Chapter 16 — I Built an Empire in the Wasteland

Lôi Quang Việt received news of the failed rescue through Quắc Bá Long, who returned to Gray Wolf headquarters with a swollen face and an unresolved panic. Listening to Quắc Bá Long recount the scene of Bạt Phong single-handedly defeating both the Black Eagle commandos and his army, Lôi Quang Việt stood still, a feeling of insecurity welling up in his heart that was even greater than anger.

"So this alliance failed at its first move," he muttered, his hands clenched into fists. He knows clearly that, with a cold and pragmatic organization like what Ứng Thị Lụa represents, failure means losing its usefulness value - and those who lose their usefulness value in the eyes of Black Eagle usually do not have a good ending.

His hunch was completely correct. Just two days later, a small army of Black Eagles, led by Colonel Doanh Chính Nam, appeared right in front of the Gray Wolf headquarters in broad daylight, causing the entire Black Market to riot because they had never seen such a modern armed formation marching through their area.

Doanh Chính Nam entered the Gray Wolf headquarters without anyone's invitation, his cold eyes swept over Lôi Quang Việt who was waiting with a calm expression on his face. "You are the one who promised to help our organization retrieve Prototype 07?" He asked, his voice filled with contempt.

"We tried our best, sir..." Lôi Quang Việt began to explain, but Doanh Chính Nam raised his hand to signal silence.

"I don't need to listen to a loser's excuses," he said, his voice cold as ice. "You revealed your plan, giving the opponent enough time to prepare a defense, and then let him alone defeat both my elite commando team and your subordinates. I have considered wiping out your entire gang right now, as a lesson to others not to half-heartedly cooperate with the Black Eagle."

Lôi Quang Việt turned pale and instinctively took a step back, realizing he was facing a force that he had absolutely no ability to resist if Doanh Chính Nam really took action. "Please give us another chance. We know the terrain, we know how to approach Camp Dawn better than anyone else."

Doanh Chính Nam was silent for a moment, considering. Although he despised Lôi Quang Việt's weakness, he also recognized the practical value of having more local troops familiar with the terrain for the upcoming battle, especially when he decided to devote all his efforts to completely solving the problem of Camp Dawn once and for all.

"Okay. You have one last chance," he spoke, his voice still cold but less directly threatening. "But this time, you will act under my direct command, and will no longer be able to decide your own tactics. I will personally lead the main force to the Ruined Capital area within the next three days. At that time, we will level Camp Dawn, capture Prototype 07, and thoroughly deal with the person who dared to stand in the way of my organization."

Lôi Quang Việt bowed his head, not daring to object, even though an unprecedented feeling of helplessness arose in his heart - he was no longer the decisive power in his own war, but was only a pawn in the hands of a much larger force.

After Doanh Chính Nam left with his entourage, Hạ Tử Kỳ walked next to Lôi Quang Việt, his voice full of worry. "Boss, we are getting deep into something that is beyond our control. Is there a time when we should retreat and let them deal with it among themselves?"

"Retreating now is tantamount to suicide," Lôi Quang Việt replied, his voice heavy. "You heard me right, that Colonel has the power to wipe out our entire gang with just one sentence. We have no way back, we can only continue following the chosen path, no matter where it leads."

Meanwhile, at the main base, Doanh Chính Nam summoned the entire remaining main force of the Black Eagle - more than fifty commandos equipped with energy weapons, three armored vehicles powered by recycled engines from before the war, and the entire warehouse of heavy weapons remaining after many years of careful preservation. This was the first time since the Great War that the Black Eagle organization mobilized such a large-scale force for a single goal.

Ứng Thị Lụa stood in the command ranks, observing the scene of massive war preparations with an indescribable feeling of heaviness. She had served the Black Eagle long enough to know that when Doanh Chính Nam personally led the army, he would not accept any more defeat, and that meant the coming battle would be bloodier than anything Camp Dawn had ever faced before.

"Prepare to depart in the next two days," Doanh Chính Nam announced to the entire force, his voice resounding with authority in the cold stone hall. "The objective: destroy all resistance in the area known as Camp Dawn, capture Prototype 07 alive at any cost, and execute the man who dared to use the organization's technology against the organization itself. This is no longer just a recovery mission — this is the time to prove that no one in this desolate land can challenge the Black Eagle without paying a price."

A shout of response echoed throughout the hall, and over the next two days, an entire army, armed to the teeth, began moving from its limestone base toward Tàn Đô, bringing with it overwhelming power that no small community in Phế Thổ had faced since the Great War.

News about that massive army could not be kept secret for long. A traveling trader who once stopped by Camp Dawn to exchange medicine for Diễm Thư happened to witness a convoy of armored vehicles moving across a northern trail. He panicked and came to the camp to report the news, hoping to gain a safe haven for himself.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life." The trembling man told Bạt Phong and Thanh Sơn. "Armored vehicles, full guns, hundreds of people wearing dark gray uniforms moving like a machine. They are moving in this direction, I'm sure."

Bạt Phong stood silently listening to the news, a cold feeling spread throughout his body. He had prepared himself for some kind of revenge attack, but the scale described far exceeded any imagination he had of the Black Eagle's capabilities.

"We can't fight an army of that size with just a few energy guns and a powered suit of armor," Thanh Sơn said, his voice could not hide his worry. "No matter how strong you are, you are alone." Bạt Phong nodded, his mind reeling with calculations. He looked around Camp Dawn — where there were now nearly twenty people who called it home, their last refuge in the desolate land. He couldn't let it all fall apart just because of lack of preparation.

"We need more people," he said, his voice gradually regaining its assertiveness. "No longer rely on the strength of Camp Dawn alone. I will seek out other wandering groups around the area, convincing them to join hands. A large army cannot be defeated by a few men, but can be slowed down, worn out, if we know how to take advantage of numbers and familiar terrain."

Yên Nhi, who had been listening from the beginning, walked over and held his hand. "I'll go with you. If we want others to believe in risking their lives for a common goal, they need to see that the person most directly involved — you — is also willing to stand up and face it, not hide behind someone else." Bạt Phong looked at her, his eyes were full of worry but could not deny her argument. He nodded, squeezing her hand. "Okay. But we have to be careful. Time is running out."

The two turned to look at the northern horizon, where the distant dust was beginning to ripple, signaling that something big was approaching, bringing with it the threat of wiping out everything they had worked so hard to build in just a few short weeks.

Thanh Sơn stood looking at the two people for a moment, then turned to gather the remaining residents in the camp, reassigning defense tasks with unprecedented urgency. Tư Rỗ was assigned the task of reviewing the entire system of retaining walls and emergency exits, while Bích Vân led a small group to expand the reconnaissance scope even further, trying to capture every move of the approaching army as soon as possible. Sáu Mộc quietly began to store more food and water, preparing for the possibility of having to defend for a long time if the worst situation happened. Each person in the camp, despite their fear, silently contributed in their own way, turning their worries into concrete actions, as if that busyness helped them keep their spirits up in the face of the impending storm.