Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

Yancheng, a nursing home.

This place is called a sanatorium, but it's actually a special care ward. The security level is extremely high, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps. Even a bird cannot escape the monitoring of infrared radar.

Liu Ming has been unconscious here for three whole days.

When he opened his eyes again, the pungent smell of disinfectant and the ticking of medical equipment immediately assaulted his senses. He instinctively tried to move his left arm, but the movement aggravated the gunshot wound to his shoulder blade, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Awake? Don't move around."

A cold, weary voice sounded from beside the bed.

Liu Ming turned her head and saw Xi Wanqing sitting by the hospital bed. Her usually flawless face was now etched with exhaustion. Heavy dark circles were under her eyes, and her hair was somewhat disheveled. Clearly, she had been staying here for the past three days, not leaving for a moment.

"Wanqing." Liu Ming's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"So you do know to wake up."

Xi Wanqing's eyes reddened, and tears fell without warning. She didn't put on her usual airs as a deputy director, but instead, like an ordinary little woman, gently leaned over the edge of the bed and tightly held Liu Ming's hand, which wasn't hooked up to an IV drip.

"The doctor said you lost too much blood, you almost... You're crazy, do you know how I've survived these past three days?"

Seeing her tears, Liu Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart. He wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, but as soon as he raised his hand, it was pressed down by a large hand covered in age spots.

"Alright, girl, let him save his energy. This kid's tough as nails; even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take him."

Old Mr. Lin, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed in by a guard. Although his tone was relaxed, the concern in his eyes was undeniable.

"Grandpa." Liu Ming tried to sit up.

"Lie down," Boss Lin scolded with a stern face. "You've really stirred up trouble this time. If it weren't for those fifteen national treasure-level experts, I would have personally whipped you."

Liu Ming gave a wry smile and obediently lay back down on the pillow.

"Grandpa, have you looked at the things?"

When serious matters were mentioned, the playful expression on Old Lin's face instantly vanished, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity. He waved his hand, signaling all the medical staff and guards in the room to leave. Xi Wanqing also tactfully got up and went to stand guard outside the door.

"I've seen it."

Old Lin pulled out a black, secure USB drive from his pocket; it contained the data extracted from Moza's waterproof bag.

"Not only did I see it. Several leaders of the council also saw it."

The old man's voice was deep and resonant, each word like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

"It's shocking."

"We always thought that this hostage situation in 'Death Valley' was just a scheme orchestrated by a foreign mercenary group to seize the mining rights to that superconducting mineral vein. But this file tells us that we were wrong. Terribly wrong."

Old Lin placed the USB drive on the bedside table, his eyes flashing with a chilling light.

"That's the code name for the top-secret operation of the 'Aegis' intelligence agency—'Choke.'"

Aegis. The West's top-tier, secretive intelligence organization. They don't carry out assassinations or bombings; they only engage in strategic subversion and technological infiltration.

Liu Ming's eyes also turned cold. When he killed Moza in the Golden Triangle, he had glanced at the file and immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Their goal isn't to monopolize that mine at all," Liu Ming said slowly. "If they really wanted it, they wouldn't have used such a high-profile hijacking method that could easily trigger international conflict."

"That's right."

Old Lin nodded heavily.

"According to the communication records and fund flows in the files, the real plan of 'Aegis' is to use these fifteen experts as bait to draw all of our country's attention to the surface of 'Death Valley'."

"But their real killer move is buried underground."

The old man took a deep breath, his voice tinged with lingering fear.

"They secretly planted ten miniature directional bunker buster bombs in the fault zone beneath Death Valley. They will detonate them immediately as soon as our regular troops enter that area."

"This kind of explosion won't cause too many casualties on the ground. But it will precisely destroy the underlying structure of that room-temperature superconducting ore vein, causing the entire vein to collapse irreversibly and turn it into a pile of worthless waste rock!"

Liu Ming's pupils suddenly contracted.

What a ruthless and vicious plan!

If their plan succeeds, China will not only lose fifteen top scientists, but also a strategic resource that could have enabled China to lead the world in science and technology for the next century!

This is a decisive blow. This is the ultimate kill!

"Not only that," Old Lin's voice grew even colder, "the files also mention that they planted a very high-level 'spy' within our ranks, especially in the scientific research and National Development and Reform Commission systems. Code name... 'Shadow'."

shadow?

Liu Ming's heart skipped a beat.

He thought of Zhao Ruihu and Luo Binwang. But these people had already fallen from power, which meant that this so-called "shadow" was hiding even deeper than them, and might even be of a higher rank!

"Grandpa, what's the attitude of the higher-ups?" Liu Ming asked.

"Enraged."

Old Lin only uttered these two words.

"The top leadership convened an emergency meeting overnight. The meeting clearly defined the nature of this operation: this is no longer an ordinary espionage activity, but a complete and utter technological decapitation strike targeting the fate of the Nine Provinces!"

"If it weren't for you doing things your way, leading those reckless brothers to descend from the sky and wipe out the Scorpion before they could detonate the bomb, and also taking down Moza's lair and getting this file."

"The consequences would be unimaginable."

Old Lin looked at Liu Ming with eyes full of satisfaction.

"You've done an incredible service this time. Not only did you save lives, you also saved the lifeline of the nation."

Liu Ming did not become complacent because of the praise.

He simply stared at the ceiling. His mind drifted to the border line, riddled with minefields and anti-aircraft missiles laid by Scorpion.

"grandfather."

Liu Ming suddenly spoke, her voice so calm it sent chills down one's spine.

"These bastards, how dare they intrude into our home? How dare they use such despicable means to strangle us?"

"So, are we just going to leave it at that?"

"Forget it?" Old Lin sneered, and the iron-blooded domineering aura of a founding general once again burst forth from his aged body.

"In the dictionary of our Dragon Country, the word 'never mind' doesn't exist!"

"The higher-ups have issued orders not only to dig out the 'shadow' hiding within, but also to teach 'Aegis,' and those Western masters who are watching from behind the scenes, a lesson they'll never forget!"

Old Lin looked at Liu Ming with intense gaze.

"Kid, get well soon. The next battle will be even more brutal than hand-to-hand combat in the jungle."

Liu Ming smiled slightly, a wild curve appearing at the corner of her mouth.

He knew that the real storm had only just begun.

"Anytime is fine," Liu Ming said softly.