PS: Accumulate energy stones to reach 100, and I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow. Brothers, toss them in!
Soon, the sound of truck engines grew louder as two military transport vehicles appeared in the distance.
When they were about a hundred meters away, soldiers clad in bulletproof armor, members of the Planetary Defense Force (PDF), leaped out from the rear of the vehicles. After assembling, they marched in unison toward Zhang Ge under the command of an officer.
Upon reaching Zhang Ge, the officer blew a sharp whistle, and the three squads, totaling twenty-six PDF soldiers, came to a halt.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't matter much since they weren't part of the same command structure, and ignoring this Astra Militarum captain wouldn't be a big deal.
But in wartime, it was a completely different story. It was common for Astra Militarum officers to outrank PDF officers, especially since the platoon leader was only a second lieutenant. Moreover, he had indeed made a mistake. At best, it could be considered getting lost; at worst, being absent for several months could easily be classified as desertion.
"Planetary Defense Force of Yakolan, 17th Infantry Regiment, 73rd Company, 21st Platoon, reporting for duty!"
The organizational structure of the Astra Militarum and PDF was rigid: regiment-company-platoon-squad, with squads typically consisting of around ten soldiers.
So, with fewer personnel, a regiment of a few hundred soldiers fit neatly into the prescribed structure.
But with larger numbers, to accommodate enough personnel, an infantry regiment could comprise dozens or even hundreds of companies, each with dozens or hundreds of platoons, allowing a single regiment to house tens or hundreds of thousands of soldiers. This was a common occurrence across various units.
Zhang Ge didn't falter despite wearing a uniform he had taken from someone else. He confidently scanned the group and addressed the officer:
"Burton, you're now incorporated into my unit as the 35th Platoon, or face execution."
Without hesitation, the officer saluted and replied:
"35th Platoon, Second Lieutenant Burton, reporting for duty!"
Being conscripted meant death might come later, but execution meant death now. Killing him would likely result in more than just his own death. Faced with such a choice, it was better to opt for the relatively less dire outcome.
Moreover, this captain bore the crest of a noble from the hive city—perhaps he was an ally.
Satisfied, Zhang Ge nodded, stepped forward, removed the officer's helmet, glanced at the top of his head, and then carefully placed the helmet back on, adjusting it neatly.
Soon after Burton was left to enter the back seat, everyone else was instructed to return to the truck.
After accepting a bag of Throne Coins handed over by the bishop, Zhang Ge set off again, though this time not alone, as two noisy trucks followed behind.
Of course, the destination for this journey was not the hive city for the time being, but rather the headquarters of the Dawn Cult, as pointed out by Burton.
They had been there when they were invited to serve as instructors. The cult members clearly had no sense of secrecy at the time, as the route was laid out plainly for them to see.
"Burton, are you sure this is the right path?"
But after driving for quite some time, when the scenery ahead repeated for the third time, Zhang Ge couldn't help but ask.
However, Burton also seemed unsure of what was happening. He replied with some doubt:
"This... we came this way before. It shouldn't be ."
After returning to the same spot for the fourth time, Zhang Ge stopped the car and asked Burton:
"Do you remember the direction of every turn from here to the headquarters?"
Burton was interrupted. After recalling for a while, he followed the request and listed the direction of each turn, even including the approximate distance to drive.
After listening, Zhang Ge took his hands off the steering wheel and said:
"Input the direction of each turn just mentioned, stay within the road limits, and activate autopilot."
"Sir, who are you talking to?"
However, he received no answer, only the sensation of being pressed firmly into his seat by the inertia caused by the vehicle's acceleration.
Low light, no headlights, poor visibility, and numerous obstacles.
Yet none of this hindered a civilian-modified light armored vehicle as it sped through the streets, the sharp screech of tires drifting echoing at every corner. The two trucks behind soon lost sight of the taillights of the vehicle ahead.
In the eyes of Zhang Ge and his companions, as the vehicle sped along, the surrounding scenery gradually became blurred and distorted, soon piercing through like a bubble film.
A large-scale holographic projection.
Such a thing was uncommon in the outskirts where even electricity was in short supply, let alone on a scale large enough to guide a vehicle's path.
After the vehicle came to a stop, a distant area illuminated by what seemed to be numerous searchlights appeared, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding darkness.
It was obvious that this was the so-called headquarters of the cult.
After parking the vehicle in a concealed spot, Zhang Ge took up his boltgun and power sword, saying to the other three:
"There's no time to wait for the others. Let's move out first."