Everyone, upon hearing the alert, crouched on the spot, cautiously observing their surroundings. Luo Zheng quickly moved up to the front of Mountain Eagle, looked in the direction Mountain Eagle was pointing at, and realized the distance was too great for his eyes alone. Pulling out his sniper scope for a closer look, he saw an all-terrain military vehicle speeding toward them. It was coming straight in their direction, which was unusual. In a low voice, he said, "It's an all-terrain military vehicle with only one person inside, can't see clearly, but it's heading our way. This doesn't make sense."
"Why would he co to us instead of attacking the target headquarters?" Snow Leopard asked in a low voice, filled with intense curiosity.
Everyone moved forward, and Lan Xue also raised her sniper scope to observe. Her expression quickly changed, and she said in a hushed tone, "This person looks familiar, take a look, isn't that the bald Snow Bear we ran into two days ago?"
Luo Zheng also sensed sothing was amiss. Heeding Lan Xue's reminder and waiting until the other party was a bit closer, he took a careful look and indeed recognized the man. His expression changed dramatically as he realized sothing and whispered through the earpiece, "He's coming for us. This guy's a competitor from Arctic Bear Country, from the Snow Bear Special Forces. Everyone be careful."
"Just kill him," Mountain Eagle said nonchalantly.
"We have no other choice, but everyone be cautious. This fellow is from Snow Bear, and anyone who's in the Snow Bear Special Warfare Team is skilled and not easily taken down," Luo Zheng whispered, scanning the terrain around them for a strategy.
Next to him, Lan Xue suggested, "How about this, Snow Leopard and Ghost Hand lure the enemy head-on while the three of us spread out on both flanks to outnumber him? I refuse to believe we can't take him down." She appeared ready for battle, cold determination in her eyes. Being a fierce competitor herself, she was incensed by a single person provoking their group.
The others were just as annoyed, but Luo Zheng remained extraordinarily calm, smiling casually, "No rush, this guy's in a hurry to get here, he must be up to sothing. Anger will only cloud our judgnt. I am certain he will soon stop his vehicle and rely on the dry grass for camouflage as he approaches; there's plenty of it here, almost as tall as a person, very suitable for hiding."
"Do you have a plan?" Lan Xue asked, her tone now much calr, clearly having controlled her emotions. As an outstanding sniper, Lan Xue's ability to control her emotions was exceptional.
"Can't say it's a plan, but the enemy will expect us to spread out and set up an ambush. That would give them the chance to pick us off one by one. Let's do the opposite, stick together and rely on our firepower advantage to catch him off guard, how about that?" Luo Zheng suggested in a low voice.
"What do you want to do?" Ghost Hand asked curiously.
"On our way here, we've trampled a lot of dry grass, leaving a trail. The enemy will easily notice this and track us. Let's set traps on both sides of our path. The loose soil here is perfect for digging foxholes to hide in and surprise him," Luo Zheng proposed.
Everyone's eyes brightened as they expressed their agreent. Snow Leopard and Ghost Hand were each responsible for laying mines on both sides, using all the hand grenades they carried. That ant there were twenty traps in total. Luo Zheng, Mountain Eagle, and Lan Xue dug foxholes on the spot, arranged in an equilateral triangle. Each foxhole was about ten ters apart from the others, so no matter from which angle the enemy approached, they would be caught in a crossfire from at least two directions. Digging foxholes was a basic skill that had to be mastered during boot camp, and with everyone equipped with an entrenching tool, the job was done swiftly. Within a few minutes, foxholes deep enough to cover half a person were dug out.
By then, Ghost Hand and Snow Leopard had successfully laid the mines and quickly retreated back, jumping into the foxholes. There were only three foxholes, and Luo Zheng and Lan Xue did not go in. They gathered so dry grass to camouflage the surroundings. After exchanging a glance, they each moved in opposite directions, hunched over, and began to crawl into the bushes nearby for an ambush.
The traps were set, and now it was ti to wait. According to the original plan, they had been prepared to wait here for so ti. Now, they all lay in wait, still and silent, waiting for their prey to take the bait. Five against one, with preparations done in advance—if they couldn't take down the enemy now, they would have no face to show.
As ti ticked away, everyone waited patiently. The steppe was overgrown with withered grass, and visibility was limited from within; it was nearly impossible to see far. Poking your head out for a look risked exposure, so patience was key as they competed with the enemy in a battle of wills, to see who would give in first.
After a while, they heard a rustling of footsteps, faint and intermittent, stopping every now and then. Luo Zheng surmised that the enemy might be sweeping for mines. He took a deep breath and continued to wait. Suddenly, he heard a peculiar popping sound and, startled, slowly raised his head to look through the bushes, spotting black smoke rising ahead.
"Damn, the bald one is setting the steppe on fire!" Luo Zheng was taken aback. The area was covered in dry grass, prone to ignition, particularly under the dry conditions and against the wind. The fire could spread quickly. This move was ruthless, with apparent disregard for anything else. The fire would likely reduce everything in its path to ashes—a fearsoly effective attack.
Luo Zheng had extinguished hundreds from the Arctic Bear Country with an avalanche. Now, with just a fire, the bald enemy had pushed them into a corner with no retreat, no escape. The situation was dire. With a drastic change in his expression and furrowed brows, he said in a low voice, "Brothers, the enemy is setting fire to the steppe. Lan Xue, cover . I'll reveal my position to draw their pursuit here while the rest of you stay hidden in the foxholes. Hang in there and act on the situation."
"Understood." Everyone responded, seething with boundless anger and murderous intent.
"This bastard doesn't care about anything, even setting fire to the steppe. It's despicable. Be careful," said Lan Xue, before giving further instructions, "Ghost Hand, Snow Leopard, Mountain Eagle, stay well hidden. The fire won't be too intense by the ti it reaches you. Be cautious and wait for my command."
After getting an acknowledgnt from everyone, Luo Zheng carefully stood up. He saw a man igniting fires all along the route they had co from, his expression fierce, his eyes filled with cold murderous intent. The man also swiftly detected Luo Zheng's hiding spot, raised his gun, and with an eerie twist of his body, threw himself to the ground, narrowly evading Luo Zheng's shots. Sliding through the grass like a venomous snake for several ters, he abruptly stood up, his chilling gun barrel searching the area. Seeing Luo Zheng sprinting forward, he chose not to chase imdiately but continued to observe cautiously.
"Whoosh!" Seizing the mont, Lan Xue too made a quick decision and fired her weapon. The gunshot rang out, but without waiting to see the result, Lan Xue also dashed forward. Faced with such a skilled opponent, a direct shot was unlikely to succeed even if she was prepared. She took advantage of the mont the enemy dodged to sprint about ten ters before swiftly hiding in the bushes, disappearing from view.
"Seeking death," the bald man roared furiously. He ducked, bent over, and, using the cover of the grass, ran like a cheetah. His speed was so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, and his movents were unpredictably erratic.
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