vrcanaries Chapter 1394 Xiao Ce's Plans
Chapter 1394 Xiao Ce's Plans
Mixed with the frozen corpses of Slavic soldiers and the remains of Allied warriors, it covered every inch of scorched earth as far as the eye could see.
Flames still burned stubbornly on some of the wreckage, crackling and popping—the only persistent sign of life in this deathly silent battlefield...
The groans of the wounded sounded faint and distant in the cold wind. Medics wearing exoskeletons struggled through the ruins, searching for survivors.
"Your Majesty!"
At this moment, Han Da's voice came through hoarsely!
His command mech was also covered in scars, but its overall structure was still intact!
He strode over, followed by several equally weary but sharp-eyed staff officers.
They followed Xiao Ce to report.
"According to preliminary counts, the enemy's main force... has been basically annihilated."
"The entire robot legion directly under Xiao Dingshan has been annihilated!"
"Shahar's Slavic troops..."
He paused, his tone tinged with complexity: "The troops that participated in the siege were almost entirely wiped out in the explosion of the fortress. The survivors were also exhausted in the final suicidal charge."
"What is the situation with the prisoners?"
Xiao Ce's gaze swept over the huge scorched crater.
"As you instructed, Xiao Dingshan has been escorted by Wei Wuji, who personally led the most elite Ghost Mech squad. We used triple energy restraints to lock his remaining torso and head, and then secured them with high-strength alloy shackles. The Spirit Void System is monitoring his core energy fluctuations and nerve signals in real time to ensure absolute safety. Any abnormal self-destruction or signal transmission attempt will be immediately interrupted."
Han Da's report was extremely detailed!
"Mm." Xiao Ce nodded.
He had no objection to the arrangement.
Xiao Dingshan is the key to unlocking more secrets of the Kaiyuan Base and the Hidden Dragon Armory, and must be firmly controlled.
"Where's the other one?"
Handa's face showed a hint of disgust: "Shahar? That spineless coward is still alive. He was positioned at the back during the explosion and used his personal guards as human shields. He was just stunned and suffered some minor injuries."
"After waking up, she kept crying and begging for mercy, and she's being held captive. Your Highness, what do you think..."
"Bring it here." Xiao Ce's voice was calm and even.
Soon, two fully armed energy infantrymen dragged a limp figure over and roughly slammed him onto the frozen ground in front of Xiao Ce and Han Da.
It was Shahar.
He was no longer the obsequious and ecstatic man he once was in front of Xiao Dingshan. His magnificent fur coat was tattered and covered with bloodstains, mud, snow, and vomit.
His face was bruised and swollen, tears and snot streamed down his face, his lips, which were purple from the cold, trembled, and his eyes were unfocused, filled with extreme fear, as if he had just crawled out of the eighteenth level of hell.
He huddled up like a frightened mole, not even daring to look Xiao Ce in the eye.
"Shahar".
Xiao Ce's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced the cold wind like an icicle, clearly reaching Shahar's ears.
"Spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"
Shahar trembled violently, as if he had been electrocuted. He suddenly raised his head, his face covered in snot and tears, his voice sharp and distorted, filled with sobs and desperate pleas!
"Your Majesty!"
"Great Xiao Shen! I...I was wrong! I was blind!"
"I was blinded by greed! I shouldn't have betrayed the Federation, I shouldn't have sided with that devil Xiao Dingshan!"
"Please, for...for my sake...I once fought for the Slavs..."
"No, for the sake of the Federation, spare my life! I'm willing to be your slave, to offer all my wealth. I know many secrets... many of Xiao Dingshan's secrets! I'll tell you everything! Please..."
He was incoherent, kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead pounding against the cold, frozen ground with a loud thud, and soon blood appeared.
This groveling, shameful behavior was a stark contrast to his previous praise of Xiao Dingshan. Even Han Da, standing nearby, couldn't help but frown, his eyes filled with disdain.
Xiao Ce looked down at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion, only cold scrutiny!
“Shahar, your loyalty is as cheap as mud on the roadside. It was the same for Xiao Dingshan, and it is the same for me now.”
Shahar's wailing stopped abruptly, as if he had been choked, and he looked at Xiao Ce in terror, as if he had a premonition of something!
However, besides this, he couldn't do anything else; he just kept kowtowing...
"You know the secret? Tell me..." Xiao Ce said jokingly.
Shahar's expression grew even more unpleasant upon hearing Xiao Ce's words...
Looking at him, Xiao Ce revealed a sly smile: "Your life is still useful for now."
Xiao Ce's words caused a burst of wild joy to flash in Shahar's eyes!
But what he said next plunged him into despair!
Xiao Ce smiled again: "Of course, not because of your so-called secret, but because you are the representative of the old Slavic aristocracy, and a living testament to this betrayal."
"You orchestrated this war, and you are responsible for it!"
"Your fate will be decided by the Federal Supreme Military Court and the future public opinion of the Slavic region. Whether it's the gallows or life imprisonment depends on your luck and your performance in the future."
"No...Your Highness...please don't..."
Shahar collapsed to the ground, utterly desperate, as if his spine had been removed, leaving only unconscious sobs and whimpers.
He knew that falling into the hands of the angry Slavs and the impartial federal court would mean no better fate than dying on the battlefield.
"Drag him away, put him in solitary confinement, and keep him under strict guard. Treat his wounds, don't let him die."
Xiao Ce waved his hand, no longer looking at this mess.
The soldiers immediately dragged Shahar away, who was still pleading, like a dead dog.
After dealing with the prisoners, Xiao Ce turned his gaze back to the vast battlefield.
"Clean up the battlefield. Han Da, you're in charge."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Han Da straightened his body!
He immediately issued a series of commands through the encrypted communication channel:
"Attention all units: Order of battle disengaged! Entering battlefield cleanup phase!"
As he spoke, Han Da looked at Xiao Ce.
Xiao Ce asked Han Da, "What's wrong?"
Han Da said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, could you please use the Spirit Void System to mark all the robot wreckage that is not completely destroyed? Focus on scanning energy cores, weapon systems, and suspicious signal sources! Any wreckage that shows energy reactions or has a potential risk of self-destruction should be classified as a Level 1 dangerous target!"
"The mech squad should handle this first to avoid causing damage..."
Xiao Ce smiled and readily agreed.
Han Da started talking again, only knowing how to speak.
"Engineering mech unit, clear a safe passage! Clear the rubble on the main road and establish a temporary supply transfer point! Medical team, prioritize the search and rescue and transfer of our wounded! Fallen soldiers... collect their remains and mark them!"
"Logistics and engineering units, collect recyclable materials! Intact energy batteries, undamaged weapon modules, special alloy materials, and... samples of the unique bio-alloy of Xiao Dingshan's Legion! Including those robots..."
"All recycled items must be scanned by the Spirit Void to confirm that there are no tracking signals, no energy leaks, and no biological contamination before they can be put into storage! We need to act quickly, the snowstorms in the north won't wait for us!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ce realized that Han Da was indeed very clever; these robot wreckage pieces were treasures.
After Han Da issued one order after another.
Han Da didn't stop talking and continued...
"Finally, wipe out the remaining enemy!"
"Organize elite squads, equipped with life detectors and thermal imaging, to conduct a thorough search of the fortress ruins and surrounding mountains! Ensure there are no hidden enemy soldiers or concealed robot units! Anyone found will be killed if they resist, and captured if they surrender!"
Han Da's orders were clear and decisive!
The entire battlefield, like a huge, battered machine, began to operate with difficulty but in an orderly manner under Han Da's command.
The massive mechanical arms of the engineering mechs roared as they pushed aside mountains of rubble; medics moved through the smoke; the Ghost Squad's mechs, like the most precise scavengers, dismembered and detonated the dangerously glowing robot remains one by one, each explosion causing a small tremor; the logistics troops, like ants, sorted through the spoils in relatively safe areas.
Xiao Ce walked to his Dragon Abyss mech and frowned slightly as he looked at its terrible injuries.
I asked the mechs that were currently repairing them, and they said the damage was also severe and they needed spare parts...
At this moment, Axe Bull's iconic "Mountain-Opening" heavy mech was also parked to the side!
Axe Bull was cursing as he climbed out of the cockpit. His mech was in even worse shape, with a large area of his chest armor melted down, his left arm cannon barrel twisted and ruined, and his huge alloy battle axe covered with nicks and scorch marks.
"His grandma's!"
Axe Bull spat heavily, patting his mech's armor with a pained expression: "My precious... those bastards... how could they be so rough..."
"Your Highness, Longyuan is also seriously injured! That old bastard Xiao Dingshan even bit someone in the process, he's really something else!"
Xiao Ce patted Axe Ox's strong arm: "You've worked hard, Axe Ox. Without you at the forefront, few people could have withstood Xiao Dingshan's final counterattack and the impact of those suicide robots."
"The mech can be repaired if it's broken, as long as you're safe. The engineers at the Hidden Dragon Arsenal will fix it for you, and it might even be stronger."
"Hehe, that's right!"
Axe Ox scratched his head, grinned, and then looked at the huge scorched crater, a complex look in his eyes: "It's just... a pity for those good lads and those iron lumps..."
He was referring to the soldiers who died in the fierce battle and the mass-produced mechs that were destroyed.
"No war is without its regrets."
Xiao Ce's voice lowered, then he smiled and said, "But their sacrifice brought victory and the opportunity to eliminate Xiao Dingshan, this cancer."
He paused, his tone turning cold: "After the battlefield is cleared, let the troops rest as soon as possible. This place... is to be handled by the subsequent Slavic Provisional Management Committee and the Federation's takeover team."
Han Da added from the side, "Understood. The rear has been notified, and the receiving personnel and supplies are on their way."
After hearing Han Da's words, Xiao Ce nodded and then said, "Eva is coming too?"
Han Da nodded.
At this moment, Xiao Yuanwang arrived in his mecha. He got off the mecha, and his expression was not good.
Although he did not participate in the battle, he witnessed those scenes and now, experiencing them firsthand, he feels them even more deeply.
He stood obediently beside Xiao Ce without saying anything.
Just then, Han Da strode over, his face showing fatigue, but his spirits were still high!
"Your Majesty!"
"Battlefield cleanup is expected to take another six standard hours. The bodies of the fallen soldiers have been recovered, and the wounded are receiving intensive care. As for prisoners of war, apart from Xiao Dingshan, Shahar and his remaining troops totaled 237 prisoners, who are being held in separate cells under strict guard."
Seeing that everything was more or less settled, Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Alright, let's leave these people to Eva..."
Xiao Yuanwang was still somewhat moved after hearing Xiao Ce's words.
Because Xiao Ce had asked Xiao Yuanwang a very simple question before.
"Can I still trust your mother?"
Xiao Yuanwang gave a very affirmative answer: yes...
This was the last chance Xiao Ce wanted to give Eva, or more precisely, a chance for Xiao Yuanwang...
Xiao Ce nodded slightly, his gaze turning towards the direction of the Slavic capital: "The aftermath here will be handled by the Slavic Provisional Management Committee and the Federal Reception Team."
"Order that, except for the necessary cleanup and guard troops, the main force shall immediately set off for the Slavic capital to assemble and rest."
"Yes!"
Xiao Ce, as if remembering something, said to Han Da, "Also, all the gunpowder and other explosives underground at the Ustj Fortress have been dismantled. This war is over..."
Han Da solemnly accepted the order and quickly issued instructions through the communication network.
The massive war machine began to move again, and the exhausted but disciplined soldiers began to form ranks and head towards the capital city they had just recaptured.
At this moment, Xiao Ce summoned Night Cat and brought some undamaged mechs.
Then he said to Night Owl, "Night Owl, go find a dozen or so undamaged mechs and come with me."
Night Owl nodded first, then asked Xiao Ce curiously, "Your Highness? Where are you going?"
Xiao Ce continued, following Night Cat's words, "The submarines that Xiao Dingshan and his men landed on were all high-quality equipment, and their submarines could carry so many robots. If we could use them ourselves, it would be a huge gain..."
After listening, Night Owl nodded.
Night Owl quickly selected fifteen light and medium-sized mechs in relatively good condition, and together with a command-type mech temporarily requisitioned by Xiao Ce, formed an elite squad.
Without lingering, their engines roared, tearing through the lingering smoke and acrid smell of the Don River Fort battlefield, as they sped toward the frigid coastline of the Slavic country, covered by permafrost.
The biting wind, carrying fine ice crystals, lashed against the mech's cold armor, producing a series of crackling sounds as they sped along...