Chapter 523 36: I Alone Am Enough

Tan Shanzhong scoffed, gesturing for his trusted subordinate to continue his report.

Understanding the cue, the subordinate quickly stepped forward and said, "The plan on headquarters' end was a great success.

"Following the disguise incident, a significant rift has formed between the Five Major Enterprises and the Alliance Country. Lianwei Heavy Industry and Golden Defense Group are pointing fingers at each other, while the Biotechnology Company had a clash with the Alliance Country's Superpower Bureau. They've held three rounds of coordination meetings without reaching any substantial consensus.

"Currently, the joint forces of the Five Major Enterprises have suspended their plans to march north. They won't make a move until the Alliance Country provides a satisfactory explanation. This delays things by at least... a month or two."

As his voice faded, all the Law Enforcement Officers breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the Five Major Enterprises wouldn't intervene for the time being, dealing with Fortress Mountain City alone wouldn't put much pressure on them at all.

"Headquarters... certainly has its methods." Tan Shanzhong's eyes flickered, and a cold sneer graced his lips.

Although he had already learned of this through the Tan family's channels, hearing the confirmation still made him nod inwardly. Especially the part about using that little bastard surnamed Lu's disguise to cause havoc at Biotechnology—even that brat Ji Lixian couldn't stop it. Every time he thought of this, he felt a thrilling surge of vindication.

"Enough." Snapping out of his thoughts, Tan Shanzhong retracted his smile, his voice turning cold and sinister once more. "Pass down the order: all units are to heighten their guard and prepare for battle at a moment's notice.

"Once we repel the forces of Fortress Mountain City, we'll seize the momentum to march south and crush the Alliance Country's northwestern defense line in one fell swoop!"

Hearing this, the crowd looked eager and immediately dispersed to carry out the war preparations.

Seeing this, Tan Shanzhong strode forward. After instructing his trusted subordinate to keep a close eye on the place, he prepared to leave the command room for his secret chamber to cultivate in seclusion.

"The Non-human Level... is not far off," he calculated silently, the coldness in his eyes growing denser.

As long as he broke through to the Non-human Level, everything would be different. The Alliance Country would finally take him seriously, and the Rebels would revere him like a god. When that time came, both sides would have to beg him. He, Tan Shanzhong, would no longer be a warlord confined to the northwestern wasteland, but a true powerhouse capable of dictating the landscape of Earth Star.

As for those old grudges... He recalled the past events in the Red Maple City Circle—the relentless hunts and expulsions by the City Lord's Mansion, and the interference from the Superpower Bureau and Ji Lixian's group.

"When the time comes, every debt will be repaid."

Tan Shanzhong sneered. He pushed open the door to the Cultivation Chamber and was just about to step inside.

BOOM!!!

An earth-shattering explosion erupted from right above him. The entire base violently shook as cascades of dust and debris rained down from the metal walls.

The subterranean base fell into a momentary, deathly silence. Emergency lights flickered erratically, and the holographic screens on the workstations shuddered violently, their displays distorting for several seconds before stabilizing.

Tan Shanzhong's expression changed slightly as he turned around to look.

On the wall, a screen flared to life, projecting an image. A massive, imposing army had appeared at the edge of the horizon. Rows of tanks rolled out in formation, their cannons booming in earth-trembling succession to unleash a relentless barrage of fiery, meteor-like artillery shells.

And in the very back, the flag of the Alliance Country could be seen fluttering wildly in the wind.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Out in the wasteland, just beyond the base's canyon, dirt and rubble were blasted dozens of meters into the air, leaving the ground cratered with shallow pits. Blinding bursts of fire merged into a continuous sheet, illuminating the dusk sky as brightly as day.

Rows of tanks appeared on the horizon. Their gun barrels were raised in unison, spitting out whistling shells that streaked across the sky like flaming meteors.

The mighty army of the Alliance Country had crossed the wasteland passage, officially launching an invasion into the Northern Territory's badlands. Countless Alliance Country soldiers charged into the canyon alongside armored vehicles, while fighter jets soared overhead.

At this very moment, inside the command vehicle at the center of the army.

"Old Yan, thank you for your hard work." Dressed in a black trench coat, Lu Chao stood before a holographic sand table and expressed his gratitude to Yan Zhengfeng, who had just appeared before him.

The reason they were able to traverse the wasteland passage so quickly—striking here before the Rebels could even react—was entirely thanks to the extensive reconnaissance intelligence Yan Zhengfeng had provided.

"You are too polite, Lord Inspector. Relieving the Alliance Country's burdens is simply our duty!" Yan Zhengfeng said with a smile. Behind him stood several Superpower Captains who had accompanied him on this perilous journey north.

Lu Chao observed the visible traces of weathering on their bodies, as well as the palpable excitement that barely masked their deep exhaustion.

"Good!" Lu Chao patted Yan Zhengfeng heavily on the shoulder and smiled with an approving nod. "What a fine duty! Old Yan, your awareness is much higher than mine.

"After this battle, I will definitely request merits for all of you."

His chuckling words prompted everyone in the command vehicle to exchange knowing, upbeat smiles. Soon after, Yue Zhenhong stepped forward at the right moment, gesturing to the images on the holographic sand table to outline the tactical situation.

The Rebels' base was situated dozens of meters beneath the canyon. The unique terrain on both sides made it easy to defend and exceedingly difficult to attack. While the Alliance Country's army had arrived ahead of schedule and caught the enemy off guard, achieving significant results in the short term would still be incredibly difficult.

"Sir, according to past intelligence, this base has at least seven lines of defense.

"Aside from retaliatory fire from shooting holes and artillery muzzles, I estimate they have defenses like planted explosives and delayed-action landmines..." His tone was solemn as he pointed to the underground base marked on the sand table's projection. "Tan Shanzhong himself is an expert at the Peak Transcendence Level, and he commands at least six or seven Superpower Law Enforcement Officers under him.

"This is a tough nut to crack."

The atmosphere grew heavy as the crowd nodded in succession. Even Yan Zhengfeng wore a grave expression as everyone turned their gazes toward Lu Chao. Intelligence was one thing, but winning this war wouldn't be nearly as simple.

"What do you all think we should do?" Lu Chao asked with a smile, unhurried in expressing his own stance.

Zhu Chen, serving as a special envoy, pondered for a moment before speaking up first. "I believe we should use Superpower Level experts as the spearhead to lead strike teams in breaking through their defenses.

"The flanking surface units can intensify their covering fire. This will allow the Superpower assault teams to shatter the base's defenses and tear open a gap, alleviating the pressure on the follow-up ground troops."

It was a textbook suggestion. Lu Chao nodded, and Yue Zhenhong and the others could not deny its validity. The individual combat prowess of a Superpower Level expert was akin to that of a humanoid armored vehicle or tank. Both the Alliance Country and Al-Qaeda had long been accustomed to employing this tactic.

"But Tan Shanzhong and his people won't be that easy to deal with," Yue Zhenhong warned in a low voice.

After all, Tan Shanzhong was at the Peak Transcendence Level, and they held the geographical advantage. To execute an individual assault breakthrough, they would undoubtedly need more Superpower Level experts than the enemy possessed in order to suppress them and successfully open a gap in their defenses.

As his words fell, every Superpower Commander wore a solemn expression. Although this northern expedition included ten Superpower Level Commanders, Special Envoy Chu was the only one at the Peak Transcendence Level. They also had to guard against a blood-crazed Tan Shanzhong bypassing the assault teams, charging up to the surface, and slaughtering the main army.

In other words, breaking through the enemy lines would undoubtedly be quite difficult.

"Heh."

Suddenly, just as everyone was feeling the prick of the thorny situation, Lu Chao let out a sudden chuckle and looked at them.

"Lord Inspector?"

"I think breaking through won't actually be that troublesome," Lu Chao spoke calmly, Ghost Element still resting quietly on his shoulder.

Meeting everyone's gazes, he gestured for a subordinate to bring over the Ink Blade. Taking it with his left hand, he said, "Tan Shanzhong certainly has some strength, but... he is already a trapped rat."

He shed his trench coat, revealing a black combat suit underneath.

His decision final, Lu Chao smiled faintly. "Therefore.

"For this assault, I alone am enough."