The armored forces of Aidenwei City had been nearly obliterated by the sudden assault of the mech warriors. Within the alliance base of Aidenwei, tanks were already rolling toward the western gate of the city.
However, the tanks moved considerably slower than the armored infantry carriers. By the time they reached the remnants of the wrecked vehicles, Xiao Feng and his comrades had long since vanished.
On the journey back, K held Anna close, his joy palpable as he tenderly kissed her forehead. "I will never leave you again. Wherever I go, I will carry you by my side."
Tears streamed down Anna's cheeks once more. "No matter where you go, I will follow you…"
Cradled between them, K's child gradually drifted into slumber, lulled by the gentle jolts of the armored vehicle.
Xiao Feng, his face smeared with ash and grime, sat within another armored vehicle alongside Old White, Turner, and Rice.
Bare-chested, his clothes scorched beyond repair, Xiao Feng accepted a towel from Old White. "Wipe your face," he urged.
As he wiped away the soot, Xiao Feng addressed the group. "Since we are all here, let's hold a meeting."
Rice and the others nodded in agreement. "Very well, let's convene."
Xiao Feng continued, "We successfully rescued K, who has pledged to bring the entire Kill faction under our banner. Our strength has thus increased. After we capture Black Whale City, I intend to entrust Godo City to K and his group. Any objections?"
Rice furrowed his brow. "Can we truly trust them?"
"They are trustworthy," Turner replied confidently. "Kill has always maintained a solid reputation. Besides, Godo City is a minor town. Leaving it in their hands should pose no issue."
Old White expressed no dissent.
Xiao Feng turned to Rice. "Turner is correct. Godo City is merely a small city. Our true objective is Black Whale City—a secondary city with far greater strategic value. Capturing it would multiply our strength. Bram's arsenal there would supply us with far more weaponry."
Hearing this, Rice relented. "Very well, I agree."
"Good. Since all concur, the plan stands. We will launch the assault on Black Whale City tomorrow, taking advantage of the dozen or so mech warriors still with us."
Everyone voiced their approval.
They then began strategizing for the assault. Black Whale City was a far stronger fortress than Aidenwei. A frontal attack would be grueling without a meticulous battle plan.
By the time they returned to Godo City, it was past midnight—around two in the morning.
Xiao Feng managed only a brief nap en route. He remained restless, immediately preparing his armor, replenishing Black Angel's ammunition, and attending to other duties.
At dawn, the X Legion began assembling. An hour later, a convoy comprising dozens of armored vehicles, jeeps, trucks, and rocket launchers departed Godo City.
Trailing the armored vehicles and trucks were dozens of cannons and mobile missile launchers— the full military might of the X Mercenary Corps. Twenty armed helicopters soared above. This rapidly burgeoning force surged toward Godo City at full speed.
Xiao Feng sat clad in black armor within an armored vehicle, contemplating the battle plan they had just formulated. Suddenly, the screen on his watch flickered to life, revealing a man he had never seen before.
Frowning, Xiao Feng scrutinized the stranger. This was not the first time his communicator had been directly intercepted. "Who are you?"
The man on the screen appeared to be over sixty, with neatly kept silver hair and a stern expression. Dressed in a pristine alliance uniform, his rank seemed high, though Xiao Feng was unfamiliar with alliance insignia. The man regarded him coldly. "You must be Xiao Feng. I am General Hamilton."
"General Hamilton? Well, it is an honor to speak with you," Xiao Feng replied, feigning respect.
"Hmph. I have no time for pleasantries. You have seized Godo City and annihilated Aidenwei's armored forces. Do you understand the gravity of your actions? You are courting death. Halt all military operations at once, or we will deliver a devastating blow."
"Ah, General Hamilton, you've frightened me terribly," Xiao Feng said, putting on an exaggerated look of fear.
"Don't assume that with the backing of Bram and Victoria companies you can act with impunity. If war truly breaks out, we will obliterate both firms in an instant, let alone your small mercenary corps."
"Oh, you're so formidable—I had no idea. My mistake, my mistake…"
Hamilton's anger flared. "If that is your attitude, then there is nothing more to discuss. We shall meet only on the battlefield!"
Xiao Feng met his gaze squarely. "Very well. We shall see each other on the battlefield."
"Hmph. Don't be too arrogant. You will regret this," Hamilton warned before severing the connection.
Xiao Feng's expression hardened. He understood the true purpose behind Hamilton's call. Lowering his head in thought, he keyed his communicator. "Rice, increase speed. We must reach Black Whale City as swiftly as possible."
Rice replied, "We're already moving as fast as we can…"
"General Hamilton from the alliance contacted me just now. I have a bad feeling. Hurry to Black Whale City—there could be unforeseen dangers."
"Understood. I'll issue the orders immediately."
After ending the call, Xiao Feng connected to Mark. "Doctor Mark, I realize monitoring is inconvenient now, but please intensify surveillance of all armed forces around Black Whale City. We must ensure nothing is left to chance. The success of X Legion's assault depends on you."
Mark answered confidently, "Rest assured, it is our duty. We will bolster monitoring. With Lei Yan's assistance, our capabilities have greatly improved. We are working hard to sabotage Black Whale City's defenses. We are confident the city's firepower systems will be fully incapacitated before we arrive."
Xiao Feng smiled faintly but cautioned, "Don't go too far. We'll need those defenses operational again afterward."
Mark nodded. "Understood. If we can disable them, we can reactivate them. You have my word."