Chapter 213: Absolute Force Defeats All Skill

Chapter 213 – One Force Overwhelms Ten

In this “Northern Expedition,” Chen Jian carried no great bulk of “large equipment.”

Yet it did not stop him from bringing two puffer‑fish S‑2 attack drones and two golden‑eagle‑11 multi‑rotor reconnaissance‑strike drones.

In any circumstance, a multi‑rotor’s speed could never be slower than that of a personal jet‑pack lacking any aerodynamic shaping.

Thus, after a handful of rocket‑troopers lifted off, the four AI‑piloted drones surged skyward, locked onto the moving targets, unleashed cruise missiles, and pursued with their onboard 8.6‑mm machine guns.

Within minutes, every rocket‑trooper within visual range was felled.

The air blossomed with sparks, and Fuxi’s voice rang out at once.

“Commander, all aerial targets have been confirmed downed.”

“Impact points marked, no signs of life.”

“Understood.”

Chen Jian answered tersely, a pang of regret stirring in his heart.

The queen—she met her end in such a ludicrous fashion?

The information she guarded, it seemed, vanished with her in a wisp of smoke.

That was no good news.

Yet, given the capricious tide of battle, it was the best outcome possible.

After all, no one could have foreseen that a usable jet‑pack lay hidden within the Flower City, nor that the “queen” herself could don such a device.

So let her die.

The pressing task now was to clear the palace guard swiftly and to blunt any reinforcements the Flower City might send.

With that thought, Chen Jian spun on his heel and burst through the doors, joining the still‑unfolding fray.

At that moment, Li Shi’s heavy machine gun had already seized control; the palace was strewn with broken limbs and fragments, and the few survivors were driven into corners.

A few simple bursts of fire and the squad swept the palace clean.

Meanwhile, Fuxi reported the movements of the city’s armed forces.

“Commander, large numbers of armed personnel are massing inside the Flower City.”

“Acknowledged.”

Chen Jian gave a slight nod, then said:

“Notify the rear units to stand ready for support, put the battle‑crown under remote control, have Huang Meng drive a tank over, and once the sweep is done we withdraw immediately.”

“Xu He! Come here!”

“You claimed you’d entered the palace’s treasury; now it’s your turn!”

“Lead the way!”

The words fell, and Xu He sprinted forward.

He said nothing, merely pointing toward the royal chambers.

“Where? Speak!”

“Right in her sleeping quarters—though it’s not truly a bedroom, it’s a vault; she merely resides there.”

“To be honest, she hardly seems a woman—no, no, I’m not saying she looks feminine, I’m saying—”

“Stay on point! Lead the way!”

Chen Jian cut the babbling Xu He short with anger; Xu He bolted toward the chambers, entered, and with practiced ease slipped into a secluded rear room, then heaved up a massive wooden table, flipping it aside, and a sealed iron door was suddenly exposed before them.

“So crude?”

“So crude!”

“My treasure, I’m here, my treasure.”

Xu He tore the iron door open with impatience; Chen Jian reached out to stop him, but it was already too late.

“Boom!”

An explosion cracked the air; the shockwave staggered Chen Jian a short distance away, while Xu He was hurled backward, slamming hard against a nearby wall.

The iron door was riddled with dense bullet holes from steel beads; had that door not stood, Xu He would have been pierced by a hail of arrows.

Chen Jian paid no heed to Xu He’s condition; with a simple gesture, Fuxi dispatched a hummingbird drone into the basement, and after all hazards were cleared, Xu He struggled to his feet, spitting blood as he croaked:

“Treacherous woman. It was all a ruse.”

“I knew it, I knew she wouldn’t be so kind.” “Enough talk!”

Chen Jian stepped into the basement, following the tunnel deeper downward.

It was then he realized the subterranean space was not a newly‑dug shaft.

The walls bore mottled scars of relentless time, and the aged iron door at the tunnel’s end whispered of ancient history.

“Breach the door.”

Chen Jian gave the brief order; Li Shi surged ahead, wrenching the iron door open with all his might.

Devoid of a base station, the hummingbird drone could no longer catch any external cellular signal at this depth; Chen Jian led, using his mech’s shield to guard Li Shi from possible blasts.

Fortunately, beyond the door lay no further traps.

The group poured in, quickly surveying the interior.

It was a modest chamber, filled with metal racks and numerous opened standardized storage crates.

A foreboding premonition rose in Chen Jian’s chest.

He scanned each crate, then discovered that every single one

was empty!

No…

The queen of Flower City had foreseen this!

She must have guessed an assault on her palace and had already transferred all data and equipment elsewhere!

Traces on the floor indicated the room should have been a nearly packed warehouse.

Yet now it lay conspicuously barren.

Chen Jian furrowed his brow, sweeping his gaze once more.

Directly opposite, on the wall, he spied a deliberately hung sheet of paper.

The paper bore a few lines of writing.

“We ought to have a proper conversation.”

“Our cannons now point at your location.”

“Do not attempt resistance; it will only bring mutual ruin.”

Chen Jian’s heart hammered wildly.

He realized that perhaps he truly had made a mistake.

“Everyone, retreat at once.”

At the command, the squad members in the underground passage hurried back.

At the same moment, the cannons outside began to roar.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

The fierce tremor nearly knocked the unprotected blood‑sacred few unconscious; Chen Jian staggered toward the tunnel’s end, and what his eyes fell upon was a sea of fire outside.

This was indeed a blanket of artillery fire!

Yet the enemy was not intent on annihilation; they truly wished to negotiate!

Ji Xing followed close behind Chen Jian, and she too saw the words scrawled on that paper.

She strained to part her lips, shouting:

“We are trapped!”

“We must talk to them.”

“Talk? To hell with that!”

Chen Jian clenched his fists and then said:

“Fuxi, inform the reserve unit, lock onto the target, fire 107 with full‑coverage barrage, destroy the enemy artillery position!”

“Damned it, you’re playing games with me!”

“Tell them what it means to bring down ten with a single force!”

(End of Chapter)