Chapter 54: The Mad Revenge Scheme

With the situation at the rope bridge resolved, only those on the mountain remained. Su Miao led Xia Xiao’an to the back of the villa.

At first, she had worried the villa might be blown up, but now, that concern was gone. Even though the mountain's elevation was higher, it was still impossible for anyone to drop explosive packs onto Villa 36 from there. And even if they could, Su Miao was confident she could use her magical space array to contain the explosives.

Yet, the enemy had not made a move. Had something happened? Or perhaps they had learned what occurred at the bridge and were now lying low?

“Xiao’an, can you hear anything from up there?” she asked.

“Sister, I can’t hear anything. It’s as if there’s no living soul on that side of the mountain,” Xia Xiao’an replied, puzzled. The explosions earlier had been terrifying, so she hadn’t paid much attention to sounds. But now, after only a short while, all noise from the mountain had vanished. She tried several times, but found nothing.

Su Miao, cradling her gun, glanced out the window, uneasy. Things couldn’t be that simple. According to Xia Xiao’an, there were no survivors on the mountain, but why were strange rustling sounds occasionally drifting in?

After some deliberation, Su Miao closed the window, just in case.

…

One hour earlier.

In a secluded cabin on a mountain path, seventeen people had gathered. They were Chang Jieming’s security team, who had fled the parking lot and circled around to shelter from the rain here. The cabin, originally meant for security personnel on standby, was not large, but just barely fit them all.

For everyone’s safety and comfort, Chang Jieming sent out six men at regular intervals to gather intelligence—split into three pairs, just in case they encountered giant rats or other dangers. If the armed attackers found them here, they’d need to flee quickly.

After escaping, they deliberately left traces near the giant spider’s lair to ensure anyone looking for them would be led astray. With so many people around, the spider couldn’t possibly finish them all.

Those who escape would surely seek revenge on the security team, which would put them in danger. Additionally, while fleeing, they’d passed information about the attackers to Su Miao, hoping to see how she would deal with the situation. If, by chance, Miss Su Miao managed to cripple or scatter the gang, the security team might be able to rush back to the tourist area, grab a few guns, and carve out a safe haven. Surviving in the tourist area was far more likely than in the wild, even if the odds were slim.

But after receiving the latest updates, hope ignited in Chang Jieming’s heart—perhaps those odds weren’t so low after all.

“Miss Su Miao is so fierce!” Chang Jieming said to his brothers in the cabin. “To plan our next move, I’ll summarize the intel. Let me know if there’s anything to add.”

“Su Miao has acquired at least three guns and over a thousand rounds of ammunition from company couriers—supplies are plentiful.”

“Her marksmanship is flawless, almost as if she’s using an aimbot—every shot is a headshot.”

“She can kill targets outside her line of sight by firing into the air.”

“So far, at Villa 36, Su Miao has killed forty-six company personnel, including two squad leaders; the rest were expendable victims, not worth counting.”

“To kill Su Miao, the company, not daring to enter her gun’s range, began constructing a trebuchet to launch explosives—whose idiotic idea was that, I wonder?”

“Someone in the tourist area has obtained a sniper rifle and taken out several company men and expendable victims—not Su Miao.”

“Company personnel stationed on the mountain, affected by giant rats and torrential rain, have regrouped.”

“Strange people in the company are transporting odd materials up the mountain. The smell is unusual—like meat—and attracts giant rats and all kinds of insects.”

The security team exchanged glances, nodded—nothing to add.

Chang Jieming continued, “All right, let’s plan our operation. Right now, the company has three main groups: one on the mountain, one near the rope bridge, and one at the parking lot—their headquarters, most heavily defended.”

“Approaching the rope bridge means venturing deep into the tourist area—furthest from us, and we risk being mistaken for the enemy by Su Miao.”

“So I recommend we target the mountain group.”

A stout, middle-aged security guard asked, “Captain, just tell us what to do.”

Chang Jieming replied, “Don’t rush. I’m being thorough so we all survive. Based on intel, the company has at least three combat squads on the mountain, about sixty fighters, and sixteen guns.”

He produced a small blackboard and chalk, and sketched a rough map of the mountain—copying from his dying phone’s screen.

“They’ve got plenty of guns and people—getting close isn’t realistic.”

He pointed at a spot on the map with his chalk, “But wasn’t there a landslide and subsidence here recently?”

“I checked earlier. Higher up, there’s still a risk of landslide. I want six men to dig and see if we can trigger a small mudslide.”

“This isn’t suicide. Just dig a pit, divert creek water and rain into it, and once it’s ready, run for your lives. The rest is up to luck.”

“Also, I found a giant rat burrow—two big rats, six large ones. The rest of you, catch them alive, tie them up near the meat the company placed, and release them all at once.”

“I suspect the meat they’re hauling is problematic. Let’s see how the rats react first.”

“I checked the meat drop—just a tent, guarded by two men, both drinking inside. Easy targets.”

“Any questions?”

The stout guard asked, “Captain, what’s the point? I get the landslide, but why tie up giant rats?”

Chang Jieming grinned, “That meat attracts insects and rats even when sealed. If we open it, every rat and bug in the mountain will swarm over.”

A bespectacled young guard suddenly thought aloud, “Captain, do you think the company plans to use the trebuchet to launch the meat towards Su Miao’s villa?”

Chang Jieming’s expression changed.

It was possible. Unable to beat Su Miao head-on, they might try to lure all the mountain’s giant rats her way…

And those rats love gnawing on human faces.

If Su Miao survives, they can return to the tourist zone. If she dies, all hope is lost.

“These people are ruthless!” Chang Jieming declared, “Brothers, I want to tweak the plan. When releasing the rats, let’s not only attract their attention, but kill one or two, snatch a couple of guns, and then open the meat and scatter it in their mountain camp.”

“But, this could get someone killed. Are you willing?”

Hearing that, everyone hesitated.

But not for more than a second—the silence in the cabin was broken.

The stout middle-aged man raised his hand, “Captain, let me! My brother was killed by them.”

Chang Jieming nodded, “Good! Brothers, let’s move out!”