Chapter 80: Put the Patient Down! Step Back Five Paces!

Chapter 80: Put the Patient Down! Step Back Five Paces!

"V, I can't do it anymore. I really don't have the strength to stand up and keep walking. You go ahead. Let me rest here for a while. I just want to sleep..."

Jackie Welles realized that his recent burst of energy was likely his final moment of clarity. He had to seize the time to say a few more things to his best friend, V.

"Right, could you pass on a message to Misty for me? Tell her that I truly love her. The next time I was planning to take her to see my mom, I would have made sure my mom accepted her."

Jackie's voice grew weaker.

If not for Mama Welles disapproving of Misty, Jackie might have long mustered the courage to propose to her. But now, that dream was no longer possible.

"Dammit! What the hell are you talking about? We've already got the chip. We're about to hit the jackpot, Jackie! Don't you want to make it big anymore?"

V slapped Jackie hard on the face, trying to snap him out of it. But when he saw more blood pouring from Jackie's abdomen, V was filled with despair.

"Don't cry, V. You're so close to striking it rich. Isn't that a great thing?"

With that, Jackie Welles gasped for air as he pulled the glowing red Relic chip out of its slot and handed it to V.

"V, for me... you have to take it out of here."

"We'll meet again... in the next life."

With those words, Jackie finally closed his weary eyes, drifting into an unparalleled sense of relaxation as he fell into a deep sleep.

"Jackie! Damn it... Damn you, Arasaka!"

On the eighth-floor outdoor balcony of Cantao GroupPlaza, V was devastated, slapping Jackie's face in vain. The dark night sky began to drizzle, the rain mixing with the tears blurring V's vision.

Memories of moments shared with Jackie Welles flashed through V's mind like a reel of film.

[Attention: vehicle docking in progress. Stay clear! Security procedures are active. Comply with all instructions!]

Just then, V heard the roar of a Trauma Team AV's engine, accompanied by a loudspeaker warning from the vehicle's pilot.

[Put the patient down and step back five paces!]

---

Cantao GroupPlaza Rooftop

Under the overwhelming firepower of the Militech Power Armor team, Reed and Alex easily secured Arasaka's power armor device.

But now they faced a bigger problem: more and more Arasaka security forces were closing in on their position. To make matters worse, an Arasaka gunship had cut off their escape route!

"Dammit! They took out our helicopter's rotor! The second chopper providing backup has only just taken off. We need to buy more time!"

Alex cursed under her breath. All this chaos for a stolen power armor? Did it really warrant this many Arasaka troops coming after them?

"They've already sounded the full-building alert. We don't have much time left," Reed said, his expression unusually grim. He knew how dangerous their situation had become. Without President Myers' rescue team, they wouldn't last much longer.

"Alex, hack that helicopter for me. Better yet, fly it over to our position!"

Reed gritted his teeth and issued the command, staring at the low-hovering Arasaka gunship.

"On it!"

For this operation, Myers had equipped Reed's team of operatives with the best weapons, elite soldiers, and cutting-edge hacking gear.

Anything connected to a network—cybernetic implants or military-grade equipment—they could hack. That was the only reason they had managed to hold out so long despite being discovered.

But just as Alex finished setting up the network access console to breach the gunship's ICE firewall, a stray bullet struck her arm, leaving her bleeding profusely!

"You damn operatives! Hand over the chip and the power armor before I lose my temper, and I'll leave your corpses intact!"

At the critical moment, a fully armed Adam Smasher arrived on the rooftop with his security squad.

Recalling the assassination of Saburo Arasaka, the theft of the Relic chip, and now the interception of the power armor, Adam Smasher couldn't help but suspect these NUSA operatives were the masterminds behind it all.

NUSA's Intelligence Agency was a top-tier organization, specializing in assassinations and covert missions. They were one of the world's elite intelligence agencies!

"Hand it over now!"

With that, Adam Smasher fired another devastating kinetic shell from his LA "Crusher" kinetic shotgun. The weapon's power was astonishing.

"Damn it, it's that cyberpsycho Adam Smasher!"

Reed was horrified. He helped Alex find cover to operate the hacking device while stepping forward with his weapon to confront Adam Smasher.

"Alex, hurry up and bring the helicopter here! We can't wait any longer!"

With Reed's urgent shouting in the background, Alex finally managed to hack into the Arasaka gunship's ICE protocol, ejecting the crew onboard.

She then piloted the helicopter toward the rooftop, where Reed, under the cover of the Militech Power Armor team, successfully boarded with the stolen power armor device.

"Still trying to escape?"

Adam Smasher pulled out an RPG launcher and fired directly at Reed's helicopter.

Although Alex reacted quickly and maneuvered the helicopter out of harm's way, the missile still grazed the aircraft, forcing it into a slow descent!

The violent shaking of the helicopter caused several power armor soldiers to lose their footing and fall. The impact of their fall from dozens of meters shattered them into fragments of machinery and flesh.

Some soldiers suffered power armor malfunctions, leading to fuel leaks and subsequent explosions. The resulting flames consumed both machines and bodies, reducing them to ash.

Seeing one power armor soldier after another plummet to the ground like fiery meteors, the members of the Maelstrom team on-site were utterly stunned.

It was a scene of hellish brutality.

"Boss... are you seeing this?"

Through his implant, Maelstrom transmitted the live feed of the chaos to Li Ang's location.

[I see it, Maelstrom. Don't act rashly. Wait patiently for the AST Mech Squad to arrive. We'll stay in touch. Do not disconnect!]

After ending the call, Li Ang, seething with anger, immediately contacted Mayor Lucius. He ordered the city's NCPD police force to stand by outside Watson.

Cantao GroupPlaza had already descended into a fiery battleground. The more people entered, the harder it would be for Li Ang's forces to clean up the mess.

As for the NCPD's equipment? They weren't even fit to guard LA Corp's front gates. They'd be of some use for cleanup afterward, but expecting them to resolve the situation was laughable.