The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 683 Provocation and Confrontation!!!
In the southwest, the mission unfolded smoothly according to the "script," and the higher-ups were paying close attention to its progress.

Headquarters compound.

The office door was heavy and solid, silently isolating the faint footsteps and whispers from the outside corridor.

The interior was not luxurious, but it was filled with a solemn sense of authority.

A huge blast-proof window let in a cold light, illuminating the massive map hanging on the wall.

Liu Zhiye sat upright behind his large desk, his figure as straight as a pine tree.

That crisp military uniform, with the gold stars on its epaulets gleaming faintly under the lamplight, silently spoke of the immense burden it carried.

The table in front of Liu Zhiye was exceptionally spacious, but it was now piled high with documents: specially made confidential document boxes were stacked one on top of another, each sealed with a conspicuous classification mark.

There were applications from a grassroots unit, situation analysis reports from various branches of the armed forces, lengthy but crucial logistical support data, and equipment deployment plans awaiting final approval.

On one side of the table, several high-security display screens were running silently.

One section displays a real-time updated overall situational map of a certain performance, with red and blue arrows intertwined and changing.

Another screen displays internal communications briefings and key data streams;
Another device is connected to the highest-level encrypted video conferencing system, ready to be activated at any time.

An ordinary-looking fountain pen is held in Liu Zhiye's well-defined fingers.

It hovers over the open document or quickly writes bold annotations in the margin—"Read," "Act immediately," "Review," "Pending discussion."

Every word spoken seems to inject a force into an invisible chain of command, potentially influencing the actions of thousands of troops.

The air was tense and silent, save for the rustling of paper turning, the subtle scratching of a pen across the paper, and the occasional low, concise voice from the internal telephone line.
"speak."

"Has the situation been verified?"

"Execute according to the plan and report at any time."

"Notify the other leaders that a meeting will be held in the small conference room in ten minutes."

Outside the window was a heavily guarded camp, a massive logistics machine that operated day and night.

In this core office, Liu Zhiye is the brain of this machine.

The phone rang again; this time it was an outside call.

Liu Zhiye's gaze fell on the caller ID; the familiar area code indicated that this was a dedicated line for the Southwest region.

"Hello!" he answered the phone calmly.

"Hello, sir, this is Lao Meng." A slightly hoarse but energetic voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hehe, I knew it was you." Liu Zhiye's lips curled up slightly, his tone carrying a hint of knowingness. "How's 'Project K' progressing?"

"Reporting to the commander, I was just about to give you a detailed report." Meng Luyu's voice suddenly lowered, sounding unusually cautious. "The operation has now reached a crucial stage. According to plan, our scouts will soon make contact with the target in prison."

"Yes, very good."

This plan is very comprehensive, with all aspects arranged perfectly, and I have nothing to add.

I will only emphasize one point: We must not only successfully complete the mission, but also ensure the safety of every one of our comrades. This is the bottom line, and also the highest principle.

"Please rest assured, sir! I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Meng Luyu straightened his back, his voice firm and powerful.

"Good! When you return in triumph, I will personally celebrate your victory!" Liu Zhiye's eyes were piercing, and his tone was firm.

"Commander, it's a deal! It's been a few years since you last inspected our forward command base, so you should take a good look at our new changes this time..." Meng Luyu smiled and took over the conversation, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"You, Meng Luyu, are you implying indirectly that I, as your superior, don't care enough about my subordinates?" Liu Zhiye laughed heartily.

"Not at all, I'm just hoping the leader will come and guide our work more often!" Meng Luyu quickly waved his hand, his face full of a simple and honest smile.

"Alright, that's enough for now. I have an 'exercise' meeting to attend, and time is tight, so I won't say any more. Goodbye!" Liu Zhiye glanced at his watch and said into the microphone.

"Goodbye, Chief!" Meng Luyu said.

Liu Zhiye had just hung up the phone, a pleasant smile still on his lips.

The familiar voice of his old subordinate made him feel warm and fuzzy, as if he had returned to the days when they fought side by side.

"Knock knock knock!" A gentle knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Please come in!" Liu Zhiye raised his head, his voice loud and steady.

The office door was gently pushed open, and a lieutenant colonel staff officer in a crisp military uniform strode in.

The young officer stood tall and straight, exuding the capable demeanor unique to soldiers in every gesture.

"Reporting to the commander, the meeting will begin in five minutes." The staff officer stood at attention and saluted, his voice clear and strong.

Liu Zhiye nodded slightly: "Understood, we'll head over now." He straightened his uniform collar, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, clearly ready to get to work.

……

Command hall of a military exercise.

"Commander! The 'Sea Eagle' reconnaissance group is being suppressed by strong electromagnetic interference in the East China Sea!"

Signal lost!

Preliminary identification indicates it is a 'Blue Shark' class electronic warfare ship! Location: East longitude XXX, North latitude XXX, approaching the edge of our exercise no-fly zone!

Each word felt like a cold, leaden block hitting the floor.

The air in the command center suddenly froze.

Liu Zhiye's pen, which had been hovering over the document, left a barely perceptible ink dot.

He looked up abruptly, his eyes instantly focusing with the sharp, hawk-like light of a falcon. There was no gasp, no panic.

Time seemed to be compressed, with only the gears of thought spinning at supersonic speed.

Liu Zhiye suddenly stood up and strode towards the giant electronic situation map that occupied an entire wall.

On the screen, the vast sea area is being rapidly swallowed and covered by a strange, ever-expanding cloud of gray-black electronic interference.

A striking red triangle—the enemy's "Blue Shark" class electronic warfare ship—emerges like a venomous stinger from the deep blue background, its position extremely cunning, right next to the edge of the exercise area, carrying a naked provocation and probe.

"Target intentions?" Liu Zhiye asked calmly.

"Interference and suppression, intended to cut off my forward reconnaissance information chain and paralyze my situational awareness!"

At the same time, its location is right next to the no-fly zone, testing my bottom line!
Electromagnetic signal characteristic analysis confirmed that it was their newly deployed 'Abyss' system, with extremely high power! The chief of staff spoke at the same rapid pace, the information clear and accurate.

Liu Zhiye's gaze swept back and forth between the gray-black interference cloud and the red triangle, his eyes as cold as polar ice.

He saw the cunning of the opponent's tactics—exploiting the ambiguity of the exercise rules to exert pressure at near-limit levels.

The enemy is playing with fire!

"Order!" The two words were decisive, and Liu Zhiye instantly set the tone.

"1. 'Thunder' electronic warfare unit, immediately activate the 'Sky Shield' countermeasure plan!"
Bump this up!
Objective: Suppress the 'Blue Shark' interference source and restore the 'Sea Eagle' communication link! Highest priority!

"2. J-10 air assault group, advance to B7 airspace and stand by! Disarm weapons! Enter Level 1 combat readiness!"

"3. Immediately connect to the flagship of the exercise fleet, the Dongshan! I want to speak directly!"

"4. External channels, launched simultaneously!"

We issue the strongest warning to the relevant parties!

This is a serious provocation against my core interests!

The orders came one after another, clear, decisive, and without any redundancy, carrying Liu Zhiye's iron will.

Liu Zhiye turned around, took a few steps to the desk, and grabbed the red secure satellite phone.

"Dongshan ship? This is Liu Zhiye! What's the situation there?" His voice, penetrating through the microphone, carried an undeniable power, reaching the flagship "Dongshan" thousands of miles away.

A similarly somber and rapid report came from the other end of the phone.

As Liu Zhiye listened, his brows furrowed, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Listen! 'Blue Shark' is testing our nerves! Push it out! 'Thunder' has initiated countermeasures, you must ensure 'Sea Eagle's' safe evacuation!"
At the same time, order your 'Hidden Dragon' to advance to Sea Area X and keep a close watch on it! If the other side dares to cross the line..." Liu Zhiye's voice paused here, and an invisible killing intent spread out.

"...Your department is authorized to take all necessary measures to resolutely expel them! Remember, the bottom line is the red line! It cannot be crossed!"

"Yes! We will carry out the order without hesitation!" came the resolute reply from the other end of the phone from the fleet commander in charge of the exercise.

After hanging up the red phone, Liu Zhiye immediately turned to another screen.

This is a live feed from the command center of the "Thunder" electronic warfare brigade.

The young commander's face was tense as he rapidly issued commands into the microphone.

On the huge spectrum analysis chart, the gray spikes representing enemy interference roar like ferocious beasts, while the blue barriers representing our countermeasures are stubbornly building up inch by inch to resist!
"Reporting, Commander! The 'Sky Shield' system is 90% loaded! It is locking onto the core frequency of the enemy's jamming source! The 'Sea Eagle' signal... there are slight signs of signal recovery!" The commander's voice on the screen was tinged with excitement and tension.

"Ignore the signs! I want results! Suppress it completely!" Liu Zhiye said in a deep voice to the screen, each word carrying immense weight.

Time passes minute by minute.

Inside the command center, only Liu Zhiye's steady yet imposing footsteps and the occasional low-voiced reports from the chief of staff on the latest situation could be heard.

On the electronic situation map on the wall, the gray-black interference cloud was still churning, but the blue halo representing the "Thunder" countermeasures was stubbornly shrinking its range.

The fighter jet icon representing the "J-10" strike group has arrived at the designated airspace like an arrow released from a bow, with the weapons under the wings gleaming coldly.

Liu Zhiye walked to the window again. Outside, the headquarters building was brightly lit, with countless windows lit up, like sleepless eyes.

All departments participating in the exercise were operating at high speed under his command.

Liu Zhiye raised his hand and looked at his watch. Only twelve minutes had passed since "Blue Shark" started interfering.

The chief of staff strode over again, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of excitement: "Sir! 'Thunder' reports! Successfully locked onto and suppressed the enemy's 'Abyss' system core frequency band! The 'Sea Eagle' reconnaissance group's signal has been restored to 70%!"

Re-establishing a complete data link! 'Blue Shark'... is turning to disengage! The speed is slow, as if it's observing!

"Observe?" Liu Zhiye's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then let them see clearly! Order the J-10 squadron to conduct a formation display in safe airspace! Show them the power! Tell them this is not a place for them to run wild!"

Liu Zhiye walked back to his desk, his gaze sweeping over the document on the table concerning the "new type of deep-sea combat platform" and then over the "Blue Shark" logo that was turning on the situation map.

A certain sea area.

The J-10 air assault group's sharp fighter jets roared in.

They demonstrated tactical maneuvers in textbook-perfect formation within designated safe airspace.

The missiles mounted under the wings reflected a cold, sharp light in the moonlight, like the fangs of a beast baring its teeth, conveying a silent yet thunderous warning: This road is blocked!
After a brief pause and hesitation, the "Blue Shark" finally began to accelerate, slowly retreating into the depths of international waters with a hint of reluctance.

All signal lights of the "Sea Eagle" reconnaissance group became bright and stable again, and the data link returned to normal.

"Reporting to the commander, 'Blue Shark' has broken contact with our forces and is rapidly retreating towards the XX sea area."

The 'Seahawk' reconnaissance data link has been fully restored and is transmitting critical information.

Liu Zhiye nodded slightly, but there was no sign of relief on his face.

He sat back in the spacious chair, but his gaze never left the massive situation wall.

On the screen, the dots representing the J-10 fighter jets were returning to base in an orderly manner, and the blue halo representing the Thunder electronic warfare unit was gradually fading away. Everything seemed to have returned to the calm before the crisis.

However, the invisible string in the air did not truly relax.

Although the crisis has been temporarily averted, it is far from over.

This was more like a carefully planned test, a test of our reaction speed and willpower.

And those twelve thunderous minutes just now were Liu Zhiye's answer.

“This is just a test,” Liu Zhiye’s deep voice broke the temporary silence. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound, as if probing for a deeper intention.

"A well-planned and minimally costly reconnaissance operation."

They want to see not only our reaction speed, but also the depth of our defenses, the limits of our electronic warfare capabilities, and... the resilience of our chain of command.

The chief of staff's expression hardened: "Sir, do you mean...they have a backup plan?"

Liu Zhiye nodded.

As if to confirm his judgment, almost at the same moment, a young major in the airspace early warning unit suddenly stood up, his voice filled with disbelief and tension:

"Report! The 'Skynet' system has detected an anomaly! Altitude..., near the edge of low Earth orbit, a high-speed unidentified flying object has appeared!"

Its trajectory is erratic; it's attempting to change course and cut in! Electromagnetic signature...extremely weak! Preliminary assessment:...high-altitude stealth reconnaissance..."

"What?!" The chief of staff's pupils constricted sharply. Such a high altitude, far exceeding the firing range of conventional air defense weapons!
Moreover, the "extremely weak" electromagnetic signature means that the other party has used top-notch stealth technology!
The entire command center was instantly enveloped by an even deeper chill.

The "blue shark" at sea was just a feint; the real "eye" was actually hovering in the sky above everyone's heads!
"Target trajectory!" Liu Zhiye suddenly stood up.

The huge main screen immediately switched to a space and air situation map.

A barely perceptible trajectory line, with a faint halo, glides along the edge of the near-Earth orbit like a ghost.

Its trajectory calculations show that it is attempting to use the Earth's curvature and complex orbital mechanics to cut into an excellent position that overlooks our key exercise area and even some inland strategic nodes!

"What a brilliant 'feint'!" A sharp glint flashed in Liu Zhiye's eyes. "Using the 'Blue Shark' to draw our naval and air forces and electronic warfare main force."

The real killer move is this invisible flying machine!

What they want is the core data from our exercise, the electromagnetic spectrum characteristics of our new equipment, and the communication nodes of our command system!

"Command!" Liu Zhiye's voice was like a drawn sword, resolute and decisive:
"1. 'Skynet' system, highest priority! Lock onto 'unidentified flying object' and continue tracking!"

Calculate all possible trajectory change paths and reconnaissance windows!

"2. Activate the 'Houyi' anti-near-space system!"

Enter Level 1 Combat Readiness! Authorize the use of the 'Kinetic Interception' contingency plan!

3. All participating troops shall immediately implement the highest level of 'electromagnetic silence' contingency plan!
Key nodes activate backup low-frequency communication! Disguise and deception system fully operational!

"4. Space Defense Command Center, I need real-time video feeds! Immediately!"

The command, like an invisible current, instantly activated a deeper and more covert defense system.

On the screen, the detection beam representing the "Skynet" system instantly intensified, like an invisible giant net cast into the deep starry sky, firmly gripping that faint point of light.

In a remote mountain base, the massive launcher codenamed "Houyi" slowly adjusted its elevation angle, its cold body gleaming eerily in the moonlight, poised to fire.

The screen from the aerospace defense command post was displayed on the main screen.

On the huge radar screen, the faint signal dot representing the "unidentified flying object" finally became clearly visible after intensive filtering algorithms and enhancement processing.

Like a cunning fish, it nimbly navigates the noisy edge of the data ocean, constantly attempting to change course and maneuver.

"Reporting to the commander, the 'unidentified flying object' is performing its third orbital change!"

"Intending to evade my 'Skynet' main beam lock! Orbit predictions show that it will enter the optimal reconnaissance window for my exercise core area in three minutes!" The air and space command commander's voice was solemn and urgent.

Time is like a spring compressed to its limit!

three minutes!
The other side was clearly aware that it had been discovered and was doing everything it could to obtain those crucial few seconds of data before being driven away or shot down!

"Commander! The 'Houyi' system has been locked! Should we..." The commander of the aerospace command post spoke with urgency, as if seeking instructions.

Liu Zhiye stared intently at the "unidentified flying object" on the screen, which was stubbornly approaching like a leech, his eyes so sharp they could pierce through the screen.

He saw that the other party was making a desperate gamble, and he also saw the huge risks involved.

Shooting down a stealth target flying at high speed at the edge of low Earth orbit is technically extremely difficult, and the consequences of failure or misjudgment would be unimaginable.

However, allowing it to enter the reconnaissance window would come at a huge cost!

The immense pressure weighed heavily on Liu Zhiye's shoulders.

The command center was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone's eyes were fixed on that tall, silent figure.

One second...two seconds...

(End of this chapter)