183: Fearless

The dream unfolded like a scroll; he stood on the wide deck of the ulyanovsk aircraft carrier, witnessing the colossal ship break through the waves and sail towards the direction his heart yearned for.

Just at that moment, a familiar figure appeared. It was Uncle Chao, his eyes glistening with tears, his voice choked with emotion: “From now on, our Great Xia will also have its own maritime fortress…

However, this tranquility was quickly shattered by reality. “Mr. Xu?”

“Mr. Xu.” Urgent calls came from beside his ear, abruptly pulling Xu Ning back from his beautiful dream to the cruel reality.

“Ah… hmm… What happened?” He responded groggily, rubbing his heavy eyelids with his hand, trying to shake off the sleepiness, until he saw Xiao Adam’s extremely anxious expression before him and fully woke up.

“Things are not good, Mr. Xu, we are surrounded.” Xiao Adam’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, making him instantly alert.

Xu Ning quickly stood up and looked out through the narrow observation window.

Not far away, hundreds of tanks were densely arranged, as if they had suddenly emerged from underground, silently blocking all retreat routes.

A chill rose from the bottom of his heart, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.

Could it be Norvich’s men who had tracked them here? But how was that possible? How could they have such a huge force?

Just as despair enveloped his heart, Xu Ning suddenly remembered the responsibility he bore. For the dream of the aircraft carrier, for the compatriots who yearned for a powerful umbrella of protection, he absolutely could not give up easily.

Although his palms were soaked with sweat, his eyes were firm, and a defiant strength surged deep within him.

At this moment, he knew that no matter how difficult and dangerous the road ahead was, he had to face it bravely, because behind him lay the hopes and dreams of countless people.

On the verge of despair, giving up was never an option. Even if the road ahead was covered in thorns, he had to carve out a path to survival.

The desire to survive burned in his chest like a raging fire, like an Eagle whose wings were not yet broken, and a Jade Rabbit still waiting for the moon to rise.

Falling at this moment was definitely not his destiny.

“Everyone pay attention, prepare to break through.” Xu Ning’s words were forceful and resonant, like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, piercing through the darkness.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on a slight crack in the encirclement, which would be the key to their breakthrough.

However, just as the tense situation was about to erupt, something unexpected happened.

Those indestructible steel behemoths slowly separated, making way for a solitary jeep.

It came towards Xu Ning’s direction like a messenger passing through the flames of war.

Xu Ning frowned, his heart full of confusion. He quickly gave the order: “Everyone stay calm, do not act rashly. Let that vehicle come over and see what the other party’s purpose is.”

Xiao Adam immediately carried out the order, transmitting the information to each team through the communication equipment to avoid any unnecessary conflict.

As the jeep gradually approached, a figure stepped out of the vehicle, holding a megaphone.

The man had a resolute face, with a prominent scar across his cheek, adding a touch of indomitable spirit.

“Golovdev?” Xu Ning could hardly believe his eyes. This friend with whom he had once drunk had actually appeared at this moment.

A firm voice came from the megaphone: “No matter who you are, this is Hulifuka. Without permission, no one is allowed to pass arbitrarily. Now, please state your identity and let your commander speak with me.”

After a brief silence, Xu Ning realized this was a misunderstanding. At this delicate moment when the country had disintegrated but had not fallen into civil war, Golovdev had clearly mistaken them for a lost friendly force.

Thinking of this, Xu Ning couldn't help but show a wry smile. Just as he was thinking about how to respond, the walkie-talkie beside him rang with a familiar voice.

Xie Biao’s voice quietly transmitted through the radio: “Boss, this guy seems to have mistaken us for his own people. While he hasn’t noticed yet, we have an eighty percent chance of subduing him without a sound.”

Another message that followed was like a heavy hammer striking: “Old Shi confirmed, this person is indeed the enemy Captain.”

The opportunity was rare. After a moment of thought, Xu Ning finally picked up the walkie-talkie: “Everyone stay put, I will go and negotiate with him myself.”

When Xie Biao heard the order, the walkie-talkie in his hand was almost crushed: “Boss, I understand your old acquaintance with him, but there is no room for hesitation at this moment. Since the other party mistakes us for a friendly force, this is a godsend opportunity. Once missed, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Xie Biao.” Xu Ning’s voice carried unquestionable confidence, “I have never fought a battle I wasn’t prepared for.”

These words were like a flash of lightning across the night sky, making Xie Biao instantly understand something. That’s right, this leader’s decisions were always so accurate.

Thus, he gritted his teeth and responded: “Understood, I will hide and prepare the sniper rifle. If the situation goes wrong, I guarantee he won’t get away easily.”

With a brief affirmation, Xu Ning lifted the tank hatch, leaned out his upper body, his gaze fixed on the target not far away, “Captain Golovdev, it’s been a long time.”

Facing the sudden appearance of Xu Ning, Golovdev was first full of astonishment, then a hint of disbelief flashed in his eyes: “You… how could you be here?”

Xu Ning calmly got out of the car, a faint smile on his lips: “Why couldn’t it be me?”

The Captain’s face quickly darkened, and he questioned in a low voice as Xu Ning approached: “At a time like this, what are you doing here with so much equipment? Trying to cause trouble? If it were someone else guarding here, you would have been attacked long ago.”

“You are absolutely right.” Xu Ning replied frankly.

Golovdev frowned, looking at the other party in confusion: “What do you mean?”

Xu Ning smiled slightly, pointing out the key part of the other party’s words: “It’s the last sentence you just said, ‘rebelling’?”

“That’s right.” Xu Ning repeated.

Golovdev stared blankly at Xu Ning, as if time had frozen for a moment, until he suddenly woke up and covered Xu Ning’s mouth.

“Are you crazy? You can’t just say things like that.”

Xu Ning firmly pushed away Golovdev’s hand and said resolutely: “It is precisely because I understand this point that I chose to be honest with you.”

“The deaths of Makarov and Skorlov, I cannot pretend that nothing happened.”

“If I were completely unaware of this, perhaps I could still pretend to be indifferent. But since I already know the truth, I will never stand by and do nothing.”

“What a fearless guy.” Golovdev muttered to himself, while quickly drawing his pistol and pointing it at Xu Ning.

The air instantly became tense. Xie Biao cautiously extended the sniper rifle barrel from the tank, his finger lightly on the trigger, ready to act at any moment.