Chapter 421 - 416: Launch Preparation

Chapter 421: Chapter 416: Launch Preparation

In the Special Security Team, Luo Wei was nicknamed Miaomiao. Due to her delicate and youthful appearance, she was initially teased for being as "tender as a seedling."

But after her training period, she joined Huang Jiutian’s team, and her performance had always been nothing short of stunning.

Of course, that was relative to other teams or regions. Under Huang Jiutian, the dazzling brilliance of the number one Evolver made it easy for everyone to overlook the others.

This, however, did not include Tao Xingzhi or the Special Security Team’s evaluation committee. The most compelling evidence was Luo Wei’s quiet ascent in the Evolver rankings. She was now an expert ranked 18th among all Evolvers in Hua Country—ten places higher than the burly man driving, Lu Gang.

The ratio of Evolvers to the total global population was naturally insignificant. But compared to a little over a year ago, when each of the major powers only had a few hundred, the current total was already substantial.

As the world’s most populous nation, Hua Country’s official numbers, announced within the World Alliance, cited over ten thousand Evolvers. In reality, it was an open secret among the major powers that everyone was holding back their true numbers, and there were undoubtedly many more scattered among the civilian population.

However, the demand for Evolvers was immense. They were distributed among the Special Security Team and front-line military units, and were also responsible for protecting important facilities and leaders. As a result, they always seemed to be short-staffed.

The evaluation committee’s assessment criteria included combat power, special Abilities, adaptability under pressure, and command skills. Anyone ranked highly was truly the best of the best.

Individually, both of them were more than qualified to lead an elite operative team, or even a company.

The best should be with the best, which was why their superiors also felt that if Luo Wei and Huang Jiutian really did get together, it would be a perfect match.

Luo Wei might have a crush on Jiutian, but Lu Gang was more than capable of applying to lead his own team. The fact that he was content to serve as a guard by Jiutian’s side was a testament to Huang Jiutian’s charisma.

"Attention, escort convoy. This is Eagle Eye One. We have six aerial targets ten kilometers ahead. Suspected new, unknown entity among them."

The warning from the aerial helicopter crackled through the shortwave radio inside the vehicle.

The key part of the message was the suspected unknown entity, as such targets were typically considered for capture.

This new communication device was flat, resembling an oversized black briefcase. In addition to its powerful band-switching and transmission capabilities, almost half its internal space was reserved for the future installation of a special quantum conversion device.

"Miaomiao, tell them to eliminate the targets. No survivors. The mission comes first."

Jiutian sat up straight, idly toying with a few bullets in his hand as he spoke to Luo Wei in the front seat.

"Right!"

Luo Wei picked up the communicator and relayed Jiutian’s command.

"Eagle Eye, this is the escort convoy. Clear the airspace. Mission priority is paramount."

"Eagle Eye, roger!"

The four attack helicopters in the sky immediately acquired weapon locks and fired high-explosive missiles from several kilometers out.

Six or seven minutes later, the convoy traveled down the road and reached the location from the helicopters’ earlier warning.

WHIIINE... WHIIINE... WHIIINE...

In each military vehicle that passed, the driver and other Soldiers stared dispassionately at the monster corpses not far away. One or two were still twitching with muscle spasms.

The road curved here to avoid some natural depressions, allowing those at the front and rear of the convoy to see some of the massive vehicles in the middle section.

In that middle section, atop the flatbeds of several large transport trucks, lay massive, cylindrical objects, each segment covered by black tarps.

Huang Jiutian opened his window, resting his arm on the frame and propping up his chin as he stared out, somewhat lost in thought.

In early May, preparations began at Hua Country’s National Launch Site No. 1 in Gansu Province for a low-profile yet crucial experimental project, one unknown to ordinary civilians and soldiers.

The satellite equipment and launch vehicle, assembled at Super Base No. 2, had to be transported 200 kilometers to National Launch Site No. 1.

Although Research Base No. 2 also had launch capabilities, National Launch Site No. 1 was still the preferred choice for reasons of security and convenience, especially now that the situation was under control.

Approximately thirty kilometers from the launch center, observation posts and even mobile Armed Defense Stations began to appear, their density increasing the closer they got.

This was, for all intents and purposes, a true safe zone.

It wasn’t just experts from Hua Country; several major member nations of the World Alliance had also sent personnel via private flights today. They were all waiting for the most critical "equipment" to arrive.

At 4:00 PM, hearing that the equipment had arrived, the experts from Hua Country and abroad could no longer sit still. Led by the technical specialists who had participated in its design and construction, they all headed to the storage depot to see it with their own eyes.

Unlike the scientists, however, the accompanying Evolvers from the various nations were more interested in seeing Huang Jiutian.

In the launch center’s cafeteria, Jiutian, Luo Wei, and Lu Gang were wolfing down their food.

It had been a long time since they’d had a proper rest. During front-line operations, they rarely ate anything decent. Aside from high-calorie combat rations, the best they could hope for was some heated canned food.

As one of the earliest designated key facilities, National Launch Site No. 1 had several high-quality cafeterias with private kitchens for the technical experts. The team had only made a brief stop at Base No. 2 before immediately beginning the escort mission, so this was their chance to properly reward their stomachs.

"Miaomiao, where’s your ladylike composure? I don’t care about the rest, but that bowl of ham and tofu stew was for me!!!"

Lu Gang returned balancing a large tray in each hand—one piled high with various dishes, the other with steamed buns and flatbreads—only to find that half the food he had so painstakingly gathered was already gone.

"Hmph. Is it going to answer if you call its name?"

Luo Wei glanced at the empty porcelain bowl in front of her. In the time it took to exchange those two sentences, she had devoured half a roast duck with a series of delicate yet incredibly swift bites.

Helpless, Lu Gang stuffed an entire large white steamed bun into his mouth, chewed up a braised duck leg, and swallowed it all down with a single GULP.

"My daughter is five years younger than you and way more ladylike!"

"Tch. That’s just because she was lucky enough not to take after you!"

"Hey, you expect to get married acting like that? I’m afraid once you leave Captain Huang’s command, no one will be able to handle you!"

Luo Wei’s ears perked up. ’You’re the best, Lu Gang!’ she thought, giving him a huge thumbs-up in her mind. She snuck a sideways glance at Jiutian, her face turning slightly red.

"I guess I really do need someone who can handle me..."

Lu Gang took a solemn bite of his steamed bun stuffed with braised pork belly.

"Exactly! It’s either that or you die alone. Otherwise, who could stand it? They can’t out-argue you, can’t out-fight you. Your future husband would die of frustration!"

To everyone’s surprise, Luo Wei inexplicably nodded in agreement.

Huang Jiutian, sitting to the side, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’This guy, Lu Gang,’ he thought, ’are we sure he wasn’t sent by the organization to be a wingman?’

Just as he was about to change the subject, Jiutian’s chopsticks froze. His gaze flickered sideways toward the cafeteria entrance.

About two minutes later, more than a dozen foreigners of various ethnicities entered the cafeteria. They were partly there to eat, but they had also come specifically to meet the man whose individual combat prowess was rumored to rival that of a Dawn Magic Controller.

However, there were a few familiar faces among them, including an American who was bundled up tightly and a cheerful man from Russia.

"Long time no see, Mr. Huang!"

Ben’s voice was even raspier than before, his words seeming to carry a wave of heat. The only thing unchanged was the respect in his tone.

"Hello, Ben, Ivan. And to all of you."

Jiutian and his two teammates stood up from their seats and shook hands with several of the newcomers.

"I know what you’re all thinking. Let’s head to the nearby barracks after we finish our meal."

The heavily guarded launch center naturally had barracks and training grounds for Soldiers nearby.

The new base’s cafeteria, much like the one at the Special Security Group Headquarters, was capable of preparing a wide range of classic dishes. While not every dish was perfectly authentic, most Evolvers weren’t picky eaters.

Besides, for the chefs, the foreign Evolvers were far easier to handle than the domestic ones. To avoid any hassle, they could usually be satisfied with things like hamburgers, steamed buns, or dumplings.

But today, with the three "traitors"—Jiutian and his team—present, the chefs were out of luck. When more than a dozen ravenous eaters got going, they could out-eat all the technicians in the entire center combined.

Fortunately, many modern ingredients were exceptionally plump and rich, making them more filling. Additionally, many dishes were already "mass-produced" in large steamers, so the kitchen staff wasn’t in any real danger of collapsing from exhaustion.

"OH MY GOD!! This is delicious!!!"

"What is this? Sweet bean paste? Give it here, I want to try!!!"

"What kind of meat is this? And this one? Chicken butts? WTF! I just ate twenty chicken butts!! Didn’t you call it ’phoenix tail’?"

"Wait, is this a century egg? Isn’t this supposed to be the most disgusting food in the world? Why is it so delicious when I eat it like this? Oh my god, get me ten more orders!!"

"That’s because you never had it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and other ingredients! Those food challenge shows in the past were definitely setting you up. They just had you peel them and swallow them whole!"

"Really? My god, how do they sleep at night?!"

"Pfft... Your Chinese isn’t bad..."

"PUT IT DOWN!!! That’s my braised pork belly!"

"Hey, let’s not fight over it... Calm down!"

...

This group of people was arguably among the busiest in the world, with little time to stop for a proper meal. Within minutes of the food being served, the situation had already spiraled out of control. Their fragile politeness and composure crumbled quickly under the allure of the feast.

Their military uniforms were each more dashing than the last, but the dining scene itself looked more like a supply drop in a war-torn nation.

PS: First Chapter for Sunday.