Base and Cadets

Whoosh, whoosh.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing the emerald-like surface of the lake to ripple, while the sun directly overhead created a shimmering, sparkling effect.

If one were to set up a parasol by the shore, lie back in a lounge chair, sip an iced Sprite or Coke, and admire the scenery composed of the vast lake and mountains, it would certainly count as one of life's great pleasures.

"Move! Move!"

"Too slow! Too slow! My mother's old hen runs faster than you lot! If you don't return to base within ten minutes, you're running another fifteen kilometers this afternoon, do you understand?!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

However, a group of soldiers clad in desert camouflage combat trousers and black short-sleeved shirts gradually appeared from left to right amidst this mountainous lake landscape.

And after the officer finished roaring his orders, the entire group of soldiers noticeably increased their pace, heading toward the right—that is, the southeast.

It appeared that this group of soldiers was about to complete their morning training run.

Looking in the direction the soldiers were facing, one could vaguely make out a military base complete with perimeter walls, guard posts, and terminal buildings.

Combined with the distinctive red "Λ" symbol embroidered on the left chest of the soldiers' shirts, it was clear they belonged to Atlas, a multinational corporation involved in various fields.

Given the sweltering climate, the saline lake that resembled an inland sea, and the desert landscape visible everywhere, it could be determined that this military base was located within Kenya, not far from the western shore of Lake Turkana.

Shifting the "gaze" away from the soldiers who had yet to finish their morning run, moving it hundreds of meters into the sky to overlook the base from above:

One could see that this military base covered an area of approximately fifty hectares, featuring two runways, each 1,800 meters long and 80 meters wide.

The buildings scattered around the airfield ranged from large structures like hangars, bunkers, radar stations, armories, anti-aircraft missile batteries, and armored vehicle depots, to smaller ones like mess halls, convenience stores, arcades, movie screening rooms, and dormitories no taller than three stories.

Most of the hangars were empty, though there was an F-16 Fighting Falcon and an AC-130 gunship purchased at a "friendship price," along with two A-10 Warthogs and several transport planes.

However, on the tarmac, there were numerous types of helicopters...

After all, compared to fighter jets and attack aircraft, helicopters like the UH-1 Huey and A/MH-6 Little Bird were much "cheaper."

Clearly, the scale of this Atlas-affiliated military base was already on par with a formal U.S. military installation overseas.

In fact, many of the contracts and agreements signed between Atlas and high-ranking U.S. military officials indicated that in emergencies, the U.S. military could carry out missions or conduct evacuations through Atlas bases located at the borders of Kenya, Bolivia, Syria, and Iraq.

Conversely, Atlas mercenaries in these three regions could also travel to or retreat to U.S. military installations and bases.

In the Middle East alone, Atlas had cooperated with the U.S. military over 600 times and maintained a deep relationship with the United States Marine Corps.

The reason Atlas was able to build military bases overseas and even possess military aviation rights was inseparable from the U.S. military's tacit approval.

Of course, Atlas also provided substantive benefits to the local areas; the simplest form was direct investment and funding, or assisting in improving local infrastructure to promote economic development.

The primary personnel composition of the Kenya base, including the soldiers who had just finished their morning run by the lake, consisted of the 3rd Infantry Company of the ARS (Atlas Response Service), as well as one-third of the 5th Armored Company and the 6th Aviation Company. When adding ground crew, logistics, technical, engineering, and armed security personnel under regular contracts, the total came to over four thousand people.

It is worth mentioning that the ARS, which possessed six companies, was the core unit of Atlas's contracting business and the primary defensive force for the three military bases.

As an elite unit, the 1st Company, known as the "Hunters," had a membership of just over a hundred and was responsible only for battles involving the company's core interests, while the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Infantry Companies accounted for 60% of the total ARS strength, or about 2,200 people.

Furthermore, the personnel who executed contract missions and cooperated directly with the U.S. military were also drawn from these three infantry companies.

There were many factors behind Atlas building military bases overseas.

The superficial reason was that Atlas needed to ensure the safety of the company's overseas oil fields and mines, preventing company personnel from being harassed by insurgents or terrorists.

Just as Wang Xie'en stated in an interview, it was because the local area contained abundant natural resources that it attracted Atlas to invest and build there.

But the true "core" philosophy was that the founder of Atlas, Sui Yang, had been "preparing for war" before his assets exceeded one hundred billion, having learned that this world contained Vought, characters from other worlds, and even potential threats.

Otherwise, Sui Yang would not have spent large amounts of cash on maintaining the company's "military expenditures." The goal was to wait until the space gate could be opened, utilizing the differences between various worlds to compensate for weaknesses and resolve the threats posed by Vought and everything else.

However, when Sui Yang learned that his own transmigration was inextricably linked to the God-Emperor of Mankind, the founder's goals might have expanded "a little."

Regardless, Atlas needed "legal and compliant" military operational rights overseas to facilitate the series of tasks that would follow.

Located in an indoor training facility on the west side of the Kenya base;

"Recruit! Again... Tsk! How can you still not break that flashy habit? Are you looking to die?!"

A sharp reprimand echoed throughout the training hall.

There were numerous weightlifting machines here, as well as an area composed of hanging sandbags and soft shock-absorbing flooring used for training in close-quarters combat and physical techniques.

Dozens of trainees, also wearing desert camouflage trousers and black short-sleeved shirts, stood at the edge of the area, observing the instructor demonstrating a spar in the center, along with the blonde trainee acting as the "teaching material."

The reason the instructor was reprimanding him was that the blonde trainee had tried to use a flying armbar to achieve a one-hit victory, only to have it easily countered by the instructor using the trainee's own momentum against him.

Judging by his muscular physique and his habit of wearing a beret, this instructor was none other than the former U.S. Army Second Lieutenant, Jack Krauser.

As for the true identity of these trainees, they were probationary investigators who had been learning from Krauser for nearly half a year.

At this moment, the two in the center of the area stepped apart.

Krauser turned around first, his face showing irritation as he barked at the blonde trainee not far away: "Leon, how many times have I told you that reality isn't a movie, nor is it a game! When your identity is exposed and you have to face an enemy unarmed, you must use any means necessary! Stop pulling those flashy moves on me!"

Having said this, Krauser dropped his combat stance and scanned all the trainees present, his voice rising again as he gave his instructions:

"Don't forget that your identity is that of an investigator. You are here to help the company infiltrate and penetrate unknown regions, and in the future, you will even be deployed to other universes! You must be fast, accurate, and ruthless! Don't you dare forget that again, do you hear me?!"

"Understood! Sir!"