Chapter Forty-Seven: Twists and Turns

"Commander, what exactly has happened?"

When Colonel Luo arrived at the research facility, the building was already surrounded layer upon layer. Over a hundred soldiers aimed their rifles from every direction, reinforcements kept arriving, and some even carried heavy weaponry—a scene that seemed to presage a full-scale battle.

In a temporary command post several dozen meters away, a dozen officers clustered around Commander Li, who was personally directing the operation. The old general’s face was grim, his eyes flashing with cold, steely light. At Colonel Luo’s question, he paused, waited until the Shenlong Squad arrived, and then spoke slowly, "Qin Shouyi! As the chief of intelligence, you tell them."

A middle-aged officer nearby was drenched in sweat, though his voice remained steady. He held a small computer and said, "There’s been an intrusion at the research facility. This is the last surveillance footage we received—take a look!"

He tapped open a video file. A clear scene appeared: the entrance to Laboratory No. 3 in the research zone, the very place Jiang An and his group had visited that morning. Eight experts, including Elder Qian, entered together. About twenty minutes later, the door opened, but only Elder Qian and another man emerged. Qin Shouyi paused the footage and zoomed in. All could see Elder Qian’s expression—undeniably fearful. The man following him, with sinister, triangular eyes, was Lu Mingjie.

Colonel Luo felt his hair stand on end. The video continued: Elder Qian led, Lu Mingjie followed, both walking deep into the research zone toward another door. Elder Qian seemed reluctant to open it, pleading with Lu Mingjie, but Lu Mingjie struck him savagely in the chest. Elder Qian spat blood and collapsed against the wall, fate unknown. Lu Mingjie then searched Elder Qian, found a magnetic card, and entered the room.

The perspective shifted to an interior camera. As soon as Lu Mingjie stepped in, the automatic weapon system opened fire. Yet, his movements were ghostly and swift; not a single bullet touched him. After a moment, perhaps annoyed by the camera, he punched it violently, destroying it, and the footage ended.

Despite its brevity, the video made hearts race—especially Colonel Luo, who gritted his teeth. "Lu Mingjie! He’s actually a martial arts master! Judging from his ability to shatter the camera from a distance, he’s a grandmaster! How is this possible?"

"Humph. The facts are right before us; nothing is impossible," Commander Li sneered, his voice brimming with murderous intent. "But since he’s audacious enough to cause trouble on my turf, he shouldn’t expect to leave safely! Even a grandmaster can’t take on hundreds of guns and cannons alone!"

"Commander, this was my oversight. Who could have guessed Lu Mingjie was hiding so deeply? I request punishment, but I believe something is very suspicious about this incident," Colonel Luo said, lowering his head.

"Of course it’s suspicious," Qin Shouyi’s eyes gleamed. "What if this Lu Mingjie isn’t the real Lu Mingjie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Someone impersonated him? You mean disguise techniques!" Colonel Luo suddenly understood.

"Exactly. After the incident, I reviewed Lu Mingjie’s file again—no flaws at all. On paper, he’s just a highly skilled doctor, with a clear history. It’s impossible that no one discovered his martial arts prowess over decades! Also, take a look at this."

Qin Shouyi tapped rapidly on his computer. "Our secret chamber is equipped with the most advanced facial recognition systems. As soon as Lu Mingjie entered, the system flagged him as an intruder and attacked. Here’s the facial scan of this so-called Lu Mingjie. Notice anything?"

"Why are the bone structures so strange?"

"Bone-shifting technique!" Zishu, beside them, had already given the answer.

"Correct! Shenhou, what’s your opinion?" Qin Shouyi nodded.

A tall, slender man from the Shenlong Squad replied, "There are many ways to alter one’s appearance: disguise, illusion, bone-shifting, and so on. I know of three people in the world capable of bone-shifting. One is from the Lian family in the northwest, one from Southeast Asia, and the third—Ou Xingkong from the 'Dominion' organization!"

Commander Li’s eyes flashed like lightning. "Heh, the Dominion organization! No doubt, this is their revenge."

At his words, everyone fell silent, clearly understanding his implication.

After a moment, Colonel Luo said, "Commander, we absolutely cannot let him survive! As things stand, Ou Xingkong has seized the research facility. With his martial prowess, everyone inside could be his hostage! However, we’ve blocked the area and cut off communications. Here, in our stronghold, he’s isolated and won’t last long. Still, we must beware—he could go on a killing spree, use bone-shifting to change his appearance and escape, or simply wait for nightfall in a few hours to seize an opportunity. So we must act swiftly!"

Commander Li listened, paused, then suddenly asked, "Chenlong! How would you fare against Ou Xingkong?"

"According to the records, Ou Xingkong isn’t yet a Golden Radiance Grandmaster. I could hold him off for a while. With squad support, we could withstand him for a time. After all, a grandmaster isn’t faster than a bullet, but their reflexes are extraordinary—they can anticipate the trajectory of bullets. Yet the Shenlong Squad members are all internal energy experts and sharpshooters. If we create a barrage, even a grandmaster can’t dodge in tight spaces and would have to withstand the assault directly. Overall, he has the upper hand. To capture him alive, we’d need our own grandmaster to intervene," Chenlong replied honestly.

Commander Li suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Our grandmaster is already inside."

What!

Everyone was shocked. Their own grandmaster was inside the facility? Colonel Luo and Qin Shouyi exchanged a glance, both clearly perplexed—they hadn’t known this.

"He’ll probably contact us soon."

Commander Li had just finished speaking when a soldier stepped forward, hands presenting a black phone. "Commander, report! There’s a call—number originates from the facility’s hidden satellite phone!"

Commander Li took the phone, turned on speaker, and said, "This is Li Gancheng. Speak!"

"Commander Li, this is Wang Bixuan, Chief Order of the Guardian Manor!"

Like thunder rolling through the ranks, the revelation was astonishing. The goat-bearded Wang Bixuan was from the Guardian Manor! Colonel Luo’s heart was in turmoil. Six elderly doctors had been brought in from outside, and it turned out one was a villain from the Dominion, and another was the Chief Order from the Guardian Manor. The world was indeed small! No wonder the commander was so confident—Guardian Manor must have informed him ahead of time.

"Chief Wang, greetings. We’re aware of the situation in the facility. Our analysis suggests the culprit is someone from the Dominion, disguised as Lu Mingjie—his name is Ou Xingkong. Most surveillance has been destroyed by him. What’s your status?"

"Ou Xingkong? So it’s him. No wonder he coerced the experts to surrender their secret formulas. But he didn’t anticipate my presence and was startled off. Other than Elder Qian, who was closest to him and taken hostage, the other experts are with me, along with several senior researchers. All are safe," Wang Bixuan’s steady voice came through.

"Excellent! Chief Wang, we hope you’ll cooperate with our military operation. I’ll send the elite Shenlong Squad to support you. If you two join forces, you should have no trouble dealing with Ou Xingkong."

"No problem, but I must clarify—I’m not a martial arts grandmaster, but a practitioner of arcane arts. I’m not skilled in close combat. When Ou Xingkong attacked, if I hadn’t had a Vajra Talisman on hand to block his strike, I’d have been no match for him in such a confined space! However, if Shenlong Squad takes the lead and I provide support, capturing him should be feasible."

"Good, agreed! Proceed with caution, especially against his surprise attacks and disguise techniques!" Commander Li made his decision and issued the order formally. "I command all members of Shenlong Squad to enter the facility immediately and cooperate with Wang Bixuan of Guardian Manor to capture Ou Xingkong. Remember! He is my disgrace—and the disgrace of the Eastern Theater! I want only two outcomes: either Ou Xingkong is brought out bound, or you carry out his corpse! Execute the order!"

"We guarantee completion of the mission!" Shenlong Squad straightened their backs and responded loudly.

"Go, and take plenty of armor-piercing rounds!" Commander Li waved his hand with great authority, then suddenly bellowed, "Wen Wan! Where do you think you’re going? Stay here!"

Wen Wan, fully armed and valiant, had somehow slipped in with the others, attempting to follow Shenlong Squad and join the operation. But Commander Li’s eyes missed nothing. She stubbornly replied, "Commander, your order was for all Shenlong Squad members to execute the mission. I am a member—even reserve members count! Military orders are absolute; naturally, I must obey!"

Commander Li glared, furious. "Nonsense! Now you’re twisting my words, you impetuous girl! You’re not going! That’s an order!"

"I refuse!" Her stubborn streak flared, and she retorted defiantly.

"You’ll obey whether you like it or not! You’d only drag them down! Luo Dawei, keep an eye on her!"

Colonel Luo hurried to pull Wen Wan back, but she shook off his hand, turned her head away, and then saw another annoying person smiling at her. Anger flared in her eyes; she glared, raised her fist, and her look said, ‘Do you believe I won’t give you a beating?’

Jiang An, feeling "threatened," stopped looking at her and instead focused on the facility ahead, thinking to himself, The real drama is about to begin.