Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1285: One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-Eight: Spreading the Net

Chapter 1285: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-Eight: Spreading the Net

The Angels have already released information to the public, using some sophisticated techniques to leak false details. This fake news is specifically intended for the Iron Madonna, and if the Iron Madonna attempts to verify it through their intelligence channels, they’ll find the information highly credible.

Who would have thought that the Angels would willingly take the blame, deliberately shoulder the burden to help Satan set up a trap for the Iron Madonna? Apart from Gao Yang and a few others directly involved, even if someone warned the Iron Madonna, their people wouldn’t believe it.

The bait has been gradually placed out there; now it’s just a matter of Krulney sending the invitation—or rather, urging the Iron Madonna to quickly complete the task they’ve already accepted—at the right time.

The crux of the plan lies in the fact that the Iron Madonna has already accepted the mission to eliminate the Angels. If they don’t want to tarnish their own reputation, they’ll have to strike against the Angels sooner or later. So, if Iron Madonna learns of the Angel Mercenary Corps’ whereabouts and finds themselves close to them, they are likely to act immediately, saving themselves the trouble of searching for the Angels again later.

Typically, when mercenaries accept a mission, the target’s information is provided by the employer, and in this case, the person providing the target’s location is Krulney. Now that the Iron Madonna has accepted the payment, taken on the mission, and Krulney has delivered the location, all the necessary components are in place. The Iron Madonna will hardly have the option of not engaging in combat.

All conditions are set; the remaining question is whether Satan can take out the Iron Madonna once they take the bait.

The only unpredictable aspect of the whole plan is how many people Iron Madonna will dispatch to attack the “Angels.”

The Angel Mercenary Corps’ apparent strength is about forty personnel, and their formidable combat ability is well-known. Unless Iron Madonna overestimates their own abilities, they’re unlikely to send a matching number of troops for an assault. The most likely scenario is that they’ll deploy their entire team. If that’s the case, the disguised Angel Mercenary Corps may struggle to confront them entirely.

In warfare, the same battle fought by different people can result in wildly different outcomes.

If the Iron Madonna is the type to rush recklessly into battle, there’s no need to worry—numbers won’t be an issue. But Iron Madonna isn’t just skilled; they’re elite, the best of the best. They wouldn’t rush in blindly during combat. Even if launching a surprise attack, they would first conduct reconnaissance up close, then dispatch small teams of varying numbers to approach discreetly.

Their snipers would be deployed first, followed by the assault teams moving under cover provided by the support teams. They would also have reserve forces ready—should any small group falter in combat, the reserves would immediately fill in. Gao Yang doesn’t need to gather intelligence or inquire about it; he already knows Iron Madonna is guaranteed to operate this way. The only exception would be if Iron Madonna’s commanding officer turns out to be a complete and utter fool.

The larger the enemy force, the wider their formation will spread out during the attack, enlarging the battlefield. With Satan’s mere dozen personnel, an all-out annihilation of Iron Madonna’s hundred-plus elite units would be impossible. Even with dug-in traps and ambushes, the odds remain slim.

In the most optimistic estimation, even if half of Iron Madonna’s hundred-plus personnel are eliminated during the initial assault, what happens next could spell disaster for Satan.

Everyone has night vision devices, and every participant is a trained elite. The battlefield dynamics won’t devolve into close-quarters chaos akin to urban warfare within a building. Nor is this a vast open plain where Gao Yang’s tremendous sharpshooting skills could be exploited to the fullest. Under such conditions, casualties—or even the complete annihilation of Satan’s forces—would not be surprising.

Gao Yang’s goal is to reduce Iron Madonna’s combat strength as much as possible, while ensuring that his team remains unharmed. Prioritizing no losses outweighs the objective of weakening or even eliminating the Iron Madonna entirely. Thus, the biggest challenge of the plan becomes determining how to lure the Iron Madonna into an ambush large enough to harm them, but still manageable for Gao Yang’s team to handle.

Relying on satellite positioning, Gao Yang and his team located the spot Krulney had described.

Gao Yang stepped out of the vehicle, activated his night vision device, and after scanning the area within visual range, he immediately spoke into the radio: “Move out!”

Everyone sprang into action, busy but orderly, each focusing on their assigned tasks.

Gao Yan stood at the front of the vehicle, spread a map across the hood, while Eileen opened a military-grade laptop and placed it next to the map on the hood. Then, cracking open a can of an energy drink, she placed it beside Gao Yang’s hand resting on the hood of the vehicle.

This wasn’t Gao Yang making a show of authority; rather, he simply had no spare time to concern himself with minor details. At moments like this, someone would help him with what might seem trivial but also essential. In a different setting, if Eileen were formulating the operation plan while Gao Yang had downtime, then he’d be the one opening laptops and handing over drinks.

After confirming the location on the map and GPS, Gao Yang pulled up the satellite map on the laptop. Using the map’s intuitive visuals, he began analyzing the terrain. Once he had a general understanding, Jansen’s voice came through the radio: “Report, Boss, drone signal connected.”

Jansen, who had launched the drone, placed the tablet displaying the live feed on the hood in front of Gao Yang. After cross-referencing the satellite map, Gao Yang pointed at the tablet and commanded: “Fly left. Okay, stop there. Lower altitude, check the ground conditions.”

The drone descended, surveying the front and back of a building Gao Yang had marked. After a comprehensive visual, Gao Yang immediately remarked, “Looks like an apartment building, but it doesn’t appear to be occupied. The front door is filthy and cluttered.”

Eileen, who was operating the laptop, suddenly spoke, “New intel received, Boss. Krulney’s information indicates this building was constructed in 1965. The exterior is intact, but the interior is in poor condition, essentially abandoned. If there’s anyone inside, they’d only be vagrants.”

Gao Yang replied gravely, “Outer perimeter, uninhabited, good visibility, road control potential—this spot is ideal. What’s your take?”

Standing beside Gao Yang, Glolov quietly deliberated for a moment before nodding decisively, “This place is excellent.”

Gao Yang promptly shouted, “Toad.”

“Here.”

“Assault team—enter and conduct a rapid reconnaissance.”

Li Jinfang immediately waved his hand and said quietly, “Dragon Knight, Postman, Villain, come with me.”

With time pressing, Li Jinfang called on additional personnel for the building reconnaissance. Once Li Jinfang led his team inside, Gao Yang continued giving orders: “Rabbit, Worker Bee, inspect the ground conditions. Assess the terrain and identify suitable locations for placing Directional Mines. Mark the spots accordingly.”

“Understood!”

Rabbit and Tommy instantly dashed off. Once they were out of sight, Gao Yang snapped his fingers and said softly, “Little Fly, find launcher positions for Rocket Launchers that conceal infrared signatures. Mark them as well.”

“Yes, Boss.”

As Frey ran off, Gao Yang glanced around before speaking on the radio: “Skunk, you working over there?”

“Affirmative, Boss. I’m installing trigger mechanisms on the C4.”

“Good, carry on—oh, be careful. Standing too close to a few hundred kilograms of C4 makes me nervous. I’d rather not end up shredded to bits, so proceed with caution.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian at qidian.com to recommend and vote for it. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers, visit m.qidian.com for the mobile version.)