Volume One: The Crimson Fiend

Chapter 0001: Nuclear Crisis

　　2012, Latvia, Multinational Intelligence Sharing Office.

　　"Where is the Crimson Fiend?" Angela roared.

　　The usually seductive and enchanting Norwegian beauty's eyes blazed with raging fire, her stunning cheeks even distorted and twisted. She unleashed all her anger without reservation or disguise, erupting with volcanic fury.

　　"Bang!"

　　Angela slammed her fist hard on the desk, roaring again: "Tell me, where is the Crimson Fiend! Tell me where that Chinese bastard is!!"

　　The solid wood desk couldn't withstand Angela's wrath, cracks spreading across its surface. Meanwhile, the skin and flesh of Angela's right fist split open, blood slowly seeping from the wound and into the cracks.

　　Everyone chose silence—no matter how outstanding the intelligence officer, no matter how powerful the combatant, without exception.

　　A woman's anger is terrifying; a beautiful woman's anger is horrifying; but the fury of a stunning woman in a position of power is utterly despairing.

　　The head of the Multinational Intelligence Sharing Office, Angela, was exactly the kind of woman whose outburst could drive people to despair. When calm, she was a tempting enchantress; when enraged, she was a furious lioness baring her fangs!

　　"Crimson Fiend! Edward Baldwin!!" Angela gritted her teeth, clenching her blood-soaked fist, and ordered her assistant: "Notify the seven nations: 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons have been stolen. The thief—Edward Baldwin, codename: Crimson Fiend! If necessary... kill on sight!"

　　This was an unprecedented, unimaginable nuclear heist. Edward Baldwin, who had once served as an observer at the Multinational Intelligence Sharing Office under the codename Crimson Fiend, had, in a single night, stolen all 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons stored at the Ukraine branch awaiting destruction.

　　The Multinational Intelligence Sharing Office was established by the world's seven nuclear powers, with its main duty to investigate any potential weapons of mass destruction in countries or regions outside the seven, crack down on any nuclear weapon transactions, research, or production, and supervise the enforcement of nuclear disarmament treaties between nations.

　　This was a large-scale disarmament operation, jointly signed by the seven nuclear powers and observed by 124 non-nuclear countries.

　　But on the eve of destruction, Edward Baldwin took advantage of his position to steal all the nuclear weapons. If 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons were to fall into the wrong hands, it would trigger a global nuclear catastrophe!

　　Upon learning of the theft, the seven nations immediately fell into panic—and their panic meant panic for the entire world.

　　Tactical nuclear weapons—1,200 of them!

　　Tactical nuclear weapons, also known as battlefield tactical nuclear weapons, are different from strategic nuclear weapons. They are used to strike military targets that directly affect operations: command posts, missile launch sites, massed troops, airports, ports, tank groups, warehouses, etc. They include tactical nuclear missiles, nuclear bombs, nuclear shells, nuclear mines, nuclear depth charges, neutron bombs, and more. Their main features are small size, light weight, high mobility, high accuracy, and relatively low yield.

　　A single tactical nuclear weapon is nothing compared to a Julang-2A intercontinental ballistic missile loaded with six 250-kiloton MIRV thermonuclear warheads. But 1,200 of them is a different story. Their small size and high mobility mean that if they are scattered around the world and fall into the hands of terrorists, it would be doomsday!

　　U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk Headquarters—the supreme commander gripped the phone tightly, issuing orders in the most serious tone of his life: I don't care if the Crimson Fiend is dead or alive, I just want to know where those 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons are!

　　British Royal Navy Fleet—eighteen special forces members, each wearing a frog and oar insignia on their arms, received a sudden top-level orange alert: Crimson Fiend—find and kill!

　　Russian A-10 Special Forces—this mysterious nuclear unit was fully mobilized. Their mission was singular: kill the Crimson Fiend and recover the tactical nuclear weapons.

　　……

　　The seven nuclear powers responded immediately. If they couldn't recover the stolen 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons, not only would they be unable to answer to the world's people, but they would also have to face the endless nuclear attacks that would soon follow. If things really escalated to that point... no one could bear the consequences.

　　Kill the Crimson Fiend, recover the 1,200 tactical nuclear weapons!

　　Russia, North Caucasus region.

　　Amidst the layered mountains, Edward Baldwin, dressed in mountain combat gear and carrying what was known as the world's best L115A3 sniper rifle, lay atop the roof of a carefully camouflaged, battered truck.