NOVPUBChapter 148: Chapter 147: Operation Destiny
Chapter 148 -147: Operation Destiny
As dusk fell, all the players and two reporters gathered once again in the underground hall of the sanctuary.
All the collected intelligence was categorized and pinned onto the blackboard on the wall and connected into a network diagram with red lines by Xue Quan.
Chaoyang had to admit that this person, chosen by the higher-ups, was quite qualified, possessing unparalleled experience in business competition at the very least.
“Based on the information we’ve gathered, Heigang Security is divided into two parts, the Heigang Building located in the eastern city district and the mercenary camp on the outskirts to the east,” said Xue Quan as he stood in front of the blackboard, using a small wooden stick as a pointer, “The total number of company employees is roughly around fifteen hundred, of course, this information comes from their own promotion, and since many employees have to undertake daily tasks, the actual number of staff stationed there is much less.”
Zhang Zhiyuan picked up Dane’s notes, which listed seven or eight daily operations of the security company, such as escorting a merchant convoy from the Magnificent Castle to the Durey Ring, which took up more than three hundred personnel.
“However, even so, the number of people stationed in the camp should still be over two hundred. Conversely, the Heigang Building is basically all administrative staff with the total number under one hundred, and the building only has three floors, with the first floor being the reception hall, virtually undefended. Aibuvich mainly moves between these two places and, according to the information, he spends most of his time during the day in the city and returns to the camp in the suburbs after eleven o’clock.”
“Oh? Quite a regular life,” remarked Anthony, stroking his chin, “Generally speaking, the fewer flaws an enemy who is self-disciplined has, the tougher the adversary. This guy might be a worthy opponent.”
“Now for the main point—the leader of Black Steel, Aibuvich,” Xue Quan tapped on the photo in the middle of the blackboard, “I’ve inquired about his background and obtained quite a bit of information. First off, this man has a mercenary background and is quite strong himself. After arriving at the Magnificent Castle, he beat multiple competitors through contests and eventually swallowed all the security companies to form what is now Heigang Company. It has to be said, his capabilities and wrist strength are there.”
“Are you about to say ‘but’ next?” joked Cui Zhen’en.
“Correct,” he chuckled, “But such a constructed Heigang Security is indeed the one with the least heritage among the four major companies. They have no foundation in the Old Continent and are an isolated entity completely reliant on the business of the Magnificent Castle. From my past experience, an isolated team also has the weakest resistance to pressure. In addition, Mr. Dane also mentioned that there are several individuals within Black Steel with extraordinary strength.”
“That’s right…” Dane said regretfully, “I made some inquiries through my connections, but for now, I’ve only collected information on two individuals, the rest will likely take some time.”
“Silver Bullet Tokam and ‘Handler’ Dinong; as clues, they are already sufficient,” said Xue Quan, shaking his head, “In fact, the biggest help you and Judy have provided me are those decade-old newspapers. Zhou Zhi and I spent an afternoon going through them and found several interesting individuals… like the founder of Fearless Security, Carl, and the captain of the Iron Blood Guard, Qiu Shan. Their portraits basically match the photos Mr. Dane found.”
“Eh… You mean to say that these powerhouses are actually creators of companies swallowed by Aibuvich?” Judy said in surprise, “I really never paid attention to that…”
“It’s normal for you not to have noticed. You haven’t even been a reporter for a decade, how could you possibly pay attention to these outdated trivial matters?”
“When did Mr. Xue get so familiar with the local backgrounds?” Cui Zhen’en murmured quietly in Zhang Zhiyuan’s ear.
“I don’t know… but every time I return to the sanctuary, I see him chatting with people, not just reporters and Jenny,” replied Zhang Zhiyuan quietly, “Sometimes it’s nuns, miners, or even residents coming to buy medicine. Honestly, he’s really chatty…”
“That’s an interesting discovery,” Qianyuan Mingzi spoke up, “Mr. Xue, do you mean they are not as united as we presumed?”
“To have been local powerhouses and now forced to change their stripes to become workers for Black Steel, it’s obviously asking too much of them to be united,” Xue Quan slowly laid out his thoughts, “Aibuvich is strong enough, so they depend on this man. Once they perceive Aibuvich as no longer as strong as he used to be, would they still firmly bind themselves with Black Steel? Therefore, we don’t need to eliminate every mercenary of Black Steel. After dealing with Aibuvich, the situation might become completely different.”
“So what are we waiting for? It’s only eight o’clock now, let’s go raze Heigang Building to the ground right away,” Anthony was already itching to start.
“No, my idea is to eliminate Aibuvich in the Black Steel camp,” Xue Quan proposed a radically different opinion. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
“Aren’t there more enemies there?” Zhou Zhi asked, surprised.
“I also think it should be settled outside the city,” Zhang Zhiyuan agreed. “I’ve been to both places… The Heigang Building is a concrete structure, closely surrounded by other buildings. If the enemy has escape routes, our tracking visibility will be significantly limited.”
This was also the most difficult problem to solve in urban street fighting.
A corner, a corridor could become an obstruction or an ambush spot, inherently unsuitable for the use of firearms.
“Moreover, there’s another point: the company building is inside the Magnificent Castle, and the city guard’s support would be exceedingly quick. Although we’re not afraid to die… to make sacrifices, this is not a good time to be on bad terms with the four big companies and the city guards all at once. The suburban camp is not so particular, just a dozen tents and a two-story wooden house, similar to a construction site. The surrounding fence is made of wooden railings and wire mesh; after taking out the sentries, we can directly breach the wall.”
It was evident that Zhang Zhiyuan had put considerable effort into surveying the terrain.
“Mr. Zhang’s overview is comprehensive. Please take a look at the exchange list,” Xue Quan reminded, “In fact, a spacious location without worrying about accidental injury is where we can play to our strengths to the fullest.”
Cui Zhen’en opened the exchange page and was speechless with astonishment.
She had just checked it yesterday, and to think that an entire new category had been added in just one day!
The name of this new category was “Weapons.”
Not only had the original knives, spears, clubs, and sticks been moved here, but light and handy tube weapons such as mortars and 75mm field guns had also been added. At the end of the exchange list, she even saw the familiar RPG-7, priced at only 700 points, a little cheaper than firearms!
However, Cui Zhen’en quickly noticed a line of small print below.
“Ammunition not included.”
“When did this appear…”
Chaoyang spoke up unexpectedly, “The progress made by players continuously pushes the game forward and accumulates experience for the developers. The update of the system framework is just a part of these experiences being implemented. This update of the exchange list to 3.0 is the result of the relentless efforts of the Paradise developers. I hope everyone can find their desired items.”
“If I could have exchanged for these from the start, there’s no way I would have been driven into a corner by a dozen steam rifles,” Anthony grumbled, still brooding about his early exit from the second round of the game. “Presenter, just say when the recharge system will be opened. These points aren’t quite enough for my spending!”
Chaoyang pretended not to hear and returned to his GM status.
“Since everyone has no objections, the general direction is decided—we will launch the counterattack in the Black Steel camp on the eastern outskirts,” Xue Quan confirmed the plan seeing no opposition. “Next are the operational details… We have plenty of time now, and if all goes well, I plan to initiate the operation at dawn! As usual, we need a name for the operation; let’s call it ‘Destiny.'”
