Chapter 34 - 33: Pinning Mission, Black Spine Zerg Reconnaissance Squad (Part 2)

As family members, Liu Ruojiao and Zhang Xuan could stay here, which made daily life much more convenient.

As they were about to part, Liu Ruojiao offered a flurry of reminders and then specifically sought out Lin Feng.

"Mr. Lin, please look after Yueqi for me. Don’t let her get carried away; she has a habit of trying to be a hero."

Lin Feng lowered the window and smiled.

"Don’t worry. We’ll just be running guerrilla-style harassment on the flanks. We won’t engage the Swarm head-on. With her knife, she’ll at most be dealing with a few stragglers."

"Alright, Teacher Liu. If you get hungry, just find the staff at the administrative office. Mention my name, and they’ll get you sorted."

With that, he waved goodbye.

At that moment, Qin Hu glanced at his tactical watch. When the time came, he led the group out of the service area, taking the emergency lane back toward the combat zone.

Chen Yanyan hit the gas, falling in with the departing convoy.

"I just counted. A total of twenty-six vehicles, with fifty-six people participating in the mission. Add us and Lieutenant Qin, and that makes exactly sixty."

"But those are all rugged off-road vehicles. It looks like we’re the only RV..."

Lin Feng nodded, looking into the distance.

"What’s wrong with an RV? This big fella’s potential is far from tapped."

The sky had completely darkened. Night was clearly more advantageous for the Swarm. Human vision was impaired, drastically reducing the effectiveness of their firearms and easily forcing them into close-quarters combat.

That was why Han Yuxin had given him an extra Night Vision Helmet, so he could maximize the support function of his Superpower.

But as an Awakener, Lin Feng could use his Hawkeye to see moving objects hundreds of meters away, even in the dim light of the moon.

The Night Vision Device wasn’t very useful to him; in fact, it would interfere with his ability to activate the Shield Armor Form of his Red Armor Shield.

So, Lin Feng took off the helmet and handed it to Liu Yueqi, who was sitting in the cabin. ’She needs this more than I do.’

"Thanks, Feng..."

Taking the helmet, Liu Yueqi looked as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Lin Feng waved his hand.

"Don’t call me uncle, I’m not that much older than you. ’Brother’ or ’Captain’ is fine. We’re a squad of three now, after all."

Liu Yueqi put on the helmet and nodded.

"Right! Captain Lin."

Soon, the mission convoy pulled out of the traffic jam and onto a wide, empty highway. Their speed shot up instantly. Another fifty kilometers and they would exit the highway, entering the suburban area of Hai City.

That area had already been gradually encroached upon and occupied by the newly emerged Mother Empress. She was leading a massive army of Black Spine Zergs, surging rapidly toward the city’s North suburbs to encircle the Federal Army’s Thirteenth Division.

By now, the State Armed Guard had joined the battle, engaging the Swarm head-on to block their encirclement. Meanwhile, civilian forces like Lin Feng’s were primarily responsible for harassing the edges of the conflict and preventing the Swarm from infiltrating deeper inland.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at a highway toll station.

Just ahead was the suburban residential area Lin Feng had come from, with the Ecological Park beside it.

They were only twenty kilometers from the Mother Empress’s location, well within the Black Spine Zergs’ range of activity.

Qin Hu gathered the six Awakeners, Lin Feng included, as well as a dozen or so others who had undergone six enhancements or more. He then briefed them on their respective duties.

"After we get off the highway, there are three main roads leading in different directions. We need to dispatch three vehicles to scout ahead. If you encounter lone Red-Armored Beetles, eliminate them on the spot. If you run into Black Spine Zergs..."

Here, Qin Hu added an explanation.

"Within the Mother Empress’s sphere of influence, Black Spine Zergs operate in squads of at least three, acting as Reconnaissance Squads. They’re also responsible for patrolling the edges of their territory."

"If you run into them, fire a few shots, turn tail, and run. Don’t get into a prolonged fight. Lure them back here, and we’ll eliminate them with concentrated fire."

"Once we take out two or three of their Reconnaissance Squads, we’ll draw the Mother Empress’s attention. She’ll be forced to dispatch a Black Spine Zerg Swarm of over a hundred, and at that point, our diversionary mission is complete. We turn and get out of there immediately."

"Is that clear?"

Qin Hu’s gaze swept over the crowd. Every head dropped in unison. He then asked:

"So, about the three vehicles for this deep recon mission... any volunteers? Or do I have to appoint someone?"

A few of the leaders exchanged hesitant glances.

It was a mission to act as bait, and setting aside the inherent danger, what if they ran into more than one Reconnaissance Squad? A chase involving as many as six Black Spine Zergs, at night with limited visibility... One slip-up while trying to escape, and no one in that vehicle would survive.

Going was a near-certain death sentence.

Qin Hu frowned and upped the ante.

"Whoever volunteers will get twenty percent of the mission’s rewards right off the top, plus an equal share of what’s left."

The rewards promised that afternoon included four managerial positions within the security bureau, as well as the awarding of Private Second Class military ranks.

As for the material rewards, they were far less appealing than an official position. After all, in the current situation, a higher rank meant a better chance of survival and a more comfortable life.

Right now, Qin Hu’s promise meant that whoever volunteered would be guaranteed one of the managerial positions, provided they could lure back a single Reconnaissance Squad.

Weighing the risk against the reward, the most powerful Awakeners were beginning to stir.

Lin Feng stood at the very back. He wasn’t particularly interested in this offer. ’The reward Hu Fei promised is far more generous,’ he thought. ’As long as I can get in with those big shots, climbing the ranks later will be a piece of cake—like riding a rocket.’

What he was interested in was the latter part of the offer: the awarding of a Private Second Class rank.

Commissioned officers and Officers are the two promotion tracks in the Federation Army. The former are responsible for theoretical command and hold great authority, while the latter are responsible for specific missions and frontline combat.

’Now the Officer track is open to Awakeners, too,’ Lin Feng mused. ’This could be a good path for me. My individual Power is a perfect fit for the Officer role. In the future, a Sergeant Major will command more respect than some of these paper-pushing generals. The only thing is, you need to earn your way up with merit.’

Thinking of this, Lin Feng slowly raised his head and saw Qin Hu staring at him.

As if reading his mind, Qin Hu gave a slight shake of his head—a subtle signal for Lin Feng not to take the mission.

’After all, a rare and powerful Awakener shouldn’t be risking his life on a mission like this.’

But just as the crowd fell silent, a few of the Awakeners at the front exchanged a look. One of them glanced toward the back and suddenly called out:

"Director Han told us how amazing this Mr. Lin is. If he’s that good, he should be the one to take the lead!"

"If he sets an example, the rest of us will have the confidence to take on the mission, won’t we?"

"Exactly! If even Mr. Lin doesn’t dare to go, why should we be expected to venture deep into the Swarm’s territory? Are our lives worthless?"

The others immediately chimed in with their agreement.

Qin Hu shot them a look. As fellow Awakeners, they weren’t intimidated by the Lieutenant’s stare.

"Fine. I’ll take the lead on this."

"I’ll go lure out the Black Spine Zerg squad!"

To everyone’s surprise, Lin Feng spoke up, accepting the task directly.

He stepped out from the crowd and pointed northeast.

"The Mother Empress is heading North, so I’ll take that route. Might as well take some of the pressure off the rest of you."