27: Chapter 27 The advantage is mine, how can I lose?

A few hours later, Kamm, carrying a cloth bag, strode into the temporary command post.

He threw the bag onto the floor, and Jack's head rolled out, his hair and beard stained with blood.

A soldier stepped forward, scanned it with a portable DNA scanner, and a green light lit up.

"Identity confirmed, Jack Norton, leader of the Iron Hand Gang."

Yuri dragged a metal suitcase over, his expression as ugly as if he were constipated.

The case opened, revealing rows of neatly stacked throne coins, the brand-new notes reflecting the light from the overhead lamps.

He stared as those 10,000 throne coins were packed into Kamm's backpack, his cheeks twitching.

"100,000 for a head..." Yuri smacked his lips. "My lord Planetary Governor, your price is higher than assassinating a Planetary Governor."

"Next time you have a job like this, tell me in advance. I'll find a professional assassin, give you a 20% discount, and include after-sales service."

Fu Haoran ignored his sarcasm and pushed over a tarp-wrapped package.

"Inside are camouflage clothes, brand-new ID cards, and a ship ticket to an agricultural world. Leave tonight, don't linger."

Kamm grabbed the money case with one hand and the package with the other, not stopping his pace, only dropping a cold, hard sentence:

"I keep my word and keep my mouth shut. Don't you break yours either."

With that, he stepped out of the command post without looking back, showing not a shred of attachment.

Less than three minutes later, Wade strode in, a rare look of joy on his face.

"My lord, Ronan and the penal legion have finished clearing the control room. Not only did they stabilize the factory core, but they also found the Iron Hand Gang's treasury!"

Fu Haoran raised his eyes.

"It's been counted." Wade pulled up the list. "470,000 in cash throne coins, a pile of jewelry and precious metals, with an initial valuation exceeding 800,000."

Yuri perked up his ears nearby, his eyes brightening.

"In terms of weaponry, there are 6 heavy bolters, 1 master-crafted plasma pistol, 3 complete sets of Stormtrooper standard-issue armor in good condition, and one set of force-feedback Powered Armor."

Wade paused and handed over a black data crystal.

"The most important thing is this, found in Jack's private safe."

Fu Haoran took the crystal and inserted it into the terminal.

A holographic image unfolded. It was a complex, three-dimensional pipe network diagram, with countless lines intertwined and nodes labeled with High Gothic numbers.

【Full Map and Control Nodes of the Underhive Promethium Pipeline Network】

Fu Haoran stared at the map and smiled.

"With this, it's equivalent to holding the entire Underhive by the throat."

【System Notification: Hostile faction Iron Hand Gang has been dismantled.】

【Reward: General Points +5000, complete control of Promethium Factory (Activated)】

【Unlocked: Factory Automatic Defense Turret x8】

【Note: Congratulations, from a penniless debtor, you have been promoted to a mine owner holding heavy debt. The road ahead is long and arduous~】

After Wade finished reporting, he didn't leave but instead voiced his concern:

"My lord, I have something I don't understand."

"Kamm was the third-in-command of the Iron Hand Gang and knows many of our deployments. Are you just going to let him go? What if he leaks the news..."

Fu Haoran chuckled and tapped his fingertips on the table.

"He won't." Fu Haoran wasn't very worried. "Jack is dead, the Iron Hand Gang is scattered. The rest will either surrender or run away, saving us the ammunition and manpower for mopping up. This deal isn't a loss."

"As for leaking secrets? Kamm got the money and the ship ticket; he'll only be desperate to escape to the agricultural world. He's afraid of dying if he stays a second longer, so how could he possibly look for trouble for himself?"

"Right," Fu Haoran added, "send a few former Iron Hand Gang members to escort him to the ship all the way, and make sure people see it."

Yuri, standing to the side, had his eyes light up instantly. He stroked his chin in sudden realization and muttered softly:

"High... that's really high. Others are afraid of loose lips, but this kid is afraid no one will see, and even specifically picked his former colleagues to escort him. This is acting out the whole play!"

"I bet that when that kid reaches the port, he'll definitely find someone to spread the word."

"Using one Kamm to win the trust of all the gangs is ten times more effective than spending hundreds of thousands of coins to recruit troops... You're ruthless."

"Once the reputation spreads, who in the Underhive gangs will want to fight to the death later?"

Fu Haoran took in Yuri's changing expression.

Fu Haoran gave him a look.

Yuri immediately curled his lip, turned around sullenly to count the loot, and stopped talking.

"Working with smart people is just easy."

Fu Haoran pulled up the factory control interface.

As the last few resistance points were extinguished, the status lights of the key workshops turned from red to green.

【Promethium Refining Workshop: Online】

【Fuel Synthesis Line: Operation Resumed】

【Central Power Supply Network: Connection Complete】

But Fu Haoran had no time to be happy.

He switched to the Auspex's real-time monitoring.

The screen was stained red over a large area.

Red dots were densely packed, like an ulcerated wound, covering the entire area thirty kilometers outside the Hive City.

The quantity was so large that the system automatically classified and marked them:

【Identified: Noble Private Soldiers (Silver Thorn Family), approximately 8000 units】

【Identified: Vassal Noble Private Soldiers, approximately 15000 units】

【Identified: Gang Armed Forces (Mixed), approximately 150000 units】

Wade pulled up the reconnaissance data, his voice tight:

"Additionally, we discovered 12 rhino main battle tanks, 30 chimera personnel carriers, 6 heavy field guns, 12 vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft guns, 6 Sentinel mechs, and various other vehicles we cannot fully count."

Wade's tone grew heavier.

This wasn't even total war; it was just a "little skirmish" at the noble level.

But looking at the paper strength, the enemy was almost at an overwhelming level.

"Our intelligence network also intercepted that their supply convoys are carrying enough Promethium and ammunition to support a month of high-intensity combat."

Fu Haoran zoomed in on the image.

The noble coalition's supply convoy stretched for several kilometers.

Trucks full of Promethium, crates of ammunition, bags of rations—piled up like mountains.

Clearly, these supplies were enough to support a month of high-intensity combat.

At the same time, from the surveillance footage, one could see the Noble Private Soldiers were equipped with gleaming gear, while the gang armed forces were gathered loosely on the periphery, like a group of beggars around a campfire.

"They stopped?" Fu Haoran asked.

"Not stopped, they are waiting." Wade played a segment of intercepted communication.

Count Victor's voice came from the speaker, cold and carrying undisguised contempt:

"...Let those Underhive scum finish arguing. What does Fu Haoran have? A factory just taken, a group of surrendering bandits."

"Our equipment is overwhelming, our numbers are overwhelming, our supplies are sufficient, what's the rush?"

"Let him live two more days, and see how desperate he is."

The recording ended.

The command room was silent.

Wade said in a low voice: "The staff department has run simulations. At their current rate of advance... the first wave of the offensive will begin in at most twenty-four hours."

As soon as the voice fell, a communications soldier rushed into the command room: "My lord! The enemy's vanguard has appeared on the outskirts of the factory, they should be scouting our situation."

Fu Haoran didn't speak.

He stared at the red tide on the screen, his brain calculating rapidly.

The opposition had about 180,000 troops, while he had only a little over 10,000.

On paper, there was no point in fighting; he could just surrender.

"My lord," Wade's voice was even lower, "there is one more thing... The Silver Thorn Family controls the entire Hive City's ammunition supply line and battery supply chain."

"The outer anti-aircraft turrets are also in their hands. We are now... an isolated island."

Fu Haoran looked up.

"Meaning, we have no outside aid, no follow-up supplies?"

"Yes."

Fu Haoran leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"Wade, leave the factory defense and troop reorganization to you. I need to leave for a short while. If everything goes well, I will be back before the war starts."

"Since they like to cluster up, I'll give them a fireworks show that the whole Hive City can see."

...

On the other side, the coalition camp.

Count Victor sat in the command vehicle, wiping the master-crafted plasma pistol in his hand.

Outside, it was noisy.

Gang bandits were fighting tooth and nail over who would lead the charge and who would share the loot.

Private soldiers and thugs were hostile to each other, and the ranks were chaotic.

An adjutant cautiously asked for instructions: "Count, should we restore military discipline? If we drag this out..."

Victor raised his eyes and gave a faint glance.

"Restore? Why restore?"

He put down the gun, his tone indifferent but carrying an unquestionable dominance.

"It doesn't matter how many cannon fodder die."

"My 8000 private soldiers are intact, and twelve rhino tanks are ready at any time. That is enough."

"Cannon fodder is meant to be consumed anyway."

"My lord Count, but our current marching speed is far behind the plan."

"It's fine, let our Planetary Governor suffer a few more days, unable to sleep at night, scaring himself."

"But if we drag it out like this, the Iron Hand Gang will probably be gone?"

Victor said without even raising his head: "Just a bunch of Underhive lowlifes; they were abandoned pawns to begin with."

An aide on the side bowed: "Count, we can just push straight through, why wait?"

Victor sneered, his tone carrying an arrogance etched into his bones:

"How do you think the previous Planetary Governor died?"

"We nobles cut off his ammunition, and he collapsed overnight."

"Fu Haoran being able to sit in this position is fundamentally because we nodded."

"The rebels could win back then because we sent guns, cannons, and heavy weapons to keep them alive."

"Now, I am cutting off the entire Hive City's ammunition lines, battery lines, and supply lines."

The adjutant was silent.

Victor looked at the black mass of rabble outside, his eyes showing not a hint of worry:

"He is a puppet Planetary Governor, relying on a bunch of junk equipment and a bunch of surrendering bandits. What does he have to win with?"

"Let the gangs go first, crush his defense line, and exhaust his ammunition."

"When he is out of oil and lamp, my rhino tanks will drive over and flatten the factory."

"I will let him know the consequences of betraying the nobles."

Victor put down the pistol, leaned back in his chair, and spat out the classic line:

"The advantage is mine, how could he lose?"