Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Singapore's warm sunshine was replaced by the damp, cold night rain in Hsinchu.

An unassuming gray Toyota SUV, its tires crunching through the puddles of the alley, silently came to a stop in the shadow of an old apartment building a few kilometers from the Hsinchu UMC Science Park.

Raindrops pounded against the car roof, forming intermittent streams on the windows, blurring the desolate street scene under the dim streetlights outside.

Inside the car, the air was stagnant, with only the faint glow of the dashboard and the low hum of the electronic devices running.

In the driver's seat, a burly man with a very short buzz cut and bulging neck muscles, codenamed "Python," was confirming safety with the outer perimeter via an encrypted channel.

The co-pilot, Ah Long, the head of overseas operations for Century Security Company and the leader of the Black Dragon Squad, codenamed "Dragon Head," was meticulously wiping the slide of a specially made Glock pistol with a velvet cloth. His movements were steady and precise, and his eyes, like icy blades, scanned every suspicious corner through the rain.

In the back seat, Lin Chundong pursed his lips, his hands unconsciously clasped together, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Today's target is an old friend of his, a senior process integration engineer, who is also the chip industry talent he most wanted to take with him during his trip back to Hsinchu. The other party was initially hesitant and did not really want to betray his old employer and work in Singapore, but after his repeated persuasion and the temptation of a high salary, he finally relented.

However, he also stated that the prerequisite was that he and his family must leave quietly without alerting UMC and MI6 agents.

Once the news leaks out.

The other party will no longer acknowledge that they ever agreed to this.

And they will not hesitate to report the matter to UMC and the Military Intelligence Bureau.

"Target A: Chen Wen, Senior Process Integration Engineer, residing in Room C, 7th Floor. Resistance Level: High. A key technical backbone of UMC. His family is off today. Pick them up, Team Leader Long, and leave Hsinchu tonight. Have our backup team ready."

Ah Long's hands didn't stop moving at all; he just gave a low "hmm" to indicate that he had received it.

"Lin, you only need to confirm the target's status and intentions. The rest..." Ah Long shoved the magazine into the gun handle with a click, his voice calm and even, yet carrying an iron will.

"Leave it to us."

His expressionless eyes swept across the rearview mirror: "Remember the boss's words: spare no expense, use any means necessary, your safety is the top priority, begin the operation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the car door slid open silently like a cheetah striking.

Two members of the "Black Dragon" team, dressed in dark waterproof jackets and moving with ghostly speed, were the first to blend into the rainy night, like two drops of water merging into a river.

Using the shadows of the building and the sound of rain as cover, they quickly crept towards the apartment building entrance. Tactical hand signals were silently transmitted in the darkness. One person kept watch while the other skillfully used a special tool to silently disable the old access control system.

Lin Chundong, closely guarded by Ah Long and "Rhino," followed closely behind into the stairwell.

In the dim light, the smell of mildew and dampness filled the air.

Upon reaching the 7th floor, Lin Chundong took a deep breath and, at A Long's signal, went forward alone and gently knocked on the door of Room C. His heart was pounding in his chest.

A wary voice came from inside the door: "Who's there?"

"Engineer Chen, it's me, Lin Chundong." He tried to make his voice sound calm.

The door opened a crack, revealing Chen Wen's face, which was filled with exhaustion and astonishment.

"Lin... Engineer Lin? Why... are you here at this time?"

He clearly recognized Lin Chundong, but when his gaze swept over the two silent, towering figures in the shadows behind Lin Chundong, the color drained from his face, and his eyes were filled with fear and immense pressure.

Just then, a deliberately suppressed gasp came from downstairs in the stairwell, followed by a muffled thud as something heavy fell to the ground!
Immediately afterwards, the urgent warning from the team members responsible for perimeter security downstairs blared through their earpieces:

"Dragon Team! There's a tail! Two cars are blocking the back alley! Quite a few people, armed! Target A's wife and children...not home! Repeat, target's family members are missing."

Ah Long's pupils suddenly contracted, and all the muscles in his body tensed up instantly.

Lin Chundong's heart sank. The worst had indeed happened!

He stared at his old friend across the table: "Your wife and kids aren't home, are you being watched?"

Chen Wen's lips trembled, his face was pale, and his body was weak as he said, "It wasn't me who informed on them. My phone was tapped, and I only just found out. Even my wife and children were handed over to the Hsinchu Gang and taken away. They left less than ten minutes ago. If we hadn't been trying to lure you out, I would have been kidnapped too."

Ah Long, radiating a chilling killing intent, turned his gaze to Lin Chunsheng. Seeing the other man's eyes flicker a few times, he nodded to him. "The Hsinchu Gang is a local gang, but the governance environment here is different from yours. Gangs not only run rampant, but they also cooperate with some government departments. In my opinion, this is true. UMC must have noticed my recent activities. They've used the Hsinchu Gang to monitor us senior engineers. It's not without precedent. If we hadn't shown up in today's situation, Engineer Chen and his family would have been dealt with swiftly. If they had died in a kidnapping, UMC would have had every reason to deny everything."

Without a doubt, Lin Chunsheng still chose to believe his old friend.

Without further hesitation, Ah Long abruptly pulled the distraught Chen Bowen into the doorway and, speaking into the communicator, his voice icy cold: "Falcon, Lynx, seal off the stairwell!"

Rhinoceros, Python, activate backup evacuation plan B!

Attention everyone! We have encountered hostile armed forces. Protect the target. Non-lethal or higher force is permitted!

Repeat, permitted!
Prioritize confirming the location of the target's family members. They certainly won't dare to act openly; it's likely just a local gang operating. Make sure to intercept them. If they resist, don't ask for permission; open fire first.

In Hsinchu on a rainy night, a brutal struggle and hunt for top chip engineers suddenly erupts in the narrow corridor of an apartment building!
At this point, Ah Long had no choice but to take a gamble.

Quick fight.

They were betting that the enemy was a gang member rather than a professional intelligence agent; otherwise, if the situation dragged on, they risked total annihilation if they were trapped in the stairwell.

Of course, if all else fails, there is a third option, Plan C: abandon the target, abandon the intercepting team, cut ties and escape with Lin Chunsheng. This is the final, desperate choice, signifying the complete failure of the operation at this moment!
This night is destined to be very difficult.
Singapore.

Even in the early hours of the morning, the lights of Singapore outside the window were still bright, reflected on the dark bulletproof glass, but could not dispel the chill that had settled inside.

Lu Yang stood with his back to the door, like a cold sculpture in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The anonymous satellite phone in his hand was already soaked with sweat from his palm. Ah Long's hoarse, tired but unusually clear voice still echoed in his ears: "...The Falcon has been confirmed dead, and its body has been recovered. The Rhino has a penetrating wound to its chest and abdomen. The Lynx has a comminuted fracture of its left leg and shrapnel wounds. The Python was shot in the back while covering our retreat, and the bullet got stuck in the bulletproof plate, damaging its lungs... Target Chen Wen and his wife and daughter are safe. Dr. Lin is also safe and has boarded the ship. We are sailing away from the Hsinchu waters at full speed... Boss, we... didn't do a good job."

The last phrase, "didn't do it well," was like a barbed hook, piercing Lu Yang's heart. He slammed his fist against the cold glass, the dull thud echoing in the deathly silent study. The glass remained unmoved, leaving only a few glaring red marks seeping from his knuckles.

The pain was insignificant, far less than the heavy, cold boulder pressing down on my heart.

Dead man!
Three more are seriously injured!

Since his rebirth, he has proceeded with meticulous planning and strategy.

Wealth, technology, connections... the empire he built seemed indestructible. He was used to being the chess player, controlling the fate of every piece on the chessboard.

He calmly calculated the risks and rewards, regarding the "cost" as a necessary figure.

He always thought he could bear it, until the cold "sacrifice one person" became a specific name, because of Lu Yang's order, because of the struggle for a chip engineer, he died in a gang ambush in the dirty rainy night of Hsinchu.

"A soldier only knows how to die for his country on the battlefield, why should he need to be wrapped in a horsehide to return home..." Lu Yang murmured this ancient poem.

I tried to use it to comfort myself.

But such a young life was gone just like that. Whose son, whose husband, whose father? A huge torrent of guilt, anger, and deep frustration violently crashed against his proud, calm exterior, and finally, in the deepest silence before dawn, it burst forth with a deafening roar.

He slowly turned around, leaned against the cold glass, and slid down onto the expensive wool carpet as if all his strength had left him.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring blankly at the intricate crystal chandelier on the ceiling, his vision blurred.

Warm liquid, uncontrollably and surging, welled up from my sore eyes, slid down my tense cheeks, and splashed onto the dark carpet, leaving a small but deeper stain.

He actually cried.

For a young life lost because of him, for the heavy, unplanned price he truly felt for the first time since his rebirth.

Just then, the study door was silently pushed open a crack.

Xu Siqi, with her prominent pregnant belly, was wearing only a thin silk nightgown, and one hand unconsciously supported her bulging belly.

She woke up to find the bedside empty. The silence of the bedroom made her uneasy, so she followed the light coming from under the study door.

When she gently pushed open the door and saw the scene inside the study, she instantly held her breath, all sleepiness gone.
The boss she had never met before, the man who was always calm and composed in the business world, was now curled up on the cold ground, his shoulders trembling slightly, his face covered with tears, looking as helpless as a lost child.

"You... what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Xu Siqi's voice trembled with disbelief as she softly called out.

She held onto the door frame and carefully stepped inside. The fetus in her womb seemed to sense her unease and kicked gently.

Looking at the undried tear stains on Lu Yang's face and the bloodstains on his knuckles, her heart clenched painfully.

What on earth happened to turn such a powerful man into this?

Xu Siqi's appearance broke Lu Yang's moment of collapse.

Faced with his pregnant secretary's astonishment and worry, Lu Yang quickly suppressed his vulnerability, but the lingering grief and self-blame were hard to completely conceal.

He wiped his eyes, stood up, and said, "I'm fine, I just suddenly feel that life is very fragile."

Lu Yang didn't think there was anything shameful about a grown man crying, because it was a sign of respect for life.

He didn't try to hide his tear stains, nor did he need to.

He walked a few steps to the pregnant woman, his movements deliberately gentle, a stark contrast to the decisive and efficient man she usually knew.

Lu Yang reached out, not to hug her, but with an undeniable concern, and took her arm, guiding her toward the door. "Be good, go to sleep. What you need most right now is to rest and have a healthy pregnancy. Don't think about anything. It's just that some things happened at the company, but it has nothing to do with you. I'll take care of it soon."

After persuading Xu Siqi, who was nine months pregnant and about to give birth, to go back to bed and rest, he mustered his strength to deal with the aftermath.

We need to review the detailed operation report sent by Ah Long, understand the details of the ambush, the specific situation of casualties, and also consider the resettlement of the ships after the rescue.

Now is not the time for grief; grief must be transformed into strength, into responsibility to the living and closure to the deceased.

He picked up the phone on the table.

"Peaceful." When the call connected, Lu Yang's voice was low and hoarse. "You've already heard about the situation. Now I need you to set off immediately and personally bring them back. Everyone must be safe. Remember, everyone."

On the other end of the phone, Gong Ping'an, far away in China, didn't hesitate at all. He was always ready. "Understood, boss! I'll leave right away!"

“And the falcon…” Lu Yang paused, as if gathering strength to say the name, “His family, he should have a family, right? Compensation…” He quoted an astronomical figure that would make any security industry gasp, far exceeding the so-called 'industry standard' by dozens of times.

"We can't let those who followed me bleed and weep again. Let's make a one-time payment. In addition, we'll establish an overseas security company trust fund to ensure that his parents, wife, and children will have no worries about food, clothing, medical care, education, or housing for the rest of their lives. We'll cover all of that, at the highest standards, and this will be the precedent from now on."

"Yes, boss! I'll handle it personally, and I'll make sure it's done perfectly! So the brothers can rest assured!" Gong Ping'an's voice was solemn and moved.

"No need, we'll do it when you get back."

Lu Yang's gaze swept over the names of the seriously injured team members in the report: "Rhino and the other two, do everything you can to save them. Tell them to rest and recover. No matter what the outcome, as long as they have a breath left, I, Lu Yang, will take full responsibility."

"It would be best if you could recover from your injury and return to the team."

"If...if there is an injury or disability, and they are no longer able to participate in training."

His tone was resolute, "There will always be a place for them to continue shining, whether they are instructors at the security company's training center or at the logistics headquarters. Their compensation and benefits will only increase, never decrease. This is my promise to them, Lu Yang!" (End of Chapter)