Chapter 978: Night Ambush at the Evolved Forest

It’s now 6:20—forty minutes to sunset.

The Evolved Forest is so dense that once darkness falls, even evolved humans with night vision equipment can’t spot enemies using stealth gear.

The enemy, hidden by advanced stealth tech, control the shadows and play defense. Meanwhile, the Rescue Team, with their less impressive stealth suits, find themselves in the open as attackers—at a clear disadvantage.

Given all that, the only option is to push hard with brute force. There’s no harmful gas like Qiang-46 here, so we can bring out the heavy firepower!

Brimming with confidence, Du Zuohang changed the battle plan. “We have forty minutes to reach the target cave. While their snipers and grenadiers are still moving into position, we’ll land the helicopter at the target zone. Team One and Team Two will advance from the ground. Huo, set the chopper’s universal IR countermeasure. Sister Qing, Brother Huai, the lookout and the machine gunner will head up to 1,900 meters altitude and handle sniping and fire support.”

Missiles are high-tech, expensive, and cost a fortune both to make and maintain. Precision guidance also takes real skill. Outside the Base’s Safe Zone, combat squads rarely get such advanced gear—but the Rescue Team has to be ready for anything.

But what can you even do from 1,900 meters up? Take potshots into the dark?

Tang Huai had no interest in sitting in the chopper doing nothing. “Both squads need two snipers. I’m going down. Don’t worry, Captain—I’ve got special body armor. Even if I get hit by a bomb, I’ll survive.”

With Tang Huai so determined, Du Zuohang let him jump out with the rest as they advanced on foot. After that, only Xia Qing, Huo Zhun, two Strength Evolution fighters, a lookout and a machine gunner stayed aboard the helicopter.

Once the helicopter was back in the air, Xia Qing issued a calm order: “Huo, take us up to 2,100 meters. Machine gunner, focus your fire—cover everyone. I’ll snipe their snipers and gunners hiding in high positions.”

There was no time to hold back now. As the chopper climbed another 200 meters, their tactical advantage soared.

“Roger.” Huo Zhun lifted off quickly, locking the altitude at 2,100 meters and moving forward alongside the ground team.

“Da-da-da, da-da-da—”

With the lookout calling the shots, the machine gunner unleashed a barrage ahead, clearing a path for the squads below.

“Boom—”

“Boom!”

Their strafing triggered two anti-personnel mines buried on the ground. The rising smoke made everyone in the Rescue Team tense up.

Unfazed by chaos, Huo Zhun skillfully flew the helicopter forward with the ground units, adjusting altitude for terrain so the chopper hovered 2,100 meters right above the highest ground below.

“Da-da-da, da-da-da—”

“Boom—”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

With overwhelming air superiority, the team rained down machine gun fire and explosions. Perched above, Xia Qing—their ace sniper—squeezed the trigger again and again, picking off enemy gunners and snipers at every ground vantage point.

Naturally, the enemy hated getting thrashed. But their shoulder-mounted grenade launchers only had a 500-meter range. Their snipers hid up high, but with daylight on their side, there was no escaping that deadeye sniper aboard the chopper.

Moments ago the enemy captain was feeling smug, thinking they’d bagged some rabbits thanks to home-turf advantage. Now he finally realized this was all part of Zheng Jialin’s plan to lure them in deep.

The entire Base is in full disaster response mode, so where the hell did Zheng get such a fierce Rescue Team?!

“Everyone fall back and hide! We’ll wait till dark and hit them together—kill them all!” the enemy captain barked, hiding his rage.

Once the enemy retreated, the Rescue Team, combining ground and air assault, reached the cave entrance in just twenty minutes.

Zheng Jialin brought Little Shiyi out of the cave to join up with Du Zuohang’s squad. Seeing Zhang Hongda escort Little Shiyi to safety, Xia Qing finally relaxed.

After the machine gunner finished clearing the area, Huo Zhun brought the helicopter down smoothly on a nearby landing platform. He handed the chopper over to the Tang Family’s guard team, then joined Shi Du and another Strength Evolution fighter to help Zheng Jialin’s crew move supplies aboard.

Once Tang Huai limped back to the helicopter and Deng Xiaoqiong secured a sniper post nearby, Xia Qing got the captain’s approval to head to the best sniping position.

“Thanks, Sister Qing.” Tang Huai thanked her sincerely when he saw Xia Qing give up the safest spot.

Truth was, Xia Qing mostly did it to pick up Zhang Shi.

She nodded, reached the sniper post safely under Zhang Hongda’s protection, then sent him back to guard the helicopter.

Once Zhang Hongda left, Xia Qing tapped a steady rhythm on the boulder next to her.

By now, the sky was pitch black.

Hiding behind the boulder, Zhang Shi spoke quietly through her earpiece, thanking Xia Qing and then reporting the enemy’s position: “Ninety-five meters southwest, thirty meters up, clear hostility.”

None of the Rescue Team were over there.

“I can see them. Stay hidden, Zhang,” Xia Qing whispered back. She pulled out a heavy-duty rocket grenade, custom-made by Xin Yu, and hurled it toward the target.

“Boom!”

The grenade didn’t just blast apart the enemy in the tree, it shredded most of the treetop, sending a clear warning.

“Captain, reporting: took out a sneak attacker.”

“Good, stay hidden,” Du Zuohang replied, then turned to Zheng Jialin next to him. “Boss Zheng, there are more ambushers—get down and stay safe.”

“Understood. Thanks for covering us.” Damned ambusher—he’s one of mine! Zheng Jialin cursed silently behind cover, but could only offer polite thanks out loud.

“Bang!”

“Took out another lurker.”

“Boom!”

“Two more ambushers dead.”

……

After Xia Qing quickly dispatched six enemies creeping in under cover of darkness, not only did the enemy retreat, even Zheng Jialin grew nervous. “Captain Du, didn’t you say the other side had stealth gear?”

Du Zuohang replied flatly, “They do—but we’ve got even better tech. It lets us see right through their camouflage.”

Zheng Jialin pressed, “What kind of gear?”

I’ll buy it—no matter the cost!

“Sorry, I can’t answer that.” Xia Qing wore the latest night vision goggles from Territory Seven. I haven’t even touched that gear myself—so the answer’s ‘No way.’

With both their supplies and Zheng Jialin’s team loaded into the helicopter, their mission was a success and the Rescue Team prepared to head back.

Zhang Shi turned down Xia Qing’s offer to hide her in a backpack, quietly pleading, “Sister Qing, please get Shiyi to Ye Yang. I’ll make it back within a month—promise.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

Xia Qing left all the food and nutrient shakes she had with Zhang Shi, headed down the mountain and boarded the helicopter. She shot just one calm glance at the mud-caked Little Shiyi beside Zhang Hongda, then took a seat with Deng Xiaoqiong, who welcomed her warmly.

Little Shiyi remembered every word his mom said. Pretending not to know anyone on the helicopter, she hugged her knees into her chest, curling into a tiny ball. All she wanted was to soak up the calm aura Aunt Qing gave off and feel safe again.