When Xiang Qian received Weather Witch's battlefield report, the sudden turn of events had already thrown the allied command into chaos. The senior commanders had their staff running in circles, desperately gathering details about the attack on the front lines, while an atmosphere of anxious panic steadily spread.
Xiang Qian didn't disturb the officers, who were already on edge. Instead, he left the tent with Vector and found Saber, who had received the same message, in a concealed spot beside it.
"There's a supply depot farther back. The terrain is good, and the supplies are stacked high enough to make decent cover. We can set up a safe zone there." Saber's voice came muffled through his tactical mask.
Xiang Qian nodded, then gestured to Vector. "Contact your team leader and bring back the two groups she designated."
Vector took a deep breath, stretched out both hands, and thrust her palms toward an empty patch in the corner. A dark, gaseous substance suddenly materialized there with a whoosh. It swirled briefly, then collapsed inward. The black vapor rushed toward its center, and when it had all compressed into a single point, it burst outward again. A portal appeared, wreathed in swirling mist.
Less than two seconds after the portal appeared, the first person stepped through. Five or six more followed in quick succession. Weather Witch's designated reinforcements had arrived.
Seeing Vector use her powers for the first time, Xiang Qian circled the portal two or three times, clicking his tongue in amazement. He only stopped when it vanished. "That's practically cheating. Who could compete with your team in a tactical flanking maneuver?"
Vector basked in the praise, a young girl's smug delight appearing on her face for the first time. Then Xiang Qian continued, "When you first awakened this ability, did you ever think about robbing a bank? It'd be a lot more exciting than being a secret agent."
Vector nearly choked. She flung out an arm and turned away in a huff.
Xiang Qian paid no attention to the sulking Vector. After ordering them to stand by, he turned and walked back to the command post. By then, the unrest had spread beyond the command tent. Many of the guards and soldiers, though they had no idea what was happening, had also caught the agitated mood. An inexplicable tension was spreading through the camp at a visibly alarming pace.
When Xiang Qian entered the command post, a general with the rank of major general was berating one of his staff officers. "An attack, another attack! I know the First Battalion came under attack. They're on the front line of the cordon, so I'm not surprised they were hit! But tell me, why was the patrol outside the command post attacked, too? Their route is at least four kilometers from the front. How could they have been attacked, and who attacked them?"
The staff officer was splattered with spit but didn't dare wipe it away. He answered shakily, "Reporting, General, we don't know yet. The patrol that was attacked has lost contact with the command post."
"You're saying they're all dead? They were wiped out in less than a minute, without even getting a complete alert out?"
Xiang Qian watched the enraged major general with quiet interest. He was the highest-ranking officer at the command post and, nominally, the overall commander of the coalition forces. He had also been one of the most enthusiastic people to welcome Xiang Qian, though Xiang Qian couldn't even remember his name. Commanding a multinational joint operation like this would undoubtedly have looked impressive on his résumé, but the sudden upheaval could now undo all his hard work.
"General, perhaps I can answer that question for you." Xiang Qian sounded just like the scheming villain in a movie who watched someone else's misfortune unfold, then stirred up trouble to take advantage of it.
"When I heard the front line had come under attack, I took the precaution of setting up some... surveillance around the command post. As luck would have it, we captured some strange footage." Xiang Qian glossed over what he meant by "surveillance," then handed over his tablet. "This force has been advancing toward the command post ever since the attack began. Two minutes ago, they appeared to engage a three-person squad. Judging by their uniforms, they're from the Kuliya Armed Police Force. Did they come here on your orders?"
The major general's eyes widened. He stared at the screen in horror. "Of course not. I never ordered them to move. They should be holding their positions and preparing for more attacks."
"Was the patrol that came under attack on this police force's route as well?" Xiang Qian prompted.
The major general suddenly understood. His face flushed red, and he roared at the screen, "Mutiny! This is a shameless act of mutiny!"
"General, they'll reach the command post in five minutes."
"Raise the alarm! Put the command post's entire security force on combat alert. Everyone, get back to your posts!" The major general drove his subordinates into action like a shepherd herding sheep, waving his arms as if he couldn't show his resolve to fight without doing so.
Having done his part to raise the alarm, Xiang Qian took back his tablet, left the panicked, noisy crowd, and walked out of the command post to rejoin Saber and the others. The veterans were squatting in a circle, happily smoking, entirely unfazed by the tension in the camp.
Vector spotted Xiang Qian first. Her anger had come and gone quickly, and she no longer looked sulky.
"What's wrong? Anything new?" Vector asked with concern, seeing Xiang Qian's furrowed brow. The repeated twists and turns of this mission were putting the new member of the Special Task Force to a serious test. Her question also drew everyone else's attention.
Xiang Qian shook his head. "Nothing new for now. I'm just wondering when Temugin's backup plan will show up. The Ten Rings' attack doesn't fit their usual way of doing things. Terrorists fighting a war of attrition against an organized, regular army is like lighting a lantern in a latrine—asking for shit to hit the fan. If Temugin dares to do this, he must have something else to rely on. I just don't know when it'll appear."
Everyone there except the rookie Vector was a veteran of the battlefield. Hearing Xiang Qian's assessment, they all nodded silently. The command post was more lightly defended than the front, but it still had at least a company of security troops, all elite regular soldiers. With their numbers, holding the camp wouldn't be a problem. There was even less reason to worry about the front line where Weather Witch was. The joint operation had committed more than a full regiment to the cordon. Three infantry battalions had surrounded the cave where the Ten Rings were hiding, and an armored battalion was stationed near the command post as a mobile reserve. The ambushed infantry battalion had certainly been caught off guard, but even without Weather Witch's help, the armored battalion could still turn the tide once it arrived. They'd simply suffer heavier casualties.
Without a backup plan, the Ten Rings' operation would be pure suicide.