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Chapter 24: Wei Haitao
Boom, boom.
The flames spread to the southeast of the western zone, and thick plumes of smoke gathered in the air, forming a dark cloud. Faint insect-like screeches mingled with the moans of the wounded, echoing through the chaos. The entire base resembled a scene straight out of hell on earth.
Wei Haitao moved swiftly through the corridors of the facility, flanked by four trusted subordinates. His destination was clear: the northern sector of the base. The security gates could only hold back the alien bugs for a short while, not forever. The southern zone would inevitably fall, especially under the wrathful skies of this stormy night. Lightning tore through the clouds like frenzied demons, illuminating the chaos below.
To stay and fight meant certain death at the claws of the alien horde. To retreat—where to? In such weather, a single high-voltage lightning strike could incinerate a person into ash. Given the dire circumstances, there was only one viable path to survival: head north to the launch silo and escape aboard a shuttle.
Kraftmann refused to abandon the base? Let him die then. Wei Haitao valued his life far too much to share Kraftmann’s fate.
Exiting the safety corridor, Wei Haitao gazed toward the domed structure in the distance, a faint smirk curling the corners of his lips.
“Clarke, Conor, secure the orbital control center,” he ordered. “Augustine, Sanjouno, maintain perimeter security.”
The four men dispersed to their assigned tasks, leaving Wei Haitao to approach the massive door of the launch silo. With practiced ease, he entered the security code. A deep rumble echoed as the half-meter-thick nuclear-blast-resistant door slowly creaked open, revealing the concealed launch platform within.
By now, Clarke and Conor had already begun preparations for the launch. The semi-circular dome above them parted, exposing a ring of dark gray sky. The launch silo was divided into two sections—one above ground, towering thirty meters high, flanked by two railguns designed to disperse thunderclouds with concentrated electron beams, and another underground section housing the actual launch infrastructure.
Wei Haitao stepped into the command hall, turning toward an elevator tucked away in the corner. But just as he reached the midpoint of the room, the sound of footsteps behind him froze him in place. He spun around to see a figure emerge from the shadows outside the doorway.
“It’s you!”
Recognition dawned on Wei Haitao’s face, followed swiftly by shock. “Tang Yan.”
“No, no,” the man corrected calmly, taking a few deliberate steps forward. Two alien bugs trailed obediently behind him, their movements eerily docile, like loyal hounds. “Call me Tang Fang.”
“You’re still alive… and those bugs…” Wei Haitao’s expression darkened, mirroring the storm clouds above. He had been played—a fool to this young man’s schemes. From the deaths of Conda and Thomas, to Kovass’s disappearance, and finally the chaos that had erupted across the base—it was all part of Tang Fang’s grand design. Killing with a borrowed sword provoking enemies, framing innocents—all these strategies had been nothing more than a puppet show orchestrated by this cunning adversary who had outmaneuvered him at every turn.
“Commander Wei,” Tang Fang began, his tone deceptively casual, “I’ve always wondered something. We’ve never crossed paths before, nor do we have any personal grudges. Why are you so determined to see me dead?”
Wei Haitao took a step back, stalling for time. “I don’t know,” he lied.
“You don’t know?” Tang Fang’s voice chilled further. Without warning, the two alien bugs leapt forward, their powerful hind legs propelling them toward Wei Haitao with terrifying speed.
Wei Haitao’s eyes widened in panic. He turned and bolted toward the elevator, frantically pressing the call button. These creatures’ combat prowess was legendary—he’d seen it firsthand on the surveillance monitors. Even ten versions of himself wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
“Hurry, hurry!” The wind whipped past his ears as he slammed his palm repeatedly against the elevator panel. Behind him, the alien bugs’ heavy footfalls reverberated ominously through the chamber.
Just as Tang Fang narrowed his eyes, preparing to command the creatures to spare Wei Haitao’s life momentarily, a sudden blur of motion caught everyone’s attention. A small tracked vehicle burst into the room with a roar, its turret-mounted Vulcan cannon spitting fire.
“Ratatatat!” The rapid-fire weapon unleashed a torrent of bullets, shredding the air like rain. One of the alien bugs took the full brunt of the assault, its body erupting in sprays of yellow-green fluid as chunks of flesh flew in all directions. Armor-piercing rounds punched gaping holes through its carapace, sending the mangled corpse flying several meters before slamming into the wall with a sickening thud.
Wei Haitao glanced back, relief washing over his features. “Augustine! Stop them!”
From inside the cockpit of the tracked vehicle, a scarred-faced man nodded silently, his fingers dancing over the controls. The Vulcan cannon swiveled, targeting the second alien bug. This time, however, Tang Fang was ready. With a sharp mental command, the creature dodged with astonishing agility, its membranous wings buzzing furiously as it executed a graceful glide to evade the hail of gunfire. Within moments, it vanished into the shadows beneath the launch platform.
At the same time, a soft ding signaled the arrival of the elevator. Wei Haitao shot one last glance at Tang Fang, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “Kill him,” he spat, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button to descend deeper into the silo.
Augustine adjusted the cannon’s aim, sneering through the transparent windshield of the vehicle. “Go to hell!” he snarled, unleashing another barrage of fire.
The flames illuminated the entire launch silo, while streaks of bullets left trails of pale smoke in their wake. Bullets of this caliber could tear gaping holes through the iron-hard scales of the alien bugs. One could only imagine what they would do to a human target.
Augustine had already braced himself for the sight of Tang Fang being torn apart, his flesh and entrails scattered gruesomely. But much to his shock, things did not unfold as he had anticipated.
No amount of blazing gunfire could mask the astonishment in his eyes as a massive, mound-like creature materialized out of thin air. The Vulcan cannon's bullets struck its surface with dull thud after thud. Though fluids splattered and flesh flew just as before, the sheer enormity of the creature made such wounds seem trivial—like mere mosquito bites.
The next scene was one Augustine swore he would never forget for as long as he lived. A thick, anchor-like "appendage," as wide as a bucket, shot forward with blinding speed. Its razor-sharp hooks struck the composite steel armor of the tracked vehicle with a deafening boom, punching a gaping hole through it.
Then, Augustine felt the vehicle lurch violently as an immense force surged upward from below. The four-meter-square tracked vehicle was lifted clean off the ground by that monstrous thing and hurled into the air.
Gripping the safety harness with all his might, Augustine's world spun upside down, wave after wave of vertigo crashing over him. The surroundings blurred faster and faster, the wind howling in his ears growing sharper and more intense. Finally, just as nausea overwhelmed him, he suddenly felt weightless. Both he and the tracked vehicle were sent flying.
Boom. The vehicle slammed into the wall like a pancake, the sheer force of the impact crumpling its steel frame—and shattering every bone in Augustine’s body.
Meanwhile, the automated voice of the launch system droned on: “Launch preparation complete. Electron beam generator warming up. Countdown initiated.”
“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”
Lights blinked erratically on the control panels as the shuttle slid smoothly onto the launch track. Thrusters ignited, lifting the sleek craft upward through the silo and into the section above the ground.
This atmospheric shuttle was eight meters long and three meters wide, with two tail fins crossed in an X-shape. Its front section featured a sleek, torpedo-like fuselage.
At the moment, Wei Haitao, inside the cockpit, glared down at Tang Fang through the viewport, his voice dripping with venom. “Tang Yan, I swear upon the heavens—I will make you regret ever crossing me. Your younger brother will die without a grave, and your fifteen-year-old sister…” He paused, savoring the thought. “She’ll learn what it means to be a woman. Then I’ll toss her into Omega’s filthiest brothel, where she’ll serve decrepit old men whose stench alone should repulse her. And when she bears the children of the cursed ‘Morris slaves’—she’ll spend the rest of her days rotting in the slums.”
Tang Fang’s face hardened, his icy gaze locking onto Wei Haitao’s deranged figure. The shuttle’s engines roared, leaving a trail of azure flame as it accelerated for liftoff.
“Farewell,” Wei Haitao taunted, waving mockingly. His grin widened as memories of Tang Yun’s file flashed through his mind—the image of a bright-eyed girl with short hair and a radiant smile.
Two beams of intense energy surged upward from the railguns flanking the launch pad, piercing the stormy skies like streaks of divine retribution. The concentrated electron beams acted as a fuse, igniting the volatile atmosphere. A blinding flash illuminated the night, creating a vacuum-like eye amidst the swirling thunderheads directly above the silo.
The shuttle ascended gracefully, leaving a shimmering trail in the darkness. Wei Haitao programmed the flight route, casting one final triumphant glance at the tiny figure of Tang Fang shrinking below.
“Don’t worry, Tang Yan,” he murmured smugly. “Your precious little sister will remember my scent well. Hahaha-”
His laughter was cut short.
A spray of blood erupted, splattering across the glowing control screens. Thick, meaty gore smeared across the surfaces, leaving streaks of crimson. Wei Haitao’s face contorted in disbelief as his body convulsed mechanically, forcing him to turn his head.
Behind his seat loomed the grotesque visage of an alien bug. One of its razor-sharp claws had pierced through the chairback, severing his spine and emerging from his chest cavity.
“Cough.” Blood bubbled from Wei Haitao’s mouth as the light faded from his eyes.
How did it get in?! How?!
There was no answer—only the reflection of a savage, bloodthirsty face staring back at him in the cockpit window.
“I refuse… I refuse to accept this… I am Wei… the Wei family…”
As Wei Haitao’s anguished cries faded, the shuttle’s engines flared once more, accelerating into the void. It disappeared into the clouds, becoming a mere speck in the endless expanse of the night sky.
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