HCB Chapter 18: The Great Melee (1)
Chapter 18: The Great Melee (1)
About ten minutes later, Hong Tao arrived at the door of Mr. Zheng's office and knocked. Mr. Zheng's slightly tired voice came from inside: "Come in."
Hong Tao walked straight in without thinking much, and saw that Old Man Zheng handed him a document from his desk without even lifting his head.
Hong Tao understood, opened the document and read it carefully, then asked Old Zheng, "Have Kaixa's practical opponents been decided to be these three?"
Old Zheng put down the documents in his hand and said, "For now, we'll settle on these three. After all, they managed to escape from nearly twenty Leo cavalrymen from the Harbin Special Operations Bureau and still have the ability to fight back. Their luck and strength are both on point. Aren't they perfect for proving the combat capabilities of the Kaixa armor? What, do you have better candidates?"
"No, I'm ready to leave anytime. Everything is prepared."
Old Zheng continued, "I heard that this time you not only prepared to equip Kaixa with twelve sets of improved Leo cavalry armor to form a special operations team, but you also plan to personally go and test the results."
Hong Tao replied, "You're so well-informed! That's right, this is a rare opportunity to get a close look at the combat data of the Kaixa armor, which will be more beneficial for future research. You're not trying to persuade me not to go, are you?"
"You guessed right, kid. I didn't want you to come along in the first place, and now that the destination has become Harbin, I'm even less willing to let you go. But looking at you now, I guess you won't listen to this old man."
But I still want to emphasize one point: don't go to the front lines. Just stay in the back and collect data. Others will handle the rest. Understand?
"Received. Don't worry, Mr. Zheng. I'm someone who values my life the most. I'll be fine even if you don't tell me."
"Aren't you really going to go check on him? After all, this is his first real combat mission in Harbin, and he probably won't be back for a while. Are you really not worried about him?" Hong Tao said with a smile, staring into Old Zheng's eyes.
Old Zheng's eyes twitched slightly, and he quickly realized what was going on and said, "You little rascal, you've tricked this old man. But since he chose this path, he has to bear the corresponding responsibility."
I won't go see you off, to avoid adding to your sadness.
Hong Tao chuckled and said, "I just wanted to see how much you really care about this kid."
However, he does have great potential, and I believe this mission will be completed successfully.
Old Zheng nodded gently, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, but more so with relief and anticipation.
"Alright, everything should be ready on my end. I should head over to the assembly now. See you next time, Mr. Zheng." With that, Hong Tao turned and walked out of the office.
As Old Zheng watched Hong Tao's departing figure, he was filled with emotion. He knew that this world ultimately belonged to the young.
Hong Tao walked to the elevator and pressed the button to wait for it to arrive. Just then, a voice came from behind him: "Dr. Hong, please."
Hong Tao turned around and saw Old Zheng standing at the office door, looking at him with a firm gaze.
He smiled slightly and nodded, indicating that he understood what the other person meant.
Then, he stepped into the elevator, pressed the close button, and the elevator doors slowly closed, taking him down.
Hong Tao arrived at the internal parking garage and saw the logistics staff busily unloading various supplies needed for the trip. These supplies were neatly arranged on the vehicles and ready to go.
Hong Tao glanced around and saw that there were not only the thirteen members of the Kaixa armored squad, but also several other assistants from the research department.
He counted the number of people and, after confirming that everyone was in place, got on the bus without hesitation.
As the convoy slowly pulled up to the entrance, Hong Tao saw Lai Changming and his colleagues from the research department standing to the side, waving goodbye to them.
Hong Tao smiled and extended his hand in response to their blessings.
Just then, Hong Tao noticed that Zheng Zhongshan, the Kaixa armor user sitting next to him, frequently looked out the window and then showed a disappointed expression.
Hong Tao couldn't help but laugh and said, "Chongshan, are you checking if your grandfather came to see you off?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhongshan quickly denied it, saying, "Dr. Hong, please don't talk nonsense. I didn't say that."
Hong Tao shook his head and said with a sigh, "You two are really alike, both so stubborn." After saying that, he didn't say anything more.
Meanwhile, in Zheng Lao's office in the Special Affairs Bureau building.
Old Zheng stood by the window, gazing outside, his eyes revealing deep worry and helplessness. He clutched a photograph of himself and his grandson, Zheng Zhongshan, a picture that carried the weight of their profound family bond and endless memories.
Old Zheng gazed silently at the departing convoy, his eyes gradually welling up with tears that streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the precious photograph.
He gently stroked Zheng Zhongshan in the photo, as if he could feel his presence.
“Chongshan, don’t blame your grandfather. The safety of the country and the people always requires someone to sacrifice themselves.” Old Zheng’s voice was low, filled with guilt towards his grandson and a sense of responsibility.
……
Qiqihar City, Dong Province.
Near the mountains lies a vast grassland pasture, where Chen Yexi and the Yu brothers are sunbathing amidst a herd of cattle and sheep.
This was the seventh day since the three escaped from the mountains. Three days earlier, they had arrived at Yu Li's friend's ranch, where the rancher warmly invited them to a sumptuous roasted whole lamb.
When the three asked to stay overnight, the rancher generously said that there were hardly any people around for miles, and they could stay as long as they wanted. The three felt embarrassed and offered to help the rancher put down his livestock in exchange for the accommodation fee.
Seeing the three's firm stance, the rancher had no choice but to agree.
Afterwards, the three of them recuperated and herded livestock, living a very comfortable life. At this time, Chen Yexi sighed, "If only we could continue like this forever!" The two Yu brothers nodded in agreement.
Just as the three were reflecting on life, the rancher drove up in his SUV and shouted, "I'm going into the city to buy some groceries today, are you three coming or not!"
The three exchanged glances, thinking they could go into the city to gather some information, and immediately ran over, got into the car, and headed towards the city center.
The SUV drove very fast, and soon the group arrived at Qiqihar's largest farmers' market. The rancher said to the three of them, "I'm going to take care of some things at the ranch first. You three go and buy some things. I'll come find you later."
After watching the rancher leave, the three of them saw the bustling market and couldn't help but smile as they walked toward the stalls that interested them.