Chapter 71: Chapter 68: Refusal, Cover, TNT

Lin Feng glanced at the nervous woman behind him, then shook his head at Cheng Zhan with a hint of apology.

"Forget it. I didn’t want to get involved in this in the first place. Qin Hu was the one who insisted I show up and provide long-range Firepower Coverage from the rear."

"I’ve only just reached Tier One Late Stage. I still need to kill a dozen or so Black Spine Zergs to reach Tier One Peak."

"I’ll be sitting this risky venture out."

"If you succeed, just remember to include me next time..."

As he spoke, a look of longing and regret appeared on Lin Feng’s face.

Cheng Zhan laughed heartily, not at all angry or annoyed by Lin Feng’s refusal. After all, Lin Feng was an outsider and hadn’t been part of the original plan.

Cheng Zhan had only made the offer on the spur of the moment when he saw that Lin Feng had reached Tier One Late Stage.

Being turned down now was well within his expectations.

This incredibly dangerous mission was purely voluntary.

Cheng Zhan didn’t want anyone getting cold feet midway and endangering the entire team.

That’s why he didn’t mind that many of his old comrades from the Awakened Camp had also turned him down.

However, while the young man before him was extremely cautious, Cheng Zhan still had a favor to ask.

"No worries. You’re still young, with a long road ahead of you. There’s no rush."

"Unlike us, we’re bound by this uniform."

"Right, if you’re not coming with us, there’s something I was hoping you could help with."

Lin Feng still needed the important intelligence they would bring back, so he agreed.

"Alright. As long as it’s something I can help with, just ask."

Cheng Zhan nodded and lowered his voice.

"If we just barge in, the Zerg Race will easily discover us, surround us, and pick us off like fish in a barrel."

"So, I need you to create a diversion for us, just like that containment mission you completed last time. As long as you can draw the Mother Empress’s attention, you’ll buy us some safe time to operate."

Lin Feng’s brow furrowed. The mission was both simple and complex.

How to strike the right balance was the crucial part.

If he only drew a few hundred Black Spine Zergs, he could barely manage. But if it were several thousand, even Lin Feng, as he was now, couldn’t possibly fight them off alone.

Especially since the Red-Armored Beetles had already pushed the Wormholes to within three or four kilometers of actual Zerg territory. It was very possible that while Lin Feng was deep inside, frantically reaping Zergs, an army of Black Spine Zergs could suddenly emerge behind him.

Surrounded from both front and back, there would be no escape.

This was why yesterday, when he was farming Upgrade Points for the RV, Lin Feng only bothered to catch live Zergs, which were worth more. After filling the trunk, he could have taken the Giant Mandibles from the dead ones and tied them to the roof, but he didn’t bother with the time-consuming effort.

Out of caution, Lin Feng wouldn’t let himself linger in the heart of Zerg territory for too long. Doing so meant he could only gain a level every day or two, but it drastically increased his safety.

’The Zerg Race isn’t stupid. The Mother Empress is definitely smarter than any human, and the Black Spine Zerg reinforcements will only get faster.’

’It’s fine to do this a few times, but in the long run, I’m afraid I’ll eventually slip up and fail when it matters most.’

And now, Cheng Zhan was asking Lin Feng to stay on the front lines longer to buy him time.

While it wasn’t as dangerous as infiltrating the Zerg Nest itself, it was still not a task an ordinary person could accomplish.

The man had clearly seen Lin Feng successfully complete a diversion mission before and wanted him to do it again.

Seeing the conflicted look on Lin Feng’s face, Cheng Zhan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don’t worry. You just need to bring that celebrity back. As for her entourage, let them be the ones to attract the Zerg Race’s attention."

"You don’t have to get bogged down in a fight, either. Just heavily injure a hundred or so Black Spine Zergs in one go, then run for it."

"A number like that will definitely make the Mother Empress command several thousand Black Spine Zergs to surround the area."

"And that’s when we’ll be able to get closer to the depths of the Nest and find the well-hidden Tier Two Tiger Spine Zergs."

Lin Feng thought for a long time, wrestling with the decision, but finally nodded in agreement.

’This publicity stunt of a mission really has little to do with the celebrity anymore. It’s a preliminary probe of the Zerg Nest.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Seeing the young man finally agree, a joyful smile spread across Cheng Zhan’s face. He leaned back into his vehicle.

"Alright. There’s no time to waste. Get your final preparations in order. We leave in fifteen minutes."

Watching the two Jeeps drive away, Lin Feng noted they were laden with various heavy weapons. There were four Machine Cannons alone. He even caught a glimpse of two 100mm Mortars hidden under a camouflage tarp. That kind of firepower was more than enough to deal with a pursuit from several hundred Black Spine Zergs.

’Looks like they aren’t acting on their own authority. Someone is supporting them from behind the scenes.’

Thinking this, Lin Feng shook his head slightly, turned, and walked over to the luxury RV. He looked at the melancholy celebrity behind the window and began to speak.

"You see the situation. Their main mission has nothing to do with helping you capture a live Zerg. It looks like this film shoot and your Superpower Awakening are now dependent on my mood."

A flash of indignation crossed Jiang Yun’er’s face. She picked up her phone, ready to call and complain.

Lin Feng shook his head.

"Don’t bother. You don’t have any actual proof. Besides, they’re an elite team from the Thirteenth Division, all Tier One Late Stage or even Perfection-level Awakened. The higher-ups can’t control them."

"And whether it’s the top brass or the Research Institute, for this mission, probing the Nest is far more important than some publicity stunt."

Jiang Yun’er refused to believe it. She made several calls in a row, but after hearing the standard, formal replies on the other end, she grew desperate.

"Can’t they just send another team?"

"Is the Thirteenth Division out of people?"

"Can we just not go?"

Lin Feng shrugged and held up two fingers.

"This mission probably wasn’t reported to the higher-ups, so it has to stay under wraps until it’s successfully completed. It can only be done under this cover."

"Of course, there’s another reason. You don’t have the option to refuse. You have to go."

After speaking, Lin Feng spread his hands.

"You have fourteen minutes left. Get your people ready, if you still want to complete your Awakening."

"Next time, remember not to come here just for clout. The Thirteenth Division isn’t your fan base. Aside from the higher-ups who care about saving face, nobody gives a damn if you live or die."

"Oh, right. Except for that guy Qin Hu."

"If he hadn’t begged me to step in and take over, your safety would be virtually zero."

"So those earrings worth hundreds of thousands? A real bargain. Don’t you feel bad about it."

Jiang Yun’er wanted to say a few more words to Lin Feng, to plead with him to help her complete her Awakening, but after he finished speaking, he turned and walked toward a distant auto repair shop without looking back.

Back in the RV under the tarp, Lin Feng got dressed while explaining the current situation to Chen Yanyan.

Chen Yanyan was already prepared. She had covered the observation deck on the roof and was now sitting in the driver’s seat, ready to go. Hearing her man worry about the diversion mission, her brow furrowed slightly.

"Should we bring some of the one hundred kilograms of explosives Hu Fei sent over last time?"

"That C4 plastic explosive... its power isn’t that strong, but I heard him say one block can collapse a five-story building."

The last time Lin Feng managed to create a defensive miracle, heavily injuring hundreds of Black Spine Zergs in an instant, it was all thanks to the terrifying power of his gasoline bombs.

Now, having upgraded from a musket to a cannon, using high-explosives would be a safer and more reliable way to create a massive explosion.

Hearing Chen Yanyan’s suggestion, Lin Feng thought for a moment.

Hu Fei didn’t have much of these explosives left, and there was no telling when he could get more. Besides, a disposable item like this couldn’t be Upgraded.

After all, once you blew them up, there was nothing left.

As for this hundred kilograms of explosives, Lin Feng had originally planned to bury them near the service area. If the defensive battle at Wu City couldn’t be held, he could use them to clear a path and blast an escape route through the surrounding Swarm.

The explosives were currently hidden in the basement of the auto repair shop. Lin Feng didn’t dare carry them in the RV. A single spark, and even if the RV was upgraded to Level 19, they’d be blown to smithereens.

But for this diversion mission, having high-explosives would undoubtedly make things much easier.

Especially when holding back a Black Spine Zerg army, the instantaneous Firepower Coverage of a Machine Cannon was far less terrifying than that of an explosion.

Moreover, the explosives could even collapse a Wormhole directly. If placed in a key location, they might have a miraculous effect.

After some thought, Lin Feng nodded, stepped out of the RV, and went into the basement of the repair shop, returning with ten blocks of yellow explosive.

Ten kilograms of TNT. While not as powerful as an equivalent weight of C4 plastic explosive, it was more than enough to deal with a hundred Black Spine Zergs.

As long as he could use this opportunity to accumulate enough Upgrade Points, both his Level 17 Grenade Cannon and his Level 13 armored RV would see another leap in power.

Trading ten kilograms of TNT for a large number of Upgrade Points was completely worth it.

Besides, Cheng Zhan needed him on the front lines to pin down the Black Spine Zerg army and the Mother Empress’s attention. But Lin Feng knew perfectly well that the threat from Cheng Zhan’s side would attract even more of the Mother Empress’s focus.

As long as a battle broke out near the Nest in the rear, the pressure on Lin Feng’s front would be greatly reduced.

At least he wouldn’t have tens of thousands of Black Spine Zergs pouring out of the Nest to attack him.

The diversion was mutual.

Having made up his mind, Lin Feng decided to seize this crucial opportunity, even if it meant taking a small risk.

Besides, his true goal wasn’t just some Upgrade Points. The celebrity in the luxury RV behind him was also one of his targets.

Back in the RV, Lin Feng could already hear horns honking outside, urging them on. He spoke immediately.

"Let’s go. Time to let these Zergs get a taste of what this armored RV can do!"