Chapter 42: Fishing, Just Keep Fishing
Gu Hang indeed had his own plans.
Since he had already guessed that the situation was suspicious and that the road to rescue Yan Fangxu might not be peaceful, he certainly would not fall into the enemy’s trap unprepared.
At present, he could roughly determine that those targeting him were from the Original Owl Beast Sect.
These heretical cultists had been under considerable pressure due to his actions in Revival City.
Unable to solve their problems, they decided to deal with the person raising the issues.
That person being him, the Governor.
They even had the preliminary ability to control mutant monsters, which was somewhat surprising.
However, he judged that the power these cultists could mobilize should not be too strong.
If they had such power and wanted his life, they wouldn’t need to go through so much trouble.
They would directly gather their forces and assault his camp.
Not doing so clearly indicated that they couldn’t.
They had to choose the dense forest as the battlefield to leverage the advantage of the monsters they could control, giving them a better chance at victory.
Understanding this premise, Gu Hang would not rashly lead the 2nd Infantry Battalion into the forest.
Four armored vehicles paved the way, followed by a large number of foot soldiers.
The entire team advanced along the forest’s edge.
Gu Hang led the team, searching for a route closer to the besieged Yan Fangxu, where the trees were sparser.
Even if it meant moving slowly, it didn’t matter.
After all, Yan Fangxu had reported that there was no immediate danger.
So, Gu Hang was happy to take his time.
In reality, rescuing Yan Fangxu was not Gu Hang’s primary goal for this outing.
His actions were not urgent.
Although he appeared to be heading for the rescue, he actually just wanted to lure the enemy out.
While on the forest’s edge, before entering, his team encountered a small-scale attack.
A horde of Abscess Spitters rushed out but was quickly wiped out by a round of the soldiers’ fire.
It seemed more like a probe or a display of insufficient control over a large number of monsters.
Unfortunately, it didn’t lure out the enemy’s main force.
So, after some thought, Gu Hang waved his hand and led the team into the dense forest.
Keep fishing.
After formally entering the forest, Gu Hang’s team advanced even more slowly.
They maintained a tight formation, relying on the four Bull Carts, and refused to relax.
If the trees were too dense, they would rather stop temporarily to burn and cut down the trees to ensure clear visibility.
Fishing, using oneself as bait, should not mean allowing oneself to be easily swallowed whole.
The Governor’s troops, moving unhurriedly and steadily, were indeed exasperatingly slow.
Pobov was particularly anxious.
His 2nd Infantry Battalion had not won the task of clearing the mutated monsters in the forest from Yan Fangxu earlier, which left them feeling stifled.
Stuck in the camp, they could only vent their energy through drilling the soldiers.
Suddenly hearing the Governor’s order to gather the troops, he and his subordinates immediately perked up.
Especially upon hearing that their mission was to rescue Yan Fangxu’s 3rd Battalion, which was besieged by a large number of mutant monsters in the forest, he was eager to go.
Old hand, huh? A formal officer from the Imperial Navy, huh? Still need me, a country bumpkin, to save you, don’t you?
He was truly itching to lead his troops, charge through the forest, reach Yan Fangxu, and then laugh loudly in his face.
However, he managed to suppress his battle lust.
Before departure, the Governor had roughly explained the main objective of this operation.
Rescue was secondary; the primary goal was to lure out the ambushers who might be lying in wait along the way.
Upon hearing this, his anger knew no bounds.
Someone dared to target the Governor?
That was a mortal enemy!
To Pobov, the idea of harming the Governor was more hateful than harming himself.
Recently, he had visited the Wasteland Society.
Although he hadn’t been away for long, the place had undergone tremendous changes. Having enough to eat and wear was the basic standard now.
Everyone lived in houses on the surface, no longer crammed in dark underground holes.
The houses in the residential area were temporary prefabricated structures, but plans were already underway to build new brick and cement factories.
A plot of land had been earmarked for constructing standalone houses.
Pobov had seen the architectural designs, and they were beautiful.
In the past, while working in the underground, he could only dream of living in such a house.
The houses would be allocated according to work points.
Based on Pobov’s current points from serving as a soldier and his wife’s work points from the factory, they would be among the first to move in once the new houses were built.
Life was getting better and better.
Pobov deeply understood that at this moment, he was not only fighting for the Governor, but also to protect his hard-won, increasingly beautiful life.
All of this was brought by the Governor.
Anyone who dared to harm the Governor or interrupt their pursuit of a better life was his mortal enemy!
Because of this, he could completely suppress his desire for battle.
Pobov executed the Governor’s steady and meticulous orders without any deviation, keeping all his anger hidden inside, waiting for the moment to unleash it.
When this anger erupted, it would burn fiercely.
And the opportunity for this eruption did not keep Pobov waiting for long.
The enemy came.
They could hear the distinct and increasingly clear roars of the Abscess Spitters coming from all around the dense forest.
Their roars were very peculiar.
These headless, mouthless monsters would use the high-frequency vibrations of their body lumps to emit sounds meant to intimidate their prey, sharp and unpleasant.
Upon hearing the noises, without needing any directives from the Governor, Pobov issued orders to the various companies.
They immediately ceased their path-clearing operations and swiftly transitioned into defensive positions.
Moments later, the disgusting silhouettes of those monsters could be vaguely seen through the forest.
Yet, the soldiers adhered to their combat discipline and did not open fire immediately.
Only the designated marksmen within the companies, with their superior shooting skills and precision rifles, attempted long-range kills.
For now, the gunfire was sparse, but nearly every shot brought down a monster in the dense forest.
After a while, those monsters drew closer to the forest edge, nearer to the small clearing the soldiers had created.
At this moment, the officers at various levels gave the order to open fire.
In an instant, bullets, artillery fire, and the autocannons of the infantry fighting vehicles covered the surrounding areas.
Under the baptism of the metallic storm, many monsters fell before they could emerge from the dense forest; those who managed to rush out came even closer to death, shot down by bullets.
The well-prepared human soldiers held their positions as firm as a rock!