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Chapter 163 The Approaching Military Force

The atmosphere in the base became even more oppressive. Xiao Ran repeatedly adjusted the equipment in the monitoring room, carrying a spare battery pack and moving a low-frequency thermal imager in front of the screen.

“Look at this.” He pointed to the constantly changing heat map on the screen. “At two o’clock, on the edge of the main road in the northwest corner, a new heat signal has appeared. The search is being carried out in an organized manner; the operation has the feel of a military operation.”

Su Wanqing leaned closer to look, her brows furrowed. A group of red dots advanced towards the outskirts of the city, splitting into two teams, with scouts in front and heavy infantry behind, their speed controlled with great rhythm.

In the bottom right corner of the screen, a coordinate point moves half a grid every few seconds.

“The equipment isn’t that of a nomadic militia, and their marching formations are more organized than those of the militia,” Xiao Ran pointed to several intersections. “Their communication rhythm is consistent, and they switch radio channels when advancing, which is something only the military usually does. You can tell they’re carrying two types of standard weapons, and their backpacks look like portable computer units paired with field radios.”

Lu Zhao sat quietly at the table for a while, then took out a blank notepad. "It's nothing new for the military to track us, but this team is serious. You see, this coordinated attack in the city is a typical search pattern, their objective is clear."

“A standard brigade-level organization has at least two squads,” Xiao Ran lowered his voice, “If they come looking for accessories or girls, with the equipment we have, we have no chance of fighting them head-on.”

Lin Che leaned against the door, not saying a word, just staring at the screen with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

The red dots grew brighter and brighter, some at street corners, others near the old garage.

The entire monitoring system went silent, and the oppressive atmosphere of the meeting gradually built up.

Just then, Lin Che's lips tightened even more, and his gloomy aura became even more pronounced than before.

His voice was slightly lower, and his tone was somewhat different, "I disagree with any negotiations with them. If they get to the bottom of things, all of us, including her, will become research material. Su Wanqing, you should understand this better than I do."

Su Wanqing took out a short pen and tapped the notebook several times.

She didn't answer directly, but instead pulled up the previous data file.

“Not everyone takes what you’re saying so seriously,” Lu Zhao tapped the table twice. “Don’t forget, the military has reserve medical facilities, a baseline database, and the most comprehensive communication resources in the city.”

If we can secure an equal negotiation and use their resources to improve our own analytical speed, at least the girl's physical condition will be better protected. You all know the consequences of not cooperating—it's a dead end.

Lin Che stood up straight, his arms outstretched, and his tone became sharp. "It's true that we have resources, but do you think the military will willingly just act as a backer and not touch our people and data? When it comes to the exchange, can you guarantee that you can protect her? It's not like no one in our team has ever been detained by the military."

Xiao Ran didn't turn around, but switched the surveillance video in his hand four times and moved a map to the corner.

"Lin Che's concerns are not unfounded. But with the entire team fully armed, we can't withstand it. In a head-on confrontation—the girl with the childish voice is like a pendant; they'll all have to be 'protected' by them."

"In other words, non-cooperation is a dead end, and cooperation is just a slow death."

Su Wanqing organized the documents at hand. "But delaying at least gives us more breathing room. Rather than making a hasty decision, the most important thing now is to figure out their true intentions."

Lu Zhao frowned, crumpling the tissue in his hand twice without it crumbling. He added, "I suggest we find an opportunity to communicate with the military. We should exchange information to a limited extent and try to obtain medical resources and data. We lack the equipment we have, and we can't uncover all the clues on our own."

Lin Che shook his head, his voice catching for a moment, "You're too naive. No matter how good the terms offered by the military are, they're never given for nothing."

Su Wanqing glanced at the group. "Arguing now is pointless. A decisive action is needed to minimize losses. Here's the plan: those who advocate defense will patrol the entire night; those who advocate negotiation will immediately prepare negotiable materials. The rest of the members, keep your equipment with you, and you can pack up and leave in five minutes."

Xiao Ran pointed to the monitoring terminal, "I can track their route for nearly two hours. Also, the logistics vehicles and heavy equipment weren't positioned too far ahead—that would leave them an escape route if the military were to make a move. We can use this time to prepare for negotiations."

"How do we choose a communication channel?" Lu Zhao looked up. "They will definitely monitor the regular channels, and the special signals we send out will also be located. Unless we use an out-of-block forwarding method with a delay of more than fifteen minutes, it will be like sending a message."

Su Wanqing nodded. "Use a cold standby unit, send the message manually, along with the evacuation instructions. You can give them a vague indication of a joint effort, and then agree on a specific rendezvous point."

Lin Che frowned and said nothing more.

She had barely finished speaking when footsteps echoed from the main hall. Lu Zhao put down her terminal, stood up, and walked to the side.

Inside, a girl with a childlike voice was curled up on the bed, looking somewhat tired.

A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. She held the empty notebook, standing motionless to the side.

Su Wanqing walked over and gently touched the girl's forehead, which showed signs of rising temperature.

Lu Zhao brought over the testing device, first wiping the probe clean with a disinfectant wipe, and then tested the girl's wrist. He winked at Su Wanqing, "38.1 degrees Celsius, a slight fever. Heart rate and blood pressure are slightly fast." He asked in a low voice, "Does it hurt?"

The girl shook her head, her lips a little dry. She tried to raise her hand, but then gently put it back under the sheet.

Lu Zhao pushed aside the terminal in his hand, steadily operating it, pulling up several sets of previous data, and then tested his body temperature with the back of his hand. "This wasn't the case yesterday. I checked with Lin Che before, and the content of active elements was 2.5 percent higher than this morning. It should be related to the internal cycle."

Su Wanqing checked the girl's pulse and didn't let go. Lin Che walked in at this moment. He didn't ask anything, but simply moved over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"The temperature increase is not significant, so there's no need to administer medication yet," Lu Zhao whispered a reminder.

Lin Che stood by the bed for a few seconds, looking at the notebook. "Give her some cold towels and let her rest for a while."

After speaking, he pressed his palm against the girl's wrist for a moment, exerting a slight force. The air humidity increased, and his supernatural ability subtly affected the surrounding environment.

A chill crept in from the edge of the blanket, and the area nearby was much colder.

After a moment, the girl's complexion gradually improved, and her breathing became more even, but the fever on her forehead had not completely subsided.

"It helps to cool you down, but it's not a complete solution." Lin Che sighed and rested his hands on his knees. "My ability can only regulate the surface temperature; the underlying heat remains."

Lu Zhao stared at the data changes on the probe screen, "He can maintain his composure."

He generated a new file from a set of trend lines, "to monitor it slowly and see how the cycle fluctuates next. But her situation is most likely directly related to the activity level of active elements in her body."

Xiao Ran pushed open the door and entered the room, his voice tinged with anxiety: "The group on the main street has sneaked into two more streets on the west side of the base, and they even left fluorescent marker marks."

Su Wanqing got up, wrote a few lines, then quickly wrote down the two plans on a sticky note and handed it to Lu Zhao and Lin Che.

"We must finalize a communication plan with the military before tonight. Lin Che, for now, your main task is to regulate the girl's temperature and monitor her closely."

Xiao Ran, monitor formation, communication frequency, and team movements; issue an alert immediately upon detecting any anomalies. Lu Zhao, organize the current data regarding the girl, virus control, and the mechanism of the accessory. Find an opportunity to contact the military, but only release the information we choose.

Lin Che paused for a moment, "You're really going to talk?"

Su Wanqing nodded, "It's better to actively create space than to force things to a standstill. Whether it's delaying or exchanging for useful information, it's better than passively waiting to die."

Lu Zhao nodded in agreement and sat back down at the data station with the testing equipment.

The atmosphere in the room remained tense. Xiao Ran put on his headphones and returned to the monitoring room, tapping the communication port with his fingers.

He gritted his teeth. "We don't have enough manpower, so we'll adjust the patrol schedule to once an hour. Once we're under lockdown, we'll check all the weapons."

Lin Che pursed his lips and sat down beside the girl's bed. He pulled over a fresh, cold towel and placed it on her forehead, his palms gathering coolness.

He lowered his voice, "Don't be afraid, a fever is nothing to worry about. Once we're done, we'll take you to the rest area to see the cats. Just sleep for now."

The girl closed her eyes and let out a soft nasal sound. Her body gradually relaxed, and her body temperature slowly dropped.

Lu Zhao sat in front of the terminal, categorizing and archiving the files, and checking the encrypted lines.

He wrote a calm, almost dry summary of the information, marked as "for necessary communication only".

Su Wanqing tightened her seatbelt again, typed out a few final secret commands, and carefully put the two portable keys away from her body.

She gave another brief instruction: "Actively extend communication invitations, but prepare three escape routes. Conduct an evacuation mobilization every two hours, and ensure all emergency supplies are packed and categorized. No one is allowed to contact the military directly until my order is given."

The instructions were given in an orderly manner, and all members returned to their positions.

No one spoke in the conference room. Only Lu Zhao stared at his data screen from afar, Lin Che looked after the girl by the bed, and Xiao Ran looked down and repeatedly scanned the security screen.

Su Wanqing finished organizing her subordinates' tasks, stood silently in the center of the room, and tapped the outer casing lightly with her fingers.

The wind outside was barely audible; only the short, intermittent hum of the instruments could be heard.