Chapter 252: 252, Old acquaintance, Tang Zhou!

The Qing Shi forces advanced in tactical formation, yet Ren Xiaoxu never emerged from behind the great tree—he was waiting...

Five hundred meters from his rear encampment, though Ren Xiaoxu had no intention of returning for reinforcements, for the entire camp behind him, save Chen Wudi, lacked anyone he could rely upon.

Jiang Wu’s students were eager to assist him, yet the crux lay in those eight children—intellectuals who could scarcely lift an automatic rifle.

Private armies were composed of such men; could one truly depend on them?

Yet Ren Xiaoxu waited—for Qing Shi to venture a step further!

When the Qing Shi combat unit entered the thorny vine zone, Ren Xiaoxu did not hasten to control the thorny vines and launch an attack, but instead quietly awaited the entire squad’s entry.

The thorny vines, save for the sprouting portion Ren Xiaoxu had unearthed from the snow, lay buried beneath thick snow.

Yet as the Qing Shi combat unit first stepped into the area, someone noticed something amiss: “Wait, it feels like we’ve stepped on something.”

A soldier knelt and scraped away the snow, revealing the ground’s thorns: “These crimson thorns are peculiar—I’ve never seen such flora before.”

“These days, strange plants abound; nothing to marvel at. Could they attack us?” A soldier glanced sideways, resuming vigilance.

Yet the squad leader furrowed his brow: “Something’s odd. Do not advance—retreat!”

Ren Xiaoxu, hidden behind trees dozens of meters away, marveled inwardly. He had not expected the Qing Shi combat unit to be so cautious—excessively so, for merely wild vegetation!

What are you afraid of?

Ren Xiaoxu felt a pang of regret; the enemy had practically delivered themselves, yet he had slain not a single one.

But Ren Xiaoxu was unaware—this was Qing Yun’s elite force dispatched to ambush the Shenji Camp, renowned throughout Qing Shi, merely the vanguard scouts, with the main force undergoing brief rest.

How could a unit capable of inflicting heavy losses upon the Shenji Camp’s nanowarriors so easily fall into a trap?

If Ren Xiaoxu had not disabled the potato shooter himself, perhaps he could have tested its might now...

Suddenly, the combat squad leader called out across the distance: “Friend, are you of the Li Shi forces?”

Ren Xiaoxu froze at the voice: “Tang Zhou?!”

The other party also froze: “Ren Xiaoxu?!”

A shout was harmless, yet to find a familiar face?

Earlier, Tang Zhou had driven an off-road vehicle to return Qing Zhen and Luo Ran to Wall 111. Upon arriving at Wall 111, Qing Zhen and Luo Ran were placed under house arrest, while Tang Zhou was reassigned to the frontline forces, reporting to the Daping Mountain forward base.

After joining Qing Yun’s command, Qing Yun, aware he was Luo Ran’s man, promptly demoted his lieutenant rank to squad leader, dispatching him to this elite unit as a scout.

Many in this unit were once Qing Zhen’s soldiers. Qing Yun, under the guise of ambushing the Shenji Camp, posed a dilemma: even if they succeeded here, how would they retreat?

For the entire Fengyi Mountain, Shuanglong Mountain, and Tantou Mountain line marked Li Shi combat positions—should the Shenji Camp clash here, Li Shi would unleash a frenzied counterattack upon this Qing Shi unit.

They might become heroes in Qing Shi’s annals, yet they would never escape these mountains!

Thus, upon Qing Zhen’s coup, he immediately dispatched Qing Yun’s favored forces to Li Shi’s territory—not cruelty, but war’s inherent brutality. Without maintaining the leader’s grip over the army, the war could not be won.

At this moment, Tang Zhou remained unaware Qing Zhen had already seized power. When they set out, Qing Yun had not even issued satellite phones or radios, so when Qing Zhen inquired about recalling the unit, the adjutant replied: “Too late.”

At Wall 109, Ren Xiaoxu and Tang Zhou had maintained close ties, and Tang Zhou had aided them greatly. Since it was Tang Zhou, the situation before them suddenly held room for reconciliation.

Previously, Ren Xiaoxu had found the combat squad peculiarly tenacious—one mere thorny vine had drawn their attention. Now, realizing they were Luo Ran and Qing Zhen’s soldiers, Ren Xiaoxu felt a strange sense of understanding.

In his memory, Qing Zhen and Luo Ran commanded elite troops—no weaklings among them.

Ren Xiaoxu shouted: “Come alone and speak!”

He dared not approach, for that side held not only Tang Zhou—should others fire recklessly, what then?

Tang Zhou, hearing this, prepared to cross the thorny vines toward Ren Xiaoxu. A voice whispered nearby: “Squad leader, do not go! Should you approach, what if the other side deceives us?”

Tang Zhou shook his head: “Fear not, old friends.”

“Old friends may change,” someone urgently warned: “Do not trust him lightly.”

Tang Zhou smiled: “Fear not, I trust him. Did I not tell you—when Wall 113 collapsed, someone saved me and Old Lu on the road? It was him. He and Old Lu are also... uh, I’m not sure if they’re close friends.”

All nearby fell silent—the revelation’s weight staggering. The other side had saved Tang Zhou? Yet the question lingered—why had he appeared here alone, crouched in the snow at midnight? Playing in the snow?

Tang Zhou carefully skirted the thorny vines, approaching the great tree where Ren Xiaoxu stood. Ren Xiaoxu mused—how pleasant it felt to be trusted.

Tang Zhou truly dared come alone!

“Long time no see. What brings you here?” Tang Zhou arrived at the tree’s rear, spotting Ren Xiaoxu. He chuckled: “You wear Shenji Camp’s uniform?”

Ren Xiaoxu glanced at him: “Sit and speak.”

Tang Zhou and Ren Xiaoxu sat cross-legged in the snow, Tang Zhou placing his weapons aside: “You’ve joined Li Shi?”

“Pah, joined what? I followed refugees from Wall 109, only to be conscripted by force.”

“Hah, worse than me—I’ve been exiled here to die.”

“Die?” Ren Xiaoxu puzzled: “What do you mean?”

“Now, the army answers to one Qing Yun. Commander Qing Zhen and Old Lu are under house arrest in Wall 111’s villa, unable to move. Upon joining Qing Yun, I was immediately demoted, and he’s placed many of Commander Qing Zhen’s former favored troops into this unit to ambush your Shenji Camp.”

Ren Xiaoxu’s expression grew peculiar: “Then you’ve erred—I’m not the Shenji Camp, but a private army...”