Lone Goose

In a hollow somewhere in Mount Zhang, at what had once been a defensive position built by the Iron Chain Gang, the ground was strewn with gang members' corpses, most of them torn apart and incomplete. The bunkers and fortifications remained largely intact, as Molan Company had never launched a frontal assault against them. These defensive works were only designed to counter enemies advancing across the ground or up the mountain slopes. They were entirely useless against combat mantises capable of flight, leaping through mountain forests, and adapting to any terrain. Furthermore, the combat mantises operated with tactical coordination: one group drew attention from the front, while the rest circled around the rear and flanks to strike. Because the emplacements had almost all been built facing forward, and because the Iron Chain Gang members possessed hardly any real combat discipline, they were completely defenseless against attacks from any other direction. Following the combat mantises' surprise assault, the Blood Molan Guard charged up the line. They had no fear of ordinary firearms, and their blinding speed made them nearly impossible to track with the naked eye, overrunning the defensive line in mere breaths. As for the gang members holed up in the pillboxes, the guards merely tossed a canister of nerve agent through each firing slit as they swept past, instantly leaving everyone inside paralyzed and dying. A network of fortifications that once could have held off thousands of soldiers was dismantled in barely a dozen minutes. Much of that was due to the Iron Chain Gang's lack of artillery and poor combat training. Yet even if they had possessed both, they would have had little recourse against virtually all-terrain combat mantises and a Blood Molan Guard endowed with superhuman reaction speeds. Put simply, these weapons and earthworks were meant for an old-style army of ordinary men, leaving them powerless against modern, armed-to-the-teeth rapid-strike squads and biomechanical weapons. Curiously, there were fewer Iron Chain Gang members stationed here than expected—fewer than two hundred. The Iron Chain Gang was a massive syndicate tens of thousands strong, fully capable of mobilizing a thousand elites. Molan Company's analysts concluded that the gang likely had no desire to lay down their lives for their superiors, merely stationing a token force to go through the motions. Whatever the reason, Molan's forces had arrived, and their plan was more than half complete. This position controlled the narrowest and most level pass through the mountains. Once it was breached, all their personnel swept through the range in under an hour. Emerging from the valley mouth, they were greeted by a gentle earthen slope about sixty meters high. The five directors walked to its crest and looked out over the boundless Great Wasteland before them. Standing there, they felt as though the entire world was within their grasp. Their destination was the Chaotic Lands, two thousand kilometers away. Once there, with the strength they wielded, they could rebuild their Molan Kingdom. Yet they had no intention of making the journey on foot. "They're here." After a brief wait, a director watching a particular direction pointed out two large, shimmering silver airships flying toward them. As the vessels drew closer, sharp-eyed observers could already make out the spinning propellers along the flanks and stern. These were two massive rigid airships secretly constructed by Molan Company in the northwestern mountains. Even with key equipment aboard, each could carry over two hundred passengers—more than enough to transport the bulk of their people to the Chaotic Lands within a single day. A mooring mast had long since been erected below the slope by an insider planted within the Iron Chain Gang. Under that insider's persuasion, the gang's leadership had previously attempted to build a small airship along with a matching hangar, intending it as an escape route in a crisis. What they never realized was that Molan had orchestrated it all, secretly supplying both the technology and materials. Now everything—including the nearby hangar and the small airship—had been seized by Molan's personnel, making their evacuation plan even smoother and more secure. "The pursuers won't arrive for at least an hour," one director remarked. "We've already set up a rudimentary roadblock below. No matter how hard they press, they'll never catch us." "Once we reach the Chaotic Lands, Molan Company will be reborn." "Yes. That chaotic soil will provide rich nourishment, and a brand-new Molan will bloom there." Yet while the directors were looking toward the future, the war room at the Yangzhi City Constabulary Headquarters had erupted into complete chaos. They had just received the news. After all, there was no way airships of that size could move unnoticed. "Two massive airships, and not a single whisper until now? What do we pay you for?" someone shouted in outrage. A civil official mopped the cold sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, pleading defensively, "We knew Molan Company had a hot air balloon factory out there for sightseeing, but who could have guessed it was actually an airship plant..." The place was remote, deep in the mountains, disconnected from Yangzhi City. The wilderness was vastly more dangerous than the city; who would wander out there for routine inspections? "Commissioner Cao, what should we do? The forces we dispatched can't possibly catch up now." At that question, every gaze in the room converged upon Commissioner Cao. After all, he was the primary authority in charge of the operation. Cao said in a deep voice, "No need to pursue." "What?" Cao looked out the window and slowly repeated, "No need to pursue." Where the Great Wasteland met Mount Zhang, Molan Company's people began gathering toward the airship factory built by the Iron Chain Gang. They needed to inflate the small airship inside while waiting at the outdoor mooring area for the two large airships to descend. "Supervisor Cui, what are you doing? Who are you telegraphing?" A company employee looked quizzically at Deputy Head of Security Cui Hong, who was sitting alone off to the side, operating a radio transmitter. Cui Hong replied casually, "Nothing much. Just telegraphing our colleagues receiving us in the Chaotic Lands." Seeing his relaxed demeanor, the employee thought nothing of it. Even if he were telegraphing Yangzhi City, it would make no difference; no one there could make it in time. Looking up at the approaching behemoths in the sky, the employee felt a surge of exhilaration. Riding vessels like that into the Chaotic Lands would feel like gods descending from the heavens. Yet twenty kilometers away, stationed along sweeping ring tracks, sat fourteen massive 270 mm railway guns. They had been brought here in advance, readied over three days, and anchored securely to their firing platforms. The artillery crews had long since locked in their firing solutions, all barrels aimed directly at the area where Molan Company's personnel were gathering. It had taken Hangu City's military an entire year to lay the tracks this far. Moving forward, the line would continue to be extended until it linked with Yangzhi City, uniting Hangu and Yangzhi across the land. At that moment, having received the long-awaited telegram, the operator immediately notified the supreme commander of the operation. The officer wearing a peaked cap looked toward the mountain silhouettes to the south, lifted the telephone receiver, and said in a grave voice, "Pass my order. Fire upon the designated target!!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "Fire!" As the command rippled down the line, the fourteen railway guns unleashed an earth-shattering roar. For an instant, time seemed to freeze. Then the ground shuddered violently, and thick plumes of gunsmoke billowed across the air. Having sent the telegram, Cui Hong leisurely drew out a cigarette and lit it, savoring the smoke. He then handed a written copy of the message to the employee beside him. "Take this transcript to the five directors." The employee took it, thrilled inside. This was a chance to present himself before all five directors at once—a rare opportunity. Gratefully, he said, "Thank you, Supervisor!" "Go on." Cui Hong slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. He removed the cap bearing Molan Company's insignia, replaced it with an old cap he carried with him, and pinned a conical hat emblem of the Republic of Great Shun to his chest. Then he looked up at the sky. "The sky is so blue..." The employee ran eagerly toward the five directors, but the Blood Molan Guard quickly barred his path. He could only wave the telegram in his hand, shouting, "Directors! A telegram from the Chaotic Lands! Deputy Supervisor Cui told me to bring it to you!" The word "Chaotic Lands" instantly caught the five directors' attention. Yet they were puzzled; they had never assigned Cui Hong to handle that matter, which rightfully belonged to the intelligence division. A flicker of suspicion and wariness entered their eyes, and they ordered someone forward to take the paper. At the same time, they glanced outward. The Blood Molan Guard remained stationed dutifully around them, bringing a reassuring sense of security. As long as these guards stood watch, nothing could touch them. Once the telegram was checked and cleared, it was carried over. One of the directors took it and read the words written upon it: "State Administration Bureau Agent Cui Hong, codename Lone Goose, sends his greetings to all of you. Wishing you a pleasant journey." The director's pupils contracted sharply. A terrible dread seized his heart. But before he could utter a single word, the artillery shells, having soared through the air for half a minute, finally rained down upon the earth! *Rumble!* The barrage completely blanketed the area, detonating all the hydrogen stored inside the airship factory. A colossal fireball rolled upward into the heavens! The muffled thunder of the blast carried all the way into Yangzhi City, reaching every ear with ringing clarity. Windowpanes rattled violently, shaking loose flurries of dust. "Commissioner Cao?" "Commissioner Cao, what was that..." Commissioner Cao offered no explanation. He simply turned toward the north and reached up to silently remove his hat. Beside him, every State Administration Bureau officer in the room took off their hats as well. Most people stood bewildered, but a few realized what it meant, their faces solemn and reverent. Half a minute later, Commissioner Cao put his hat back on. He walked to the side, picked up the telephone, and said in a low, steely voice, "Order the troops to advance at full speed. Eliminate every enemy in sight!"