novelsite Chapter 48 Andrei
Chapter 48 Andrei
Wang Zhengyang didn't explain immediately, but instead slowly walked towards the truck door. Fifteen minutes earlier, as the first rays of dawn shone into the warehouse, his expanded perception, aided by his mechanical affinity, had already detected the discordant vibrations outside the wall—an old truck with a rough engine and unstable idling was parked behind a pile of scrap metal in the southeast corner of the warehouse area. It wasn't one of Zhang Yiqiang's well-maintained off-road vehicles, nor did it resemble the motorcycles commonly seen in the Iron Hand Gang. That unique, slightly metallic engine characteristic reminded him of Li Ruijun's warning from yesterday.
"An Indian, a Rajish man," he muttered to himself, his eyes slightly cold.
Without alerting Lin Luo'er, he quietly passed through the connecting area between the carriages and arrived at the monitoring room of the second section of the Longyuan. Surveillance screens salvaged from various parts of the warehouse had already been installed there, two of which were displaying several concealed angles outside the southeast wall.
On the screen, the old, dark blue van was indeed parked in the shadows. Two figures, wearing headscarves and thick jackets, got out and, using the abandoned shipping containers as cover, peered into the warehouse through binoculars. They moved cautiously, but were clearly not professional reconnaissance personnel.
Wang Zhengyang closed his eyes, condensing his mechanical affinity into a beam, which, like an invisible probe, quietly extended out of the carriage, traversed a distance of fifteen meters, and gently "attached" to the chassis of the truck. Through the vibration transmission of the metal body, the conversation inside the carriage became clearly audible—this was an extremely sophisticated application that required extraordinary control over vibration frequency and acoustic transmission.
"...Boss Rajish is too cautious. He's just a few Asians who do farming," a rough, hoarse voice complained, with a heavy accent.
"Shut up, Sanjay," another, more composed voice snapped. "The boss said that when the last shipment was intercepted, someone at the scene claimed to be 'Zhang Yiqiang's man.' The Iron Hand Gang is now offering a 50,000 euro reward for that Ukrainian madman, Andrei, suspecting he might be hiding near Zhang Yiqiang's territory. Report any suspicious activity."
"Andrei? That madman who blew up three Iron Hand warehouses and crippled his brother-in-law?" The rough, hoarse voice seemed to gasp in shock. "The Iron Hand has really gone all out this time..."
"So our mission is simply to check if there's anything unusual here, whether it's Zhang Yiqiang's hidden hideout, or if there are any unfamiliar faces—especially Eastern European faces. We're not here to fight, understand?"
"Okay, okay... But seriously, this place doesn't look like an arms dealer's hideout at all. Those people are repairing the train, did you see them? Chinese people are natural-born mechanics, you know. If Wolf is relying on a bunch of Chinese people causing trouble, he'll be laughing all the way to the next year..."
The conversation continued, but Wang Zhengyang had already withdrawn his senses. He opened his eyes, the murderous intent in them fading slightly, replaced by a calm assessment.
So that's how it is. Rajish's men weren't directly after him or the Longyuan; they were drawn by the Iron Hand Gang's bounty on "Andrei" and were investigating locations Zhang Yiqiang might be associated with. His previous attempt to frame Zhang Yiqiang had ironically attracted this indirect attention.
Taking out the two stalkers now would be easy, but it would alert Rajish and make him realize there's something wrong here, potentially leading to a more in-depth investigation. Conversely, if they confirm that this place is "just a group of vegetable growers," it would dispel any suspicions.
More importantly, there was "Andrei," the man the Iron Hand gang hated... Wang Zhengyang searched his memory. In his previous life, he had indeed heard of a Ukrainian resistance fighter active in Eastern Europe, known for his ruthlessness, expertise in demolitions and guerrilla warfare, who had caused considerable trouble for powerful groups like the Iron Hand. If this person was really in Berlin, perhaps... at some point in the future, he could become a useful pawn, or at least a good target to distract the Iron Hand.
Currently, the Longyuan's refit is at its most critical stage. Armor installation, energy system debugging, and internal network setup all require time and peace. Creating unnecessary complications and engaging in direct conflict with local powers would be unwise.
"I'll spare your lives for now." Wang Zhengyang looked at the two figures on the screen who were completely unaware that they were being monitored, and made the decision in a low voice.
He turned and left the monitoring room, returning to the planting chamber. Lin Luoer had finished sowing and was checking the EC and pH values of the nutrient solution with Li Xiaowei.
"I'll handle the source of the interference," Wang Zhengyang said calmly to Lin Luoer. "You continue as planned. This afternoon, Chen Yishang and his apprentice will lead a team to install the primary water circulation and purification system in the fourth carriage."
"Understood!" Lin Luo'er nodded. Although there was still a trace of doubt in her eyes, she chose to trust Wang Zhengyang's judgment.
Wang Zhengyang stepped out of the truck and walked casually toward the warehouse entrance, but in reality, his mechanical affinity remained locked onto the truck outside the wall. He needed to put on a proper "performance"—to show those who were watching that the owner here was just an ordinary manager who had come out to inspect the warehouse, perhaps a little wary, but certainly not with the ferocity and armed retinue of an arms dealer.
As the sunlight intensified, the Longyuan stood silently, its LED lights inside the planting pod still shining brightly, like a stubborn and rational green island built on the edge of the apocalypse. Outside the island, the shadowy surveillance continued, but the controllers had already seen through everything and were calmly calculating the gains and losses of each step.
Sowing requires patience, survival requires wisdom, and the foundation of a great empire is often laid brick by brick in these seemingly ordinary mornings.
At lunchtime, Li Xiaowei used the freshly purchased ingredients to make simple fried rice and vegetable soup. The team sat around the long table in the food cart, and the atmosphere was more harmonious than in the previous days.
"The water purification system can be installed this afternoon," Chen Yishang reported on the progress. "The beds in the living quarters are 20% complete, and it will be finished in five days. The pipework for the toilets and showers will be finished the day after tomorrow afternoon."
Li Ruijun added, "The power system equipment will be installed tomorrow. A minor problem was detected in the hydraulic circuit of the track system, but it has been fixed. It is expected to be completed as planned within ten days. However, there is a problem: based on the current wear and tear, the current alloy profiles will only last for five days. We will need to replenish the alloy profiles, at least five tons."
Wang Zhengyang nodded: "The progress is in line with expectations."
He quickly finished his meal, got up, and headed towards the command center. He then waited for Li Ming to arrive. Calling Li Ming to the base this time meant he needed to demonstrate sufficient strength and control to maintain the private investigator's willingness to cooperate. At the same time, he also wanted to see Li Ming's true reaction upon seeing the Dragon Abyss—that would be a good test.