novelraw Chapter 205 : Bargaining Chip for Self-Preservation
Chapter 205 : Bargaining Chip for Self-Preservation
The time was 7:15 PM.
Daylight had not yet faded, but the densely layered foliage of the forest had already darkened the area.
In 45 minutes, the entire Tengyun Mountain range would be plunged into darkness.
And the ancient forest at night was undoubtedly extremely dangerous for unprepared intruders.
Shen Han had considered hiding with her team temporarily, but she quickly dismissed the idea.
She couldn't be certain of the enemy's numbers or whether they had detectors to search for them.
Someone had to stay behind to disrupt the enemy's actions.
Otherwise, her side might not be able to escape at all.
A sudden burst of gunfire shattered the eerie silence of the dark forest.
A Yin Country soldier at the front of the tactical formation had his temple pierced by a flying bullet.
Crimson bloomed on the other side of his head, bursting into a chilling flower of death.
"Ambush! Everyone take cover!"
"Enemy at our three o'clock, assault team prepare to fire!"
The Yin Country action team leader began issuing orders in his native language.
As his words fell, two team members had already prone on the ground to provide covering fire.
Shen Han hid behind a tree so large that three people couldn't encircle it with their arms. The gun in her hand was seized earlier from the enemy.
There were still quite a few bullets left, but she had lost the opportunity to aim carefully.
The enemy's firepower was too intense, bullets raining down like a downpour, pinning her in place unable to move.
Though she couldn't aim, Shen Han didn't stop firing.
She adjusted the angle of her gun, repeatedly pulling the trigger to buy more time for her comrades to retreat.
Even if the time gained wasn't long, Shen Han had calculated that it should be enough.
The sky grew increasingly dark.
Assault rifles continuously spat tongues of flame, like bursts of burning fireworks.
Just as Shen Han raised her gun to fire again, the muzzle had barely appeared when it was struck by a fingernail-sized piece of shrapnel.
Her palm shook, and the gun immediately flew out of her hand.
Fortunately, what hit her gun muzzle wasn't a direct bullet, otherwise her finger bones would have been shattered.
Shen Han curled her body at the base of the sturdy tree, trying to minimize her chances of being grazed.
At this moment, her mind was racing, contemplating what to say to negotiate with the enemy.
Influenced by Gu Junwan, she had a very clear understanding of Takeda Tatsuya.
In his eyes, interests came first; grudges and emotions all had to take a back seat.
This kind of absolutely rational enemy was very difficult to deal with.
But now, this characteristic of Takeda Tatsuya could be fully utilized by Shen Han to win herself a bargaining chip for survival.
After a long while, the dense gunfire finally began to subside.
Through the previous exchange, the Yin Country tactical team also discovered a problem: there was only one opponent hiding nearby!
"Bastard, go to hell!"
The Yin Country action team leader cursed, then unhooked a grenade from his tactical vest.
Just as he was about to pull the safety pin, Takeda Tatsuya's voice came from the side: "Wait, capture the enemy alive. I want to interrogate them!"
They had been communicating in the Yin Country language all along, which was almost identical to the island country language Shen Han had learned before her transmigration.
So, upon hearing Takeda Tatsuya speak, she discarded the weapons on her body and walked out voluntarily.
"Li Jianye, you really are lucky to be alive, still able to cause such trouble at your age."
"But you've lost this time. Empress has long seen through your schemes. The things you've lost can never be retrieved."
Before leaving the previous battle area, Shen Han had moved the other auction items from the black box into her personal bag.
At the time, her idea was to prevent the Yin Country people from having any chance to take away the items in the box, but now it had inadvertently become her bargaining chip.
Shen Han used the Federation language and addressed the enemy leader by his former Federation name.
Combined with the psychological tactics hidden in her words, she didn't believe the opponent before her would be unmoved.
The facts proved her right.
When Takeda Tatsuya heard the words "Empress," his slightly turbid eyes immediately contracted noticeably.
In his life, he had only ever been defeated by one person, and that was Gu Junwan.
Now, he carefully examined the woman being driven forward at gunpoint by his soldiers, then curiously asked in fluent Federation language: "Is it you?"
Although Shen Han had altered her features through makeup, she hadn't made any adjustments to her voice or figure.
Therefore, Takeda Tatsuya quickly recognized her.
The appearance of Gu Junwan's guard captain here greatly surprised him.
But his face showed his usual calmness: "Thank you, my luck has always been good. As for you, do you think you can still return alive to the Free Federation after falling into my hands?"
Hearing these words, Shen Han not only didn't feel afraid, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sometimes, to judge an opponent's intentions, you can't just listen to what they say; the key is to see what they do.
If Takeda Tatsuya had intended to kill her, he wouldn't waste time talking here.
He also wouldn't dare to continue pursuing with his men, because he worried that the Federation Empress might have traps waiting for him.
After all, her personal guard had chased into this mountain range.
Based on his understanding of Gu Junwan, that iron-fisted lady wouldn't have no other arrangements.
Fortunately, this was the territory of the ancient kingdom of Solan. If it were in the Free Federation, Takeda Tatsuya guessed he would have been surrounded long ago.
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became, unconsciously breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Leave here quickly, retreat to the overseas camp according to the original plan!"
Hearing this order, the five Yin Country soldiers immediately looked at each other in bewilderment.
After hesitating, the action team leader spoke up: "Commander Takeda, but we haven't retrieved those auction items yet. We've confirmed that the other side only has four people left during our pursuit."
"I think we should continue the chase. If we miss this opportunity, we won't be able to face Commander Kitahara when we return."
Takeda Tatsuya naturally wouldn't explain too much.
He turned his head slightly and calmly said to the action team leader: "Sergeant Takahashi, your duty is to obey orders, not to question your superior's decisions."
Hearing this, the action team leader lowered his eyes, raised his arm in a military salute, then ordered to immediately move along the medicine trail, ensuring to leave the territory of the ancient kingdom of Solan before the next dawn.
The Yin Country soldiers searched and took away all the items Shen Han was carrying, not even sparing the thin, long necklace hidden under her collar.
Her wrists were bound by shackles, and someone behind her held a gun at the ready, guarding against any chance of escape.
The soldiers didn't vent their anger by beating the captive, as that would greatly slow down their journey.
If they accidentally beat her to the point where she lost the ability to move on her own, the soldiers would have to take turns carrying her.
No one wanted to add to their own burden.
Therefore, during the night march that followed, everything remained relatively uneventful.
...
The sky had completely darkened.
The nighttime forest no longer had the vibrant green of daytime; as far as the eye could see, everything was shrouded in a dreamy haze.
Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the grass below.
Flying fireflies resembled stars in the night sky. Occasionally, a ghostly light would flash by, some nocturnal animal disturbed from its rest.
Fang Yue and Hu Zhen took turns carrying Sun Yu, switching every 15 minutes.
This allowed them to maintain their overall pace while giving the two alphas a chance to catch their breath during their off-duty periods.
They never stopped for a moment, because their current chance to escape unscathed was bought with Shen Han's own safety.
Not long after separating from their captain, they heard gunfire coming from the dense forest behind them.
They didn't know if their captain could protect herself as she had said, but all they could do was trust her.
Hot tears poured down their faces the whole way, but they never looked back.
Until nearly 10 PM, Fang Yue's group of three finally saw the twinkling lights of many flashlights ahead.
The pinpoints of light intertwined, converging into a band of hope.
Fang Yue knew this was the reinforcement Empress had mobilized.
She gently lowered the young man from her back to the ground as if drained of strength, then began to sob quietly.
Their light of hope had arrived, but their Captain Shen was now somewhere in the darkness.
Among the search and rescue team were Yan Lin and her alpha, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
It was only when she discovered that Sun Yu had mysteriously disappeared and couldn't be contacted that this mother belatedly guessed her son's whereabouts.
She immediately contacted her husband and followed Empress's team to the Tengyun Mountains.
Compared to a few hours ago, Sun Yu seemed to have grown up a lot in an instant.
He first handed over the personal bag Shen Han had entrusted to him to the Federation team leader, then limped to his parents and choked out: "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for worrying you."
Through the satellite phone later supplemented, Fang Yue contacted Empress, who was far away in the border city of the Jiying Empire.
She reported everything that had happened on their side after entering the dense forest, including the deaths of their comrades and Shen Han's decision to intercept the enemy alone.
After hearing all the information reports, Gu Junwan felt the world spinning around her.
If it weren't for Xu Zhao beside her supporting her in time, she would have fallen to the ground.
If she had known earlier that the price for obtaining that Dragon Horn Ginseng would be this, she would never have agreed to Shen Han's request to lead the team in pursuit.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
Battlefield situations change in an instant; no one can accurately predict what will happen next.
Xu Zhao urged Ma Haoyu to bring the doctor over quickly while softly comforting her lady: "Your Majesty, don't worry yet. Shen Han will be fine."
As she said these words, Xu Zhao actually didn't have much confidence herself.
But she had to show a very certain attitude, fearing that her lady might not be able to hold on.
Gu Junwan's face was pale, but her thoughts were clearer than ever before.
She sat in the chair for a short while, then began issuing orders.
"Arrange dedicated personnel and aircraft to send the Dragon Horn Ginseng to Peace Palace immediately."
"Contact that Governor of the Jiying Empire. There are some things that need his immediate cooperation."
"Have the guard team and all special ops members depart with me to where Kitahara Tei is under house arrest. He must have a way to contact Takeda Tatsuya. Using him as a breakthrough point is the most efficient way to keep Shen Han safe!"