The door was pushed open again, and Xiao walked in carrying a black hard-shell case.
He did not bother with any unnecessary pleasantries. He walked straight to the long desk, pushed the documents on it aside, and firmly placed the black case, which was filled with the sleek feel of modern technology, on the desk.
Xia Lanshi’s gaze fell on the case, a hint of confusion in his eyes. “What is this?”
“A lifesaver.” Xiao’s tone was calm.
He lightly pressed his finger against the fingerprint recognition area on top of the case. With a soft click, the electronic lock unlocked.
Xiao lifted the lid. Inside, the case was filled with black shock-absorbing foam. Embedded right in the center was a folded, strange-looking black metal object, with various accessories stuffed around it.
Su Muchen took a closer look and exclaimed in surprise, “You brought a drone?!”
“This isn’t an ordinary drone.” Xiao extended his slender fingers and took out the matte-black aircraft, laying it flat on the desk.
“This is an autonomous tactical reconnaissance drone developed by the Group. Originally, it was equipment designed to ensure that Gatekeepers could find their way back alive after entering a completely unfamiliar otherworld.”
He raised his eyes toward Xiao Yuan and said calmly, “But for now, I’ll lend this power to you.”
Then, Xiao gave the machine a fluent English command:
“Common Raven Seven, standby mode off.”
Accompanied by the faint sound of mechanical movement, the drone’s four black arms slowly unfolded. A dim blue light illuminated beneath its body, like a nocturnal creature awakening.
A cold, clear electronic voice came from the drone’s speaker:
“Common Raven Seven online. Identity verified. Welcome back, Gatekeeper OWL.”
Xiao Yuan had seen plenty of strange and bizarre modern objects at Guichen Studio, so his expression remained calm on the surface.
Xia Lanshi’s eyes, however, lit up slightly, filled with curiosity toward this unknown creation.
“That’s a pretty cool name.” Su Muchen raised an eyebrow. “It has AI too?”
“Yes. It has an offline tactical AI and can receive voice commands directly.” Xiao nodded, then switched commands. “Little Seven, switch to the Chinese voice module.”
“Switched to Chinese mode.”
The reconnaissance drone immediately responded in fluent Chinese.
Su Muchen froze for a moment, sharply catching the oddity in what he had just heard.
“Wait, what did you just call it?”
Xiao’s expression remained blank. “Little Seven. Its full name is too long. Little Seven is easier to say.”
Xiao Yuan: “……”
Xia Lanshi: “……”
Su Muchen: “……”
Su Muchen silently complained like crazy in his heart: The Su family’s naming tradition really is beyond saving!
It clearly had such a cool name, and yet its Chinese name was “Little Seven”?
Xia Lanshi cleared his throat and cast a subtle glance toward the lord beside him.
“This name… seems somewhat taboo in Dasheng.”
After all, Xiao Yuan was the current Seventh Prince of Dasheng.
Xiao Yuan silently looked at the machine emitting a faint blue glow. His brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he calmly said, “…It’s fine. It’s only a codename. What I want to know is, what can it do?”
Compared with its name, he was more concerned about just how capable this “lifesaver” actually was.
Xiao gave a concise answer:
“It can verify the white areas on the map of the Northern Frontier. It can tell you which parts of the map are real, which are false, and which are already outdated. It can even fill in the blank areas.”
The moment those words were spoken, Xiao Yuan and Xia Lanshi’s gazes instantly became extremely sharp.
The two immediately understood the weight of those words.
What they lacked most right now was not the ability to fight a war, but the time to use human lives to fill in the intelligence blind spots.
“This reconnaissance drone doesn’t need the ‘compass’ or ‘astronomy’ you understand for positioning, and it doesn’t need a network either.”
Xiao did his best to explain it using concepts they could understand. “It relies entirely on its built-in sensors, terrain recognition, and AI visual navigation. As long as it flies around once, it can directly generate a three-dimensional topographical map when it returns, including rivers, roads, the exterior structures of enemy defensive fortifications, and estimated numbers of arrow towers.”
As he spoke, Xiao changed direction and began analyzing its fatal weaknesses.
“However, it isn’t omnipotent. It consumes a tremendous amount of power. Its maximum flight time on a single trip is only forty minutes, and ten minutes of that has to be reserved for returning.”
“In other words, the actual time available for reconnaissance deep inside enemy territory is only thirty minutes.” Su Muchen immediately caught on. “Then there’s absolutely no way it can take off from Linbei City. There simply isn’t enough time.”
“Correct. It has to take off within ten kilometers of the target.” Xiao looked at everyone. “It only obeys my commands, and I’m the only one who can control it perfectly. So I must personally go to the outskirts of the enemy’s defensive line to conduct the survey.”
Hearing this, Xia Lanshi’s brows immediately drew tight.
“That’s too dangerous…”
Xiao saw the worry in his eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile.
“There’s no need to worry. For a Gatekeeper, infiltration and retreat are merely basic skills.”
Then he brought the subject back to tactics.
“Because of the power limitation, combined with charging time, it can make at most two or three flights a day. Moreover, it has no armor and is extremely fragile. If it’s struck by even a stray arrow, it will crash directly. So it absolutely cannot be detected by the enemy.”
“Then what do we do?” Su Muchen asked worriedly. “The sky over the Northern Frontier is vast, with absolutely no cover.”
Xiao Yuan also nodded, his expression solemn.
“The Northern Frontier is mostly wilderness. Anything flying through the sky would be extremely conspicuous. The Beidi people have grown up on horseback since childhood, and there is no shortage of sharpshooters capable of hitting a target a hundred paces away.”
“Does it have night vision?” Su Muchen asked. “It would be safer to fly at night.”
“It has night vision and thermal imaging, but the topographical maps scanned at night are ultimately less detailed than those taken during the day,” Xiao said. “But there’s no need to worry. When this machine was designed, concealment was already taken into consideration. Little Seven.”
“Present.”
“Execute indoor low-altitude reconnaissance mode. Alert level: medium-high. Time limit: one minute, then return to the original location.”
“Received. Executing mission.”
Bzzzz—
An extremely faint airflow sounded as Little Seven’s four black propellers began spinning at high speed. The aircraft lightly floated into the air and began silently circling around the study.
Little Seven’s electronic voice simultaneously reported:
“Four people detected indoors: Gatekeeper OWL, Gate Key Su Muchen, and two unregistered individuals. Searching for cover…”
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, they watched as the drone precisely avoided the obstacles and flew toward the tallest bookshelf in the corner of the study, slowly descending into the dark blind spot at the very top of the bookshelf.
It shut off its blue light, and its matte-black coating instantly blended into the surrounding shadows. Unless one listened carefully for the faint sound of its rotating propellers, it was impossible to detect its presence.
“It can be programmed to automatically avoid human settlements and independently search for cliff faces or tree canopies as cover.”
Xiao explained, “Its flight path isn’t a straight-line route. It will detour according to the terrain and can evade attacks to a certain extent. If it can’t find cover, it will automatically reduce its rotation speed and enter silent hovering mode, waiting until the patrol has gone farther away before continuing to fly. Of course, there is no absolute safety on a battlefield. There is still a risk of being shot down.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the creation that had disappeared into the darkness, and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes.
There was no doubt about it—this was a scout capable of flying through the sky.
Su Muchen immediately thought of another safety issue.
“What if it really does get shot down? If this kind of high-tech equipment carrying data were left behind in Dasheng, it would cause trouble, wouldn’t it?”
“There’s no need to worry.” Xiao’s tone was certain. “If it is physically shot down, Little Seven will forcibly execute self-destruct mode three minutes later. The interior will generate high temperatures, completely melting the core chip and storage device. All data will be reduced to nothing. All the enemy will find is a piece of charred scrap metal that looks as if it had been struck by lightning.”
After hearing the explanation of the self-destruct mechanism, Su Muchen finally relaxed completely.
Looking at the machine that radiated a cold, high-tech feel from every inch of its body, he casually asked, “But this is such a sophisticated, military-grade piece of equipment. The manufacturing cost must be astonishing, right?”
Xiao didn’t even change expression. His tone was as casual as if he were talking about a cabbage.
“Not expensive. Only 230,000.”
Hearing that number, Su Muchen raised his eyebrows slightly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Two hundred and thirty thousand. For a piece of black technology capable of changing the course of a battle, that really did count as cheap.
Even if it really got shot down, at least it wouldn’t hurt too much.
Unexpectedly, after pausing for one second, Xiao expressionlessly added two words:
“U.S. dollars.”
“…!?”
Su Muchen’s expression instantly froze.
His brain raced as he converted the amount using the recent exchange rate.
“You mean this little thing costs more than seven million New Taiwan dollars?!”
Su Muchen sucked in a sharp breath.
He looked at the black drone on the long desk, and in an instant, his mind conjured up an imported top-of-the-line luxury SUV, except it had propellers attached to it and was ready to take off into the sky at any moment—only to very possibly go “smack” during some accident and crash into a pile of extremely expensive charcoal.
Once again, he deeply experienced the fact that there was a Mariana Trench separating his definition of “not expensive” from Xiao’s.
“This is only the price of the bare aircraft. It doesn’t include accessories or maintenance.”
Xiao ignored Su Muchen’s reaction. His tone suddenly became unusually serious.
“But money isn’t the biggest problem.”
His slender fingers lightly tapped the edge of the black shockproof case.
“When the Group originally developed this reconnaissance drone, they only made seven in total. Four lost contact while carrying out missions, and two are still being repaired at the overseas headquarters. Right now, this is the only one left in the entire world that can still be deployed.”
Xiao Yuan and Xia Lanshi instantly grasped the true weight behind those words.
For those in power, if they could use gold and silver to buy intelligence and trade it for the lives of the soldiers of the Northern Frontier, then even if they exhausted their entire fortunes, they would not hesitate.
But the crux of the problem was that this magical artifact was absolutely unique in the world, and there was no way to replenish it.
This meant that their margin for error in this intelligence war was zero.
If this reconnaissance drone were shot down by a stray arrow from the Beidi before the reconnaissance mission was completely finished, then this sole lifesaver would be completely broken. And the army of Dasheng would once again be thrown back into that deathly fog of complete ignorance.
The air in the study fell silent for a moment.
At that moment, the one-minute timer ended. Little Seven issued a prompt from above the bookshelf to Xiao:
“Return time has arrived. Unregistered individuals remain. Execute return mission?”
Xiao: “Yes.”
Little Seven flew steadily back to the long desk and gently landed.
“Little Seven.”
“Present.”
“Execute registration mode.” Xiao pointed at Xiao Yuan. “This is the Seventh Prince of Dasheng, Prince Su Xiao Yuan. The Gate Master of this generation.”
Little Seven’s camera turned slightly, locking onto Xiao Yuan’s facial features.
“Registering… Biometric characteristics established. Greetings, Your Highness Prince Su.”
Its tone gave off a strangely polite yet distant feeling.
Xiao Yuan: “……”
Watching a black metal block bow and pay its respects to him, even Xiao Yuan felt a trace of absurdity at this moment.
Xiao then pointed at Xia Lanshi.
“This is the Chief Administrator of Prince Su’s residence, Xia Lanshi, courtesy name Huaiyu.”
“Registering… Biometric characteristics established. Huaiyu, hello. It’s nice to meet you.”
Xia Lanshi couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh.
“This mechanical creation is quite human-like. It almost seems to possess the intelligence of a living creature.”
“This unit is equipped with the world’s most advanced tactical artificial intelligence. Naturally, it cannot be compared with ordinary vulgar objects.”
There was a hint of arrogance in Little Seven’s voice.
Hearing this, Xia Lanshi’s smile deepened. He gave Xiao a meaningful look.
“This personality that is not to be underestimated… is rather similar to its master.”
Not knowing whether that was teasing or praise, Xiao merely curved his lips without comment.
Next, Xiao pulled a tiny black memory card from the side of Little Seven’s body and held out his hand toward Su Muchen.
“Your phone. Lend it to me.”
“Oh, okay.” Su Muchen took out his phone from his little woven pouch and handed it over.
Xiao opened the hidden card slot on the side of the phone and inserted the black card.
He then rapidly entered a long string of complicated passwords on the screen. The original display instantly darkened and switched to a tactical operating interface filled with streams of data.
Su Muchen stood to the side, staring in stunned amazement. He secretly sighed to himself: The phone Xiao had given him back then really was a specially customized version that opened the Group’s “door” wide for him. It actually had this kind of hardcore hidden function too.
Xiao quickly finished processing the data, displayed the three-dimensional model generated by the reconnaissance just now on the phone screen, and pushed it toward Xiao Yuan and Xia Lanshi.
The several of them leaned closer to look, and all of them sucked in a breath.
On the screen, the entire three-dimensional structure of the study had been scanned with astonishing clarity. Even the documents on the bookshelves and the terrain model on the desk were clearly visible. The image had even marked four red boxes, with their names precisely displayed beside them.
“This image… it can even capture faces this clearly?” Xia Lanshi exclaimed.
But what astonished him even more was that the true strategic command center within Linbei City—the study of Xiao Yuan—had now been exposed in its entirety.
If it fell into the hands of someone with malicious intentions, it could probably be exploited.
“Because this is extremely low-altitude reconnaissance,” Xiao explained. “In actual combat, for the sake of air defense, it has to fly at high altitude, so it can’t capture human faces clearly.”
“As long as we can see the enemy’s outer defenses clearly, that is enough.”
Xiao Yuan stared intently at the three-dimensional structure on the screen. At last, a sharp glint of determination ignited in his deep eyes.
He knew all too well what kind of striking power this thing possessed on the battlefield.
“If we can see the number of arrow towers, the thickness of the city walls, the estimated locations of the granaries… with this, the defensive line the Beidi have painstakingly maintained for twenty-five years will no longer be a blind spot for us.”
Xiao Yuan raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked at Xiao.
“You were right. This really is a lifesaver capable of overturning this entire deadlocked situation.”
But deep in his heart, he understood even more clearly that if the situation had not already reached a point where there was no way out, Xiao would never have casually brought this heretical artifact from an age that did not belong to this era into the open.
Xiao returned the phone to Su Muchen, neatly folded up the drone, and calmly fastened the locks on the shockproof case.
“Tomorrow, once Mu An delivers the portable power supply, I’ll set out immediately.”
Xiao raised his eyes toward Xiao Yuan and Xia Lanshi.
“Tonight, list the targets that must be surveyed in order of priority. Three days. At most nine sorties. Every minute of battery power is priceless. We can only choose the most critical blind spots to investigate.”
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly and ordered Xia Lanshi to immediately draw up the list. Then his tone sank.
“Going deep into enemy territory is no child’s game. The Beidi scouts and patrol cavalry are like wolves that have caught the scent of blood. I’ll select ten of the most elite hidden guards to accompany you.”
“No.”
Xiao refused without even a second of hesitation, his tone decisive.
“Why?” Xia Lanshi stopped writing, his brows filled with disapproval. “Although your skills are exceptional, that is the heart of the Beidi defensive line. I do not agree to let you take such a risk alone.”
“Bringing your people will only make me die faster.”
Xiao’s tone was calm to the point of coldness.
“I’m going there to infiltrate, not to attack a city. One more person means one more string of footprints, one more trace of scent, even one more unnecessary breath. If we run into patrol cavalry on the wilderness, I can slip into a blind spot alone. If I bring ten people, we can only wait to be surrounded.”
He looked directly at Xia Lanshi.
“Don’t forget, I am a ‘Gatekeeper.’ When it comes to infiltration and concealment, your hidden guards would actually be a burden to me.”
“But your authority is currently locked. You can’t open the ‘Gate’ at all!”
Su Muchen frowned deeply from the side.
Once Xiao encountered danger, he would have no way to tear open space and escape back to the modern world like he had before.
Yet Xiao’s expression did not change in the slightest.
“When it truly comes down to life and death, the Gate will naturally open for me.”
“What if it doesn’t?” Xia Lanshi’s gaze was as sharp as a blade, pressing him relentlessly.
“Then I’ll use another way to escape.”
Xiao answered lightly, but this assurance clearly failed to convince anyone present.
Looking at the solemn expressions of the three men, Xiao rarely let out a soft sigh, his tone relaxing slightly.
“I know what you’re worried about. But I’m more familiar with the terrain over there than anyone you could send. Even if something changes, I can adapt on the spot. Operating alone is the mode in which my chances of survival are the highest.”
The study fell into a brief silence.
In the end, Xia Lanshi was the one who made the concession in a low voice.
“Let’s each take a step back. We’ll send people to follow you, but they absolutely will not accompany you deeper inside. They’ll establish concealed contact points ten li outside the enemy’s defensive line, along your retreat route. Once the agreed-upon time arrives, if you still haven’t returned, they’ll advance along the route to provide assistance.”
“No.”
Xiao interrupted him again without mercy, his gaze covered in a thin layer of ice.
“No matter how long the agreed-upon time has passed, as long as I haven’t appeared at the contact point, no one is allowed to cross the defensive line even half a step to look for me.”
Xia Lanshi’s brows knitted fiercely.
“What did you say?”
“If I haven’t returned, there is no need to go in and look for me.”
“What if you’re trapped, or captured?!”
Xia Lanshi’s voice rose slightly with anger.
Xiao’s expression was indifferent, as if he were talking about some trivial matter unrelated to himself.
“Then consider me already dead.”
Xia Lanshi’s breath caught. He stared at him, unable to say a single word.
Xiao’s calm gaze swept over him and Xiao Yuan.
“My mission is to bring back intelligence, not to trigger an encounter. If even I get taken down in there, the people you send to rescue me will only be throwing more lives in like adding fuel to a fire. They’ll die for nothing. It would be meaningless.”
Absolute rationality. Absolute ruthlessness.
Xiao Yuan stared deeply at Xiao.
As a commander, he understood better than anyone that Xiao’s judgment was an impeccable tactical choice. But as someone who regarded Xiao as a companion, that clear-headedness sent an icy chill through him.
After a long while, Xiao Yuan finally spoke, breaking the stalemate.
“For the next three days, you may refuse to have anyone accompany you, and the contact point will also be established at an absolutely safe distance.”
Xiao nodded and was about to turn around when Xiao Yuan suddenly stood up.
His tall, straight figure carried an imposing pressure that brooked no refusal, and there was a trace of stubborn insistence in his voice that allowed no argument.
“But you must promise me one thing.”
Xiao Yuan stared intently into Xiao’s eyes.
Xiao tilted his head slightly.
“What?”
“No matter how priceless the intelligence is, it cannot compare to the person bringing the intelligence back.”
Xiao Yuan spoke each word clearly, his voice deep as a bell.
“I want you to come back alive.”
Xiao was slightly stunned.
Deep in those eyes that had always been as still as an ancient well, something seemed to flash past extremely quickly.
He remained silent for a long time.
In the end, he gave a low response.
“…Okay.”