Chapter 18: Returning Them to You!

"Give me a rifle; we're going in together."

Lin Xu finished securing his bulletproof vest, donned his helmet, and skillfully pulled down his night-vision goggles.

Skull, standing opposite him, stared in astonishment and asked, "You? A gun? Do you even know how to shoot?"

"I know how to fight very well."

Lin Xu took the rifle from Skull's hands, ejected the magazine, pulled the charging handle to verify the empty chamber, reinserted the magazine, and then flipped the optical sight to the side, switching to the iron sights unaffected by the night-vision equipment.

This series of movements left Skull stunned.

"You've trained?"

"Never trained, but I've fought."

"Are we moving or not?" Lin Xu shouldered the rifle and looked out the vehicle window.

"Move!"

Skull threw the door open, and the six mercenaries, along with Lin Xu, leaped out.

"Stay behind us! Everyone, advance in a single-file formation. Breacher, prepare to breach. Snipers, clear high-threat targets and cover our entry."

"Understood!"

At the command, everyone immediately moved into action. Lin Xu held his rifle in one hand and steadied himself on Skull's back with the other, keeping watch in different directions alongside the other five members as they advanced rapidly.

His tactical movements were not exactly polished, but they were passable.

*Nonsense!*

In reality, he had participated in this kind of combat at least twenty or thirty times in his previous experiences. His technical skills might be lacking, but the routines were easy enough to mimic convincingly.

The team of seven reached the main gate of the Donghua Fiber Factory. The security guards at the entrance had clearly noticed them, but out of caution, they did not open fire immediately. Instead, they shouted, "Who's there? What are you doing here?"

He probably never imagined that, on this land, there would be fully armed mercenaries daring to launch an assault on a factory in broad daylight. This completely defied common sense.

And it was precisely this counter-intuitive action that bought the mercenary squad precious time.

Not giving the guard another chance to speak, Skull pulled the trigger.

*Pop!*

The subsonic bullet pushed through the air, striking the guard squarely in the head. Blood sprayed, and the innocent guard collapsed on the spot.

In that instant, a flicker of guilt emerged in Lin Xu's heart. He didn't know if this extreme action was right. Was it worth killing one, or even a group of innocent people, for the sake of technology and his own goals? It didn't quite align with his values.

*But then again, even if I don't kill them, how long would they live anyway?*

In the world within the wristband, in twenty-five minutes, they would all be dead due to the apocalypse. Therefore, his actions were certainly not noble, but they were definitely the best choice.

*Fast, I must be fast!*

Lin Xu banished all distracting thoughts and focused on his weapon. By now, the snipers in the distance had opened fire, and two guards on the sentry tower fell simultaneously.

*Bang!*

A body dropped right at Lin Xu's feet, but he didn't spare it a second glance.

"Keep moving! Breacher, get ready!"

Skull was surprised by Lin Xu's composure, but he didn't pause for even a second. The team's breacher moved quickly, taking only a few seconds to set the explosive charges.

Then—

*Boom!*

A massive explosion roared. Smoke and dust filled the air. Lin Xu coughed and said, "Was that explosive... a bit overkill?!"

"It's CL-20!" Skull replied casually while leading the squad in a rapid breach.

The gate had been blown open. Beyond it lay a sprawling factory complex.

"Where to?" Skull asked, turning to Lin Xu as he neutralized a guard trying to reach cover and moved toward a defensive position.

Back in the vehicle, the group had used the limited time to quickly analyze the layout of the Donghua Fiber Factory, and several key buildings had already been marked.

Lin Xu scanned the surrounding environment and replied, "Head to the main office building first and establish a defensive line there. We have twenty-four minutes left; we must be fast!"

"Understood!" Skull gestured for the team to follow, then shouted, "How did you even calculate those twenty-four minutes?!"

"Don't worry about that!"

Lin Xu aimed at a guard raising his weapon on their path and pulled the trigger.

*Bang, bang, bang, bang!*

*Whizz!*

The enemy's bullet grazed his ear. He felt a chill, followed immediately by a searing pain. His ear was torn, and blood welled up instantly.

"Watch the front! Protect the VIP! Advance in a fan formation!"

Seeing that Lin Xu was injured, Skull immediately adjusted the formation. One had to admit, his professional ethics were beyond reproach.

The squad continued to advance. Under their overwhelming firepower, the entire pathway was cleared in an instant. However, the quadcopter reconnaissance drone overhead was disrupted by the security systems and crashed, causing the team to lose their global view.

"Keep going! Keep going!"

"It's too late!" the support team yelled in Lin Xu's earpiece. "The factory has triggered the alarm. The first batch of police is expected to arrive in forty seconds, and the special tactical unit is expected in two minutes! We must finish the fight within two minutes, or we won't be able to withdraw!"

"Understood!" Skull panted.

Lin Xu stepped into the main office building. It was empty. Of course, it was already 11:39; how could anyone still be here?

*Damn it.*

If there’s no one here, where am I supposed to find the data I need?

Sweat beaded on Lin Xu's forehead. He rushed to the department sign that every office building possessed and quickly located the "Technical Department."

Second floor. Very close!

"Upstairs!"

Lin Xu took the lead toward the stairs, but the moment he reached the corner—

*Bang!*

A shotgun blast hit him head-on, the massive impact sending him flying backward!

"Stun grenade!" Skull yelled as he threw one.

*Buzz!*

The sound wave, exceeding 185 decibels, rendered Lin Xu briefly deaf. His surroundings went silent, and his vision was filled with a blinding white light. Only the sharp pain in his arm, chest, and shoulder reminded him that this was not yet the end of the world.

There was still time. He had to be fast.

Lin Xu struggled to his feet, searching for the shadowy figures ahead. Muzzle flashes flickered before his eyes, but he dared not fire, fearing he might hit his own team.

A moment later, the gunfire ceased, and the office building returned to silence.

"Where to?! Where to?!" Skull shouted at the top of his lungs in Lin Xu's ear.

Lin Xu pushed him away with his injured arm and said, "I can hear you! Find the hostages!"

"Understood!" Skull pulled Lin Xu up, the intense pain causing him to cry out.

"Damn it! Take it easy!"

"There's no time left!" Skull's voice betrayed an unconcealable anxiety. "All hostages have been disarmed. Do whatever you need to do quickly! We're out of time!"

"You're out of time."

Lin Xu's vision gradually cleared, and he finally saw the blurry figures in front of him. Ignoring his blood-soaked arm, he grabbed a hostage by the collar and demanded harshly, "Where are the production process documents for PEEK-RTM and M46X? Hand them over! The factory belongs to the capitalists, but your life is your own!"

Before the hostage could answer, Skull urged, "We really are out of time! We have to leave, take the hostages and go!"

"You go; I'm staying," Lin Xu replied calmly.

"What do you mean?!" Skull was stunned.

"Just go when I tell you to! The money will be transferred to you automatically!"

"...Fine." Skull dropped two magazines and decisively ordered, "The VIP has requested to abandon protection and withdraw. Everyone, follow me out!"

"Understood!"

Lin Xu took off his headset and helmet, his body feeling instantly lighter. He took a deep breath, looked at the two terrified people in front of him, and asked in the calmest tone he could manage, "Where is the stuff I need? As long as you tell me, don't worry—no one here will die today."

He raised his muzzle, and the two men opposite him instinctively recoiled.

One of them shouted, "We'll give it to you! We'll give it all to you! This technology wasn't stolen by us; we were just using it... Don't kill us, please don't kill us..."

"Give me the technology, and I won't kill anyone!" Lin Xu stood up. "Take me to it!"

The man who spoke trembled as he climbed to his feet. Lin Xu hesitated for a moment, then aimed at the other man's knee and pulled the trigger.

*Bang!*

Blood surged instantly, and a scream echoed through the empty office. Lin Xu struggled, dragging his injured body while pushing the hostage forward. The man, terrified to the extreme, stammered, "We... we didn't work against you; we were just the executors... We didn't take advantage of you... Everyone is the same... it's all the same..."

"Take advantage of who??" Lin Xu asked instinctively.

The man froze for a moment, then replied, "Planetary Reincarnation... Planetary Reincarnation!"