's squad. Seeing Zhang Hongda had brought Little Eleven to his side, Xia Qing's heart immediately settled.

After the gunner swept the area clean, Huo Zhun smoothly landed the helicopter on a platform not far from the cave. Then he handed the helicopter over to the Tang family guard squad, and together with Shi Du and another strength evolver, helped Zheng Jialin's group carry supplies onto the helicopter.

When Tang Huai limped back to the helicopter, and Deng Xiaoqiong had also taken a nearby sniper position, Xia Qing, with the captain's permission, headed for the highest sniper spot.

"Sister Qing, thanks." Seeing that Xia Qing had given him the safest position, Tang Huai sincerely thanked her.

Actually, the main reason Xia Qing did this was to go pick up Zhang Shi.

She nodded, and after reaching the sniper position under Zhang Hongda's protection, told Zhang Hongda to go back and guard the helicopter.

After Zhang Hongda had walked far away, Xia Qing knocked rhythmically on the big rock beside her.

By now, the sky was completely dark.

Zhang Shi, hidden behind the rock, lowered her voice and, through her earpiece-style headset, thanked Xia Qing, then reported the enemy's location: "Southwest, 95 meters, altitude 30 meters, obvious hostility."

There were no rescue squad members in that spot.

"I see them. Sister Zhang, stay hidden." Xia Qing replied in a low voice, then pulled out a heavy-duty high-explosive rocket grenade specially made by Xin Yu and threw it over.

"Boom!"

The grenade didn't just blast the person hidden in the tree into bits—it also blew off most of the tree's crown. The deterrent effect was more than sufficient.

"Captain, one ambusher eliminated."

"Good, stay hidden." Du Zuohang turned to Zheng Jialin beside him and said, "Chief Zheng, there are still ambushers lying in wait here. Crouch down and stay hidden."

"Understood, good work." Bullshit ambusher—that was one of his own men! Crouching behind cover, Zheng Jialin cursed inwardly, but could only sincerely thank him out loud.

"Bang!"

"One hidden ambusher killed."

"Boom!"

"Two ambushers killed."

……

After Xia Qing successively cleaned out six people who had crept over under cover of darkness, not only was the enemy scared off, even Zheng Jialin's heart was creeping with dread. "Captain Du, didn't you say they were carrying stealth gear?"

Du Zuohang answered calmly, "Yes, but our side is equipped with more advanced gear that can see through their camouflage."

Zheng Jialin hurriedly pressed, "What gear?"

I'll buy it—no matter how many points!

"Sorry, I can't answer your question." What Xia Qing was wearing was the latest night-vision goggles developed by Territory Seven. I haven't even gotten to touch them—you want to buy them? Not a chance!

After the supplies and Zheng Jialin's group had all been transferred onto the helicopter, the mission was successfully completed, and the rescue squad could head back.

Zhang Shi refused Xia Qing's suggestion to hide in the backpack, lowered her voice, and pleaded, "Sister Qing, please get Eleven to Ye Yang's side. I'll definitely make it back within a month."

"Alright, stay safe."

Xia Qing left all the food and nutrient solution in the backpack for Zhang Shi, went down the mountain and boarded the helicopter, glanced calmly at Little Eleven—covered in mud and sitting beside Zhang Hongda—and then sat down next to Deng Xiaoqiong, who was greeting her warmly.

Little Eleven remembered every word her mother had told her. She pretended not to know anyone on the plane, wrapping her little arms tightly around her legs, pressing her head down onto her knees and curling into a tiny ball, trying hard to feel the magnetic field coming from Auntie Qing that put her heart at ease.