Chapter 61: You Are as Ridiculous as Your Bunker

Chapter 61: You are as laughable as your shelter.

On the elevated Bai Zhou Avenue, two cat-cars raced side by side.

Two drones hovered in the air, one high, one low, conducting reconnaissance and continuously transmitting white-light and thermal imaging.

He Shuo stared intently at the drone feed, while holding a VECTOR 23 binocular to scan the rear, voicing the latest enemy situational report.

"The nearest heat source has closed to 400 meters behind us."

"They're moving fast; we expect them to catch up in about two kilometers."

"Our convoy is six kilometers from Shelter 7025."

"Too close; we're about to reach a road bend, posing an exposure risk."

"The enemy's pursuit forces are disjointed; should we stop and counterattack?"

"Stop!"

Upon receiving He Shuo's report, Chen Jian decisively gave the order:

"Establish a fire point at the upcoming intersection of Zhongshan Road and Wuluo Road, prepare to meet the enemy."

"Xie Liu and Zeng Yi, you are to protect Li Shi while supplying us with enemy intelligence."

"Who they are, what weapons they wield, their combat traits—if you can identify them, tell us everything."

"Everyone else, proceed according to the standard battle plan!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

The squad answered in unison; one kilometer later, the convoy reached the predetermined intersection.

Six swiftly disembarked; Zeng Yi and Xie Liu lifted Li Shi from the vehicle, clearing space for Lei Ji to operate the automatic grenade launcher.

Meanwhile, in the other vehicle, Shen Yue had already swung the 301 heavy machine gun's barrel to bear on two Holy Blooders sprinting at breakneck speed on the overpass, now just 300 meters away.

No command needed; the instant the foes' silhouettes emerged, Shen Yue squeezed the trigger.

"Bang-bang-bang-bang—"

The massive blast echoed far behind the supersonic bullets; as the Holy Blooders saw distant muzzle flashes, the ground beneath them kicked up a cloud of dust a person high.

The rounds shattered the fragile pavement, concrete shrapnel whizzing past; the two Holy Blooders halted in shock, then instantly threw themselves laterally, trying to dodge the hail of fire.

But at that moment, Lei Ji's automatic grenade launcher also opened fire.

35mm grenades rained down from above, then detonated upon the bridge deck.

The shockwave and shrapnel engulfed the two Holy Blooders who had launched themselves skyward; at that instant, Chen Jian almost thought they had been killed beneath the dense barrage.

But at that very moment, behind him, Zeng Yi suddenly shouted:

"Source Blooders!"

"They won't die that easily!"

"Understood!"

Chen Jian replied instantly, and together with He Shuo, each selected a target according to the priority-of-bearing principle and opened continuous fire.

Bullets sprayed around the Source Blooders, but at a range of nearly three hundred meters, trying to hit a fast-moving target with a hail of fire was still extremely difficult.

As the two Source Blooders, under gravity's pull, fell into the blind spot beneath the bridge, only a single round from the 201 machine gun grazed one of their calves.

The heat signature vanished into the dense woods, and behind him Zeng Yi continued:

"These two are Source Blooders! Their tenacity is formidable; even grievously wounded, they retain combat effectiveness."

"We must kill them outright!"

"We can't hit them!"

Chen Jian drew a deep breath, his mind unbidden wishing he had a white phosphorus round at hand.

"You're tough?"

"If I burned through your bones, would you be afraid?"

But just as that thought flickered through his mind, the spot where the Source Blooders had landed suddenly erupted with two fiery, high-velocity objects.

"Molotov cocktails!"

Chen Jian's pupils contracted instantly; his right hand rose almost reflexively, lifting his rifle to aim at the Molotov just reaching its apex, its speed slightly diminished.

"Bang-bang-bang-bang—"

A short burst sent one of the Molotovs exploding in midair.

"Boom!"

Brilliant fire blossomed, yet the other Molotov was already plummeting toward their position.

At that moment, no gun's barrel could swing fast enough to track the Molotov's trajectory.

Not even the 301 heavy machine gun, nor even He Shuo's 201 could swing in time! "Take cover!"

Chen Jian bellowed, while at the same instant Zeng Yi behind him drew his long blade and hurled it fiercely toward the incoming Molotov.

In the nick of time, the spinning hilt grazed the Molotov, altering its flight path.

The Molotov landed less than thirty meters from the squad; its erupting flames even made Chen Jian feel the searing heat.

"Damn!"

"These Source Blooders' tactics are anything but one-dimensional!"

"Lei Ji! Get the 201 up!"

"High-angle fire to suppress the blind spot!"

"Zeng Yi! Can they climb up to that height?"

"Hold the edge; they can't get up!"

"Understood!"

Chen Jian rushed to the bridge's edge, swiftly scanning the area beneath.

Meanwhile, Lei Ji already had the PBP201 in hand, pulled the trigger, lofting a high-arcing shot that cleared the bridge and slammed into the ground below with successive explosions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After three consecutive blasts, Chen Jian seized the moment and fired at a fleeting heat signature flickering in the woods.

The Source Blooders' speed had clearly been slowed by the rough terrain; this time, two successive rounds struck home in the target's back.

He ought to have been instantly incapacitated.

But in reality, after staggering a step, he managed to keep moving forward—though his speed had dropped considerably.

This time, Chen Jian and He Shuo would not give him a chance to escape.

The 191 rifle and the 201 machine gun fired in unison, a hail of bullets slamming him hard to the ground.

The Source Blooders lay motionless, devoid of life.

Chen Jian didn't pause for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the drone's feed, readying himself to intercept the pursuing Holy Blood warriors.

Yet at that instant, he was astonished to see that the several Holy Blood warriors who had been closing in halted their advance, instead veering to the side and slipping into a low‑rise building.

What's going on?

Perhaps a source‑blood had fallen, and they needed to regroup and reorganize?

Who cares!

Does it even matter?!

Chen Jian drew a deep breath and issued his command:

“Six hundred meters straight ahead at twelve o’clock, a four‑story white‑roofed building—lay down suppressing fire!”

“Lei Jing! Load the grenade‑launcher!”

“Copy that!”

Everyone instantly swung their barrels—or gun muzzles—toward the target.

The next second, the 12.7 mm Type‑301 heavy machine gun spat fire, followed closely by Lei Jing’s QLU‑193 sniper grenade launcher and Chen Jian’s shoulder‑mounted DZJ‑19 rocket launcher.

Generally, domestically produced sniper grenades stick to a 35 mm caliber.

But the one in his hands matches the export version—a 40 mm bore.

Coupled with the now‑ubiquitous CL‑20 propellant, his first shot left Chen Jian gaping in astonishment.

“Boom!”

After that single blast, half of the four‑story building’s façade collapsed, exposing a perfect firing angle.

The 12.7 mm machine‑gun rounds punched through the dust and smoke, shredding everything in their path inside.

And the next instant, the DZJ‑19’s high‑explosive round detonated at the building’s core, instantly blowing a load‑bearing wall apart.

In less than two seconds, the entire structure lay in ruins.

Yet the four‑man squad’s barrage was far from over.

What ammo conservation?

If they got close enough, there’d be nowhere left to use it!

Seize the moment—while they’ve made this huge mistake—fire away and worry later!

The roar continued unabated, tracer arcs tracing eerie yet dazzling patterns across the night sky.

Half a minute later, Chen Jian raised his hand to signal a cease‑fire.

By then, the little building was on the verge of total collapse, only a side load‑bearing wall still clinging stubbornly upright.

Were any of the Holy Blood warriors still alive inside?

Or rather, how many remained alive?

Chen Jian didn’t know.

But he knew that if anyone survived, they would surely realize just how ludicrous their so‑called “cover” truly was.

(End of chapter)