Chapter 70: The Rise of the Underdog

The detention cells of the Independent Company were fortified with two layers of checkpoints, yet within them, there were not many prisoners—only two soldiers stood guard inside. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside, and amidst the chaos, a group of people burst in. The guards swiftly raised their rifles, and one of them quickly activated the communicator at his collar.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass on the prison grounds of the Independent Company!” the soldier demanded, his voice transmitted to the communications center.

Receiving the urgent, unspecified message, the communications staff immediately took notice. They switched on the prison’s surveillance feed, and upon realizing the severity of the situation, swiftly escalated it up the chain of command.

Back in the prison, the guards, cowed by Li An’s overwhelming presence, were quickly disarmed. Their faces bruised and bloodied, they lay defeated on the ground. Li An sauntered over to the squad leader, stomping hard on his head, grinding his heel for good measure, and spat disdainfully.

The remaining guards clenched their fists, tears of rage streaming from their eyes as they watched their squad leader humiliated. Any attempt to resist was brutally suppressed by Cao Muhua’s men.

“If not for your wretched company commander, I’d have had you rabble executed already!” Li An wiped his shoe in disgust. “Hmph! Open the door at once and welcome Captain Cao home!”

Li An’s lackey quickly frisked the squad leader for keys, dashed to the cell where Cao Muhua was held, unlocked the door, and released him from his heavy shackles.

As Cao Muhua, squinting against the light, surveyed his surroundings, he said with a sly chuckle, “Well, well—who are you people?”

In front of him, Li An bowed respectfully and said, “Captain Cao, I am Li An, company commander of the Reinforcement Company under Chief Li Tingfang.”

Cao Muhua’s eyes flickered with surprise at the introduction. After a pause, he muttered with a dark undertone, “Li Tingfang… heh, seems she’s doing well for herself, riding on her father’s coattails. No matter, as long as you don’t get in my way.”

Sensing the chill radiating from Cao Muhua’s demeanor, Li An suppressed a shiver.

“Captain Cao, perhaps you’d like to return and freshen up first? Our commander wished to see you…”

“Very well, let’s go.” Cao Muhua strode ahead, making his way out.

Eager to please, Li An hurried after him, giving another kick to a prostrate guard as he passed.

“Captain Cao, what about these men?” Li An drew a thumb across his throat.

Cao Muhua paused, a glint of madness in his eyes, but then smiled. “What good would killing them do? Let’s go.”

The group surrounded Cao Muhua and departed the prison, heading for the military district headquarters.

Meanwhile, Mouse received word of the jailbreak and immediately dispatched fifty troops to intervene. By the time they arrived, Li An had already whisked Cao Muhua away.

“Are you all right?” Mouse asked the squad leader, his anger flaring at the sight of his battered men.

The squad leader lowered his head, shame and fury burning in his gaze, hatred flashing in his eyes.

“Captain… to let that man live is a disgrace!”

Mouse understood his subordinate’s anger and humiliation, and his judgment of Li An’s conduct was set.

“Don’t worry—he’s a dead man. And when the time comes, you’ll have your chance.” After reassuring the guards and posting more men, Mouse returned to headquarters to report to Wang Ji.

By then, Wang Ji had reached the outskirts of the Southwest Military Region’s base, where the communication signals were weak and messages couldn’t be received in real time. Mouse could only leave a detailed account of the incident and his intended response.

“Deputy Captain Zhao, someone just reported that our company commander is required to present himself at base headquarters today to report to the new chief,” Chen Lin said with a worried look.

Mouse thought for a moment. “All we know about the new chief is that he’s from the Jiangbei Military Region. We lack intelligence, but I’ve already sent Li Chengming to investigate any leads on someone named Zhang from Jiangbei. We could be facing a real hard case this time.”

“With the captain absent, we’ll have to handle many things ourselves. Our priority is self-preservation.”

Chen Lin glanced at Mouse thoughtfully and smiled. “Deputy Captain Zhao, what I’m about to say is for everyone’s benefit, please don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Speak freely, we’re among friends.”

After organizing her thoughts, Chen Lin continued, “Do you remember the council of elders authorized by Captain Wang? I think it’s time we put it to use.”

Mouse’s eyes lit up with resolve. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I might have let something critical slip by. Let’s convene our elders for a meeting.”

Meanwhile, Cao Muhua returned to his former mansion. Gathering the few remaining loyal troops, he finally found fresh clothes, cleaned himself up, and regained some of his old charisma.

Prompted by Li An, he went to Li Tingfang’s residence.

Upon entering, Li Tingfang’s husband turned pale and rose to his feet, his lips trembling as he stared at Cao Muhua, unable to speak.

Cao Muhua scoffed, shot him a sidelong glance, and swaggered into the inner room.

Inside, Li Tingfang lounged on a sofa, draped in a luxurious robe that accentuated her well-maintained figure. As Cao Muhua entered, a shadow flickered in his eyes, but he quickly replaced it with a brilliant smile.

“Tingfang, congratulations on becoming base chief.”

Li Tingfang laughed, amused by his words. “Are you here to mock me? Surely you know what I truly desire.”

Cao Muhua sat beside her, grinning. “Indeed, how can a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan? In any case, thank you for this time.”

Leaning into his arms, Li Tingfang pouted, “Why are you being so formal? Are you still angry that my father sent you to the frontier?”

“How could I be? I owe him for all I’ve learned. I should be grateful.”

The two indulged in their affair in broad daylight, separated from Li Tingfang’s husband by only a wall.

Afterward, Li Tingfang lay contented on the sofa.

“Muhua, as soon as I heard from you, I did everything I could to get here. It wasn’t for nothing. The old man at home seems to dote on that sickly child from the third branch, giving him all the resources!”

Hearing this, a thought flashed in Cao Muhua’s mind. “How did you win his approval this time?”

“I promised him an annual tribute of ten thousand crystal cores before he relented.”

“Ten thousand?!” Cao Muhua exclaimed in surprise.

Li Tingfang shot him a look. “What are you worried about? It’s just ten thousand crystal cores. With a base this size, I’m sure we can manage for a year. Besides, for each delivery, the old man provides us with supplies and weapons worth five thousand cores.”

Cao Muhua fell into deep thought, his mind filled with hatred for Wang Ji and plans to bring him down.

“Fine, I’ll help you. But first, I want to kill Wang Ji, the captain of the Independent Company!”

Li Tingfang, holding only a vague impression of Wang Ji, waved dismissively. “That rude little captain? Sure, I’ve been wanting to replace him anyway. I’ve already sent Li An to handle it. Go with him if you need to.”

“And as for your men—I hear the Independent Company scattered them? I’ll provide resources so you can recruit again. It’s no big deal.”

A feverish light shone in Cao Muhua’s eyes as he drew Li Tingfang close. “Thank you, Tingfang. But this Independent Company isn’t simple, and Wang Ji is an enigma. We must be careful.”

She laughed. “No need for courtesy. Just do your job, and leave that little captain to me!”

Cao Muhua had lain low in prison with nothing left to lose after his mutant troops were wiped out by Li Chengming. Yet, in his cell, he found his strength returning—stronger than ever. Hope rekindled, his desire to kill Wang Ji intensified. He could have escaped, but he chose to bide his time. Then, Li Tingfang arrived, and with her support, he no longer sought mutual destruction, but dreamed of gathering new forces and crushing Wang Ji underfoot, making him taste true despair.

“This time, I’ll make you wish you were dead,” Cao Muhua vowed inwardly, turning a warm smile on Li Tingfang.

With that, the two once again lost themselves in each other’s arms.

Meanwhile, the first ever Council of Elders in the history of the Independent Company convened formally in the conference room of the administrative building.

The five elders—Mouse, Li Chengming, Chen Lin, Little Six, and Li Qing—sat around the round table, with about a dozen core members present as observers.

“Three heads are better than one. I believe the captain established this council for exactly this reason. Our Independent Company faces a great crisis, which is why I called this meeting. I hope our collective wisdom and support can help us find a way out,” Mouse began as head of the council.

“Let’s each put forward our thoughts.”

In the tense atmosphere of the base, the Independent Company’s cohesion reached its peak, unleashing its vast vitality and potential.

With Wang Ji absent, they would have to face the coming storms alone.