Chongzong did not choose to make the first move, but immediately found a thick tree to use as cover and hid behind it.
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His heart was pounding wildly.
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This was the first time he had encountered an opponent whose profession was killing.
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Compared to them, the previous opponents could be considered friendly martial arts enthusiasts.
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The fear of death permeated every cell of Chongzong.
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At the moment, if the other party only had a small-caliber handgun, the tree trunk in front of Chongzong would be enough to serve as cover.
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Of course, this was only if.
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Through Chongzong's visual observation, after landing, the tactical team on the ground consisted of three people. They seemed to have noticed Chongzong's movements, but only remained on guard and did not immediately pursue.
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They didn't even shoot at Chongzong, they just let Chongzong run away "helplessly."
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Or perhaps, Chongzong had not run out of their hunting range yet, so they let Chongzong go for now.
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The first thing they did was to set up two folding bulletproof shields to protect Bai Yaxin, while the third team member kneeled inside the protection circle and immediately treated Bai Yaxin.
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The leader wore a red armband, with grenades and flash bangs at his waist, holding up a shield, appearing to be the captain.
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The other two, one equipped with an assault rifle, and the other with only a handgun, but carrying a medical kit on the back.
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The three altogether formed the configuration of a captain, assault soldier, and medic.
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From this, Chongzong understood.
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The other party did not want to engage in a firefight easily, because Bai Yaxin was still on the battlefield, and any accidental injury to Bai Yaxin was something they definitely did not want to happen.
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——Not until the day when Bai Yaxin could save their lives came.
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So, Chongzong seized the opportunity and silently moved back two trees.
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After all, in front of an assault rifle, the tree he had just chosen would be shot through in less than two seconds.
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After these tens of seconds passed, the current situation was that Chongzong definitely could not beat this trio.
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But the good news was that the situation was in Chongzong's favor.
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Because the other party did not come down from the helicopter to kill, at least not so far.
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Their highest priority now was to rescue Bai Yaxin.
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It could even be said that they might not even bother with Kumo either.
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After all, if by trying to save Kumo they delayed Bai Yaxin's treatment, they would all be in deep trouble.
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Everyone knew that Bai Yaxin treated people as pawns, with only himself being the most important.
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The key now was how the medic judged Bai Yaxin's condition.
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For Chongzong, if the other party only intended to save Bai Yaxin, then that would be acceptable.
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Letting Bai Yaxin go could save Bai Shi and himself.
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Conversely, even if he and Bai Shi risked their lives, Chongzong still wouldn't be able to keep Bai Yaxin from these three professional and fully armed soldiers.
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Reality is often cruel, but do not fear it, face it, and then find a solution.
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As long as you are not dead, there will always be a way.
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The most pressing issue for Chongzong now was whether these three individuals would leave one or two people behind to clean up after rescuing Bai Yaxin.
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This question was impossible to deduce, could only be observed while acting.
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——In any case, disrupting them and delaying their time, even weakening their strength, would certainly be the right thing to do.
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Chongzong silently pulled out his pistol and aimed at the gap between the two bulletproof shields.
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If he managed to shoot through there, he could hit the medic's ankle. Even if he missed, the shot could still ricochet off and cause some damage.
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——Hopefully everything goes smoothly!
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Chongzong pulled the trigger, but at the same time, the enemy also noticed Chongzong's movement. The two bulletproof shields turned almost simultaneously in Chongzong's direction, and the bullets hit the edge of the shields, bouncing off and missing Chongzong’s target.
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Chongzong's gunfire changed their assessment and decision-making at the scene.
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Chongzong observed that they seemed to be communicating via radio.
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It was highly likely they had received information from the helicopter, which through aerial reconnaissance had almost confirmed that there was only Chongzong as the enemy.
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With the archers from the donjon already having retreated, based on what Chongzong knew, within the main palace separated by the moat, there was only himself with combat capability left.
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Miss Van, disguised, had taken Mr. Dochira to rescue.
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After personally destroying the drawbridge of the main palace, Mr. Manranyama Souren also evacuated.
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Mr. Kurokawa died in battle.
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Mr. Bai Shi was severely injured and unconscious.
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Ito Shinran, Ito Yunai, and Sister Yui from the donjon had most likely already retreated according to the predetermined strategy.
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The evidence was that the wireless communication devices they used had not responded to Chongzong's call for a long time.
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——Don't die, everyone.
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Chongzong told himself not to think about another possibility.
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...The possibility that everyone from the donjon had been targeted and killed by Bai Yaxin's men.
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The formation of the trio array changed.
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The assault member raised his shield and began to advance slowly towards Chongzong.
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The remaining captain still guarded Bai Yaxin and the medic with the shield, but now only remained vigilant in the direction where Chongzong was.
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Just as Chongzong had feared, the other side had gained the upper hand in intelligence.
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The other side had most likely deduced that, apart from Chongzong, there probably were no other enemies in the nearby area.
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Based on this speculation, the other party still maintained their decision to keep two people behind and send one to engage, which could only mean that, on one hand, they did value Bai Yaxin greatly, and on the other hand, they believed a single assault member was sufficient to deal with Chongzong.
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Not initiating a preemptive suppression attack indicated they did not want to start a firefight too early to minimize the risk of stray bullets hitting Bai Yaxin.
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——They sure do treat Bai Yaxin like he's their ancestor.
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If there was only one opponent, Chongzong felt he could come up with a plan to deal with it.
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With both of the other party's teammates behind, this formation would hinder their own attempts to shoot and cover each other.
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Chongzong took a deep breath and made a decision.
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Not seeking victory, but to delay as much time as possible.
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He quickly glanced at the height of the helicopter and the speed of descent, roughly calculating that there was about sixty seconds left.
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If he could stall until the helicopter landed, Chongzong would win.
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Chongzong checked his magazine, including the chambered round, still having six bullets left.
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One enemy.
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Armed with a bulletproof shield, a handgun, and an assault rifle, with a tactical combat knife at the waist, nothing resembling grenades was in sight.
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Currently, one hand held a bulletproof shield while the other hand held a handgun, moving forward steadily.
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In a frontal confrontation with inadequate firepower to threaten the enemy's defenses, this aggressive method of advance would have no good solutions indeed.
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With limited ammunition, Chongzong could not afford to waste bullets on useless suppressive fire.
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In this difficult situation, Chongzong could only face the enemy, slowly back away tree by tree, trying to buy himself a little more time.
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After moving from three or four trees, Chongzong gradually realized that the battle was starting to shift in his favor.
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The trees in this forest were very dense.
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In some narrow places, even a single person would have to carefully squeeze through sideways.
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Not to mention carrying a shield or an assault rifle on the back.
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Had his opponent, who was staring at him intently, also noticed this?
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Chongzong observed that the other party's footsteps had slowed down.
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Indeed, faced with this dense forest, this assault soldier was hesitating.
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Entering the woods meant that his equipment would turn from an advantage to a disadvantage.
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Without entering the woods, this confrontation would become meaningless.
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However, professional mercenaries did not ponder issues in the gentle manner that Chongzong did.
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"Kid." (Assault Soldier)
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Suddenly, the assault soldier shouted into the woods, his voice very rough.
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"Hiding in the woods is quite smart." (Assault Soldier)
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"We also don't want you to shoot, worried you'll hit that Boss with the last name Bai." (Assault Soldier)
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"So, as long as we can prevent you from firing, isn't that enough?" (Assault Soldier)
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As he spoke, the assault soldier swiftly holstered his handgun, took the assault rifle off his back, held it with both hands, and disengaged the safety.
Then, the vanguard aimed at Chongzong's position within the woods and began wildly spraying bullets, "tututu", into the area.
Laughing madly while spraying, the vanguard's laughter blended with the gunfire, transforming into a form of psychological warfare that invaded Chongzong's mind through his ears.
Under his barrage, bullets poured out like a storm, with the slender tree trunks being instantly torn apart like paper in the face of this violent onslaught, and the stout tree trunks only holding up for a few moments before being riddled with holes.
In this brutal suppression, not to mention fighting back, Chongzong didn't even have a chance to flee, only able to lie down in a low-lying area, praying not to be hit.
He didn't even know if he had been hit during the time he lay down earlier.
This was Chongzong's first experience of the sheer violence of firearms.
With a "buzz", his mind completely lost its ability to think.
However, the enemy continued advancing while spraying intermittently.
He was quite experienced, spraying for a few seconds, stopping, then spraying again for a few seconds.
The duration and intervals were completely irregular, purely according to his own preferences.
This way, his opponent couldn't pinpoint a time to make a move.
At this moment, the vanguard had underestimated Chongzong.
Not to mention fighting back, Chongzong had lost the courage to even run away.
— Standing up to fight back meant death.
— Running away meant death.
— Waiting meant death.
— So tired.
Listening to the bullets whizzing past above his head, Chongzong almost felt like giving up.
The feeling he had now was as if his hands and feet were tied and someone was holding an extremely sharp knife against his neck, ready to cut it at any moment.
The fear of death made Chongzong drenched in sweat, shivering all over.
— It's just too hard.
Months of preparation for today's operation, meticulous planning, and deploying so many human and material resources, only to end up being pinned down and beaten by Bai Yaxin like this.
But even if he wanted to give up now, the enemy wouldn't spare him.
Overcome the fear.
Haven't you always overcome the test of life and death?
It's just a rifle.
What's the difference from being held at gunpoint by a pistol?
In the thunderous gunfire, Chongzong kept comforting himself until his body's tremors subsided, and his hands no longer shook, allowing him to grip the rifle firmly.
— It would be a waste not to empty these six bullets before dying.
This was the last psychological suggestion Chongzong gave to himself.
