Chapter 18: The Imperial Plan

"Well, credit to the driver for having some courage. If he hadn't stirred things up, we might've left without grabbing this opportunity."

Upon hearing the words, the hooded and tied-up Imperial Officer trembled.

That situation had given him a good scare, and he cursed the driver internally.

He was afraid the three lunatics in the car would be provoked, yet his useless partner, even when captured, attempted to signal the checkpoint.

Luckily, the guy had already sealed his fate by abandoning the vehicle.

"Lieutenant, how do you think we should deal with you next?"

The voice sounded female. The Imperial Officer with the rank of Lieutenant instantly realized what he should do:

"Don't kill me. I will confess everything. I can also be your hostage. I am from a noble family, you could demand a ransom. If I die, it means a complete fallout with the Empire which won't benefit you at all."

Upon hearing this, the five people in the Hunter's cabin were taken aback.

After what happened with the driver, they thought all Imperials were tough.

Unexpectedly, this Imperial Lieutenant turned out to be all talk and no action.

Just a slight threat and he immediately confessed.

However, when Shen Congfei heard the guy was from a noble family, he wasn't surprised.

After all, he was Empire's kneelers, who were neither short of status nor money. Joining the military was just for the sake of honors. It would be the most regrettable if he died in battle.

Thinking of this, he gestured to Xia Wei to help translate:

"Hello, my name is Starfire, and I'm the leader of this team."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Lieutenant sighed with relief.

If the head is willing to negotiate, it indicates a good trend.

The worst is when communication is impossible, and they just go ahead and kill you.

However, Starfire?

Is this some kind of peculiar codename?

"Um, hello, Mr. Starfire, I am willing to cooperate. But could you untie me first?"

"No."

"Okay."

Seeing the instant submission of the lieutenant, Shen Congfei couldn't help but want to laugh.

But he still controlled his laughter and continued the interrogation:

"Now, I will ask and you will answer."

"What is your mission in this city?"

The lieutenant did not hesitate: "I've come to take over the city's security and implement military control."

Upon hearing this, Shen Congfei was a bit disappointed. The man had a cushy job, which meant they wouldn't get any important intelligence from him.

"Lieutenant, it seems your position doesn't involve significant secrets, does it?"

"Yes, it doesn't."

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant promptly agreed. Even though he was a prisoner now, he didn't want to reveal Empire's secrets if he didn't have to. This would save him from being investigated in the future by the Empire's intelligence agency.

"Alright, Lieutenant, it seems you're of no use to us."

Upon hearing the translation, the Lieutenant panicked.

"Wait, wait, I know a secret! Please don't hurt me!"

The five people, just about to move the hostage to the basement of the cabin, immediately halted when they heard this. Xia Wei quickly pressed:

"Then speak, we're listening."

The Lieutenant sighed with relief: "Don't you want to know the purpose of the Empire occupying the Neutral United Front?"

Shen Congfei curled his lips.

He really didn't want to know. As someone who had experienced wasteland testing, he already knew the plan.

However, the others didn't know. Upon hearing this, they were immediately excited, and Xia Wei quickly asked:

"What? You know why?"

"Of course, I am an Imperial nobleman, unlike those soldiers. I am the only one privy to this information."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point." After hearing Xia Wei's translation, Xue Yangping impatiently kicked the guy.

Although he didn't understand the language, the Lieutenant got the gist of it. While cursing at them internally and planning revenge, he quickly backed off and returned to the main topic:

"The Empire's purpose in occupying the Neutral United Front is to secure an advantageous position in the potential war against the Free Alliance."

"Once we secure the territory of the Neutral United Front, it will serve as a buffer zone in the future war. The Free Alliance can only consume its resources at the border and will be gradually devoured."

Upon hearing this, Xia Wei's eyebrows furrowed, and he asked in the Empire's language:

"Aren't you afraid that this will give the Free Alliance an excuse to invade first?"

The Lieutenant seemed unsurprised by the question and replied with a smug tone:

"That's why we, the Empire, can't give them any excuse to invade."

"The information control and blockade of the entire Neutral United Front is to disguise this occupation as a civil war. As long as we find a puppet to prop up in the interim and complete the power transition, our goal is achieved."

"If the Free Alliance dares to intervene in the civil war of the Neutral United Front, we will have an excuse to go to war."

"Moreover, it's not us, the Empire, who fear war, but the Alliance."

Hearing this shocking plan of the Empire, aside from Shen Congfei, the faces of the other four changed drastically.

Although they were just ordinary teachers and high school students, they still had some judgment about the situation.

The secret the Imperial Lieutenant revealed was evidently achievable.

Especially in the current situation.

The Empire has already completed the plan; now all that is left is to find a puppet.

Therefore, in the future, the Neutral United Front would without a doubt become the Empire's pawn.

This revelation shook them to the core.

They felt directionless about their future goals.

They couldn't see any hope at all.

"Alright, Lieutenant, if you have no other information to provide, it seems we'll have to…"

Seeing that the atmosphere was off, Shen Congfei gestured for Xia Wei to continue translating.

"Wait, you promised, and I did provide secret information! You can't go back on your word! I'm an Imperial Noble!"

"Oh, so you don't have any more information? Then you'll have to go... What's wrong?"

Just as Shen Congfei was about to lock the Lieutenant in the basement after hearing the translation, a hand stopped him.

Turning his head, he saw that it was Xue Yangping.

"I have one more question for him."

Shen Congfei quickly made way for him.

Xue Yangping crouched down and looked at the person in the hood:

"Do you recognize an imperial soldier with a scar on his nose bridge?"

Xia Wei, seeing the situation, voluntarily translated for him.

"A scar on the nose bridge?"

The Imperial Lieutenant quickly racked his brain, as his life was hanging by this thread of hope of providing intelligence.

"Oh, I remember. One of my squad leaders matches your description. I'm not sure if it's the same person you're referring to though. Please don't kill me. I can help lure him out for you…"

"Good."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yangping's eyes lit up. He stood up and kicked the hooded Imperial Lieutenant down and closed the wooden door of the basement.

The world quietened a fair bit. The five people looked at each other and smiled.