Chapter 264: Revelation
On May 27th, at 6 AM, in a military hospital in the capital of Hua Country.
The machines by the bedside made a rhythmic ticking sound that eventually faded into a constant tone. In the room, almost all the women from the Han family were sobbing mournfully.
“Wuwu, Military Brother, my second uncle has passed away!”
Han Meng was prostrate on the old man’s body, reduced to tears, while she turned to Ye Zhijun and wailed loudly.
Han Zhongliang, with a gaunt face beneath the oxygen mask, appeared exceptionally serene at this moment, indifferent to the surrounding cries, as if he were simply asleep.
The medical staff responsible for the resuscitation collectively bowed to the deceased elderly man at the bedside before quietly withdrawing one by one.
Ye Zhijun slowly stood up, removed his military cap, and remained silent.
He had actually been mentally prepared for this outcome, but he didn’t expect that the timing would coincide so precisely with such a crucial night.
At this moment, an officer from the Intelligence Bureau squeezed into the ward and approached Ye Zhijun: “Director Ye, the team in Jing Country has gone dark!”
Ye Zhijun turned his head, quietly looking at his subordinate, his emotions exceptionally stable: “How long has it been? When was the last contact?”
The intelligence officer glanced nervously at the room full of Han family female soldiers and lowered his voice: “Half an hour ago, there was no response during the routine contact; the last communication was normal at 11 PM last night.”
Last night… What about the Xuanjia team? Had they restored contact with Commander Han?
Ye Zhijun wanted to sit down, took out a secure phone, and walked out of the ward.
“Yes, we re-established contact two hours ago; they reported being harassed by a group of the Black Blood clan, and communications were also disrupted by unknown interference. The Xuanjia team has now lifted the combat search status and returned to their pre-deployed location.”
“Oh, by the way, Chief of Staff Wu just called and asked you to oversee the arrangements for the old chief’s funeral…”
The intelligence officer quickly added as he saw Ye Zhijun was about to make a call.
“Okay, let me know immediately if there are any developments!”
Ye Zhijun was stunned for a moment, thought for a bit, then nodded and put away his phone.
The instant he turned to re-enter the ward, a hint of a mysterious smile emerged in Ye Zhijun’s eyes.
…
Throughout the day, Ye Zhijun remained at the military hospital, busying himself with the funeral arrangements for the elder Han Zhongliang, while continuously receiving news from various high-ranking members of Dark Arrow arriving from all over.
This level of commotion was reminiscent of the time when Zhu Qianhua passed away.
Han Guowei and Han Jielu were still at the southern front; Han Guoping was on a business trip abroad, leaving all the men of the Han family absent. In the eyes of the Han family women, Ye Zhijun, who grew up alongside Han Guowei, had become the last pillar of support.
For the Han family, Ye Zhijun was almost a relative in another sense; he was also the person the old chief trusted most in his lifetime, aside from Han Guowei.
As time passed, nearing 9 PM, Ye Zhijun had stayed at the military hospital for a full 24 hours. It seemed his family understood him well, as not a single call had come in to disturb him.
“Mu Mei, An Mei, Rong Mei, you all go home first and settle matters at home. Uncle Liang’s memorial service will be organized with utmost care.”
Wu’s Chief of Staff should have notified Han Guowei by now, and he was expected to return by tomorrow at the latest. Oh, right, An Mei, my phone is out of battery; could you please go to my home and inform my family that I will return later?
After a long day without any respite, Ye Zhijun finally took on a tired expression and sat down in the temporary lounge.
“Director Ye, the headquarters called!”
At this moment, another intelligence officer walked in, his face clearly showing distress: “The Chief of Staff has summoned all department heads for a meeting; there’s an urgent situation!”
“Urgent situation?”
Ye Zhijun frowned, revealing a puzzled expression.
Looking at the room full of Han family women, the intelligence officer hesitated to speak.
Han Meng and the others exchanged glances and withdrew one by one.
It was regarding the Blood Dragon team that went dark early in the morning. Chief of Staff Wu intended to contact a secret organization in Jing Country and send a search team to the Blood Dragon team’s hideout…
The intelligence officer finally spoke carefully, not daring to breathe too loudly.
“Yes, I understand. Get the car ready; I’ll be down in five minutes!”
Ye Zhijun let out a sigh, turned around, and pulled open the door.
…
At 9:25 PM.
Entering the Dark Arrow headquarters building, Ye Zhijun noticed that everyone seemed off; it wasn’t just the sorrow from the old chief Han Zhongliang’s death but a pervasive sense of anxiety and fear.
Unfazed, Ye Zhijun slowly walked to the large conference room and, complying with security regulations, handed his phone to the guard at the door, then adjusted his appearance before pushing the door open to enter.
Inside the meeting room, only a few high-ranking officials were present, such as the Minister of Operations and the Minister of Politics, indicating the meeting’s high stakes.
“Old Ye is here, just in time, there are two minutes left.”
Wu Zhongxian slid a cup of tea he had prepared over to the empty seat beside him and pointed to the large screen above:
“Let’s check the nighttime news first, so everyone can have a better understanding.”
Ye Zhijun exchanged glances with a few colleagues and sat down next to Wu Zhongxian.
“… Last night, a large-scale hunting incident occurred in the W Autonomous Prefecture of Ya Province. Local forestry and public security departments blocked the area after receiving reports from the public and launched a dragnet operation. Currently, the police have arrested twelve criminal suspects and seized several state-protected animals, controlled weapons, and illegally manufactured firearms…”
“… Early this morning, one of our air force transport planes executing a nighttime mission in Ya Province suffered a severe mechanical failure. To prevent a crash in a densely populated area, the malfunctioning military aircraft was forced to divert to the southern mountainous region and ultimately crashed into the territory of the Zhaizhai nation, igniting a large-scale wildfire… Currently, our relevant departments are maintaining close communication with the foreign affairs agency of Zhaizhai and are setting up a joint investigation team to enter the crash site.”
As the news report unfolded, several brief clips flashed past, showing the fog-filled rainforests and valleys, a scene of devastation that was jarring to behold.
“The aircraft was carrying a 15-kilogram upgraded thermobaric bomb. This is footage of its explosion; the on-site reality is far more terrifying. Fortunately, it was an uninhabited area; otherwise, it could have resulted in a serious international incident.”
However, the crash site was cleverly located right at the Blood Dragon team’s secret hideout, and it was said that several members of the Wang family were spotted nearby.
Wu Zhongxian took a sip of tea, turned off the screen, and looked at Ye Zhijun with a strange smile. At this comment, aside from the silent Ye Zhijun, the expressions of the other Dark Arrow high-ranking officials changed dramatically.
Thermobaric bombs, Blood Dragon team, Wang family… Ye Zhijun’s pupils constricted; seconds later, he slowly turned to look at Wu Zhongxian, and in that moment, it seemed he read something from Wu Zhongxian’s eyes.
Ye Zhijun’s head felt as if it were buzzing, as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, leaving him dizzy.
“Today, we will only inform you of this; public opinion work must be expedited, meeting adjourned… Old Ye, let’s find a place to talk privately.”
Wu Zhongxian did not pay attention to Ye Zhijun’s expression at that moment or rather, he didn’t even look at Ye Zhijun before getting up directly.
The conference room door suddenly opened, and two officers from the headquarters security office wearing special armbands stood at the entrance with indifferent expressions.
Except for Wu Zhongxian, who had turned his back, everyone else cast complicated glances at Ye Zhijun.
Soon, Wu Zhongxian and Ye Zhijun, accompanied by several security office officers, arrived at a remote office after winding through the corridors.
All the way, Ye Zhijun maintained a faint smile, but the moment he entered the office, his expression finally darkened.
The room was cluttered with disordered furniture, and everything looked quite familiar.
These items had all been moved from Ye Zhijun’s private study. Clearly, over the past 24 hours, Wu Zhongxian had raided his house.
And sitting among this disarray was Han Guowei, who was meditating with his eyes closed. Several cell phones and a laptop were neatly lined up on the table in front of him.
These were still familiar items to Ye Zhijun; aside from the two cell phones he carried with him, the others were evidently retrieved from his home.
Han Guowei had returned to the capital earlier than Ye Zhijun had expected and appeared here, which was significant beyond words.
“Old Wu, Old Han, what do you mean by this?” Ye Zhijun glanced at the two security officers beside him, forcing himself to sit calmly at the desk.
“We have a mysterious figure called Kong Ming among us in Dark Arrow, or rather a small group led by Ye. Recently, they have been interfering with the work of the Special Confidential Operations Group and have been maintaining secret contacts with the blood clan forces both inside and outside the walls.”
Wu Zhongxian looked at Han Guowei, who remained expressionless and still with his eyes closed, took a deep breath, and spoke first.
Ye Zhijun remained silent, slightly lowering his head, a faint cold smile on his face.
“Ye Zhijun, we’ve known each other since we were in our diapers; I’ve suspected many people, but I never doubted you.”
“If the Blood Dragon team is completely wiped out this time, it will be the greatest disaster since Dark Arrow’s establishment. However, in the end, evil will not triumph over good, and we have crossed a perilous threshold…”
Han Guowei opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Ye Zhijun’s profile, speaking word by word.
“Heh, so you’re convinced I’m the traitor… Where’s the evidence?”
Ye Zhijun raised his head, looking unwaveringly at Han Guowei.
“I have intelligence here, a list of personnel that the Wang family covertly planted in the Blood Dragon team years ago. I suspect, Old Ye, you are likely aware of this. In the team that the Blood Dragon squad deployed south this time, all of them listed are included without exception.”
Han Guowei took out a crumpled and folded piece of note paper from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.
“Heh, does the Wang family care to expose themselves? But I don’t understand how this relates to me.”
Ye Zhijun glanced at the note paper on the table and couldn’t help but laugh again.
“Well, you can say you don’t know… However, the Blood Dragon team captured someone from the Wang family.”
Wu Zhongxian also sat up, taking out a photo from his pocket and sliding it across to Ye Zhijun:
“Qin Rong, also known as Wang family’s Fifth Uncle, was previously a senior responsible for intelligence within the Wang family. He once collaborated with Zhen Guangquan and Chu Dali to set up a trap against the Wang family.”
“Not long ago, Kong Ming reached a covert cooperation agreement with the Engel family, intending to eliminate the Wang family’s infiltrators within the Blood Dragon team to ultimately paralyze Dark Arrow and the Wang family.”
“This so-called internal traitor, Kong Ming, has been colluding with Chu Dali and Qin Rong in secret, disclosing all of Dark Arrow’s movements to them.”
Kong Ming’s goal was to cooperate with the Engel family’s ancestral plan, protecting a domestically born queen and moving her to the Engel family when the opportunity arose.
The Wang family put sand in the Blood Dragon team’s gear. Although their motives were not pure, they successfully safeguarded against the possibility of a traitor turning against the Blood Dragon team someday.
After Wu Zhongxian finished, he suddenly slammed his fist on the desk, trembling all over: “The Special Confidential Operations Group has been established for sixty to seventy years, with countless comrades sacrificed on secret battlefields. In the end, a traitor emerged from within our ranks!”
One hand covering his face, Wu Zhongxian’s voice became even hoarse: “The Red Rocket, the Red Magic, all sacrificed; they have always been guarding against Kong Ming and fighting against the unseen puppeteers, meticulously working to dismantle the ancestral plan’s conspiracy in Hua Country!”
Ye Zhijun remained quietly listening, his expression not changing much.
“Han Jiexian, you can begin your side now.”
Han Guowei took out his phone and stood up, making a very simple call to Han Jiexian in front of Ye Zhijun and Wu Zhongxian.
A few minutes later, one of the phones lined up on the table suddenly pinged with a text message alert.
“This text message was sent by Elder Qin. Old Ye, do you want to take a look?”
No sooner had he spoken than another phone chimed with a text alert.
“This one should’ve come from Tu Weijun; he’s reporting to a secret leader about the Wang family’s movements. You should verify this?”
“If you don’t want to act yourself, I can help you access that website.”
Wu Zhongxian pointed at the phones and the laptop on the table, his anger palpable.
Ye Zhijun slowly stood up, glancing between Wu Zhongxian and Han Guowei. He opened his mouth a few times but did not utter a word.
“Ye Zhijun, tell me, who is Kong Ming? Forty years ago, when my grandmother passed away, you and…”
Han Guowei drew out a handgun and placed it heavily on the table, his voice quiet but his gaze frightening.
Ye Zhijun smiled faintly and tossed his military cap aside: “Guowei, Kong Ming is me, and no one else. Twenty-three years ago, during an official visit to Europe with the old chief, I secretly met with the Engel family and became Kong Ming.”
“I exploited the old chief’s trust in me to cultivate a small group within Dark Arrow and stole many secrets… I leaked the identities of the Red Rocket and Red Magic, allowing the Engel family to deploy comfortably in Hua Country.”
Ye Zhijun sat back down, speaking as if he were recounting a story.
“You’re talking nonsense! Twenty-three years ago, did you have that kind of power? Back then, I was just a training officer!”
Wu Zhongxian could no longer hold back, slamming his hand on the table, his face turning purple with anger. On the other side, Han Guowei again closed his eyes.
“Tell me, Ye Zhijun, why! Why did you do this?!”
Wu Zhongxian, furious, began to pace in the cluttered office.
“Old Wu, Guowei, I’ve always thought how wonderful it would be if our academy members could all live to be a hundred… I’ve also thought that if we could grasp the movements of the North American forces collaborating with the James family, how immensely valuable it would be for our national strategic security…”
“So you teamed up with the Engel family, turning your guns on your fellow countrymen! Do you really understand how much they’re hiding behind the scenes… You’re confused!”
Wu Zhongxian interrupted Ye Zhijun, pointing a finger at him, his body shaking with rage.
“The James family and those North American people are our country’s true adversaries. The Engel family is unwilling to be a pawn, and I am neither willing to face an unpredictable future.”
“As long as the ancestor plan exists in the West, conspiracies will continuously arise, pulling more innocent victims in. Thus, the best method is to integrate ourselves into the game, participate in the ancestral plan, and acquire our strategic benefits from it.”
“Primary projects, vanguards, creating super soldiers for ordinary people using the blood clan’s technology; those North American opportunists are always coveting this. Secondary project, immortality; once those capitalist oligarchs grasp it, it will become a tool that drains the blood, sweat, and tears of the entire world, worse than vampires!”
“Tracking spies, blood stabilizers, the scientific research materials needed for Dark Arrow’s killer apps; do you really think that relying solely on the Intelligence Bureau’s overseas channels would be enough to obtain? In fact, all of these are by-products of the ancestral plan.”
“When Chief Zhu was still alive, he always warned us not to rely on the Wang family and to never trust them absolutely. They currently hold the queen; how could they not be waiting to profit? Even Qin Rong turned into a traitor to the Wang family; who can guarantee the Wang family won’t develop even greater ambitions?”
Ye Zhijun’s voice gradually rose, and by the end, his eyes were bloodshot, his expression fervent.
“Ye Zhijun, since the Engel family considers us as tools to balance the North American forces, enticing individuals like you with a two-hundred-year-long ancestral plan, they surely have their motives, and it’s not some nonsense about immortality or vanguards.”
In the face of Ye Zhijun who appeared increasingly deranged, Han Guowei spoke with an unusually somber expression: “Can you guarantee that this unknown scheme doesn’t supersede the ambitions of North America and the James family, leading to even greater calamities?”
Heh, I don’t know, but does the Wang family not know? Perhaps the current Wang family is still utilizing Dark Arrow and will also become beneficiaries of this unknown scheme… So rather than just stand by, it’s better to delve in. Unraveling the ancestral plan doesn’t have to exist on a single path!
“Your nephew Han Jielu once said something very insightful: The blood clan, no matter how grand their schemes, are merely spinning in the curse of their own genes… Everyone can take what they need, and as long as the country thrives, the blood clan cannot shake the foundation of our country!”
Ye Zhijun laughed again, as though unburdening words that had weighed on him for years.
“Ye Zhijun, are these realizations truly yours?”
Both Han Guowei and Wu Zhongxian fell silent. After a full minute, the latter finally sighed and spoke.
Ye Zhijun did not directly answer but smiled silently.
“Since it has come to this, let’s just say our paths are different and we won’t plot together… You must disclose the details of the Kong Ming group. Additionally, regarding the old chief…”
Wu Zhongxian’s emotions gradually settled as he gently tapped on the table. His last half-sentence instantly tightened Han Guowei’s expression.
This sensitive topic was one that others dared not broach, but Wu Zhongxian had to clarify.
“The old chief is unaware, don’t worry, I led all of this… Old Wu, Old Han, whatever you want to know, I can write it all down. Give me a piece of paper, a pen… and a gun. No one is to enter while I write.”
Ye Zhijun glanced at the handgun on the table and the figure of Han Guowei diagonally across, replying coolly.
“You!”
Just as Wu Zhongxian was about to erupt, he felt Han Guowei’s hand press down on his shoulder.
“Alright, I’ll get you the paper and pen, but I’ll keep the gun.”
After saying this, Han Guowei took Wu Zhongxian out the door.
…
“Old Han, are you crazy? If he doesn’t come clean, he might commit suicide…”
As soon as the door closed, Wu Zhongxian irritatedly shook off Han Guowei’s hand.
Han Guowei looked into Wu Zhongxian’s eyes, gently sighed, and said, “Old Wu, since my dad has passed, just trust me this once… Ye Zhijun, this person, you and I both know.”
Wu Zhongxian froze for a moment, turned around, his tone a bit cold: “Old Han, you used to be someone who strictly obeyed the rules; you’re crossing a line getting involved with Ye Zhijun.”
Han Guowei’s eyes reddened slightly, forcing a laugh, shaking his head: “Old Wu, don’t worry. After a while, I will apply for medical retirement, and the Han family will all withdraw from Dark Arrow… My grandmother was right; the Han family has been entangled with the blood clan for too long, not just out of accumulated hatred but also the temptation…”
“As long as the Han family’s influence in Dark Arrow remains, there’s no avoiding the emergence of another Kong Ming or another Ye Zhijun in the future. You joked before that after your retirement, the chief of Dark Arrow should be me, Han Guowei; do you still think so now?”
Thus, some words can only be spoken between the two of us. Ye Zhijun might have taken the wrong path, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he has truly fallen. This time, he gave my dad and Dark Arrow a face, and we shall return the favor.
“There are still many loose ends to tie up in the south. I will take my leave now, and I’ll explain the airplane situation to the military committee leaders.”
After finishing, Han Guowei put on his military hat and strode away.
An hour, two hours passed, and Wu Zhongxian stood unmoving outside the office. Several security office officers and a group of fully armed Dark Arrow soldiers crowded the corridor, all watching the office door intently—at Wu Zhongxian’s command, they could burst in at any time.
Inside the room, Ye Zhijun had been daydreaming, but before him lay a note paper already filled, listing all members of the Kong Ming group, with him at the top, totaling no more than ten individuals.
In a daze, he seemed to return to that day at Chief Zhu’s memorial service, as a teenager conversing innocently with elders before the coffin.
“Xiaojun, study hard, and you’ll go to college when you grow up!”
“No, I want to go wherever Guocheng Brother and Guowei Brother go!”
Ye Zhijun picked up the handgun on the table, playing with it while smiling, and his mind echoed back to that night over twenty years ago when Han Zhongliang had selected him into the Kong Ming group, his initial shock and defiance in response to the words spoken to him.
The ancestral plan itself could not change the fact that the blood clan had declined, but obtaining valuable results for the country’s future from the ancestral plan was what truly mattered…
In fact, whether it was Kong Ming or the Special Confidential Operations Group, both were different paths Dark Arrow took in facing the ancestral plan; no matter whom they harmed, it would not damage the fundamental interests of the country. Whichever route ultimately succeeded would be our victory…
Ye Zhijun sighed, slowly pointing the handgun to his temple.
“Guowei, Old Wu, Chief Zhu hoped to find a future of reconciliation between ordinary people and the blood clan through the ancestral plan. This path, you will have to walk down on your own…”
…
Time reached midnight. Just as Wu Zhongxian was about to lose his patience, a gunshot rang out from behind the door.
At the moment the gunshot sounded, Wu Zhongxian shut his eyes and fell silent for a long time.
