In a siheyuan within a secret military base in Beijing, the reception room was filled with the fragrance of tea. An elderly man in a Tang suit sat tilted in a chair, looking serene with his eyes closed. The electronic kettle had already boiled the water, but the old man seed oblivious, lost in peaceful contemplation. He exuded a refined aura, commanding respect and a sense of warmth. This man was none other than General Lan Xue, the head of National Blade.
Before the reorganization of National Blade, Lan Xue was a lieutenant general. After the restructuring, both the organization and his rank were elevated by one level. Lan Xue felt like Huang Zhong, who had not yet aged, envisioning how to steer National Blade toward a grander future. However, the thought of the Fourth Squadron's setbacks in Sam Country disturbed his calm. He opened his eyes to glance at the old-fashioned clock positioned diagonally, then asked, "Who's on duty? Go see if Little Wu has arrived, and if so, have him co quickly."
Little Wu was none other than Wu Jin, the director of the Special Intelligence Bureau, but only Mr. Li called him by this na. A guard outside agreed and jogged away. Shortly after, the guard returned with Wu Jin, who was in full military attire, hurrying in. Upon entering the room, Wu Jin promptly saluted and respectfully said, "Hello, Chief."
"You're here, have a seat, and let the guards outside clear the courtyard and enforce a lockdown. No one is allowed to approach," Mr. Li said calmly. Outside, soone acknowledged, and a dozen Black Shadows quickly withdrew from inconspicuous corners, disappearing outside in an instant.
Wu Jin looked around outside to make sure no one was present, then quickly sat down. The two were very familiar with each other, so Wu Jin was naturally not too formal. He sat down, and with urgency on his face, was about to speak when Mr. Li, sitting beside him, said calmly, "Don't rush, have a cup of tea first. The sky won't fall down. You still can't maintain your composure under pressure. You didn't want to say it over the phone, so what is it? Tell slowly."
"Yes." Wu Jin agreed quickly, poured himself a cup of tea, and after suppressing his anxious emotions and organizing his thoughts, he said, "Report, Chief, last night Hong ihua reported that all three squad leaders of the Fourth Squadron collectively decided to request support for the Hook Tribe."
"Support the Hook Tribe?" Mr. Li looked at Wu Jin with surprise and doubt. When Wu Jin was about to explain, Mr. Li raised his hand to signal him to wait a mont. After a brief contemplation, he said, "I know the character of Hong ihua and Lan Xue—both have a strong sense of the big picture and prioritize national interests. They should not be the ones to suggest support. It must have been Ghost's suggestion. If he could convince Hong ihua and Lan Xue, there's more behind this. Let guess."
"Your insight is impressive, Chief," Wu Jin said sincerely.
"If I were that impressive, your Special Intelligence Bureau wouldn't have suffered so much with the first, third, and fourth direct squadrons all being compromised. I'm getting old and must acknowledge so. The future world will be yours," Mr. Li said with a slightly begrudging glance at Wu Jin, continuing, "Ghost is not soone who acts on impulse. His suggestion to support must have higher-level considerations. Maybe it's out of camaraderie? Is it related to a rescue mission? What is he thinking? Could it be connected to the reasons for supporting Hook?"
"It is true, Chief, exactly as you said," Wu Jin said with admiration, "When I first received the intelligence that Hook was seeking support, I didn't think much of it. To prevent Ghost and them from getting distracted, I directly rejected it. Unexpectedly, after Ghost learned about it, he thought of more, deeper implications. I must admit, his strategic thinking ability is getting stronger."
"That's good. It shows there's a successor to National Blade. Tell , what are his reasons?" Mr. Li smiled.
"Yes," Wu Jin replied quickly, "Apart from camaraderie, he ntioned attacking Sam Country military bases in the na of the Hook Tribe to seize tactical missiles and threaten all countries friendly to Sam Country. Then conduct secret negotiations with Sam Country. If they release the prisoners, cancel the threat. If not, our country will intervene, gain trust from neighboring countries, and seize the interests controlled by Sam Country. This aligns with national interests. In other words, whether Sam Country releases the prisoners or not, we will be the winners."
"Makes sense. That guy has such a broad view? Interesting," Mr. Li said with his eyes brightening with surprise, "He has a soldier's keen instincts, an accurate grasp of opportunities, and the sensitivity of a statesman. This guy is worth cultivating. But supporting the Hook Tribe ans the Fourth Squadron can't be rescued in the short term. What do they think about that?"
"Hong ihua said there's no way to rescue the brothers temporarily, as they're all held in a temporary prison under the White House. In the next three days, they'll be transferred to the Dark Prison, but no one knows the exact date, so there's no opportunity to take action. Moreover, Sam Country might be setting a trap, waiting for us to fall into it. It's better to make a feint instead. In military strategy, this is called 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,'" Wu Jin explained seriously.
"Not bad; this line of thinking is good. The more the enemy expects sothing, the less we should do it. However, right now, the Fourth Squadron has few people, and attacking a military base isn't easy. If I'm not mistaken, the base should be guarded by three thousand Sam Country regular troops, right?" Mr. Li asked seriously.
"That's right, three thousand regular troops plus over three hundred logistics and technical personnel. Building the base requires many technical troops. However, according to reliable sources, this military base is nearly complete and may be operational at any ti. If we agree with their plan, we must act quickly," Wu Jin reminded.
"This is a serious matter. I need to discuss it with the President directly before deciding, but I believe there won't be issues. You can start preparing the necessary arrangents, including deploying submarines to secretly send them over. There's another issue: they're understaffed. Do you have any ideas?" Mr. Li inquired further.
"There are two approaches. First, have all available personnel from the Special Service Bureau headquarters count towards the mission and assist. The Shadow and Snow Fox Squadrons have rested for so ti and regained half their combat strength, while the Second Squadron, including the Drunkard, can be been mobilized to get around fifty people together," Wu Jin explained earnestly.
"And the other approach?" Mr. Li asked inquisitively.
"I rember Ghost once ntioned a concept of using the Hook Tribe as a grindstone, letting the military's Special Forces go for training and hone into an elite force through real combat. Now's the opportunity. It's uncertain if the military will agree, but if we can gather a hundred people, I believe it could work," Wu Jin explained earnestly.
"Good thinking. I'll coordinate," Mr. Li said with satisfaction, "Bring fifty people from the Special Service Bureau, and I'll find a way to get a hundred more there. Ti is of the essence; let's each make preparations and contact each other by phone as needed."
"Yes, it's best to send troops they're familiar with; it'll be easier for them to command," Wu Jin agreed, reminding him.
After pondering for a mont, Mr. Li nodded and said, "Agreed. A mobilization of this scale likely ans a hundred won't suffice. I'll strive for more." His calm gaze turned sharp, exuding a strong aura of determination.
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