Fantasy Novel: Paradise

Hotel    22

【Twenty-One】The Counteroffensive Plan

73

Inside Room 504 of the Paradise Hotel, under the dim yellow light, John Chen, Wilson, Adono, Lin Xiaoyang, and Huang Lihua sat around a round table. An old map was spread across the table, with several prominent markings pointing toward the Swiss border. John Chen ran his finger along the border, his expression focused, and said in a low voice, “According to the intelligence sent by the Dragon Knight and my junior brother, Father Stralong, they have been trapped by Anderson’s Black Bear and White Wolf. Their Black Bat forces are pressing them hard. If this continues, Anderson will very likely personally lead his main forces across the border into Switzerland.”

Wilson frowned deeply, the corners of his mouth slightly turned downward, and asked anxiously, “Father, if Anderson’s main forces attack our headquarters, can we hold it?”

John Chen smiled slightly, his gaze cutting through Wilson’s doubts, and said confidently, “With Lin Xiaoyang here to hold the fort, even if the Demon King Anderson and the Grand Mage Rufe join forces, they may not be able to shake Xiaoyang.”

However, Lin Xiaoyang was not reassured by this. He frowned slightly, uneasiness flickering in his eyes, and said somewhat uncertainly, “Father, I’ve never fought these vampires before. How can we afford to underestimate them?”

John Chen placed his palm flat on the table and looked deeply at Lin Xiaoyang. “It’s not a matter of underestimating the enemy. Rather, these vampires will have a hard time dealing with you. You possess a pure yang body, and you have also taught yourself highly refined Chinese martial arts. You have an excellent chance of defeating Anderson and Rufe.”

Lin Xiaoyang gave a wry smile and shook his head, gently rubbing his forehead. With a hint of self-mockery in his voice, he said, “Father, putting it that way only makes me feel like the weight on my shoulders is even heavier.”

John Chen said nothing more. He merely smiled faintly. Then his tone became serious, and a hint of mystery appeared in his eyes. “I have a surprise-attack plan, and I need Adono to carry it out with me.”

Adono immediately clasped his fists and said firmly, “Father, please give me your orders.”

John Chen turned his gaze toward him and said calmly, “We will wait for Anderson’s main forces at the border checkpoint and then intercept them.”

Huang Lihua frowned, his tone filled with doubt. “Just the two of you? How can you possibly stop the thousands of Black Bat troops under Anderson and Rufe?”

John Chen smiled slightly, a confident gleam appearing in his eyes. “Of course, we cannot stop the entire Black Bat army head-on. But we will proceed in two steps. First, we will strengthen the combat capabilities of the border police and strike the Black Bat forces head-on. Second, Adono and I will secretly infiltrate their ranks and kill several commanders, throwing their troops into confusion so they will be unable to command their forces effectively.”

Wilson frowned after hearing this, still harboring doubts. “What if your identities are exposed and Anderson and his men surround you?”

John Chen smiled slightly and looked directly at Adono, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. “That is precisely why I am taking Adono with me.”

Adono immediately understood. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and his voice revealed no fear. “Father, although this is a risky move, if it can disrupt the enemy’s deployment, I will go through fire and water without hesitation.”

Huang Lihua turned his gaze toward Adono, raised an eyebrow, and asked curiously, “Adono, has the princess already taught you the Phantom Technique?”

Adono nodded and smiled slightly, a confident gleam flashing in his eyes. “Yes, Boss. The princess also taught me mind reading. She said these two spells will definitely come in handy in the future.”

John Chen looked at the five people before him, his expression becoming even more resolute. In a low but forceful voice, he said, “The main purpose of this mission is to weaken the enemy’s strength. During this period, all preparations and defensive operations at the hotel must be directed and coordinated by Wilson.”

Wilson took a deep breath, his expression becoming even more solemn. “Don’t worry, Father. I’ll make sure everything is properly arranged.”

As John Chen finished speaking, the atmosphere in the meeting room became exceptionally tense. Everyone knew that the battle about to begin would be more than just a confrontation with the Black Bat army. It could determine whether any of them would survive.

74

In the grand hall of the Sky Castle, Princess Maria received Lorna and Keith, the human-vampire couple.

Lorna bowed and said, “Thank you, Princess, for giving the two of us a chance to become human again and live under the sunlight.”

Maria said earnestly, “You truly have been given a chance to start your lives anew. You must cherish it.”

Keith clasped his hands in salute and said, “We will certainly cherish the grace the princess has shown us. If there is ever anything the princess needs us to do, we will be at your service at any time.”

Maria said, “There happens to be a mission right now that requires the two of you.”

Lorna said, “Please give us your orders, Princess.”

Maria said, “Father John Chen plans to wait at the border for the main force of Anderson’s Black Bat army and seize an opportunity to launch a surprise attack against them, weakening their morale. However, they are too few in number. I would like the two of you to go with them and provide assistance.”

Keith said, “Whatever mission the princess assigns us, the two of us will carry it out with all our strength!”

“Very well. Please wait for Father John Chen at the entrance of the hotel and meet up with him. Here are two powerful weapons for you to carry. Use them if the situation becomes critical.”

A guard standing nearby brought over two strange-looking objects. One was an invisibility cloak, and the other was a teleportation ring. He handed them to Lorna and Keith.

75

Father John Chen and Adono put on their backpacks. Xiaoyang saw them out of the hotel entrance and noticed Lorna and Keith standing beneath the shade of a tree. The two waved toward Xiaoyang and Adono and walked over to them.

Lorna clasped her hands and said, “The princess ordered us to accompany Father Chen on this mission.”

John Chen reminded them, “The fact that the two of you have abandoned the darkness and turned toward the light is certainly worthy of recognition, but this mission is quite dangerous.”

Keith said, “We are mentally prepared. The princess has given us a new lease on life, and we are willing to serve her. Even if it costs us our lives, we will do so willingly.”

Lorna said, “Keith and I plan to go ahead of you and return to Anderson’s camp undercover, so that we can provide support for your operation when the opportunity arises.”

Lin Xiaoyang reminded them, “Then the two of you must take good care of yourselves.”

“We will. If anything happens, we will send you information by text message.”

Lorna and Keith immediately set off, while John Chen and Adono watched them disappear into the distance.

John Chen asked, “Adono, can these two friends of yours really be trusted?”

Adono replied with certainty, “Father, they have sincerely pledged their allegiance to the princess. I know them well.”

76

Lorna and Keith put on human-skin masks and disguised themselves as an elderly married couple. At the station, the two supported each other as they boarded a long-distance bus bound for Italy.

As the bus approached the border checkpoint, the driver stopped in front of the barrier for inspection. A police officer boarded the bus accompanied by a fully armed soldier wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a short-barreled submachine gun. The driver handed the passenger information sheet to Officer Bass.

Bass said, “Everyone, please show your passports or identification cards.”

The driver asked, “Bass, what’s going on? Don’t you usually skip the inspections?”

Bass said, “We recently received orders from our superiors requiring us to check the identities of passengers crossing the border.”

The driver asked curiously, “What happened, Bass?”

Bass said, “It’s classified government information. I’m not at liberty to disclose it.”

The passengers took out their identification documents one after another, and the officer checked their identities individually. When the officer reached Keith’s seat, Keith handed him both passports. The officer glanced at them and immediately returned them to Keith. After the officer and the soldier finished their inspection, they got off the bus, one after the other. The barrier was raised, and the bus passed through the checkpoint.

Lorna leaned close to Keith’s ear and whispered, “Judging from this situation, the governments of Italy and Switzerland must already have received intelligence that Anderson’s main force will cross the border within the next few days.”

Keith said, “Yes. We’ll wait for Anderson in the nearest town.”

77

Keith and Lorna got off the bus in a small town called Da Vinci, the town closest to the border. The town appeared deserted and eerily quiet. Apart from armed police officers patrolling in pairs, there were no other pedestrians on the streets.

The two immediately sensed the unusual atmosphere of a storm about to break. They checked into a small hotel, where an elderly clerk at the front desk kindly warned them, “Stay indoors after dark and avoid going outside whenever possible. Things have been very unsettled lately.”

Keith and Lorna entered their room and deliberately turned on the bathroom faucet. In the bathroom, they quietly discussed the situation.

Lorna analyzed the situation. “Judging from this, the towns along the route seem to have entered a state of high alert. Anderson’s main force probably won’t openly slaughter its way across the border. Instead, they may try to avoid confrontation in order to preserve their strength.”

Keith said, “If that’s the case, the situation facing Father John Chen and Adono, who are lying in ambush at the border checkpoint, could be extremely dangerous…”

“There’s no time to lose. We need to notify the father immediately.”

Lorna took out her cell phone and sent the message.

78

On the bus, John Chen received the text message from Lorna, and his expression became solemn. Adono was worried that there might be too many informants on the bus, so he did not dare ask about it at that moment.

As soon as the bus arrived at the border checkpoint, John Chen and Adono voluntarily asked the police officers boarding the bus for permission to use the restroom. The two entered the checkpoint, and John Chen immediately found the station chief, Officer Marin.

“Are you the station chief here?”

“Yes. My name is Marin. How may I help you?”

Marin stared at John Chen and Adono, carefully sizing them up.

John Chen immediately presented his official identification, stated his identity, and explained the reason for his visit.

John Chen calmly explained, “I am Father John Chen of the Security Department of the Roman Curia. The Vatican has received information that within the next few days, a vampire army numbering more than a thousand will cross the border from Italy into Switzerland. I have been ordered to organize the border police and militia here to resist this vampire army…”

After hearing this, Marin’s expression became extremely solemn. He said anxiously, “We have fewer than twenty officers at this station, even including a squad of soldiers sent by the military for support. How could we possibly hold off more than a thousand vampires?”

John Chen said firmly, “I have a way to fight them.”

Marin said, “Tell me about it.”

John Chen took a map out of his backpack and spread it across the table. “First, we will gather the personnel from the nearby towns on both sides of the border who are capable of fighting. At the same time, we will evacuate the elderly, women, and children. Then we will use the rugged terrain along the border to establish our defenses.”

Marin asked, “What if those vampires attack the elderly, women, and children? What can we do? We can’t just sacrifice them, can we?”

John Chen analyzed the situation. “Based on the intelligence I have received, this group of vampires is carrying out this operation with considerable secrecy. Their intention is to preserve their strength, and their objective is to cross the border as quickly as possible. Therefore, they are unlikely to slaughter elderly people, women, and children along the way and draw the attention of the military and police forces of both countries.”

Marin nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll immediately notify the mayors of the nearby towns and the chiefs of their police departments and call them here for an emergency meeting.”

John Chen reminded him, “The notification process and everything after the meeting must be kept strictly confidential, so that no information leaks out and the enemy’s sentries do not discover our plans.”

“Of course!”

Officer Marin immediately made the phone calls himself, contacting the relevant personnel one by one.

79

The mayors and police chiefs of the nearby towns who received Station Chief Marin’s phone calls rushed to the border checkpoint for the meeting.

“The situation is urgent. I invited all of you here so that we can discuss how to defend against this group of vampires.”

After Marin opened the meeting, he turned the floor over to John Chen for a detailed explanation.

“Everyone, when facing this group of vicious vampires, no one can stand aside and remain uninvolved. We will hold the pass, conserve our strength while waiting for the enemy, and strike these vampires head-on!”

John Chen spoke with passionate determination, moving everyone present. The mayor of Da Vinci, Jean-Paul, looked troubled.

Jean-Paul said, “I’ve heard that vampires are completely immune to knives and bullets. I’m worried that we may not be able to defeat them at all.”

John Chen said, “The vampires’ weakness is in the head and neck. We must aim our guns at their heads and necks. Once they break through our defensive line and the two sides engage in close combat, we will use machetes and long swords to fight them at close range.”

The meeting quickly reached three conclusions:

First, the elderly, women, and children would be evacuated in advance, completely clearing the towns.

Second, the young and middle-aged men would organize defense forces. The police departments would provide rifles, handguns, explosives, and kerosene. Each group would be assigned a designated area and maintain strict defenses at several key passes.

Third, during the nighttime hours, all personnel would remain in their designated combat positions and stand ready for action at any moment.