I put you in charge of those rebellious female soldiers, how come they all became top special forces

Inside the cabin, Chen Zheng's portable terminal vibrated slightly.

Chen Zheng extended his right hand, his thumb hovering above the receive button for less than half a second before pressing it down heavily.

This is an order issued directly from the highest level.

The content was so forceful that there was no room for negotiation.

There was no explanation, no discussion, only these few cold military orders.

Chen Zheng stared at the words on the screen, pondering the entire situation.

This order struck at the heart of his most realistic considerations.

Chen Zheng himself didn't want to get involved in this mess.

As the investigation progressed, he realized that it was no longer just a CIA issue.

This involves the Snowline Group, an insider, and even history that was deliberately suppressed by the higher-ups.

If the investigation continues, it will uncover all sorts of dirty secrets and could even cause huge upheavals.

Chen Zheng's first reaction was clear.

Obey orders.

Reason told him that withdrawing immediately was the safest option at present.

He moved quickly, unplugging and turning off the terminal with a click, then turned and strode to the table to disassemble the old-fashioned shortwave radio.

After disassembling the machine components, Chen Zheng grabbed a few sketches he had just drawn on the table, crumpled them into a ball, and threw them into the brazier at his feet.

The flames shot up instantly, engulfing the paper with their tongues, crackling and popping as they burned.

Ah Kun had been squatting by the door, still wondering what to do next, but when he saw this scene, the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

This Mr. Chen's change of attitude is too fast.

They were all set to make a big splash just a moment ago, so why are they destroying evidence after receiving a message?

Could it be that the higher-ups are going to discard him after he's served his purpose, and Boss Chen is preparing to run away with everyone?

An Ran stood on the other side of the table, her hands hanging at her sides.

At first, she didn't make a fuss or ask any questions; she simply opened her eyes wide and stared intently at Chen Zheng's every move.

Watching the blueprints turn to ashes, and watching Chen Zheng methodically clean up his personal equipment.

An Ran held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Chen Zheng was once again playing the double game.

After all, in past missions, this man always liked to mess with people's mentality like this.

Chen Zheng brushed the ashes off his hands, turned to look at A-Kun, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Get ready. You take Zhou Cheng and the others out first and find a safe route."

"We're leaving."

Ah Kun stood there, stunned, hardly believing his ears, and even reached up to pick at his ear canal.

"Are you really leaving?"

Chen Zheng's eyes swept over sharply.

"This is a strict order."

Ah Kun immediately shrank his neck, nodded repeatedly in agreement, and turned around to start picking up the tattered packages on the ground.

For him, being able to escape would be the best outcome.

After all, I've worked my way up this far, and even if I haven't made any great contributions, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. My life after returning home has been visibly bright.

An Ran watched as Chen Zheng not only issued the retreat order, but even began to remove and count the spare magazines, and her heart sank.

Chen Zheng was truly ready to leave.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to control her surging emotions, and clenched her fists.

"If you want to leave, then leave. I'll go myself!"

Chen Zheng didn't even look up, continuing to examine the Glock pistol in his hand, his tone icy.

"You can't go anywhere; you have to come back to China with me now."

Caught between the two, Ah Kun felt the atmosphere in the sawmill growing increasingly tense, making it difficult to even breathe.

He swallowed hard and rubbed his hands together, trying to smooth things over.

"Miss Lin, Boss Chen is just looking out for the bigger picture. Let's get them out of here first. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback."

Before he could finish speaking, he met An Ran's gaze.

An Ran's eyes were frighteningly red, and there was not much anger in them, but rather a stubbornness and determination.

Ah Kun's heart skipped a beat, and he shuddered on the spot.

He had seen that look in his eyes far too often on the border; it was the look of someone driven to desperation and ready to fight to the death.

Miss Lin is not someone to be trifled with, but is Boss Chen someone to be trifled with?

Left with no other choice, he could only turn around quickly.

"Alright, Zhou Cheng, old man, let's go outside and see if the rain has stopped."

While muttering to himself, Ah Kun frantically pushed and pulled Zhou Cheng and the others to leave.

"Hurry up, hurry up, make room for the leaders to have a meeting."

In less than ten seconds, only Chen Zheng and An Ran remained in the wooden shed.

The wind and rain outside had not stopped, and the raindrops pounded on the tin roof with a dull sound.

An Ran finally couldn't suppress her emotions and rushed forward, grabbing Chen Zheng's hand as he was adjusting his tactical vest.

The two were facing each other.

"The coordinates are right in front of us, and the clues have all matched up. What right do you have to let me leave now?!"

"I don't necessarily want to compete with anyone, nor do I necessarily want to make things look particularly impressive on this border."

"I just want to know how my mother died!"

As soon as she uttered those words, An Ran's tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.

She didn't wipe it away; instead, she clenched her teeth tightly, trying her best to suppress her sobs.

This suppressed grief is more heart-wrenching than crying out loud.

An Ran's body trembled slightly due to her emotional fluctuations.

Her wrist was still suspended in mid-air, maintaining the same posture, her knuckles white from the force.

An Ran stared intently at Chen Zheng, and continued speaking almost pleadingly.

"Chen Zheng, I'm begging you..."

"If we back down this time, the truth about her will be sealed away again."

"Those old files, those covered-up lies, will forever remain facts."

"Do you expect me to just stand by and watch these clues be buried for another twenty years?!"

Chen Zheng looked at An Ran, who was so close to him.

His facial features remained cold and hard, but his heart was in turmoil.

Chen Zheng did indeed want to withdraw.

Reason reminded him that if he continued the investigation, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Once the bottom line is crossed, not only will the mission fail, but you might even lose your life.

But looking at An Ran's red eyes and her face that was trying to hold back her tears, Chen Zheng couldn't bring himself to leave her.

He knew perfectly well that An Ran was now at a dangerous critical point.

If Anran is forcibly taken back to China now, the girl will be completely devastated.

She will lose all her emotional support and be forever trapped in those twenty years of lies and regrets.

But if we continue digging along Anran's lines, we'll only find ourselves in a dead end.

Despite the internal struggle, Chen Zheng remained outwardly cold.

"You think you can single-handedly tear the sky down?"

"If you rush to White Graves Slope now, not only will you not change anything, but you might even be labeled a traitor by the state!"

"It's not just you, but also me who brought you here, even your father An Jianjun, your grandfather An Yuanchao—no one will have a good time!"

An Ran was so shocked by these words that she took a half step back, her body trembling slightly, and her tears fell even more fiercely.

But she did not back down, stubbornly holding her head high.

"My mother's death was also covered up like this back then, wasn't it?"