Miss, Do You Want to Rob a Bank?

By the time Xiang Qian received the situation report from the Weather Witch, the Allied Command was already in a state of chaotic disarray due to the sudden turn of events. The primary commanders were driving their staff officers to the brink, desperately trying to piece together details from the front lines under attack, and a palpable sense of anxiety and panic was beginning to spread.

Xiang Qian did not disturb the agitated officers. Instead, he took Vector and left the tent, finding Saber—who had also received the news—in a secluded spot nearby.

"There's a supply zone in the back with good terrain. The stacked supplies make for excellent cover; we can set up a safe zone there," Saber said, his voice muffled by his tactical mask.

Xiang Qian nodded and gestured to Vector. "Contact your captain and bring back the two teams she designated."

Vector took a deep breath, extended both hands, and pushed her palms sharply toward an empty patch of ground in the corner. A mass of black, gaseous material suddenly "whooshed" into existence on the empty lot. The mist churned twice before violently collapsing inward, the black gas swirling rapidly toward the center. Once all the mist had condensed into a single point, it exploded outward in the next instant, revealing a spatial gateway wreathed in flowing vapor.

Less than two seconds after the gateway appeared, the first figure stepped through, followed in quick succession by five or six others; the reinforcement team designated by the Weather Witch had arrived.

Seeing Vector use her superpower for the first time, Xiang Qian clicked his tongue in wonder. He circled the portal two or three times, only stopping when it vanished, and remarked with admiration, "That's practically a cheat code. Who's going to be able to outmaneuver your squad in tactical infiltration from now on?"

Vector was so flattered she beamed, a rare look of pride appearing on the young girl's face, only for Xiang Qian to continue, "When this ability of yours first awakened, did you ever think about robbing a bank? That would be way more exciting than being an agent."

Vector nearly choked on her own breath; she flicked her hand and turned away, pouting.

Xiang Qian didn't concern himself with the annoyed Vector. After leaving orders to stand by, he turned and walked back to the command center. By now, the restless energy had spread from the command tent outward; many of the guards and soldiers, though unaware of the specifics, were infected by the pervasive unease. An inexplicable tension was propagating through the camp at a visible rate.

When Xiang Qian entered the command center, a general with the rank of major general was throwing a tantrum at his staff: "Attacks, attacks, it's always attacks! I know the First Battalion was hit—that's the front line of the blockade, I'm not surprised they were attacked! But tell me, why were the patrols on the perimeter of the command center also hit? Their patrol zone is at least four kilometers from the front line; how could they be attacked, and by whom?"

The staff officer, sprayed with spit, didn't even bother to wipe his face as he replied tremblingly, "Report, General, we don't know yet. The patrol unit that was hit has lost contact with the command center."

"Are you saying they're all dead? They were wiped out in less than a minute, without even managing to send a proper alarm?"

Xiang Qian watched the furious major general with a leisurely air. This man was the highest-ranking officer in the command center and the nominal supreme commander of the Allied forces. He had been one of the most enthusiastic in welcoming Xiang Qian earlier—though Xiang Qian couldn't even remember his name. Being able to command such a multinational joint operation would undoubtedly be a stellar addition to his resume, but the sudden, chaotic turn of events was likely to render all his efforts futile.

"General, perhaps I can answer that question for you." Xiang Qian's tone was uncannily like that of a villain in a movie who sits back to watch others suffer, only to stir up more trouble to serve his own ends.

"When I heard the front line was under attack, I deployed some... monitoring assets around the command center for safety reasons. As it happens, they captured some strange footage." Xiang Qian glossed over the "monitoring assets" and handed over his tablet. "This marching column has been pushing toward the command center ever since the attacks began. Just two minutes ago, they seemed to engage in a skirmish with a three-man squad. Judging by their uniforms, they should be the Kuliya Armed Police Force. Did they come here under your orders?"

The major general's eyes widened as he stared at the screen in horror. "Of course not. I haven't issued any deployment orders to them. They should be holding their defensive sector, guarding against further attacks."

"Does the patrol route of the unit that was attacked also happen to be on the march path of this police force?" Xiang Qian prompted further.

The major general suddenly realized the truth, his face flushing a deep, blood-red as he roared at the screen, "Mutiny! This is a shameless mutiny!"

"General, they will reach the command camp in five more minutes."

"Alert! Issue an alert! All command center security forces are to enter combat status—everyone back to their posts!" The major general drove his subordinates to execute his orders like a shepherd driving a flock, waving his arms vigorously as if he couldn't demonstrate his resolve to fight otherwise.

Having fulfilled his duty to warn them, Xiang Qian took back his tablet and left the chaotic, noisy crowd. He walked back out of the command center to rendezvous with Saber and the others, only to find the veterans squatting in a circle, happily smoking, completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere in the camp.

Vector was the first to spot Xiang Qian; the girl's anger came and went quickly, and the pout was already gone.

"What's wrong? Any new developments?" Vector asked with concern, seeing Xiang Qian's furrowed brow. The series of twists in this mission were truly testing the endurance of a newcomer like her. Her question drew the attention of the others as well.

Xiang Qian shook his head. "Nothing new for now. I'm just wondering when Temugin's backup plan will manifest. The Ten Rings' attack doesn't fit their usual behavioral patterns. For terrorists to fight a war of attrition against an organized, regular army is like a dung beetle trying to work in a latrine—it's just asking for trouble. If Temugin dares to do this, he must have something else up his sleeve; I just don't know when it will appear."

Everyone present, save for the rookie Vector, was a battle-hardened veteran. Hearing Xiang Qian's speculation, they all nodded in silent agreement. While the command center was less heavily defended than the front line, there was at least a company of security forces there—all elite regular troops. With the advantage in numbers, holding the camp shouldn't be a problem. As for the front line where the Weather Witch was stationed, there was even less cause for worry; the joint operation had committed over a full regiment to the blockade, with three infantry battalions surrounding the cave where the Ten Rings were hiding in a pincer formation, and an armored battalion stationed near the command center as a mobile reserve. The infantry battalion that was hit might have been caught off guard, but even without the Weather Witch's help, once the armored battalion from the rear reinforced them, they could still turn the tide—it would just mean higher casualties.

If there were no backup plan, the Ten Rings' actions would be nothing short of suicide.