Everyone turned to look at Shadow with a smile. Luo Zheng silently admired him, thinking that indeed he was the most likely to beco the Strongest Soldier King in the base. He looked as refined as an administrative officer, yet his combative spirit was not the slightest bit lacking—ruthless and arrogant, even treating Fushan as a battlefield. However, on closer consideration, it seed to make so sense. The more noise Shadow made here, the safer everyone would be, right?
"Can we get our hands on so weapons?" Luo Zheng asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, we have a safe house here," Shadow confird.
A safe house is a secret base, divided into two types: supply and concealnt. A supply safe house contains weapons, dical supplies, identification docunts, cash, and other necessities, while a concealnt safe house can be used for temporary residence, identity concealnt, and evasion from pursuit. Hearing Shadow ntion a safe house, Luo Zheng imdiately thought of the supply kind and couldn't help but smile.
"What's your plan?" Seeing a familiar expression on Luo Zheng's face, Lan Xue knew he had made a decision and couldn't help asking.
"We split into two groups. Shadow will lead the main attack on the surface guard, with Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle assisting. As for the specifics, Shadow will be in full charge. The captain and I will go in for the rescue. Ghost Hand, you will be responsible for the coordination outside. The attack is set for 3 am tomorrow night, giving us a day to prepare. How does that sound?" Luo Zheng looked at Shadow with a determined expression, formally discussing the battle plan and out of respect for Lan Xue as his superior, he was more serious.
Shadow also knew this timing was the earliest they could manage, since preparations took ti. Although he was internally anxious and eager to rush to the rescue, he had to consider the reality of the situation. After thinking it over, he felt it was feasible and agreed, saying, "It'll be daylight in an hour or two, too late for now. It's not suitable during the day, so let's make it tomorrow night."
With that, the matter was settled and everyone went off to prepare. Luo Zheng and Lan Xue found the ambassador's secretary and got two sets of oxygen tanks and high-power flashlights. They secretly got into the car and headed towards the location of the drainage canal. Dayti was not suitable for reconnaissance, so they had to get a clear understanding of the situation before dawn to facilitate the action.
Arriving near the drainage canal, they parked the car well, then equipped themselves with the oxygen tanks and high-power flashlights before getting out of the car. Seeing that there were no people around, they quickly ran to the canal and dived straight in. The two waited at the entrance of the drainage canal for a few minutes, ensuring they weren't detected, and then moved inside.
The stench in the drainage canal was nauseating and dizzying, but once they put on their oxygen masks, it was much better. Using their flashlights, they quickly moved forward. The underground prison was about ten kiloters away in a straight line. Thankfully, the canal was large enough that stooping and jogging forward was no problem. Startled rats scurried about, squeaking and even climbing onto them.
Annoid, Luo Zheng grabbed a few rats and tossed them aside. Looking back, he saw that Lan Xue wasn't frightened like a little girl but remained exceptionally calm, grabbing and discarding the rats with ease. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickened his pace. After running for more than ten minutes, the rats were gone, but it was pitch black all around, the flashlight only illuminated a ter or so ahead, indicating the air was thin in this part of the canal. They were secretly glad they brought oxygen tanks; otherwise, they would have suffocated before reaching their destination.
It took nearly an hour to cover the ten kiloter distance at their pace. Upon reaching the end, they saw a sturdy steel grid above them with wastewater flowing down, making loud noises. The high-power flashlight shone upward, revealing what looked like a ventilation shaft, square-shaped, approximately one and a half ters in width and length, with no visible end in height. The flashlight beam couldn't reach that far. Water flowed through many drainage holes into the ventilation shaft, then trickled down the steel grid into the drainage canal.
The steel grid served as a filter; not much debris could be seen on top, indicating it was regularly cleaned. There were U-shaped steel rung ladders on the walls of the shaft that one could climb. Faintly, they could hear knocking sounds and shouting, though the voices were very weak.
After exchanging a glance, Luo Zheng's attention fell on the steel bars. The bars were as thick as an ordinary baby's arm and were securely welded onto the well wall with steel plates, without screws—probably to prevent tampering. Such thick bars, reinforced by steel plates, couldn't possibly be destroyed by force.
Lan Xue reckoned it was about ti. She shot Luo Zheng a look, who nodded in understanding. They quickly retraced their steps, crossing the deep, dark drain again to co back to the surface. Erging with a sensation of having been in another world, they saw the sky was lightening and hurried out of the drain. They sprinted to the car, tossed everything into the trunk, and started the engine, speeding towards the embassy.
"Such thick bars would require a special fla cutter. Using a regular one would take too long. Climbing the ladder might be a way to scale the mountain, but the problem is that the prison seems to have many floors, and it's uncertain which one our target is on. Searching level by level would be too risky and ti-consuming. If it cos down to it, we might have to pose as prison guards," Lan Xue said with a calm face.
"That's the only way then. We'll act ten minutes ahead of schedule, is that enough?" Luo Zheng, finding Lan Xue's thoughts aligned with his own, responded casually while focusing on driving.
"It might be enough, or it might not. The main issue is that we don't know the exact location of the target. The prison looks big, and there are a lot of inmates. Searching level by level is too ti-consuming. We'll have to adapt to the situation," Lan Xue said helplessly.
"If we are to make a big fuss in the prison, the best way is to let all the prisoners out, letting them escape on their own. Whatever the number that gets away, it will create chaos, which we can use to act," Luo Zheng suggested seriously.
"Too much chaos might affect our operation ti. We can release the people, but we should do it after the rescue, letting them cover our withdrawal. Let's take action half an hour earlier. We should find the warden or so other official, figure out a way to pry his mouth open, and act further based on the intelligence we get," Lan Xue proposed.
The two of them polished the plan through back and forth discussion, and before they knew it, they arrived at the embassy. Shadow and the others had gone out to prepare and had not returned yet. Both of them went back to their rooms to rest. After a whole night of busyness, everyone was indeed tired.
The next morning, the two woke up for breakfast and saw that Shadow and the others had returned, looking composed, signifying that preparations went smoothly. In the public dining area, nobody spoke, casually eating their food. Once satiated, they left the dining area with an unspoken agreent and returned to their rooms, closing their doors.
"My side has prepared the weapons. How about you guys?" Shadow asked with concern. Since the rescue of Ye Laixiang was at stake, Shadow was deeply invested.
Luo Zheng didn't bother to inquire about Shadow's preparations. Knowing Shadow's capabilities, if he said he was ready, there would surely be no mistakes. Luo Zheng recounted what they had discovered the night before and added, "We'll act tonight. Everyone should conserve their energy during the day. Once the mission is complete, we'll secretly return to the embassy. If it turns out to be impossible, we must still co back to devise another rescue plan. Don't force it. Any questions?" he asked, looking at Shadow.
"No more questions," everyone said. After a mont of thought, Shadow shook his head, and they all returned to their rooms to rest.
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