Silent Warning and Counterattack

The morning wake-up whistle was like a rusty saw, tearing through the barracks' silence at exactly five thirty in the morning.

Lin Xiao opened his eyes.

He did not get up immediately. Instead, he remained lying flat, staring at the shifting shadows on the ceiling. The hum of the ventilation ducts was clearer than it had been at night, like some unceasing background noise permeating every corner of this underground world. He could hear the movements of the other team members in the barracks—Grey Falcon's steady snoring abruptly stopped, replaced by the creak of bed boards and heavy breathing; Wolf turned over uneasily, the rustle of fabric carrying obvious tension; and then... from Venomous Scorpion's bunk, the overly deliberate, even breathing finally ceased, replaced by the dull thud of boots hitting the floor.

That man was up.

Lin Xiao's fingers unconsciously rubbed the rough edge of the sheet. The sensation of fabric against his skin felt real, as though reminding him of his current predicament. Su Ying had already hidden the grenade somewhere safe, yet the chill of metal seemed to linger on his fingertips. He drew a deep breath. The air reeked of sweat, mildew, and rusting metal.

The sky outside was beginning to lighten. The first faint gray rays seeped in through the high ventilation window at the end of the corridor, casting blurred outlines across the floor. A new day was about to begin, and in this survival game deep within Snake Belly, passive defense led only to death.

Lin Xiao sat up.

He moved slowly, like any soldier just waking up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his stiff shoulders. Yet his gaze had already swept across the entire barracks—Venomous Scorpion was making his bed with his back turned, his movements rough as he carelessly balled up the filthy sheets; Grey Falcon had already put on his boots and was wiping his one good eye with a rag; Wolf remained curled up on the upper bunk, his face pale.

Su Ying's bunk was empty.

Lin Xiao's heart suddenly clenched, but the next moment, the barracks door opened and Su Ying walked in. She carried three metal trays, each holding grayish-brown mush and two dry, hard slices of bread. Her expression was calm and her stride steady as she set the trays on the metal locker beside Lin Xiao's bed.

"The mess hall is open," she said, with no trace of anything unusual in her voice.

Lin Xiao took a tray, his fingertips brushing the cold metal edge. He looked into Su Ying's eyes, and a tiny flicker of confirmation passed through them—the grenade had been safely moved. He nodded, picked up a spoon, and put a mouthful of mush into his mouth.

It tasted like paste mixed with dirt and expired flour, so salty it was bitter.

"Today's training exercise is nighttime patrol tactics." Grey Falcon's voice suddenly rang out. He was already standing, limping toward the door. "Pick up your gear at four in the afternoon. Assemble at six. Don't be late."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and left without looking at anyone.

Venomous Scorpion sneered and left with his tray as well. Only Lin Xiao, Su Ying, and Wolf remained in the barracks.

Wolf climbed down from his bunk, his movements somewhat stiff. When he accepted the tray Su Ying handed him, his fingers trembled slightly. He took one bite of the mush, and his face turned even whiter.

"Wolf," Lin Xiao said softly.

Wolf looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"I need you to help me with something." Lin Xiao kept his voice low, barely moving his lips. "During breaks in training today, keep an eye on Venomous Scorpion. Watch who he talks to, what he says—even if it's just a look."

Wolf swallowed. "I... I'm scared..."

"You're afraid of dying." Lin Xiao cut him off, his tone as calm as if he were merely stating a fact. "But here, people who fear death die faster. Venomous Scorpion tried to kill me last night with a grenade. If he wants to kill you next time, what do you think he'll use?"

Wolf's face went from pale to deathly white.

"I don't need you to confront him." Lin Xiao continued. "Just observe. You used to be a communications soldier. You should be good at that. Observe, remember, then report to me."

Wolf was silent for several seconds, then nodded hard. His fingers clenched tightly around the edge of the tray, his knuckles turning white.

"Okay," he said.

At four in the afternoon, the armory was thick with the mixed smell of engine oil and rusting metal.

Lin Xiao stood at the back of the line, with more than a dozen soldiers from other squads ahead of him. The armory was a massive underground space with a high ceiling, old fluorescent tubes hanging overhead. Their harsh white light shone on neatly arranged metal racks and wooden crates. The air was cold enough that their breath formed white mist before them.

The walls were coated in peeling green paint, and the floor was rough concrete, with patches of black oil pooled in places. Most of the equipment on the racks was old—AK-74U assault rifles had deep scratches on their stocks, the nylon straps of tactical vests were worn white, and the Kevlar fibers along the edges of ballistic plates had begun to peel away.

But Lin Xiao's attention did not linger on the equipment.

He was watching Venomous Scorpion.

Venomous Scorpion stood near the front of the line, speaking quietly to a bald man with a face full of flesh. The man wore an instructor's uniform, and a red axe tattoo marked his left arm—Blood Axe. Lin Xiao remembered that name. Fletcher's file had mentioned him: a minor leader of the Radical Faction within the base, responsible for training recruits in hand-to-hand combat and notorious for his cruel methods.

Blood Axe rested a hand on Venomous Scorpion's shoulder and squeezed hard. Venomous Scorpion's shoulder visibly dipped, yet he forced out a fawning smile. The two exchanged a few words. Blood Axe patted Venomous Scorpion's back and turned away. Venomous Scorpion watched him leave, the smile vanishing from his face at once and giving way to a vicious expression.

Lin Xiao looked away.

When it was his turn, the man issuing equipment was a scrawny old fellow wearing thick glasses with oil smeared across the lenses. The old man glanced at Lin Xiao's ID card, took a set of gear from the rack, and tossed it onto the counter.

"Grey Falcon's man?" the old man rasped. "Basic set. Check it yourself."

Lin Xiao picked up the equipment. An AK-74U, cold to the touch, with fine traces of rust on the metal; four magazines filled with 5.45-millimeter rounds; a tactical knife whose blade was still reasonably sharp; a tactical vest with worn nylon straps; and a helmet with moldy padding that gave off a foul smell.

He inspected every item carefully.

His fingers ran over the rifle's body, feeling the texture of the metal; he removed the magazines and confirmed the ammunition count; he drew the knife and studied the blade's reflection under the lights; he pulled back the tactical vest's lining and checked for damage.

Then he saw it.

There was a grenade in the ammunition pouch on the right side of the tactical vest.

An F-1 defensive grenade, an old Soviet Union model, but well maintained. Its safety pin had already been pulled, while the safety lever was held in place by a thin wire—it looked like a normal combat-ready setup, but Lin Xiao knew it was not.

The wire had been fastened cleverly. As long as someone yanked the vest hard, or the violent shaking from running dislodged the wire, the safety lever would spring free.

Four seconds later, it would explode.

Cold sweat instantly soaked Lin Xiao's back.

His fingers hovered over the grenade without touching it. His mind raced—this was no accident. This was murder. Venomous Scorpion knew he would come to collect his gear and knew he would inspect it, so he had tampered with it in advance. If Lin Xiao had been the slightest bit careless, if he had not checked beneath the lining, or if he had used too much force during the inspection...

Lin Xiao drew a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm.

He did not raise an alarm or look at anyone. His fingers remained steady as he carefully untwisted the thin wire, then took out the paper clip from his pocket—one he had deliberately picked up from the training ground that morning.

He straightened the paper clip and inserted it into the safety-pin hole.

Slowly, he twisted it.

Click.

The safety mechanism was secured again.

Lin Xiao placed the grenade back into the ammunition pouch, then folded the entire vest and laid it atop the pile of equipment. His movements were natural, as if he were merely organizing his gear. He picked up the whole stack and turned away from the counter.

By the time he left the armory, his back was completely drenched.

At nine that night, the nighttime patrol training began.

The training ground was on the third underground level, a vast space simulating an urban neighborhood. The walls were painted gray-black, the ground laid with rough imitation stone slabs, and overhead was a ceiling made to resemble the night sky. Several underpowered star lamps hung from it, their dim light barely enough to make out outlines within five meters.

The air smelled of dust and mold, along with the acrid scent of some chemical agent—probably used to create a smoke effect. Lin Xiao could hear simulated gunfire in the distance, as well as instructors shouting, forming strange echoes through the vast space.

Grey Falcon split Squad Four into two groups. Lin Xiao, Su Ying, and Wolf formed one group; Venomous Scorpion and two other veterans formed the other. The exercise was simple: both groups entered from opposite ends of the neighborhood, patrolled through the dark, and searched buildings for hidden "targets"—several red-painted tin cans.

"There is only one rule." Grey Falcon's voice was especially cold in the dim light. "Maintain silence. Any unnecessary sound exposes your position and counts as failure."

He paused, his one eye sweeping over everyone.

"Article Seven of the base's silence regulations: during nighttime patrols, the use of any lighting device is forbidden, talking is forbidden, and making sounds over thirty decibels is forbidden. Violators get three days in solitary."

Venomous Scorpion sneered, his eyes fixed on Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao did not respond. He checked his equipment—the AK-74U was loaded, safety on; the tactical knife rested at his thigh; the grenade was secure in the ammunition pouch. He looked at Su Ying. She nodded, already prepared.

"Begin," Grey Falcon said.

Both groups entered the neighborhood at the same time.

Lin Xiao walked in front, his steps light, his boots making almost no sound against the imitation stone pavement. His eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to make out the outlines of buildings on both sides of the street—dilapidated structures, shattered windows, crooked doorframes. The air was cold, and his breath formed white mist before him.

Su Ying followed on his left, maintaining a distance of one step. Her breathing was steady, her body always poised to explode into action. Wolf walked at the rear. His steps were somewhat unsteady, but he barely managed to keep up.

The street was quiet, with only distant simulated gunfire faintly audible.

Lin Xiao's mind raced.

The information Wolf had given him that afternoon was limited—besides speaking with Blood Axe, Venomous Scorpion had also talked to two other Radical Faction veterans. Wolf had not heard what they said, but he had caught the words "newcomers" and "clean up." As Blood Axe left, he had patted Venomous Scorpion on the shoulder and said, "Make it clean."

Make it clean.

Lin Xiao tightened his grip on the rifle stock.

They rounded a corner. Ahead stood a three-story building, its windows all shattered and its door half-open. According to the training map, a target might be hidden there.

Lin Xiao stopped and raised a hand in signal.

Su Ying and Wolf stopped immediately, backs against the wall, their muzzles aimed in different directions.

Lin Xiao listened closely.

There was a sound inside the building.

It was faint, like metal scraping together, coming from the second floor.

He looked at Su Ying and signaled with his eyes: Stay here. Cover us. Then he pointed at Wolf: Come with me.

Wolf's face turned even paler, but he nodded.

Lin Xiao pushed open the half-closed door. Its hinges gave a faint creak. He slipped inside sideways, his muzzle sweeping across the foyer—there was no one there. Broken glass and bricks lay scattered across the floor, while indistinct graffiti covered the walls.

The scraping sound came again, clearer this time, from the direction of the stairs.

Lin Xiao signaled Wolf to guard the foyer and headed for the staircase himself. The stairs were iron and heavily rusted; stepping on them produced a faint creak. He slowed down, placing every foot along the edges of the steps to minimize noise.

The second floor was an empty hall, all its windows shattered. Moonlight shone in from outside, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the floor. Several wooden crates were piled in the center of the hall, and the scraping sound came from behind them.

Lin Xiao did not approach immediately.

His gaze swept over the entire hall—there was a half-open door to the left; a corridor on the right, ending in darkness; several vents in the ceiling, one of which had lost its grille.

He slowly approached the crates.

At a distance of three meters, he stopped.

There was no one behind the crates.

But the metallic scraping continued.

Lin Xiao's pupils contracted—it was a recorder. A small portable recorder had been placed behind the crates, looping a recording of metal scraping. Beside it sat a red tin can, the target.

A trap.

His mind reached a conclusion in an instant—Venomous Scorpion knew the sound would draw him in, so he had set this trap. But the point was not to kill him here, because the training ground had surveillance cameras and Grey Falcon was watching.

Then what was the point?

Lin Xiao spun around and charged for the stairs.

He ran fast, his boots thudding against the iron steps. When he reached the first-floor foyer, Wolf was still guarding his position, his face tense.

"Where's Su Ying?" Lin Xiao asked.

Wolf pointed outside. "There was a sound outside just now. She went to check it out."

Lin Xiao's heart sank.

He rushed out of the building. The street was empty. In the dim light, he could only see the vague outlines of buildings on both sides. Simulated gunfire and instructors' shouting came from afar.

"Split up and search," Lin Xiao told Wolf. "Stay on comms. Call immediately if anything happens."

Wolf nodded and ran toward the other side of the street.

Lin Xiao headed down the street, his eyes sweeping across every shadow, every window, every doorway. His breathing quickened—not from running, but from fear. If Venomous Scorpion's target was not him, but Su Ying...

There was an intersection ahead.

Lin Xiao stopped and listened closely.

There was a sound to the left.

It was faint, like fabric rustling, along with... suppressed breathing.

He slowly turned, raising his gun toward the source of the sound—it was the entrance to a narrow alley, filled with dumpsters and shadows so dense they seemed impossible to dispel.

Lin Xiao did not enter immediately.

He crouched, picked up a broken brick from the ground, and tossed it toward the far side of the alley.

The brick hit the ground with a sharp clatter.

Almost at the same moment, a muffled cry came from the alley—Venomous Scorpion's voice.

Then came a dull thud, like a body slamming against a wall, followed by the crisp sound of metal hitting the ground.

Lin Xiao rushed into the alley.

The alley was narrow, high walls hemming it in on both sides. The ground was slick, littered with trash. At the far end, two figures were locked in a struggle—Su Ying and Venomous Scorpion.

Su Ying had Venomous Scorpion pinned against the wall. One hand gripped his throat, while the other held a knife, its blade pressed against his neck. Venomous Scorpion's face was red, both hands clawing at Su Ying's arm, but he could not break free at all. At his feet lay a pistol fitted with a suppressor.

"He ambushed me," Su Ying said coldly. "He came from behind and tried to smash the back of my head with the gunstock."

Lin Xiao walked over and picked up the pistol. Its body was cold, with faint traces of sweat on the metal. He checked the magazine—it was empty. Venomous Scorpion had not planned to shoot her. He had only wanted to knock Su Ying unconscious.

Why?

Lin Xiao looked at Venomous Scorpion. His eyes were filled with terror and rage.

"Let him go," Lin Xiao said.

Su Ying glanced at Lin Xiao and released him. Venomous Scorpion collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Clear finger marks had been left on his neck.

"You violated the silence regulations." Lin Xiao's voice was calm. "You made noise, carried a non-training weapon, and attempted to attack a teammate."

Venomous Scorpion raised his head, malice flashing in his eyes. "You fucking..."

"And," Lin Xiao interrupted, pointing toward the alley entrance, "that cry you just let out should have been heard already."

Almost simultaneously, footsteps sounded at the mouth of the alley.

Several military police officers in uniform rushed in, their high-powered flashlights illuminating the entire alley. At their head was a tall man with a scar on his face and Fletcher's squad insignia embroidered on his armband.

"What happened?" the scar-faced military policeman asked sternly.

Lin Xiao raised the pistol in his hand. "Sir, we found Venomous Scorpion carrying a non-training weapon, violating the silence regulations, and attempting to attack our teammate Su Ying."

Venomous Scorpion scrambled up from the ground, his face deathly pale. "He's lying! They set me up! That gun isn't mine!"

The scar-faced military policeman ignored him, took the pistol and inspected it, then looked toward Su Ying. "Is that true?"

Su Ying nodded. "He attacked me from behind and tried to hit the back of my head with the gunstock. I subdued him."

The military policeman looked at Lin Xiao again. "Did you see it?"

"When I heard the noise and came over, Venomous Scorpion had already been subdued, and the pistol was on the ground," Lin Xiao said. "But I can testify that he did violate the silence regulations—his cry exceeded thirty decibels."

The scar-faced military policeman fell silent for a few seconds, then waved his hand. "Take him away."

Two military policemen stepped forward and hauled Venomous Scorpion up. He struggled and roared, "Instructor Blood Axe won't let you get away with this! Just wait!"

But his voice quickly faded into the distance, disappearing deep within the alley.

The scar-faced military policeman looked at Lin Xiao, his expression complicated. "You're Captain Fletcher's new recruit?"

"Yes, sir."

"Be careful," the scar-faced military policeman said quietly. "Blood Axe is the type who holds grudges over the smallest things."

After saying that, he turned and left, the military police unit withdrawing with him. Silence returned to the alley, leaving only Lin Xiao and Su Ying.

Su Ying put away her knife. Her breathing had steadied, but the sharpness from battle remained in her eyes. She looked at Lin Xiao without speaking.

Lin Xiao did not speak either.

He walked to the entrance of the alley and looked toward the training ground. In the distance, Grey Falcon stood beneath a streetlamp, his one eye watching this way. Their gazes met in the air for a second before Grey Falcon turned and left.

Wolf ran over from the other side of the street, panting. "I heard the military police... Venomous Scorpion got arrested?"

"Yeah," Lin Xiao said. "Three days in solitary."

Wolf let out a breath of relief, though his face was still pale. "Then... Instructor Blood Axe, will he..."

"He will," Lin Xiao cut him off. "He'll definitely retaliate."

He turned to look into the depths of the training ground, where the lights were dim and the shadows heavy.

"But before that," Lin Xiao said softly, almost to himself, "we have to survive first."

Three days later, Venomous Scorpion was released from solitary confinement.

When Lin Xiao saw him in the cafeteria, Venomous Scorpion had lost a great deal of weight. His eyes were sunken, and his face was deathly pale. Carrying a tray, he sat alone in a corner without speaking to anyone. But Lin Xiao could sense that the hatred in those eyes was even more intense and colder than it had been three days ago.

Grey Falcon carried his tray over and sat across from Lin Xiao.

"Come to my room after you eat," he said in a low voice. "I need to talk to you about something."

Lin Xiao nodded.

After the meal, Lin Xiao went to Grey Falcon's room. It was small, with only a bed, a metal locker, and a table. A flask and several spent shell casings sat on the table. The air was thick with the smell of liquor and tobacco.

Grey Falcon sat on the bed, his single eye fixed on Lin Xiao.

"You handled the Venomous Scorpion matter well," he said. "No direct confrontation, no evidence left behind."

Lin Xiao said nothing.

"But Blood Axe won't let this go," Grey Falcon continued. "I know that man. He holds grudges over the tiniest things. You touched one of his people—it was the same as slapping him in the face."

"I know," Lin Xiao said.

Grey Falcon stared at him for several seconds, then pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from beneath the bed and tossed it onto the table.

"Look at this."

Lin Xiao picked up the paper. It was a photocopy of a supply manifest. The writing was blurry, but he could make out its contents—a batch of "special supplies" excavated from a former Soviet Union facility somewhere in Eastern Europe, including biological samples, experimental data, rare metals, and several "unidentified items."

At the bottom of the list, a line had been scrawled messily in red ink: Distribution meeting, tomorrow night at eight, Conference Room Three.

"What is this?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Trouble," Grey Falcon said. "The higher-ups at the base are practically tearing each other apart over this batch. The Radical Faction wants it, and the Conservative Faction wants it too. Captain Fletcher is caught in the middle."

He took a swig of liquor.

"Blood Axe is the Radical Faction's thug. He'll definitely find a way to seize these supplies. If he succeeds, Captain Fletcher's influence at the base will be weakened even further. When that happens..." Grey Falcon did not finish, but his meaning was clear.

When that happened, Lin Xiao and the other newcomers in Fletcher's faction would be in even greater danger.

Lin Xiao put the paper back on the table.

"What do I need to do?"

Grey Falcon watched him, a complicated look flickering through his single eye.

"Tomorrow night, the supplies will be delivered to the base warehouse," he said. "Captain Fletcher needs someone to keep watch on the perimeter and make sure the supplies get inside safely. I recommended you."

Lin Xiao fell silent for several seconds.

"Blood Axe's people will be there too?"

"They definitely will," Grey Falcon said. "And he won't be alone."

The air in the room suddenly grew heavy. The scents of liquor and tobacco mingled together, creating a suffocating atmosphere. Footsteps echoed through the corridor outside, approaching from afar before receding again.

Lin Xiao looked at Grey Falcon, and Grey Falcon looked back at him.

Neither of them spoke.

But some things no longer needed to be said.