The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

"What's going on? Why have the people of Yan suddenly increased their vigilance?"

Blake lowered his voice, a hint of doubt in it. Having spent years walking a tightrope, his sense of danger was exceptionally sharp, and he could clearly feel the tense atmosphere permeating the surrounding air.

Carter's face also darkened. He frowned and carefully observed his surroundings: "I don't know. When I came here during the day, it wasn't this secure. Could it be that Yan Kingdom discovered someone had infiltrated?"

"impossible."

Blake shook his head. "Our infiltration was flawless; there was no way we could have been discovered. Perhaps Yan Kingdom was planning to strengthen the dungeon's security anyway, and this just happened to be the time."

The two hid in a dark corner, watching the patrolling guards walk by, barely daring to breathe. They tried several times to bypass the guards, but no matter which direction they went, they encountered tight security. Once, Carter even considered rushing past a guard who had turned away, but as soon as he took a step, a guard noticed the movement, whirled around, and pointed a spear directly at their hiding place. Carter quickly retreated, his heart pounding.

Jump straight.

Time passed slowly, and the sky gradually turned a pale white, the light in the dungeon slowly brightening. Carter and Black had been lurking in the corner all night, but they couldn't find any opportunity to approach Yang Xia's cell. They watched as more and more jailers appeared in the corridor, and even several people in official uniforms patrolled the cell doors, knowing that staying any longer was pointless and might even expose them.

"Withdraw."

Carter gritted his teeth, his tone full of resentment, "The guards are too tight now, we can't get close at all. If we wait any longer, it will be even harder to get away once it's light."

Blake knew the situation was bad. He glanced in the direction of Yang Xia's cell, a fierce glint in his eyes, but finally nodded: "Okay, let's get out of here first, and then we'll discuss this further."

The two quietly turned around and carefully retreated from the dungeon along the route they had come from. By the time they returned to their temporary base in the Nebula Kingdom, it was already broad daylight.

Captain John had been waiting impatiently. As soon as he saw Carter and Black return, he rushed to greet them, his face full of anticipation: "How did it go? Did you succeed? Is Yang Xia dead?"

But when he saw the two return empty-handed, their faces showing signs of fatigue and resentment, his heart skipped a beat, and his smile froze on his face: "What happened? Why are you back? Did something happen?"

Carter lowered his head, his tone full of helplessness: "Captain, we failed. I don't know why, but Yan suddenly increased the security of the dungeon. There are twice as many guards as before, and they are all highly skilled. We lay in wait all night, but we couldn't even get close to Yang Xia's cell. We had no way to make a move."

Blake added, "That's right. Yan's defenses are too tight. There are sentries and patrols everywhere. If we move even slightly, we might be discovered. If we stay any longer, we might get caught, so we have to retreat for now."

Upon hearing this, John's expectant expression instantly turned to disappointment. He frowned, paced back and forth in the room, and tapped his fingers on the table again, but this time, the tapping was filled with frustration.

Carter and Blake stood to the side, barely daring to breathe. They knew John's temper; failure in the mission would likely result in severe punishment. Blake had even prepared himself for a scolding; after all, he had never failed before, and this time he hadn't even seen the target, leaving him feeling incredibly frustrated.

To their surprise, after pacing for a few minutes, John suddenly stopped, his agitation fading and replaced by calm. He looked at Carter and Black and said in a nonchalant tone, "It's okay, it's okay that we couldn't kill him."

Carter and Black were both stunned, looking at John with confusion, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his attitude.

John explained, “As long as Yang Xia is locked up in the dungeon and can’t leave, he can’t disrupt our plans. Now that Yan has strengthened the dungeon’s security, it’s actually a good thing for us—the tighter they watch, the harder it will be for Yang Xia to escape, and the smoother our plans can proceed. The most important thing now is not to kill Yang Xia, but to act according to the original plan as soon as possible, and there absolutely cannot be any mistakes.”

Hearing this, Carter finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that John would blame him, or even punish him, but now it seemed that the captain was not only not angry, but also understood their situation. He secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief—thankfully, he wouldn't have to bear the responsibility for the mission's failure.

Blake breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in a fist salute to John: "Captain is wise. In that case, what should we do next? Should we continue to keep an eye on the dungeon and wait for the next opportunity?"

John shook his head, his eyes resolute, and said, "No need. From now on, we need to focus all our energy on advancing the plan. As long as our plan is successfully completed, even if Yang Xia lives, he won't be able to cause any trouble."

After saying that, he turned and walked to his desk, picked up a map, spread it out on the table, and began to study it carefully. Carter and Black exchanged a glance, both seeing a look of relief in each other's eyes—at least this time, they wouldn't have to face the heavy guards in the dungeon.

Carter breathed a sigh of relief; he was afraid John would blame him, and he really wouldn't be able to bear that responsibility.

Watching Carter and Black leave, Captain John stood by the window, gazing in the direction of Yan's capital, his fingers unconsciously tracing the tabletop. Although he said, "As long as Yang Xia is locked up, that's fine," he remained uneasy—Yang Xia was too cunning; what if the Yan government suddenly changed their minds and released him? But with the dungeon heavily guarded, the assassination plan couldn't be carried out for the time being, so he could only suppress his worries and turn to advancing the secret plan of Nebula Kingdom.

Meanwhile, in the capital of Yan, Sun Zhengming was dragging his weary body home. From arranging the dungeon guards to monitoring Carter and his men's movements, he had been up all night without a moment's rest. The rising sun cast golden rays onto the cobblestone path, illuminating his slightly haggard figure. He rubbed his throbbing temples, his eyelids so heavy they almost drooped, thinking only of getting home, washing up quickly, and then getting a good night's sleep.

But just as he reached his doorstep, before he could even push open the vermilion wooden door, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Sun Zhengming turned around and saw the person in charge of monitoring John's fleet rushing towards him. The man was wearing a blue constable's uniform, his face full of excitement, and he didn't even bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Seeing the person in charge's appearance, Sun Zhengming's heavy drowsiness instantly vanished. His heart skipped a beat—could it be that John's side had made some new moves? He hurriedly went to meet him, asking with a hint of urgency, "What happened? Has John and his men made a move? You rushed over so urgently, is there important news to report?" The person in charge reached Sun Zhengming, bent over, panting heavily, and it took him a while to catch his breath. He straightened up, his face even more excited, his voice trembling slightly: "Lord Sun! You guessed right! That Carter really fell for it! Our men have been watching John's fleet all night, and just now, they started unloading cargo from the ships in a big show!"

"Unload things? What are you unloading?"

Sun Zhengming's eyes sharpened instantly, and he took a step forward to press for answers.

"It was a large box that was completely covered with buttercloth!"

The person in charge lowered his voice, his tone grave, "Our men secretly observed them while they were moving the boxes. They were heavy, and when they were loaded onto the truck, we could hear clanging sounds coming from inside, like metal clashing. In my opinion, they're most likely filled with weapons and ammunition!"

At this point, the person in charge became agitated, his tone filled with indignation: "These Nebula people are too arrogant! They actually dare to openly transport weapons on our Yan territory. They simply don't respect the Yan government at all! Lord Sun, what do you suggest we do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch them take these things away and do these dirty tricks right under our noses?"

Sun Zhengming didn't answer immediately. He frowned, his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth at the doorway. The person in charge's words stirred something within him—just as Yang Xia had predicted, John and his group had been secretly stockpiling weapons. It seemed the Nebula Nation was indeed preparing for its subsequent plans. Relations between Yan and the Nebula Nation were already tense, with frequent border clashes. If these weapons flowed into the capital or were transported to the border, it could potentially trigger a larger conflict, even igniting the fuse of war.

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze darkening. "The Nebula Kingdom is clearly preparing for the worst. On the surface, they're using the guise of 'trade,' but secretly they're stockpiling weapons, waiting for the right moment to catch our Yan Kingdom off guard. But now is not the time to act."

"why?"

The person in charge was somewhat puzzled, "Are we just going to let them keep causing trouble like this?"

"We must not alert the enemy."

Sun Zhengming shook his head and explained seriously, "Right now we've only seen them unloading their weapons, but we don't know where they're ultimately going to be transported, or what their follow-up plans are. If we rashly take action now, arresting their people or confiscating their weapons, we might stop this operation, but it will also alert the Nebula Kingdom that we've discovered their secrets. They'll definitely continue their operations in a more covert way, making it much more difficult for us to investigate later."

He looked at the person in charge and firmly instructed, "Go back immediately and have your men continue to keep an eye on John's fleet and the vehicles transporting weapons. Remember, you must conceal your movements and absolutely not let the Nebula Nation discover your presence. Record their every move, even the number of boxes they move and the whereabouts of the cargo vehicles, and report back to me immediately. This matter is of utmost importance; if we are exposed, all our previous plans may fall apart, so we must not be careless."

Although the person in charge was still somewhat unwilling, he understood that Sun Zhengming's considerations made sense. He nodded vigorously and said respectfully, "Yes! Lord Sun, I understand! I will go back and make arrangements immediately. Have the brothers keep a close eye on them and ensure that nothing goes wrong! Whatever they do, we will report to you immediately and will never let them out of our sight!"

After speaking, the person in charge turned and hurriedly ran towards the port. Watching his departing figure, Sun Zhengming's tired face was no longer sleepy. He knew that this was no longer a decision he could make alone—John's actions of moving weapons likely meant that the Nebula Kingdom's plan had entered a critical stage, and he had to immediately report this to Yan Kingdom's leader, Song Jitian, so that the leader could make the final decision.

Without further hesitation, Sun Zhengming turned around, pushed open the door, and strode inside. He didn't wash up or rest; he simply changed into a clean set of official robes, straightened his clothes, picked up the token on the table, and hurried towards the palace.

Inside the imperial palace hall, Song Jitian was discussing border affairs with several ministers. He sat regally on the dragon throne, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, his face bearing a touch of majesty. The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat heavy; the ministers took turns reporting on the border situation, occasionally exchanging a few words of debate over certain decisions.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, followed by a eunuch's announcement: "Your Majesty, Lord Sun Zhengming requests an audience, saying he has urgent matters to report!"

Song Jitian frowned and looked outside the hall: "Let him in."

Sun Zhengming strode into the main hall and bowed deeply to Song Jitian: "Your subject Sun Zhengming greets Your Majesty!"

"Get up. What's so urgent that made you rush here so early in the morning?"

Song Jitian's voice was steady, and his gaze fell on Sun Zhengming.

Sun Zhengming stood up, his face showing some urgency, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have just received news that John's fleet is making a move! They have just started unloading things from the ships. The large boxes covered with greaseproof cloths are likely to contain weapons and ammunition!"

"what?"

Song Jitian's face instantly darkened, his imposing presence on the dragon throne intensifying. "The Nebula Kingdom actually dares to stockpile weapons near the capital? What exactly are they trying to do?"

The ministers in the hall were also stunned, and they began to discuss among themselves: "The Xingyun Kingdom is too audacious! They actually dare to make trouble right under our noses!"

"Your Majesty, we must immediately send men to seize those weapons and teach the Nebula Kingdom a lesson!" (End of Chapter)