Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 159 The Elf Collapses? The Ink Cloud Serpent! A Feigned Indifference to Lure the Enemy! (Please Subscribe)
Man is made of iron, food is made of steel; you'll get hungry if you skip a meal. — Zhou Shuren (Lu Xun)

……

A few dozen meters away was the cell where Annie and Lani were being held.

“Annis, remember, when your body is weak, that is the time to temper your will.”

The female elf Lani's voice grew increasingly stern.

"The Mother Goddess is watching us! Annie, do you want the Mother Goddess to see you begging for food like this?"

Annie shuddered at these words and dared not look at the food again, forcing herself to focus all her attention on the television.

On the screen, Talking Tom is so hungry he's seeing stars. He looks at Jerry, who is jumping around and eating cheese, and his mind is filled with the memory of durian, which he had eaten before and seems to have a similar color to cheese.

Durian has a strange taste, but once you've tasted it, the flavor is unforgettable.

She really likes it!
Annie swallowed unconsciously.

She felt that she was no different from that unfortunate, stupid cat.

The hunger pangs felt like countless tiny insects gnawing at her stomach, and waves of cramping pain caused beads of sweat to form on her forehead.

She was so hungry that she was almost losing her ability to think.

Just when her will was about to collapse, Jerry on TV used a huge bone to jolt Tom Cat awake from his dream of delicious food.

The exaggerated visuals and comical sound effects inexplicably eased Annie's tense nerves.

As she looked at the mouse on the screen that could never be defeated and was always toying with its powerful enemies, an extremely rebellious thought suddenly popped into her mind.

The Mother Goddess's teachings warn us to be vigilant against the enemy's plots and corruption...

But it didn't say I couldn't pretend to surrender and then spy on others, did it?

Aside from the initial violent suppression when I tried to attack them, they were all friendly and amiable towards me later on.

Among the elves, there is an ancient proverb that says, "If someone asks for something, we will surely obey." Those apostles of the evil god probably want to find clues about the kingdom through us.

in case……

perhaps……

Hmm, this elf also wants to know their clues.

These evil apostles, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, emerged from the Land of Eternal Winter. They were extremely dangerous and were hailed by the Mother Goddess as invaders and destroyers of the world.

She had seen a lot of information about the other party and knew that he had a terrifying side!

But when trying to learn more about the other person, all the clues have gone cold.

I'm just going to eat something, create some discord, and gather some intelligence!
Yes!

Is such that.

I did nothing wrong, I didn't surrender!

I just want to take the initiative.

As Anise thought this, the burning sensation in her stomach, like a fire, kept licking at her reason...

The plate of strawberries was just sitting there...

Bright red and juicy, each one is so plump it looks like it's about to burst, topped with a tender green stem, and exuding a sweet fragrance that can seep into your very bones.

Annie's throat bobbed uncontrollably as she swallowed non-existent saliva.

It's been four days.

The teachings of the Mother Goddess, the glory of the elves, the hatred for humanity… these things buzzed in my mind, yet grew more and more distant, more and more hollow.

It's nowhere near as real as that plate of strawberries.

"No, we must persuade Lani... No, Lani has absolute devotion to the Mother Goddess, and her magic is the strongest. Persuading her is as difficult as ascending to heaven, unless..."

After thinking for a long time, she slowly stood up. Then, she winked rapidly at Lani.

Lani saw what the other person was doing.

"Annis? What are you doing?"

Lani didn't notice Anise's unusual behavior at first; she simply assumed that Anise's attitude had changed.

That's why her voice was icy with a barely perceptible tremor.

Anise did not answer, but walked step by step toward the temptation that was like an abyss to her.

She reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly from weakness, and finally picked up the biggest and reddest strawberry.

"Annis! Stop! Don't be seduced by the tricks of the evil god's apostles. Do you want to become a fallen elf?"

Lani's voice suddenly rose, filled with anger and warning.

But Annie seemed not to hear.

She brought the strawberry to her lips, and its sweet aroma instantly overwhelmed her. The last line of defense, called "faith," crumbled in that instant.

She blinked rapidly at Lani once more.

Then, she opened her mouth and stuffed the whole strawberry inside.

The moment your teeth pierce the fruit peel, the sweet and sour juice explodes in your mouth.

An indescribable feeling of happiness surged from the tip of her tongue throughout her entire body, making her so comfortable that she almost moaned out loud.

"Well……"

Anise squinted her eyes contentedly, even forgetting to chew, letting the sweetness of life nourish her parched body.

"You... Annies, you're betraying Mother Goddess!"

Lani's voice was no longer angry, but a sharp roar. She suddenly stood up from her corner, as if to pounce.

But humanity had already planned everything.

The two were imprisoned at opposite corners of the cell, separated by a distance that seemed short but could never be crossed.

As long as Annie doesn't actively move towards the center area, any of Lani's attacks will be futile.

Lani took two steps forward, but could only stop within the designated area, watching helplessly as Anise swallowed the strawberry and then picked up the other strawberries from the plate.

"Annise!"

“I’m sorry, Lani… I’m so hungry. Lani, before, during the days I was imprisoned, I fasted just like you, but the will to survive melted my steely will!” Anise blinked rapidly at Lani.

She mumbled incoherently as she stuffed food into her mouth.

At the same time, her face showed a mixture of guilt and undisguised enjoyment.

"Lani, why don't you have some too? It's really... delicious."

This sentence became the last straw that broke her faith and other beliefs.

What kind of bullshit rules are these? What kind of lofty beliefs are these? What kind of intelligence are these?
At this moment, everything seemed like a joke compared to the tiny strawberry in Annie's mouth.

She simply picked up the whole plate of strawberries, retreated to her corner, stopped looking at Lani, and instead turned her face away, stuffing one strawberry after another into her mouth.

Lani roared and cursed from afar.

Finally, her voice gradually faded, leaving only heavy breathing and laughter.

She looked at her companion who had once stood firm in their faith, but now, because of a few fruits, he had completely succumbed.

That's not betrayal.

That's something more terrifying than betrayal—disintegration.

A silent collapse that began from within.

Everything changed completely because of the first strawberry Annie ate.

What exactly did she go through during the long period of her imprisonment?
Why did she change so quickly?
How many of the other companions had their wills destroyed by the apostles of the evil god, and then became prisoners of food?

She didn't know, only that endless fear and unease flowed through her heart.

Wait, why is Annie blinking at me so rapidly?
The monitoring room is just a few dozen meters away!

pat~
The door opened, and a strong aroma of caffeine wafted in.

Gong Pengfei, who had just finished eating, turned around and saw Professor Yu Qiwen with two huge dark circles under his eyes, a tablet computer tightly tucked under his arm, and a strong coffee in his hand.

You can tell at a glance that the other person has been staying up late again these past few days and isn't doing well!

"Professor Yu, did you stay up late again last night?" Gong Pengfei asked with concern as he took the things the other person was carrying.

"More or less." Yu Qiwen yawned widely, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "We've successfully completed our mission this time; our language database is almost complete!"

He gestured for Gong Pengfei to connect the tablet to the computer.

"Over the past few days, we've been comparing the language spoken by all the two imprisoned elf prisoners, using AI to conduct massive data comparisons and model reconstruction. We've cracked the basic language of the elves! If you want to communicate, you can now!"

His fingers flew across the tablet, and an audio recording of elven captives communicating with each other in their cells was played. Immediately afterward, a line of translated subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen.

[...The radiance of the Mother Goddess is dimming...]

[...Apostles of evil gods...Intruders...Blasphemers...]

Humans have kept us trapped here...

[...Awaiting reinforcements. This is our kingdom, our territory. Our Mother Goddess will never abandon us...]

Everyone present perked up upon hearing this.

Being able to understand the language of elves is a huge breakthrough!
"Great!" Tang Huanzhu even forgot to eat the konjac noodles. "If we send some more things over, it should break their defenses. I wonder if they'll be so stimulated that they'll unleash magic! Hey, why is their way of casting magic different from that of Western elves? Why can elves cast magic without chanting?"

"Yes, it's like instinct!" Everyone else also felt a headache coming on.

Yu Qiwen had already pulled up a new document: "Gentlemen, we have to eat one bite at a time! Now that we've figured out the language, won't we have far fewer new problems?"

Even if the elves don't cooperate, humans have countless ways to learn about their customs and lifestyles.

Take it one step at a time. As long as humanity maintains the advantage, there is plenty of time.

After Yu Qiwen opened the file, images of the elven captives' magical equipment appeared on the screen.

"President Su is very anxious to crack these magical devices, but we can't violate the interrogation rules here. So, Team Leader Gong, we should try to communicate with them and gather more clues, preferably clues about the magical weapons."

Humans have video records of fighting them, but they haven't found the incantation to activate magical equipment or any special hand gestures. The opponent's magical energy seems to appear out of thin air.

They tried various methods, but they still couldn't figure out how the other side controlled their magical equipment!

Upon hearing from Yu Qiwen that President Su was urging him again, Gong Pengfei rubbed his temples, feeling a severe headache.

Gong Pengfei sighed: "Professor Yu, should we continue the language exchange and collection work? Will it affect the subsequent plans?"

The so-called "exchange and communication" is a plan they devised out of desperation to crack the other party's language system.

The elves are proud and stubborn, and under the influence of their mother goddess whose appearance is unknown, they harbor great, almost ingrained, hostility towards humans.

Humans have tried all sorts of appeasement strategies—food, music, a comfortable environment—but the other party either ignores them or resorts to swearing using a newly learned, halting translation software.

In short, it boils down to this: if you resort to violence, they won't cooperate.

As the number of captured Pokémon increased, the humans devised numerous plans to steal secrets in order to get them to speak.

For example, by using separate isolation cells, these spirits are first imprisoned alone, and then, when they are under psychological torment and their brainwaves are fluctuating violently, they are allowed to interact with each other.

At this point, the elves naturally began to communicate.

The more they communicate, the more they unknowingly reveal the secrets of the Elven language.

In the past few days, humans have simply had the captured elves frequently moved between rooms, and then played videos of injured elves in various states, and even AI-generated videos, on a large screen to analyze countless clues.

Unfortunately, that's all the clues we have.

These elves initially experienced a mental imbalance, but gradually returned to normal.

"I have a feeling that they may have figured out our plan; they're communicating less and less!"

Speaking of this, Gong Pengfei laughed self-deprecatingly, feeling like he was a complete waste right now.

The psychological warfare and interrogation techniques previously used against humans were very slow to yield results when applied to these elves!
Being an interrogator of interracial people is incredibly difficult.

"Holy crap... Haha... They... Team leader, Professor, look at this..."

"What's the matter?"

"Look at the monitor screen!"

Gong Pengfei and Yu Qiwen looked up and saw Annie enjoying strawberries while Lani attempted to attack her.

"This...the opponent has broken through their defenses?"

Gong Pengfei was still feeling irritable, depressed, and incompetent.

After witnessing this scene, I was filled with ecstasy!

"Haha... Persistence pays off! We've finally found our breakthrough!!!"

"Team leader, should we report this? President Su has been coming here frequently these past few days, and I feel that he is also eager to know the situation here as soon as possible."

“This… is acceptable!” Gong Pengfei thought for a moment before saying, “What President Su needs is definite good news. Although we have imprisoned elves for so long, our understanding of their habits is not comprehensive. They also worship their mother goddess, so I think there might be something fishy about the sudden conflict between the number one captured elf and that Lani. Why don’t we analyze it first?”

Yu Qiwen was quite surprised by Gong Pengfei's caution and meticulousness, but he still nodded: "Okay, you're an expert in this area, let's take another look!"
-
After clearing a small portion of the southern forest belt, the main force's mental energy expenditure was somewhat insufficient.

After dozens of special consultants joined the ranks of talisman-making talents and underwent training, the number of finished products of the Purification Equipment was greatly increased.

With the most troublesome and feared mind-interference magic temporarily resolved, the warriors devised a new plan to capture high-value animals.

In another world, at the operations center a few kilometers away.

Su Mingjin was unaware that the interrogation team of the elf prisoners had made a major breakthrough.

At this moment, she, along with Brigade Commander Man, Brigade Commander Fu, and many combat staff officers and political commissars, were watching a high-value target capture operation.

At this very moment, the images on the large screen in the operations center are being divided into dozens of real-time images from different angles.

The central screen displays a forest clearing that has been flattened by the airflow from a helicopter rotor.

The animal this unit was going to capture was a winged flying snake, which biologists named the "Ink Cloud Flying Snake"!
This animal is a winged, scale-covered flying serpent, ranging from five to twenty meters in length, a wondrous species from another world.

The Black Cloud Serpent can reach a maximum length of 20 meters. Its back is covered with dark green scales, while its belly is covered with light gray or silvery-white scales with dark gold patterns. Its wings are short, membranous structures that connect the forelimbs to the sides of the body. They are small and cannot sustain flapping flight, but can be deployed for gliding. The serpent's body has a pair of slender hind limbs that are noticeably degenerate.

"Will Butcher's trap fail again?" Commander Man chuckled as he watched the soldiers in high-tech camouflage uniforms heading to the pre-set capture point on the screen, holding his teacup. "Last time we took them there, we didn't even catch a snake hair."

"You learn from your mistakes, there's bound to be a breakthrough!"

Su Mingjin's eyes were also fixed on the screen.

The butcher in the video is leading his combat team for several kilometers before tying a listless alpaca to the center of an open space.

This poor alpaca is one of the favorite foods of the Black Cloud Serpent. To ensure a successful trap, its legs were deliberately injured to mimic the easiest prey to catch.

The soldiers moved swiftly, quickly setting up traps around the llamas before disappearing into the jungle like ghosts.

Their state-of-the-art forest camouflage combat suits not only blend perfectly into the environment but also isolate odors and reduce the infrared signature of the human body to the same level as the surrounding trees.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The butcher, disguised as a piece of dead wood, remained motionless, only occasionally shifting his eyes to observe his surroundings.

He felt like his back was about to break; he had been lying there for almost an hour, and insects were already crawling all over him in the woods.

"Boss, why aren't those winged bastards here yet? I feel like there's a snake crawling under my butt..." came the low voice of his comrade Lynx through the earpiece, sounding a bit frustrated.

"Hold your tongue. If you dare to move, I'll make you roommate with that snake for a month when we get back," the butcher spat out through gritted teeth.

The lynx fell silent immediately.

These black cloud serpents have very keen sensory organs, and are especially sensitive to infrared and odor signatures.

They had previously failed to completely isolate themselves from the smell, and the pervasive breath gas gave them away, leading to the failure of the capture.

This time, having learned from their mistakes, they absolutely cannot afford to fail.

Just as the butcher's patience was about to run out, the light in the woods suddenly dimmed.

The prey has arrived!

"Butcher, Butcher, right above, the Dark Cloud Serpent is coming! Take cover!" The lookout's voice was calm and swift.

"understand!"

The butcher tightened his breathing mask and, through the gaps in his camouflage, saw several enormous black shadows circling high in the sky, their wings flapping silently, leaving only huge shadows sweeping across the ground.

With the rustling sound of wings flapping, the butcher had already spotted the figure of the Dark Cloud Serpent.

The several huge black shadows hovered high in the sky, their wings flapping silently, with only the shadows cast on the forest floor moving silently, like patches of moving dark clouds.

The butcher slowed his breathing to a minimum and stared intently at the sky through the observation port of his camouflage suit.

These Dark Cloud Serpents were extremely cautious. They circled for more than ten minutes, clearly surveying the small clearing in a way that humans could not understand.

Finally, one of the smaller Mo Yun Xiang snakes broke away from the formation and began to descend slowly.

It doesn't dive in a straight line, but glides in a strange S-shaped curve, its body undulating like waves, and its membranous wings are merely spread out, occasionally adjusting their angle.

Seeing this, the butcher silently tapped the communication button on the side of his headset, a preparatory signal to notify everyone that the target was about to enter the trap's range.

The first Dark Cloud Soaring Serpent didn't land directly beside the camel, but instead gracefully perched on the treetop of a large tree a dozen meters away. Its dark golden vertical pupils scanned its surroundings, its long tongue flickering uncertainly.

After confirming there was no threat, it opened its mouth and emitted a low hissing sound.

Immediately afterwards, a visible pale green gas spewed out from its mouth and drifted with the wind towards the center of the open space.

The already dying alpaca twitched violently after smelling the gas. Its hind legs, which had been struggling, went limp, and finally, its head lolled to the side and it became completely still.

The butcher's heart skipped a beat.

Become!

It seemed that their companions high in the sky had received the signal, and two more Dark Cloud Soaring Serpents began to descend.

They were much bolder than the first one, landing directly near the alpaca.

The largest of them, probably nearly twenty meters long, tore open the 2.5-meter-tall camel's hide with its forelimbs and began to eat. The other two also surrounded it, emitting squeals of competition.

It's now!

"Do it!"

The butcher's voice seemed to explode from his throat, cold and decisive.

The moment the order was given, the jungle seemed to come alive!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several muffled thuds came from different treetops; it was the hidden warriors activating the electromagnetic capture net transmitters!

Large, specially made nets, gleaming with metallic luster, descended from the sky, precisely covering the three Mo Yun Xiang Snakes that were feeding.

At the same time, the traps disguised as fallen leaves and soil on the ground tightened suddenly, and the nets coated with the scent of otherworldly tree branches sprang up from the ground, forming a perfect three-dimensional cage with the capture nets in the sky.

"Hi ha——!"

The piercing scream almost tore at people's eardrums.

The three-headed Ink Cloud Soaring Serpents instantly erupted, struggling wildly. Their bodies twisted violently, their wings and degenerated hind limbs flapped wildly, creating a gust of wind.

Thick, anesthetic gas spewed from their mouths as if it were free, enveloping the entire trap area in a green mist.

"Haha, just as expected, it's spewing smoke randomly!" Lynx yelled in the channel.

"Is the surveillance net damaged?" the butcher growled.

"Report: Very stable! These guys aren't as strong as we thought!"

The ropes, woven from a blend of carbon fiber and superalloy wire, were stretched taut and dug deep into the soil, groaning under the weight, but not a single one broke.

This thing, with just a few strands joined together, can drag a heavy truck. Dealing with a few snakes is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Watching the giant beast struggling in vain in the net, the butcher's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

He pressed another communication channel: "Calling command, the operation was successful. Three high-value targets were captured, all alive. Requesting transport aircraft to proceed."

"Command has received your message and is dispatching helicopters to transport the fish back!"

In the distance, the deafening roar of a heavy transport helicopter approached from afar.

The mission was successfully completed.

In the command room, the oppressive atmosphere was instantly ignited, and everyone's tense nerves relaxed. Many people even took off their tactical helmets and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Well done!" Brigade Commander Man's face was beaming with undisguised joy. "Zero casualties, three heads captured alive, these lads didn't let us down!"

Su Mingjin smiled, but a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes. She nodded: "Tactically impeccable. However, the zoologists have a new research topic."

There was something else in her words.

Commander Man understood. He smiled and offered cigarettes to Lao Fu and Su Mingjin, took a deep drag, and then said, "President Su, thinking about the progress of bionics again?"

"How can I not want to?" Su Mingjin waved her hand, refusing the cigarette. She pointed to the struggling behemoth on the screen. "These guys are full of treasures, but it's too difficult to digest their biological characteristics and make scientific use of them."

They had previously captured a giant octopus and killed a griffin; these magical creatures were all laden with treasures.

Unfortunately, biologists drool over them and write countless research reports, but very few of them can actually be converted into equipment.

Su Mingjin sighed, her tone revealing a sense of frustration.

"I wonder if these Ink Cloud Flying Serpents will allow Professor Ding to create a repair potion without side effects!"

“President Su, you have to take things one step at a time,” Man Lu reassured her. “Scientific research and biopharmaceuticals can’t be accomplished overnight. If this doesn’t work, there are other amazing creatures from which we can extract materials.”

The capture of the Mo Yunxiang snake, which took a considerable amount of time, was requested by Professor Ding Jingming of the Department of Medicine.

He found some powerful self-healing factors from the giant octopus in another world and used them to create a biological repair agent.

Although the drug has significant side effects, with many animals dying before they can complete the healing process, its potential for clinical trials is enormous.

One shot can quickly stop the bleeding from penetrating wounds in some animals.

If we can develop this medicine, countless soldiers will be saved from dying on the battlefield!
Su Mingjin's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly: "I'm sorry, Commander Man, I was too impatient."

She understood this principle, of course, but the burden on her shoulders was too heavy, putting her under immense pressure!

Just then, the door to the operations center was suddenly pushed open, and Su Mingjin's deputy walked in excitedly, holding a document. He was still a little unsteady on his feet because he had run so fast.

"General Su! Commander Man! Leaders, great news!"

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

The deputy handed over the documents, his words tumbling out incoherently with excitement.

"Gong Pengfei from the interrogation team and Professor Yu Qiwen from the language team have just jointly reported that the main framework of Elvish has been cracked."

"What? So fast?" Su Mingjin stood up abruptly and snatched the document.

The deputy swallowed hard and continued, "President Su, they said there's been internal conflict among the captured elves. The number one elf prisoner has started arguing with that Lani!"

"They're making a scene?!"

Commander Man asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Absolutely true!"

"Hahahaha!" Brigade Commander Man burst into laughter. "This is what you call double happiness! No, this is a blessing from heaven!"

Su Mingjin quickly scanned the documents, her hands trembling slightly with excitement as she held them.

The previous anxiety and depression vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of elation.

Dealing with the elves is like lighting a beacon in a dark, otherworldly realm! It will greatly increase their understanding of this world.

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes gleaming.

"Let's go over there and see the results of Professor Gong Pengfei and Professor Yu Qiwen."
-
This achievement was a significant event. A little over ten minutes later, Su Mingjin and Brigade Commander Man and others arrived at the prisoner interrogation room.

The long corridor was silent, with only the sound of their steady footsteps echoing.

However, as soon as they approached the door of the observation office, a heated argument broke out.

Su Mingjin and Brigade Commander Man exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

I had imagined it would be a cheerful and lively place where people were analyzing a major breakthrough, but it turned out to be like a vegetable market.

“Professor Yu, something’s definitely not right! Before the conflict, the other party was blinking at Lani several times faster than usual! Since being captured, Anise’s emotions have been very stable, even lifeless. Look at her monitoring records for a month, when has she ever been this lively? This is definitely a false signal, they’re acting!”

This was Gong Pengfei's voice, carrying the vigilance and certainty characteristic of an interrogator.

“We have to keep watching even if it’s just an act! Team Leader Gong, this is the first time we’ve had the chance to have an effective conversation with them! Even if it’s false information, as long as they open their mouths, we can analyze their word choice, grammar, and the purpose of their lies.”

"Even the micro-expressions when lying to other elves can be used to deduce more clues!"

This is Professor Yu Qiwen; his voice carries the scholarly air of a connoisseur.

Su Mingjin raised an eyebrow, then pushed the door open and entered without further hesitation.

"Do you all think there's a problem with the conflict between those two elves?"

The two, who had been arguing heatedly, fell silent instantly.

Upon seeing that it was Su Mingjin, Gong Pengfei, and Yu Qiwen, even Tang Huanzhu, who was slowly tearing open a packet of konjac snacks not far away, immediately stood up and saluted.

Professor Yu Qiwen opened his mouth, but after glancing at Gong Pengfei beside him, he swallowed his words.

He specializes in language deciphering, but Gong Pengfei is the real expert when it comes to interrogation and intelligence analysis.

Gong Pengfei gave the professor a grateful look, then turned to Su Mingjin and reported clearly, "President Su, the matter is like this..."

It turned out that after Annie and Lani had a fierce argument that morning, the interrogation team and the language team immediately worked together to analyze the situation.

At first, everything was normal. The two elves were arguing about food and despair about the future, which made perfect sense logically.

But just when everyone thought they had finally found a breakthrough, Tang Huanzhu, who was in charge of micro-expression analysis, pointed out a strange detail while eating snacks.

"When they were arguing, that girl named Anise was blinking at Lani at an abnormally fast speed."

Gong Pengfei pulled up the video recording, slowed it down tenfold, and everyone could clearly see the unusual eyelid tremor. Combined with the report that Lani's vital signs, such as heart rate and skin conductance, were actually more stable than usual while she was in a state of anger, the conclusion was self-evident.

They're acting.

It was at this moment that Su Mingjin's deputy came to inquire about the progress. Upon hearing that the elves were fighting amongst themselves, he thought it was great news and excitedly ran back to report the good news.

"So that's what happened."

Su Mingjin's gaze fell on the huge monitoring screen.

The two elves, who were just moments ago at loggerheads, are now sitting at opposite ends.

Next to Annie, the number one elf captive, were several empty soft plastic fruit platters, indicating that she had just had a hearty meal.

Meanwhile, Lani, on the other side, would occasionally cast a fierce glance, her acting superb, as if the two were about to start fighting again at any moment.

"Ha, looking at it this way, these pointy-eared guys really think they're movie queens?" Commander Man saw through them and couldn't help but laugh and curse, "Who are they putting on this for!"

Su Mingjin's gaze swept over the other surveillance screens.

Most of the elven captives lay idly with vacant eyes, while a few struggled with the shackles on their feet, trying to break them with their pitiful strength, but to no avail.

Her gaze finally fell on the cell where the wounded elves were being held.

The battle a few days ago brought back three injured elves.

One person with a broken leg was saved thanks to the medical team's efforts; the other's injuries were not serious and he is now out of danger.

The third one was the most unfortunate. Although he gradually recovered and stabilized after being rescued for half a day, he died the next day due to a relapse of his injuries.

The elf's body was given a proper eulogy by the medical experts, and then all the valuable "parts" on her body were devoured by the group of ravenous biologists.

It is said that several highly respected professors almost got into a fight in the laboratory in order to get the freshest heart and brain tissue specimens.

Thanks to this corpse, the research report on the physical structure of elves has become dozens of pages thicker.

Su Mingjin withdrew her gaze, a playful smile curving her lips.

The previous anxiety and frustration vanished, replaced by the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

"Acting is good; acting is more valuable than their real infighting."

As soon as she said this, everyone looked at her.

"If it's really internal strife, the information we can get is limited and full of personal bias."

Su Mingjin stretched out her finger and gently tapped the table.

"But the fact that they acted together suggests that they had formed a tacit alliance, and I think they must have a way of communicating with each other. Well, it's also possible that the elves were already familiar with each other before, and having lived for hundreds of years, they know each other well."

She paused, her eyes gleaming.

"Whether they intend to establish a controlled channel for intelligence transmission and reception through this charade, or simply mislead us, it's to our advantage. Therefore..."

Su Mingjin looked at Gong Pengfei and Yu Qiwen and gave the order.

“Let’s play along and see how this charade goes.” Su Mingjin looked at the interrogation team members. “Gentlemen, we need the good cop and the bad cop!”

"Does General Su intend to take them down one by one?" Commander Man asked with a smile.

"Since they've tacitly formed a defensive alliance, it means that trying to defeat them one by one would easily lead them into a trap. Let's just proceed at our own pace. Gentlemen, who wants to play the good cop and who wants to play the bad cop?"

“I, I’ll play the good cop, the bad guy!” Yu Qiwen was the first to raise his hand.

"Alright, Professor Yu will be responsible for putting pressure on Lani later and playing the bad cop."

"Team Leader Gong, you should play the good guy. Go and appease Annie, make her feel that your plan has succeeded."

"Mr. Su, could you please elaborate on your plan?"

Su Mingjin smiled and said, "Since they want to feed us false information, we'll just follow their lead."

"I want to see how many new lies they'll need to cover up one lie. We can do it like this..."

After listening, Brigade Commander Man laughed heartily: "Brilliant! General Su's move is truly brilliant! These clever fellows are still too green to try and outsmart us!"

Commander Fu rubbed his chin and said, "President Su's ideas are quite ambitious, but if it happens... so I think we can add some details, and we can get some props..."

"...Like this, it can be done like this..."

After some discussion, Su Mingjin looked at the two of them: "In that case, the plan is secure. Are you two capable of completing the mission?"

"Make sure to complete the mission."

Gong Pengfei and Yu Qiwen responded in unison, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Alright, let the engineering team start setting it up. We'll see what happens tomorrow."

Su Mingjin smiled as she watched the elf in the video, the corners of her mouth gradually turning up.

What kind of enemy is the most interesting?

An enemy who believes his disguise is flawless and possesses unparalleled confidence.

Tear apart their elaborate disguise and destroy everything they are proud of.

Then savor the sweetest fruits of victory.

This is the most interesting thing.

The pioneering team wanted to show these self-important elves that in the face of absolute technological superiority and information asymmetry, any clever tricks would only expose them more quickly.

This is the power of technology.
-
Early the next morning.

The iron gate slid open with a familiar click, and Lani, who was hiding in the corner, subconsciously squinted at the people who came in.

The aroma of fruit wafted in on the breeze.

Hunger gnawed at her like a maggot clinging to her bones, churning wildly in her stomach.

Tang Huanzhu walked in carrying a tray, a formulaic smile on her face.

On the tray, brightly colored, plump, and juicy fruits exude an enticing sweet aroma.

This aroma was nothing short of the most vicious provocation to an elf who had been starving for a long time.

Lani's gaze shifted from the fruit, fixing on Tang Huanzhu's face, and she let out a low, beast-like roar.

Hatred and murderous intent materialized in her emerald green pupils.

The moment Tang Huanzhu placed the tray on the table, Lani moved!

Like a cheetah that has been gathering its strength for a long time, her slender fingers transformed into sharp claws, attempting to strike Tang Huanzhu's throat!
All of this was within the control room's expectations.

"Heh, the show's started." Commander Man crossed his legs, looking like he was watching a play.

In the scene, the guards beside Tang Huanzhu are constantly on alert.

Upon discovering the enemy's approach, they immediately raised their weapons.

A blue-white arc of electricity crackled as it shot out from the tip of the stun gun, striking Lani's side with perfect accuracy.

sizzle-

A powerful electric current surged through her body instantly. Lani's body, which was only halfway to pounce, suddenly stiffened, convulsed violently, and then collapsed limply to the ground, her muscles trembling uncontrollably.

"Oh dear, why are you always so disobedient?" Tang Huanzhu took two steps back, patted her chest, and looked like she was still shaken. "This is the third time already. If it happens again, you won't be able to see the sky outside for a long time."

She sighed, her tone tinged with regret, as if she felt sorry for Lani.

"Alright, you're starving, I'll take you out for some fresh air this time."

Lani's consciousness was somewhat blurred by the shock of the electric current. She felt herself being roughly lifted up by two guards, and the cold metal shackles clicked as they locked her wrists and ankles.

Meanwhile, in the same cell, Annie, who witnessed Lani's ordeal, instinctively shuddered.

A long time ago, she was just as stubborn and then got electrocuted badly!

This time she cooperated obediently, and then a delicate metal choker was put on her neck.

“Annis, you’ve been doing very well.” Tang Huanzhu pointed to Anis’s neck, then to Lani, who was still twitching slightly on the ground, and said in a lecturing tone, “This is a reward, but also a warning. Don’t try to do anything unnecessary, or you’ll end up like her.”

After speaking, Tang Huanzhu gestured for Annie to "please".

A perfectly timed look of fear flashed in Annie's eyes. She nodded obediently and followed them out.

Lani, on the other hand, was unceremoniously restrained in a wheelchair with a restraint device by two soldiers and pushed along behind them.

When Annies walked out of the room that had imprisoned her for nearly a month, walked down the corridor, and opened the glass door...

A biting, cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, rushed towards me.

Icy cold, bone-chilling.

But the air was so fresh that it almost brought tears to her eyes.

She breathed in greedily, her chest rising and falling slightly with the long-lost feeling of freedom.

Looking up, what greeted my eyes was not the cell ceiling, but an endless, leaden-gray sky.

The wind and snow danced wildly in the air, the distant mountains were covered in white snow, and the world was a vast expanse of white.

The scenery was bleak and desolate, yet it captivated Annie, who hadn't seen the outside world in a long time.

Just then, Lani, who had been limp in the wheelchair pushed next to her, struggled to lift her head.

Her pupils, which had been dazed from the electric shock, had somehow regained focus, and she gave Annie a cold glance.

That glance was so quick it was almost an illusion.

Annies, however, understood.

—The first step of the plan seems to have been a success!
It seems they really are going to treat them specially.

The camera recorded all of this.

Their brainwaves, heart rates, and the subtle glances and movements during their clandestine exchanges were all transmitted back to the monitoring room not far away!

Seeing their silent exchange, Su Mingjin's lips curled into a smile.

(End of this chapter)