Chapter 22: Arc 2 Part 9
Author: 橘子
“What’s going on? How could they find out our hiding spot so quickly?” Canette roared in the command room. The third fleets had not only precisely found their hidden location, but they also attacked them very accurately.
Everything happened too suddenly. The fifth fleet hadn’t put up much of a defense, but the staff members in headquarters were busily rushing around. Everyone was nervous and they all had tense looks on their faces.
“Reporting to Vice Captain: The jamming devices have lost their signals.” The staff impatiently reported their findings.
“What?” Canette cried out in alarm. “Why did you only find this out now? Hurry up and go fix it!”
“Not enough time-I’m afraid it can’t be fixed in such a short amount of time.” The staff member replied and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“You’re all useless!” Canette quipped. Then he turned to the Special Ops team currently in combat and ordered, “You better beat them back to where they came from! Whatever you do, you must not allow them to occupy our headquarters.”
Without even a second to spare, they couldn’t reply to the command. The members of the fifth fleet were busy struggling under the intense attacks from the third fleet. Canette watched the situation on the screen. His breathing became rough and his heart rate sped up from the tension. His hands tightly gripped both of the arm rests beside him, and his brain frantically worked to come up with any possible countermeasures they could take.
Soon, the third fleet’s ships appeared over the base and Canette knew that nothing could be done. They had lost with such an embarra.s.sing defeat. Their headquarters would be seized within the next few minutes, and the crew would become captives. This complete and total defeat left them with no dignity to speak of. It was an utter disgrace to lose in such a manner.
“Vice Captain.”Greene called out as he quickly rushed to Canette’s side.
……..
After Qiao Chen and Auray finished setting up the metal net and hooking it up with electricity, they sat on a nearby tree branch. They were waiting leisurely to see whether or not any unsuspecting fish would be caught in their net. Auray ma.s.saged Qiao Chen’s calf with one hand, while he watched the combat situation through the communicator on his other hand.
Qiao Chen also watched Auray’s communicator, but he felt that watching little dots that moved every now and then was boring. He leaned his back onto the trunk and closed his eyes.
Auray stopped his ma.s.sage and looked towards the cave’s entrance. Qiao Chen’s attention perked up as well. He opened his eyes and followed Auray’s line of sight.
“Agh!”A scream rang out from the cave and an uproar followed soon after.
“There are fish in the net.” Qiao Chen smiled.
“Electricity! There’s an electric current running through the net.” The fifth fleet had crowded in the cave. The two who were just electrocuted lied on the ground clutching their arms in pain.
“Greene! What’s this all about? Is this supposed to be the escape route you prepared?” Canette asked angrily.
“It didn’t have this metal net when I finished it.” Greene explained as he looked at the net that sealed them in. Greene was suspicious. Who in the world sealed the cave?
“You coming?” Qiao Chen asked as Auray notified the rest of the team of their location.
“Yes.” Auray glanced at his communicator and replied.
“Then let’s go now.” Qiao Chen urged. He really wanted to see Canette and Greene’s incredulous looks.
Qiao Chen walked to the cave’s entrance and peered in. He attentively watched the fifth fleet’s confusion. “How lively.” He commented, effectively catching the attention of the people who had yet to notice him.
The group inside the cave finally noticed Qiao Chen and Auray standing outside the cave’s entrance. Canette looked at Qiao Chen in shock, “Qiaoyi? What are you doing here?”
“Oh just setting up a net and waiting for you to fall right into my trap~” Qiao Chen replied.
“This net was your doing?” Canette asked. His eyes burned with a desire to kill.
“Bingo.”
“So you broke our jamming device too?” Greene asked, holding the remains of the jamming device he just found.
“Yep. That was me too.” Qiao Chen nodded.
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Canette seethed.
His face contorted in fury. In a fit of anger, he forgot about the electric current running through the net. He ran up and was just about to force his way through the net before Greene stopped him.
“Vice Captain. There’s electricity running through the net.” Greene quickly interjected. He stopped Canette just in time. Canette came to his senses and backed away from the net. His rage burned as he glared through the net. It was as though he wanted to burn Qiao Chen to death with his glare.
Greene turned to Qiao Chen and accused, “You used to be a member of the fifth fleet, but now you’re scheming with the third fleet against us. Aren’t you at all ashamed?”
“But I’m working for the third fleet now. They’re giving me a great salary with a high status to boot. It’s my job to do all I can to help the fifth fleet win, so what should I be ashamed of? Before, when I was employed by the fifth fleet, didn’t I give it my all? It was just that a certain someone didn’t want to give me an easy time, so I was forced to resign.” Qiao Chen shrugged.
Both Greene and Canette thought that Qiao Chen was referring to them self and Qiao Chen didn’t correct them.
“Just you wait, Qiaoyi. I will never let you have an easy life.” Canette snarled.
“OK~ I’ll wait and see. I’ve already left the fifth fleet and gone elsewhere. I’d like to see how you’d continue to give me a hard time.” Qiao Chen calmly replied.
Several of the third fleet’s mechs landed near the cave. They retrieved Qiao Chen, Auray, and all the fifth fleet staff members who escaped from the base. The third fleet had completely taken over the fifth fleet’s headquarters. As long as they brought the fifth fleet back before the compet.i.tion ended, they would able to announce their victory.
Qiao Chen sat on the ground next to a nearby tree. He watched as the fifth fleet members were taken away, one after the other. He completely relaxed the tension from his body and the fatigue set in. When all the people in the cave were taken away, everyone headed back onto the mechs.
Qiao Chen pushed himself up only to feel his legs give out from under him. He fell back onto the ground. His muscles were overextended. He abandoned the idea of walking and looked around for help. Henry stood a few meters away conversing with some other team members, so Qiao Chen called out.
“Henry!”
Henry looked back and saw Qiao Chen on the ground. He immediately turned around, headed to Qiao Chen, and asked, “What’s up?”
“I can’t walk. Help carry me to the mech.” Qiao Chen motioned him to crouch down.
“Oh, OK.” Henry turned around and crouched down.
Qiao Chen pulled himself up to Henry’s shoulder and was about to lean onto his back, when Auray suddenly appeared. Auray grabbed Qiao Chen’s arm and interrupted, “I’ll carry him.”
Qiao Chen was whisked away and positioned on Auray’s back before being carried back to Auray’s mech. Henry was stunned and just blankly stared at the two as they departed.