Soon, Brother Qiang, following Brother Tian's instructions, dispatched speed ability users to the port.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the port and finding safe hiding spots, the ability users peered ahead with night vision goggles.
They observed that besides the ships and fishing boats docked at the pier, there was no sign of Su Ling and her group.
Initially, they assumed Su Ling and the others were hiding on the ships.
However, after hours of observation, they realized this was not the case.
Consequently, an ability user, concealing their presence, stealthily approached the port for a closer look. This investigation revealed that Su Ling and her group had already departed. Upon receiving this definitive news, they immediately arranged for speed ability users to return to the base and relay the information to Brother Qiang.
"What!" Brother Qiang exclaimed, jolting to his feet from the leather sofa upon hearing the news. His sudden movement caused the woman massaging his shoulders behind him to stumble, nearly falling.
Brother Tian, standing nearby, let out a silent sigh upon hearing the news, as it was entirely within his expectations.
Their conspicuous appearance, only to return without gaining any advantage, was bound to alert the other party. To remain at this point would be foolish, creating a security risk for themselves.
With this in mind, Brother Tian interjected at the opportune moment, "Brother Qiang, don't be anxious. I suspect they haven't been gone long. Shall we send someone to pursue them?"
"Pursue?" Brother Qiang shot a look at Brother Tian, who had suggested the pursuit. He spat on the ground, "Do you think it's that easy to chase them? Don't forget, they have a mobile fortress. Do you have any idea how long it took us to chase them this afternoon?"
"With their mobile fortress as a mode of transport, their speed is several times ours. And they've been gone for so long, where would we even begin to chase them?" Brother Qiang sank back onto the sofa, crossing his legs. The more he thought about it, the more indignant he felt.
However, he quickly composed himself. "It's good they left. We couldn't keep them, nor could we move them. This saves us trouble. Besides, they cleared out the port, and in the end, we're the ones who benefit. From now on, the entire coastline will be ours. Remember to assign people to guard it closely, to prevent any opportunists from taking advantage. From now on, we'll live off the sea."
Brother Tian considered this and realized it made sense. Rich marine resources awaited them, beckoning them forward!
Brother Tian had initially felt that letting Su Ling and her group leave so easily was practically giving them an advantage. Upon hearing Brother Qiang's explanation, he agreed with the logic. His mindset and demeanor immediately shifted. With a fawning smile, he said, "Then, Brother Qiang, we must act swiftly and seize the initiative before others discover our intentions."
Brother Qiang nodded. He lit a cigar, took a deep puff, and issued an order, "Prepare the weapons and personnel. We depart immediately to occupy—"
"Brother Qiang, bad news!"
Before Brother Qiang could finish his command, someone rushed in from outside, exclaiming, "Bad news, bad news!"
The person burst in, their face pale, their body bearing multiple injuries and cuts, with bloodstains smeared across their face.
Seeing one of his men in such a state, Brother Qiang abruptly stood up, his demeanor instantly transforming. "What happened?"
The messenger, who had risked their life to deliver the news, clutched their profusely bleeding injured arm and said, "A group of people arrived from outside. They brought weapons far more advanced and powerful than ours. They directly bombarded our base's gate, killed those who resisted, and occupied the base. I was knocked unconscious by a shell, and they thought I was dead, so they left me."
"When I woke up, they were still attacking. So I sneaked back to report!"