Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 880, 90. The Only Path to Survival
"Colonel Hansen, preparations are complete."

Listening to the researchers' report, Kurt Hansen glanced at the mechanical clock he had placed beside him, his gaze sweeping over the old but highly accurate instrument that was not affected by external interference.

Is there fifty minutes left?
It's faster than expected.

That being the case.

"Bennett, Gago."

Kurt Hansen reconnected with Gago and Bennett: "How's the situation now?"

"Colonel, the situation has improved somewhat after you activated our hidden 'Chimera'. Even the New America is having a headache dealing with the urban warfare-specialized robots developed with military technology, and their advance has slowed down significantly."

Gago reported in his usual serious tone: "However, we have received information that Rosalind Myers provided FIA agents with a 'weapon of mass destruction' during this operation, and we are sending people to investigate what it is."

"A deadly weapon?"

After listening to the report, Hansen paused for a moment before speaking: "I think I know what that is. The New America has clearly slowed down its advance as a cautious strategy to ensure that I cannot escape—which means they have some kind of weapon that can kill me in one blow once they are surrounded."

He sneered, "Ha, it seems I'm thinking the same thing as Rosalind Miles."

Gago's voice carried a hint of surprise: "Colonel, what do you mean?"

"It's probably a small nuclear bomb, enough to flatten the stadium or 'Sapphire Blue,' ensuring that my body is completely obliterated. Once they confirm my death, they'll naturally pin the blame on me; the reasons are readily available." Hansen paused, his tone laced with sarcasm. "In that case, she and I really did think alike."

"Activate the nuclear weapons, Colonel?

“Don’t worry, this suits me just fine.” Hansen interrupted, his voice tinged with coldness. “I was worried that creating an explosion on our turf, relying solely on the excuse of ‘new American personnel breaking into the reactor and causing it to go out of control,’ would be hard to believe. But now—if Miles’s men also brought nuclear weapons, things will be much simpler.”

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly composed: "Two explosion epicenters, two completely different pieces of evidence for the detonation. I think that no matter how good Rosalind Myers is at shifting blame, she won't be able to completely absolve herself of responsibility this time."

"Wouldn't this cause any changes to your plans, Colonel?"

Bennett interjected at this moment, his voice filled with undisguised loyalty: "Colonel, do you need me to take over the final step? We have obtained the latest generation of face and body disguise chips, let me complete the plan in your place."

Hansen remained silent for a moment after hearing Bennett's words, then shook his head.

“I appreciate your loyalty, Bennett.” He finally spoke, his voice low: “But I must personally bring this play to a close. I must stay until the very end—Miles knows me well, or rather, the FIA ​​guys know me too well. They’ve probably collected a lot of intelligence on me. This kind of disguise chip might fool ordinary people, but I believe professionals can tell the difference.”

He paused, then softened his tone: "Besides, there's no need for you to take this risk. Everything is still within my plan."

"Yes, Colonel. As planned, we will hand over command in seventeen minutes and make sure all the Ghost Hounds know that you are now in the stadium directing the operation."

"Hurry up and lead Gago and his men to evacuate; I'll be there soon."

"Yes, Colonel."

This time, Bennett and Gago answered at the same time.

To avoid being detected by the FBI, Hansen immediately hung up after completing the communication. Looking at the time ticking on the mechanical clock, he pondered how many more Ghost Hounds he could evacuate in the extra sixteen minutes.

Hansen was confident he could escape before the nuclear missiles were activated. He had long been prepared to bury the troops of the new America, but that didn't mean he would die with them. Those buried here would only be the unaware ghosts of the underworld.

All of this is for a greater good. When he takes control of the new America, these 'ghost dogs' buried here will be permanently remembered as his most 'honorable' soldiers, enjoying the glory they deserve after death.

"Colonel, the car is ready."

Just as Kurt Hansen was deep in thought, Albert Murphy walked over, gave a crisp salute, and then stood at attention with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, let some key personnel evacuate first." Hansen nodded slightly.

He had already prepared airships and armored vehicles inside the stadium, enough to allow the core team to evacuate immediately. Even if some people could not leave, they could draw New America's firepower and mislead their judgment—making them think that Hansen was still in the stadium, thus buying time for the real plan.

New America would not let any opportunity for him to escape slip by; they had to make sure Hansen died in the nuclear explosion. But what they didn't expect was that Hansen had never intended to leave the stadium from the very beginning.

The more attention he attracts, the more manpower Bennett and Gago can preserve, and the more new American troops will be wiped out in the nuclear explosion.

"Hansen is in the stadium, Hansen is besieged, Hansen tries to break out"—this is the script everyone would expect, and Rosalind Myers is no exception.

But they never imagined that Hansen had no intention of leaving.

He is the bait. If the bait is not heavy enough, how can you catch a big fish? This is a principle that every angler understands.

Did Hansen not flee because he was confident he could survive the nuclear explosion?

how is this possible.

He was neither Morgan Blackhand nor Adam Hammer.

He had simply built an underground nuclear shelter in secret. As long as he was hidden inside during a nuclear explosion, even a nuclear explosion wouldn't kill Hansen.

Of course, only Murphy knew about this. Apart from him and the lark who would be taken along and still had some use, everyone else in the stadium was just someone who could be sacrificed.

When they perished in the nuclear explosion or were shot down by the new Americans during their retreat, all they knew was that the great Colonel Hansen had stayed in the stadium until the very last moment.

The other hounds would also believe this, and only in this way could he complete that so-called 'miraculous' return after the catastrophe.

"Colonel, please take care!"

One group after another saluted him with tears in their eyes before boarding the train, but Kurt Hansen remained calm throughout. He maintained his usual dignified demeanor, nodded slightly, and silently watched them leave one by one.

Time is passing by, second by second.

The soldiers loyal to Hansen were still fighting desperately on the battlefield, while Hansen himself had quietly embarked on the path to survival that only he knew.

Forty-four minutes until the nuclear explosion.

It was at this moment that a dark figure appeared in front of him.

The figure stood before Hansen, Lark, and Albert.

(End of this chapter)