Chapter Twenty-Five: Capturing a Prisoner

Chen Cao stared at the empty magazine in his hands, bewildered by the enemy’s inexplicable combat formation. All around, gunfire echoed through the dense jungle, the shots drawing ever closer. Listening intently, he was surprised to discover that, by piecing together fragments of knowledge he’d picked up and relying on his own abilities, he could actually distinguish their formation from the chaos of footfalls. The rustling that came from all directions signaled that the armed adversaries were closing in. From their footsteps, it was clear they had no real formation, yet their intent was unmistakable—they were coming straight for him.

A chill of fear crept over him. The enemy seemed utterly unafraid of death; though this was merely a drill, their relentless fighting spirit made his heart pound with dread. He held his breath as cold sweat trickled down his forehead, his back, and every inch of his body. The humid, stifling air of the jungle, stirred by a faint breeze, made his skin prickle with goosebumps.

Though Duan Tianya had told him he possessed unusual strength, Chen Cao was still only human, and no one is immune to fear. No matter how strong he was, at heart he was just an ordinary man, struggling to master the ordinary self within.

He glanced at his empty magazine. He was certain that, with his remaining five pistol rounds, he’d already taken down five opponents. Yet the enemy, undaunted, still rushed at him from all sides. They drew nearer and nearer, their tactics nothing like the highly organized maneuvers of a trained squad. Their approach was so erratic that, though Chen Cao was well-versed in the 0611 tactical maneuvers, he could find no flaw to exploit.

Rubber training bullets thudded into the trees around him, forcing him to crouch as low as possible. It was obvious his hiding spot had been discovered—and he was surrounded.

“I really regret not picking heavy weapons earlier. Breaking out would be so much easier with those,” Chen Cao muttered, his breath quickening, his mind racing. Suddenly his fingers brushed against something hard. He looked down, furrowed his brow, then relaxed with relief.

“How could I forget this?” He’d found a combat shovel—confiscated earlier along with some mines, and tucked away for just such an occasion. The moment he gripped the shovel, he thought of Wang Husheng’s lessons on survival. Wang Husheng, a legendary tomb raider turned underworld figure, had spent a lifetime digging in the earth—so much so that even after joining the criminal world, he was often found digging away in his villa’s backyard with a combat shovel. After Chen Cao came of age, Wang Husheng never stopped putting him through his paces.

The memory of Wang Husheng’s chubby face and traitorous-looking center-parted hair made Chen Cao chuckle quietly to himself. In his eyes, Tang Bo looked more like a scholar, and Chen Qingzhi, always so stern, was hardly a role model. Of all his teachers, he’d only absorbed about thirty percent of Tang Bo’s skills. But from the two brothers Wang Husheng and Wang Jiefang—masters of tricks and shady arts—he’d learned everything.

He crouched down, grabbed a handful of earth, and started digging under the tree roots, where the soil was softest. Through the gaps in the foliage above, sunlight dripped down in golden specks. As he dug swiftly with the shovel, he thought, “This must be noon, when the sun’s energy is strongest. The shade of the trees blocks the yang, creating a balance of yin and yang. I’ll set up a ‘Five-Point Solar Thunder Array’—let’s see if they can make it out alive.”

The enemy, now close enough to see him in the undergrowth, noticed the sudden movements of the grass. After a brief hesitation, they opened fire in a frenzy but dared not advance. This gave Chen Cao the perfect chance to plant his mines. Using his acute hearing, he dodged bullets while quickly burying a mine at each opening in the foliage.

“Perfect—five mines, no more, no less!” Chen Cao exhaled deeply, but then he heard rustling in the woods.

He recognized the sound of combat boots on dry leaves. But this time, there was no fear in his heart. He rolled into a low shrub, positioning himself at the center of the five mines, which formed a pentagon. According to Wang Husheng, this was the prime yang position, where the greatest energy could be absorbed. The shade created imbalance, and with the enemy bringing yang energy into the array, breaking through would be impossible.

He’d already strung fine tripwires as he planted the mines, ready to escape the moment the explosions began. It felt a bit far-fetched and childish, he thought, since being so close to the mines meant he was well within the blast radius. The risk was enormous, but at this point, he had no other choice.

“Uncle Wang, I’m putting it all on the line here. I’ve played in the dirt with you for years—don’t let me down!” He silently prayed.

At that moment, all footsteps ceased.

Crunch, crunch—a heavily camouflaged enemy, his body draped in a thick net, advanced slowly on the right side of the array. He carried a modular Jack sniper rifle, and as he crept forward through the dense undergrowth, he swept the area with his scope, advancing with careful, deliberate steps.

“Nice choice of weapon,” Chen Cao thought. With its modular design, the rifle could be switched to automatic fire for close combat or single-shot for sniping, making it a formidable tool.

The enemy, noticing no further movement in the grass, signaled a halt. The surrounding assailants immediately stopped advancing, clearly watching for the trapped prey’s next move.

“Cunning. A year of 0611 elite training has paid off for them,” Chen Cao mused. If things continued like this, they’d eventually clear out his mines, relying on superior numbers to wear him down.

With his extraordinary eyesight, he could see the camouflaged sniper just three meters away, scanning his position. Taking a gamble, Chen Cao crept silently closer.

The sniper, seeing no sign of escape, relaxed his guard for a moment—just as he felt a sudden grip on his ankle.

“Ah!” she screamed.

“Damn, it’s a woman!” Chen Cao, lying in wait, yanked hard, pulling the female trainee to the ground. He wrapped his arms around her, covering her mouth, and rolled with her into the very center of the mine array.

The commotion did not go unnoticed. Trainees hidden in the grass and trees immediately opened fire, bullets raining down as they advanced cautiously under covering fire.

Strangely, though, the rubber bullets seemed to veer away, dropping harmlessly around him. Holding his captive, Chen Cao was astonished by the phenomenon. Bullets couldn’t touch him, but he wasn’t foolish enough to stick his head out and test the array’s effects any further.

Just then, one advancing trainee tripped a mine. Before he could cry out, all five mines detonated in unison, filling the air with yellow smoke. Sensing his chance, Chen Cao grabbed his captive and sprinted away.

As the mines exploded, shouts echoed through the forest. Chen Cao ran hard, only stopping when the girl protested, beside a towering tree.

“Hey, can’t you think about my feelings for once?” The female trainee broke free of his grip, panting with irritation.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry—I got a bit carried away running. Forgot all about you,” Chen Cao replied, not the least bit winded as he turned to her, still holding her hand.

“What? You got so excited you forgot about me? How can you say that?” she pouted, clearly displeased. Of course, if she’d known Chen Cao’s heart was several times stronger than most, she wouldn’t have complained.

“Wait, this voice sounds so familiar…” Chen Cao squinted at her camouflaged face, staring in disbelief.

“What are you looking at?” she snapped, turning away, flustered by his gaze.

“You… you’re Wu Lanqian!” Chen Cao seized her shoulders, turning her face toward him, then hugged her in delight.

“Let go of me, you idiot! How do you know me?” Wu Lanqian struggled, clearly annoyed by his over-familiar question.

But Chen Cao, ignoring her protests, gripped her shoulders like iron, laughing excitedly. “It’s really you! It’s really you! It’s been a year—where did you all go for training? How’s Hong Xiu? Why aren’t Baozi and Little Fox here for the assessment? Were they eliminated?”

Fire King, Chapter 25: Captured a Prisoner—End of update.