RMM – Chapter 34 Thunderous Strike

After driving to a dark and secluded area, Xi Yuechen and his team quickly got out of the vehicle. They headed to the back, untied the ropes, and let the people inside come out.

“Commander, the truck’s full of high-end weapons! There’s a ton! Can we grab a few?” a young soldier asked eagerly the moment he got off.

“Do you even need to ask? If there’s stuff to take, take it. Everyone grab some, and don’t forget to stock up on backup supplies. Just don’t get greedy—don’t let it weigh you down,” replied Li Lijian immediately, without a second thought upon hearing there were good weapons. They hadn’t brought much gear with them for mobility, and now this surprise delivery couldn’t have come at a better time.

Xi Yuechen didn’t object either—his silence was tacit approval. Having good weapons in hand increased their chances of success, didn’t it?

“Everyone move quickly—we don’t have much time. Make sure we complete the mission before dawn!”

Xi Yuechen gave his final instructions before the operation began.

They split into three groups once again, approaching the command center from three directions. Xi Yuechen remained in charge of the critical section, with the task of capturing the Blue Army’s commander alive.

By this point, having reached the area without being detected by the Blue Army, the operation was almost a guaranteed success. As long as they could confirm the exact location of the command center and reach it, even if the Blue Army discovered their presence, it would be too late to stop them—they’d have no choice but to admit defeat.

“Xu Hong, I’m counting on you to confirm the exact location of the command center,” Xi Yuechen whispered.

“Yes, sir. I’ll get it done!” Xu Hong responded confidently. They had already infiltrated the Blue Army’s main base without alerting anyone—pinpointing the command center would be a piece of cake.

Xu Hong simply sat down on the ground, opened his laptop, and buried himself in the search.

Meanwhile, the Blue Army command center remained completely unaware that the enemy was already at their doorstep. Xi Yuechen had specifically left behind a team to run interference—harassing the Blue Army’s network system with guerrilla tactics. They played the role convincingly, putting on a show that had the Blue Army fooled into thinking Xi Yuechen was in disarray. They were still feeling pleased with themselves.

“This Xi Yuechen isn’t so great after all. I don’t know how he got his reputation in the first place. The moment he hits the battlefield, look—he’s already out of options. Hmph. His elite regiment has been so arrogant; it’s about time they were knocked down a peg,” said Colonel Luo with a sneer, half-joking, half-contemptuous.

But Zhao Shenglan, standing nearby, wasn’t nearly as relaxed. He knew full well what Xi Yuechen was like—his temperament and capability were anything but ordinary. Even though things seemed to be going their way, Zhao couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, like there was a detail they were overlooking.

“Xiao Qian, are you sure the Red Army hasn’t gotten any intel?” he asked, walking over with concern.

“Yes, sir. They hadn’t breached our main system before I planted a virus, and I’ve since reinforced the defenses. They’ve never managed to break in,” answered Lieutenant Xiao Qian with a frown. Logically, there was no way the Red Army could’ve gotten anything.

“Commander, don’t worry. No matter how impressive Xi Yuechen is, he’s just a rookie. He still needs a couple more years of experience. This time, the Red Army’s bound to lose face. Also, you haven’t had a proper rest in days—go lie down for a bit. I’ll keep watch. Xi Yuechen’s still wandering in the woods; there’s no way he’s getting here anytime soon,” Colonel Luo said, trying to persuade Zhao. After all, age catches up to everyone—he needed to take care of his health.

Zhao Shenglan frowned in thought for a moment before sighing. “Alright. Didn’t even notice how old I’ve gotten—it takes so little to tire me out these days.”

“Oh come on, Commander, don’t say that. You’ve got decades ahead of you. You’re not old yet. You still need to see the younger generation rise in the military and witness the nation’s prosperity!” Colonel Luo said cheerfully, trying to lift his spirits.

Zhao smiled and shook his head without replying. Not old yet? Of course he was. It was time to hand the army over to the next generation. For old-timers like him, just being able to witness the country’s growing strength was more than enough.

Zhao Shenglan left the command center and returned to the makeshift tent prepared for him, leaving only Colonel Luo and a few soldiers behind at headquarters. The major general from earlier had already led his troops to engage the Red Army. After all, this was a military exercise. The Blue Army’s opponent was the entire Red Army, not just Xi Yuechen’s reinforcement regiment. While the reinforcement regiment led the charge, the rest of the Red Army still had to be taken seriously. Winning with Xi Yuechen was ideal, but they couldn’t pin all their hopes on him and ignore the rest of the opposing force. A proper, large-scale confrontation between the two armies was still underway.

Meanwhile, on Xi Yuechen’s side, Xu Hong quickly confirmed the exact location of the command center. After notifying the other two teams, he led his seven-member squad silently through the night, approaching the quiet Blue Army command center.

Compared to the outer patrols, the security around the Blue Army’s main base was noticeably tighter. It was impossible to avoid detection entirely, so they avoided what they could—and when they couldn’t, they were forced to act. Fortunately, everyone Xi Yuechen brought along was highly skilled; when the Blue Army was caught unprepared, they could be quietly “taken care of.”

Since they had infiltrated the area in secret, their top priority was staying hidden and avoiding detection. That meant minimizing direct conflict with the Blue Army unless absolutely necessary. This caution also slowed their progress significantly, especially since they were deliberately moving through remote and peripheral routes, which cost them even more time.

Still, conflict was inevitable.

Just as Xi Yuechen and his group emerged from the shadows of a corner, a voice suddenly called out from behind, “What are you doing here?!”

The few men at the front froze at the sound, debating whether to strike immediately. Their bodies tensed, ready to act.

In that critical moment, Xi Yuechen stepped quickly into the light and approached the wary Blue Army soldiers, who looked like they were about to come closer. He put on a charming, deferential smile and said, “Brothers, we’re from the transport unit. First time here, and we accidentally got lost. We’re just trying to find the right way. Could you please go easy on a clueless rookie like me?”

As he spoke humbly, he produced half a pack of cigarettes from who-knows-where and offered it with both hands to the soldiers now standing in front of him.

The six team members still hidden in the shadows stared in disbelief. Was this really their proud and resolute commander? They had never seen the normally stern and cold Xi Yuechen act like this. But his performance was flawless—absolutely convincing. Their admiration for their commander doubled on the spot. Their leader was truly a master of both humility and strategy, brave and clever all at once.

The six Blue Army soldiers, seeing Xi Yuechen’s demeanor and the fact that he was wearing a Blue Army uniform, immediately dropped their suspicions. They waved their hands casually and said, “No, no, it’s fine. But seriously, what are you doing wandering around? This isn’t your area. Get moving.”

Seeing that they had lowered their guard, Xi Yuechen gave a subtle signal to Li Lijian, who was still hidden in the shadows. Having worked together for years, one look was enough between them.

Li Lijian picked up the cue and discreetly gave several hand signals to the others behind him. Luckily, they were all seasoned from previous missions and well-coordinated. They exchanged brief glances in understanding—even though some of them were still wearing Red Army uniforms.

The Blue Army soldiers, having relaxed, started walking down the path again. As they reached the shadows where Li Lijian’s group was hiding, one of them frowned and said, “Hey, you over there—what are you doing hiding in the dark? Come out!”

Only two of them stepped forward. The rest remained in the shadows. The leading Blue Army soldier grew suspicious. “Why are you acting so sneaky? What are you—uh…”

Before he could finish, Xi Yuechen struck like lightning. The soldier didn’t even have time to react before being knocked unconscious. At the same moment, Wang Ze and the others burst from the shadows, swiftly taking down the remaining five Blue Army soldiers. In the blink of an eye, the six-man patrol had been completely “eliminated.”

“Hey now, you’re all technically dead. No moving or talking, okay? Follow the rules for the fallen,” Wang Ze joked to the wide-eyed Blue Army soldiers lying on the ground.

They stared at Xi Yuechen’s group, stunned, and when they saw the team members behind him still wearing Red Army uniforms, they gasped. “You… you’re the Red Army?”

“Hmph. Too late to figure that out,” Xu Hong said with a grin.

With the area clear, Xi Yuechen’s squad moved quickly toward the command center. As they departed, Wang Ze turned back and gave a friendly reminder to the “dead” soldiers:

“Hey, brothers, as proper soldiers you better follow the rules of the battlefield. Don’t go pulling any shady moves like ‘coming back from the dead’ to give away our position, alright?”

Then they left, disappearing into the night, leaving behind five thoroughly humiliated “corpses” gnashing their teeth in regret—but completely powerless to do anything about it.