Strongest Soldier King

The next morning, in the Fourth Squadron's conference room.

The core members of the squadron were gathered to discuss the case. Hong Meihua glanced at the tired faces of everyone and smiled, "We've been investigating for a whole day, but at least we've got some findings. Lan Xing, you go first."

"Yes." Lan Xing responded and continued, "I traced the phone number used by Cheng He, and verified all the callers. They were indeed limited to the members within the base, with no contact with anyone outside. However, while tracking the network IP in Cheng He's room, I found some peculiar details."

As he spoke, Lan Xing tapped on the keyboard, and a person's image quickly appeared on the projection screen. Lan Xing continued, "Based on the IP, we found Cheng He had contacted this person five times. The identity of this person has been verified; he is an intelligence operative from Sam Country. They used a network phone, and the call content has been deleted, making it difficult to recover. It shows that Cheng He's computer skills aren't too bad."

"An intelligence operative from Sam Country?" Luo Zheng asked with a puzzled frown.

"Dramatically, this person was arrested by their intelligence department just a day ago, reason unknown, detention location unknown." Lan Xing continued.

"Oh? Could it be a failed mission, and now he's under investigation?" Ghost Hand suddenly said from the side.

"There are too few clues to draw conclusions. We are currently organizing forces to trace his whereabouts." Lan Xing replied.

"There indeed seems to be something odd going on. Since we don't have any leads on Cheng He for the time being, let's focus on this person first. I propose we make a trip to Sam Country. I'll lead the team, figure out a way to find this person and see if we can locate Cheng He through him." Luo Zheng seriously proposed.

Everyone pondered for a moment. Hong Meihua thought it over, found it feasible, and said, "I agree with this proposal. What support do you need?"

"Me and the Ghost Hand Team, that's about it for now. We need a safe house." Luo Zheng said.

"No problem with the safe house. We have one ready in Sam Country. I'll arrange it, but isn't our manpower too small?" Hong Meihua reminded worriedly.

"I'll go." Lan Xue suddenly said, her tone firm and unwavering.

Luo Zheng knew Lan Xue's temperament. Once she'd made up her mind, no one could dissuade her. After thinking it through, he found it feasible as well and nodded in agreement. Hong Meihua didn't object, adding, "Let's settle it this way then. The matter is of great importance. I'll also go. Lan Xing, you will handle satellite and intelligence support."

"Yes." Lan Xing quickly replied, "It would be best to bring me along. Distance weakens our information support. Once we lose satellite access, we won't be able to provide any assistance. Furthermore, Sam Country's information warfare capabilities are top-notch. They would definitely discover our satellite support. If they intercept it, it would be troublesome. If I'm on site, as long as there are information transmission towers and the like, we won't need our satellites to provide intelligence support."

"That sounds good." Hong Meihua considered this was the squadron's first mission since its founding and must not be lost. She agreed that an extra person would provide extra support. She looked at everyone and continued, "I'll handle equipment preparation. Also, we'll need support from our intelligence personnel stationed in Sam Country, so we're not completely in the dark when we arrive. Support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also necessary to facilitate entry."

"No problem, I'll handle communications." Lan Xue readily agreed.

"Alright, that's decided then." Hong Meihua seriously stated, "This is our first battle since our founding, and failure is not an option. Arrangements for leaving the country should be made quickly. By the time we arrive in Sam Country, we must determine the intelligence operative's detention location. Lan Xing, any issues?"

"No issues." Lan Xing calculated the time in his mind and responded confidently.

After the meeting, everyone went about preparing. In the afternoon, news arrived from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Conveniently, a large business delegation was heading to Sam Country. The team would blend in with the business delegation and enter Sam Country via diplomatic channels. Over ten people among a delegation of nearly a hundred couldn't possibly stand out or be noticed.

The team quickly made preparations, boarded a helicopter to Beijing, and disguised themselves as business bodyguards, mingling with the crowd to board the plane successfully. The business delegation was formed last minute, and many delegation members were not acquainted. Thus, by staying quiet and sitting at the back of the plane, they managed to blend in unnoticed.

During the journey, they kept a low profile and did not communicate with one another, acting as if they were strangers. By the time they reached the capital of Sam Country, it was already the second evening. With fake identification documents, they exited the country smoothly and checked into a hotel with the business delegation. They then gathered in a hotel room for a meeting.

Hong Meihua took out a phone, switched to speaker mode, and dialed the headquarters' number. Everyone's phones were specially encrypted, and since they were using a secure channel, attempting to listen in or decode would take time, so they weren't worried about being discovered. Once the call connected, the deputy leader of the intelligence team quickly stated before anyone could ask, "We have already located the target's position. They are held at a secret site. I'll send the address and coordinates to your phones."

Upon hearing there was progress, Luo Zheng was elated. Soon, a notification sounded on his phone. Opening it revealed a GPS navigation map, clearly showing the coordinates and the street name. Lan Xing opened a computer, input the coordinates into it, and shortly after, a surveillance image appeared on the screen, which was then sent to everyone's phones.

It was a villa, with several men in black suits moving around it, vigilantly watching the surroundings. The villa was densely surrounded by green trees, and with the darkness of night, it was hard to make out the situation inside. Lan Xing continued tapping on the keyboard while Hong Meihua, standing beside him, said, "Quickly obtain the blueprint of this villa. Everyone rest tonight, and tomorrow morning, we'll split into two groups for surveillance. I'll be with Ghost Hand, and Ghost will be with Lan Xue. The others will stay in the hotel without wandering around to avoid exposure."

"Yes." Lan Xing and the deputy leader of the Ghost Hand action team, Niu Gang, quickly replied.

Everyone returned to their rooms to rest, while Lan Xing busied himself because, as the information officer, he needed to prepare various tasks as best as possible before the operation. Luo Zheng returned to his room and saw Lan Xue following in. He signaled for her to sit down and talk, opened a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to Lan Xue, saying, "You seem to be in a bad mood."

"Hmm, my intuition tells me this situation isn't simple. Going for reconnaissance tomorrow might be dangerous. It's a strange intuition, and I don't know if it's right. I wanted to talk to you about it." Lan Xue said.

"A woman's intuition can be very accurate. You're right; this situation is definitely odd. I'm sensing something is off too but can't pinpoint what exactly. We'll have to take it step by step. How about getting some rest early? It's better to fight when well-rested." Luo Zheng said with a serious expression.

"You sense something's off too? Then there must be a problem." Lan Xue looked at Luo Zheng in surprise, and upon seeing him nod, continued with curiosity, "Do you think this might be a conspiracy?"