Luo Zheng calmly sorted out his thoughts, feeling they were still viable, so he asked everyone to keep calm and summoned Hook to listen in. Switching to the international common language, he said, "The enemy employs ard forces to attack us, their own forces are holed up in the base, surrounded by dense forests with land mines, and the base is heavily defended, with the core being underground. It isn't easy to attack directly, so we need to think of an alternative."
"You have a plan?" Hook asked in surprise.
"Yes, but I'll need your cooperation," Luo Zheng said with a confident smile.
"No problem, as long as we can avenge ourselves and kill the Japanese invaders, I wouldn't frown even if it costs my life. Just say the word, what do we need to do?" said Hook, his expression becoming serious as he earnestly patted his chest.
"There's no need to die, it's not that severe," Luo Zheng said with a laugh, his gaze turning towards the outside and growing more somber. He continued seriously, "Moreover, consider this, if logs two ters long and thick enough to require a person's embrace rolled down into the base, and if these logs could burn and release poison smoke, what would happen?"
"It would attract the enemy's attention, and they'd co to investigate," Hook quickly said, then noticing the heavy contemplation on everyone's faces, he realized his response was hasty. After more careful thought, he quickly identified a key detail—the poison smoke—his eyes lighting up, he eagerly looked towards Luo Zheng.
"We're lacking in everything here, even rocks are hard to find, but there's no shortage of logs. If we have enough of them, and we sar them with grease to help the fire, once thrown down they would trigger the land mines in the dense forest. The blaze would ignite the whole woodland, and thick smoke combined with poison smoke will be carried by the wind to the base; nobody will be able to withstand it," Luo Zheng stated earnestly.
"Sss, it's feasible." Everyone envisioned countless logs falling from the sky, triggering land mines, igniting a large fire that completely burned the dense forest below, and the myriad of poison smoke engulfing the base. Screams and howls echoed from the base as everyone hid underground, and then, striking from above, they would block all the underground exits and ultimately destroy the base. Everyone's spirits were lifted, their eyes gleaming as their frustration dissipated.
"Ghost, your idea is truly..." Snow Leopard said with a face full of admiration, giving a thumbs-up.
"Tactics from the era of cold weapons combined with those from the era of firearms, unbeatable," stated Ghost Hand, also giving a thumbs-up.
"How do we make the poison smoke?" Once Lan Xue understood the key point, she imdiately beca spirited and asked eagerly.
Luo Zheng turned to Hook, who pondered for a mont before saying, "The poison smoke is not a problem. We know of a plant that, when burned, forms thick smoke that lingers and can drift far away. If inhaled in sufficient quantities, it causes people to fall unconscious and they won't wake up until soaked in clean water for a day."
"Good, let's do that," Lan Xue said cheerfully. "Hook, one last question. We need more than just a small amount of logs. How long will that take, and do you have the burning grease?"
"No problem, we have a practice of storing grease and logs. The grease is used for lighting fires and cooking. The forest often has trees struck by lightning, and we always collect the resulting logs because they grow fungus that we gather and pile up for the tribe's use—all ready to go," Hook explained hurriedly.
"Oh?" Lan Xue looked at Luo Zheng in surprise but found him smiling calmly. She couldn't help but ask in annoyance, "Did you already know all this?"
"Of course, survival habits in the prival forest are largely similar. Don't forget, I grew up on the edge of a prival forest. We always stored up the fat from hunted ga. As for the fungus growing on trees struck by lightning, that's due to the damp and cool ground, they've got it the other way around, but that doesn't matter," Luo Zheng said honestly.
"So you think you're tough," Lan Xue said irritably, before asking, "When do we make our move?"
"The sooner, the better," Luo Zheng replied, looking at Hook who nodded. Everyone quickly left, climbed up the cliff. Luo Zheng observed for a mont and, finding it indeed suitable for a poison attack, let out a sigh of relief. He urged everyone to speed up.
In the afternoon, when everyone returned to the cave, Luo Zheng found that there were many more people inside. Thinking they had co to help, Luo Zheng flashed a look at Hook, who understood and went to discuss plans with so of the leaders. Everyone found a spot to sit down and rest; the preparation work wasn't sothing they needed to worry about, leaving Luo Zheng to enjoy so leisure ti.
As ti slowly passed, more people arrived. Thankfully, the cave was large enough to accommodate everyone. Before long, many were dispatched to get started on the preparations. Hook approached Luo Zheng and whispered, "Everyone has gone to their assigned tasks. The logs will be quietly transported to the cliff tonight, what do you think?"
"How long until everything is ready?" Luo Zheng had a sudden idea; if ti allowed, they could plan a night raid, so he pressed on.
"Tomorrow morning, I guess," Hook estimated after a mont's thought.
"Morning?" Luo Zheng dismissed the idea. Such things are better done with ample preparation, and he told Hook to proceed as planned.
In the middle of the night, while Luo Zheng was sleeping fitfully, he suddenly heard a noisy commotion. He couldn't help but open his eyes, quickly grasping the weapon beside him, but he didn't move. Instead, he observed his surroundings. The familiar cave showed no signs of disturbance; he rolled out of bed and saw many people discussing sothing. Soone was being carried in, covered in wounds. Luo Zheng was taken aback and hurried over, calling out, "Hook, what happened?"
"We were ambushed, probably by those rcenaries," Hook said with a chilling tone, looking at the injured man. His arms clenched around his gun, veins bulging with anger.
Luo Zheng patted Hook on the shoulder and said seriously, "Rember, never lose your cool at any ti. Losing composure will only lead you to make wrong decisions. Tell where they attacked and how many there were?"
"So of us were going back to my tribe to move logs and were ambushed. The enemy's firepower was fierce. Eleven went, and this one only survived because he fell behind and managed to evade. None of the others made it," Hook reported with sorrow and fury.
Luo Zheng was taken aback, imdiately realizing that all the dead were from Hook's village. They had grown up playing together and were very close. It was understandable that emotions were out of control, and he began to think deeply. The hired guns had laid an ambush in the village with clear intent; such people deserved to be killed.
At that mont, with his emotions slightly in check, Hook said earnestly, "Everyone is very agitated. We hope you can lead us to kill those rcenaries, to avenge the dead."
"Revenge is a must, but you all need to make a choice: do we kill the Japanese pirates first or the rcenaries?" Luo Zheng asked calmly, his gaze sharp as he watched Hook. Seeing Hook fall into deep thought, he continued, "The rcenaries are just hired hands. Once your sworn enemies, the Japanese pirates, are killed, the hired guns will naturally disperse."
"We can't let them get away; we must kill both," Hook said sincerely. "But we'll kill the Japanese pirates first, and then the rcenaries. When that ti cos, we implore your help."
"This?" A hint of hesitation crept into Luo Zheng's resolute gaze.
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