I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 763 - 661: Preparing for Rescue

Li Yulong curled up and shifted his body, trying to sit up from the ground.

But with his hands tied behind his back, even this basic movement became extremely difficult.

Moreover, he hadn't eaten since he was captured, and was confined in a place like this cellar, leaving Li Yulong feeling cold and hungry.

However, inside this cellar where he was held, there were no lighting fixtures at all, as if the people who captured him didn't want to waste precious fuel or electricity on him, not even providing the most basic illumination.

"Hey! Is anyone still alive?" After struggling for a long time, Li Yulong finally sat up, and quietly called out around him to test.

He was not the only one captured; along with him, two staff members and a local driver they hired were also caught.

As for the two soldiers assigned to protect them, they were not captured, escaping after a bit of resistance and attempting an unsuccessful rescue.

The all-terrain vehicle they drove was taken by the warlords in this small city, which made Li Yulong worry about the cargo on the vehicle.

Their personal items didn't matter, as they were just some food and living supplies, but there was also a batch of high-precision components he exchanged from another city, which he hoped wouldn't be in trouble.

For now, it was better to focus on the others who were captured with him and think about how to escape.

"Still alive, but my hands and feet are tied." Quickly, one of the staff members responded, indicating that he was okay.

The other staff member seemed to be unconscious and hadn't woken up yet.

As for the hired driver, he quickly indicated he was okay, albeit with his hands and feet bound.

Faced with such a situation, Li Yulong couldn't help but feel a bit hopeless, blaming himself: "It was my carelessness, thinking these people were decent! As a result, we were all caught, and who knows if those two soldiers managed to escape."

"Don't worry, I was the last one knocked out; I saw them break through," the awakened staff member assured Li Yulong: "We won't be in trouble. After they broke through and notified the fleet, someone will definitely come to rescue us.

So now, don't give up, let's just find a way to survive until the rescue arrives, then we'll definitely be fine."

"Yes, certainly, these guys are nothing compared to the fleet's Land Ships and Titan! We'll be fine," Li Yulong echoed, though he still worried about them being killed before the fleet could rescue them.

Li Yulong didn't worry whether the fleet would come to rescue them—no Flame Country citizen would doubt this.

As long as the country received the news of their capture, they would surely send forces for active rescue.

This was proven countless times by the state even before the disaster.

Yet the country's rescue takes time.

Although Li Yulong was confident the country would come to save them immediately, what if?

What if the captors decided to kill them before the troops arrived?

What if the cellar door opened the next second and someone started shooting them with a gun?

Li Yulong didn't know what fate awaited him; he couldn't break free from the ropes now, leaving him with only the hope for national rescue as he anxiously waited, fearing the possibility of being killed.

———————————————

While Li Yulong anxiously awaited rescue, the Guardian Land Ship tasked with rescue operations had already urgently deployed over the small city where they were held.

Though called a city, it might not even compare to a larger town in Flame Country.

Inside the bridge of the Guardian Ship, the Captain looked at the aerial map of the small city captured by radar and infrared cameras, confirming the rescue plan with his staff.

"I suggest we lower the altitude and call out to them, urging them to surrender and release the hostages," one staff member offered his opinion, "If we assault, the captors might kill the hostages, threatening their safety."

However, another staff opposed that approach: "Negotiation is not viable. Who knows if they will resist defiantly? The longer the standoff, the greater the danger for the hostages—and what if they use the hostages' safety to threaten us? Being cautious only hinders rescue, and when did we ever negotiate with kidnappers or terrorists?"

Though those occupying the small city were not considered terrorists, merely local armed factions, the logic remained sound.

Both suggestions had merits, and the Guardian Land Ship was capable of executing either.

The choice ultimately fell to the Captain.

After consideration, the Captain looked at Chen Xin beside him and asked: "Dr. Chen, what's your take on this?"

Since Li Yulong was Chen Xin's friend, upon learning of Li Yulong's kidnapping, Chen Xin joined the Guardian Land Ship to participate in the rescue operation.

Faced with the Captain's inquiry, Chen Xin also glanced at the city map captured by infrared cameras and radar scans, contemplating before asking: "Can we pinpoint the location of those captured?"

"They might be held in some underground structure, making it difficult to verify their location from the air," a staff member shook his head in response, indicating this was not possible.

But another staff member supplemented: "However, we can deploy onboard marines for infiltration missions to identify the hostages' location and organize a rescue."

Hearing this recommendation, Chen Xin's eyes lit up, thinking before saying to the Captain: "Considering this, I suggest deploying my Titan squad for a frontal assault on the city, distracting the armed factions while the marines infiltrate and locate the hostages for rescue.

If our frontal firepower is overwhelming, they won't have time to even think about killing the hostages, keeping them safe, right? Moreover, if our attack is resolute, it will show them that hostages don't threaten us."

"This plan…" The Captain considered it, acknowledging it as a feasible, excellent plan, and after discussing with the staff, approved it.

Thus, the Titan squad members, who had been idling in the hangar, eagerly boarded their craft, preparing for deployment after a bout of preparations, while the Guardian Ship gradually lowered altitude, landing on the ground.