Chapter 53: An Immediate Show of Force

"Have you been to see Erzhuang?"

Meng Fan put away the folder and asked the person beside him indifferently.

At this moment, Meng Fan was dressed in a pristine black uniform that made him look extremely spirited. The uniform was crafted from the previously manufactured special-grade silkworm silk, possessing the characteristics of being impervious to water and fire, highly resistant to blade and weapon damage, excellent in breathability, and immensely tough, making it suitable for all kinds of combat operations.

Gao Dazhuang was similarly attired in a black uniform, though his expression carried a trace of distress. "I've been to see her. Seeing Erzhuang like this now makes my heart ache as her cousin."

Meng Fan patted Gao Dazhuang on the shoulder and said, "From now on, the network operations of our 139th Division will be entrusted to Erzhuang. If there's any possibility in the future, I'll find a way to help her recover."

Gao Dazhuang asked with a stirring of intense emotion, "Really? I mean, is there truly a possibility of recovery?"

Looking at the newly established camp, Meng Fan gazed ahead with soaring ambition. "There will be. What we are about to undertake is a transformation unseen in a millennium. Feats that previously seemed like the domain of immortals and deities are not entirely impossible to achieve in the days to come."

Following a prolonged process of disassembly and reassembly, Gao Erzhuang had been arranged by the Beijing-based company to enter the 139th Division ahead of schedule.

The 139th Division would undoubtedly hold numerous secrets in the future, and in terms of cybersecurity, Gao Erzhuang was an indispensable component. Even if there were difficulties, she had to be transferred here.

"By the way, the remaining six temporary workers are arriving today, aren't they?"

"Yes. According to the scheduled itinerary, they will arrive around ten o'clock this morning."

Meng Fan smiled, glanced sidelong at Gao Dazhuang, and asked, "Following your intent, we should give them a harsh awakening the moment they land?"

"Yes!"

"I believe they do not yet possess the qualifications to become qualified members of the 139th Division."

"Even after nearly a month of study and training under the company, they still lack the qualities of maintaining calm judgment under all kinds of extreme and special circumstances, as well as absolute loyalty to Shenzhou," Gao Dazhuang stated with utmost solemnity.

"Relax, relax. Don't be so formal at the drop of a hat."

Meng Fan looked at Gao Dazhuang and countered, "In your eyes, am I actually unqualified as well?"

"No, you are different!"

Gao Dazhuang held a deep, heartfelt admiration for Meng Fan. This was a respect that blossomed within him for this mere thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy after he fully understood the original intent and purpose behind the establishment of the 139th Division.

"Alright, then we'll do it your way and test their mettle!"

Meng Fan said with a rather mischievous glint in his eye, "During this past month, aside from building the base, didn't I craft quite a few things? Put those to use on them as well, and let them adapt in advance."

---

"By the way, those individuals are extremely dangerous figures; be careful not to capsize in the gutter."

"Understood!"

Meng Fan and Gao Dazhuang exchanged a glance, sharing a mutual sense of sympathetic resonance.

A single look was enough to confirm that they had encountered someone with a matching temperament.

---

Meanwhile, aboard the special aircraft flying from the company's headquarters to the 139th Division base, the six individuals sat in a heavy, oppressive silence, none of them speaking a word.

They still had no inkling of what kind of destiny awaited them.

Wang Zhenqiu could never sit still for long. He tentatively probed the group, saying, "I say, everyone, we've been studying together for a whole month now. We only heard that we were being dispatched to serve under someone else's command, but nobody ever mentioned where we were actually going. Aren't you all the least bit curious?"

Xiao Zizai sat with his eyes closed to preserve his energy, a flash of crimson light flitting through his eyes. He had been "starving" for a full month now; if he hadn't forcefully suppressed it, he probably would have suffered a relapse long ago.

Left with no choice, he could only recite Buddhist scriptures in his mind while resting his eyes. Hearing Wang Zhenqiu's words, Xiao Zizai opened his eyes slightly. "When we are meant to know, we will naturally know. Once we get off the plane, everything will become clear."

Having received a cold reception, Wang Zhenqiu switched tactics and familiarly slung an arm around Black Pipe's shoulder. "I heard your superior is quite well-informed. Didn't he give you any precautions or warnings?"

Black Pipe shook his head. "I don't know."

Wang Zhenqiu then looked toward the others, only to find the same expressionless masks on all of them.

"Fine, looks like our future is truly unpredictable!"

Suddenly, Black Pipe raised his head and said, "Not necessarily. Have you all noticed anything unusual about the aircraft that picked us up?"

"Given standard authority levels, the company cannot dispatch an aircraft like this. The only ones who can utilize this latest model are..."

"So it turns out to be..."

Wang Zhenqiu covered his mouth with his hand. Seeing Black Pipe nod, he immediately stopped clowning around and sat back down with a heavy heart.

Only Feng Baobao looked at the group with a completely blank expression. "What y'all talking about? What are y'all talking about?"

"Baobao, sometimes ignorance is truly a blessing," Old Meng gently patted Feng Baobao's head, speaking in a kindly tone.

Seated right beside Old Meng were Chen Duo and Feng Baobao.

As for Old Meng, Chen Duo naturally knew he was Meng Fan's father. During a previous break, Meng Fan had even dragged her to his home, so they were relatively familiar with each other.

At this moment, Chen Duo was teasing the small purple toad resting on her shoulder, maintaining a detached attitude as if she had nothing to do with the rest of them.

Six people, six utter eccentrics.

Two hours later, the helicopter hovered ten meters above the ground, and a voice crackled through the intercom announcing that they had reached their destination and instructing them to disembark.

The six individuals exchanged glances. Without bothering with ropes, they leaped directly from the aircraft, and the helicopter immediately departed at high speed, without pausing for even a single moment.

"Is this our destination? Doesn't it just look like a patch of wasteland?" Wang Zhenqiu looked around with curiosity.

"No, danger is already right upon us."

Xiao Zizai assumed a defensive posture, a fierce crimson light blazing in his eyes as he suddenly warned, "They're here!"

"Awooo—"

Several howls tore through the air. Appearing before the six of them were six gigantic grey wolves, standing three meters tall at the shoulder and over seven meters in length, baring their razor-sharp fangs and dripping saliva from their jaws.

Their eyes gleamed with a cold, sickly green light as they locked their unblinking gaze onto the six humans. The hunger in their eyes made the hearts of the group flutter with unease.

"Hey, hey, hey, is this a joke taken too far? You bring us all the way here just to serve as a hearty meal for these wolves?" Wang Zhenqiu shrieked theatrically.

Old Meng frowned and cautioned, "Be careful. These six wolves are no ordinary beasts; the life energy emanating from them is completely wrong."

"Awooo—"

The alpha wolf among the pack, distinguished by its pitch-black fur, launched the attack first. The other five wolves followed closely behind, moving like the wind—a streak of black lightning across the grassland.

The alpha lunged with a sweep of its claw. Xiao Zizai activated his Golden Bell Shield, coating his arms in a shimmering golden aura. Going by his initial estimate, he should have been able to block the blow entirely.

Yet, a dull black light flickered across the alpha's claws, and with a single strike, it left three bloody claw marks slashing across Xiao Zizai's forearm.

Watching the surveillance footage from deep within the base, Meng Fan and the others offered running commentary. "They underestimated their enemy."

Gao Dazhuang nodded in agreement. "They've already made a fatal mistake. They shouldn't have allowed Liuli and the others to get into close quarters."