Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 1177: Chapter 8-13: Kerry Proposal_5

”I think...” Russell watched a female soldier serve coffee, waited a moment, and after she left, picked up the coffee and said, ”Their objective is not just on the surface of Kerry’s proposal. The ones behind the scenes have deeper plans.”

”Deeper plans?” Fang Xiang was a bit puzzled.

”Think about your good friend named Margaret...” Russell stirred the coffee and said lightly, ”The people behind Kerry are trying to force the Leray Federation to express their stance... Regarding some issues within the Feiyang Country, no matter how strong an ally’s army is, it won’t pose a threat. Even Chuckna and Ryan Republic would not intervene in Feiyang Country’s internal conflicts. But a free army closely associated with Margaret might make one feel restless.”

”Then...” Fang Xiang stammered, ”What should we do?”

”It’s up to him!” Russell smiled slightly, ”I’m not handling this.”

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Canglang Star’s Resource Highway H23 runs along the Karachi River through the mountains. A hundred-meter-wide white road is laid with ten metal magnetic lines, resembling a colorful ribbon, winding between towering green mountains.

It is early winter, dry and windy. Dust flies on the highway, obscuring the sky. Countless Mechas, heavy armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery march in formation. The sound of roaring engines is endless. The steel torrent rolls away, leaving behind mountains, road signs, and the gray long infantry formation on both sides of the road.

The sky is gradually darkening. The sun sets on the undulating peaks, occasionally showing a bit of bright red between two mountains. The clouds are like fire. The contrast between the dark valleys and the golden mountain peaks under the sunset glow is particularly beautiful. If not for the steel frenzy on the road, if not for the occasionally heard artillery fire in the distance, the beauty of the scenery would be truly captivating.

Dense explosions, like thunder rolling from the horizon. A group of prisoners, forced to march on the left side of the road, facing the dust flying, marched against groups of Jiepeng soldiers.

In the column of Jiepeng infantry, a Jiepeng soldier passing by the prisoners picked up a stone from the roadside, hitting a Chuckna prisoner. This drew laughter from his companions.

As the laughter faded away, the prisoner silently took the hit without showing any anger. The tall Chuckna warrior only staggered forward under the watchful eyes of the escorting soldiers, his gaze wooden.

Suddenly, there was some commotion at the rear of the prisoner column, for some unknown reason.

”Bang!” A gunshot rang out. A ragged Chuckna prisoner fell out of the column, collapsing into the roadside grass.

The escorting Jiepeng soldier lowered his gun, spat towards the grass, and scolded the prisoners as he watched them, ”Walk faster, don’t try to cause trouble, or this will be your end!”

The brief disturbance quickly subsided. Under the guns of the escorting soldiers, amid the sinister glances of the Jiepeng troops, the prisoners walked numbly forward. Like a flock of sheep driven into a wolf’s den.

The column trudged along. The rows of Mecha trucks and groups of Jiepeng soldiers on the road soon disappeared into the distance, leaving behind the dust-filled trail. At the end of the line, several energy supply and maintenance trucks, carrying a few seated Jiepeng soldiers, were the prisoners’ last sight.

As the noise receded, the whole valley, in the backdrop of the empty Resource Highway No. 3, fell into extreme silence.

The footsteps were chaotic. The crushed stone and wild grass of the roadbed occasionally made a rustling sound.

The prisoners walked silently.

They didn’t know how far they were from the end of their lives, although they were aware that the Jiepeng people rarely spared prisoners. On this journey, they had already seen too many bodies of their companions. They wanted to resist. But acting recklessly and unarmed would only lead to massacre.

A Jiepeng Corporal walking at the end of the column paused slightly, pulled out a lighter, and lit the cigarette in his mouth.

A Jiepeng soldier walking in front of him turned his head to glance at his superior, then turned back around. With a harsh kick, he hit a stumbling prisoner, cursing loudly all the while.

The corporal took a deep drag on his cigarette, just letting out a comfortable sigh when suddenly, a small figure darted out of the grass on the hillside above, crashing onto his head.

The corporal’s head was twisted violently at a two-hundred-seventy-degree angle, and without a whimper, he fell to the ground. The retinal afterimage showed a blonde little boy’s figure, and then boundless darkness engulfed him.

The little kid moved stealthily toward the end of the column.

Ever since infiltrating the Jiepeng SkyNet, the little kid had been searching for a way to break through.

From the SkyNet commands and the feedback from various Jiepeng units to the network, Pipi could identify many gaps.

In its view, utilizing the time differences in enemy movements, exploiting gaps between units theoretically allows for stealthy breakouts.

However, it also knew that a battlefield is not merely an electronic game. Not everything can be reflected on SkyNet.

For instance, a segment of the hillside chosen for the breakout might seem to be amidst enemy gaps, but in reality, perhaps it’s not hidden at all. Or this road may seem passable, but due to complex terrain, it demands excessive time for all to pass, failing to capitalize on the time difference... These factors are fatal.