62: Chapter 62 Strategy Plan

"Antique dealer, I don't believe a word you say."

If Old Jack knew what Yan Zheng did after getting the floor plan, he would probably return those two bottles of Jack Daniel's unopened and move away.

July 23rd, 1:00 AM.

In the Underground Room of the Antique Shop, an A2-sized white sheet of paper was spread across the workbench, featuring a floor plan of The Hand's main stronghold, drawn by Yan Zheng based on Old Tom's descriptions and reconnaissance data from the Skeleton Soldier.

A three-story structure, from top to bottom.

First floor, the disguise layer.

"The entrance is disguised as a Laundromat, with the storefront facing 45th Street West, operated by two regular employees during the day."

"Behind the Laundromat's staff passage, there is a reinforced steel door, and behind that door is a staircase leading underground."

Second floor, the garrison layer.

"The main living and training area covers about five hundred square meters, garrisoned by fifteen to twenty ninjas."

"Four entry and exit points: the main stairwell passage, the eastern emergency passage connecting to the sewer network, the southern freight passage leading to the underground garage of the adjacent building, and the western ventilation duct, which theoretically can accommodate one person."

Third floor, the secret room layer.

"There is only one entrance, extending downward from the second-floor stairwell."

"The area is about one hundred and fifty square meters, with an unknown purpose."

"Old Tom's description: very cold, buzzing sounds, metal walls."

Yan Zheng drew a red cross next to the box representing the third floor.

"This is the result of the Skeleton Soldier's reconnaissance two days ago."

He opened the system panel and pulled up the video record transmitted back by the No. 3 Skeleton Soldier.

In the footage, the Skeleton Soldier approached the perimeter of the stronghold from the eastern drainage pipe, its phosphorus fire dimmed to its lowest, moving slowly along the pipe wall.

About thirty meters from the second-floor eastern passage of the stronghold, there were traces of artificial modification in the pipe, with a metal plate embedded in the concrete wall, its surface engraved with dense patterns.

When the Skeleton Soldier approached within five meters, the phosphorus fire began to show obvious unstable fluctuations, like a candle blown by the wind.

At three meters, the phosphorus fire was almost extinguished.

Yan Zheng ordered a retreat in time during that reconnaissance, not letting the Skeleton Soldier risk getting within one meter.

"Those patterns are occult inscriptions, originating from the same source as the dark patterns on The Hand's ritual bones."

"The function is clear: to suppress Undead Energy."

"It starts to decay at five meters, and at three meters, the fire is almost extinguished."

"If my Undead Creation rushes directly into the secret room, it will likely turn into a pile of dead bones within the suppression field of the inscriptions."

Yan Zheng leaned against the edge of the workbench, his fingers gripping the scalpel he carried with him, the blade spinning twice in the dim light of the system panel.

"What does this mean?"

"It means I have to go get the things in the secret room myself."

"After the Undead Creation finishes off the fifteen to twenty ninjas on the perimeter, it becomes scrap metal by the time it reaches the secret room door."

"In that final one hundred and fifty square meters of space, I am the only one who can enter."

"An Antique Shop owner with no superpowers, carrying only a scalpel."

He put the scalpel back into his pocket, walked to the floor plan, and drew markers on the four entry and exit points of the stronghold with a red pen.

"Never mind the secret room issue for now; let's solve the perimeter first."

"Fifteen to twenty ninjas from The Hand, plus the elite Commander Nogami."

"Nogami's combat power assessment: according to the fragments of information revealed during that meeting with Wesley, Kingpin's thugs described him as 'able to take on twenty people alone,' and he uses a blade."

"If this description is accurate, Nogami's personal combat power is close to the upper limit of an elite-level Undead."

"Against the Stitched Brute, it's a toss-up."

"Against the Undead Knight, the Knight has the advantage, but it's not a complete crush."

"But what if Nogami and fifteen ninjas attack together?"

Yan Zheng quickly simulated the scenario in his mind.

"A direct frontal assault: the Brute on the front line absorbs fire, the Knight provides output from the back, and two Skeleton Soldiers are responsible for blocking the retreat."

"Can the shuriken and blades of fifteen ninjas break through the Brute's muscle tissue? Yes, but it requires concentrated fire and continuous cutting."

"Can the Knight's Photon Ray clear a few ninjas in one shot? Yes, but the ray is a linear attack, and the angle is limited in the narrow underground space."

"What if Nogami takes advantage of the melee to circle around to the back and attack the Knight during its charging interval?"

Yan Zheng's finger stopped on the floor plan.

"There's a risk of failure."

"In a melee in a narrow space, there are too many variables."

"I need a smarter approach."

He put down the red pen, pulled a blank sheet of paper from the folder beside him, and began to draw a tactical sketch.

"Surround on three sides, leave one open."

"Block three of the four entry and exit points, leaving only the Laundromat's front door."

"How to block them?"

Yan Zheng marked three routes on the sketch.

"The eastern emergency passage: Skeleton Soldiers infiltrate the pipe system two hours in advance, build a physical barrier with Bone Breaker and metal trash on the outside of the passage, and then guard behind the barrier."

"The southern freight passage: the Brute is responsible. Once in combat mode, it will block the freight passage entrance. That passage is only two meters wide; the Brute will stand like a wall, and not a single ninja will be able to escape."

"The western ventilation duct: the simplest part, just cause a manual collapse. Skeleton Soldiers will tamper with the key support points of the duct in advance and trigger the collapse when the battle starts."

"With all three escape routes blocked, the only exit for the ninjas is the Laundromat's front door."

"And what is waiting for them outside the front door?"

Yan Zheng drew a large golden circle at the front door location.

"Undead Knight Dawn, Photon Ray, fifty-meter range."

"A group of panicking ninjas rushing out from the front door, lined up neatly like targets at a shooting range."

"One shot of the ray can pierce through four or five people."

"But this is just the ideal situation."

He put down the pen, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his fingers in front of his abdomen.

"There are two variables in the actual operation."

"First, Nogami is not an ordinary ninja; he won't follow a group of cannon fodder and escape through the front door. If he chooses to hold the stronghold from the inside or evacuate through a secret passage I don't know about, the 'surround on three sides, leave one open' strategy will be for nothing."

"Second, when fifteen ninjas are driven to a dead end, they might fight back desperately. If they choose not to escape but instead turn around to charge the Brute's blockade line, can the Brute hold it alone without the Knight's support?"

"The solution."

Yan Zheng picked up the pen again and drew a timeline at the bottom of the tactical sketch.

"Don't use the 'surround on three sides, leave one open' strategy to force them out; use another way to force them out."

"Pour an Undead assault into the stronghold from the underground drainage system."

"What kind of Undead?"

He opened the system panel and looked at the small gray text at the very bottom of the unit list.

[Low-level Skeleton Soldier (Consumable Grade): Can be quickly assembled using Bone Breaker inventory, does not require occupying a control slot, exists for thirty minutes, combat power is approximately equal to a large, highly aggressive dog.]

"No need for elite units, no need to occupy control slots."

"Use those Bone Breaker in the inventory that are of too poor quality to be worth formal assembly, and temporarily assemble a batch of consumable-grade low-level skeletons."

"Thirty minutes of existence time is enough."

"Pour them in from the eastern pipe and southern passage simultaneously, impacting the second-floor garrison area like a flood."

"The ninjas won't be facing a few elite Undead, but a swarming tide of bones."

"What will they do?"

"Run."

"Run to the only exit, the Laundromat's front door."

"Then the Knight will collect the heads."

He marked the final node on the timeline.

"But what about Nogami?"

Yan Zheng's pen tip stopped at the very bottom of the drawing, next to the box labeled "Secret Room."

"If the entire stronghold is being washed over by a tide of bones, where will Nogami retreat as the Commander?"

"Run up? The Knight is outside the front door."

"Run east? It's blocked."

"Run south? The Brute is blocking it."

"His only choice is to go down."

"Retreat to the secret room."

"Because the secret room has inscriptions that suppress Undead Energy, it is the only safe area in the entire stronghold that Undead Creation cannot enter."

The corners of Yan Zheng's mouth curled into an arc.

"Mr. Nogami will voluntarily help me open the door to the secret room."

"Then I will follow him inside."

"The inscriptions in the secret room suppress Undead, but they don't suppress humans."

"An Antique Shop owner with a scalpel versus a ninja Commander who is exhausted from running through a tide of bones."

"These odds, I can accept."

He finished the last stroke on the tactical sketch, reviewed it from beginning to end, and wrote a date in the top left corner of the drawing.

"July 23rd, strategy finalized."

"Execution time to be determined."

"Need to prepare temporary assembly materials for consumable-grade Bone Breaker soldiers, at least twenty or more."

"The inventory of Bone Breaker is sufficient; prefabrication can be completed within three days."

He folded the drawing, locked it in the workbench safe, stood up, and stretched.

When he walked to the steps, he looked back at the Undead Knight standing quietly in the corner of the Underground Room.

The green-gold phosphorus fire flickered in the darkness, and the surface of the Knight's petrified scales reflected a faint light.

"Mr. Knight, three days from now will be your first real battle."

"The opponents are a group of ninjas dressed in black."

"Your task is very simple: stand at the door, and open fire when you see someone running out."

The phosphorus fire flickered twice.

"Very good."

Yan Zheng turned and walked up the steps, pausing on the last step.

"By the way, there is one thing I must make clear to you in advance."

"Those inscriptions in the secret room can extinguish your fire, so don't crowd inside once you reach the door of the secret room."

"For that final stage, I, the boss, will go in myself."

"After all, for some collectibles, you have to get them with your own hands to feel the satisfaction."