Chapter 131: Cleanup Operation
A-Ning stayed and chatted with Su Tang until evening before she was willing to leave. The sky gradually turned pitch black as night fell. Inside the room, the warm daylight had been replaced by gentle artificial lights. Su Tang sat in her chair, flipping through the books she hadn’t finished during the day, occasionally popping a piece of dried fruit into her mouth.
A set of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, and the door was pushed open gently.
Mo Xiao, Yasuo, and An Se walked in. Yasuo had changed his clothes and looked much fresher than he had that morning.
All three carried the lingering gravity of the meeting on their faces.
“Is the meeting over?”
Su Tang put down her book and stood up to ask.
An Se was the first to nod. He walked to the operation table and connected his bracelet, projecting the combat map formulated by the White Tower.
“The Tower has issued the final order. This mission is named ‘Cleanup Operation’ and will officially commence in two days.”
His finger swiped across the screen, marking each of the reddened areas on the map.
“Wait a moment. We’ll explain everything once Zhan Ye arrives.”
“Is Zhan Ye allowed to move around now?”
An Se nodded slightly.
“They’re short on manpower. The Tower asked An Se about Zhan Ye’s condition, and An Se replied that his state is mostly stable, so Zhan Ye is included in this operation.”
It seemed the White Tower really did feel threatened if they were using even a half-recovered patient like Zhan Ye.
The three of them had contacted Team 3’s vice-captain on their way back; it likely wouldn’t be long before that guy arrived.
Just as the thought crossed their minds, a set of hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway, the tone of them carrying a hint of eager anticipation.
The door was pushed open. Zhan Ye, wearing a clean combat uniform, stood in the doorway. He looked directly at Su Tang the moment he entered.
Yesterday’s visit had been a stealthy one, but now that he finally got to see her awake, an irrepressible joy and excitement flooded his eyes. His mind involuntarily replayed that incident, and the tips of his ears turned red.
He instinctively reached up to straighten his collar, but his fingers were stiff. The opening lines he had prepared were stuck in his throat, and he ultimately managed only a clumsy…
“I… I’m here.”
Su Tang was stunned for a second before she curved her lips and smiled. The glow of the萤石 (fluorspar) at her neck was warm.
“Since you’re here, come on in. We were just waiting for you.”
An Se let out a disgruntled click of his tongue. Such bashfulness was really an eyesore.
Zhan Ye didn’t stop until he was standing on Su Tang’s other side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wearing the necklace he had given her. His heart swelled with joy. If she was wearing it, did that mean she really liked it?
Waves of sweetness enveloped him instantly, and a broad smile spread across Zhan Ye’s face.
“Continue with what you were saying.”
Mo Xiao stood on Su Tang’s other side. seeing Zhan Ye constantly glancing at Su Tang’s neck and noticing the necklace there, he understood the situation immediately. He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and prompted An Se to resume the briefing.
An Se glanced at Su Tang, who was sandwiched between the two tall Sentinels, and pursed his lips slightly.
He cleared his throat and began.
“The four peripheral pollution zones will be handled by Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, and Team 5 respectively. The requirement is to take two-thirds of the team’s Sentinels, while the remaining third stays at the White Tower to form a mobile unit. Once the operation begins, the mobile unit will reinforce whichever pollution zone has the largest vacancy.”
Yasuo rubbed his still-aching shoulder and added:
“Each team will be equipped with three enhanced barrier generators—the kind An Se developed that can temporarily block the red mist from penetrating. The Tower Command requires the peripheral cleanup to be completed within three days to pave the way for the operation in the core area.”
Su Tang’s gaze fell on the piercing scarlet patch at the center of the map.
“What about the core area? How has the Tower arranged that?”
“The core area is at the center of the four pollution zones. To reach it, the peripheral zones must be controlled first. To prevent the core area from continuously feeding energy to the periphery, action will be taken against the core immediately once the peripheral situation is stable.”
Mo Xiao paused and looked toward Su Tang.
“As for the action in the core area, the Medical Department is the key.”
Hmm?
What did “the Medical Department is the key” mean?
Did the White Tower want the Medical Department to be responsible for cleaning the core area?
Su Tang looked at An Se in confusion, and saw him nod at her.
“Since the four teams are in the peripheral areas, the work in the core area has been assigned to Team 6—the Medical Department.”
Su Tang couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. Was the Tower joking? There was still a gap between Team 6’s combat power and the other teams.
Although the members of Team 6 were all geniuses in mental power control, they almost never went to the battlefield. Giving the crucial task of cleaning the core area to Team 6… was the Tower truly at its wit’s end, or were they playing a prank?
“What’s with that look? Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You mean I have to go with you too?”
“Of course. You’re now a part of my… my Medical Department. Naturally, you’ll participate in the Medical Department’s operations.”
An Se coughed quite awkwardly.
“Right. Sorry, I haven’t quite adjusted to the change in status yet.”
Su Tang glanced awkwardly toward Mo Xiao; she had just assumed she was still a member of Team 1.
“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it.”
Whether it was a thing or a person, it didn’t matter if it was awkward at first; you’d get used to it.
“But this move is still too risky. An Se is one thing, but the rest of Team 6 is another matter. The other Sentinels in Team 6 aren’t like him. The danger of the core area is immeasurable. Isn’t it just madness to give such a tough bone to them?”
Zhan Ye frowned and gave the other Sentinels in the room a dissatisfied look.
“Didn’t they protest at the meeting? They just agreed so submissively?”
Yasuo’s brow was heavily furrowed, and his gaze as he looked at Zhan Ye was dark.
“The Tower said they would dispatch the highest confidentiality weapon to assist Team 6’s operation.”
“When did the Tower have a highest confidentiality weapon…”
Zhan Ye trailed off as something occurred to him.
“They don’t mean to send him, do they?”
No one in the room spoke. The long silence served as Zhan Ye’s answer.
“Those bastards really know how to use everything to its limit.”
Zhan Ye’s voice was thick with suppressed fury. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, and his breathing grew heavy.
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