The Pyro Company in front of them was not just a small part of the advance guard. Ren Xiaosu could even see a continuous stream of military transport vehicles and mechanized troops behind them.
This was part of the Pyro Company’s main forces!
As there was no source of intel, Ren Xiaosu did not know when the Pyro Company had captured Stronghold 32. He guessed that the stronghold must have fallen sometime during the night before the Pyro Company launched a blitzkrieg on Stronghold 31.
This was intricately linked to the T5 combatant’s plan to lead the special forces to complete the decapitation strike. Their goal was to catch the Kong Consortium off guard.
Still on the brakes, Yang Xiaojin asked, “Should we escape?”
“We can’t get away anymore.” Ren Xiaosu sighed. If it were just the two of them, they could easily leave right now. But they still had the Trinity Institute led by Wang Jing behind them.
If the two of them were to escape just like that, Wang Jing and the others would definitely end up in a bad state.
The Pyro Company was right in front of them. Even if their off-road vehicles were high-performance models, they still couldn’t escape from the other party’s mechanized troops.
It was a pity that his steam locomotive was still sealed. Otherwise, he would not be in such a dilemma.
The doctors in the vehicles were panicking. When had they ever been caught in such a situation before? Someone kept asking Wang Jing over the walkie-talkie, “Elder, what should we do now?”
“Why don’t we go and talk to them? We’re just doctors, after all. What does the war between the Pyro Company and the Kong Consortium have to do with our medical team from the Wang Consortium?”
Wang Jing did not know what to do either. Even though he had been in many dangerous situations before, it was nothing compared to being caught up in a war.
However, he quickly said through the walkie-talkie, “Everyone, be careful not to expose Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin’s identities. Remember, they’re members of our medical team. They’re just two ordinary doctors. If anyone deliberately reveals any information to the Pyro Company, don’t blame me for not showing mercy when we return to the Wang Consortium.”
When Ren Xiaosu heard Wang Jing’s voice, he fell silent. He did not expect Wang Jing’s first thought would be to protect him.
Everyone watched Ren Xiaosu suddenly open the car door. Then he raised his hands above his head and walked towards the Pyro Company’s troops. He shouted, “We’re the medical team from the Wang Consortium’s Trinity Institute. We’re here on a medical exchange with the Kong Consortium. Please don’t harm us. We can hand over all our weapons. We aren’t combatants, so please don’t kill the innocent.”
Everyone in the vehicles was shocked. Seeing that the Pyro Company’s soldiers were pointing their guns at the convoy, none of them would have the courage to step forward and face the Pyro Company’s main forces alone.
But this young man had a courage that the average person did not have.
Yang Xiaojin glanced at Ren Xiaosu and slowly got out of the vehicle as well. She raised her hands to indicate she was unarmed.
Ren Xiaosu was also very nervous at this moment. He was very worried the Pyro Company’s main forces would indiscriminately shoot at any suspicious targets.
After all, it was wartime now and nothing could be certain.
At the rear of the convoy, Wang Jing took the lead and got out of the vehicle. He also threw the automatic rifle Wang Run had given them on the ground.
Two platoons from the Pyro Company quickly approached them. One of the platoons was responsible for watching over everyone from the Trinity Institute while the other carefully searched all the vehicles. They even cut open the seats of the vehicles with their tactical daggers. In the end, they discovered the vehicles were only filled with medical equipment and medicine.
It was only then that a Pyro Company officer walked over slowly. He immediately saw Wang Jing and asked, “Are you the person in charge of this medical team?”
“Yes, I am.” Wang Jing said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner, “I’m the vice president of the Trinity Institute and the director of Stronghold 62’s First Hospital. We came here as part of the Trinity Institute’s usual medical exchange program, but we didn’t expect a war to break out.”
“Your ID?” the Pyro Company officer said.
When Ren Xiaosu heard that, he heaved a sigh of relief. At least, the attitude the other party was showing did not seem like he was going to kill anyone indiscriminately.
Ren Xiaosu had taken a gamble when he got out of the vehicle. In the past, Ren Xiaosu always had a very polarized impression of the Pyro Company. One was that they were unscrupulous when doing their missions, and the other was that they would stand up for humanity in times of trouble. It was very paradoxical behavior.
He thought to himself that since he could not get out of this situation through violence, he would have to reveal himself as a member of the medical team and see how the Pyro Company would handle them.
If the other party still wanted to take action against them, he would have to try his best and fight his way out.
At this moment, Wang Jing handed his identification to the Pyro Company’s officer. The officer read it and said, “In principle, we will not harm any medical personnel. But how can I be sure that you all are medical professionals? Your ID could be forged.”
Wang Jing was a little put on the spot. “Why don’t you get someone to test us? I’m sure that all of us can pass the test.”
Suddenly, an officer jogged over to the Pyro Company officer and whispered something to him. The Pyro Company officer’s expression suddenly changed as he immediately said to his deputy commander next to him, “Gather all of these doctors into a truck. Everyone, retreat to the North immediately!”
Ren Xiaosu was stunned. What was going on? Why were the Pyro Company’s main forces retreating to the North? Were they not going to occupy Stronghold 31?
The officer handed Wang Jing’s identification back to him. “All of you have been temporarily conscripted. From now on, no one is allowed to act on their own.”
Someone from the Trinity Institute said anxiously, “Why do we have to go north? We’ve already shown you our identification. We’re only doctors! We don’t know how to fight a war!”
The Pyro Company officer said coldly, “A new war has broken out in the North. Stronghold 176 has been massacred, and our Pyro Company has entered a Level One combat readiness state. It just so happens that we have wounded soldiers in the war against the Kong Consortium and we don’t have enough medical supplies left. Everyone, please rest assured and focus on saving the wounded and dying among our troops. Isn’t it all the same no matter where you treat your patients?”
Someone wondered, “Isn’t Stronghold 176 the Wang Consortium’s territory? What has it got to do with the Pyro Company?”
The officer glared at the person who spoke. “This time, we’re facing a foreign enemy. Our Pyro Company has to make them pay in blood for the Central Plains people who died in Stronghold 176.”
After that, the officer jumped onto a military off-road vehicle and sped northwards.
Following, the two platoons escorted the group from the Trinity Institute into a military transport truck and headed north with them.
Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin looked at each other. They looked out of the truck and saw Stronghold 31 getting farther and farther away from them. What kind of war had caused the Pyro Company to give up on Stronghold 31 when it was already theirs for the taking?
Surely these people had not come here in the middle of the night to give the Kong Consortium a Valentine’s Day surprise, right?
Wait a minute. Ren Xiaosu suddenly remembered that Wang Jing had once mentioned… the enemies north of the grasslands.
But Stronghold 176 was not exactly next to the Pyro Company. Why did the Pyro Company, who looked like they had a deep-seated resentment against the Wang Consortium, give up on such a huge interest so decisively?
