However, as his eyes fell on Barney and the others being held hostage by the soldiers, the murderous intent in his heart gradually dissipated.
He took a deep breath, and the electric light in his hand vanished.
He gazed at the group of soldiers, his voice low and resolute: "Is this how you intend to counter my fists? By threatening me with my companions?"
Barney and the others, their mouths covered, breathed a sigh of relief, convinced that Lin Beichen would not act recklessly to save them.
The soldiers looked at each other, their faces showing determination.
Then, with a thunderous roar, they chose to sacrifice themselves.
The golden glow on Barney and the others flickered and quickly dimmed—that was Lin Beichen's last line of defense for them.
The talisman representing the protective shield shattered, simply because the explosion's power was too overwhelming.
Lin Beichen looked at the remains of those soldiers, his confusion deepening.
Why would they bring Barney and the others to him? What kind of plot was hidden behind all this?
Meanwhile, in another troop transport vehicle, Wild Ox, Flying Eagle, and others were captured and under tight surveillance.
Severely injured, they were unable to resist and could only wait silently for their uncertain fate.
The soldiers' chatter revealed their awe of Joseph and discontent with the trenches.
However, when the vehicle reached its destination, they fell silent and fearful.
A cheerful girl's voice sounded on the car radio, claiming to be the base's owner and casually taking a soldier's life.
This scene made Flying Eagle and the others shiver, realizing that this girl was a maniacal killer who had no regard for human life.
They were then blindfolded and led deep into the base.
At that moment, an elderly man in a wheelchair appeared in their line of sight.
His presence surprised everyone, and for a moment, the air filled with an aura of curiosity.
"Let me introduce myself," the old man spoke weakly, as if he could pass away at any time, "I am the head of this base, known to most of the soldiers as 'that lord'."
Hearing this, the shock in everyone's hearts surged like a tide: this seemingly frail old man was actually the mastermind controlling a large number of powerful mercenaries?
They looked around and found themselves in a massive circular hall, about forty meters in diameter, surrounded by metal walls shimmering with light.
On the walls were hidden a dozen or so subtle lines, hinting at some secret gateways.
In this astonishing scene, a door silently rose, and a soldier wheeled a cart laden with bombs through the doorway.
Flying Eagle and the others took the opportunity to glance inside—a large-scale processing plant, just as immense as the hall!
The old man's grand design was awe-inspiring.
However, they also noticed the soldier pushing the cart showed little respect for the old man, which puzzled them.
The old man seemed to notice their puzzlement and smiled wryly: "I am the largest arms manufacturer on this planet, monopolizing all the underground arms manufacturing business."
Recalling the past, the old man had once been immensely powerful, but now he had fallen to such a state.
His daughter's and Joseph's arrival had changed everything.
"Of course, it mainly started with my daughter and that guy named Joseph." A complex emotion flashed in the old man's eyes, but suddenly his brow furrowed as if enduring immense pain.
The blood circulation aid machine implanted in his body by his daughter was about to cease working, her warning to him.
The old man shook his head helplessly, choosing to remain silent.
He once thought the daughter he treated as a tool would never rebel, nor did he expect a capable young man to become a mercenary and coincidentally take on the rescue mission issued by his daughter.
"What is your purpose in gathering us here this time?" Flying Eagle broke the silence, maintaining politeness despite knowing the old man might just be a puppet.
The old man's cloudy eyes revealed endless despair, and he chuckled self-mockingly: "Purpose? How would I know."
His emotions suddenly became agitated: "It wasn't me who brought you here! Do you understand?"
Then, his expression gradually calmed, and he gave a bitter smile: "Thank you."
His words carried a hint of reminiscence: "But if it's my daughter, this time it's probably because she finds it amusing or is just acting on a whim."
...
"This old man is really useless." Li Congjing stood at a height, looking down at the old man below, frowning in dissatisfaction.
Her voice had sounded in Flying Eagle and the others' car radio; she was the true master of the base.
A man's low laughter came from the computer: "Congjing, don't worry about that old fool too much. You've always hated him, haven't you?"
Li Congjing's voice grew colder: "Don't think that just because you gave me the drug to control him, you can get closer to me. 'Congjing' is not a name you can use."
The screen showed she was on a video call, with the man on the other end shrouded in darkness.
The man was not angered by her words, only chuckling in response.
Suddenly, the door opened, and light poured in, but the man's face remained masked. The door closed.
At this moment, the uncle searching for Lin Beichen spoke up: "I've done everything you asked me to; can you now return my family to me?"
The man's voice remained vague: "Ah, Rick, you've been with me for three years, why still so distant?"