Chapter 929: Chapter 929

Ye Qing remained silent, but Captain Feng spoke in a low voice: "The other side chose this spot, so they must have already set up an ambush. If we go in directly, it'll put us at a disadvantage. The best approach is to quickly locate this group of mercenaries first, eliminate them, and then charge in to rescue the hostages. Therefore, the priority now is to securely pinpoint the location of these mercenaries and deal with them swiftly—this is the optimal attack strategy!"

After finishing, Captain Feng glanced at Ye Qing, his face full of disdain. He had experienced plenty of such encounters before and could identify the best course of action in the shortest time. On the other hand, Ye Qing hadn't said a word since the beginning, seemingly without any ideas, which made Captain Feng regard him with even less respect.

Zhao Chengshuang glanced at Ye Qing, who remained silent, staring at the map without anyone knowing what he was thinking. Seeing the awkward tension that was building, Zhao Chengshuang had no choice but to interject; if he didn't say something, Captain Feng's pride would be completely shattered. Helplessly, Zhao Chengshuang spoke up.

"But it's not easy to pinpoint the exact location where these mercenaries are hiding!" Zhao Chengshuang said.

"It's not hard at all!" Captain Feng said with a confident smile, "The team I lead, my brothers, have participated in numerous similar drills and are battle-tested soldiers. Based on the terrain, I'll devise a detailed reconnaissance plan. Once we're over there, my scouts will examine the situation, and they'll figure out the enemy's positions. Once we confirm their location, I'll draft a detailed combat plan and guarantee we'll rescue all the hostages in the shortest time possible!"

Captain Feng's confidence made Zhao Chengshuang a bit more trusting, and he eagerly said, "Captain Feng, truly… can you really rescue all the hostages? These hostages are Xiangjiang police officers and hold special status. If something happens to them here, it's going to be hard for us to explain to Xiangjiang!"

"Cheng Shuang, don't worry!" Captain Feng patted his chest and said, "Since the Commissar handed this mission to us, we'll make sure to handle it properly. These mercenaries—sure, they've undergone Special Forces training, but they're not real soldiers. How can they compare to my team of brothers? Once we get to them, we'll take them down in one strike!"

At this point, Captain Feng paused, glancing at Ye Qing, and said, "Actually, Mr. Ye doesn't need to come at all. If my team handles this matter personally, it'll be even more efficient. We've fought side by side countless times and have a strong bond. If we suddenly switch commanders and make mistakes, it'll cause trouble."

Captain Feng was implying that Zhao Chengshuang should have Ye Qing stay put at home and not come over to meddle. They could handle everything themselves without unnecessary interference.

Zhao Chengshuang trusted Ye Qing deeply, but hearing Captain Feng's comment, he pretended to misunderstand Captain Feng's intention and turned to Ye Qing, asking, "Ye Zi, what do you think of Captain Feng's plan?"

Ye Qing still didn't say a word, as though he hadn't even heard Zhao Chengshuang speak.

This made Captain Feng visibly irritated. He furrowed his brows and said, "Mr. Ye, even if you don't like my plan, there's no need to completely disregard it, is there? What's the matter? Did my plan pollute your ears?"

Captain Feng was frustrated with Ye Qing's silence, especially since he already felt annoyed about Ye Qing leading the operation. Now, the simmering frustration burst forth.

Zhao Chengshuang felt terribly awkward on the sidelines. He tugged on Ye Qing's sleeve and whispered, "Ye Zi, do you have any thoughts?"

Ye Qing finally recovered from his dazed state, glanced at Captain Feng, and said, "Sorry, I was lost in thought just now. You mentioned finding these mercenaries first?"

"What else would you suggest?" Captain Feng replied. "Mr. Ye, do you have a better plan? I'd love to hear your opinion!"

"I don't have a concrete plan right now," Ye Qing said, "but this situation isn't as simple as it looks. This group of mercenaries has suffered several defeats against me before. They've become more cautious and the traps they're setting now surely won't be simplistic."

"You think the traps are simple, huh?" Captain Feng retorted, glaring, "The Wang Yue Pavilion has no cover on any side, not even a place to hide. If you go in to rescue the hostages, the enemy has a clear shot, and you won't have anywhere to dodge. This is practically a deathtrap, and you mark it as simple? If you think it's simple, tell me: if you stood in Wang Yue Pavilion and the enemy started shooting, where would you go? And with over a dozen gunmen pointing at you, snipers included, how would you avoid it?"

Ye Qing glanced at Captain Feng and said, "I haven't entirely figured that out yet. But Captain Feng, something does strike me as odd!"

"What's odd?" Captain Feng demanded impatiently. "If you've got something to say, spit it out! Time isn't waiting on us—are you planning to go rescue or not?"

Ye Qing sighed lightly, unwilling to argue further with Captain Feng, and pointed at the map. "Captain Feng, take a close look at the surroundings of Wang Yue Pavilion. Its position is encircled by cliffs on three sides, with only two narrow paths leading down the mountain. Now, why would this group of mercenaries choose this very spot to set up a trap?"

"What's the issue there?" Captain Feng still couldn't grasp Ye Qing's point.

"The paths down the mountain are limited to two narrow trails which are inaccessible to vehicles. If these mercenaries really ambushed us on the mountain, did they consider how they'd escape afterward?" Ye Qing pointed at the map. "All we need to do is position police at those two trailheads and a few other potential paths down the mountain. No matter what skills these mercenaries have, they won't escape. Why, then, would they knowingly corner themselves here? Killing me but getting arrested while escaping—isn't that a losing game?"

Ye Qing's words left Captain Feng stunned. Zhao Chengshuang looked at the map and exclaimed, "Yeah, Ye Zi is right! This Wang Yue Pavilion has only two paths leading down, while the terrain elsewhere is rugged and impossible to traverse. As long as we deploy additional men there, no matter what tricks the mercenaries have up their sleeve, they won't escape! Why would they risk trapping themselves ?"

"Then… so what are you suggesting?" Captain Feng asked, bewildered yet reluctant to back down. "Do you mean this group did this just to lure you to Wang Yue Pavilion?"

Ye Qing shook his head and replied, "They said it's Wang Yue Pavilion, so it must be Wang Yue Pavilion—no other place. The bigger question is: will they actually go to Wang Yue Pavilion at all?"

"What do you mean?" Captain Feng asked, wide-eyed. "If they don't head to Wang Yue Pavilion, how would they kill you?"

Ye Qing said in a deep voice, "If they placed bombs at Wang Yue Pavilion, they wouldn't need to be there themselves—it would still be enough to kill me."

Captain Feng was left speechless, mouth agape. It was true—if bombs were planted there, whether the mercenaries showed up or not, Ye Qing would still be doomed!

"Why not have King of Explosives go along with Ye Zi?" Zhao Chengshuang suggested.

"If it really turns out to be bombs, I'm afraid even King of Explosives wouldn't be able to disarm them!" Ye Qing glanced at King of Explosives and said, "If they already know you're working with me, they'll most certainly prepare for you. Is there any type of bomb you can't deal with?"

King of Explosives nodded and said, "There are indeed. Modern high-tech bombs are relatively easier to disable. Instead, it's the simpler explosives, like detonators, that are more difficult to handle. Think about it: explosives like detonators only need a single fuse—once lit, they explode, without needing timers or electric triggers. The fuse alone ensures no possibility for defusal. They don't require strict placement conditions or electromagnetic interference control, and detection is quite challenging. If detonators are planted here, frankly, there's nothing I could do."

"Huh?" Zhao Chengshuang's eyes widened, grumbling, "You mean they could really plant such old-fashioned bombs here?"

"But if they did use detonators, their people would have to stay on-site," King of Explosives said. "The fuse must be ignited manually; otherwise, it wouldn't explode. This is vastly different from remote control or timed detonation."

"Would their people even stay there?" Captain Feng asked. "If they did, they'd be trapped with no way to escape."

"That's not necessarily true!" Ye Qing said in a low voice. "Or they could have alternative escape routes."

"Alternative escape routes? What… what do you mean?" Captain Feng asked, perplexed.

Ye Qing didn't reply, instead staring intently at the map. A faint idea began to form in his mind, though he wasn't certain if his guess was accurate. Most importantly, this issue concerned Ou Keren's life. If his speculation was wrong, Ou Keren would surely perish!

"Ye Zi, what should we do now?" Zhao Chengshuang asked anxiously, pacing nervously. "Time is running out! If we don't go soon, they'll kill the hostages. Should I just surround Wang Yue Pavilion?"

"No need!" Ye Qing shook his head, then suddenly pointed to the base of the cliff, speaking in a grave tone, "Chengshuang, how many people can you mobilize right now? Gather them all and surround the area at the base of the cliff completely!"

"Huh?" Zhao Chengshuang's eyes widened in surprise. "Why surround the base of the cliff? Do you mean the mercenaries might be hiding down there?"