36 Landing on the Island

Ten meters beneath the surface, the light was mostly filtered out by the seawater, leaving Qiao Yuyan tightly enveloped in a deep, cobalt blue.

The black combat suit Qiao Yuyan wore had been urgently developed by GSC specifically to bypass DK’s new radar systems. Due to tight deadlines and the scarcity of raw materials, this was the only one in existence. The suit not only effectively evaded DK’s radar tracking but also offered exceptional ballistic protection. Furthermore, it was designed with diving needs in mind, equipped with an advanced oxygen supply system that allowed Qiao to breathe freely underwater for extended periods.

Qiao Yuyan followed the navigational prompts on her glasses, the sound of the ocean rushing in her ears. This part of the sea was rarely visited, its water clear, transparent, and entirely free of pollution. Marine life darted about freely, and schools of colorful fish would occasionally gather around her briefly before scattering again. Strapped to her back was a sealed baby carrier—prepared specifically for the young prince—which currently held a semi-automatic grenade launcher. To help conserve her energy, GSC had even installed a small propulsion device at the bottom of the carrier.

Even with the thrusters, the two-nautical-mile distance felt incredibly long. Qiao Yuyan swam through the frigid water for nearly half an hour before finally reaching the vicinity of the island. She carefully began to ascend, stopping when she reached a depth of about three meters to ensure she remained completely outside the observation range of any enemy telescopes.

Belen warned her over the comms: "There’s a signal jamming device on the island. Be careful once you land."

Qiao tapped her earpiece to acknowledge. She adjusted her heading and swam toward the predetermined landing site. They had chosen a spot twenty degrees southeast of the island, a jagged area of reefs and cliffs with complex terrain that fell into a blind spot of the lookout towers. DK had specifically stationed two guards there.

As she reached the base of the cliff, a brief burst of static crackled in her ear, and communication was completely severed. From this point on, Qiao Yuyan would be fighting alone.

Waves crashed repeatedly against the reefs, whipping up layers of white foam. Qiao remained submerged, staring up at the two men standing at the edge of the cliff, their rifles slung over their shoulders. The two DK mercenaries were completely unguarded, leaning against the rock face with cigarettes dangling from their lips, chatting aimlessly.

Their voices were muffled by the crashing waves, drifting to Qiao in fragments.

"That brat is really too noisy."

"Don't worry. Once the money hits the account, we'll make him shut up forever."

A layer of frost coated Qiao Yuyan’s eyes. The DK men were truly devoid of morality; King Sari’s fears had been confirmed. She didn't act rashly. Observing the tidal patterns, she quickly realized the water was slowly rising.

The tide was coming in.

Qiao Yuyan swam rapidly to the base of the cliff directly beneath them. The waves arrived one after another with astonishing force; several times, she was nearly smashed against the cliff face. A moment later, the tide surged in with full intensity. Qiao gripped the protruding rocks with both hands like iron pincers. The seawater battered her body, her lower half swaying violently with the currents, as if she might be ripped away from the rock at any moment.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, the water began to calm. Qiao released her numbed hands and slowly swam toward the surface. With the rising tide, the distance between the water and the cliff had narrowed to about five meters—well within the effective range of her handgun.

The shore was desolate and empty. The two guards grew even more reckless, openly discussing how they would finish off the Sari people once the ransom arrived tomorrow. Hidden beneath the water, Qiao Yuyan frowned. She pondered for a moment, then pulled out a waterproof digital recorder, pressed the switch, and captured their plans.

Soon, they changed the subject. Qiao tucked the recorder away, held her breath, and waited in silence for the perfect moment.

Finally, the instant both men turned their heads, she struck. She fired two consecutive shots from her underwater pistol. With two soft "puffs," barely audible over the sound of the surf, both mercenaries collapsed.

Qiao Yuyan climbed up the cliff, walked to where the mercenaries had fallen, and picked up their rifles. She weighed one of the G29 rifles in her hand and felt a pang of regret. At a full seven kilograms, it would not only hinder her speed but could become a liability given her current physical state and the actions ahead. She walked to the edge of the cliff and tossed both the G29 and the bodies of the mercenaries into the sea below.

Having dealt with the guards, Qiao opened the baby carrier on her back and took out several spider-like probes. She pressed the connection key, synced the probes' cameras to her glasses, and activated them. The little spiders scurried toward the center of the island according to their programmed path.

The unnamed island covered about sixty square kilometers. Apart from the cliff where Qiao had landed, the island was covered in lush tropical growth. The dense canopy interlaced, layer upon layer, nearly blocking out the sky and shielding them from the view of the lookout towers. The air in the forest was humid and stifling, lurking with dangerous venomous insects and snakes.

Qiao Yuyan moved through the dense forest. Fuzzy, venomous spiders dangled from the branches, swinging in the air on sticky webs. Fortunately, her combat suit wrapped her completely, leaving no gaps. She shuddered with disgust and shook the bugs off her, shivering despite the protection of the suit. She muttered to herself, "Whether they have no legs or too many, they’re all disgusting."

Back at the training base, in preparation for the various predicaments they might face, they had undergone training in almost every extreme environment on Earth and had eaten everything that wouldn't kill them—especially all kinds of insects. The memory of those slimy, squirming creatures being forced into her mouth still made her feel nauseated. Even after such rigorous training, she could never bring herself to accept these repulsive creatures.

UTC 6:37.

The sun rose, and the light struggled to pierce through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor. Qiao Yuyan had been trekking through the jungle for over an hour. Her physical strength was gradually depleting, and her breathing grew slightly labored. She found a relatively concealed patch of shade to sit, seizing the moment to recover her strength.

At the same time, she monitored the status of the spider probes on the display in her glasses. Soon, good news arrived: one of the probes had successfully located the DK temporary camp.

The image of the camp appeared clearly before her eyes. Based on the location data provided by the probe, the camp was less than three kilometers away.

Ten minutes later, Qiao Yuyan stood up. After checking her gear, she set off again.

With less than three hundred meters to go, the faint sound of a baby crying drifted through the breeze.