Chapter 284: Web of Betrayal

He stared silently at the white paper.

Moments later, Zheng Cheng, sitting across from him, was suddenly struck with disbelief as he looked into Yenir’s eyes.

His jaw dropped as a storm of emotions surged within him.

There weren’t many words on the paper—it was a mix of half-true and half-false intelligence regarding Yenir’s abilities. But the key was that even the fake intel hinted at an irresistible temptation!

Yenir… planning to drag the surrounding battle zones back into the Zombie Realm!?

What kind of news is this!? It’s nothing short of a trap!

Such nerve, such sheer audacity!

At this moment, he finally understood why Yenir had kept him waiting until now.

With full awareness of Yenir’s powers, he could already predict what Yenir intended to do—and how many people he would take out!

If he passed this intelligence on, the Japanese and Korean Battle Zones would truly have been duped…

If Yenir’s scheme succeeded, it wouldn’t just be a few losses—it could wipe out half the elite from the neighboring countries!

Almost reflexively, he glanced at Yenir’s eyes, which now carried a trace of fear.

What a ruthless heart…

Could this really be an eighteen-year-old boy?

With an impassive expression, Yenir noticed that Zheng Cheng had understood his thoughts and merely chuckled softly:

“Zheng Cheng.”

“If you still have any conscience left, if you haven’t completely become the traitor you claim to be out of necessity…”

“Then do as I say now.”

“Aren’t you tired of hating them? Didn’t you once plan to save our country indirectly?”

“Here’s your chance. Trade your life for an opportunity to exact revenge! I’m offering you this chance!”

His words landed forcefully and with conviction.

Listening to Yenir’s half-challenging, half-coaxing words, Zheng Cheng fell silent for a moment before a bitter smile crept across his face.

“Yenir, you don’t need to goad me.”

“I admit, maybe I did make mistakes. Perhaps I underestimated you, not believing that miracles could happen.”

“But I, Zheng Cheng, am no coward who clings to life!”

“I have nothing to be ashamed of!”

With a long sigh, he slowly closed his eyes.

At the age of forty-three, memories flooded back, and without realizing it, a streak of murky tears began to slide down his face.

For so many years he believed he was carrying a heavy burden, enduring the weight of a guilty conscience while trying to save everyone.

But now, it all seemed like a cruel joke…

How tragic… how utterly tragic…

Clenching his fists tightly, he slowly opened his eyes once more:

“I will do it.”

“Yenir… I hope you can really pull this off.”

“If you truly succeed, it might just make up for my mistakes… at least while I’m still down here…”

No one could possibly understand his pain.

Zheng Cheng picked up the white paper but could only get halfway through his words before he fell silent.

He wanted to say maybe he still had the face to meet his brothers underground. But on reflection… he felt unworthy.

His mood sank.

The surrounding team members watched Zheng Cheng with heavy hearts.

Even though he was indeed a traitor, they couldn’t bring themselves to hate him.

One could only say…

Fate is a cruel trickster…

……….

Ten minutes later.

In front of the roaring fighter jets, Yenir raised his hand, signaling for Zheng Cheng to board one.

“In about twelve minutes, we’ll reach the secondary defense line of the Korean-Japanese Alliance.”

“Once you disembark, make a beeline for the defense line.”

“Ming Luo and I will hunt you down!”

Hunched over,

Zheng Cheng nodded expressionlessly as he slowly turned and boarded the jet.

He understood exactly what Yenir intended.

In this world, the most credible intelligence is always paid for with blood.

“I know what to do.”

“I’ll play this final act to perfection.”

After softly agreeing, Zheng Cheng, who had already memorized the ‘intelligence’, silently turned his head.

Seated on the jet, as he gazed out through the porthole, his eyes lingered fondly on the camp.

Every blade of grass and every tree there was etched into his memory.

Having served for twenty years, this place had become like home.

In a daze, he almost recalled the encouragement from the old minister when he first joined the task force.

Right by that bunker, the first old minister had passionately addressed everyone, seeing them off as they entered the operation zone.

Back then, everyone was young and full of dreams, vowing to bring glory to the nation.

He too had once been driven, full of ambition…

But reality was harsh—his former zeal and aspirations eventually gave way to the compromise of ‘cowardice’…

“Vroom”

The jet’s engine roared to life.

As the fighter jet belched out blue spirit energy, the rest watched with a myriad of expressions as it soared into the sky.

They all knew—some of them wouldn’t be returning this time.

…………….

At the Donghai Joint Defense Line, the Korea-Japan garrison, and the entrance to the Zombie Realm.

“It’s been two days! Two days already!”

“You people didn’t uncover a single thing! Useless! You’re all useless!!”

His eyes were bloodshot.

A high-level Third-Stage Awakened, who had rushed in from the Japanese battle zone, began berating the Garrison mercilessly.

“Where are our planted informants!? Where’s the news!?”

“I need to know what’s happening on the Chinese side! How many of them have come out!”

“I demand to know exactly what’s going on in there!”

“And you tell me that even within Huaxia Battle Zone nobody knows?!”

Spittle flew as he bore the weight of his superior’s reprimand.

Several Japanese representatives, their faces grim, bowed apologetically, too scared to lift their heads, for the man was an important Cabinet member, far above them in rank.

Ever since the news of zero survivors broke out among the Japanese and Korean high command, the entire leadership was in an uproar.

From the President to the Emperor, and even the top military brass, all were outraged.

It was, without a doubt, an unprecedented and catastrophic loss!

“Representative Ito, we truly did our best…”

“We suspect that even the team in Huaxia Battle Zone hasn’t returned…”

“They’ve even launched an internal investigation…”

One of the Third-Stage Awakened, his face ashen and drained, muttered with a sorrowful tone.

He looked utterly haggard as he spoke in a low voice.

It wasn’t entirely their fault.

All their planted personnel were inside Huaxia Battle Zone; the intelligence they received was all very strange. Either Huaxia had suffered massive losses and the Military was about to abandon the operation, or there was internal factional strife with some planning to negotiate…

Summing up all the intel, everything sounded incredibly bizarre.

All they could conclude was that not even Huaxia’s insiders knew what was happening—indeed, the team sent into the operation zone hadn’t even come back!

“What about Zheng Cheng!?”

“What about the Zheng Cheng you bribed earlier? Didn’t he join this operation? And what about the Chinese Intelligence Department!?”

“What did they say? Any news!?”

Suppressing his anger, Ito Hirono glared hard at where the operation portal had been.

The empty space made him feel like he was about to break down.

“Zheng Cheng… likely hasn’t returned either.”

“Lord Ito! We honestly don’t know why this happened! By now, it’s been two days… If the Chinese team had truly defeated us using some underhanded trick to take down our soldiers, they should have come out by now…”

“Once everyone dies and exits, that’s when it takes effect!”

“Of course, it’s also possible that they exploited some mechanism in the operation zone, forcing our side to settle while they were inside looting the spoils… and haven’t come out yet.”

“Based on our analysis, we actually suspect…”

“Could it be that the difficulty of the operation zone suddenly spiked, and everyone died?”

Swallowing hard,

To be frank, among all the joint battle zone analyses, the most plausible theory was that something was wrong with the operation zone itself!

Those damn Chinese have never beaten us! Logically speaking, this outcome was even more impossible this time!

Especially with seventy against ten, and with two traitors among them!

Even if the soldiers sent were all elite, even seventy ordinary Third-Stage fighters wouldn’t lose! It’s absolutely unthinkable!

Considering all the intelligence— even Huaxia’s Military was baffled.

“The only possibility left is that the difficulty of the operation zone suddenly spiked, causing everyone to die!”