122: Chapter 122 Black Shark Traitor?

The Black Shark camp was filled with the sounds of things being smashed and a constant stream of cursing.

Several Black Shark members were gathered around that Gray Pigeon button, cursing and shouting about dragging those trash-picking cowards out and chopping them to pieces.

Sister Tang Yan stood on the second floor of the auto repair shop, looking down through a broken window.

A subordinate approached, looking full of resentment.

"Damn it! Those Gray Pigeon bastards are too arrogant. They stole our stuff and even dared to leave a mark to provoke us!"

Sister Tang Yan's gaze did not waver.

"Do you think that, with the guts that bunch from Gray Pigeon has, they would dare snatch food from Chen Xiao's mouth?"

The subordinate was stunned for a moment.

"This... it's also possible they were pushed to the edge and wanted to take advantage of the chaos to get some benefits?"

Sister Tang Yan withdrew her gaze and looked at the subordinate.

"Gray Pigeon popped up the moment we arrived, and they appear wherever we go. That group from 774 is even stranger; they always manage to avoid our main force."

Sister Tang Yan turned and walked to a dusty table, her fingertips tracing patterns on it unconsciously.

"Don't you think this looks more like someone is plotting against all of us from behind the scenes?"

The subordinate was bewildered.

"Sister Tang, do you mean... someone is messing with us?"

Sister Tang Yan lowered her voice.

"Not just us, but everyone. 774, Gray Pigeon, and Black Shark are all just being used as pawns."

She pondered for a moment.

"Pass on my order: take a team out to patrol the perimeter of that supply market from earlier."

"Huh? We're going back, Sister Tang? That dump was picked clean a long time ago!"

"Execute the order."

"Yes!"

Not long after, Sister Tang Yan led ten people out of the camp. Their patrol route was very strange; instead of taking the main road, they chose a small path hugging the edge of the ruins, where defense and visibility were relatively weak.

...

Gu Nanzhi's voice came through the encrypted channel. She was lying in the shadows of the ruins, staring intently ahead.

"Brother Fang Che, that woman named Sister Tang Yan is making a move. She brought people out and is patrolling the perimeter of the supply market where we stayed before. The route she's taking is very strange; it's like she's deliberately avoiding all advantageous defensive positions."

Fang Che leaned against the shelf of the Convenience Store, frowning slightly.

"Transmit the route map to Mu Waner in real-time."

Gu Nanzhi's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Received. Brother Fang Che, do you think she's sending us a signal, intentionally showing a flaw to lure us into a trap?"

Fang Che watched Mu Waner operating quickly on a military tablet.

"Nanzhi, don't make contact yet. Keep your distance and continue monitoring. Record all their movement routes and dwell times."

"Understood."

Mu Waner's fingers swiped across the tablet, pulling up several red route maps to overlay and compare.

A few minutes later, she looked up with a solemn expression.

"Fang Che, this route... something is wrong."

She handed over the tablet.

"Look, this path twists and turns. On the surface, it's a patrol, but it all ultimately points to that abandoned warehouse in the east of the city. Could there be something hidden there?"

Teacher Qin Bing's movements stopped, and she looked up.

"Could she be intentionally leaking the location to us?"

Su Qingxue stood to the side with her arms crossed, analyzing calmly.

"It could also be a trap. Maybe Chen Xiao had Sister Tang Yan put on this show to deliberately lure us into attacking the warehouse, so they can set up an ambush and wipe us out in one go."

Fang Che nodded; Su Qingxue's concerns were not without merit.

Just then, Teacher Qin Bing, who was responsible for the outer perimeter, suddenly received a communication request. It was from the squad she had sent out to scavenge for medical supplies.

"Sister Qin Bing! We ran into a Black Shark patrol team! There are about ten people, and the leader is a woman!"

Teacher Qin Bing's eyes turned cold.

"Don't panic. Report your coordinates, I'm coming over immediately!"

She glanced at Fang Che, who immediately nodded in understanding.

"Go. Take two people, be careful, and don't engage in a death struggle with them. The main goal is to test the waters."

"Understood."

Teacher Qin Bing called for two combatants from the medical team, and their figures quickly vanished into the ruins.

...

In a cluster of collapsed buildings, Sister Tang Yan and her patrol team were in a standoff with the medical squad sent by Teacher Qin Bing.

A girl from 774 had her calf gashed by a falling steel bar, blood gushing out, and she was being held tightly by her companion.

Sister Tang Yan did not order an attack; she just stood there quietly, watching the other side.

Three figures approached rapidly from the side; the leader was Teacher Qin Bing.

As soon as she landed, she caught sight of the injured team member, and her brows furrowed instantly.

"Everyone, step back."

She instructed the team members behind her, her gaze locked directly on Sister Tang Yan opposite her.

The next second, Teacher Qin Bing lunged forward. She didn't use a weapon, charging straight at Sister Tang Yan, her palm glowing with a faint green light.

Sister Tang Yan met her almost simultaneously, kicking off the ground hard with her military boots, her whole body rushing forward.

Their fists and palms collided heavily in mid-air, and with a dull thud, a force dispersed between them.

Teacher Qin Bing activated Life Tide. A resilient force wrapped around her palm, forcibly neutralizing the impact from Sister Tang Yan's fist. Even so, her palm still felt a slight numbness; the woman opposite her possessed immense strength.

A flash of surprise crossed Sister Tang Yan's eyes. Clearly, she hadn't expected this woman, who appeared to be a healer, to be able to take her punch head-on. She had used fifty percent of her strength in that punch.

Sister Tang Yan didn't pause for a second. When the first strike failed, she immediately changed tactics, slamming her elbow fiercely toward Teacher Qin Bing's neck.

Teacher Qin Bing dodged quickly to the side, taking the opportunity to kick at Sister Tang Yan's lower body.

The two exchanged a dozen rounds of rapid combat in the open space. It was purely close-quarters fighting, and their attacks were deliberately aimed at joints, avoiding vital points; the intent to probe was extremely obvious.

After separating from a clash, Teacher Qin Bing did not pursue, instead retreating to the side of the injured team member and pressing her palm directly onto the girl's wound.

As the green light shone, the upturned flesh on the girl's leg began to heal, the wound closing rapidly. Not long after, only a faint red mark remained.

Sister Tang Yan stood quietly in place, watching Teacher Qin Bing skillfully treat the wounded, and also watching the other two 774 members guarding nervously nearby.

Teacher Qin Bing finished treating the wound and stood up, looking at Sister Tang Yan opposite her once more. She already had a hunch; during the fight, every move the opponent made had left room for maneuver, and there was no killing intent in her eyes, only scrutiny and inquiry.

Sister Tang Yan took a long look at Teacher Qin Bing, then turned and waved to her subordinates.

"Retreat."

The Black Shark patrol team immediately followed her and retreated quickly.

Just as she turned to leave, Sister Tang Yan paused slightly as she passed a pile of rubble. A black metal tag slipped from the pocket of her tactical vest and fell precisely into a crack in the stones. She seemed completely unaware and walked away with her people without looking back.

Teacher Qin Bing watched the group disappear from sight, then walked quickly to the pile of rubble and fished the metal tag out of the crack.

The front of the metal tag was engraved with the Black Shark emblem, while the back had a few numbers crudely scratched on with a knife.

"03:00 ~ 04:00"

...

Inside the Convenience Store, Fang Che took the metal tag handed over by Teacher Qin Bing, his fingers constantly rubbing the scratches on it.

Jiang Ning, standing nearby, appeared exceptionally excited.

"With the location of the energy core warehouse and this patrol shift change time, Fang Che, that woman is definitely determined to betray them. Let's just act tonight and wipe out the Black Shark lair in one fell swoop!"

Su Qingxue maintained her cautious attitude.

"This progress is too smooth; everything is too logical. What if Chen Xiao and Sister Tang Yan are colluding to put on an act, deliberately revealing a flaw to lure us into a trap?"

Teacher Qin Bing spoke up from the side.

"I briefly exchanged blows with her. She truly had no killing intent, and she saw us saving our companion with her own eyes. I think she was mostly just verifying our style of conduct."

Fang Che tossed the metal tag onto the table, making a crisp sound.

"No need to rush."

He looked at the group.

"Let's let it sit for the night and see what happens with this commotion, so we don't get fished."