life copy game

Chapter 1760 A Two-Way Trap (Long Chapter, Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Commander, the main forces have begun to gradually enter the city for rest and reorganization."

A young officer in the Rockwell Blue Mercenary Group uniform pushed open the closed door, looked at the gray-bearded old man sitting on the sofa in the hall, taking a nap, and said slowly, "If most people have entered the city, will the garrison outside the city seem empty?"

Upon hearing the young officer's words, the old man slightly opened his eyes, glanced at the young officer, and said slowly, "The Third Battalion will remain outside the city. Let them arrange their own rest and recuperation, and issue them additional garrison allowances."

"Yes." The young officer nodded and left the office.

The old man sitting on the sofa watched him leave, then slowly closed his eyes again.

After a brief pause, he seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, and walked toward a hidden door on the other side.

······
Storage room

He Ao leaned against the edge of the storage shelf, flipping through the data on the computer in front of him.

This mostly contains equipment information for the Rockwell Energy Group mercenary group, as well as some operational information, but it's all very simple and doesn't involve any core actions.

It didn't even explain why the mercenary group came to the vicinity of Dawn City.

However, there is some additional information. An email from Qunxing Pharmaceuticals indicates that the company will provide medical support to this mercenary group, including providing extraordinary treatment to the group's B-level leader and C-level core members.

The relevant treatment supplies and equipment have been delivered into the city today and are stored in the cold storage below the Qunxing Pharmaceutical Building.

But that's all.

It seems that the real core information is probably in the hands of a few core members, such as the mercenary leader.

click -

Just then, a soft sound came from behind He Ao, and the small door behind him was slowly opened.

······
The old man, dressed in a blue military uniform and with a gray beard, looked up at the narrow storage room in front of him.

The storage room wasn't very big, just a small space of about three meters by three meters, with two shelves on the left and right, and a computer at the far end.

The computer was on at that moment, displaying a gray screen.

The old man in military uniform walked up to the computer and looked at the floating screen.

The content on the screen was gray, but you could still vaguely make out a flashing screen and an old man in a blue military uniform looking at the screen.

This appears to be a surveillance video.

Upon seeing the content on the screen, the elderly man in military uniform immediately turned his gaze to look behind him.

In the corner behind him, in a barely perceptible spot, a faint, almost invisible arc of light was being reflected.

He raised his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The air at his fingertips was instantly compressed, pierced through the void, and struck the location of the arc of light.

boom--

With a slight cracking sound, the monitoring image on the computer screen suddenly disappeared.

The old man turned back to look at the screen on the computer, his gaze slightly lowered.

Then he raised his hand and dialed a number using his wristband.

"Rost, what's wrong?" A slightly hoarse, puzzled voice came from the other end of the phone. "Did something happen to you?"

"Your men have installed surveillance cameras in my apartment again," the old man in military uniform said hoarsely.

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked around.

The surroundings seemed empty; there was nothing there except him.

He shut down the computer, looked up, took the bracelet, and slowly walked towards the small door.

“Rost, you know, the board needs to know about mercenary groups.” The hoarse voice on the phone didn’t shy away from the question, but said it directly.

"What, is the board interested in how I sleep and how I get up?" The old man's voice rose slightly. "Why didn't the board talk to me about these things when I was around?"

“I will warn them,” the hoarse voice said slowly, “you won’t see these cameras next time, but I hope you can understand that things have been turbulent lately. Your control of armed forces will make the board of directors somewhat wary. It’s good for all of us to let them see some things.”

“Those who wield power without the strength to control it are bound to be fearful,” the old man in military uniform said slowly. “I hope I really don’t see any new cameras. Whatever you do, at least don’t let them be under my nose.”

“Of course,” the hoarse voice said slowly, “I will handle these things, but you must not make a fuss. Everything is very sensitive right now, whether it’s the board of directors or Graystone Palace. Recently, there has even been an incident of a mercenary leader’s defection.”

“You’ve hired me, provided resources and equity, and I will do what I should do,” the old man in military uniform said calmly. “You can rest assured.”

"Okay." The hoarse voice on the phone nodded.

“That’s settled then,” the old man nodded slightly. “I can’t keep my old friend waiting any longer.”

The voice on the other end of the phone paused slightly, but before he could say anything, the call was abruptly ended.

At the same time, the elderly man in military uniform turned around and delivered a flying kick to his side and rear.

boom--

A deafening sonic boom echoed through the void, and a dazzling flame ignited amidst the radiance.

A skeleton encased in flames appeared in the darkness and took two steps back.

The old man in military uniform immediately stepped back, glanced at the cracks that had appeared on the wall from the collision, and looked up at the bones in the flames.

In this dim and enclosed space, the flaming skeleton emerged from the darkness, which was somewhat eerie.

As the old man in military uniform watched, the flames on the flaming skeleton slowly subsided, transforming into a dignified old man with white curly hair.

"Long time no see, Hawke," the old man in military uniform said softly, looking at the figure whose flames had subsided.

Even so, his body remained tense, and he was in a state of readiness for battle.

"How did you know I was behind you?" He Ao asked, looking at the old man in military uniform.

“That just happens to be my blind spot,” the old man in military uniform said calmly. “If I didn’t even have that much judgment, I would be dead long ago.”

He watched He Ao's slightly backward steps and said slowly, "You're injured? It seems the rumors about you fighting with your own mercenary group are true?"

“Strictly speaking, I was the one being hunted down,” He Ao raised his head, calmly looking at the old man in military uniform, neither denying nor admitting it, and said slowly, “The Church of Death was involved in it.”

Upon hearing this name, the old man in military uniform slightly opened his squinting eyes. "So it seems our group was behind this? Are you here to gather information about the Church of Death?"

“No,” He Ao shook his head, “I’m here to find clues. My son’s body has been taken away.”

Upon hearing this, the old man in military uniform paused slightly. He looked up at He Ao and said in a hoarse voice, "Although I really want to tell you something, I really have nothing here. I am just following orders."

“I know,” He Ao withdrew his gaze, raised his head, and looked at the old man in military uniform, with specks of flame appearing on his body. “So, are you just going to let me leave like this?”

The old man in military uniform glanced at the cracked wall.

······
boom--

A deafening roar tore through the sky, shook the streets, and even drowned out the sound of the densely packed convoy entering the city.

The north wing of the small building standing under the sky collapsed with a roar, and half of it collapsed in an instant.

As the building collapsed, a figure engulfed in flames burst out of the small building, rolled into the street, and disappeared into the crisscrossing alleyways.

At the same time, the old man in military uniform emerged from the smoke and dust, raised his head, and looked in the direction where the fiery figure had disappeared.

"Commander?" A somewhat flustered young officer rushed over immediately, looked up at the old man in uniform, and asked, "Should we send someone to chase after them?"

“No need,” the old man in military uniform shook his head. “Don’t chase a cornered beast. You can’t stop him. Just arrange for someone to set up a symbolic checkpoint.”

"Yes." The young officer nodded, picked up the walkie-talkie on his chest, and quickly said something.

Only after everything was arranged did he return to the old man in military uniform and ask slowly, "Commander, who is that person?"

“Hawk,” the old man in military uniform said hoarsely.

Upon hearing the name, the young officer paused slightly, then suddenly remembered something, "That Commander Hawke from the Gatesus Group?"

"Yes." The old man in military uniform nodded slightly.

"I heard he betrayed the Menshu Group, colluded with a cult, and is now on the run," the young officer said with a hint of surprise.

"He may not be the one who betrayed us." The old man in military uniform shook his head.

"I heard that several large corporations have jointly issued a bounty of one hundred million," the young officer said thoughtfully, looking in the direction where the flames had disappeared.

Hearing this, the old man in military uniform glanced at him and said, "Don't even think about it. Even if he's seriously injured, he's not someone to be trifled with. Anyone who can earn a hundred million doesn't need that kind of money and won't take the risk. Anyone who's willing to take that risk for a hundred million won't earn that kind of money."

He also looked in the direction where the flames disappeared. "The purpose of this bounty is simply to keep spurring cannon fodder to attack him, wear him down, and prevent him from having time to heal."

Upon hearing this, the young officer paused for a moment, swallowed hard, and said, "This is a bit too ruthless. Sending others to their deaths without spending a single penny."

"That's how people are in this world. They'll pay an unbearable price for some illusory, huge benefits." As he said this, the old man in military uniform lowered his gaze slightly, looking at the small building beside him that had collapsed halfway, a trace of heartache flashing deep in his eyes.

He shook his head, turned around, and walked towards the small building on the other side that hadn't collapsed yet. "Let's go, dealing with him isn't our business."

The young officer nodded and followed the old man's steps.

-

In the distance, in the narrow alleyway, He Ao raised his head and glanced at the high wall behind him.

He looked down at the faint bruising seeping from his hands.

Rost was stronger than Hawke remembered.

I know most of the core B-level mercenaries of the Federal Consortium to some extent, and we also have some private interactions.

Even Rank B mercenaries have their own small circles, especially the mercenary groups of conglomerates, where there are occasional open and covert struggles, and the leaders also need to understand the situation of their enemies.

Even Fies, a relatively reclusive B-rank member of the Nolanca Group mercenary group, sometimes attends gatherings hosted by other mercenary group leaders.

Hawke and Rost did not have a good relationship, but they were acquaintances and had exchanged combat experience and sparred with each other a few times.

Of course, this 'friendship' is only valid when there is no conflict of interest. Once interests are involved, it becomes a matter of each serving their own master.

At least Rost really went all out just now, and if he could kill Heo here, he wouldn't hesitate at all.

However, he couldn't really chase after him. He was afraid that He Ao would set a trap and kill him. After all, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

He Ao brushed his arm, and the faint shadow of the bruises gradually disappeared.

He looked up at the setting sun and headed south.

In the distance, a tall building with an inverted starry sky and ocean emblem faintly appears.

Since leaving Rockwell Energy, he has been pondering a question.

If the Church of Death is taking this matter in Vicate City so seriously, then why has it assigned several people to guard it?

So, behind those 'on-site personnel' he disposed of, are there other members of the Church of Death?
Did those people who were supposed to leave Vicarage really leave?

-

The glow of the setting sun disappeared from the horizon, spilling into the living room behind the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

"It's Hawke."

The figure in the shadows reached out and placed the tablet playing a video on the table.

The video on the tablet showed a skeletal knight engulfed in flames.

Then he took out another photo, which appeared to be a screenshot from a surveillance camera.

In that screenshot, a streak of fire streaks across the sky and disappears at the edge of the city.

"What's Hawke doing here?" the figure sitting on the sofa said hoarsely. "Shouldn't he be hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries?"

“It seems he’s very persistent,” the figure in the shadows said slowly. “He has the Pluto, a nuclear-powered mech that’s fast enough to get here, so it’s only natural that he’s here.”

He lowered his head, looked at the figure on the sofa, and continued, "According to the news from the mercenary group, Hawke's injuries have not yet healed, and he was just injured by Commander Rost."

"You think..." The figure sitting on the sofa seemed to realize something and spoke softly.

“He knows too much, and his abilities can influence our plans,” the figure in the shadows said slowly. “Eliminating him here is actually our best solution.”

“Although he was seriously injured, he is still a powerful B-rank,” the figure on the sofa said slowly. “We probably won’t be able to find him.”

“No, he will come of his own accord,” the figure in the shadows shook his head, lowering his gaze to the fading flames in the photograph. “He will walk into the trap we set.”

-

Star Pharmaceutical Building
He Ao raised his head, glanced at the towering building, looked at the huge upside-down starry sea emblem, and slowly walked in with the crowd of people coming and going.

The security personnel conducting the inspection naturally skipped over him as night fell, swallowing up the last rays of sunlight.