You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

The news of the deciphered coordinates reached Su Dingguo's ears at top speed.

The old general didn't have time to change into formal attire; he grabbed the dedicated line in his civilian military uniform and sent it to the highest channel of the military maritime bureau.

There were no pleasantries, no preamble.

"Immediately mobilize the patrol fleet closest to the coordinates and keep a close watch on 'Poseidon II'!"

"We can capture them alive, so let's take them."

"No, sink it on the spot."

hang up.

In the corridor, everyone held their breath.

However, less than ten seconds later...

"General Su."

A voice quietly emerged from behind the crowd.

Director Wang straightened his receding hairline, his legs were no longer trembling, and there was even a sense of relief and composure on his lips.

He stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"This matter... is inappropriate."

Su Dingguo turned his head and looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The sea area where the Poseidon II is located is beyond my country's 200-nautical-mile territorial sea baseline."

According to Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, vessels of other countries on the high seas enjoy freedom of navigation, and forced interception is tantamount to armed aggression.

Director Wang spoke at a slow pace and with clear pronunciation.

"At best, it will trigger diplomatic protests; at worst, it will escalate into an international dispute, in which case the responsibility will fall on people, not the ship."

"Moreover, warships must obtain joint instructions from the Central Military Commission before going to sea."

"The entire approval process takes at least 48 hours."

He paused for a moment, and behind his glasses, his cloudy eyes held a calculating and self-preserving quality typical of seasoned bureaucrats.

"I cannot sign off on this until the authorization document is finalized."

"Without taking responsibility, one cannot delegate authority."

"Without authorization, there can be no action."

Three sentences, and it's as solid as an iron barrel.

All possible solutions have been blocked.

Su Dingguo's chest heaved more violently than he could be seen.

Those eyes, which had witnessed countless battlefields, were now burning with a flame powerful enough to turn a person into charcoal.

"waste!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that made one's scalp tingle.

"Blueprints are the lifeblood of countless researchers over more than a decade! They represent a Great Wall built with countless lives and blood."

"Are you trying to pull this stunt of agreements or approvals?"

"Are you following the rules, or are you helping the enemy count down the seconds?!"

Director Wang shrank his neck, but did not retreat.

He knew that no matter how angry Su Dingguo was, he couldn't break through the iron gate forged by this procedure.

This is the power of rules.

He's lived most of his life relying on this to survive and climb to the top.

The corridor fell into a tense silence that seemed about to break.

Su Qingge clenched her fists, her teeth aching from biting, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Lin Chen.

Lin Chen stood still, without moving.

His face had an expression that made people angry just looking at him.

It's not anger.

It's not anxiety.

It's not even contempt.

It's the kind of indifference that comes from being used to clowns and completely too lazy to even look them in the eye.

His gaze swept over Director Wang as if passing by a wall.

A boring, blank wall that contains no information whatsoever.

Then, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

Director Wang frowned subconsciously.

"Consultant Lin, what are you going to do?"

No one answered him.

Lin Chen swiped the screen, entered his contacts, tapped a name, and turned on speakerphone.

The bell rang in the corridor.

A sound.

Two sounds.

The third ringtone hadn't even finished.

I accepted it.

"Lin Chen".

Ye Qingcheng's voice came through the speaker.

Without any preamble or unnecessary interjections, it carried her usual aloofness and efficiency.

It's a state of being ready to solve problems at any time.

No one spoke in the corridor.

Lin Chen lowered his head slightly.

"There's a problem."

"There is a cargo ship on the high seas, the 'Poseidon II,' carrying things it shouldn't be carrying."

"I need to climb up before it gets out of tracking range and retrieve the items."

"Time is tight, please help me."

Lin Chen didn't explain anything, he just stated his requirements.

There was a pause of no more than two seconds on the other end of the phone.

Send me the coordinates.

Lin Chen looked down and sent over a screenshot of the coordinates he had just deciphered.

Over there, the sound of keyboards clicking could be heard.

Dense, continuous, with a rapid pace that only occurs when a large amount of resources are allocated.

In the corridor, everyone held their breath.

No one spoke; even Director Wang forgot to say something.

three minutes.

Three minutes later.

"Lin Chen's 'Cheerwing-7' heavy tactical helicopter from Ye's International Defense Company is now in position on the helipad outside the military institute, fully fueled and armed, with a range sufficient to cover the target sea area one way."

Ye Qingcheng's voice carried a suffocating calmness.

"In addition, the 40,000-ton ocean-going yacht 'Xuanwu' has set sail from the nearest anchorage and is heading at full speed to the target sea area, where it will complete the maritime rendezvous within two hours."

"The international shipping route has completed commercial registration through the compliant shipping license of Yip's Southeast Asia Logistics Group. The procedures are complete, legal and valid."

He paused for a moment.

"This has caused a huge uproar; the Ye family will have to cover for it."

"Go for it."

The last four words were spoken with resounding force.

The corridor was completely silent.

Director Wang stood still, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

His brain needs time to process what has just happened.

three minutes.

His steel barrier, built with conventions and approval processes, was breached from the ground up in three minutes with a single phone call.

The Yip Group.

Of course he knew that name.

Throughout the entire eastern coastal region, no industrial chain related to industry, shipping, or logistics can completely bypass this brand.

But he never expected that such a behemoth could be mobilized by this young man in his twenties with just a casual phone call.

What was even more unexpected was that the woman on the other side was rushing forward on her own initiative.

They didn't ask for a single reason, nor did they utter a single question.

As a dignified section chief of the military's security bureau, who had spent most of his life cultivating his survival skills in the gaps between procedures and conventions, he felt as if something was constantly collapsing down his face.

They are fragments from the collapse of that iron wall.

It was hot and heavy.

Su Dingguo remained silent.

He turned his back, wiped his face hard, and covered the turmoil in his old eyes.

Lin Chen put away his phone, turned around, and his gaze fell on Su Qingge.

"Walk."

Su Qingge was stunned for a second.

Just one second.

She looked down at her navy blue police uniform jacket and the police badge pinned to her chest.

high seas.

That's a lawless place.

The enforcement power of any domestic judicial institution is completely nullified the moment it crosses that line.

Including Su Qingge, the head of the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Detachment.

Once that's over, she can no longer represent the police.

The rules told her she shouldn't go.

But then, she raised her hand.

With a swift and decisive movement, he unbuttoned the last button of his collar, slipped the entire police uniform jacket off his shoulders, folded it neatly, and solemnly handed it to his subordinate beside him.

"Keep it safe for me."

After speaking, she raised her head and looked directly at Lin Chen's face without looking away or dodging.

"There is no law enforcement authority on the high seas."

Her voice was steady, and everyone in the corridor could hear it clearly.

"I didn't go there as a police officer."

She paused, then uttered the words slowly and deliberately, from the deepest part of her heart.

"I'll accompany you as your personal partner on your blind date."