72: Chapter 72 Commander, I want to make a deal with you.

Time: 03:15 AM (Five minutes after the assassination ended)

Wuuu——————!!!

The commotion at the warehouse was too great. The chain explosion of hundreds of C-rank landmines combined with the thunderous light of the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison Formation soaring into the sky caused the piercing air-raid sirens to instantly tear through the night sky.

"Quick! Seal off Sector D!"

"Heavy Mecha Battalion, move up! It might be an enemy attack!"

"Military Police Team! Surround the scene! Don't let even a single fly out!"

In less than three minutes, the once-empty abandoned warehouse area was surrounded so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through.

Dozens of ten-meter-tall "Storm-class" heavy mechas marched with heavy steps, surrounding the warehouse in a ring of steel.

Hundreds of fully armed military police held large-caliber blaster guns, their red laser sights densely interwoven over the ruins of the warehouse.

In the center of the ruins where blue smoke was still rising, Lin Yuan stood there, stepping on a headless corpse. Xiang Lie and Su Xiaoxiao stood back-to-back behind him, their faces pale and their hands holding weapons trembling.

"It's over... This time we've really blown it out of proportion..." Xiang Lie looked at the circle of dark mecha cannon muzzles and felt his throat go dry.

Just then.

Boom!

In the sky, a terrifying pressure descended like Mount Tai pressing down. The airflow churned violently, even swirling up the rubble on the ground.

The figure of an old man with white hair and beard descended from the sky without any support, landing heavily in front of the ruins.

Supreme Commander of the Seventh Defense Zone — Lu Tianhe (Seventh-Rank Grandmaster)!

Lu Tianhe's face was ashen, and his majestic tiger-like eyes burned with a near-substantial rage. He first glanced at the surrounding mess, then fixed his gaze on the corpse beneath Lin Yuan's feet.

Although the head was gone, that expensive custom night-walking suit and that familiar build...

It was his old subordinate, the Logistics Minister, Wang Hai!

A Sixth-Rank Grandmaster had actually been slaughtered like a dog in his own base?

"Lin Yuan!!!"

Lu Tianhe let out a thunderous roar. The aura of a Seventh-Rank Grandmaster erupted instantly, causing the surrounding air to emit popping sounds from the pressure:

"How dare you!!"

"You dare to assassinate a superior officer?! Are you trying to rebel?!"

"Military Police Team! Take him down! Kill anyone who dares to resist on the spot!!"

Click, click, click!

At the Commander's order, hundreds of firearms were chambered simultaneously, and the fire control radars of over a dozen mechas instantly locked onto the space between Lin Yuan's eyebrows.

A dead end!

A true dead end!

Under this terrifying pressure, Xiang Lie and Su Xiaoxiao were almost suffocating.

However, Lin Yuan, at the center of the storm, appeared exceptionally calm.

He didn't raise his hands in surrender, nor did he attempt to resist.

"Rebel?"

Lin Yuan looked up, staring directly into Lu Tianhe's murderous eyes, a cold sneer on his lips:

"Commander Lu, don't be so quick to label me."

"If killing a traitor who colluded with foreign races, sold out intelligence, and attempted to blow up the entire base is called rebelling..."

Lin Yuan kicked aside Wang Hai's stiff arm. His voice wasn't loud, but it spread clearly throughout the scene:

"Then I'm rebelling with a clear conscience."

"Nonsense!"

Lu Tianhe was furious: "Minister Wang has followed me for over a decade, working diligently! You killed him and still dare to splash dirty water on him?! I think you're more likely a spy for the Pantheon Cult!"

"Where is the evidence?!"

Lu Tianhe took a step forward, his terrifying Qi pressing toward Lin Yuan like a tsunami: "If you can't produce evidence, I'll execute you right now!"

Facing the deathly pressure of a Seventh-Rank Grandmaster, Lin Yuan felt all the bones in his body groaning.

But he still didn't back down.

"You want evidence, right?"

Lin Yuan reached into his bosom (actually, his consciousness sank into the system space) and pulled out the Unknown Encrypted Communicator that had dropped from Wang Hai's corpse, along with a black conch shell emitting a deep-sea fishy smell — the Deep Sea Magic Conch (Foreign Race Token).

"These were found in Minister Wang's personal pocket."

Lin Yuan held up the black communicator and, in front of everyone, pressed the play button.

This wasn't an ordinary communicator; it contained a cached unsent recording of Wang Hai's last moments before death.

Zzz... zzz...

After a burst of static, a voice that was incredibly familiar to everyone present came clearly through the speaker.

That gentle and mellow voice, widely recognized as belonging to a "nice guy," now held a bone-chilling malice:

"Rest assured, Lord Divine Envoy."

"That kid named Lin Yuan has already discovered the secret of Island No. 09. I will personally deal with him tonight."

"As for the 'Great Tide' plan... I've already made arrangements. During the general offensive in three days, I will cut off the energy shields of Sector C and Sector A on time."

"When that time comes, the Seventh Defense Line will be an undefended tomb. The blood of these one million humans will be my sacrifice to the Sea God..."

Zzz...

The recording came to an abrupt end.

Dead silence filled the scene.

Everyone's gaze shifted from Lin Yuan to the headless corpse on the ground.

Shock, bewilderment, disbelief... which finally transformed into sky-high rage!

"Is... is that Minister Wang's voice?"

"Cutting off the shields? One million people as sacrifices? A beast! He's a beast!"

"Damn it! The last time I was injured was because supplies didn't arrive. It turns out he was behind it!"

Standing at the very front, Lu Tianhe, this battle-hardened old general, now had a face as dark as the bottom of a thousand-year-old pot.

As the supreme Commander of the defense zone, he had actually nurtured such a massive venomous snake right under his nose! He had even let him reach the position of Logistics Minister!

If Lin Yuan hadn't acted tonight...

In three days, the entire Seventh Defense Line would have truly become a living hell!

"Whew."

Lu Tianhe took a deep breath, looking as if he had aged ten years.

But he was a Commander after all, and he quickly suppressed his emotions, regaining his iron-blooded composure.

"Military Police Team, hear my command!"

Lu Tianhe's voice was bone-chilling, filled with thick murderous intent:

"Immediately seal off the Logistics Department! Everyone is grounded! Whether they are Wang Hai's confidants or adjutants, arrest them all for isolated investigation!"

"Anyone who dares to resist... kill without mercy!!"

"Yes!!"

Hundreds of military police roared in unison, turned their guns, and charged toward the logistics building with murderous intent.

Having dealt with this, Lu Tianhe turned around and looked at Lin Yuan with a complex gaze.

This time, the oppressive feeling had vanished, replaced by appreciation and even a deep sense of wariness.

A Third-Rank Second Lieutenant could actually kill a Sixth-Rank Grandmaster across levels.

This level of calculation and these methods — he was simply a monster.

Lu Tianhe walked up to Lin Yuan and asked in a low voice, "Since you had the evidence long ago, why didn't you report it to me first? Why did you act on your own?"

"If I had reported it, would you have believed me?"

"To catch a thief, you need the loot; for a life taken, a life is owed."

Lu Tianhe was silent for a long time. Finally, not only was he not angry, but he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Troubled times call for heavy penalties; the battlefield needs ruthless people like you!"

Lu Tianhe's eyes narrowed, and his expression became incredibly solemn:

"Lin Yuan, although Wang Hai is dead, you heard the content of the recording."

"In three days, the Great Tide general offensive."

"The Sea Race's Sixth-Rank Beast Kings and even Seventh-Rank Demon Sovereigns will be mobilized. This battle concerns the life and death of the defense line."

Saying this, Lu Tianhe pulled out a golden token engraved with the word "Special" from his bosom and threw it directly to Lin Yuan.

"Take this!"

Lin Yuan reached out and caught it.

"Second Lieutenant Lin Yuan, in view of your special contribution in killing the traitor and saving the defense line, I hereby authorize—"

"From this moment on, the judgment Squad is upgraded to the Special Operations Group! You will report directly to me!"

"The armory and equipment depot within the base, except for nuclear bombs, are at your disposal! If you need people, I'll give you people; if you need guns, I'll give you guns!"

Lu Tianhe stared intently into Lin Yuan's eyes: "I have only one requirement."

"In the decisive battle three days from now, take your people and make those seafood bastards hurt! Hurt them badly!"

This was an immense amount of power!

It was equivalent to giving Lin Yuan an Imperial Sword; the resources of the entire base were now open to him!

Xiang Lie and Su Xiaoxiao's faces turned red with excitement.

However, Lin Yuan, holding the token, didn't salute immediately. He looked at Lu Tianhe and suddenly smiled.

That smile carried a hint of a merchant's cunning.

"Mission guaranteed."

Lin Yuan tucked the token into his pocket, then took a step forward and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"However... Commander."

"Since you're being so generous, can we make another deal?"

"A deal?" Lu Tianhe was stunned, momentarily thrown off by the kid's train of thought. "What else do you want?"

"You just said, except for nuclear bombs."

Lin Yuan pointed toward the distant sea, a flash of madness in his eyes:

"What if I have a way to lure the main force of the Sea Race to one place and wipe them out?"

"Can you... authorize a 'Big Ivan' for me?"

Lu Tianhe: "..."

Looking at the seemingly harmless youth before him who was asking for a tactical nuke as soon as he opened his mouth.

For the first time, this Seventh-Rank Grandmaster felt that being a Commander was a bit nerve-wracking.

Was this hiring a helper?

This was clearly inviting an ancestor back!