182: Chapter 182 The Four of Us Go Together

The Indian Ocean, a volcanic island that does not exist on any map.

The night was thick as impenetrable ink; even the moonlight could not pierce through it.

On the black volcanic sand beach, the waves stubbornly washed against the shore again and again, emitting a monotonous sound.

Kevin impatiently stretched his neck, his cervical vertebrae emitting a series of faint cracking sounds that broke the deathly silence.

Beside him, the man standing straight as a javelin was Lin Hao, motionless, as if he had merged with the darkness.

On the other side, Elena was the quietest; she simply stood there, the air around her seemingly slightly heated by her presence.

Three figures, like three silent statues.

Suddenly, two faint lights illuminated beneath the distant sea surface.

A small unmanned underwater vehicle broke through the surface, its hatch popping open with a "bang." A man wearing a black combat suit vaulted out cleanly, his feet landing steadily on the sand.

It was Hunk.

He shook off the seawater clinging to his combat suit and swept his gaze over the three people before him.

"The submarine was too stuffy. The air outside smells better, even if it carries a salty tang."

Kevin let out a scoff.

"I thought you intended to stay in that tin can until you grew mold. How was it? Was being chased by the U Federation's destroyers exciting?"

Hunk glanced at him, ignored the provocation, and walked straight up to the three.

He took a sealed military data pad from his tactical vest pocket and handed it to Elena.

"The Boss's new orders."

Elena took it but did not check it immediately; her deep eyes simply stared quietly at Hunk.

Lin Hao spoke, his voice low.

"Mission accomplished?"

"Accomplished."

Hunk nodded.

"The submarine has already disengaged and is heading to the designated location for silent operation."

"The U Federation's attention is entirely on the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon is likely grabbing the Hua Federation and the Russian Federation by the collars to argue right now; no one will notice us."

"Ha, those idiots."

Kevin grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"So, what new amusement does the Boss have now?"

Hunk looked at Kevin and stated in a flat tone.

"The client is very satisfied with our 'military aid' and has paid an additional 'service fee'."

"Oh?"

Kevin's interest deepened.

"Extra pay? That sounds good. Tell me, what do you want us to do this time? Another delivery?"

"No."

Hunk shook his head and spat out two words.

"Kill people."

He paused, then added.

"Or, in the client's own words, 'clear out pests'."

Elena finally moved. She connected the data pad to the tactical terminal on her wrist, and a stream of information flooded in instantly.

In the darkness, a faint, imperceptible dark red light seemed to flash deep within her pupils.

"Target: Israel's core command headquarters in the Golan Heights."

Hunk added the most crucial point.

"The Boss demands we create the impression of a 'third-party force'; the bigger the commotion, the better."

"The Golan Heights?"

Lin Hao frowned. As the team's tactical brain, he immediately realized the difficulty.

"That is Israel's most heavily guarded military fortress, known as the 'Impregnable Fortress.' It houses an armored brigade, several intelligence units, and U Federation technical advisors. A frontal assault?"

"Of course not."

Hunk pulled another, smaller tablet from his waist and brought up a 3D topographic map.

"The Boss never fights a battle unprepared. This is intelligence provided by Mr. Richard Weber, with blueprints accurate down to every ventilation duct."

He pointed to an area marked in red on the map.

"Here, this is their underground command center. Our target is the supreme commander inside, General Amos ben-Shabat."

Kevin leaned in to take a look.

"Going straight for the heart? Exciting! I like this plan!"

"The plan is not to rush in and kill him."

Hunk's voice suppressed Kevin's excitement.

"The Boss wants him alive."

He continued.

"Right now, the only ones fighting Israel on the ground are the resistance organizations in Palestine. Da Shi State and Lebanon are still throwing missiles at each other. Therefore, the sudden appearance of a ground force capable of breaching the Golan Heights fortress is something no one can explain."

Hunk's fingers swiped across the screen, pulling up dynamic models of several viruses.

"The Boss's intention is to make this even more bizarre. He wants the whole world to see how a brand-new, incomprehensible 'bioweapon' paralyzed an impregnable military fortress overnight."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the three.

"Same old rules: serve the 'appetizer' first to throw the entire base into chaos. Once they are too busy to look after themselves, we go in and 'invite' that General out."

The corners of Hunk's mouth curled up slightly, a rare occurrence, but there was not a trace of warmth in that smile.

"Remember, in this operation, there is no Elena, no Lin Hao, and no Kevin. The protagonist is a 'monster' that has never appeared before. We are merely the backstage crew delivering the 'monster' to the center of the stage."

Lin Hao nodded, indicating he understood.

"Use the virus to create chaos, weaken the defenses, and then decapitate. The most efficient method. Which one?"

"A weakened variant of the G-Virus."

Hunk tapped the screen, and an ugly, constantly mutating cell model appeared.

"Umbrella's latest work. The infected have no intelligence, only the instinct to attack, and they die the moment they see light. Before dawn, all evidence will turn into a puddle of pus. Clean, efficient, and the spectacle will be quite magnificent."

"Sounds like a grand fireworks show."

Elena closed the data pad and said indifferently.

She raised her hand, and a small cluster of orange-red flames ignited out of thin air at her fingertips, dancing joyfully, casting flickering light and shadow on the faces of the four.

"I only care about one thing."

She looked at the flames at her fingertips and asked softly.

"How many people are in that command headquarters?"

Hunk stated a number.

"Three thousand four hundred and fifty-two, including combatants and non-combatants."

The flame "whooshed" up by half a foot, emitting a faint crackle.

Kevin grinned, laughing like a child about to get a new toy. He twisted his shoulders, and his bones emitted a series of cracking sounds like popping beans.

"Fantastic."

He gazed at the dark sea in the distance, as if he could already see the scene of rivers of blood and soaring flames.

"I can't fucking wait!"