In the Name of Divine Powers, Part 20

Besides, Zhang Like had been the battalion commander for five years, and he had promoted nearly everyone present.

Zhang Like smiled and reassured them, "You don't need to worry too much. Even if anyone is held accountable, it won't fall on you. We're all on the same side; I won't hurt you."

He then took out his phone and called Lu Zhao.

As they waited, the atmosphere in the vehicle was tense yet strangely harmonious.

As rank-and-file officers at the border station, they all knew one another, but they had never been as close as they were now.

Nothing brought people closer than taking risks together.

Beep!

The call connected.

"Something happened?"

Lu Zhao was brief and direct.

Zhang Like gave him a quick account. "I need you to be ready for deployment at any time. I'll apply to the higher-ups for a temporary transfer shortly."

"Location."

"An internet café at 301 Huarong Road, Ning County."

The call ended, and Zhang Like hurriedly called the command center.

"This is Zhang Like from Team Three. We're short on manpower, so I'm requesting the temporary deployment of Lu Zhao, platoon leader of First Company."

The command center.

It was housed in a specially outfitted passenger vehicle three kilometers from the target.

Lin Zhiyan picked up the radio and replied, "The operation starts in less than an hour. There isn't enough time to process a temporary deployment."

When Lin Zhiyan had learned of the manpower shortage that morning, Lin had considered asking Lu Zhao for help, but reconsidered after remembering what had happened the night before.

Asking Lu Zhao now would only make him even more unrestrained.

Besides, there were only two enemies. Even without three teams, they still had an overwhelming numerical advantage.

Finally, there really wasn't enough time for the task force to complete the procedure.

Lin Zhiyan couldn't break the rules for Lu Zhao's sake.

The reply came over the radio: "I'll submit a report to the organization afterward."

The assistant beside Lin spoke up. "Team Leader Lin, we really are short-handed. One more person would make absolutely certain nothing goes wrong. As for the procedure, I prepared the paperwork earlier."

Lin Zhiyan dropped the objection and nodded. "Deployment approved. Send the request to the Ant Ridge Border Station now."

Not long after the deployment request was sent, a response came.

The liaison reported, "The Ant Ridge Border Station has rejected the request."

Lin Zhiyan said expressionlessly, "Tell Zhang Like the operation will proceed as planned."

The assistant said nothing more.

Power shifted with circumstances. Before the operation was about to begin, Lin Zhiyan had been able to keep Lü Jinshan firmly under control.

But with only an hour left, unless a martial marquis from the commandery spoke up, deploying Lu Zhao required Lü Jinshan's approval.

When jurisdictions conflicted, priority for vertical management was a basic principle.

The Ant Ridge Border Station had veto power over personnel decisions.

Even if Lin Zhiyan wanted to settle accounts afterward, it would probably be difficult to make an issue of it, because Lü Jinshan's refusal was reasonable and within the rules.

Bang!

Zhang Like punched the vehicle's door window and cursed under his breath. "Fuck! That old dog Lü!"

Chapter 24: Ambush

11:00

The operation began.

Zhang Like and the others got out of the vehicle in an orderly fashion. He and six border soldiers scattered like arrows loosed from a bow, setting up positions at key points along the roads.

If the enemy tried to flee in a vehicle, they could lay down covering fire. Conversely, if the enemy held their ground and the soldiers were needed to advance, they could respond quickly.

Zhang Like's position faced the front entrance of the mahjong parlor, about three hundred meters away. An old newsstand stood beside him, barely enough to provide a psychological sense of cover.

The assault team's channel crackled to life.

"Team One preparing to breach. Breach successful..."

Almost at the same instant, a flash of fire lit up Zhang Like's face. Flames then burst from the dark second-floor windows of the internet café.

Zhang Like felt a stabbing pain in his eyes. Pure combat instinct made him squeeze them shut, saving him from being blinded.

Before the shock wave arrived, he roared, "Get down!"

The blast wave followed, an invisible wall of air carrying scorching pressure that slammed into Zhang Like and the soldier beside him.

Window frames were ripped into twisted shards of metal in an instant, scattering alongside burning splinters, scraps of plastic, and even blackened fragments that looked like human tissue.

Zhang Like's eardrums rang. He forced his eyes open, only to see large black patches left by burns to his retinas.

Several dazed seconds passed before his vision finally returned.

The small building ahead had become a sea of fire. The raging flames swayed in the air as if they were alive.

This was no ordinary fire. A fire-attribute divine power user was present!

The intelligence was wrong.

Zhang Like wanted to curse, but the moment he opened his mouth, thick smoke choked the words back.

Dense gunfire erupted from within the smoke. Even after being ambushed and suffering casualties, the assault team had fought back.

"Bird's Nest, Bird's Nest, an unidentified explosion on the first floor! Part of the floor has collapsed, three people are buried... Requesting support, requesting support!"

"The intelligence was wrong. There's a fire-attribute divine power user. We're exchanging fire."

The channel descended into chaos, but Lin Zhiyan's icy voice soon cut through it, issuing a rapid string of orders.

"Team One, report your exact losses. You have permission to retreat at your discretion."

"Team Two, abandon the original route. Attempt a forced entry and rescue through the breach point in the southwest exterior wall."

"Team Three, hold position and prevent the targets from breaking out in the confusion! Anyone or any vehicle attempting to approach your security perimeter-if a warning fails, open fire immediately."

"Activate Contingency Plan One. Call the fire department and have them stand by. Traffic police are to seal off every route out of the county. Notify command at the commandery level that the situation has escalated: there are more than two targets, they have heavy firepower and pre-set traps, and we've encountered organized resistance."

After issuing the orders, Lin Zhiyan stood. "I need to go to the front line in person. Their transcendent hasn't shown up; there may be other preparations."

The deputy immediately stood and blocked Lin's way. "Team Leader Lin, you can't take that risk."

"You're disobeying an order."

"Your safety must come first."

Lin Zhiyan stared coldly at the deputy, then looked around at the other task force members. They had also stepped in front of Lin.

Their families had all sent them here. Every last one of them had to be kicked out afterward.

Yulin Commandery.

The Armed Police General Directorate, the highest command at the commandery level for urban security and border armed police, was collectively known as the Public Security Directorate.

The corps command center was brightly lit, and the leaders of the Armed Police General Directorate had gathered together. On the sand table before them, red markers dotted the border and cities like festering sores.

The room rang with telephones, the ticking of encrypted communications, and the hurried reports of staff officers.

Liang Chengyun, the commanding officer of the Public Security Directorate, stood with his burly frame planted before the command console. He had just turned forty, with an angular face and a faint old scar across the left side of his forehead.

Two years ago, his outstanding military record had earned him a transfer from the army to Yulin Commandery, where he had been parachuted into the top post of the Yulin Public Security General Directorate and put in charge of security throughout the commandery.

He ranked among the Federation's third-grade senior officials, only one rank below a martial marquis.

"Report! The Fang City task force is making an urgent request for support! The intelligence was wrong. They've been attacked by the Green Bandits. The enemy is numerous and armed with fully automatic weapons, with far more firepower than expected! There have already been heavy casualties."

It was not the first piece of bad news that night.

Fangcheng was not the only place to send an urgent request for help. Just minutes earlier, they had dispatched reinforcements that had wiped out bandits causing trouble in several places.

The Public Security General Directorate had long since realized the Green Bandits were up to something, but it was difficult to take targeted countermeasures. As long as the Green Bandits disrupted public order, they had to go along and send people to deal with it.

Conversely, as long as the Public Security General Directorate maintained order, the Green Bandits' local victories could not have a decisive effect.

They were in an unbeatable position, but they couldn't let the Green Bandits win too much, either.

Commander Liang Chengyun frowned deeply. "There's trouble in Fangcheng too. Do we have anyone nearby we can deploy?"

The chief of staff replied, "There have been especially many disturbances in the border region today. I'm afraid we don't have any officers to spare... Hm? Commander, we may have a first-tier transcendent available for deployment."

"One first-tier won't change anything..."

Liang Chengyun shook his head. The chief of staff then pushed an urgent deployment order, which had been tucked among his reports, in front of him.

"[Lu Zhao, first-tier mental-type transcendent, outstanding graduate of the Imperial Capital...]"

"Hm?" Liang Chengyun looked puzzled. "What's this man's story? Why is he in Fangcheng, and why isn't he taking part in the mission?"

Back then, Liang himself had failed to get into the Imperial Capital and had been forced to settle for Red Water instead.

Although Red Water was good too, the Imperial Capital still offered better prospects outside the military system.

The chief of staff said, "He offended someone, but right now we can only put our faith in the quality of education at the Imperial Capital."

Hearing that, Liang Chengyun was no longer surprised.

Excellence was relative. Graduating from the Imperial Capital was impressive, but it wasn't all that remarkable.

He said, "Issue a level-one emergency deployment order. No matter who's holding him back, Lu Zhao must go and support this operation."

Ant Ridge Border Station