novelraw Chapter 755: The Mighty Formation Has Also Suffered Casualties
Chapter 755: The Mighty Formation Has Also Suffered Casualties
The vanguard group’s departure this time was nothing like the pathetic convoy with its refugee-packed buses, looking utterly miserable. Instead, it was an impressive formation with two rows of ultra-heavy, heavily armed tanks taking the lead, crushing the difficult muddy roads into flat, track-laid land.
Combat helicopters circled in the dark sky, their rotors buzzing as they initiated high-intensity patrols and vigilance all around.
Following them were the multi-functional, armed War Armor vehicles, some equipped with missiles, others with large cannons—their combat power was off the charts.
Only after these did the modified vehicles carrying this operation’s combat personnel and high-tech staff come into view, with even the Hulks lining up orderly to subtly shield an armored vehicle at the center.
This display was more badass than a military parade, and even more visually startling than an American blockbuster, making Jing Shu feel her blood boiling and filled with a sense of security.
The armored vehicle had been temporarily transformed into a combat command center, with twelve screens flashing the outside situation in real time. There were also two command reception rooms, where professional dispatchers constantly received messages between departments through walkie-talkies and other communications:
"Reporting to headquarters, 10:02 AM, location at 107.08, 32.668 is secure!"
"East 123, position 26, following the planned flight path, starting altitude 800 meters, visibility less than 500 meters, fog, slight low-level wind shear present, aircraft shaking, requesting altitude increase..."
"Reporting to headquarters, the first base station has been installed and calibrated, now operational. Signals will be received approximately every three hours..."
Jun Bao, seated in the command center, furrowed his brow. Upon entering the new map region, it wasn’t just the poor muddy terrain that made travel difficult; before long, fog set in, further impeding scouting and the speed of movement in the dark night. He glanced around the conference room at the dozen or so seated individuals, and his frown eased somewhat when he spotted Hao Yunlai.
This time, with these special individuals present, things should be a bit easier.
"You are all special talents from Wu City. If you have any good suggestions or advice, please speak up, and let’s discuss them. Now, let’s share the fields you each specialize in."
Among the seated were a refined young man with gold-rimmed glasses; a serious, cool beauty in an OL-style business suit and skirt; a white-haired, eccentric professor gesturing at a map; a man dressed like a swordsman from ancient times in tight-fitting clothes; a freely-spirited uncle in tattered clothes and oversized shorts;
And there was Jing Shu, who, disregarding her appearance, wore a bulky cotton jacket, occasionally retching—a peculiar sight. Wait, hang on.
"Jing Shu... what’s wrong? You don’t look so good."
Jing Shu waved her hand and covered her mouth, saying, "The shaking is too severe; it’s making me feel nauseous."
The initial enthusiasm had dissipated. Even though the modified armored vehicle was traveling on a path flattened by tanks, it was still uneven, full of pits and bumps, and lacked the specially modified shock absorption system of her own RV. This immediately caused the pampered Jing Shu to suffer from motion sickness.
"I have some herbal motion sickness patches prescribed by Old Doctor Zhang. Want some?" Jun Bao offered.
"No need. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go sit with the Hulks. Just give me a walkie-talkie; call me if anything comes up," Jing Shu quickly declined. She didn’t know how much farther they had to travel and didn’t want to endure the continuous jolting and vomiting. The Hulks, being trained, could move smoothly over such terrain, which would be much more comfortable.
"Fine, then go rest well in the Hulk," Jun Bao said, a touch of disappointment in his voice. He had hoped to mooch a free lunch, but with Jing Shu feeling carsick, she probably wouldn’t have the appetite to cook anymore.
"You all go ahead and discuss things. Oh, right, this place is foggy and damp. The temperature isn’t as low as in Wu City, making it a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of insects. Later, have Old Doctor Zhang prepare more insect repellent. If that’s not enough, I have some Mugwort." After Jing Shu finished speaking, she stepped out of the vehicle. Before her foot could even touch the mud, a Hulk scooped her up into its mouth.
"Who was that girl just now? We’re in the middle of a meeting, and she just left on her own! Such lack of discipline. Can’t she even overcome a bit of motion sickness? Your leader is certainly lenient, personally seeing off a subordinate."
The woman in the OL-style business suit adjusted her glasses. In her worldview, no boss treated subordinates like that, no matter how much they were valued. Furthermore, no subordinate would dare to casually leave during an important meeting, acting as if they owned the place.
"You’re an assistant sent by Xinlan to help out. It’s normal for you not to know that little girl’s identity, but don’t provoke her. You really can’t afford to mess with her," said the white-haired old man as he put down the pen he was using to draw the map, shaking his head. "Ah, something’s off with this route..."
The woman in the OL-style suit frowned and flipped through the documents in her hands. The only person she was warned to be extremely careful around was a Special Ability User named Hao Yunlai. There was no mention of this other woman. She nudged the man in the traditional, close-fitting martial attire: "Xiao Wu, is she a Special Ability User?"
As the man wiped his long blade, he shook his head upon hearing her question: "Don’t know. Can’t tell. I don’t feel anything unusual."
The young man with gold-rimmed glasses chuckled softly. "Let’s put aside that girl for now. But the leader isn’t so easygoing; as an outsider, are you perhaps under some misunderstanding? Alright, let’s all discuss our respective areas of expertise, shall we? And then... elect a team leader?"
...
Jing Shu had no idea what transpired in the command vehicle. All she knew was that the ’Hulk RV’—pieced together from two Hulks—was incredibly comfortable. Without the earlier jolting and swaying, her motion sickness soon subsided.
She took a comfortable hot bath, then lounged in the tub, sipping orange juice and nibbling on mousse cake, cheese durian pastry, and some roasted duck Juan Dabing. Listening to the intermittent reports from various channels on the walkie-talkie, Jing Shu comfortably drifted off to sleep... until screams and alarm sounds pierced the quiet from outside.
Jing Shu woke up abruptly. The fat chicken flapped its wings, flying out of its nest. It clucked as it circled around, seemingly excited.
But there were no energy fluctuations; it must be a minor incident.
So Jing Shu leisurely got dressed, dried her wet hair, and boarded the armored vehicle next door. Inside, besides the people who had been there earlier that day, there were also a few people on stretchers, and Old Doctor Zhang, who was conducting check-ups.
"What happened? Are there casualties?" With such an impressive setup, how could there be casualties?
Old Doctor Zhang was almost eighty but looked to be in his sixties. He turned his head and saw it was Jing Shu. His serious expression softened into a smile. "Ah, Jing Shu, I was just about to look for you. They’ve been bitten by insects."
"Are they poisonous?" Jing Shu walked forward, rolled up her sleeves, and put on gloves and a head cover, causing everyone present to stare in shock.
"No poison, but it’s a bit tricky."