The "Patrol Hunting Squad" proposal was quickly approved and strongly supported by the Wang Family and the Military's higher-ups. After all, a mobile elite force capable of proactively clearing out the biggest threats to each Outpost would obviously improve the overall defensive situation.
Lin Mo and his team had gone from being the "lucky charm" of Outpost No. 03 to becoming an ace in the defensive line surrounding the entire Northeast Base City.
Their first stop was Outpost 04, farther east, near a lush, pristine forest.
When three Armored Vehicles bearing their distinctive markings, with the dark-golden Tiger King sprawled across their roofs, rolled into Outpost 04, the welcome was even more enthusiastic than it had been at Outpost No. 03.
Nearly every soldier put down their work and lined up along both sides of the road. Their eyes were full of curiosity, anticipation, and even a hint of the excitement of people who had finally seen their savior.
The highest-ranking officer at Outpost 04 was a burly man named Zhao Gang, a Primary War General with a booming voice. The moment they met, he gave Wang Feng a bear hug, then fixed his gaze on Lin Mo.
"Hahaha! Old Wang! We've been waiting ages for you! This must be the legendary Tiger King, right? Good grief! That presence! That outfit! You look even more intimidating than in the videos!" Zhao Gang circled Lin Mo twice, clicking his tongue in admiration. He looked like he wanted to touch the armor, but didn't quite dare.
Intimidating? Watch your mouth! It's called majestic! But since you've got such a discerning eye, I'll let it slide.
Lin Mo gave a reserved growl in greeting.
The welcome ceremony was simple but enthusiastic. Afterward, everyone was ushered into the command room. The vast Electronic Sandbox displayed the complicated terrain surrounding Outpost 04 in crisp detail.
The smile faded from Zhao Gang's face, replaced by a grave expression. He picked up a light pen and pointed out several glaring red marks on the sandbox.
"Let's skip the small talk and get straight to the tough stuff." Zhao Gang's voice carried a hint of weariness and helplessness. "Outpost 04 may be in the rear, but we've got no shortage of trouble. The main issue is that the terrain around here is so complicated, and powerful mutated beasts have gathered in large numbers."
He first pointed to the verdant forest to the east. "The Eastern Forest Monkey Troop. This is our biggest headache right now, and the problem we need to deal with first."
He tapped the controls, and a surveillance video began to play. In it, a patrol convoy from Outpost 04 was driving along a forest road when the dense treetops beside the road shook violently. A moment later, dozens—no, hundreds—of monkeys of all shapes and sizes, their fur a jumble of colors, dropped down like dumplings from the branches and surrounded the convoy in an instant!
The monkeys were astonishingly agile. Some bared their teeth and slapped the roofs and windows, shrieking piercingly. Others skillfully tried to pry open the doors or trunks. Worse still, a few jumped straight onto the hoods and urinated on the bulletproof windshields!
What the hell! Are these monkeys or bandits? They're way too good at this!
The video soon focused on two particularly conspicuous monkeys.
One was unusually burly, nearly the size of an adult. Its golden fur gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. Unlike the noisy monkeys around it, it sat on a huge boulder with its arms folded across its chest, exuding an air of arrogance. Its eyes surveyed the area like it was inspecting its own territory.
And on its head sat a crooked little metal crown, its luster long gone, as if it had been dug out of some abandoned jewelry box!
The other monkey looked much leaner, with dark gray fur and even quicker movements. It stood just ahead of the giant golden monkey, gesturing at the patrol vehicles and chattering as if giving orders.
But the most jaw-dropping sight of all was the vivid red silk triangle of women's underwear perched on the gray monkey's head! It was wrapped around its head like a bandanna, with the straps tied in a lopsided knot under its chin. The main part covered the top of its head, and as it moved, the red fabric fluttered in the breeze, an eyesore beyond compare!
Pointing at the video, Zhao Gang gave a complicated introduction. "The golden one wearing the crown is the Monkey King. We call him King Gigi. He's an Intermediate War General. The gray one with the... uh, special headwear is his top lieutenant. His name is General Maomao, and he's a Primary War General."
"Pfft—!" Wang Keke nearly spat out her water.
The members of the Wind-Breaking Squad exchanged strange looks. They wanted to laugh, but knew it wasn't the time, and were struggling to hold it in.
Holy crap! Holy crap!! King Gigi?! General Maomao?! Those names... that look... Did the whole Boonie Bears crew get transported here too?! And that red underwear! Which brave soul lost it? That fashion sense is way ahead of its time! My eyes! My 24-karat titanium tiger eyes!
Lin Mo felt his entire worldview as a tiger take a heavy blow. He watched as "General Maomao," the red underwear fluttering from his head, nimbly jumped onto the roof of a vehicle and held out a hand toward the people inside, rubbing his fingers together over and over in the universally understood gesture for "hand it over." His brazen, self-righteous bandit act, as if he owned the whole forest, left Lin Mo speechless.
Zhao Gang continued with a helpless look. "As far as we can tell, these monkeys escaped from a nearby zoo during the Great Nirvana Period. After mutating and breeding, they've grown into a troop of several hundred. Almost all of them are Beast Soldier Rank, and there are plenty of high-level ones too. They used to be mischievous, sure, and would sometimes steal things, but for the most part we got along. Sometimes, if our patrols ran into a powerful beast, the monkeys would even throw rocks at it from the trees. Afterward, they'd come over and ask for fruit or candy as payment. We were happy to pay such a small price to maintain a decent barrier."
He sighed, his voice turning grave. "But lately, something's gotten into them. Maybe King Gigi thinks his crown isn't shiny enough, or General Maomao thinks his headband... I mean, his underwear isn't fashionable enough?"
"They've gotten more and more brazen. They've gone from 'asking' to outright robbing us! They intercept convoys and demand supplies. If we refuse, they smash the vehicles. They've even injured several of our men. They occupy the Eastern Forest, which is a vital route to several resource sites and warning posts. With them causing trouble like this, our patrols and supply lines are under serious threat."
"So," Zhao Gang said gravely, looking at Lin Mo and Wang Feng, "Headquarters and we agree that this lawless troop is the first problem we need to deal with. But given their history of being 'friendly' and their role as a barrier to the east, the orders from above are to prioritize discussion, communication, and intimidation, and try to get them back to how things were. Use force only as a last resort."
Discussion? Communication? Reasoning with a monkey wearing a crown and a monkey general wearing red underwear?! Do the bigwigs at Headquarters have some kind of misunderstanding about the word "communication"? Can these things even understand human speech? Am I supposed to walk up and declare, "Oi! I own this mountain!" and have them reply, "Squeak! Your money or your life!"?
Lin Mo felt the difficulty of the mission jump from normal mode to absurdly hard mode. He'd imagined the Patrol Hunting Squad's work as a bloody, brutal battle, a thrilling clash with Devouring Beasts.
But for their very first fight, their opponents were a bunch of monkeys with bizarre quirks and ridiculous gear? And they were supposed to try "civilized law enforcement" first?
He looked at King Gigi's video still, with that smug, "I'm the greatest under heaven" expression, then at the fluttering red triangular flag on General Maomao's head, and felt a headache coming on.
What the hell is this? Is my hard-earned reputation really going to be ruined by a bunch of monkeys and a pair of red panties?
Wang Keke fought back a laugh and whispered to Lin Mo, "Mimi, it looks like this mission is going to be... a little unusual."
Lin Mo rolled his eyes and let out a despairing whine from deep in his throat.
Unusual? It's downright ridiculous! Whatever, we're already here... Let's meet this "King Gigi" and his "Underpants General." I hope their meat—uh, I hope they know what's good for them.
The first battle at Outpost 04 began amid an atmosphere that was utterly bizarre and hilarious—at least for the onlookers. For Tiger King Lin Mo, the first stage of his Patrol Hunting Squad's journey was apparently an exam in monkey-language (physical communication)?
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