Chapter Sixty-Five: Storming the Terror Command Center

As expected, a sudden beam of light shot down from above. Zhang Desen, with a soldier’s keen instincts, quickly dodged aside, but the family retainer next to him was less fortunate—he was struck by the scorching radiance and instantly reduced to a charred husk. Witnessing this, Zhang Desen immediately issued an order:

“All musketeers, fire upwards at once!”

“Yes, sir!”

All the musketeers armed with Brown Bess muskets swiftly obeyed, raising their weapons and firing in the direction of the Terrans above. Fortune favored them, for although these Terrans were fully equipped in gear that seemed almost science-fictional, they were not, after all, protected head-to-toe like the legendary aliens, and their armor bore similarities to modern military attire. Thus, everyone aimed for their heads. Zhang Desen himself did not hesitate; he raised his Type 95 assault rifle and opened fire.

Bullets from Zhang Desen’s rifle and lead shot from the musketeers whistled through the air, crossing paths with the blazing rays from the Terrans’ energy weapons. The battle was fierce and unrelenting.

As a special forces veteran, Zhang Desen’s marksmanship was far superior. He quickly realized that the Terrans above were not numerous. Without delay, he pulled out a special-forces grenade, removed the pin, and hurled it with precision into the densest cluster of Terrans. With a thunderous explosion, five Terrans fell at once.

Witnessing this, Dadu Kuer immediately understood that this was no mere specimen revolt; humans from outside had forced their way in, and one among them had come from the unidentified flying object. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dadu Kuer ordered his guards to cease fire, then took out a megaphone equipped with a translation device and called out:

“Humans below, please cease fire. I have something to say.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Desen signaled his men to temporarily hold their fire. Then, taking out his own miniature loudspeaker, he replied:

“Speak your mind.”

Dadu Kuer announced, “I am Dadu Kuer, Chief of Staff at the Mountain Base…”

Zhang Desen responded, “Ah, so it’s Chief of Staff. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. What guidance have you for us?”

Dadu Kuer continued, “If I am not mistaken, you are not a captured specimen, but someone who infiltrated from outside, correct?”

Zhang Desen replied, “And if I am, what of it? If not, what of it?”

Dadu Kuer pressed on, “Let’s not beat around the bush. The weapons you use could not possibly have been made by the humans outside—they lack the technology. Furthermore, both your tactics and arms bear a striking resemblance to those of Tang Shijie, whom our Coastal Base captured a few months ago. Are you going to tell me that’s just a coincidence?”

At this, Zhang Desen flared with anger. “So it was you! I remember well what you did to my comrade. I will make you pay for every one of those deeds.”

Unexpectedly, Dadu Kuer replied, “You are mistaken. We have not harmed him. In fact, we saved him. Think about it: we are higher-order intelligent beings. Is it wrong to uplift and transform lower beings to our level?”

Zhang Desen immediately retorted,

“Your understanding is gravely flawed. Is this truly your logic? Are there not your own kind on the surface as well? Regardless of your way of thinking, let me make this clear: humanity’s fate can only be decided by ourselves. No outsider can be allowed to dominate or slaughter us at will.”

Dadu Kuer replied, “You are not wrong—we do have lesser kin. But you must realize, to refuse our benevolence leads only to disaster.”

Zhang Desen said, “Then let us speak with our strength. But answer me one thing—what is your doomsday weapon?”

Dadu Kuer was startled. “What? So you know about our doomsday weapon? Impressive. That means you cannot be allowed to leave, unless we remake you. If you wish to know, come and see if you have the ability to find out. You may even join us—after your transformation, all will be revealed!”

Zhang Desen snapped, “Then we have nothing more to discuss. All units, open fire!”

Gunfire erupted once more. Bullets from the Type 95 and musket balls from the musketeers interlaced with the searing energy rays of the Terrans.

The battle raged on. Among Zhang Desen’s forty-odd men, only twenty-two were armed with muskets. The rest carried cold weapons and were also tasked with hauling explosives and supplies, so in total there were only twenty-three points of firepower, including Zhang Desen himself.

On the Terran side, there were just over twenty, hastily assembled and some unfamiliar with firearms—combat effectiveness was low. After sustained fighting, only about thirteen of them remained.

Though the humans’ weapons were outdated, they were well-drilled. Whenever a musketeer fell, a retainer armed with a cold weapon would immediately seize the musket and fill the gap. The muskets, though old-fashioned, were easy to operate, and everyone had seen cannons fired before, so they adapted quickly. Gradually, the humans’ firepower gained the upper hand, and they pressed forward.

Dadu Kuer was now drenched in cold sweat. He had counted on his superior weaponry to easily suppress the human assault, but to his dismay, it was the humans, wielding primitive arms, who gained the advantage, driving his forces into a defensive quagmire. He called to his adjutant, Dade Ross:

“Order the external troops to return immediately. Forget the situation outside.”

“Chief of Staff, if we pull back, the outside will be lost—then we’re truly finished!”

“There’s no other choice. Call back half, have the rest hold at all costs. Once we eliminate these humans, we’ll lead the others out to support them. And remember, keep the matter of humans secret—if too many know, the chaos will only spread. Understood? Absolute secrecy!”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Dade Ross hurried back to the command center to relay orders. Zhang Desen, seeing this, immediately realized the Terrans were summoning reinforcements.

“They’re calling for backup! We must storm their position before their reinforcements arrive—advance while their numbers are thin!”

“Yes, sir!”

The men surged forward with renewed vigor. After a moment, Zhang Desen called out again:

“All retainers not yet armed with muskets, ready your homemade grenades. Light the fuses and keep throwing—do not let up!”

“Yes, sir!”

Soon, the combined firepower of the Type 95, special-forces grenades, Brown Bess muskets, and homemade explosives formed a formidable web, swiftly crushing Dadu Kuer’s resistance. But at that moment, blaring alarms sounded—the Terran reinforcements were near.

Zhang Desen and his men redoubled their assault. Soon, apart from Dadu Kuer—wounded and temporarily blinded by a flashbang thrown by Zhang Desen, and Dade Ross, still safe in the command room—all the remaining Terrans were killed.

On Zhang Desen’s order, his retainers quickly gathered all available Terran weapons and used Dadu Kuer’s fingerprint to unlock the command room of the Mountain Base. Another flashbang blinded Dade Ross, who was then captured and had his eyes covered along with Dadu Kuer’s.

They disabled the locking mechanism, making it impossible to operate the doors. Zhang Desen immediately used his communicator to contact Zhou Yongli:

“Comrade Yongli, do you read? Over.”

Zhou Yongli’s voice came through at once: “Young Master, this is Zhou Yongli. Your orders?”

“Send word to Brother Zhao Chengming right away. Have him mobilize 1,400 men—including 600 musketeers—and move them to the laboratory we passed earlier. They must block the Terran reinforcements and secure our retreat!”

“We’ve already sent the message, Young Master. When we saw you engaged with the Terrans, we acted immediately. There are 1,500 men in total, with 650 musketeers—they’re nearly there. I’ll relay your instructions at once.”

“Very good. Proceed at once!”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhang Desen then ordered his men to maintain strict security and began interrogating Dadu Kuer and Dade Ross. He picked up the translation megaphone and addressed them:

“Listen—I have no wish to harm the innocent. If you cooperate, it benefits you. Do you understand?”

They remained silent. Zhang Desen continued:

“Don’t imagine that your silence will stop me. My patience is running out. Once it’s gone, I will end you both and find what I need from your computers. You’ll have wasted your lives for nothing but a hollow sense of dignity. If you help, I get my answers sooner, and you have a chance to survive.”

Still, they said nothing. Zhang Desen promptly ordered Dade Ross executed and had Dadu Kuer detained for further use.

Without delay, Zhang Desen threw himself into a race against time, searching for information on the Terran doomsday weapon.

Suddenly, sounds of intense gunfire echoed from afar. Through the Terran command center monitors, they saw their own reinforcements clashing with the Terran forces just outside the Strategic Food Chain Laboratory. The Terrans, with their superior technology, weaponry, and numbers, threatened to overwhelm the human troops in a direct confrontation.

Zhang Desen knew he had to work faster. Suddenly, he noticed a prominent button nearby, and a thought struck him. A faint smile played upon his lips.