The response came quickly from the other end of the phone:

“Unclear, but they also suffered casualties.”

This is relatively normal… The Reformist elder who accepted Gaius’s commission nodded, not too concerned, and said, “Send Asus’s body here. As for Kristina’s, just, just give it to the Hunter's Guild.”

As for which elite squad of the City Defense Force did it, he didn't care. Anyway, Focas would submit a report to the new Chief Executive afterward.

…

Genaver, Han Wanghuo, and Zeng Duo did not stop along the way, using up a full tank of fuel, and finally rushed from the bank of the Red River to the vicinity of Early Spring Town.

At this time, the sky had already darkened, and the stone fence in the distance could only be barely seen.

Nearly ten hours had passed since the initial city's citizen assembly.

If it weren't for Zeng Duo's familiarity with the terrain, taking the straightest path possible, they would never have been able to get here so quickly, given the road conditions and environmental complexity of the northern bank wasteland.

Han Wanghuo took out his binoculars and observed the situation in Early Spring Town.

Compared to the last time he came, there were far fewer soldiers now. Almost no one could be seen in the camp outside the town.

All the armored vehicles in the main gate area were gone, with only a lone, khaki-colored tank blocking the way.

Above the stone fence, the personnel patrolling back and forth were more vigilant than before, fully alert, closely watching the surrounding situation with the help of searchlights.

“Maybe only a third of the original troops remain,” Han Wanghuo wasn't a smart robot and could only make a rough judgment. “The rest have returned to the initial city.”

Zeng Duo weighed the speed at which a large force could cross the northern bank wasteland:

“After Gaius used the radio last night to announce that he would hold a citizen assembly today, they should have received the order and started to go back.”

“The firepower of the remaining personnel is not too sufficient,” Genaver said, with red light flashing in his eyes. “Moreover, they appear more focused on the surface, but in reality, they are restless and worried that the initial city's turmoil will affect them. If we hadn't been delayed for too long, they would likely have learned the outcome of the turmoil through telegraphs and gained some confidence. At this point, we might not need to attack. Just a few shouts could make them collapse on their own.”

The content of the shouts would of course be that the side supported by the garrison had failed, that people had been sent from above to purge them, and that they were required to lay down their arms immediately and not resist stubbornly.

This move was selected by Genaver from Jiang Baimian's behavioral database:

If you can attack the mind, then rebellion will disappear by itself!

Zeng Duo didn't understand what was going on at first, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that human hearts were sinister.

Fortunately, Genaver, who came up with this idea, was a smart robot. According to him, this was an exhaustive search of solutions, and the optimal result was selected, which had nothing to do with whether the heart was black or not… Zeng Duo thought.

“Should we launch the attack now?” Han Wanghuo asked Genaver.

Genaver moved his metal neck up and down:

“Yes, we must seize the time. If we delay any longer, even if the transferred main force doesn't return so quickly, that Awakened person at the 'Mind Corridor' level will be here soon.”

Opportunity knocks but once!

Han Wanghuo immediately turned his head and said to Zeng Duo:

“Put on the military exoskeleton.”

“Aren't you going to wear it?” Zeng Duo subconsciously asked.

In her mind, a military exoskeleton was equivalent to stronger security and stronger offensive firepower. On this kind of battlefield, it could make a person equivalent to having several more lives.

Therefore, it was only natural for Han Wanghuo, who was closer to the "Old Task Force," to wear the military exoskeleton.

Who knew that Han Wanghuo would let her use it!

Han Wanghuo pointed in the direction of Early Spring Town:

“The person wearing the military exoskeleton has to rush the traps with Old Ge, while the remaining one can stay in the rear, focusing on sniping, and wait until the enemies in the main gate area are cleared before going over, making it safer.

“I am a selfish person, and all my decisions are ultimately for my own good, just like I have done so many good things and strictly fulfilled my promises, just to make myself more human and not be excluded.”

“I see…” Zeng Duo felt that this seemed to make sense.

Genaver glanced at Han Wanghuo:

“You don't usually talk this much. Do you have any other ideas?”

“…” Han Wanghuo shook his head. “No.”

Genaver didn't ask any more questions, watching Han Wanghuo take out the military exoskeleton from the back of the off-road vehicle and help Zeng Duo adjust the height and put it on.

After completing the preliminary work, Han Wanghuo set up his rifle and put his yellowish-white eyes to the scope.

Genaver and Zeng Duo, one relying on himself and the other on the military exoskeleton, "took up" electromagnetic weapons and looked towards Early Spring Town in the distance.

Bang!

Han Wanghuo pulled the trigger.

In such dim light and at such a long distance, the bullet flying from his rifle accurately reached the main gate area of Early Spring Town and drilled into the head of an initial city soldier who came out to breathe fresh air above the tank.

That head immediately exploded like an inflated watermelon.

Bang! Bang!

Genaver and Zeng Duo also completed their shots, and the silver-white electric currents entwined bullets hit a soldier patrolling on the outer wall, penetrating their body armor.

As the two corpses fell, the two leaped out at the same time, running and jumping towards Early Spring Town.

Boom! Boom!

They used grenade launchers, bombarding the enemies in the main gate area.

Han Wanghuo stayed in place, relying on his talent and that rifle, picking off enemies who seemed to be officers, so that the initial city's garrison could not organize themselves out of the panic.

In a short few tens of seconds, the garrison at the main gate area of Early Spring Town collapsed. They left a ground of corpses and fled into the town, trying to meet up with their companions inside and reorganize their defenses.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Zeng Duo, wearing a military exoskeleton, took a big leap, jumped over the khaki-colored tank, and landed on the outer wall of Early Spring Town. Genaver did the same.

Boom! Boom!

They continued to use grenade launchers to suppress the garrison.

Han Wanghuo put away his rifle, slightly bent his back, and ran towards the khaki-colored tank.

After completing a round of bombardment, Zeng Duo was able to see the situation in the town clearly with the help of the evening light.

The buildings and road conditions were no different from when she left before, still so simple but clean, but she couldn't see any of the residents of Early Spring Town.

Have they all been locked up? Just as Zeng Duo flashed this thought, half of her body suddenly became paralyzed, and she involuntarily fell to the side.

Boom!

Genaver fired a grenade at a two-story house, and the rising flames engulfed several broken glass windows.

The paralysis of Zeng Duo's body disappeared, and she hurriedly used the military exoskeleton to forcibly maintain her balance.

…

Initial City, Green Olive District, Antanna Street, the area behind Green's Clock Shop.

Three hours had passed since Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Bai Chen sent Long Yuehong here for a mechanical arm transplant.

Adding the time of the previous major surgery, the sky had long turned dark, and the sun was about to completely fall below the horizon.

"Team Leader, do you really not need me and Wei to go out and raise money?" Bai Chen glanced at the black workshop work area and said.

The remaining Orei of the "Old Task Force" had all been given to the black clinic doctor, just enough to offset the cost of equipment, blood, and medicine.

Of course, "just enough" was what Jiang Baimian said. The black clinic doctor didn't dare to have any objections. After all, he was also Shang Jianyao's "friend."

He was just a little regretful that he didn't get a non-card biological agent.

"No need." Jiang Baimian shook her head. "Initial City is still under martial law. It's not worth it if something unexpected happens. If Mr. Green doesn't accept us paying with some non-cards and extra weapons later, then leave Little Red here. That T1 mechanical arm is much more expensive than their surgery fee. When Initial City returns to normal, we'll go raise money to redeem him."

Considering that Long Yuehong was not suitable for running around again in a short time, Bai Chen found the team leader's method quite ingenious.

She didn't know what she remembered, and exhaled:

"In a hurry, I don't even know if Little Red likes mechanical arms…"

"It's okay." Jiang Baimian waved her hand. "If he doesn't like it, he can have a second surgery when he returns to the company and recovers his health. He can switch to a biological prosthetic, ensuring that there's no visible problem on the outside."

"So casual." Shang Jianyao made a comment.

The Biological Company is just so casual!

The three waited for a while, and suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of Antanna Street.

The commotion was quickly quelled, and the environment became quiet, making people uneasy.

Soon, the sound of helicopters and drones appeared in the sky.

Jiang Baimian frowned slightly:

"Did some wanted remnants escape to this side?"

"Will they search over here?" Bai Chen was quite worried.

Jiang Baimian thought for a while and said:

"You and I put on military exoskeletons and stay inside.

"Wei, wait at the door and be ready to make friends."

After instructing, she turned her head and shouted at the black workshop work area:

"How much longer?"

"About half an hour." Green with a light golden beard replied from afar.

Shang Jianyao put his pistol back in his webbing and walked towards the already closed door of the clock shop.