A bizarre assassination plan, the manipulation of suspects, the resurrection of the chairman of the Yinxiang Group—all of this made Luo Zheng anxious. This is a battlefield Luo Zheng is not very familiar with. There are no real knives or guns, no frontal assault, not even a visible opponent, yet there is a clear sensation of their presence nearby. This feeling increased Luo Zheng's pressure, causing him to look toward Hong ihua, who was familiar with this type of situation.
Hong ihua was also deep in thought, realizing she had been sowhat careless. Things like killing invisibly on secret fronts are not uncommon, with endless variations, yet she had not taken the opponent seriously. If it hadn't been for Luo Zheng's prior alertness and grabbing the chairman at the key mont, the snake attack could not have been avoided—just under a second late would have been fatal.
Thinking about the near attack, Hong ihua's expression turned grim. Just then, she noticed Luo Zheng's look and was briefly startled but quickly understood, offering a bitter smile. After so thought, she looked toward the chairman and seriously proposed, "Once the chairman of Yinxiang Group realizes exposure, he'll undoubtedly commit suicide. Such a major matter wouldn't solely rest on one person's shoulders. However, the national dignity does not allow provocation. I recomnd the military make a show of posture to exert pressure on Yin Country, ensuring the security of this High Peak Forum. After the forum, we can settle accounts with them."
"A stance must be taken; otherwise, they'll think we're easy to bully. How do we grasp this asure? I want to hear your suggestions," the chairman said calmly, not intimidated by the assassination attempt. From start to finish, the chairman hadn't even seen what the snake looked like, feeling no psychological pressure.
"In my opinion, direct missile deterrence," Luo Zheng suggested.
"Mobilizing troops takes ti. Deploying a missile brigade is quicker and doesn't require a grand display, which is also an option. Let the artillery brigade go out for so drills," the chairman replied with satisfaction, looking toward a general in a lieutenant general's uniform.
"Yes." The general readily agreed, throwing Luo Zheng a grateful look, and moved aside to handle tasks.
In peaceti, the military rarely has opportunities to engage in combat. Small-scale skirmishes have all been taken over by Special Forces, leaving no opportunities for military rits. Luo Zheng's proposal gave the artillery brigade this chance. As the highest authority of the artillery brigade, the lieutenant general was grateful for Luo Zheng's suggestion.
However, Luo Zheng didn't think so much, purely hoping to quickly complete the military deterrence so that Yin Country wouldn't dare act recklessly. The High Peak Forum would have many people present, with a constant risk of attack. Luo Zheng dared not take risks, casting a puzzled look at the lieutenant general, unable to understand why he was thanked, but he didn't dwell on it, continuing to say, "Chairman, I'm not sure if there are any coerced or exploited mbers among our entourage. So, all actions hereafter must be carried out with utmost caution."
"Okay, since the security is entrusted to you, everything follows your plan," the chairman said casually.
"Protect the chairman well." Luo Zheng looked at Ghost Hand, and once Ghost Hand nodded in agreent, Luo Zheng gave Hong ihua a look and headed toward the rear cabin. Once there, Luo Zheng glanced at Lan Xue, focused on the box, and thought for a mont before saying, "We need to find a way to kill this snake without damaging it; otherwise, we won't be able to investigate how it kills, which would be unfavorable for us."
"What significance does finding out how it kills hold?" Lan Xue asked in surprise.
"It doesn't hold much significance, just curious if we can find defensive or counteractive asures. Since it's a venomous snake, why are there no signs of poisoning with its killings? Aren't you curious?" Luo Zheng replied with a bitter smile.
"Not curious. Won are naturally afraid of snakes. As for the poisoning issue, I suspect it's a more advanced, unidentified poison. Yin Country people like to raise snakes, training them as killers, utilizing snakes' venom adeptly. Since the opponent is a State Preceptor, they surely have exceptional skill. We probably can't see through this," Lan Xue said.
"What you say makes sense. Let have a look. Keeping this thing is a curse; it's better to execute it," Luo Zheng said, crouching down to think of a solution as he looked at the safe. Venomous snakes are yin, unaffected by water, but likely afraid of fire. Releasing it is not an option, as it can't be captured and would endanger nearby people.
With this in mind, Luo Zheng quickly devised a plan. He found a piece of tal to insert under the base of the safe, blocking the hole at the bottom so the snake couldn't escape. Then he had the items stacked above removed, took the whole portable safe aside, and called for the flight attendants.
The flight attendants looked at Luo Zheng in surprise, unsure of what was happening. Luo Zheng, not bothering to explain, said, "Open the oven. I want to bake this item."
"Oh, okay." The flight attendants, oblivious to why Luo Zheng wanted to put a portable safe in the oven, did not ask further and swiftly opened the oven. Luo Zheng carefully placed the safe inside, ensured the base and edges were in contact, wedged them in tightly, and promptly closed the oven.
"Set the temperature to the highest, ten minutes," Luo Zheng instructed seriously.
The flight attendants, though filled with astonishnt looking at Luo Zheng, adhered to the discipline and didn't question, executing promptly. Whether or not the snake could be roasted to death was uncertain, but they had to try. Once the snake was in the oven, Luo Zheng let out a breath of relief, patiently waiting. Many people around curiously watched this scene but refrained from asking questions.
Ten minutes quickly passed, and the alert sounded. The oven was cautiously opened, and the portable safe was withdrawn, feeling hot to the touch, with its exterior deford and bursting open to reveal a charred snake. Seeing this, Luo Zheng let out a sigh of relief. No matter how deadly, as long as the snake feared high temperatures, handling it was manageable. He opened the safe, retrieved the snake with chopsticks, able to discern its shape factually blackened.
Luo Zheng placed the snake under bright light for careful inspection. Its tongue was triangular, indicating it was venomous, with its body charred and its scales curled and scorched. The tail area was also burnt, making it hard to recognize as a snake. Observing for a while, Luo Zheng found nothing unusual, even when probing its mouth, the snake's teeth seed similar to those of an ordinary snake.
The entire snake had no distinct exceptional traits; perhaps it did, but it was unrecognizable after being torched. Its lethal weapon was still its teeth, with no other peculiarities. The snake's teeth were substantial; they should leave bite marks post-bite, right? So why did the previous victims not have any? How did this venomous snake manage to attack?
The venomous snake's thod of killing beca a mystery, leaving Luo Zheng disappointed. He shook his head slightly, glanced at Lan Xue, and said, "It's just charred, not incinerated to ashes. This snake is still quite formidable, probably due to the scale armor. It seems the only way to understand its killing thod is to ask the State Preceptor."
"You're planning to go to Yin Country?" Lan Xue, knowing Luo Zheng well, imdiately deduced his thoughts and couldn't resist asking. Seeing Luo Zheng nod, Lan Xue thought it over and said, "We can, after completing this imdiate protection mission. Daring to assassinate the chairman, these people are indeed audacious."
"These Yin Country bastards should be killed!" Luo Zheng angrily declared, clenching his fists, his face turning livid.
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