Chapter 1

The first thought that popped into his head was to manufacture equipment for defending against missiles. Han Xiao just happened to know a basic-level, purely defensive mechanical design schematic that suited him, called the Deployable Mini Anti-Blast Fortress, which could instantly form a metal罩子 (zhàozi, cover) to protect the target, resisting explosions and shockwaves.

There were many kinds of defensive schematics, the most well-known being the various energy shields, but those required advanced energy knowledge. This Deployable Mini Anti-Blast Fortress clearly had lower technical requirements. He could integrate this schematic using basic knowledge, and the defensive performance depended on the materials.

But Han Xiao quickly rejected the idea of manufacturing it himself. On the run, he had no lathe and couldn't complete overly complicated manufacturing work. At most, he could modify the vehicle and weapons, disassemble enemy equipment to make some simple things he was skilled at, while the Deployable Mini Anti-Blast Fortress required too much work.

After eliminating this method, Han Xiao had a new idea.

"To defend against missiles... it still needs to be done professionally."

...

Having just escaped from headquarters, Germination immediately mobilized. Under the Leader's orders, countless Germination troops conducted a carpet search throughout their sphere of influence. Both air and ground forces were dispatched, with great fanfare, on a scale almost comparable to the main battlefield.

An hour later, the Six Nations discovered Germination's movements. Unclear on the details, they could only respond by strengthening their vigilance, preventing Germination from having other strategic goals. That evening, they urgently convened a joint war situation analysis meeting to deduce Germination's purpose.

The commanders of the various nations discussed intensely for over half an hour. Through various signs, they finally deduced an unbelievable conclusion:

Germination was chasing someone!

How strange! They, the Six Nations, had fought all the way to Germination's base camp, yet Germination had the leisure to mobilize its forces to hunt down someone else. The identity of the person being chased must be very special.

The situation was still unclear, and the Six Nations hesitated about whether to stop Germination's actions. Although the enemy of an enemy is a friend, Ruilan, Tilius, and Audifan opposed rashly intervening, to avoid falling into a trap. They felt they should execute their original strategic advance step by step, as a steady and sure approach was the safest.

As they were discussing, the Xinglong commander suddenly received a message from Bureau 13, his face flashed with surprise, and he said, "Gentlemen, please stop for a moment. My side has received important information. The person being chased has taken the initiative to contact our intelligence agency. Please allow me to transfer his communication to the main channel."

Everyone's expressions varied.

The screen flickered, and Han Xiao's face appeared on the screen, using his original appearance. The military officers from various countries present changed their expressions, recognizing him as Zero, who was being hunted by Germination with a high bounty. The mastermind who had been providing them with intelligence had actually formally appeared. Everyone was greatly shocked.

"Germination is chasing you?!"

"How did you run into Germination's territory?"

Han Xiao said, "I infiltrated Germination's headquarters and obtained key information from the mainframe. All their deployments, plans, and the detailed locations of the missiles are in my hands, so Germination is chasing me at all costs. Now, I want to make a deal with you."

Everyone looked at each other. No one had asked Zero to steal intelligence, but he had taken the initiative. How deep was his hatred for Germination? He wanted to win the war even more than they did.

"Speak."

"Send troops to provide support, distract Germination's forces, and protect my safety. Once I am out of danger, the intelligence is yours."

Han Xiao planned to use the intelligence obtained from Germination's headquarters as a bargaining chip to exchange for the Six Nations' support. Originally, this intelligence was going to be given to the Six Nations anyway, so this was making the best use of it.

Initially, Han Xiao's plan was to quietly infiltrate headquarters and complete everything, but the Son of Destiny's prediction had caused the Leader to set up an ambush, deviating from his original plan, forcing Han Xiao to change his plans.

The appearance of the Son of Destiny was unexpected, but he was not discouraged. Things couldn't always go smoothly. He wasn't afraid of encountering accidents, he just needed to adapt to the situation.

One officer said coldly, "Empty words are no proof. Hand over all the intelligence, and we will consider your conditions."

Han Xiao said, "This intelligence can completely destroy Germination's hopes and lay the foundation for victory in the war. If you don't agree to my conditions, this intelligence will be buried with me... no, not just me, but your troops will also be buried. When Germination recognizes that they are bound to lose, they might detonate all the nuclear bombs and go down together. And at that time, you will ask yourselves why you didn't agree to my request."

Everyone's expressions were uncertain. What Han Xiao said was precisely their hidden worry. They didn't know how many nuclear warheads Germination had hidden, or where they were hidden. If they could obtain specific intelligence, they could send elite troops such as experts and agents to resolve the greatest hidden danger.

"How do we believe you possess the intelligence?"

"To show sincerity, I just transferred the first piece of accurate intelligence about the Dead Hand System to Xinglong. I used to serve in Xinglong's intelligence agency, and Xinglong can vouch for me."

Xinglong was immediately pushed into the spotlight. Everyone looked at Gu Hui in the corner. Gu Hui was depressed, wearing a sullen face, and nodded unhappily, indicating that it was true.

One officer asked in confusion, "Germination's headquarters is heavily guarded. Even our best agents can't infiltrate it. How did you do it?"

Han Xiao pointed to his cheek, and his appearance changed drastically.

After seeing his face clearly, the officers from various countries stood up abruptly, knocking over a large number of chairs. Everyone had a horrified expression.

This face was actually Black Phantom!

"You are..." Gu Hui almost fell, in disbelief, "...Black Phantom?!"

Han Xiao adjusted the screen, revealing the Viper-mod next to him, and said, "Zero, Black Phantom, are all one of my identities. You can call me Han Xiao."

Gu Hui was breathing rapidly. Bureau 13 had sent people to search for Zero's whereabouts, targeting those refugees, thinking he was hiding his identity and living a low-key life among the crowd. It turned out they had been looking in the wrong direction. Han Xiao hadn't been hiding at all, and had even become a legendary killer on the dark web in a high-profile manner.

This truth was unbelievable to them. Black Phantom was a strongman ranked high on the threat lists of various countries. His origin had never been found, and he was actually the traitor Zero that Germination had put a bounty on!

That mask could easily change appearances, making the officers of various countries feel chilled and wary. They could only be glad that Han Xiao was on their side.

Han Xiao took off the simulation mask, with a calm expression. His wings were fully fledged, he no longer needed to hide his identity, and it was time to be high-profile. Instead of waiting for Germination to spread the news, it was better to take the initiative to reveal it, making it easier to gain Legend Points.

The entire venue was silent. The officers from various countries were so shocked by this news that they couldn't speak. After a long silence, they digested the truth.

"We agree to this condition. We will put pressure on the front lines, and the satellite surveillance and anti-missile devices will be activated at all times, not allowing any of Germination's missiles to detonate on the ground. The troops to support you will depart soon. We don't have air supremacy in Germination's territory, so the air force probably can't directly support you. After we have discussed it, we will tell you the support location."

Han Xiao smiled slightly, "Good."

...

Turning off the communicator, Han Xiao let out a breath. He had negotiated the conditions, and the troops of the Six Nations would provide lateral support, distracting Germination's troops, which was equivalent to gaining the biggest ally.

At this time, Han Xiao was no longer wearing a mask. The cool night wind blew across his face, and he narrowed his eyes, as if freedom echoed in his heart.

He had worn the mask for more than half a year, and now he could finally take it off and use his original face.

After tonight, the whole world would know his true identity. He was Zero, he was Black Phantom!

Once the various forces of Aquamarine had digested this truth, Legend Points would be just around the corner.

All that remained was to break through the ground blockade and join up with the Six Nations' support troops. As far as he was concerned, this war had already been settled.

Hela glanced at Aurora, who was sleeping in the rearview mirror, and her cold expression softened.

"You persuaded the Six Nations. With their help, we are basically safe."

"Don't relax. Even if there are support troops, we have to hold on until then." Han Xiao poured cold water on her without mercy, looking out the window.

The sky was already faintly bright, and this long night was about to pass.

After dawn, the battle would begin.

...

That night, the news of Han Xiao's true identity spread, reaching all the major forces.

All the forces were shaken!

The world was shocked!