It was already past four in the morning, and Zhou Quan did not yet know when Eight-Faced Buddha's patrol would set out.
He had to wait until the patrol had passed before leading his men into action.
The fifteen-minute interval between patrols was the time limit for their operation.
If they exceeded that window, slipping away without a sound would probably not be so easy.
"Boss, the patrol's appeared!"
Through Ling Jing's scope, a squad of militia with AK Rifles slung across their chests emerged lazily from a wooden house.
There were exactly ten of them, no more and no less.
Hearing Ling Jing's report in his ear, Zhou Quan immediately raised his wrist to check his watch. It was just past four fifteen.
"Keep standing by!"
At Zhou Quan's command, everyone involved in the operation concealed themselves where they were and waited for the patrol to return.
Before four thirty, the patrol returned to the wooden house they had set out from.
According to Wei Shali and Wei Mianna's statements, over two hundred people were stationed inside this village, the equivalent of two full companies.
A fifth of Eight-Faced Buddha's manpower, and his most elite and trusted men at that, were all gathered in this village.
The rest were scattered among several other villages Eight-Faced Buddha used as decoys to mislead people and conceal his activities.
From this moment on, Zhou Quan and his men had to move as fast as possible and complete the decapitation operation before four forty-five.
Otherwise, the enemy awaiting them might well be two fully armed companies.
Among them were not just ordinary militia, but even the mercenaries Eight-Faced Buddha kept on his payroll.
"Ah Jing, you take the left, I'll take the right. Fire!"
There was no time to lose. Zhou Quan immediately