323: Plan before you act

Chen Wang took his hand off the start button. He stood up, and the oil stains on his pants rubbed off onto the chair.

The cockpit door opened, and he walked out without looking back. He headed toward the command area.

The lights in the corridor were a bit brighter than usual. Lin Wei was squatting in front of a cabinet, tidying up tools. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, then lowered her head and continued working.

Su Ling leaned against the wall, tracing the marks on her gun. Amy Chen sat next to the communications console, holding a golden chip, tapping it against the table with a steady, rhythmic sound.

"Everyone come over," Chen Wang said.

No one asked why. Five minutes later, six people sat around a makeshift table. It was pieced together from three iron plates, with welding burrs still on the edges.

Star Pupil placed the device in the center, the screen lit up, and the kindling system connected. A map appeared on the table.

There was a red dot in the middle of the map, representing the enemy base. Several circles were drawn around it, marking the patrol range. Chen Wang pointed to a fissure in the west, where there were two deep valleys where underground structures had previously collapsed.

"They are coming to wipe us out," he said, "but we cannot run."

Su Ling looked up: "You want to fight?"

"Not fight," Chen Wang shook his head, "move. hope can fly, but their heavy troops can't enter the narrow valleys. We won't engage them head-on; we'll move through the gaps so they can't catch us or hit us."

Lin Wei looked at the map, zooming in on the northwest direction: "There are many blind spots for radar there, but our stealth system hasn't been fixed since the last magnetic storm. If we get too close to the main control tower, we might be detected."

"Then don't get close," Su Ling continued, "The enemy's exoskeletons rely on relay stations to transmit commands, and they refresh data every three hours. I've checked, and the supply vehicles usually depart ten minutes early. If we time it right and cut the signal during their shift change, we can sever their command for fifteen minutes."

Amy Chen put down the chip: "The caravan can still provide two tons of fuel and a batch of parts, enough for a long trip. But I need to know the route first, otherwise the goods won't be delivered."

Chen Wang nodded: "You go contact them. Prioritize fuel for the thrusters, and keep the parts for emergencies."

Su Wan opened her tablet: "I've set up a temporary medical post at B7 and C3, equipped with thermal pods and surgical equipment. If anyone gets injured, they can be transported there within half an hour."

"What about Star Pupil?" Chen Wang looked toward the corner.

She opened her eyes, her voice soft but clear: "I can sense signal changes in the distance; it will alert me when they are too strong. But... I can't keep it on all the time, two hours at most."

"That's enough," Chen Wang said, "No need to keep it on the whole time, just use it at critical moments."

Lin Wei suddenly said: "Power is fine, but the flight module hasn't been tested in combat. Short jumps are okay, but long-term hovering is dangerous. I suggest keeping the operation within forty-five minutes, after which it must land to cool down."

Chen Wang didn't object. He drew a line on the map, descending from high altitude to the entrance of the rift, bypassing the radar, and finally pointing to a place marked "Abandoned Tunnel".

"We'll land here first," he pointed to the tunnel entrance, "The dark clouds can block the scans; we'll pass through while they adjust their lights. After coming out, we'll hug the valley floor and use the mountains to block the signals. By the time they find us, we'll have already changed direction."

Amy Chen calculated the distance and energy consumption, muttering numbers: "Following this route, a one-way trip consumes 17%, and the remaining 62% fuel is enough for the round trip. But if we need to jump to avoid danger midway, we'll have to reduce the time spent at the medical post."

"Then reduce it," Su Ling said, "Chen Wang and I will be responsible for covering the evacuation of the wounded; no one else stays behind."

Su Wan didn't object, only saying: "Everyone must wear a life monitoring ring. If contact is lost for more than five minutes, it will automatically send a location."

Lin Wei began to remove the cover plates on the vehicle: "I'll rewrite the system's underlying code and add a fake signal. In case we get locked on, the vehicle can release two heat sources to deceive tracking missiles."

Chen Wang walked to the projection and marked everyone's responsibilities on the route. Green is the safe zone, yellow is the danger zone, and red is no-go. Finally, he added a flashing arrow in the southeast direction.

"The anti-imperial forces will stage a feigned attack there," he said, "They will pin down the main force, and we will take the opportunity to scout. Use encrypted pulses for communication, confirm once every hour, and if there's no reply past the time, retreat."

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds. No one spoke, but their movements quickened. Lin Wei carried the box toward the maintenance area and disappeared around the corner. Su Wan put away her tablet and walked quickly toward the medical pod. Amy Chen opened the communication interface and started typing the supply list, her fingers moving quickly.

Star Pupil was still sitting, eyes closed, her breathing slowing down. Her hand rested gently on the side of the device, as if sensing something.

Chen Wang glanced at the map and turned off the projection. The iron table turned back to gray, with only a few old scratches. He walked toward the pilot's seat, his footsteps firm on the floor.

The door opened and closed. He sat in the pilot's seat, his gloves still in the co-pilot seat, stained with oil. He didn't pick them up, placing his hands directly on the steering wheel. The instruments lit up: oxygen 21.4%, temperature 18.6°C, everything normal. The kindling system had no alarms, and there were no new signals.

He pressed the preheat button, the engine vibrated, and the vibration traveled up through the seat to his back. The six sets of plasma wings began their check, lighting up with blue light one by one. Outside the window, clouds moved, obscuring the stars.

The communication system emitted a short tone. Amy Chen's voice came through: "Supply list sent, the other party confirmed receipt."

"Received," Chen Wang replied.

Lin Wei reported: "System check complete, emergency plan loaded."

"Understood."

Su Ling continued: "Sniper position ready, weapons normal."

"Good."

Su Wan added: "Medical post enabled, all monitoring rings distributed."

"Got it."

Star Pupil didn't speak, but the screen in front of her flashed green, indicating the connection was normal.

Chen Wang glanced at his pocket watch. The time was 15:08. Seventy-six minutes had passed since the broadcast declaration of war. He flexed his wrist; the burned area felt a bit tight, but he was used to it.

He pulled up the control stick and locked the takeoff procedure. hope slowly adjusted its direction, nose pointing down, aiming at the landing strip. The Shield hummed, and the fuselage emitted a faint light.

The wind speed outside rose to 5.3 meters per second, and the clouds split open, revealing the pitch-black ground below. The rift zone lay in the distance like an old scar, with high mountains on both sides and heavy shadows.

He hesitated no longer.

"Attention everyone," he said, "Prepare to enter the combat zone."