Chapter Seventy-Eight: Without a Ruthless Heart, One Cannot Stand Firm

“Hurry up and shoot! Is this guy even human? How can he be this fast? Fi—”
“Captain!”
“Rat-tat-tat...!!”
“Bang!”

With Huo Bing providing cover fire beside me, I dashed in from the flank and sliced through, cleaving the leader from his head all the way down to his staff, splitting him cleanly in two. You’d need superglue to put him back together.

Twisting my body, I slid forward a few more steps and plunged my blade into the gut of the man hiding behind the car. A quick twist of the wrist finished him off, but I didn't pull the knife out. Instead, I used his body as a shield, barreling forward—he was solid enough to serve as a human bulletproof vest.

Two minutes later, not a soul was left standing on this chaotic, makeshift battlefield, but I didn't dare let my guard down. Never assume victory before the dust settles; that's a cardinal rule when facing an enemy.

“Switch to their vehicles, and while you're at it, gather up their weapons—they're loaded with riches,” I reminded Huo Bing, while Fourth Master had already vanished, terrified by the gunfire. Ever since jumping off the car, he was nowhere to be seen. He probably still thought of himself as just a regular dog, only his diet had changed.

Thud... thud...

I squinted toward the back of a vehicle, which was concealed from my view. In the heat of battle, I hadn’t had a moment to use my enhanced vision, so I hadn’t noticed someone still crouched back there. Most crucially, this person was a little... different.

Leaving aside his nearly two-meter height, the exoskeleton he wore made him look like a towering giant.

“Well, well! An imported Bald Eagle X-1 exoskeleton. Didn’t expect that. Which settlement are you from? You’re practically dripping with wealth,” I sneered at the behemoth, who apparently had been hiding to put on his gear. After all, wearing something that bulky in a car would be impossible; the equipment had been separate from his body before.

“This exoskeleton is standard issue for me. I’m the only one who fits it perfectly. I’ve already stayed in three settlements, and I’ve only just arrived here less than a month ago,” the two-meter man replied, his voice oddly muffled.

I spun my knife in my hand. He didn’t seem ready to start anything, but I couldn’t afford to waste time here.

“You brought it yourself? And nobody stole it?” As I swept the battlefield, gathering up all the dropped weapons and supplies, I questioned the giant.

“Because this exoskeleton was issued to me specifically. I’m the only one compatible with it. I’ve switched settlements three times, and I’ve only been here for less than a month,” he answered honestly.

I cast him a surprised glance. “Which special forces unit are you from? They actually gave you a custom exoskeleton? Ordinary units aren’t that extravagantly equipped.”

He scratched his head and replied softly, “I can’t say. Anyway, it’s gone now. Saying it wouldn’t matter.”

“Oh, let me guess. Aside from the national military, only top-tier teams like Snow Phoenix, Hyena, Wolfhound, and a few others would be issued exoskeletons, and even then, only depending on the mission type. Normally, they wouldn’t allow you to carry one independently.”

On the island mission, we didn’t wear exoskeletons due to environmental reasons. Of course, in hindsight, it was obvious someone higher up had orchestrated that.

“You... How do you know that?” The giant stared at me in shock, still processing.

Those units were only known to high-ranking officers or those with certain clearance levels. Ordinary soldiers wouldn’t have heard of them.

“What’s so surprising? The names sound impressive, but they’re not much. Don’t be fooled by Swordfish’s underwhelming name; none of those teams even deserve to shine their boots,” I finished packing and called Huo Bing and Fourth Master, who’d suddenly appeared, to get in the car.

As I was about to leave, I turned to the giant and extended a hand. “Let’s get acquainted. I’m Cao Fusheng.”

...

“Captain Cao, where are we headed?”

“Don’t you find it cramped? I feel like this car can barely hold you.”

“Heh, it’s fine, it’s fine. A little squeeze is healthy...”

“We’re heading back to a settlement, where I currently stay. There’s been some trouble—I need to check on it.”

“I never imagined I’d meet my idol in my lifetime. Word came down that you’d tragically died.”

“Well, technically I did die, but then I came back.”

“Captain Cao... That joke’s a little cold...”

I stopped teasing the earnest Gao Yi. This guy was the sole survivor of Snow Phoenix; his entire squad had perished outside. Only he had crawled out from the pile of corpses, lucky enough not to have been bitten by a corpse mutant.

“Big guy, was Brother Cao really that legendary back then? I get the feeling he has a lot of fans,” Huo Bing glanced at me with a mischievous smile, asking without turning her head.

Gao Yi laughed, “Absolutely. In our circles, the more formidable someone is, the more respect they command. Captain Cao’s reputation spread like wildfire among us. Maybe the rank-and-file never heard of him, but for us elite special forces, his name is hammered into our ears, and we never tire of it.”

...

“Does your wife know what Captain Cao’s nickname was among us?”

The smile on Huo Bing’s face suddenly faded. She seemed a bit embarrassed—after all, being called ‘sister-in-law’ by a man much older than her was awkward.

“What was it? Pfft—what was it?”

Huo Bing, misled by Gao Yi’s dialect, echoed the question, causing me to burst out laughing. “What was it?”

“Brother Cao... You’re terrible!”

Gao Yi laughed, then whispered, “Captain Cao, don’t blame me for saying this—his nickname used to be ‘King of the Sea!’”

“King... King of the Sea?” Huo Bing stared wide-eyed, then burst into laughter, her finger trembling as she pointed at me.

I snorted, “What? Doesn’t fit?”

“Hah! A fresh flower outside, a young wife at home, King of the Sea! Truly deserving!” Huo Bing laughed, then snorted twice more.

I coughed helplessly—there was no safe way to respond to that, it was a trap!

“Who knows what’s happening in the settlement now...” Huo Bing’s voice grew somber, evidently remembering my earlier warning about home.

“Gao Yi, we might be facing a life-or-death battle soon. Are you ready...?” I deliberately left the sentence hanging, wanting to see his reaction.

The burly Gao Yi straightened up so abruptly he bumped his head, but still declared, “Snow Phoenix Squad member, Major Gao Yi! I will follow Captain Cao’s orders without question! Climbing over corpses is nothing new—it’s not my first time. Besides, following Captain Cao means meat on the table...”

I chose to trust Gao Yi not on a whim. After the battle at the chemical plant, I realized that while solo operations were convenient, there were times when I couldn’t move forward alone.

Besides, I’m sensitive to killing intent. Though this guy looked like a brute, he had none toward me.

And he wasn’t truly reckless. If he were, he would have attacked me right after donning his exoskeleton. His caution proved he wasn’t just a hothead—he was usable.

Even if he had some ulterior motive, I was confident I could kill him in turn.

I can trust people, but that doesn’t mean I won’t guard against them.