The crimson valley lay in silence.
Near the large truck that had transported the mecha in the Fire Fox Syndicate camp, a pyre burned. Several dark figures stood quietly nearby. One-Eyed Qi Qingtian, his expression somber, bit down on a cigarette. His solitary eye gazed emptily at the valley shrouded in haze, blood, and night. "Rest well, brothers," he murmured.
With that, he tossed the cigarette from his lips into the flames and offered a sharp, Imperial standard military salute towards the distance.
Shi Kai, Qin Shiqi, and Gu Ning, their faces solemn, followed suit, rendering identical salutes.
Standing to the side, Bai Hao understood this was their final farewell to the fallen members of the Earth Dragon Squad. They were about to leave this valley for which they had fought—a valley now stained red with blood.
In the solemn atmosphere, Bai Hao also raised his right hand in an Imperial salute. Though he was not an Imperial soldier, those who had perished were his comrades-in-arms.
Zhao Kaixuan, Wan Xiaoliu, Lian Fengyu...
These names, accompanied by the faces that flashed through his mind, were things that deserved to be remembered.
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
One-Eyed Qi Qingtian drew his pistol and fired twelve shots into the night sky—one for each member of the Earth Dragon Squad.
Soon after, a series of explosions echoed through the valley.
Qi Qingtian and the others had destroyed most of the vehicles in the camp, leaving only one off-road vehicle and the large truck carrying the RX009 Land Combat Mecha. Destroying the transport was to minimize future complications. The assault on the valley camp hadn't been a complete annihilation; at least thirty individuals had escaped into the wooded hills, remaining a potential threat. Without vehicles, any attempt at retaliation would be far more difficult.
Shortly, the off-road vehicle and the large truck departed the valley.
Bai Hao drove the mecha-transport truck. Back on B5 Mining Planet, he had driven similar vehicles. Though rusty at first, after a few miles, familiarity returned. Sitting beside him in the passenger seat was An Xu, a faint look of contentment on her face. This was her and her brother's small, private world.
One-Eyed Qi Qingtian and the other three were in the off-road vehicle. With them was a prisoner: the coldly beautiful woman in black, Miss Lan Mei of the Fire Fox Syndicate. She had been fortunate to survive the mecha's barrage, sustaining only a minor leg wound. While fleeing into the woods, she had been captured by Gu Ning. Her life was spared only after she volunteered to help Bai Hao and the others leave the derelict mining planet.
Under the cloak of night, the off-road vehicle and the large truck drove in tandem, their speed moderate, moving slowly but steadily towards the interstate highway not far away.
The blood-soaked valley receded into the distance behind them, eventually swallowed by the pitch-black night.
On a hill not far from the crimson valley, the dozen or so surviving members of the Black Wolf Mercenaries watched the two vehicles grow distant. The tense expressions on their faces seemed to ease somewhat.
"Finally, they're gone," one mercenary exhaled deeply, muttering.
The Black Wolf Mercenaries had suffered heavy losses. Of the thirty-five members who had come, only over a dozen remained. Losing more than twenty men was a significant blow to a mercenary group that was never large to begin with.
A brawny man with dark skin asked somewhat blankly, "Boss, what do we do now?"
Black Wolf gazed into the distance where the off-road vehicle and truck were heading for the interstate highway. His face was shadowed with a gloom as thick as the night. A complex flicker passed through his eyes, hidden beneath the low brim of his hat. Instead of answering, he replied coolly with a question, "What do youthink we should do?"
The dark-skinned man scratched his head, a flash of hatred crossing his face. "Kill them," he replied angrily. "Avenge our brothers."
"Avenge?" Black Wolf let out a cold laugh. After a pause, he said deliberately, "Do you want to sacrifice more brothers?"
"Sacrifice!" The dark-skinned man was taken aback. But remembering the mecha that moved like the god of death, he quickly grasped Black Wolf's meaning. Although the Black Wolf Mercenaries were an elite group, they stood no real chance against a formidable mecha. Yet, a deep sense of injustice churned within him. So many of their brothers had died by the enemy's hand. "So we just let it go?"
Black Wolf withdrew his gaze and gave the man's shoulder a light pat. "Leave dealing with them to the Fire Fox Syndicate and the Black Dragon Gang," he said slowly. "Both gangs were practically wiped out this time. Given their nature, they won't let this slide. And they likely have the resources to handle it, especially Fire Fox. As the top of the three major gangs, the fact they fielded a mecha speaks to their strength. If I'm not mistaken, Fire Fox probably has more than one mecha, or other, even more powerful means at their disposal. We just need to watch from the sidelines. If they die, our brothers are avenged. There's no need to dwell on whose bullet does the job. Understood?"
"Understood, Boss." The brawny man offered no argument, simply nodding in acquiescence.
…
Half an hour later, the off-road vehicle and the large truck merged onto the interstate highway, heading for Hope Town. Before leaving the valley, One-Eyed Qi Qingtian had formulated a preliminary plan. Based on intelligence Gu Ning had gathered, a starship was scheduled to depart the derelict mining planet around noon—roughly eight hours from now. They should have just enough time to reach it. How to pass through the checkpoints and inspections, however, was a gamble that now rested entirely on their hostage.
Once on the highway, both vehicles picked up speed. The large truck Bai Hao drove performed reasonably well, managing to keep pace with the leading off-road vehicle.
The two vehicles sped down the interstate highway.
Two hours later, the first faint glimmers of light finally appeared on the eastern horizon—the dawn of a new day. The darkness was gradually consumed, bit by bit, until it was completely devoured.
Bai Hao's mental state was fairly good, driving the large truck with relative ease. Beside him, An Xu had already fallen asleep. Days of continuous strain had exhausted her already slender frame. The ride on the smooth highway was extremely steady, with almost no jostling, and she had unknowingly slipped into slumber.
The off-road vehicle and the truck drove for a full six hours before finally exiting the interstate highway and turning towards the nearby Hope Town.
A little over ten minutes later, the two vehicles arrived at the first checkpoint leading into the town.
One-Eyed Qi Qingtian had chosen the southern district of Hope Town. The checkpoint was manned by armed personnel of the Fire Fox Syndicate.
A guard stepped forward, weapon in hand. "Present your passage permit."
One-Eyed Qi Qingtian replied with a calm expression, "We are escorting Miss Lan Mei."
The rear window of the off-road vehicle slid down. Lan Mei maintained her aloof, cold demeanor, casting an icy glance at the guard.
The guard stiffened slightly. Asking no further questions, he immediately waved them through.