Chapter 41: Unite Every Force That Can Be United

The process of crossing the restricted zone was much smoother than Chen Jian had anticipated. Upon declaring their identities, the Cathedral of the Holy Blood—which still maintained a cooperative relationship with the Mechanicus—swiftly arranged a specialized reception team. Taking advantage of the lingering chaos among the terror fiends, the eight of them pierced through the enemy's defense line with lightning speed, breaking back to the eastern bank of the Yangtze River in one go and entering the controlled zone of Hanshui City.

There were no redundant interrogations, nor any unnecessary inspections, which gave Chen Jian a new perspective on the true strength of the Cathedral of the Holy Blood.

Although Xu Lie had mentioned that the Mechanicus was the actual master of the city, it was evident that the influence of the Cathedral of the Holy Blood had long since permeated every facet of Hanshui City, even reaching the point of forming a "shadow archon."

This further heightened Chen Jian's vigilance toward the Cathedral.

After all, enemies in the open could always be dealt with, but if someone were to stab you in the back...

That truly would be impossible to guard against.

Chen Jian felt a mild headache coming on.

He really didn't want to expend energy on political maneuvering and backstabbing. After all, he still had to conduct archaeology, go hunting, and climb the technology tree in the future. The available manpower at his disposal was already scarce enough—how could he afford to waste it so casually?

Therefore, the best approach was to establish an independent... to start completely from scratch.

He needed to find a way to build his own stronghold, strictly screen the indigenous survivors who sought refuge based on adequate resources, and set up a comprehensive basic education system to ensure the ideological purity of the team.

Only a faction built upon such a foundation would possess sufficient combat capability to fight against the various threats looming over this wasteland.

And emerge victorious.

It seemed that the reconnaissance mission targeting the Ordnance Engineering College was now imminent.

Walking toward the direction of Hanshui City, Chen Jian silently formulated his plans in his mind. Once they returned to their lodgings and the Holy Blood squad prepared to leave, Chen Jian stopped Xu Lie.

He then spoke:

"This operation is bound to be exposed. The administrators of Hanshui City cannot possibly overlook the abnormal movements of the Blood Skulls."

"They will definitely send scouts to the Blood Skulls' camp and discover the body of General Blood Sun."

"We cannot hide it, nor can we explain it."

"So, if this exposure is inevitable... you know what you should say, right?"

Xu Lie froze for a moment, then asked in astonishment:

"You want us to take the credit for this?"

"Yes."

Chen Jian nodded and replied:

"The fame is yours; we take all the material benefits."

"Let's not talk about an eighty-twenty split—all the rewards belong to us, but in return, you get something... the title of heroes."

"The people here will remember that it was your valiant actions that eliminated the Blood Skull threat near Hanshui City."

"The prestige of the Cathedral of the Holy Blood will rise further, and you will also reap more potential benefits."

"How is that? Fair?"

"Fair!"

Xu Lie answered without hesitation, bowing to offer Chen Jian a Holy Blood salute.

Chen Jian returned the salute. After he lowered his hand, Xu Lie turned and left with the others, but Li Shi remained standing in place.

"Chosen One, my shield..."

Only then did Chen Jian remember that he had told Li Shi to abandon his steel shield, and he still owed the man a replacement.

After pondering for a moment, he said:

"If you expect me to produce one right this second, I certainly can't."

"However, I guarantee that I will definitely get you this item, and it will be absolute miles better than your original shield."

"If you need one immediately, I can pay you a reward in advance as compensation. How does that sound?"

"No need, no need, I'll wait for you."

Li Shi waved his hands repeatedly, a bright smile on his face.

In truth, what he cared about was never a run-of-the-mill shield, but rather "a shield obtained from the hands of the Chosen One"!

Though simple-minded and somewhat honest to a fault, he still understood many basic principles.

He had merely helped these Chosen Ones with a small favor, yet the man was willing to grant him a brand-new shield.

In this apocalyptic era, this was already an immense benefit, a boundless act of goodwill.

Given that, what did waiting a little longer matter?

If he really needed one urgently, he could always find time to make a trip back and retrieve that old shield...

Li Shi departed cheerfully. After closing the door behind him, Chen Jian let out a long breath.

Looking at the pile of equipment scattered across the floor, the long-lost sense of security in his heart was finally replenished somewhat.

Before he could even speak, He Shuo, who had been standing quietly to the side, lowered his voice and said:

"This Li Shi—I think we can win him over."

"We have far too much equipment right now, and no usable combat vehicles. Relying just on the few of us, there's no way we can carry all this gear."

"Li Shi is a Holy Blooder. I've observed him; his strength and endurance are both quite formidable. He would be perfectly suited as a logistics soldier."

"Most importantly, I sense that unlike Xu Lie, his faith in the Cathedral of the Holy Blood doesn't seem all that... intense?"

"Not just him,"

Leijie interjected:

"Xie Liu, Zeng Yi, and Li Shi—these three are quite different compared to Xu Lie."

"Li Shi is simply the most prominent one, but frankly speaking, Xie Liu and Zeng Yi are also worthy of being placed on the observation list."

"I believe we shouldn't blindly xenophobic. We must unite all forces that can be united, divide potential enemies as much as possible, and resolve our primary contradictions first."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

Chen Jian and Shen Yue voiced their agreement in succession. Thus, within their minds, an immediate priority distinction was drawn among the four members of the Holy Blood squad.

"So, for our upcoming reconnaissance operations in downtown Hanshui and the Ordnance Engineering College, we can also invite their four-man squad to join."

"This is both a cooperation and a test."

"If they pass the test, we keep them."

"If they fail the test, or worse, commit any wrongdoing..."

Chen Jian left the sentence unfinished, but everyone understood his meaning.

His proposal was passed unanimously. With the plan finalized, the group felt their tensions ease slightly and squatted down on the floor to sort through their freshly acquired gear.

The most troublesome task was undoubtedly sorting through the ammunition. The group strained their eyes nearly to the point of exhaustion before finally picking out 160 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and 120 rounds of 5.8mm ammunition.

The quantity wasn't massive, but at least they broke even and even made a profit.

Among the twelve mortar shells, one was already damaged and unusable. Of the remaining eleven, five were assigned to Chen Jian and six to Leijie.

As for the grenades, they were distributed evenly—six per person, dividing the total neatly.

The two rocket tubes undoubtedly belonged to Leijie, with no dispute.

With the equipment basically distributed, the four of them sat cross-legged on the ground to rest, feeling satisfied.

Just as Chen Jian was wondering whether to continue eating the dry rations Li Shi had sent earlier or venture out to see what kind of "dining services" Hanshui City offered, the sound of artillery suddenly echoed from outside the door.

The four of them leaped to their feet, rushing back to their respective combat positions in an instant. Yet, almost immediately, Leijie issued the "all clear" command.

"It's not an artillery barrage."

"It's fireworks!"

Chen Jian walked over to the window. In the deep blue sky, which was just turning pitch black, several bright yellow flames blossomed.

In the distance, the triumphant hymns of the Mechanicus drifted closer and closer.

Clearly, the Blood Skulls who had attempted to attack Hanshui City had been completely wiped out.

The residents of Hanshui City extravagantly lit candles, calcium carbide lamps, and electric lights.

The town was brilliantly illuminated as the populace streamed out of their dwellings and onto the streets, which should have been quiet at this hour.

Holy words echoed from the council hall at the highest point of Hanshui City, carrying their majestic resonance to every corner of the town.

"In the name of the Holy Trinity, bearing witness by the Holy Blood, we have dyed the Yangtze River red with the blood of heretics."

"The despicable, lowly Blood Skulls have melted under the glory of gunpowder and vanished into nothingness beneath the sprinkling of the Holy Blood."

"Rejoice, children of Hanshui."

"Tonight, we shall revel in victory!"

Chen Jian pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Residents struggling amidst hardship cheered as they crowded through the streets, acting as though they had truly achieved some monumental triumph.

The celebration had begun.