Chapter Twenty-Six: Lurking in the Shadows for the Right Moment

At that moment, a cold wind swept through, and Chen Yi sighed inwardly. With a master like Iron Wolf watching him, it was clear he could not act tonight.

“I really am just going to relieve myself. If you don’t trust me, you could stand right next to me and watch,” he said. “At least, I have no objections.” Chen Yi spread his hands in a gesture of indifference.

Iron Wolf’s gaze remained sharp, like a pair of eagle eyes that could pierce the darkness. “I hope that's truly all it is. Otherwise, you know the consequences.”

“All right, all right. I’m just going to the restroom. Look at how tense you are.” Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively, then quickly took care of his “physical needs” and returned just as fast.

Since he could do nothing tonight, he might as well rest and gather his strength, quietly awaiting the arrival of the next day.

The following morning, a rapid knocking roused Chen Yi from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door to find Iron Wolf standing outside.

“What is it?” Chen Yi feigned grogginess as he asked.

“The boss wants you to assemble. Outside, they’re clearing the zombies from the road. We’re about to depart.” Iron Wolf’s voice was low and his expression cold as ever.

Chen Yi nodded. “All right, I’ll be there right away.” He dressed quickly and headed toward the assembly point.

On the way, he observed the busy scene within the base. Soldiers were preparing their gear, vehicles undergoing final checks—nobody was idle, everyone had a task.

Madman stood beside an off-road vehicle, his gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd. As Chen Yi approached, Madman’s face twisted into a peculiar smile.

“Chen, ride with me today,” Madman said, patting the car door as a signal for Chen Yi to get in.

“Fine, I’ll do as you say.” Chen Yi kept his tone calm, but inwardly he was on high alert. Madman was no benign character; this sudden invitation was likely a test.

Nevertheless, he brushed the dust from his clothes and climbed into the vehicle with practiced ease.

Madman sat in the driver’s seat, his fingers tapping the steering wheel idly. He glanced at Chen Yi with a half-smile. “Hold on tight, Chen. The road ahead isn’t exactly smooth.”

There was a subtle menace in Madman’s words. “No problem, I’m not afraid of a little bumping. The more thrilling, the better, right?” Chen Yi smiled, meanwhile noticing that Iron Wolf had also gotten into the same car. Clearly, he was there to keep an eye on him.

It seemed that while Madman appeared to trust him, he was still wary deep down. In fact, Chen Yi found this arrangement more in line with Madman’s nature. It made him wonder what schemes Madman was brewing.

As the convoy started, the vehicles slowly headed in the direction of Bright Base. Chen Yi observed the road conditions through the window. Nearing Bright Base, he noticed something unusual about the area. They were only about a kilometer from their destination when—

“Wait, something’s not right up ahead.” Madman suddenly raised his hand, signaling the convoy to stop.

The vehicles pulled over, and Madman jumped out, scanning the surroundings with a cold gaze.

“Scorpion, come here,” Madman called.

Scorpion immediately hopped out of another vehicle and hurried over. Chen Yi maintained an air of indifference, but he was ready for any sudden developments.

“What’s going on?” Scorpion asked.

Madman did not look directly at Scorpion but continued to survey the area. “This isn’t what I expected. There are far too few zombies here—haven’t you noticed?”

Scorpion listened carefully, then nodded, trusting Madman’s instinct. “Your intuition is always reliable. The zombies here are scattered, as if they’ve already been cleared out.”

“Our people wouldn’t have pushed this far. Someone else must have done it.”

At that moment, Viper approached, frowning, “This is definitely abnormal. Could it be that someone’s set something up here, specifically targeting us?”

Chen Yi was secretly startled—these people’s powers of observation were indeed sharp.

“Are we being watched?” Scorpion squinted as he asked.

Madman was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Probably more than one group. Whoever it is, they’re prepared.”

A hush fell over the convoy at the roadside; the silence was tense.

“Scorpion, keep searching the area. If you notice anything suspicious, report immediately,” Madman ordered, his brow deeply furrowed.

Scorpion nodded and headed to the front of the convoy, carefully inspecting around each vehicle.

Seeing Madman’s crew grow alert, Chen Yi couldn’t help but worry: Lu Kai and the others hadn’t paid enough attention to the details!

But there was no turning back now; he had to stick to the plan. After all, they were so close to their goal—this chance couldn’t be wasted. Just a bit farther, and once they entered the complete encirclement, Madman’s core forces would be wiped out in one fell swoop!

“Chen, what do you think?” Madman suddenly turned to him, his gaze intense.

Chen Yi braced himself—how he answered could be crucial.

“The point is to show us a warm welcome. It’s their way of demonstrating sincerity. But the real reason is that the people at Bright Base are afraid of us—afraid of your reputation, Boss!”

“Don’t forget, Hu Sanhan’s son is still in your hands. He wouldn’t dare risk it!”

“That guy dares compete with me? He’s overestimating himself. Looks like they really are scared—so they’re trying to curry favor with me!”

As Chen Yi spun his tale, the hidden teams in the surrounding buildings were already drenched in nervous sweat. In the corridors, team members exchanged glances, gripping their weapons so tightly their knuckles turned white.

Upstairs, an observer whispered into the walkie-talkie, “The target remains in place—no movement yet.” His voice was shaky, though he tried to stay calm.

Upon spotting Chen Yi, the people inside immediately reported via walkie-talkie, “We’ve found Boss Chen!”