Chapter 20

Facing such silence, Qin Ran smiled.

It was not the kind of forced, feigned laughter from before, but a genuine, heartfelt laugh.

He knew that he had temporarily taken the initiative!

The other party had many fully-armed subordinates and was indeed powerful, but... the other party was greedy!

Incredibly greedy!

And this was the other party's weakness!

As long as there was a weakness, it could be overcome!

Even if the other party was incredibly powerful!

Qin Ran firmly believed this.

Therefore, he patiently waited for the other party's response.

"What do you want?"

After a moment, Saluka's voice sounded again. Even through the receiver, Qin Ran could sense the suppressed anger.

But Qin Ran did not care.

In Qin Ran's eyes, the other party was merely the boss he needed to defeat to improve his evaluation.

Beyond that... nothing else!

"What do I want? Major, you ask so well! In this damned city, what do I want? Of course, to leave! To leave this damned place!"

Qin Ran, following the plan he had already set, acted madly, as if he were a man driven insane by the war.

"Return my jewels to me, and I will take you out of here!"

Saluka readily gave an affirmative answer.

"Fine, when night falls again, I will be waiting at the 'Vulture's' lair!"

Qin Ran did not hesitate either.

Then, Saluka hung up the phone.

Qin Ran, looking at the disconnected call, swiftly removed the phone's battery again. He then curled up against the wall, closed his eyes, and rested.

He knew that a fierce battle was coming.

He had to seize the time to rest and regain his strength.

As for the deal with Saluka?

Qin Ran had never taken it seriously.

The other party's initial show of strength was enough to prove that they were not someone who would easily compromise.

After suffering a loss, the other party would not remain silent, pretending nothing had happened.

They would certainly seek revenge!

But because of the backpack of jewels, the other party would not make a big fuss; they would only send a team of elite soldiers.

And these soldiers would certainly be the other party's confidants!

Therefore, the number would not be too many!

But it also meant that these people would be very strong!

Otherwise, they would not have been the other party's confidants.

However, Qin Ran would not back down!

Because this was exactly what Qin Ran needed!

If facing a large number of rebels, even with skill enhancements, Qin Ran would avoid the confrontation. But if it was just a team, Qin Ran believed he could fight!

And he must win decisively and beautifully!

Only then could he proceed to the next step of his plan.

"One minute is enough for him to find me!"

Squinting his eyes, Qin Ran silently thought as he seized the time to rest.

When he saw the phone in the 'Vulture's' room, Qin Ran noticed something was off.

It was far more robust than a regular phone.

Moreover, this was a city in turmoil, where communication facilities were likely destroyed long ago!

A phone that could still communicate in such a situation, Qin Ran knew, even if he thought with his toes, that it must belong to the rebels, and it was certainly given to the 'Vulture' by that Major for easy contact.

Given the Major's show of strength, it would be strange if he did not do something to the phone.

Therefore, Qin Ran had hung up the phone and removed the battery earlier.

He did not want to involve Keelin in this danger.

He also wanted to leave himself a safe supply point.

After all, it was only the second day!

"A long day!"

Seeing the [Main Quest: Survive for Seven Days, 1/7] change to [2/7], Qin Ran felt the brightening of the sky and the warmth of the sun, and sighed softly.

...

"Did you find that rat and bug in the gutter?"

Saluka, after hanging up, looked at his adjutant.

"Locked on! That guy is near the Garden Villa District!"

The adjutant immediately replied.

"Excellent! Remember that location. Now, immediately send Hank with a team to take out that guy and retrieve the items—remember, I want everything intact!"

Saluka nodded and gave the order.

"Yes, sir!"

The adjutant saluted and quickly left.

"You, a rat and bug in the gutter, think you can threaten me, Major Saluka?"

After the adjutant left, Saluka looked at the red dot on the tracking device and coldly muttered to himself.

...

Under the sunlight, an armored personnel carrier appeared on the street between Sixth Avenue and the Garden Villa District.

The special markings on the APC made it pass without hindrance.

A team of ten soldiers, agilely jumped off the APC and stood quietly on one side. When the man in the passenger seat got out, the ten soldiers immediately saluted, their movements uniform.

"Major Saluka has given a top-secret mission—find an armed thug in the vicinity, eliminate him, and bring back all his items! Remember: no survivors!"

The man in the passenger seat, amidst the roar of the departing APC's engine, spoke calmly.

But his extremely serious expression showed his determination.

Hank, as Saluka's confidant, clearly understood the importance of this mission.

If they failed, they would not wait for the government forces to launch a general attack; they would be executed by the rebel generals, even if Saluka had given these gentlemen many 'toys.'

These higher-ups were quick to turn their backs!

Knowing this, Hank became even more cautious about the mission.

"Snipers, machine gunners, find the best positions! The rest, split into two teams and search!"

"Yes!"

Faced with the captain's orders, the soldiers quickly moved into action.

First, a sniper ran to a high vantage point.

Then, the machine gunner, with his assistant, carried a box of ammunition and found an open area in the ruins, setting up the light machine gun.

The remaining eight soldiers, including Hank, split into two teams and quickly entered the Garden Villa District, conducting a thorough search.

A team of four, armed with assault rifles, moved in tactical formation, covering and searching each other.

This made Qin Ran, hiding in a corner, frown.

He had already overestimated his enemy's strength, but he still underestimated them.

"These armed thugs are in a completely different league!"

Qin Ran, watching the approaching search teams and the sniper on a partially collapsed roof in the distance, silently moved back without making a sound.

He could not act!

Whether by firing or in close combat, he would inevitably be locked onto by the sniper.

"I must take out that sniper!"

Determined, Qin Ran quickly entered a [Stealth] state, using the ruins for cover, and bent down to move towards the best position to fire.

Earlier, when Qin Ran chose to talk to Saluka on this street between Sixth Avenue and the Garden Villa District, allowing the other party to lock onto his position, it was not a random choice.

It was carefully selected!

When transferring with Keelin, Qin Ran had walked through this area and left a deep impression.

Before the war, this place should have been a densely built low-end commercial district.

After the war, not only were there many collapsed buildings and extensive ruins, but more importantly, the once densely built structures formed numerous ideal hiding and ambush spots.

Therefore, after deciding to confront the rebels, Qin Ran immediately chose this place and, after a brief sleep, familiarized himself with it as much as possible.

This familiarity included memorizing the terrain, and using the knowledge and experience provided by the skill [Firearms (Light Weapons) (Basic)] to formulate a corresponding plan.

Just like facing the sniper now!

The sniper had not noticed a figure approaching.

The strength of a sniper lies in long-range attacks and elusive movements.

Especially the latter; in a favorable environment, an excellent sniper could take out a fully-armed team of soldiers.

But now, the sniper lacked the environmental advantage.

On the contrary, the environment favored Qin Ran!

Moreover, every move the sniper made was under Qin Ran's watchful eye!

What would be the result of a sniper who had lost their mystery and exposed their position?

Qin Ran stood in a shadow, holding the assembled 'sniper rifle,' aiming at the target about a hundred meters away. The skill [Firearms (Light Weapons) (Basic)] provided Qin Ran with the best ability at his current skill level, allowing him to do what ordinary people could not imagine.

Perhaps the basic level [Firearms (Light Weapons)] did not make Qin Ran an excellent sniper.

But it certainly reached a passing standard!

And that was enough!

Qin Ran adjusted his breathing, his grip on the gun steady and strong, and locked onto the target through the scope.

Then... he pulled the trigger!

Bang!

After the gunshot, Qin Ran did not linger or check the target's condition. He rolled to one side, quickly hiding in the ruins and moving to the next shooting point in his memory.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As Qin Ran rolled, the machine gunner opened fire, a dense stream of bullets hitting the spot where Qin Ran had been standing. The seemingly solid wall was penetrated in an instant.

But Qin Ran was already gone.

"What happened?"

Hank, searching in the distance and unable to see the situation, only hearing the gunshots, shouted into the radio.

"The sniper is dead!"

The machine gun assistant immediately answered his captain.

"What?"

Hank was stunned, instinctively asking again.

Bang!

Before the machine gun assistant could answer, another sudden gunshot rang out.

This time, Hank saw clearly; a member of the other search team, not far from him, was shot in the head.

"There's a sniper! Take cover!"

Hank shouted.

Faced with the sudden attack, the entire team immediately took the correct action, hiding behind the nearest cover.

In an instant, the rebel soldiers quickly disappeared from the battlefield.

Except for... the machine gunner and his assistant.

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