“Are you sure you can escape from this canyon with a hostage?” Zhou Rong said coldly, “Or do you think the party negotiating with you will keep their promise?”
Tang Hao laughed briefly: “That’s my business, Captain Zhou.”
His hand gripping Si Nan’s throat remained as unyielding as iron, professionally controlling Si Nan’s oxygen to prevent immediate suffocation while preventing strong resistance, dragging him backward.
Zhou Rong and others immediately followed, with Tang Hao shouting: “Stop! If I see any human figure within 200 meters, I’ll break his hands immediately!”
Zhou Rong’s expression instantly turned extremely ugly.
“You won’t see me again,” Tang Hao said coldly, “Goodbye.”
Completely hidden behind Si Nan, he retreated step by step out of everyone’s line of sight.
Until the rustling footsteps disappeared into the forest, Zhou Rong took a swift step forward, grabbing the assault rifle and saying in a low voice: “Follow!”
Tang Hao responded with silence instead of a definitive answer.
“So,” Si Nan mocked, “do you really believe he will honor the treaty?”
The pursuers hidden in concealment remained motionless, and the nearby forest returned to its eerie silence.
Tang Hao withdrew his gaze and finally spoke: “…Not really.”
Si Nan said calmly, “Then you should cooperate with Zhou Rong. Rommel brought in a zombie horde and killed over twenty innocent soldiers. Even if he keeps his promise and gives you the ultimate antibody, don’t you want to avenge them?”
Tang Hao’s hand holding the gun trembled slightly. Si Nan could clearly sense the gun barrel quivering, with the loaded bullet just inches away from flesh.
“Cooperate with Zhou Rong?” After a long pause, Tang Hao spoke coldly and warily, “If I tell Zhou Rong, what would happen? He would never support sending you as a hostage. Instead, he would strongly advocate for everyone to march directly to Rommel’s hiding place and eliminate him in one go. But Rommel is extremely cautious. Once discovered, he would immediately destroy the ultimate antibody. You’ve also said that it’s the last sample in the world!”
“So what’s your plan?” Si Nan countered.
Tang Hao shifted his body weight, leaning slightly against the tree trunk. He spoke hoarsely, “That night, Rommel originally wanted to kill Guo Weixiang directly. I lied to him, saying headquarters had decided that if our team loses contact, they would send Zhou Rong and you as the second search team to the valley. If I could take the critically injured Guo Weixiang away, you would be more likely to trust me when you saw me, and thus let your guard down.”
“You didn’t expect me to come to the valley.”
“No, I didn’t,” Tang Hao admitted. “I thought the best outcome would be Zhou Rong coming. If that didn’t work, I’d just kidnap Zhou Rong and hand him over to Rommel to vent his anger.”
“You want to kidnap Zhou Rong?” Si Nan was very surprised.
Tang Hao said impatiently, “Can’t a dream be as big as one’s heart?”
“I originally planned that if it came down to the last moment, I would report this to the military and let headquarters decide whether to exchange you for the antibody,” Tang Hao continued helplessly. “So when I saw you actually appear in the valley, I was very surprised and immediately realized that this choice ultimately fell on me… If the team leader wasn’t Zhou Rong, I might have fully disclosed everything and requested everyone to cooperate.”
But Zhou Rong was destined to be an obstacle, and you might not be willing to be a hostage, so I could only resort to this strategy.”
In other words, Tang Hao also couldn’t come up with a perfect plan. It was simply an impossible situation. Si Nan pondered for a moment and asked, “Where is Rommel? It’s not the mountain cave you let me enter, is it?”
Tang Hao said, “No, he’s behind the mountain slope on the opposite side… There’s only a pit I dug in that cave.” Si Nan’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
As the sun gradually moved westward and the time passed noon, actions would become more difficult once darkness fell. Tang Hao signaled, “Let’s go.” Si Nan, however, remained standing: “No, this is purely suicide. White Eagle Base’s goal is to achieve racial optimization and an independent fortress in the post-apocalyptic world. They must firmly grasp the ultimate antibody. Rommel won’t give it up for me.”
“I know, but…”
“The moment you hand me over, he’ll immediately kill and silence everyone. Do you think you have any chance of winning against Rommel alone?”
Tang Hao retorted, “Are you going to say I’m weak?”
Si Nan said calmly, “Let Zhou Rong come, and we’ll figure it out together. If necessary, I’m willing to be a hostage. Or you can point your gun at me, and I’ll talk to Zhou Rong.”
Tang Hao stood motionless, and although his expression couldn’t be seen, his slightly rapid breathing exposed his hesitation.
“Actually, I don’t really think you’re weak. On the contrary, your performance has been quite remarkable,” Si Nan said, slightly turning his head while having a gun pointed at his temple. “But Rommel might have two subordinates with him. Against three, you have no chance of winning – if I’m not mistaken, Colonel Tang, you’ve already prepared to go down with them, haven’t you?”
Tang Hao’s cheek slightly protruded, his forehead slightly tense from clenching his back molars.
Si Nan looked at him, his gaze calm and steady: “Don’t try to sacrifice yourself alone. Zhou Rong is also a soldier. You should trust his integrity and ability.”
Tang Hao remained silent for a long time. Si Nan withdrew his gaze and called out loudly, “Zhou Rong!”
There was no sound in the forest. Si Nan spoke again, “It’s okay! Come over! Colonel Tang just wanted to play a joke!”
Moments later, the bushes rustled, and Zhou Rong pushed through the undergrowth, holding an assault rifle, speaking coldly, “A joke? I’ve never seen a joke like this. I’m truly enlightened now.”
Tang Hao ignored him, releasing his grip on Si Nan’s throat but keeping the gun pointed at his back of the head: “You explain.”
Si Nan briefly stated the situation, neither deliberately excusing Tang Hao nor embellishing.
His manner of speaking was as concise as always. Finally, he said, “I believe this is true. Now we need to find a way to keep Rommel in check, or he’ll destroy the antibody, which would be troublesome. I can be the hostage…”
“What did you say?!” Zhou Rong immediately erupted with killing intent: “A hostage? How can you be one?!
Sinan: “Tang Hao will escort me to Romuel’s hiding place. You’ll seize the opportunity to destroy his transportation and conduct a sniper attack from above…”
Zhou Rong: “It’s too dangerous! Isn’t there another way? Can’t we all just go together and blast him directly?!”
Sinan: “…”
Tang Hao: “I think I’ll act alone.”
“This is the only possible way to solve the problem.” Sinan looked directly at Zhou Rong, his gaze calm and clear: “The situation isn’t as dangerous. Romuel won’t easily let me die. The key is to destroy their transportation and kill them before they desperately smash the antibody. In fact, Tang Hao is taking the greatest risk.”
Zhou Rong threw his backpack to the ground and took out a bundle of grenades: “Put them on first.”
Tang Hao was about to approach to take them while holding Sinan’s head. When Zhou Rong saw this, he immediately hid the grenades behind his back: “What are you doing?!”
Sinan: “Put them on!”
“Do whatever you want!
But what if you blow Sinan up?!”
Tang Hao was furious: “What are you thinking about at a time like this?!”
Zhou Rong was equally uncompromising: “Why could Romuel hijack the plane and fly here? Why could A-country people immediately find the antibody box? This was originally your responsibility! The current situation is entirely your fault!”
