205: The whole team is preparing.

The type 100 tank pressed two deep tracks into the snow.

The wind crept in through the gaps in the vehicle, chilling everyone.

The three red dots on the main control console had disappeared, and the radar fell silent.

Chen Wang released the throttle lever, and a prompt from the kindling system popped up: [Low-power mode deactivated].

Amy Chen stood up and walked to the main control console.

She took the Imperial flyer out of the sealed bag; the paper was slightly yellowed, and the corners were curled.

She flipped it to the back, her finger stopping at the bottom right corner.

"Something's not right," she said.

Everyone looked at her.

She placed the flyer on the scanner and activated high-definition imaging.

After the image was magnified, the face of a young woman appeared on the screen.

She wore her hair in double ponytails, with goggles pushed up onto her forehead; behind her were a metal cabin and a pile of mechanical blueprints.

Lin Wei's hand trembled, and a screw fell into the chassis.

"That's me," she whispered.

Su Ling immediately walked to the monitor screen and pulled up the analysis report.

"This paper has a coating that only reveals the image when exposed to a heat source. This was left specifically for us."

Chen Wang walked over, staring at the face on the screen. Below it was a line of small text: "S-class fugitive engineer, heavy reward for live capture, bonus of fifty thousand energy core units."

"They know who you are," he said.

Lin Wei didn't move. She looked down at the wrench in the toolbox, then suddenly raised her hand and slammed it against the edge of the control panel. The metallic clanging sound startled everyone.

"I'm not a fugitive," she said. "I'm a runaway."

She turned around, looking at everyone, her breathing heavy. "I worked on the 'Space Folding Prototype' project in the Empire. They used living people to test the machines. After people went in, some would end up with an extra leg, others would lose their heads. I wrote reports to shut down the project, but no one listened. So I destroyed the data, burned the blueprints, and ran away overnight."

No one in the vehicle spoke.

Su Wan stood at the passageway entrance, holding a notebook. "You're not lying," she said. "I've always believed you."

Lin Wei nodded. "I thought if I hid far enough away, it would be fine. But they never gave up on that project. Now... they're afraid I'll create something better."

Chen Wang returned to the main control console and turned on the vehicle-wide broadcast.

"Then let them be afraid," he said. "We're not hiding anymore."

He pressed the communication button. "Lin Wei, the electromagnetic cannon is yours. I need it to fire five shots in three seconds, without blowing up the barrel."

Lin Wei looked up, her expression changed.

"I can do it," she said.

"Su Wan, prepare anesthetic rounds. When we approach the Head of States Residence, we need to clear the cockpit quickly. You decide the dosage."

Su Wan closed her notebook. "I'm already preparing it."

"Amy, calculate the route. The shortest one, avoiding all outposts. The flight module can only be used once; it must be precise."

Amy scanned the flyer into the system and pulled up the map. She drew three lines, marking them A, B, and C. "A is the fastest, but it requires crossing the Ice Fissure Valley. B is a detour with cover. C passes by an abandoned radar station, which might have interference."

"Choose A," Chen Wang said. "No time for detours."

"Fuel consumption will increase by 40%," Amy reminded him.

"Save it somewhere else," he said. "Prioritize power for weapons."

Su Ling came down from the turret and walked over to Lin Wei. "Do you need any help?"

"Help me secure the barrel mount," Lin Wei said. "It can't wobble during the modification; the margin of error cannot exceed 0.3 millimeters."

Su Ling nodded and picked up the toolkit.

Chen Wang stood in front of the driver's seat, checking the kindling system. 372 survival points remained, 88 points short of a new Shield. He opened the map and confirmed that route A crossed the Ice Fissure Valley for only three hundred meters, with high cliffs on both sides, making it suitable for a surprise attack.

"Three days," he said. "We'll arrive at the Head of States Residence on time."

Lin Wei crouched next to the electromagnetic cannon and removed the outer casing. The circuit board was exposed, and she began cutting the old wires. "They think that by catching me, they'll get the technology. But they don't understand; this vehicle wasn't built from blueprints. It was forged in battle."

Su Ling handed her a stabilizing clamp. "You once said that the best machines aren't designed; they're repaired."

"Right," Lin Wei said, taking the tool. "We are repairing the future right now."

Amy marked supply points on the map. She divided the energy into four segments, noting the minimum safety value for each. She also checked the wind speed to calculate the optimal time to activate the flight module.

"Activate it two minutes before entering the Ice Fissure Valley," she said. "The gliding distance will be just enough to rush out."

Chen Wang checked the driving system. He switched the inertia adjustment to manual and added an emergency switch. He also welded a small metal piece onto the side of the control lever to prevent accidental activation.

"I'll fly low to the ground when the time comes," he said. "Hold on tight."

Su Wan walked into the medical pod and opened the refrigerator. She took out six anesthetic injections, numbered M-01 to M-06. She checked the needles and placed them into a special magazine. She also took two bottles of antidote and placed them on the outer layer.

"The dosage is divided by body weight," she said. "The largest one can take down a giant beast."

She placed the magazine into the weapon depot and locked it with a password. Returning to the console, she wrote down the usage instructions.

Lin Wei finished connecting the wires and began installing the booster module. She connected two capacitors in parallel to the main circuit and added heat sinks. Su Ling used a laser ruler to measure the angles, confirming everything was fine.

"Want to try it?" Su Ling asked.

Lin Wei nodded. She connected the tester and input a low-power command.

The electromagnetic cannon hummed, and the muzzle lit up with blue light.

"It's normal," she said.

"Continue," Chen Wang said. "I need it to be capable of continuous fire."

Lin Wei increased the power. On the third shot, the system alarmed: [Temperature exceeded].

"Not enough cooling," Su Ling said.

Lin Wei removed the side panel, took out a liquid nitrogen tank, connected it to the cooling port, and restarted it.

This time, all five shots were fired. The barrel was slightly red, but there was no alarm.

"It's done," she said.

"Record the parameters," Chen Wang said. "Use this for actual combat."

Amy finished the route calculation and imported the plan into the navigation system. She set up three contingency plans to deal with reconnaissance aircraft, ambushes, and signal interference.

"Everything is saved," she said.

Chen Wang climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and opened the maintenance hatch. He shone a flashlight over the bolts, confirming none were loose.

After coming down, he stood in front of the main control console, looking at everyone.

"Listen," he said. "The Empire wants us to be afraid. They send plates, leave wanted posters—it's all to make us panic. But we aren't afraid."

He looked at Lin Wei. "They're hunting you because you're stronger than them."

He looked at Su Ling. "They sent an envoy because they're afraid to fight."

He looked at Amy. "They're tracking us because they can't find anyone else."

Finally, he looked at everyone. "The wuling type 100 is not a soft target. We are a nail. Whoever touches us will bleed."

Lin Wei stood up and hooked the wrench onto her waist. "I have an idea. If we change the charging rhythm of the electromagnetic cannon, we can trick their early warning system."

"Tell me," Chen Wang said.

"Slow at first, then fast. Like a heartbeat," she said. "They are used to regular signals; this variation will slow their judgment by at least 1.5 seconds."

"That's enough," Chen Wang said. "Let's do it."

Su Ling checked the ammunition depot, confirming the anesthetic rounds were loaded. She tested the firing valve, and it operated smoothly.

"Ready for use at any time," she said.

Su Wan placed the last anesthetic injection into the emergency kit and zipped it up. She stood at the entrance of the medical pod, looking at the command cabin.

"Everyone is doing okay," she said.

No one responded. But everyone's movements were steadier.

Chen Wang sat back in the driver's seat and put on his gloves. He touched the scar on his left arm and pressed the start button.

The engine roared to life.

The kindling system displayed: [Combat readiness activated].

Lin Wei returned to the engineering console and opened the electromagnetic cannon program. She deleted the old code and began writing new code.

Su Ling climbed onto the turret and calibrated the aiming system. She set the lock-on mode to manual priority to avoid misjudgment.

Amy checked the power distribution, increasing the power for the surprise attack to 45%. She encrypted all channels and added a frequency-hopping protocol.

Su Wan finished organizing the medicine and stood in the middle of the passageway. She took a deep breath and walked to her station.

Chen Wang looked at the main control screen. On the map, a blue line pointed straight to the southeast. Route A was clearly visible. The destination was the west outer wall of the Head of States Residence, where a breach was just large enough for the type 100 to enter.

He placed his hand on the throttle lever.

"Prepare," he said.

Lin Wei pressed the enter key.

The code ran successfully.

The electromagnetic cannon entered standby mode.

Su Ling fastened her seat belt.

Amy started the countdown.

Su Wan turned on the emergency lights.

Chen Wang looked ahead.

Wind and snow battered the armor.

The lights inside the vehicle were stable.

The five of them were each at their posts.

The war vehicle hadn't moved yet.

But everyone knew.

This trip.

Must be won.