Chapter 276: A Test ( 4 )
After a long silence, Jin Xuyan said, “In today’s meeting, my team wants to know what everyone’s plan is regarding the zombie horde.”
As soon as he said this, the General asked, “Captain Jin, do you have a plan?”
“My plan is simple. After this meeting, my team and I will head to the border to clear out the zombies, while the Eagle Team and the soldiers evacuate the survivors as soon as possible,” Jin Xuyan replied calmly.
Hearing this, the leaders exchanged glances. One of them asked, “Do you have the confidence to complete this mission successfully?”
At that, Jin Xuyan let out a quiet chuckle before he said, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Everyone looked at him in confusion but stayed silent.
Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, he added, “My team and I are no longer soldiers. We have no obligation to protect anyone. We are not doing this as part of any mission.”
“Let me be clear, my team is now a mercenary team. We act for profit. With a horde that large, the number of crystal cores we can harvest makes the effort worthwhile.”
After he finished, one of the Colonels frowned and said, “Captain Jin, even if you have submitted a resignation letter, you still need authorization before you can retire from the military.”
“Without approval from the Capital, you and your team are technically still active-duty soldiers. Protecting the country and the people is your duty.”
Most of the others nodded in agreement after hearing his words.
But Qin Luzi scoffed at the remark and said, “Old man, do you really think we still call you ‘Colonel’ because we still think of ourselves as soldiers? We are just giving you face. In this situation, I would like to see who has the power to stop us from retiring.”
As he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist.
Wush! Crack! Boom!
In less than a second, a wind blade flew past the Colonel’s head and slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a deep, jagged crack as debris fell to the floor.
Everyone was stunned. The Colonel’s face went pale. He hadn’t even seen the attack, he only knew he had just brushed past death. Feeling a sharp sting on his cheek, he reached up and touched it. His fingers came away sticky with blood.
“You… Are you trying to kill your supervisor?” he stammered in disbelief.
“I’m just showing you the truth,” Qin Luzi said calmly. “With my ability, I could kill everyone in this room with a flick of my fingers.”
Looking around the room, he continued, “We are living in an apocalypse now. The laws of the old world no longer apply. With so many powerful ability-users appearing, do you really think the government can control everyone?”
“Instead of clinging to the past, you would be better off adapting to the present. You need to find a way to manage this chaos.”
“Expecting soldiers to keep sacrificing for the public when they get nothing in return? Wake up. That dream is over. What’s more, I’m sure the officials sitting in the capital are no longer the same as before.”
After his speech, Wei Ying lowered his gaze. He had seen too much over the past few weeks, friends and family betraying each other for a bite of food or a sip of water.
Coupled with how his direct supervisor had treated him, he had already decided to retire after this crisis. Becoming a mercenary didn’t sound so bad anymore. So, when Phantom openly defied the leaders, he stayed silent.
After a moment, the General asked, “Captain Jin, what do you want from us?”
Finally hearing the question he had been waiting for, Jin Xuyan smiled and replied, “General, we are willing to protect everyone and eliminate the zombie horde, but only if the price is right.”
The General thought for a moment and asked, “How much do you want? Fifty million yuan?”
Jin Xuyan laughed when he heard his words and said, “We don’t want that useless paper. Right now, only crystal cores and supplies hold value. My team doesn’t need supplies, so we will only accept crystal cores.”
Raising one of his fingers, he said, “One hundred thousand crystal cores. And every crystal core and supply we collect during the mission belongs to us.”
At this, the camp accountant said nervously, “Captain Jin, we don’t have that many. We only have around 80,000 cores at most.”
“That’s not my concern. If you want us to protect the leaders and the survivors, that’s the price,” Jin Xuyan replied casually.
The General frowned, weighing the pros and cons.
It wasn’t impossible to gather 100,000 cores. Though the general public only knew that crystals could help ability-users recover energy, the government had been quietly organizing missions to harvest them. But paying that amount would wipe out their entire stockpile.
Still, comparing the mission’s danger with the Phantom team’s price, it became clear the crystals might be even more valuable than they realized.
Just as hesitation filled the room, the General suddenly said, “It’s not impossible to pay you. But you will have to escort us to the Capital afterward.”
Jin Xuyan shook his head and said, “General, escorting you to the Capital is a whole different mission. You know how dangerous it is out there. For that, the price is one million crystal cores. Otherwise, we are not taking the job.”
One of the soldiers stood up in anger. He pointed at him and said, “Captain Jin, don’t push your luck!”
“I have named my price. It’s up to the General to accept or decline,” Jin Xuyan said flatly.
Then he glanced at his watch and added, “You have got one minute to decide. After that, the deal’s off the table.”
As the seconds ticked by, the General’s frown deepened. But just before the minute was up, he finally said, “Alright.”
Jin Xuyan nodded and said, “Good. Since you want to go to the Capital, your team can follow mine. Once we eliminate the horde, you can pass the border safely.”
No fixed daily update time, still 2 ch/day.