Chapter 245 Top Secret: Old Master Xu's Furious Deployment of Troops

Shen Zhong stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the Handong Military Region Command Center.

The night outside the window was dark, and the searchlight beams of the military region intertwined in the night sky, cutting through the deep darkness.

He picked up the internal phone, dialed, and held the receiver to his ear.

The phone rang with a connection tone, followed by a hoarse cough.

"Old boss, I have evidence of the Zhong family's crimes."

Shen Zhong got straight to the point, without any unnecessary pleasantries.

He turned and walked to the command console, rapidly typing on the encrypted keyboard with one hand.

A huge encrypted compressed file was displayed on the screen.

This includes the core physical evidence that Qi Tongwei and Lu Yike compiled overnight, as well as the underlying data that the military's information department forcibly extracted from overseas servers.

He pressed the Enter key heavily, and the progress bar began to advance rapidly.

"The attachment has been transmitted via the highest level of military-grade encrypted link."

"Inside are complete recordings of the Chung family hiring foreign assassins through the Mong Pak Building on Hong Kong Island, as well as all the accounts and transaction records of their money laundering through underground banks over the years."

"The amount involved is as high as several billion."

Four Nine Cities.

Inside a courtyard house.

The heating in the study was on full blast.

Old Xu put on his old reading glasses and picked up the military-grade encrypted tablet computer on the table.

The screen was filled with dense data, and each transaction clearly pointed to several hidden accounts overseas.

The flow of several large sums of money directly corresponds to the bounties offered for the recent violent clashes in Handong.

The guards beside him stood ramrod straight, even deliberately suppressing their breathing.

The air pressure in the room dropped to an extreme level.

All that could be heard was the sound of the old man's rough fingers sliding across the screen.

Shen Zhong continued his report on the other end of the line.

"They've overreached."

"Not only did they forcibly interfere in the local military and political struggles in Handong, they even kidnapped the families of important local officials in Handong across regions."

"The intention was to coerce local officials and control the overall situation in Handong through such violent, underworld methods."

"Such behavior, which disregards the law and tramples on the bottom line, is tantamount to treason."

Mr. Xu slammed the tablet computer heavily onto the mahogany desk.

He took off his reading glasses and threw them aside.

"Heavy."

"That old man from the Zhong family is like an old rock on West Mountain, deeply entrenched, with a huge network of interests involved."

"People would flock to him to pay their respects, their doorsteps would be worn out."

"What are you planning to do about him?"

Shen Zhong looked out the window at the darkening sky, his posture upright.

"Without using the local public security system."

"On the grounds of endangering national military security, the Longya Special Forces directly carried out arrest missions across regions."

"I will cut off all local political interference and make this case an ironclad case that no one can overturn."

"Anyone who dares to step forward to protect the Zhong family will be investigated along with them."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Old Xu closed his eyes.

The peaceful and prosperous era we enjoy today was bought with the lives of those old comrades who braved gunfire and bullets in the trenches back then.

Now, however, the situation has become chaotic due to the actions of these self-proclaimed descendants of powerful families, who have even extended their reach to the families of military personnel.

The old man slammed his withered hand heavily on the mahogany desk.

"Snapped!"

The blue-and-white porcelain teacup on the corner of the table was shaken and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The scalding hot tea splashed everywhere, staining the expensive carpet.

The guard immediately stepped forward to clean up, but the old man raised his hand to stop him.

"I'm granting you permission!"

"Don't pay any attention to those bullshit rules!"

"Go for it! Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you with my old bones!"

Shen Zhong straightened his back and gave a perfectly standard military salute into the phone.

"We guarantee the mission will be completed."

Shen solemnly placed the red secure telephone back on the landline.

He turned and walked to the other side of the command platform.

Zhou Weiguo stood in front of a huge tactical electronic map, waiting for orders, with a live-fire pistol at his waist.

"Pass on my orders."

"The entire army shall immediately enter a state of first-level combat readiness."

"All members of the Dragon Fang Special Forces are canceling all leave. Assemble at Helipad 3 in five minutes."

"Everyone, live ammunition loaded."

Shen Zhong pulled a newly generated document from the high-security printer next to him and handed it over.

Zhou Weiguo accepted the electronic authorization letter with both hands.

My gaze fell on the column for the signatory.

It was stamped with the bright red seal of the Central Military Commission, indicating it was a top secret.

Zhou Weiguo's Adam's apple bobbed, and a layer of cold sweat seeped out of his back.

He knew perfectly well what the red mark on it represented.

This is going to directly cross the administrative boundaries of Handong to arrest people and break through that high and mighty heaven.

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Weiguo stood at attention, saluted, turned around, and strode out of the command center.

The military boots stomped on the metal floor, producing a dull, powerful echo.

Ten minutes later.

Hantong Provincial Military District No. 3 Helipad.

The massive rotors of three military heavy transport helicopters began to spin at high speed.

The strong winds whipped up fallen leaves and dust from the tarmac.

Fully armed Dragon Fang special forces members, dressed in black combat uniforms, wearing night vision goggles and communication helmets, stood in neat tactical formations.

The beams of tactical flashlights crisscrossed in the night.

The team members checked the firearms with deft movements, the metallic clanging of the bolts being pulled echoing throughout the room.

The team leader gave a tactical hand signal.

Everyone boarded the plane quickly and in an orderly manner.

The entire military region was shrouded in an extremely oppressive and chilling atmosphere.

Tonight, the nation's sharpest blade will be drawn.

Four Nine Cities.

The Zhong family's luxury villa is located in a prime location where land is extremely valuable.

A huge crystal chandelier cast a warm yellow glow, illuminating the luxurious living room filled with antiques.

Chung Hsiao-ai, dressed in an expensive silk nightgown, sat on a custom-made Italian leather sofa.

She was holding a half-full glass of very old red wine.

In his other hand, he held a specially encrypted satellite phone, his fingers rapidly pressing the buttons.

All that came through the receiver was a mechanical dial tone.

Reluctantly, she hung up and dialed another backup number.

The call still failed to connect.

The liaison for the cleaners over at Wangbeilou has completely disappeared.

Zhong Xiaoai tossed the satellite phone onto the coffee table.

The red wine in the goblet swirled, spilling a few drops onto the pure white Persian carpet, leaving dark red spots.

She stood up and paced back and forth in the spacious living room.

The high-heeled sandals made a crisp, jumbled sound as they stepped on the marble floor.

The situation in Handong has completely slipped out of her control.

Zhao Lichun was arrested after his downfall, Zhou Guichun was placed under investigation at a Standing Committee meeting, and Zhao Donglai was also detained.

Sha Ruijin can't even hold the table in the Standing Committee anymore; he's been cornered by Shen Zhong and Li Dakang working together.

Most fatally, the people she sent to Handong to silence them vanished without a trace, without even making a ripple.

Zhong Xiaoai stopped in her tracks, her chest heaving violently.

Can't wait any longer.

The military leader in Handong named Shen Zhong did not follow the usual rules of officialdom at all.

The other side holds military power and doesn't play by any political games.

From forcibly intercepting Ding Yizhen's flight to violently suppressing Dafeng Factory, and now to wiping out the assassins of Wangbeilou in one fell swoop.

This man is a completely unreasonable war machine.

She walked quickly toward the study at the end of the second floor.

I pushed open the heavy solid wood door.

The study was filled with the rich scent of ink and top-quality sandalwood.

Grandpa Zhong, dressed in a loose-fitting dark Tang suit, was standing in front of a rosewood desk.

The old man held a wolf-hair brush in his hand and was wielding it on a large sheet of Xuan paper.

"Grandpa, something has happened in Handong."

"Sha Ruijin lost his composure, and the line of sight to Wangbeilou also broke."

Zhong Xiaoai walked to the desk and spoke very quickly.

"Shen Zhong must have gotten hold of our things."

"We must immediately use your key connections at the top to put pressure on the Handong Military Region to transfer Shen Zhong away from Handong."

"Once we get rid of him, we have plenty of ways to deal with the rest, like Li Dakang and Gao Yuliang."

Grandpa Zhong's wrist remained steady, unaffected by any interference, as he made the final stroke on the rice paper.

A powerful and vivid character for "stillness" leaps off the page.

His brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, exuding the imposing aura cultivated over many years in a high position.

He placed the brush on the jade brush holder and picked up a hot towel to wipe his hands.

"What's the panic?"

Grandpa Zhong tossed the towel onto the tray and turned to look at his anxious granddaughter.

"As long as I'm breathing, what can those peasants in Handong do to turn the world upside down?"