164: Chapter 164 All the Scoundrels Have Arrived
Near the Washington Monument, the crash site of the Predator fighter jet.
A DYB Shark pickup truck pulled up next to the wreckage.
Fu Haoran got out of the truck and looked at the smoking spaceship wreckage, very satisfied.
If he were to say what his biggest gain was tonight, it wasn't that billion-dollar side hustle, but this crashed Predator fighter jet.
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A portal opened beside the wreckage, and Father Kallun stepped out.
He was long accustomed to this kind of short-distance warp transport, though his optical eyepiece was still flickering wildly with binary garble due to the transport fluctuations.
"My Lord, what do you need from me?"
Fu Haoran patted Kallun on the shoulder and pointed at the Predator jet wreckage before them: "Kallun, look at the new toy I've found for you."
Kallun's optical eyepiece instantly zoomed to its maximum focal length.
Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing this intact wreckage of an alien fighter jet caused binary data streams to scroll frantically across his vision.
According to the doctrines of the Cult Mechanicus, hoarding unapproved xenos technology was enough to send both him and Fu Haoran into the incinerator together, branded as heretics.
He had been honest and dutiful for most of his life, but after less than two Terran years with his new master, his vows were broken, the rules were shattered, his original intent was betrayed, his principles were discarded, and his bottom line was breached.
But then again, being able to personally dismantle, study, and reverse-engineer xenos technology—this forbidden pleasure made his biological brain and machine spirit simultaneously excited to the point of near-overload.
Fu Haoran looked at Kallun's frantically flickering eyepiece and smiled.
"In the eyes of the Cult Mechanicus, hoarding alien technology without power is called heresy."
"With power, it's called sealing and studying dark technology for the sake of the Imperium of Man."
"Don't worry, I'll take the heat if the sky falls."
He pointed at the wreckage, painting a grand vision for Kallun bit by bit.
"Although this xenos technology can't compare to the glory of the Imperium of Man, its miniaturized energy shields, low-temperature plasma cannons, and optical cloaking technology all have their merits."
"Especially this energy shield; its volume seems a size smaller than the Ion Shields on our Knight Mechas, yet its energy consumption is much lower."
"And this plasma cannon—it won't overheat and explode at the drop of a hat like ours."
"While the optical cloaking can't hide from our ship-borne auspex, it can perfectly evade all current radars and infrared scans of human fighter jets, as well as detection from small ground-based auspex units."
"The most critical part is its short-range jump engine. While it can't achieve inter-system travel, short-range jumps within a planet are no problem at all."
"Decipher this, and your title of Magos will be set in stone."
Kallun's processor instantly ramped up to its limit. One mechanical eye turned so red it looked like it was about to drip blood, and his cooling fans emitted a frantic hum, nearly causing him to overload and crash on the spot.
"What my Lord says is absolutely correct! For the long-term stability of the Imperium of Man and the glory of the Omnissiah, I must study the weaknesses of this heretical technology in depth and find a way to counter it!"
"This is the duty of a Tech-Priest! I will arrange for Servo-skulls immediately to transport the wreckage back to the Forge World for sacred dismantling and research!" Kallun found a bunch of high-sounding excuses to justify himself.
Fu Haoran raised an eyebrow but didn't expose his little scheme.
The portal expanded again, and Servo-skulls swarmed out of the rift, dismantling, numbering, and hauling away the Predator jet wreckage piece by piece.
Kallun stood by the portal, his optical eyepiece fixed on every piece of wreckage being dragged in. Binary code poured continuously from his speakers, with the translator capturing keywords including 'Omnissiah', 'Sanctified Dismantling', 'Soothing the Machine Spirit', 'Magos Title', and 'No, I'm not tempted'.
Fu Haoran ignored him and squatted down beside the corpse of the Predator on the ground.
This Predator was different from the ones he'd encountered before. It carried a plasma cannon on each shoulder, and its wrist gauntlets were engraved with clan markings. Its equipment was more than a level above Flower Crab's.
Fu Haoran removed the core modules of the two shoulder cannons, tinkered with them for a bit, connected the two core modules in parallel, and spliced them together.
The gun's body still retained the Predator Clan's markings, full of violent aesthetics.
[System Prompt: You have obtained the Predator Twin-Linked Plasma Hand Cannon (Level 2, Upgradable)]
[All Attributes +6]
[Function: Plasma Bombardment]
[Description: Fires two low-temperature plasma bolts, each dealing 300 points of True Damage. Cooldown: 15 seconds.]
Fu Haoran weighed the hand cannon in his hand. It was more than twice as heavy as the RSH-12, but his 35 points of Strength allowed him to hold it steady with one hand.
Its power was more than a level higher than the modified pistol. Aside from the slightly long cooldown, it had almost no drawbacks.
The portal closed behind him; the Predator jet wreckage had been fully transported back to the Warhammer World.
Jarvis's voice sounded in his earpiece.
"Sir, an encrypted communication from Major General Bradley. Shall I connect?"
"Connect it."
Soon, Major General Bradley's familiar voice came through: "Major General Fu, this land is being trampled by xenos. Countless compatriots are in danger, and countless soldiers have already given their lives."
"Glory never belongs to those who only talk; it belongs to those who step forward, regardless of the cost."
"The nation remembers every sacrifice and trusts every time someone steps up."
"Now, the safety of the world hangs by a thread. Only you can turn the tide and save the day."
Fu Haoran was stunned, not because he was moved by the other party's righteousness, but...
"This guy even learned Chinese?"
"Wait, he even learned moral kidnapping?"
Fu Haoran immediately perked up. Who doesn't know how to do moral kidnapping?
"Protecting the country and its people is my duty to begin with. I have no complaints."
"However, the General also knows that I don't just have one or two people under me. I have a large group of brothers willing to put their lives in my hands."
"They've followed me through life and death, fighting through Xenomorphs, Predators, and superpowered individuals. Some have lost limbs, and some have no graves to speak of."
"Money is a worldly possession; I've never valued it. But we cannot let heroes who bleed also shed tears."
"People are only human. If we talk only about sacrifice and not about security, the team will eventually fall apart. When that time comes, even if I want to serve the country, no one will be able to follow me."
Fu Haoran's outburst left the self-proclaimed high-class Major General Bradley at a loss. In the end, he could only make a concession, promising a 100-million-dollar subsidy.
"General Bradley, inside right now is a free-for-all between Xenomorphs, Predators, and superpowered individuals."
"For my men to go in, they'll be paying with their lives. Is 100 million dollars enough for the pensions of fallen soldiers?"
A burst of noisy conversation came from the other end of the phone.
Bradley's voice sounded again, with a hint of gritted teeth: "300 million! That's the maximum amount I can authorize right now!"
"General."
"300 million dollars isn't even enough for an entry ticket."
The other end went completely silent. The Secretary of Defense's roar could be heard.
After a full half-minute, Bradley's voice sounded again, carrying a sense of desperation.
"1 billion dollars! Fully disbursed by the Pentagon! Additionally, I'll grant you authorization to use weapons from all military bases in Washington!"
"The condition is that the core data and samples from Weyland-Yutani must be brought out intact!"
Fu Haoran stood up straight and said in a righteous tone.
"Weyland-Yutani Corporation is an America national enterprise. The core assets within are related to national security."
"Protecting corporate assets and protecting the America people is my duty as a Major General of the National Guard. I'll take my team over immediately."
After hanging up, Tychus, who was listening nearby, was dumbstruck.
"Boss, your face changes faster than I use toilet paper."
Fu Haoran raised his chin and said as a matter of course: "You have to give the paying customers some emotional value so that we can continue to fleece them next time."
Fu Haoran looked up toward the Tri-Union Building and asked:
"Are the Promethium Flamethrowers ready?"
Tychus gestured with his chin behind him. At the entrance of the passage, a group of Adeptus Arbites Judicial Police Officers, clad in black Power Armor and carrying Suppression Storm Shields and Power Mauls, marched in with synchronized steps.
Following behind them were Flame Guards carrying promethium-fueled flamethrowers.
These were Judicial Police Officers temporarily drawn from the Warhammer World. Today was the perfect time to use these Xenomorphs for practice and to test the results of their training.
"From top to bottom, burn them floor by floor," Fu Haoran tilted his chin. "Do not let a single Xenomorph go."
...
Tri-Union Building.
The stairwell between the tenth and eighteenth underground floors.
The Reincarnators had been blocked here for nearly ten minutes.
"Retreat! Retreat upwards!" Steel Skeleton's power-cutting blade cleaved through a lunging Drone, his left arm's mechanical skeleton sizzling as it was corroded by acid blood.
The Reincarnators retreated to the upper floors in a sorry state.
The Xenomorph swarm didn't pursue; their target was never the Reincarnators to begin with, but the gene samples on the eighteenth underground floor.
Deeper down, the White Queen's mental fluctuations were constantly approaching, and Xenomorphs from the entire building were converging toward the eighteenth underground floor.
Steel Skeleton's mechanical eye scanned the surrounding environment frantically as he roared into the communicator: "Night Owl! Where the hell are you! We're about to be surrounded!"
Night Owl's cold voice came through the communicator: "What's the panic? I've already hacked the building's fire suppression system."
Just as he finished speaking, the fire sprinklers along the corridor suddenly sprayed a large amount of liquid nitrogen, instantly freezing the pursuing Xenomorph swarm and opening a path for the Reincarnators to retreat.
However, just as the Reincarnators retreated to the tenth basement floor, they ran straight into Fu Haoran's team.
Thunderstorm didn't think twice; he raised his hand and flung a bolt of blue electric current toward the leading Asian man.
He was fast, but someone was faster.
The moment Thunderstorm raised his hand, Fu Haoran had already raised his gun and pulled the trigger one step ahead.
A cryo-plasma round fired from the muzzle, accurately hitting Thunderstorm's chest and blasting a hole the size of a fist through his torso.
Thunderstorm looked down at the hole in his chest, his mouth hanging open without making a sound, before falling backward.
[general points +900]
Fu Haoran's eyes lit up, and the way he looked at the Reincarnators changed.
"Killing one Reincarnator gives more general points than completing a whole mission!"
"Why even bother with missions anymore!"
In the next instant, the Judicial Police Officers raised their 'Arbiter-pattern' combat shotguns. These master-crafted weapons could fire specialized slugs or armor-piercing buckshot, possessing both stopping power and armor-penetrating capabilities, specifically designed to suppress charging Xenomorph creatures.
In the next instant, the Judicial Police Officers raised their 'Arbiter-pattern' combat shotguns. These master-crafted weapons could fire specialized slugs or armor-piercing buckshot, possessing both stopping power and armor-penetrating capabilities, specifically designed to suppress charging Xenomorph creatures.
The heads of the two mid-tier Reincarnators charging at the front were instantly blown to pieces.
The remaining Reincarnators were just about to counterattack when the Judicial Police Officers had already charged in front of them.
A Power Maul slammed down, crushing the chest of a Reincarnator who was a budget version of Colossus.
This was the standard holy effect of the Power Maul; the energy field instantly disrupted the target's molecular bonds. Even the Power Armor of a Chaos Space Marine could be smashed through with one blow... provided the wielder was strong enough.
Riot shields held back the Balrog's fireballs while Hellguns extended from the gaps in the shields. After a volley of fire, the Balrog's chest was blown apart, and he fell backward.
[general points +900]
[general points +900]
The general points on the system panel were still jumping frantically, with new kills being recorded every second.
...
With several mid-tier Reincarnators dead, the rest turned and fled.
They finally realized that the natives they were facing were too strong for them to handle.
Meanwhile, in the equipment room on the top floor of the building, Night Owl watched the twin-linked plasma cannon in Fu Haoran's hands through the surveillance feed, his gaze beneath the optical mask turning sinister.
He had originally intended to profit from the chaos in the Tri-Union Building, but he hadn't expected Fu Haoran to appear out of nowhere, not only stealing all the kills but also wiping out his squad.
Night Owl didn't linger; he turned and left.
...
The Judicial Police Officers holding Promethium Flamethrowers led the way.
Promethium flames reaching thousands of degrees gushed from the nozzles, instantly engulfing the corridors of the entire floor.
The resin secreted by the Xenomorphs turned to ash in the flames. The Drone Xenomorphs hiding in the corners had their exoskeletons burst from the heat, and their acidic blood was neutralized into black charred lumps by the high temperatures before even hitting the ground.
Behind them, the rest of the Judicial Police Officers advanced in tactical formation.
Riot shields held off any stragglers rushing out of the wall of fire, while lasguns extended from the shield gaps. After a round of precise volley fire, the Xenomorphs' heads were instantly blown apart.
One floor, two floors, three floors.
The fire burned all the way from the tenth basement floor to the fifteenth.
Fu Haoran kicked open the fire door of the sixteenth basement floor. Behind the door was the surviving commander of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's emergency response unit. His bulletproof vest was riddled with holes from Xenomorph acid, his assault rifle was out of ammunition, and he clutched only a tactical axe.
Seeing Fu Haoran, he instantly tensed up and raised his axe in a defensive posture.
"Who are you..."
"Major General Fu Haoran, the Supreme Commander for Emergency Response authorized by the Pentagon."
"Where is the main laboratory on the eighteenth basement floor?"
The commander hesitated for a second before finally lowering his axe and pointing toward the end of the corridor: "At the very end, behind the blast-proof steel door. Hudson and Coulson are both inside."
Fu Haoran nodded and led the team forward.
Soon, Fu Haoran and the others opened the laboratory door and saw Hudson crouching behind an operating table, and Coulson cowering in the corner.
Seeing that the people he was looking for were all there, Fu Haoran directly ordered: "Take them away."
He himself detached the data hard drive from the laboratory's main console and took it with him.
He swept all the gene samples from the refrigerated cabinet into a thermal container.
Hudson watched Fu Haoran strip the lab bare and finally couldn't help himself.
"These are all property of Weyland-Yutani!"
Fu Haoran didn't even look up.
"The Pentagon's orders to me were to protect core assets and conduct effective recovery. I am recovering them right now."
Hudson's lips trembled several times, but he couldn't say a word.
"Let's go, it's not safe here."
Coulson stood up from the corner and followed closely behind Fu Haoran, almost step for step.
He knew very well that the building was now full of Xenomorphs. Only by following this group of people would they have any chance of getting out alive.
As for revenge, that would have to wait until they were safely out.
Tychus walked at the very back carrying a stubber. As he passed the operating table, he looked down at the headless corpse of the Predalien and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk tsk, 500 million dollars, just like that, gone."
...
After successfully reaching the ground floor, Fu Haoran immediately contacted the Pentagon.
The encrypted satellite phone rang. It was still Major General Bradley.
"Major General Fu, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's core assets..."
"Recovered."
Bradley was silent for a second. He had thought Fu Haoran would likely complete the mission, but he hadn't expected it to be so fast.
The entire mission had taken less than four hours from start to finish.
"...Good. The Pentagon's emergency funding process is complete. 1 billion dollars will be fully disbursed to your account within an hour."
"Additionally, there are still a large number of Xenomorphs active in downtown Washington, with the densest signals coming from the direction of Capitol Hill. The White House and the Pentagon hope you can immediately lead your team to clear them out..."
"It'll cost extra."
Bradley was momentarily choked up, and only after a long while did he squeeze out a word: "...Fine!"
Fu Haoran hung up the phone. He looked up toward Capitol Hill.
On the system panel, the cataclysm countdown was still ticking.
"Isn't the mission going a bit too smoothly?"
Just as Fu Haoran finished speaking, a sudden change occurred.
Dense, red inverted-triangle laser targeting dots instantly covered his entire body.
But an even more terrifying threat came from beneath his feet.
The ground began to vibrate slightly, and the concrete pavement cracked with dense, spiderweb-like patterns.
In the next second, countless Warrior Xenomorphs gushed out from the cracks.
They didn't pounce immediately, but instead formed a ring, tightly surrounding Fu Haoran and his group. Low growls issued from their throats, and their compound eyes were full of violence.
From deeper within, the White Queen's mental fluctuations surged like a tide. Xenomorphs from across the city were converging here, driven and commanded to come.
On one side was the Yautja Clan, who viewed humans as prey; on the other was the Xenomorph Hive, which saw all living things as hosts; and in the middle was Fu Haoran and his group. The three forces were at each other's throats.
Just then, a sonic boom echoed through the air.
Immediately after, a crimson laser beam sliced down from the clouds, accurately hitting the concrete in the center of the square.
The charred gully emitted white smoke, perfectly separating Fu Haoran, the Predators, and the Xenomorphs.
Before the residual heat of the laser had dissipated, a figure dropped heavily into the center of the square like a cannonball.
A circle of spiderweb cracks exploded from the point of impact on the concrete ground.
He crouched on the ground and slowly stood up.
The silver five-pointed star on the chest of his dark blue tactical suit reflected the moonlight.
Frost from the high altitude clung to his short blonde hair.
He raised his head, the red laser light in his eyes like two smoldering fires.
Li Yohan.
"A bunch of trash, all gathered together quite nicely."
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the Elite Predators, the dense swarm of Xenomorphs, and finally landing on Fu Haoran.
He smiled, a brilliant smile. "Do you know how much effort I put into bringing you all together?"
Suddenly, a Praetorian Xenomorph pounced from behind him without a sound or warning. It was a direct guard of the White Queen, its tail stinger gleaming with a ghostly green acid as it lunged for the back of Li Yohan's neck.
Li Yohan didn't turn around.
Red light flashed in his eyes, and crimson laser beams shot from his pupils, piercing through the Praetorian Xenomorph's chest and pinning it in mid-air.
Before the acidic blood could even splatter, it was evaporated into a green mist by the high temperature of the laser.
The Praetorian Xenomorph's corpse slammed onto the ground, a charred hole in its chest still emitting white smoke.
Throughout the entire process, he hadn't even raised a finger.
"Since you're all in such a hurry to die, I'll grant your wish."
The moment he finished speaking, the crimson laser light in Li Yohan's eyes intensified to the maximum, and the air across the entire square began to boil from the terrifying energy.