We Agreed on Delta Force, So Why Did It Turn into Arknights? Chapter 41

"Our operating funds are tight for now, but it's not a big problem. I'm working hard to earn money for the organization. Trust me—before long, we'll be back on our feet."

Han Fei was completely honest as he explained the Special Operations Center's situation to Texas.

There was no need to lie. Lies did nothing but lower favorability.

After all, if Texas was willing to join, it would be hard to hide the fact that the Special Operations Center had neither people nor money.

After hearing Han Fei out, Texas, whose expression was usually cool and detached, looked somewhat conflicted.

Did a military organization with only one person really need a department head?

With neither people nor money, this organization didn't look promising at all.

Even so, Texas did not reject him outright. Instead, she asked, "What about those terms I didn't understand? You still haven't explained them to me."

Volume One: Chapter 62 Zaro

Perhaps because he had already gotten started, Han Fei explained the remaining game terms quite smoothly.

There was nothing particularly difficult to explain, really—just item rarities like red and purple, along with terms like "big red haul" that Han Fei often mentioned around Texas.

If he really wanted to explain them, he could make it work. Item rarity was based on value anyway. Red meant the most valuable items, while purple was a little lower.

As for a big red haul, he could just say the area was rich in valuable goods.

It was a little forced, but it made sense well enough.

Han Fei explained everything Texas wanted to know in one breath, then invited her again. "So, do you want to be my department head?"

However, instead of Texas's answer, Han Fei heard the impatient honking of a car behind them.

Beep, beep, beep!

The red light had already ended.

Texas started the sedan, and her voice drifted into Han Fei's ears along with the sound of the engine.

"Let me think about it a little longer."

"Huh?"

Han Fei was dumbfounded. How many brain cells did I kill explaining all that, and she still needs to think about it? Where am I supposed to find a department head, then?

Sensing Han Fei's feelings, Texas's lips curled slightly as she said softly, "Don't rush. I'll give you an answer before dawn."

Han Fei looked at Texas's delicate profile and sighed. "All right, then."

He understood that a decision affecting the course of one's life required careful consideration. That was why, despite desperately wanting a definite answer, Han Fei ultimately respected Texas's choice.

The black sedan moved steadily through Columbia's streets, neon lights casting shifting patches of color across Han Fei's face through the windows.

As he watched the cityscape recede behind them, a question suddenly occurred to him.

"Where are we going?"

"Leaving this city."

After saying that, Texas asked, "Is there somewhere else you want to go?"

Rather than answering, Han Fei asked, "Do you have a map?"

"I don't know. Look around," Texas said.

"Fine, I'll look," Han Fei said.

The car probably belonged to someone from Siracusa. After searching around, Han Fei really did find a city map.

He compared the city map with the map of the continent and began checking the locations of the extraction points.

Perhaps because the city was so large, the extraction points for this mission were spread far apart. The nearest standard extraction point was still at least ten kilometers away from Han Fei's current location.

The farthest one lay to Han Fei's west, currently marked at 37.9 kilometers away.

After comparing them, Han Fei realized that extraction point was already beyond the city limits, sitting alone on a desolate plain.

Under normal circumstances, there would have been no reason for Han Fei to pass up the closer option for the farther one.

But considering that Texas wanted to leave the city, and they had enough time, Han Fei said, "Let's get out of here first. Once we're outside the city, I'll guide you."

Texas glanced at Han Fei without giving anything away, then replied, "All right."

Texas's sedan cut through Columbia's night. Neon lights flowed across the windshield like a multicolored river, the blue glow of the dashboard reflected against her long lashes, while passing billboard lights painted her profile in ever-changing blocks of color.

As the clock slipped toward midnight, those bewitching halos finally peeled away behind them. The black sedan broke through the silence at the city's edge and drove into a wilderness bathed in moonlight.

The sedan crossed the wilderness before finally coming to a stop in a pool of silver light.

Texas pushed open the door and stepped out, her back lightly resting against the cold body of the car. She suddenly turned around. Far in the distance, the immense silhouette of the mobile city lay dormant in the shadows, like a steel beast that had drawn in its claws and fangs.

Texas suddenly held out her hand to Han Fei, who had gotten out with her. "Give me the lighter."

Han Fei walked over to her side. "Don't smoke. It's bad for you."

Texas turned her head toward Han Fei. After hesitating for a moment, she still took a cigarette from the pack and said, "Just let me have one last cigarette."

Han Fei looked at Texas's face. Her pretty, expressionless face could hide many thoughts, but Han Fei had been with her through everything. Naturally, he understood how Texas felt at this moment.

So Han Fei took out the lighter he had picked up earlier and handed it to Texas. "You said it. Really the last one."

"Mm."

Texas answered softly. The hinge of the gold lighter gave a crisp click, and the flame illuminated her face as it lit the cigarette between her lips.

She took a deep drag, returned the lighter to Han Fei, and said quietly, "You don't need to give it back to me."

Han Fei put away the lighter. "I'll sell it when I get back."

Texas's lips curved slightly. "Do whatever you want with it."

The cigarette quickly burned down to its end. Texas let go, and the butt fell to the ground before she crushed it beneath her long boot.

"Let's go."

Texas opened the car door and said to Han Fei, "You'll lead the way from here."

Just as Han Fei was about to speak, a deep voice suddenly came from the shadows.

"Cellinia, you wish to escape all this, but can you truly escape?"

Hearing that, Han Fei looked up and saw two scarlet points of light that had appeared in the darkness at some point.

He raised an eyebrow and called out, "Who are you trying to scare with that mysterious act?"

The two red lights gradually drew closer amid a faint rustling sound. Only when their owner fully emerged did Han Fei realize they were a pair of eyes.

Wolf eyes.

A massive gray-black wolf strode forward. Its fur gleamed softly beneath the moonlight, and every step carried a suffocating pressure.

Han Fei narrowed his eyes, recognizing the uninvited guest. "So it's you, Zaro, Lord of Wolves."

"And you are?"

Zaro looked at Han Fei with its scarlet eyes. After sizing him up, it lost interest.

It had not come for a minor figure like Han Fei. Its only target was Cellinia Texas.

"Cellinia, you cannot escape Siracusa's shadow. No matter where you run, they will find you and return you to your original path."

Texas was not shaken by Zaro's words. She looked coldly at the Lord of Wolves and asked, "What do you want?"

Zaro said, "I can let you completely escape Siracusa's shadow. But in exchange, whenever I need you, you must obey my arrangements."

"Trying to reap the rewards without doing any work? Interesting."

Han Fei stepped forward and stood before Texas. He looked at Zaro with amusement and said, "Zaro, your offer sounds pretty good. But aside from you, it seems I can do that too."

Volume One: Chapter 63 Where Did This High-Beam Dog Come From?

"Just you?"

A distinctly human look of contempt surfaced in Zaro's scarlet wolf eyes.

Han Fei pulled his mouth into a roguish grin. "Of course. Just me."

"Interesting."

Zaro's gaze passed over Han Fei and fell on Texas. "Cellinia, don't tell me you believe this boy's wild claims."

Texas looked at Han Fei's back. It was as steady as a mountain, reminding her of everything they had gone through together. Words of trust slipped from her lips without hesitation.

"He has never betrayed my trust."

"You should know that only I can protect you here. Nor will I restrain your freedom. You may live in whichever city you wish. You need only obey my arrangements when I require you to."

As it spoke, Zaro inexplicably grew irritated. It had thought this was a sure thing, only for this man to appear out of nowhere and disrupt its plans.

As the last Texas, Cellinia was at her easiest to control now.

Lost and helpless, she could be bought with the slightest kindness and made utterly devoted.

Zaro reassessed Han Fei, but no matter how closely it examined him, it could not find anything unusual about him.

Just an ordinary human, and he dares spout such nonsense before me.

Zaro was not the only one irritated. Han Fei was also deeply displeased.

"She's mine. You'd better stop getting ideas about her."

It was no exaggeration to say Han Fei had run himself ragged for Texas all the way here. He had finally managed to bring her away, only for Zaro to suddenly show up and try to reap the rewards without doing anything.

Even though Han Fei did not usually curse, at this moment he really wanted to become a locksmith and ask, What the hell do you think you're unlocking?

Zaro wanted Texas to obey its commands without doing a thing, and Han Fei would not stand for it. She was his department head!

Although Zaro was a beast lord in the form of a massive gray wolf, it understood human nature and could clearly sense Han Fei's emotions.

That unexpectedly suited Zaro just fine—it too was dissatisfied with this human who had appeared out of nowhere and disrupted its plans.

The Lord of Wolves was never synonymous with mercy. It bared its fangs in a savage grin and suddenly said to Han Fei, "Boy, you say you can protect her? Then prove it. Prove that you have the strength.

"Defeat me, or die beneath my claws and fangs!"

"Bring it on. You think I'm scared of you?"

Without another word, Han Fei equipped his heavy riot-control gear. A large shield in his left hand and Bizon in his right, he pointed the muzzle directly at Zaro.

As someone from Siracusa, Texas naturally understood Zaro's terror. She immediately reached out to stop Han Fei, her expression grave. "It is an immortal beast lord. Don't be reckless."

Perhaps because it wanted to win Texas over, Zaro did not attack immediately. It watched the fully armed Han Fei with amusement, arrogance gleaming in its wolf eyes.

"I can show Cellinia some consideration. Boy, kneel and beg for surrender, and I shall forgive your insolence..."

Han Fei dashed straight at it. The kinetic assist device on his body blasted out white vapor, and the full-body shield in his hand slammed solidly into Zaro's face.

Before it could finish speaking, Zaro was sent flying.

"What the hell are you babbling about? Before you make wild claims, did you ask my shield?"

Han Fei lowered his head and stared at Zaro, who lay sprawled on the ground. He sneered, "The last one who talked tough to me was one of Ursus's Emperor's Blades. The grass over that Blade's grave is three meters tall now."

"You're courting death!"

This time, Zaro was truly enraged. Scarlet light flared in its eyes as it suddenly threw back its head and howled at the moon.

Amid Zaro's howl, Han Fei clearly saw a bleeding icon appear on the status bar at the bottom of his vision.

"Hemolytic Terror? Interesting."

Han Fei raised his eyes, utterly unruffled by the bleeding effect.

Shield Dog's ultimate came with super armor and could ignore all negative effects. Even if the bleeding stacked to the maximum, the heavy riot-control gear could halt the injury and keep him from losing even a drop of blood.

Zaro suddenly lunged. Its massive body carved a fierce arc through the moonlight, its wolf claws tearing through the air with a piercing shriek. Its scarlet beast eyes dragged two bloody afterimages through the night as its claws descended toward Han Fei's head with crushing force!

Han Fei raised his shield over his head and drove a powerful elbow upward!

"Behave yourself!"

The claws collided violently with the alloy shield, producing a teeth-grinding screech of metal. Countless sparks burst forth like a rainstorm.

Zaro's huge body was forcefully thrown back by the blow, its gray-black fur plowing deep furrows through the mud.

Before it could get back up, Han Fei slapped a magnetic bomb onto Zaro's body.

The thunderous blast tore through the night sky. The scorching shockwave sent Texas's long hair flying wildly, her strands resembling a flowing river of stars beneath the blaze.

Hot wind washed over him. Han Fei narrowed his eyes, orange-red flames dancing in his pupils behind the sealed face mask.