When infiltrating, the more nervous you are, the easier it is to expose yourself.
Xiao Han had plenty of experience hiding, so he remained calm and steady, walking briskly without attracting attention. After wandering around the base for quite some time, he gradually figured out the layout.
The base was hidden inside the mountain, fairly large—five or six times the size of the lab he once stayed in. It had two exits: the main gate he entered through, and a side door leading directly outside for personnel to enter or leave individually.
For some reason, Xiao Han felt there was something abnormal about parts of the base, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Most people looked tense, like a storm was about to break, and were hurriedly moving important supplies.
"Did you hear? Headquarters wants us to evacuate. Seems the Hai Xia forces have found us."
"They say the scouts at Ravenwood Town lost contact. Looks like war is coming."
Turning a corner, Xiao Han overheard voices—armed guards huddled together, speaking anxiously.
When they saw him, one called out, "Hey, Taramand. You lot just went out to search—did you find anything?" Taramand was the real name of H223, a white man.
Xiao Han was wrapped up tightly in uniform, hiding his own skin colour. These guards seemed familiar with Taramand.
Xiao Han's eyes flashed as he replied, "All the sentry posts outside were taken out by sniper shots, but we didn't find the enemy. My guess is this is Hai Xia's doing."
The guards looked worried. As armed personnel, they would have to intercept the enemy if an attack came.
"Really envy those office clerks—they get to evacuate first," one guard grumbled.
Xiao Han's eyes flickered. The Sprout's Dark Crow Valley Base evacuating was expected. After all, they were facing Hai Xia's regular army. This was only a branch base—there was no way everyone could stay and fight to the death.
But evacuating wasn't easy. With so many people moving through the jungle, they'd leave tracks that Hai Xia's forces could follow. So they would leave some armed personnel behind to delay and distract the enemy, allowing officers and clerical staff to take essential supplies and escape.
Some confidential materials were more important than people. Those left behind wouldn't receive evacuation orders until the leadership was safely away.
The faction mission's final objective was to destroy the Dark Crow Valley Base—including its living forces. If he only took an empty shell, the completion rating would be extremely low.
Suddenly, Xiao Han realised something. "If the base knew Hai Xia was invading, why didn't they retreat earlier? Ye Fan infiltrated last night. Twenty‑four hours have passed—more than enough time to evacuate… Something's off."
Just then, a burly man strode over and barked, "Why are you all standing around? Got nothing to do? Get moving and start carrying supplies!"
The guards quickly apologised in panic. Xiao Han's eyes lit up—this officer was the base's Security Captain, Dormon, a massive Shanu man.
If the base had secrets, someone like him would know. After scolding them, Dormon turned to leave. Xiao Han followed from a distance. After a few turns, he suddenly froze—Dormon had vanished.
He'd only been out of sight for two seconds. The corridor was empty except for a utility room. Xiao Han went over and twisted the doorknob—no access control.
He pushed the door. No one inside, just piled‑up odds and ends. The room was about a hundred square metres, unlit, with only the corridor light filtering in through the doorway.
Xiao Han frowned—something was wrong. The utility room was spotless. There were no footprints at all. Logically, hardly anyone would bother cleaning a storage room. Even five‑star hotels wouldn't arrange daily cleaning, let alone the rough men of the Sprout.
Xiao Han was sure there had to be a hidden door—otherwise Dormon couldn't have disappeared—but he couldn't find where it was. What lay behind it? He coughed lightly, covering his mouth. While bending down, he slipped the only Spider Detector he carried into a corner, then left the room quickly. He found a blind spot without cameras, took out his tablet, activated the spider, and kept his eyes fixed on the utility room feed.
He waited for two hours—far longer than he expected. His nerves were taut, and fatigue crept in. At last, something changed. A metal panel in the wall slid open, and two men walked out.
They carried no weapons—clearly technicians. "So it *was* a hidden door." The two hurried away.
Xiao Han followed, bumping into them from behind, making all three stagger. "Sorry, sorry—my fault!" he said quickly, helping steady them. The two couldn't complain. Xiao Han circled around and tailed them again.
By then, a white card was already in his hand—a security pass he had lifted from one man's chest pocket. If you master pickpocketing, you can go anywhere.
The card looked identical to a standard ID, but Xiao Han suspected the chip inside was different—it had to grant access through the hidden door.
He trailed the two men to a side exit of the base. They exchanged a few words with the guard on duty and stepped outside.
Xiao Han's mind clicked. He finally realised what had been off about this whole base.
The atmosphere.
Most people were tense, worried about a full-scale assault by the Hai Xia military. But a small minority stayed at their posts, utterly unfazed, as if they had something to fall back on. They stood in stark contrast to the anxious crowd.
If you weren't paying close attention, you'd miss that tiny faction.
The two men who'd just slipped out through the hidden door? They had that same look—calm, certain.
Xiao Han narrowed his eyes. He had a theory, but he needed proof. He approached the side exit. The guard stopped him.
"No unsanctioned exits during non-operational hours."
Xiao Han held up the ID he'd lifted earlier. "I bumped into those two guys just now. They dropped this. If I hurry, I can still catch them."
The guard nodded and waved him through.
Outside, the base opened onto a wooded valley. It was already early morning. The two figures were a few hundred metres ahead, small in the distance. Xiao Han quickened his pace.
Hearing footsteps behind them, the two turned, wary.
"You dropped your ID."
As Xiao Han drew closer, they recognised him—familiar face from the base—and relaxed. The one who'd lost the card patted his pocket, surprised. "When did that fall out? Thanks, mate."
"No problem. We're all comrades pushing forward the glorious cause of Sprout civilisation. Just doing my part."
Xiao Han smiled as he stepped in.
"Bit of an odd one, aren't you?"
One of them reached for the card. Xiao Han's expression hardened. In a flash, he drove a brutal uppercut into the man's gut. The force punched through flesh and muscle, rattling his organs. His eyes bulged as bile surged up his throat.
Before the second man could even cry out, Xiao Han had him by the throat, crushing his windpipe. He slammed his head into the ground, then followed up with two precise chops to knock both men cold.
He pulled off their belts, lashed them together, and dragged them behind him. Taking a long detour to dodge any possible lookout posts, he kept going until he was sure they were far enough from the base. Then, a few sharp slaps brought them round.
The two woke in a panic. "You—you're not from the base!"
Xiao Han drew his folding blade, running a finger along the edge—a threat that needed no words. His voice was ice. "I know you two know things the regular grunts don't. I'd strongly advise you to share."
They swallowed hard. "We're just low-level guys—we don't know anything!"
"Low-level?" Xiao Han laughed coldly. In one swift motion, he drove the blade down between the first man's legs.
"AHHH—!"
The man screamed like a stuck pig, certain he'd been gelded. Then he realised—no pain. He looked down. The blade gleamed just inches from his groin, sunk deep into the dirt, barely three centimetres from his pride and joy. The cold bite of metal was unmistakable.
"I know about the hidden door in the storage room. Tell me everything—unless you want to be the very first eunuch the Sprout ever produced." Xiao Han's tone dripped with lethal intent.
They had no idea what a eunuch was, but the blade's positioning made his meaning brutally clear. Their faces went pale.
"How—how do you know about the door?!"
"I'm the one asking questions." Xiao Han gave the knife a little nudge, the edge gliding along the inside of the man's thigh. The guy pissed himself on the spot. *Christ—he actually pissed himself. On my blade!*
Defeated, the two drooped their heads. The secret was out. No point hiding it now. Trembling, they spilled everything.
Ten minutes later.
Xiao Han's brow was tight.
"So that's it..."
[[Recon 2]Completed. You have earned 8,000 XP.]