Chapter 23 The First Defensive Battle
The Snow Wolf Gang's patience finally ran out after several days of fruitless surveillance and an unexpected equipment malfunction. Vulture wasn't a patient man; he believed in swords and fire, in naked plunder. Since soft tactics didn't work, they'd resort to hard ones.
The attack was chosen on a windless afternoon. The sky was still overcast, but the ice particles had stopped, and visibility was acceptable, suitable for climbing and aiming. The Snow Wolf Gang came out in full force, more than thirty people. Apart from a few old and weak people left behind to guard their dilapidated resort "lair," the remaining twenty-seven or twenty-eight young men, carrying all the weapons they could find, stealthily crept into the dense forest surrounding the Cuiping Mountain fortress like jackals smelling blood.
They thought they were well-hidden, but as soon as they entered within a kilometer of the fortress, vibration sensors and infrared alarms scattered throughout the forest had already transmitted signals back to the control room. A sharp but not piercing alarm sounded, and the red area representing the intrusion threat on the screen flashed and expanded continuously.
Wen Yu was standing in front of the main control console, adjusting a newly activated multispectral scanner with a wider coverage area. When the alarm sounded, his movements didn't pause for a moment, but his eyes instantly turned icy. He quickly switched the images, simultaneously projecting the drone's aerial view, the remote high-powered camera, and the newly added hidden camera footage near the treeline edge onto the main screen.
More than twenty furtive figures, concealed by the greyish-white snow and dark woods, split into several groups and approached the fortress walls in a pincer movement from the west and north. They were dressed in mismatched dark clothing, most of their faces covered with cloth, and carried machetes, axes, clubs, and a few hunting rifles and crossbows that were vaguely visible among the crowd. A particularly tall and burly man with a slightly bald head was leading the group, waving his arms and giving orders in a low voice; he was clearly "Vulture."
"They're here." Wen Yu's voice came through the internal communicator to Su Ran, who was guarding the secondary monitoring screen. It was calm and without any ripples, but it made Su Ran's heart clench suddenly.
Su Ran sat in a chair in the small living room, facing a split-screen surveillance camera. He saw the rapidly moving, malicious figures, his face paling slightly. He instinctively clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. But he didn't panic. He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on Wen Yu's instructions.
"All personnel in position, Level 1 defense. Activate all perimeter active sensors and release warning drones." Wen Yu's fingers tapped rapidly on the control panel, his voice calm as he issued the command, even though "all personnel" only referred to himself, while Su Ran was primarily an observer.
Outside the fortress, hidden loudspeakers immediately emitted a pre-recorded, cold electronic warning: "Warning! You have entered privately armed territory! Stop advancing immediately, lay down your weapons, and retreat! Repeat, retreat immediately! Otherwise you will be attacked!"
The warning echoed through the woods, startling a few crows in the distance. The Snow Wolf Gang members visibly paused, some showing hesitation. But Vulture remained unmoved; he even sneered and roared louder, "Damn it, playing tricks! Brothers, don't be afraid! This dilapidated house looks scary, but there might just be one or two cowards inside! Charge in, and all the food, water, and warmth are ours! Whoever gets in first gets to choose the women and the good stuff!"
The vulgar incitement and the lure of supplies overwhelmed the unease brought on by the warnings. The mob, yelling and no longer hiding, surged towards the wall!
"Stubborn to the end." Wen Yu's eyes were cold as he pressed another button.
Outside the fortress walls, about ten to fifteen meters from the base, several camouflaged nozzles on the ground suddenly opened, violently spewing out a thick mixture of tear gas and strong skunk agent, instantly forming a pale yellow, pungent smoke screen that enveloped the first mob to approach.
"Cough cough! What the hell!"
"My eyes! I can't see!"
"Ugh—! It stinks!"
The five or six people at the front were immediately hit, their eyes and noses streaming down their faces, coughing and gagging violently, losing their sense of direction, waving their weapons wildly, and some even bumping into each other, creating chaos.
But the mob behind them had learned their lesson and immediately dispersed, bypassing the toxic smoke area and continuing to approach from the side. They were clearly prepared; several people pulled out soaked strips of cloth from their backpacks to cover their mouths and noses. Although the effect was limited, it provided some protection.
"Use the ladder! Quickly!" Vulture roared, brandishing a machete as he hid behind a boulder.
Several rioters immediately unloaded several crooked ladders made of thick branches and ropes from the makeshift sled they were dragging, and carried them toward the wall. The wall was four meters high and smooth, but not insurmountable.
Wen Yu watched the figures charging with ladders on the screen, his eyes unwavering. He left the control panel and walked to a specially reinforced firing observation post. There was a narrow, specially treated window with one-way bulletproof glass on the outside and an alloy shield with firing ports on the inside. Below the window was a fixed support, on which sat a military-grade slingshot he had assembled and tested beforehand, along with his compound bow and a quiver of arrows. Su Ran followed, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes resolute. He gripped a slingshot he had made himself from branches and rubber bands, his pockets stuffed with steel balls coated in plaster for added weight.
Wen Yu didn't use the crossbow; he picked up the composite bow first. The bowstring had already been checked, and the quiver was right beside him. He turned slightly to the side and looked out through the firing port. The view was excellent, covering a large area of the western and northern walls.
The first ladder was already against the wall, and two rioters, knives in their mouths, began to climb it, using both hands and feet. They weren't moving fast, but they were determined.
Wen Yu took a breath, drew his bow, and aimed. His movements were steady and fluid, the muscles in his arms bulging slightly beneath his dark gray combat uniform, exuding a sense of power poised to be unleashed. His profile was sharply defined in the cold light streaming through the observation window, his eyes focused and icy, like an eagle locking onto its prey.
"Boom!"
The bowstring twanged softly, and the arrow flew. It wasn't aimed directly at the person climbing the ladder—that would be easily dodged or blocked by the ladder. Wen Yu's target was the point where the top of the ladder met the wall!
"Snap! Pfft!"
The carbon fiber arrow, carrying immense kinetic energy, struck precisely at the weakest point where the branches and ropes were bound! The rope snapped, the branches cracked, and the top of the ladder tilted violently. The rioter who had climbed halfway up was caught off guard, screaming as he fell down with the tilting ladder, crashing heavily onto his companion below. The two rolled around in a heap, temporarily incapacitated.
"Arrows! Over there!" The mob below noticed the direction from which the arrows were coming and cried out in terror, scrambling to find cover.
But Wen Yu didn't stop. He quickly drew a second arrow from his quiver and this time aimed at another ladder that had just reached the top of the wall. The equally precise arrow destabilized the ladder, causing the climber to lose his balance and fall.
"Damn it! He's using a bow and arrow! The range is limited! Brothers, use guns! Suppress that window!" Vulture roared angrily from behind the rocks.
Two rioters with shotguns immediately leaned out from behind their cover and fired two shots at Wen Yu's shooting observation position!
Iron shot and bullets struck the bulletproof glass and the outer alloy shield, producing crackling sounds and dull thuds, sending sparks flying. The specially designed glass and armor remained unmoved, leaving only a few white spots and shallow marks on their surfaces.
The moment the gun fired, Wen Yu ducked slightly to avoid potential stray bullets, his expression unchanged. He waited for the gunfire to subside, then immediately stood up, this time switching to a weapon with greater power, longer range, and higher accuracy, and which could be fitted with an optical sight.
He calmly mounted the crossbow on its stand and, through the scope, locked onto the shotgunner who had just fired and hadn't yet fully retreated behind cover. The man was frantically reloading his gunpowder and shot.
Wen Yu pulled the trigger.
"puff!"
A much duller click than a gunshot rang out. The crossbow bolt shot out at incredible speed, tracing a low, flat arc through the air.
"Ah—!" A short scream rang out. The shotgunner had been struck in the thigh by an arrow, which had penetrated deeply. He screamed and fell to the ground, his shotgun slipping from his hand.
"He's switched to a crossbow! Watch out!" Another mobman with a crossbow was so frightened that he dared not show his face again and hid behind a tree.
Wenyu's long-range precision strike greatly deterred the rioters. For a moment, the offensive momentum outside the wall stalled. The rioters hid behind trees and rocks, no longer daring to show their faces and charge.
But the vulture was unwilling to give up. His eyes red, he pointed in other directions of the fortress: "Don't all huddle together! Spread out! Find other weak points! Throw stones at them! Burn them! I refuse to believe this dilapidated house has no weaknesses!"
Urged on by him, the mob began to disperse and harass from different directions. Some tried to hack and chisel at the wall with axes, some threw burning, oil-soaked rags into the wall, and others went around to the side, trying to find gaps such as drains or ventilation openings.
Su Ran remained pressed against the wall behind Wen Yu. From this angle, he could see part of the flank through a smaller observation hole. His heart was pounding, his palms were sweaty, but his eyes were glued to the outside. When he saw two rioters quietly circle around to the rear and prying and smashing at a disguised ventilation vent fence, he quickly whispered urgently, "Mr. Wen! Rear! Two o'clock! Two people are messing with the ventilation vent!"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu immediately turned his crossbow around and looked to his side and rear through the scope. Sure enough, two guys were using tools to pry open the ventilation grille. The grille was reinforced and not so easy to open, but they couldn't let it go unchecked.
He quickly took aim, but the angle was a bit tricky, as one of the rioters was mostly blocked by his companion.
Just then, Su Ran gritted his teeth, raised the slingshot in his hand, peeked out from the observation hole in front of him, squinted one eye, and aimed at the back of the more exposed mobman—he didn't dare to shoot the head, for fear of killing someone, and also for fear that he would miss.
"Whoosh!"
A mud pellet shot out, tracing a brief arc, and struck the rioter squarely on the back of the neck! Although the mud pellet wasn't very powerful, it still caused excruciating pain when it hit unsuspecting flesh.
"Ouch!" the mob cried out, clutching his neck as his tools clattered to the ground. He looked back in terror, but saw no sign of the attack coming from.
His movement conveniently freed up half of his companion's body.
Wen Yu seized this fleeting opportunity and pulled the trigger!
"puff!"
The crossbow arrow pierced the exposed mob's calf with pinpoint accuracy! The man fell to the ground with a scream, while another, clutching his neck, was terrified and, no longer caring about the ventilation shaft, scrambled to drag his wounded companion back.
Seeing that her attack had worked and indirectly created an opportunity for Wen Yu, Su Ran's pale face flushed with excitement, and her eyes lit up for a moment, but she quickly held her breath and continued to nervously observe other directions.
Wen Yu glanced at Su Ran without speaking, but a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He then refocused his attention on the main attack.
Although the mob's harassment didn't cause any real damage, it distracted Wen Yu. Vulture seized the opportunity, personally leading three or four men, carrying what appeared to be the sturdiest ladder, and charged towards a relatively straight section of the wall on the north side. That was one of Wen Yu's blind spots.
"They're going to launch a full-scale attack on the north wall!" Su Ran, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation, immediately warned.
Wen Yu saw it too. He decisively put down the crossbow and picked up the composite bow again. The north wall was farther from the firing position, giving the archer a greater advantage with its parabolic trajectory. He quickly moved to the other side of the firing position, where the angle was slightly better.
He drew his bow to its fullest extent, calculated the distance and the trajectory, and released the arrow!
The arrow traced a high arc in the air, but due to the distance and angle, it landed only in the snow near the feet of a mob carrying a ladder, startling him but failing to stop them.
The ladder successfully reached the north wall! Vulture himself took the lead, a machete in his mouth, grinning as he began to climb! He was a large man, and surprisingly, he climbed quite fast.
"Mr. Wen!" Su Ran exclaimed anxiously.
Wen Yu's eyes were cold; he didn't try to shoot the vulture climbing the ladder. Instead, he turned the arrow and aimed it at the bottom of the ladder, at the rioter who was struggling to hold it steady!
"Boom!"
An arrow was shot out and struck the rioter on the escalator squarely in the shoulder! The man screamed and let go, and the escalator, losing its support, lurched violently!
The vulture, caught off guard while climbing, nearly fell, breaking out in a cold sweat and clinging tightly to the ladder. The mob below quickly stepped in to hold the ladder steady.
But this delay had given Wen Yu time. He quickly picked up a remote control from the side and pressed one of the buttons.
At the base of the north wall, a seemingly ordinary patch of snow suddenly turned over, revealing several dark, bowl-sized metal pipe openings underneath.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Several muffled thuds were heard, and several fist-sized "stun grenades" covered in thick rubber shot out from the nozzle. They were not aimed at people, but into the air, and then exploded in mid-air a few meters above the heads of the rioters climbing the wall!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
There were no fragments, but it burst forth with extremely blinding light and deafening, irregular, enormous noise! It was a non-lethal weapon, but the instantaneous deprivation of sight and sound was terrifying.
"Ah! My eyes!"
"Your ears! You're deaf!"
The vulture climbing the ladder and the mob below were the first to be blinded by the bright light and stunned by the loud noise. They lost their balance and fell from the ladder with screams. The mob below was also affected and chaos ensued. The vulture was hit the hardest and lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up. Its machete was nowhere to be found.
With their leader wounded, the attack was completely thwarted. The remaining mob looked at the seemingly invincible figure who had been calmly shooting from above the wall, then at their screaming comrades and the unconscious vultures on the ground, and recalled the eerie poison gas, the accurate arrows, the bulletproof walls, and the terrifying "heavenly lightning" at the end. Their last remaining ferocity and greed were finally overwhelmed by fear.
"Run...run fast!"
"This place is eerie! There's a monster here!"
Someone shouted, and the mob that could still move scattered like birds and beasts. They didn't care about the wounded on the ground or the unconscious vultures. They scrambled and crawled back to the forest they had come from, wishing they had two more legs, fearing that the deadly arrows or something even more terrible would come chasing them from behind.
Outside the wall, soon only wounded soldiers lay groaning on the ground, unconscious vultures, scattered weapons, and a few overturned, broken ladders remained. A scene of utter devastation.
Inside the fortress, a firing observation post.
The lingering effects of the intense light and noise seemed to still faintly echo in the air. Wen Yu slowly lowered the composite bow in his hand, the bowstring still seeming to vibrate slightly. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the icy killing intent and sharpness in his eyes slowly faded, returning to a deep, still calm. He listened intently; only the sound of the wind and the faint cries of fleeing mobs in the distance could be heard. The threat was temporarily averted.
He then turned around and looked at Su Ran, who was pressed against the wall, her face pale but her eyes unusually bright.
Su Ran remained in the slingshot-holding posture, his fingers trembling slightly from the force, his black hair damp with sweat, clinging to his smooth forehead. His chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing still a little rapid, clearly he had been extremely nervous just now. But when Wen Yu looked at him, he subconsciously straightened his back and pursed his lips, like a soldier awaiting inspection.
Wen Yu's gaze swept quickly over him, from head to toe, confirming there was no blood or injury. Then, his eyes lingered for a moment on Su Ran's hands, which were still tightly gripping the slingshot, their knuckles white.
He stepped forward, reached out—not to grab the slingshot, but to gently ruffle Su Ran's soft, slightly damp black hair. The movement was somewhat stiff, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
"Well done."
His voice was low and hoarse, a natural reaction after holding his breath and focusing for a long time, but to Su Ran, it was more thrilling than any reward.
Su Ran seemed frozen in place by the sudden touch and praise. He looked up abruptly, his beautiful, wet eyes, still lingering with the aftershocks of his shock, staring directly into Wen Yu's deep gaze. Wen Yu's palm was dry and warm, with a rough texture and calluses. The touch on his scalp was unfamiliar yet distinct, like a faint electric current that instantly coursed through his body.
His face flushed crimson instantly, spreading from his cheeks to his ears and the back of his neck, even tinging his fair skin with a faint pink. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat tight and unable to utter a sound. He could only nod blankly and forcefully, his eyes quickly welling up with tears—whether from lingering fear, excitement, or something else, he couldn't tell.
Wen Yu withdrew his hand, as if the slightly intimate gesture from just now was merely his imagination. He turned around and began to inspect the crossbow and bow, counting the arrows, as if the fierce battle just now was just routine training.
"Clean up. Turn the surveillance footage back on and see where they ran off to, and if there's any follow-up." His voice returned to its usual calm as he methodically gave his orders. "Ignore the injured rioters; their accomplices will come back and take them away. Raise the alert level to level two, for 24 hours."
"Okay...okay!" Su Ran suddenly snapped out of his daze, hurriedly put down the slingshot, and frantically tried to operate the monitoring panel next to him. His heart was still beating fast, and the heat on his face lingered for a long time, but a strange, warm feeling started from the top of his hair that had been ruffled and seeped into his limbs, dispelling the coldness and fear left over from the battle.
He secretly glanced up at Wen Yu's tall and composed profile. The man was carefully wiping the crossbow's arrow groove, his profile appearing exceptionally resolute and reliable in the cold light streaming through the observation window.
Fighting side by side... so this is what it feels like.
The seeds of trust, amidst the trials of gunfire and life-or-death situations, quietly took root, broke through the soil, and unfurled their first tender yet resilient leaf.
Outside the fortress, the last rays of the setting sun struggled to pierce the clouds, casting a somber golden-red hue over the ravaged snow. Inside, lights were just coming on, warm as spring. A crisis had temporarily subsided, and a stronger bond was quietly being forged between the two in their unspoken understanding.