Chapter 38: Survival Is War

For a moment, Li Ye seemed to see those two shells clearly. They arced through the air in an elegant parabola, sweeping toward the deck of the Tomorrow. Time seemed to slow down, and he felt as if he could hear Death whispering in his ear. The next second, the two shells exploded near the Tomorrow, obliterating the building where they landed in an instant, flames shooting skyward as a violent shockwave swept out. One of the shells landed extremely close to the Tomorrow’s left side, and the shockwave, carrying debris and fire, struck the left-side armor and tire treads. "That was close." Li Ye’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. Judging by the power of that cannon, if they’d taken a direct hit, the Tomorrow would have been done for. “Report! The Tomorrow’s tire treads are severely damaged, and it’s expected to lose mobility shortly!” Tang Fang’s voice came through the voice tube. At the same time, the Tomorrow’s speed began to decrease. The battle among the convoys continued in the streets and alleys. With the power of the Gale‐wind Rocket Launcher, Convoy Two had taken down another off-road vehicle. Meanwhile, the enemy used their superior numbers to concentrate fire and destroy one of Convoy One’s off-road vehicles. Immediately after, one of the enemy’s convoys drove straight toward the slowing Tomorrow. What greeted them was the Tomorrow’s heavy machine guns, along with the Peregrine Falcon Assault Rifles and Gale‐wind Rocket Launchers of the fighters on deck. “Don’t let them get near the wheels and treads!” Old Zhou roared as he pulled the trigger. A dense web of fire poured toward the enemy convoy, and the leading off-road vehicle was soon riddled with holes and exploded in flames. The remaining two vehicles turned quickly into a nearby street and vanished from sight. Old Zhou exchanged glances with his comrades, a few drops of sweat falling from his forehead. “This is bad...” Just as they expected, half a minute later, the two off-road vehicles burst out from the corner ahead, their fighters already leaning out the windows, rocket launchers at the ready. Under the sweeping fire from Old Zhou and the others, one vehicle was quickly riddled with bullets and lost control, crashing into a shop by the roadside. The other vehicle twisted and dodged erratically, getting closer to the Tomorrow, while the fighter had already placed his finger on the trigger. At that critical moment, a burst of gunfire rang out, and the off-road driver was shot dead. The vehicle lost control and flipped onto the street. Old Zhou and the others snapped out of their anxiety and nodded repeatedly. “Well done!” Old Zhou couldn’t help but praise. “Who fired that shot? Give him a major credit!” When he turned his head, he saw that it was Li Ye. Li Ye put away his gun and nodded lightly to them. “Everyone, keep fighting,” he said in a deep voice. A few seconds later, the Crimson Hound fired another round of cannon volleys. Explosions engulfed the area around the Tomorrow, and the Tomorrow retaliated, landing several shells on the enemy. On the streets, the convoys of both sides were locked in fierce combat. The battle between the two Mobile Cities had reached a fever pitch. “The situation’s really bad, Brother Li!” Tang Fang shouted urgently. “Speed is still dropping! I don’t think it’ll hold for another ten minutes!” Before he could finish reporting, the Crimson Hound’s two Level 1 cannons fired simultaneously. As the shells were launched, Tang Fang forced a mobile evasion maneuver. The Tomorrow made a sharp right turn, narrowly skimming past several buildings on the right, scraping off countless chunks of debris. The next moment, two violent explosions erupted behind them. “Well done, Tang Fang.” Li Ye silently praised him in his heart. Then he turned in a direction and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Ning Wen!” As if in response to his shout, the Frost Cannon fired. The shell exploded below the Crimson Hound’s left side, instantly freezing part of its treads and tires. The Crimson Hound, which had been speeding along, immediately lost balance and crashed head-on into a nearby building. Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Tomorrow’s regular cannons opened fire one after another, with shells continuously exploding on the Crimson Hound. At that moment, the Crimson Hound suddenly fired its cannons in all directions. Instantly, thick smoke spread out, engulfing the entire area. “This is... smoke shells?” Li Ye’s expression changed slightly. “Lord, should we keep attacking?” a fighter asked. Li Ye thought for a moment and quickly shook his head. He really wanted to expand their victory, but the enemy now had smoke cover, making it hard to hit them, and the Tomorrow’s left tire tread was badly damaged—it would soon lose all mobility. He immediately gave the order. “Retreat!” A few minutes later, the Crimson Hound slowly emerged from the smoke. But by then, the Tomorrow was nowhere to be seen. ... After arriving at a remote location, Li Ye had the Tomorrow come to a halt. At this point, the Tomorrow’s left tire tread was so badly damaged that even maintaining basic movement was difficult. In a City Battle, mobility was crucial for a Mobile City. If it couldn’t move, the Mobile City would become a sitting duck. This battle’s losses were within Li Ye’s acceptable range. He was even a little surprised that the Tomorrow could go toe-to-toe with a Predatory City like the Crimson Hound. Thinking back on the battle just now, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear. The Level 1 cannons on the Crimson Hound were too powerful—an average Level 1 city would be crippled by a single hit. There were several moments during the fight when the Tomorrow was nearly struck. Had they been hit, all the resources he had painstakingly gathered, the talent he’d assembled, and the Tomorrow’s future would have been reduced to ashes. This was war between Mobile Cities. Cruel, cold-blooded, and utterly without reason. “Survival is war,” he thought silently. “Everyone must go all out.” Li Ye made a quick assessment of the losses. They’d used up 52 shells and over 1,200 rounds of heavy machine gun and assault rifle ammunition. Casualties were not high, though the destruction of Convoy One was heartbreaking. After evaluating the situation, the Mechanic Lin Wu gave his response. “I can have it repaired by tomorrow morning,” he said. “If you give me more people, I can finish even faster.” “Fine, however many you need, you’ll get.” Li Ye nodded. Moreover, the Crimson Hound had taken heavy losses too. Thanks to their Level 1 off-road vehicles and rocket launchers, the Tomorrow’s convoys had destroyed over half of the enemy’s vehicles. The Crimson Hound had multiple damaged sections, especially after being hit by the Frost Cannon—its treads and tires were severely impaired. When it was immobilized, two more cannon shells struck its deck. The enemy’s casualties were surely heavy. ... “So what do we do next? Keep attacking the Crimson Hound, or leave?” In the lower furnace chamber, Old Zhou slowly fed a corpse into the flames and asked softly. Space was limited on a Mobile City, and the bodies of the dead were usually incinerated—there were no graves. At this moment, ordinary residents were cleaning the deck, Lin Wu was leading emergency repairs on the Tomorrow’s damaged parts, and the logistics team was treating the wounded. Li Ye stared at the sparks dancing in the furnace, saying nothing. This battle had consumed a large amount of bullets and shells, and cost lives. If they chose to leave, all those sacrifices would have been in vain. And the Crimson Hound would eventually recover and continue hunting. But if they kept fighting, although the Tomorrow still had some combat capability, its condition was far from good. Victory was uncertain. Just then, a sudden idea flashed through his mind. “Got it!”