Chapter 267: Level 3, Level 1

Chapter 267 – Tier Three, Tier One

“So, you actually haven’t received a new appointment, have you?”

Outside Base 011, at the table, Chen Jian faced Jin Zhong and, in a relatively soft tone, opened his mouth to ask.

“Yes, I haven’t yet received an appointment from Zhang the Saint.”

“However, he did explain it to me in a private capacity.”

“He meant that the elite guard brigade I now command is still on a mission, and that there is significant cooperation with you.”

“If we were to reorganize it now, it might adversely affect the execution of subsequent missions.”

“Therefore, he decided to keep the Fourth Brigade’s structure unchanged for the time being, in the interest of cooperation between both sides.”

Jin Zhong’s voice was calm, yet Chen Jian could read unmistakable doubt in his eyes.

It was clear that, although he was not surprised by Zhang Tao’s reorganization, the decision to sideline the Fourth Brigade left him perplexed.

Citing “cooperation considerations” is a transparent pretext; if that were the case, with so many groups already cooperating with the Huaxia forces, would Zhang Tao halt all his reforms?

Clearly, the reality is otherwise.

Then there is only one answer.

For whatever reason, the Fourth Brigade has been excluded.

Jin Zhong has been excluded as well.

Looking at Jin Zhong’s face, Chen Jian shook his head slightly.

In fact, even he had not expected the opportunity he’d been waiting for to arrive so swiftly.

Originally, he was only one step away from assimilating Jin Zhong’s elite guard.

Though not a great distance, crossing that step was far from simple.

But now Zhang Tao’s sweeping reforms have given Jin Zhong a hard shove.

Regardless of how he presents himself outwardly, behind the scenes he will surely contemplate the meaning of this “exclusion.”

And once that thought takes root, the rift between him, Zhang Tao, and the Mechanical Cult will widen.

With that in mind, Chen Jian asked:

“Do you believe it yourself?”

As the words hung in the air, Jin Zhong fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally replied:

“I don’t believe it.”

“But I can only choose to trust him.”

“…That’s also true.”

Chen Jian remained unhurried; he had never intended to persuade Jin Zhong on the spot.

Summoning him here and raising the issue was merely to give him a heads‑up.

Chen Jian took a sip of the sweet water in his cup, a concoction made from carbon dioxide generated by the life‑support system, tasting like soda water with a hint of sugar.

Though somewhat superfluous, it barely compensated for the lack of carbonated drinks in this world.

He exhaled a faint plume of vapor and continued:

“In truth, you have little choice; all you can do is drift with the current.”

“Nevertheless, I hope you can clarify one matter.”

“If Zhang Tao’s actions run completely counter to your expectations, what, then, can you gain?”

With those words spoken, the previously silent Jin Zhong fell into utter bewilderment.

He sensed that Chen Jian’s remark was far from as simple as it seemed.

“If it contradicts my expectations?”

“What are my expectations?”

“My expectation is that he can properly reorganize the Mechanical Cult, uphold the faith of the Holy Trinity, and be worthy of the believers and the people sheltered by the Holy Trinity.”

“But what if he cannot, or simply does not wish to?”

Jin Zhong lifted his gaze to Chen Jian, opened his mouth a few times, and ultimately said nothing.

This question will not yield an easy answer.

He sighed, lifted his cup, and drained it in one gulp.

A faintly peppery taste made him cough; when he set the cup down again, Chen Jian had already risen.

“Regardless, think it over carefully.”

“Of course, you need not decide immediately.”

“Observe more, act more——by the way, your unit has rested enough; are you ready to commence the next mission?”

“We are always prepared.”

Jin Zhong replied solemnly.

“.That remark does carry a certain meaning.”

Chen Jian said with a grin:

“But it lacks soul.”

“Alright, let’s get down to business.”

As I told you before, the primary objective of your squad remains the safeguarding of the human habitation zone along the Yangtze basin.

This time, you are to march to Yanling City, slay the two beasts besieging it, and evacuate its inhabitants to the Jingkou region.

“Evacuation?”

Jin Zhong asked in surprise:

“Has Yanling City already been destroyed? Why evacuate?”

“No.”

Chen Jian shook his head and replied:

“However, reliable intelligence indicates that among the monsters assaulting Yanling City, one is a Tier‑Three creature.”

“That creature can spew copious toxic fluid, potentially harming the surrounding ecosystem.”

“Moreover, the pollution it could generate during combat would be uncontrollable.”

“Therefore, I need you to evacuate as many residents as conditions permit.”

“This will place great strain on Jingkou.”

Jin Zhong frowned and said:

“Food may be insufficient, and supplies scarce.”

Indeed.

Chen Jian sighed, then continued:

“This is the beast tide’s strategy; they seek to sap our resources in every direction, from food to supplies.”

“These matters were meant to be handled by Zhang Tao, yet now he is lost in some so‑called power reform.”

“Very well, I have no cause to complain to you about this; after all, I possess no proof that his actions are necessarily wrong.”

“So, for the things he failed to do, let us do a little more ourselves.”

“Go claim your gear; this time we shall furnish you with fresh equipment support.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jin Zhong bowed respectfully toward Chen Jian, then set his bowl and chopsticks aside and turned to leave.

The echo of Chen Jian’s final words still rang in his mind.

“These issues were originally Zhang Tao’s to resolve.” Or, perhaps, “These issues ought to have been settled by the Mechanical Cult.”

Yet why, in the end, did the burden fall upon the Huaxia army?

Why would they willingly take these problems onto themselves?

Jin Zhong could not fathom it.

He could only press the questions aside for the moment and focus on the task before him.

—–

That Tier‑Three monster.

Jin Zhong strode to his squad, gave a brief briefing, selected a few trusted men, and sought out Huang Yu, who had been waiting nearby, to convey Chen Jian’s orders.

“Come with me.”

Huang Yu turned without hesitation, and Jin Zhong fell into step behind him.

The group entered the main passage of Facility 011 in turn, then rode the lift down to the armory.

When the armory’s myriad weapons unfolded before Jin Zhong, he at last truly felt…

…and, indeed, truly…

“May we pick freely among these items?”

One of the Guard Brigade’s soldiers ventured the question tentatively; Huang Yu shook his head and replied:

“Stay here; I will select a few pieces of gear for you to take.”

“It’s merely a Tier‑Three beast; in truth you won’t need much equipment.”

“Just a Tier‑Three monster?”

The Guard soldier repeated Huang Yu’s words in astonishment, momentarily unable to tell whether he was stating a fact or mocking deliberately.

Monster tiers are not a simple ladder of strength; they are defined by the difficulty humans face in confronting them—a universally accepted truth in this world. A Tier‑Four creature might be dealt with by a single Guard squad.

Yet a Tier‑Three monster may demand the combined might of an entire city.

Now you tell me this is merely a Tier‑Three beast, and that we need not marshal much gear?

Such a statement, if not utterly foolish, is nothing short of reckless arrogance.

Yet they had no room to contest it at that moment.

After a few minutes lingering at the armory’s doorway, Huang Yu returned with the gear they required.

“Two PBW024 recoil‑free cannons.”

“Each fires projectiles capable of piercing 700 mm of homogeneous armor, with an effective range of six hundred meters.”

“A creature struck by these guns stands little chance of survival—whether Tier‑Four or Tier‑Three.”

“I have supplied four shells; that shall suffice.”

“Understood, thank you.”

Jin Zhong nodded earnestly at Huang Yu, seeing clearly that the weapons offered were indeed useful.

Though he could not be certain whether their capabilities were exaggerated.

Observing his reaction, Huang Yu waved his hand and went on:

“This is a small reconnaissance drone; the first battalion commanders employed this very model.”

“It is modest, yet sufficient.”

“The accompanying console is here as well; should you be unfamiliar with its operation, seek out Huang Meng after you leave—he will teach you.”

The drone.

A spark of light flickered in Jin Zhong’s eyes.

He had not imagined that the Huaxia army would entrust such vital equipment to his own troops.

With a drone, the chronic shortage of reconnaissance capability in his unit would finally be remedied.

He could now monitor the monster’s movements in real time, no longer needing to radio the Huaxia forces for a second confirmation.

This is immensely useful!

“Understood; I shall seek him out and learn diligently.”

Jin Zhong replied once more, while Huang Yu pressed on.

“Anticipating possible exposure to toxic gas or venom, we have prepared ample protective suits for you; they will be dispatched shortly.”

“Furthermore, regarding armaments, there is a compact railgun here, brought over from Huangshi City in the early days.”

“We have tested it; it still functions, though its service life is nearly exhausted.”

“How many shots it will fire depends on luck; I have supplied three railgun projectiles, which should be enough.”

“Understood, no problem.”

Jin Zhong nodded again.

He did not truly grasp the meaning of “railgun,” yet, observing the gear delivered by the robots, he could surmise it to be a quickly disassemblable artillery piece of modest power.

Perhaps its greatest merit lies in its flexibility?

Jin Zhong watched Huang Yu’s demonstration of assembly and disassembly with rapt attention, striving to commit each detail to memory.

The other simply performed a quick demonstration, then rose, clapped his hands, and said with a breezy grin:

“All right, that is the entirety of the gear.”

“Take it with you—you few should be able to haul it, I presume?”

“Huh?”

Jin Zhong was stunned.

Not only he, but all the men he had brought were frozen in place.

“Is this all there is?”

He asked, his voice trembling with disbelief.

“Trust me, these will suffice.”

Huang Yu offered no further explanation, merely beckoning the crowd to come forward and haul the gear.

Jin Zhong hesitated a moment, then waved his hand, signaling his men to spring into action.

The scant equipment, divided among a few, seemed pitifully insufficient, yet in Huang Yu’s presence they dared not voice complaint.

Only after they returned to the surface did a guard from Jin Zhong’s brigade finally speak up:

“Sir, are we truly expected to hunt a Tier‑3 monster armed with nothing but this?”

“They used to promise better gear after each mission, but it seems they have broken that vow, haven’t they?”

Jin Zhong shook his head imperceptibly, then said:

“They have kept their promise.”

“At the very least, they gave us a drone.”

“And this railgun—surely it will prove useful.”

“But—”

“There is no ‘but’.”

Jin Zhong raised his hand, cutting off the grumbling, and continued:

“Regroup and fall in; we must depart without delay.”

“The situation in Yanling City is grim; the local guard is being reorganized and lacks the strength to confront any beasts.”

“We may be their sole saviours, regardless”

“As for the equipment—”

Before Jin Zhong could finish, Lei Jie, passing by from afar, suddenly took note of the gear at his side.

The latter hurried over, glanced twice, and said:

“Tsk, tsk. The captain is generous, even handing over a railgun.”

“Use it sparingly; if you aim straight, a single shot can fell a monster.”

“Huh?”

Jin Zhong was taken aback.

“Sir, are you certain you speak of this cannon?”

I have no reason to deceive you. In Jinling City, a Tier‑2 beast was annihilated by a similar railgun in one blast; judge its power for yourself.

Understood.

Jin Zhong inhaled deeply, a faint, relieved smile finally breaking across his face.

Then, without pretense, he turned to Lei Jie:

“We once thought this gear insufficient against a Tier‑3 monster, yet now our worries seem needless.”

“Nevertheless, sir, perhaps we require further instruction; could you assign us a dedicated instructor?”

“Just ask any robot; Fuxi will answer you.”

Lei Jie replied offhand:

“I ought to find time to train you, but I truly have none.”

“I must also teach others to pilot aircraft; that contraption is far harder to master than your railgun.”

“Understood.”

Jin Zhong nodded in comprehension, then asked abruptly:

“Has the training of ‘pilots’ already commenced?”

“Yes, training has begun, and the missions are about to launch.”

“We have found an exceptionally gifted pilot, Jiang Yu of Qiandao Lake Town.”

“She has already completed ground training ahead of schedule and can take to the skies at once.”

After Lei Jie finished, Jin Zhong, curiosity alight, pressed: “She truly is a prodigy—if I may ask,

“Who knows? Let’s give her a test flight first.”

Lei Jie instinctively waved his hand, then added:

“She’ll probably head south for a trial, to see if she can launch a missile at that whale‑eel’s head.”

“I see now.”

Jin Zhong mused for a moment, then was jolted awake.

Wait a moment.

Whale‑eel??

That Tier‑1 monster??

Sending a rookie to blow it up??

(End of Chapter)