Half an hour later, Shi Feng relayed the ssage that the chairman of Yinxiang Group had not been found. A large police force had been mobilized to trace him, but Luo Zheng knew the other party was likely no longer in the country. Only he knew where he had gone. Luo Zheng had little hope that Shi Feng could capture the target and instead focused intently on studying the summit's itinerary.
Ti passed unnoticed, yet the missing chairman of Yinxiang Group lay like a boulder on Luo Zheng's heart. Luo Zheng even suspected the other party might have tailed them. Knowing the assassination attempt on the plane had failed, they would surely launch another attack. The thod of using venomous snakes to assassinate was impossible to guard against and allowed no room for carelessness.
In the early hours of the next morning, the plane safely landed at the airport. As the host, this country dispatched a large number of security personnel to seal off the airport, with police escort. The president of this country personally ca to greet them. Luo Zheng was not interested in politics or handling the pomp, feigning a casual deanor while secretly on high alert, wary of contingencies.
The leaders of the two countries exchanged pleasantries for a while, then introduced the high-ranking officials who ca for the reception, flowers were presented, and there were handshakes with representatives of Chinese descent. The honor guard played music, and after a series of tedious formalities, the chairman delivered a speech at the airport, expressing a desire for peace, anticipation for technological developnt, and hopes for a successful summit conclusion.
Luo Zheng stood not far from the chairman, vigilantly observing the surroundings. Security personnel were scattered nearby—all went smoothly. After the speech, they were invited into cars toward their destination. Luo Zheng was not in the sa car as the chairman; the host country was responsible for security along the way. In another car with others, Luo Zheng carefully studied the surroundings, noting the terrain and environnt as thoroughly as possible.
The journey went very smoothly, and soon, they found themselves at the President's Mansion, where they were accommodated in several villas. Corporate representatives were arranged to stay in hotels. Those staying with the president were accompanying high-ranking officials, and Luo Zheng and others were accommodated as the chairman's personal staff.
Once those escorting them arranged accommodations and left, everyone entered the villa to wash up and rest. Luo Zheng and the others checked the rooms as a precaution. Although they knew such places were unlikely to have bugs or surveillance, checking provided peace of mind, especially for Hong ihua, who was extrely thorough—the airport assassination incident had made her more vigilant.
The results were predictable: no issues. The villa had three floors; the chairman was on the middle floor, the top housed high-ranking officials, and the bottom was for staff. Luo Zheng and the others stayed on the sa floor as the chairman to guard against unforeseen events. Outside were the host country's guards, who seed competent—no need to worry excessively about safety.
After carefully checking the room, Luo Zheng climbed to the rooftop to survey. The rooftop platform was tidy, with so flowers and plants growing. Luo Zheng noticed other similar villas around, also occupied, presumably by representatives from other countries. This summit had high specifications, attended by leaders of various countries. Besides high-tech industry cooperation discussions, plenty of activities were sure to happen privately, which made security issues particularly troubleso for Luo Zheng.
Standing on the rooftop platform in the breeze, Luo Zheng felt invigorated, breathing in fresh air and imdiately liking the place—it was rare to encounter such good weather. Looking at the blue sky and drifting white clouds, he wondered when Beijing would enjoy such weather.
While in contemplation, Hong ihua approached, inspected the surroundings, and said in a low voice, "Regular security should be able to handle things outside. Whoever wants to act here would find it very difficult, but we can't afford to be negligent. If it's true that the snake identifies targets by scent, then the chairman must already have that scent. The killer could unleash another snake. What do you think?"
"I recomnd that the chairman thoroughly wash from head to toe and change into brand new clothes. The old clothes shouldn't be discarded, as they could be used strategically. Assign a room and see if it attracts the snake. My concern is soone might still be among us, leaving fresh scents on the chairman at any ti, which we can't fully guard against," Luo Zheng replied in a low voice.
"That's my fear too; it's probably impossible to completely prevent it, but doing nothing isn't an option. We'll have to rely on everyone's vigilance," Hong ihua said with so frustration, her gaze sweeping the villas around them. Soon, her expression changed slightly as she whispered, "Sam Country is nearby. Whether politically, economically, or otherwise, Sam Country might act against us. Also, look, Yin Country is just a hundred ters away—close enough for a snake attack."
"Look closely," Luo Zheng said. "In fact, Sam Country, leading the Eight-Nation Alliance, has already surrounded us. Although most are smaller countries, they have a great relationship with Yin Country, making it very convenient for Yin Country to launch a sneak attack. It seems the host did this on purpose; otherwise, it wouldn't be such a coincidence. This summit likely won't be peaceful."
"Indeed," Hong ihua agreed, and upon closer inspection, saw they were indeed surrounded by eight countries, prompting her face to turn severe. "Yue and Japan were beaten quite badly by us recently. Although we left no evidence, they surely suspect us. Overt moves are unlikely, but covert sches are inevitable. We must inform the chairman at once," she said urgently.
"You go ahead; I'll continue monitoring. Huh?" Luo Zheng suddenly gasped, eyes wide open, staring fiercely at one spot, his expression growing stern.
"What do you see?" Hong ihua stopped, following Luo Zheng's gaze. She saw soone on a distant rooftop—it was their old adversary, Jackson. Her expression changed subtly, and she looked toward Luo Zheng with a heavy heart, saying in a low voice, "He's here. It seems, like you, he's beco Sam Country's head of security for this event. Given Sam Country's relationship with Yin Country, sneaking in attacks is certainly easy, and covert cooperation might even happen. We're in trouble."
"Not might, definitely will," Luo Zheng said coolly, eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings. Although Jackson was formidable and very familiar with him, Luo Zheng had the psychological edge of having bested him several tis and wasn't afraid. The thing he most dreaded was the snakes.
If snakes identify targets by scent, Yin Country likely has multiple such snakes. The dense garden around them ant snakes could vanish into the underbrush, undetectable and elusive. If they suddenly attacked when everyone least expected it, what then? Luo Zheng's face turned as hard as iron as he fell into deep thought.
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