jdhmnovel Chapter 365: Containment and Countermeasures: The Crisis of the "Return to Zero Plan" in t
Chapter 365: Containment and Countermeasures: The Crisis of the "Return to Zero Plan" in t
Chapter 365: Containment and Countermeasures: The Crisis of "Plan Zero" in the Manor
Lei Tao peered through the car window, his gaze fixed on the manor, his mind secretly plotting his next move. Meanwhile, in the manor's living room, a dozen people sat around a large table, laden with bottles of wine and a card game, seemingly enjoying a relaxed gathering. Suddenly, the door flung open, and an angry middle-aged man burst in, barking in a stern Japanese scold: "Am I giving you too much freedom? We're about to launch a mission. Are you capable of completing it in your current state?" Everyone looked at each other in shock at the sudden rebuke, rising from their seats, expressions of panic and unease on their faces.
At that moment, Kazuya Uesugami and Haruki Kimura, dressed in British-style suits, walked into the reception room with a calm demeanor. Seeing them, everyone hurriedly adjusted their demeanor, trying to hide their previous discomfiture. The middle-aged man, upon seeing Kazuya Uesugami and Haruki Kimura, stood at attention, saluted them, and tentatively asked, "Colonel Uesugami, when will our 'Zero Plan' (the plan to launch a special artillery attack on the confidential location of the National Security Army's temporary military and political headquarters in Chongqing) begin?"
A faint sneer played across Kazuya Uesugi's lips. He didn't answer immediately, but instead walked slowly to the table, casually picked up a bottle of wine, and gently shook it, listening to the subtle clink of the liquid in the bottle. His eyes revealed a certain nonchalance. Kimura Haruki stood aside, his arms folded, a faint mockery on his face, as he glanced at his panicked subordinates.
"What are you panicking about?" Kazuya Uesugi finally spoke. His voice was low, but it cut like a sharp knife, instantly silencing the room. He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. "We can't rush this mission. Do you think we can succeed by just rushing into it like this?"
The middle-aged man frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, but he still said respectfully: "Colonel Shangshan, but we have been preparing for a long time. If we delay any longer, what if the news leaks..."
Kazuya Uesugi raised his hand to interrupt him, slamming the bottle down on the table with a dull thud. "Leaked information? Humph, I have my own plans. This 'Zero Plan' concerns the Empire's strategic deployment in China. Only success is allowed, not failure." He paused, looking at Haruki Kimura. "Kimura-kun, tell me."
Kimura Haruki stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, our target is the confidential headquarters of the Chongqing Provisional Military and Political Department. It's heavily guarded. Judging from the way you acted just now, you'd be dead if you went there." His gaze fell on an agent with a blush on his face. "Tanaka, tell me, if I let you in now, how confident are you?"
When Tanaka’s name was called, his body froze and he stammered, “Kimura-kun, I…I…”
"Hmph, you can't even speak clearly." Kimura Haruki snorted coldly, "We need to wait for the perfect opportunity, a time that will allow us to strike with one strike."
Outside the manor, Lei Tao had already quietly led his team closer to the perimeter wall. He gestured, and the team quickly dispersed, using the terrain and shadows to conceal themselves silently. Then, he sidled up to Li Shuiniu and Li Shuyang, pointed two fingers at the gate sentry, and made a bow-drawing motion. The two men immediately understood, nodded in tacit agreement, and carefully unhooked their semi-automatic crossbows from their backs, their movements gentle and careful to avoid making any sound.
The two brothers half-crouched, using the bushes for cover as they crouched, slowly moving toward the gate. Their gazes were fixed on the two sentries, their breathing steady and deep. As they drew closer, Li Shuiniu raised his hand slightly, signaling a halt. He and Li Shuyang exchanged a glance, each one a look of determination and composure. They expertly loaded their crossbows, their triggers glinting with a cold, hard metallic sheen in the dim light.
At the same time, Lei Tao kept close to the wall and quickly moved to a position where he could clearly see the rooftop to guard against the enemy. He looked up and saw the enemy pacing back and forth with his back to him, unaware of the danger.
Lei Tao pulled out an M1911 pistol from the holster at his waist, and took out a special silencer from his tactical backpack. He aligned the silencer with the threaded interface on the front end of the pistol and tightened it.
While installing the gun, Lei Tao kept his eyes on the enemy, paying attention to their movements. After making sure the silencer was securely installed, he adjusted his position, half-crouched, raised the pistol, bent his arm, kept his elbow close to his body, placed his index finger on the trigger, and thumb-down the safety, ready to shoot.
At that moment, a night bird suddenly flew overhead, emitting a short cry. The two sentries instinctively looked up, and Li Shui Niu and Li Shui Yang seized this fleeting moment and decisively pulled the trigger. "Whoosh, whoosh!" Almost simultaneously, two crossbow bolts, like two bolts of black lightning, struck the sentries' throats with unerring precision. Without even a groan, the two men collapsed, their bodies hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Almost at the same time, Lei Tao also launched an attack. He raised the M1911 with a silencer in his hand steadily and aimed the muzzle accurately at the enemy on the roof.
Lei Tao's index finger slowly exerted force, gently squeezing the trigger. With a muffled "puff," the bullet instantly burst from the chamber, hurtling towards the enemy at a speed barely discernible to the naked eye. With immense kinetic energy, the bullet penetrated the enemy's back and exited through his heart. As if struck by a tremendous force, the enemy's body flung forward, and the gun in his hand fell from his grasp, arcing and landing on the roof with a clang.
Immediately afterwards, the enemy's body fell forward uncontrollably, tumbling down the slope of the roof, hitting the ground hard, raising a small cloud of dust. Without hesitation, Lei Tao quickly put away his pistol. With a quick gesture, Lei Tao led his team towards the manor gate.
At this moment, a secret sentry noticed something unusual and quickly ran into the conference room, warning Kamishima Kazuya: "Colonel Kamishima, there's a tail outside."
Kazuya Uesugi frowned and said, "These guys are just haunting us!" He pointed at several Japanese secret service agents, including Tanaka, and said, "Hold on." "Everyone else, grab your weapons and follow me!"
Tanaka and his men quickly removed their MP35 submachine guns from the wall and were about to run out of the gate to set up a defensive perimeter. Unexpectedly, Lei Tao and his men had already rushed to within twenty meters of them. Lei Tao, preemptively firing his silenced M1911 pistol, shot two Japanese agents in the eyebrow and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Kazuya Uesugi immediately unlocked the underground passageway and fled through it with Kimura Haruki and several of his men. The other Japanese agents who were in charge of the interception hid at the stairwells or behind sofas, firing at Lei Tao and his men. A barrage of bullets rained down, striking the ground and walls with showers of sparks.
Lei Tao quickly crouched down, gesturing for his team to disperse and seek cover. He rolled behind a nearby stone pillar. Meanwhile, Li Shuiniu, crouching low, used the debris ahead for cover as he swiftly maneuvered behind a low wall. He leaned forward, raised his semi-automatic drum-type crossbow, and fired accurately at the enemy at the stairwell. With a single "puff, puff" sound, two crossbow bolts flew out, striking the two Japanese agents in the heart and chest. They instantly vomited blood and fell backward.
Taking advantage of a brief lull in enemy fire, Lei Tao seized the opportunity, abruptly stood up from behind a stone pillar, and with his legs, rushed towards the enemy bunker. As he ran, he swerved, stopped suddenly, and constantly changed his position, making it difficult for the enemy to aim. At the same time, he fired a rapid burst of bullets from his M1911 pistol, whizzing towards the enemy. A Japanese spy, just as he tried to poke his head out to fire, was struck in the forehead by Lei Tao's bullet, killing him instantly.
Liu Zishan hid behind an abandoned car, his pistol tightly gripped, his eyes fixed on the enemy's movements. He spotted an enemy preparing to flank and attack his teammates, and immediately shouted, "Watch out for the flanks!" while raising his hand and firing. Unfortunately, due to the long distance, the shot missed. But the warning alerted his teammates to the danger and they quickly turned to respond.
Seeing the situation was dire, the enemy began to concentrate their fire on Lei Tao. He dodged and hid behind a large wooden crate. Enemy bullets struck the crate, sending wood chips flying. Lei Tao quickly checked his pistol ammunition; only a few rounds remained. He pulled a spare magazine from his tactical vest pocket and deftly replaced it.
At this moment, Li Shuiniu once again drew the string of his crossbow and loaded an arrow. He observed the battlefield and noticed that the enemy's firepower was concentrated primarily on Lei Tao. He crouched low and quickly moved along the low wall to a different position, ready to surprise the enemy. From his new position, he slowly leaned forward and aimed his crossbow at the enemy, who was focusing his full attention on Lei Tao. While the enemy was focused on attacking Lei Tao, Li Shuiniu decisively pulled the trigger. The arrow, with a whistling sound, struck the enemy in the back, sending him screaming and falling to the ground.
The remaining Japanese agents grew increasingly panicked, but they still fought tenaciously. Hiding behind cover, they continued to fire at Lei Tao and his men, occasionally throwing grenades. A grenade flew toward Lei Tao's position. Quick-witted, Lei Tao quickly caught a jar on the ground with his feet, tossed it up, and then, with a side kick, sent it careening toward the grenade. The jar struck the grenade accurately, changing its trajectory, and it exploded in mid-air, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Taking advantage of the smoke from the explosion, Lei Tao shouted, "Charge!" and led his team to charge the enemy. Team members rushed out from behind the bunkers, their weapons spewing flames, and approached the Japanese spies.