Chapter 159: Major Action
On February 6th, the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, it was an auspicious day for prayers and sacrifices.
In the northern capital, the cold was still unbearable. Even at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in the West Peak, light snowflakes began to fall before dawn.
Dressed in military uniform, Han Jielisi held a briefcase in one hand and flowers in the other, slowly making his way to a corner of the cemetery, standing in front of an old grave.
The gravestone read “Tomb of Martyr Han Zhongyue” in large characters.
Han Zhongyue was the biological sister of the Han family patriarch, Han Zhongliang. She was once a member of the Dark Arrow Central Supervision Zone and unfortunately sacrificed herself on this day sixty-one years ago.
“Auntie, I heard you look a lot like Grandma Zeng… It’s a pity that the family hasn’t preserved a single photo of you, how strange.”
Crouching in front of the gravestone, Han Jielisi offered flowers, lit white candles, grass incense, and yellow paper, and then took out a very old black-and-white photograph from his pocket. The image depicted a kind, slightly pained elderly woman.
This was Grandma Zeng of the Han family, whose real name was Zhu Qianhua. Dressed in the distinctive military uniform from that era, although her hair was gray, one could still vaguely see the beauty of her youth.
Grandma Zeng could be considered a legendary figure in the Han family in the past century. She was one of the founders of the Dark Arrow forces, and her five children had all become prominent figures within the organization.
The eldest son, Han Zhongting, heroically sacrificed himself just before the victory in the anti-Japanese war, at the age of twenty, unmarried and without descendants.
The second son, Han Zhongliang, retired as a general staff officer at the Dark Arrow headquarters and is now the pillar of the Han family at eighty-nine years old. His eldest and youngest sons have also sacrificed themselves, while his second son, Han Guowei, currently serves as the deputy commander of the Western Supervision Zone with the rank of major general.
The third son, Han Zhongyu, sacrificed himself in the southwest in 1975, serving as chief of staff in the Southern Supervision Zone at the time of his death. His descendants include Han Ting, who is currently the deputy minister of the political affairs department at headquarters, and Han Guoping, the current vice president of Huayao Group.
The fourth son, Han Zhongyang, sacrificed himself in 1971 while carrying out a secret foreign aid mission, serving as the captain of the Ice Well Brigade at the time. His children include Han Rong, who is currently the deputy minister of logistics at headquarters.
The fifth daughter, Han Zhongyue, sacrificed herself in 1959 while executing a secret foreign aid mission. She was serving as an intelligence officer in the Central Supervision Zone at the time of her death, at only twenty-two years old, unmarried.
It is said that Han Zhongyue was Grandma Zeng’s most cherished youngest daughter, exceptionally gifted from a young age and known as a child prodigy. Alongside her beauty, she was praised as a mirror image of her mother.
After adulthood, Han Zhongyue became even more beautiful and wise, considered the pearl of the Han family, and was once regarded as Grandma Zeng’s true successor.
The sacrifice of Han Zhongyue left Grandma Zeng heartbroken, and thereafter, her health declined with constant ailments. Over the next few years, she endured the successive sacrifices of her third and fourth sons, ultimately unable to bear the weight of life’s blows, passing away in 1978 at the age of seventy-seven.
“Little Jielisi, how rude of you to squat while worshipping!”
Just as Han Jielisi was lost in thought, a middle-aged woman in military uniform approached and slapped him on the head.
“Ah, Mom? What are you doing here… Are you by yourself?”
Han Jielisi took off his military hat, touched his head awkwardly, and looked back to see no one else behind her.
“The annual meeting at headquarters has everyone running around non-stop these days.”
Han Rong took out a plastic sheet from her bag and spread it in front of the martyrs’ gravestone, pulling Han Jielisi down to kneel beside her. “As the younger generation, if you come to pay respects, you should act like one.”
“When your aunt sacrificed herself, I wasn’t even born yet… Sigh, it’s a blessing for the Han family that we can send off the older generation. For several generations, not many family members have survived to speak face to face.
I’ve been running around the martyrs’ cemeteries across the country all year long, and I can’t keep up with visiting the graves of the Han family…
At this point, Han Rong sighed deeply.
Han Jielisi pondered for a moment and cautiously asked, “Mom, how did Auntie sacrifice herself? I can’t find any information about it.”
Han Rong was taken aback but then smiled bitterly. “She was secretly dispatched to Vietnam to execute a foreign aid mission, and the convoy was ambushed… In fact, both the Dark Arrow and the Han family suffered greatly during the decade of turmoil, and the lost data is far more than just about her.”
Han Jielisi fell silent, shaking his head helplessly.
Continuing to light two sticks of grass incense, Han Rong rubbed her eyes, feeling somewhat down: “Your second grandfather’s health has worsened over the years. Your aunt used to visit every year on her memorial day; now only you can come…”
After hearing his mother’s words, Han Jielisi straightened up, taking on a more respectful demeanor, bowing several times, and then said, “Mom, I heard that Second Grandpa was sick again last night?”
“Yes, it’s because of your Third Uncle. I don’t know what news he brought last night, but your Second Grandpa and he talked for over an hour in the study, and then he got sick later that evening… The two of them have a lot on their minds.”
Saying this, Han Jielisi turned to his son, with a faint smile returning to his face: “I know you’re busy with significant matters under your Third Uncle now. But don’t delay on your personal life. After a while, I’ll arrange some girls from headquarters for you to date; marry early, have kids early.”
“What? I’m only twenty-three this year! Can’t believe you are rushing me to date, Mom!” Han Jielisi was taken aback, both amused and embarrassed.
“If you don’t marry and have kids, the entire Han family will be restless. You are the last hope of the Han family!”
Han Rong rolled her eyes at her son and grasped his arm tightly, seriously saying, “I’m not worried about a million things, just the one thing… The Han family must not go extinct! Your father says you must have at least two sons and a daughter.”
Han Jielisi felt even more awkward, gently brushing off Han Rong’s hand, smiling, “Don’t set expectations. It used to be Ying Ge, and now it’s me… I’m quite curious, why does Guoping not want kids? He seems to be only in his mid-forties.”
Han Rong froze, her expression slowly darkening: “Your Fifth Uncle used to be a promising young man; people used to say he would do better than your Third Uncle. Unfortunately, back then, while in the cavalry brigade, he had just married when he fell ill and lost his fertility… Later, he transferred to Huayao Group.”
…
Han Jielisi fell into silence, letting out a deep sigh, no longer speaking.
After finishing her prayers, Han Rong hurriedly left. Han Jielisi, on the other hand, found it nothing to do, and simply sat down on the plastic sheet, taking out his briefcase and pulling out an envelope to continue reading the content he hadn’t finished the day before.
“What a coincidence. In 1959, sixty-one years ago, it just so happens to be the fourth strategic mission activation time…”
Glancing up at the dates of Han Zhongyue’s birth and death on the gravestone, Han Jielisi discovered a timing coincidence in the strategic mission dossier labeled “necklace”.
Strategic Mission No. 3, Code Name: Necklace. Seed Code: Red Diamond. Mission Contents: Seek methods for ordinary people and blood clans to coexist. Deadline: Unrestricted.
A chill ran down Han Jielisi’s back, and his scalp tingled, followed by goosebumps all over his body.
He could not fathom why his great-grandma would conceive such an extreme idealistic and absurd strategic mission, filled with a sense of helplessness that almost anyone would feel.
Necklace, a chain linked together, each link connected, working hand in hand to create beauty.
However, for ordinary people and blood clans to coexist was like early humans on two isolated islands deep in the ocean, with no possibility of communication.
Sixty-one years ago, how bewildered were the seeds sent to carry out such a ridiculous mission?
Feeling somewhat absurd, Han Jielisi could no longer continue reading. He packed his briefcase and stared blankly at the martyr’s gravestone, lost in thought.
…
…
In City C, at a private villa on Longquan Mountain.
At nine in the morning, the usually early-rising Wanyue had not yet gotten out of bed.
For some reason, her sleep quality had been terrible overnight, waking up almost every half hour. When dawn approached, she simply gave up on sleep and leaned against the headboard reading a novel.
“The Song of Youth” was Wanyue’s favorite literary work during her youth, first published in 1958. She had, at one point, worn out two copies from reading it repeatedly.
Knowledge, faith, love, struggle—every positive element of the dark and tumultuous years in the novel gathered together, breaking through the haze and shackles of the era, moving towards the bright horizon.
Her phone rang, breaking her reverie. Tossing her book aside, Wanyue grabbed her phone and saw it was a call from Lao Jin.
“Are you already outside? Hang on, I’ll open the door for you. Drive in; the first-floor door is already open, so just go sit in the living room.”
Saying this, Wanyue reached for a button by the headboard and pressed it, glancing out the window but seeing only trees blocking her view, not the right angle.
The villa’s main gate automatically opened, and a low-key sedan slowly entered the front yard. Lao Jin got out, dressed in a suit. He looked up at the second floor, smiling as he stepped onto the first-floor steps.
As soon as Lao Jin sat down, he noticed a graceful and alluring figure coming down the spiral staircase. Wanyue was wearing a pearl-white silk nightgown that only reached her knees, descending like the spring dawn, crystalline and inviting.
“Would you like something to drink? Honey, coffee perhaps?”
Wanyue yawned, lazily leaning against the open kitchen counter, half-closing her eyes, smiling at Lao Jin, who had a worshipful expression.
“Hehe, making tea takes too long, so let’s go with coffee, instant is fine too…”
As he stared at her curvaceous figure, Lao Jin’s breath became somewhat uneven, his cheeks flushed, and he swallowed hard several times.
“Mr. Jin, how long have you been a baron and still have no self-control? It appears your lust for women has completely overshadowed your growth pains. Should I be happy for you or should I blind your eyes…”
A few minutes later, Wanyue carried a steaming cup of coffee to Lao Jin, bending down to place it in front of him. In that instant, the neckline of her silk nightgown revealed a beautiful view, enchanting and stunning.
Wanyue returned to the second floor, planning to bathe and change, her twisting waist and long snowy legs making every step mesmerizing to Lao Jin, who couldn’t take his eyes off her, swallowing involuntarily.
…
An hour later, in the study, Lao Jin’s expression was noticeably unhappy compared to his earlier spirited self, with a hint of desolation in his eyes.
In front of him, Wanyue had spent a long time washing and dressing up, yet now she wore a full and secure home sports outfit, directly dropping Lao Jin’s heart to the bottom.
“There’s still a long way to go; don’t finish every time before it even starts…”
Wanyue held her coffee cup, smiling sweetly, her face full of sarcasm, even slightly smug.
“Ahem… Little Yue, I came this time to tell you about the Wang family’s collaboration with the Hermit Alliance on a recent operation, regarding Old Wu’s rescue operation based on the intel from Zhuang Jianfei. I’m just a simple executor.”
Lao Jin touched his nose, quickly shifting his gaze to the main topic.
He plugged the USB drive into the computer, and on the study’s projection screen, a large satellite map appeared, centered around City C, encompassing several nearby cities and counties, the most distant even reaching Ya Province.
Five core strongholds; did you uncover the Black Dragon Society’s methods over the years?
Looking at the five red circles marked on the screen, Wanyue was rather surprised: “Since Wu Yuqing got injured, it’s only been about a month; what capabilities does Zhuang Jianfei possess to gather so much accurate intel…”
Lao Jin quickly flicked the projection pen on the screen a few times, saying, “Actually, much of it is intel our family has gathered over the past few months; Zhuang Jianfei’s contribution is only a small part. Previously, we didn’t have manpower to process it all, so it just sat.”
Now that the Black Dragon Society’s strongholds in City C were almost cleared out, the Hermit Alliance had also joined in. Old Fifth Uncle meant it was the right time to take them all out at once!
“Zhuang Jianfei also has important intel that Zhu Bixian, whom you chased out from northern Myanmar, has now joined forces with Cao Kuang. Along with the known two barons under Cao Kuang, the Black Dragon Society’s high-end combat power this time is at least four individuals, not counting any hidden helpers behind Cao Kuang.”
Lao Jin pointed at the projection screen, his expression serious: “Cao Kuang and Zhu Bixian have formed a strong bond. The next step is to ascertain which of these five points is their true core stronghold and understand their activity patterns. If necessary, we can only strike at all five points simultaneously, deploying enough power to completely crush them at each location.”
Gently placing her coffee cup down, Wanyue stood up, staring at the five distant points centered around City C on the projection screen, her eyebrows slowly furrowing: “Zhu Bixian is a lower baron, and Cao Kuang is a higher baron, plus the other two barons and potential outside helpers…”
“We need to be prepared for everything to ensure absolute overwhelming advantage. Each stronghold must have at least two counts assigned; it can only be more, not less. Your Wang family is still pushing further south; even if you attack just two or three points, you’d be stretched thin, right?”
As soon as she said this, Lao Jin showed a hint of embarrassment. It seemed that Old Fifth Uncle’s plan had been caught with flaws on the spot by Wanyue.
“Old Fifth Uncle will personally select a team to come in, and the hermits will also send two counts and several barons to participate. If we attack all five points simultaneously, we will definitely be short-handed, so we must take more time to verify the intel… If you join us, Little Yue, it would relieve some of our pressure.”
Lao Jin smiled and pulled out a preliminary personnel list, placing it on the desk: “This is a rough draft of the personnel list; in the Hermit Alliance, besides Zhuang Jianfei, there are also your old acquaintances, Wu Yuqing and Xiang Zuxing. Speaking of which, you collaborated with Xiang Zuxing in northern Myanmar just last month.”
Her mind racing, after a moment, Wanyue roughly pieced together the Wang family’s intentions, smiling slightly: “In the past few months, the Black Dragon Society’s madmen have been causing trouble; both the Wang family and the Hermit Alliance have suffered attacks from Cao Kuang, incurring high damage and humiliation. It’s understandable to launch such a significant operation to eliminate them once and for all.”
“However, compared to the Hermit Alliance and Wang family, the Windflower Alliance is just a minnow in a big pond, merely a supplement… Lao Jin, I’ll join this time to hang out with the big shots and see the world…”
“Then, I’ll just say one thing: whichever route Zhuang Jianfei chooses, I’ll choose that one too.”
After speaking, Wanyue took out a cigarette, lit it, and fixed her beautiful gaze on the projection screen, smiling meaningfully.
Lao Jin was stunned, somewhat surprised; after all, Wanyue and Zhuang Jianfei had a feud that once stirred up chaos in the entire Hermit Alliance—half of the Wang family knew about it.
For these two to come together without any issues seemed unbelievable.
“Little Yue, weren’t you at odds with him? What game are you playing here?” Seeing that she didn’t seem to be joking, Lao Jin found it hard not to chuckle, “I still say you’d be better off sticking with Old Fifth Uncle to get closer to our family.”
Sigh, I can’t help but wish for his downfall, but in this kind of serious confrontation, I’ll still reason it out. As the saying goes, it’s better to look familiar than strike first; after all, we’ve shared meals in the same pot for years. He’s a mid-level baron; following him, I might just get an extra sip of broth…
Wanyue turned around, smiling sweetly at Lao Jin, waiting for his response.
“If you really think that way, I’m relieved…”
Sighing again, Lao Jin’s expression turned serious: “Little Yue, this is really serious business; don’t act recklessly!”
“Hehe, if I intended to act recklessly, would I invite you here to chat? Alright, I won’t keep you for a meal today; you can leave!” Wanyue rolled her eyes, pressed a button, and the projection turned off. “Send me a copy of this map; I’ll have someone take a look too.”
“You’re sending me off so soon? You finally figured out the results for the two agents you got from Zhu Bixian, besides Sodocaine; do you want to know what the other one is?”
Lao Jin feigned mystery, raising his coffee and crossing his legs.
“Reducing the boiling blood stability as a side effect, how good can it be? Isn’t it all trash…”
Wanyue scoffed coldly, turning her back, but she didn’t rush to kick him out.
“That’s not the only side effect; the other is even more exaggerated and can shorten the lifespan of blood clans.”
Lao Jin pulled out a document from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the desk, his expression fluctuating: “As for the positive effects, it can enhance qualifications below the baron level… I really don’t know where the major European and American families find such strange research materials to produce this kind of heaven-defying stuff that can alter innate abilities!”
“Enhancing qualifications, reducing boiling blood stability, shortening lifespans… That kid Meng Bo was fed this!?”
Wanyue abruptly turned, staring intently at the analysis report on the desk, feeling somewhat incredulous.
“Basically confirmed, and there were still plenty of leftover traces of the drug metabolism in the blood samples taken… Our family experimented on the Black Blood Clan, and just the servants would lose ten to twenty years off their lifespan; the higher the realm, the more they lose.”
Lao Jin shrugged, looking helpless: “And then there’s the Liang family in the south, with that stuff that can turn blood clans into monsters… At this rate, this world is going to become unrecognizable.”
…
After Lao Jin left, Wanyue sat quietly in the study, smoking several cigarettes before finally opening the curtains and windows. Sunlight and a gentle breeze flooded the study, driving away the smell of secondhand smoke.
Feeling somewhat bored, Wanyue pulled out her phone to check messages and social media.
“Sigh, that girl is quite strong-willed; even after all this, she doesn’t plan to come to me to plead for mercy? Is she still thinking about foolishness? She really has the personality of a boy…”
Neither text messages nor social media showed any news from Jiang Yan, but she could guess the little things the other had been up to lately.
After a moment’s thought, Wanyue took out two strange phones from the safe, one in each hand, examining them closely.
These two odd phones included one from Meng Bo, which she intended never to return to him. Wanyue was very interested in what state he would be in after fully waking up.
After laughing softly, Wanyue placed the two strange phones back on the desktop.
At that moment, a sudden urgent ringing and vibration came from her pocket. It was a call from Xiao Ai.
“Jiang Yan fainted?”
The phone screen was brought close to her eyes, and after looking for two seconds, Wanyue’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Get her settled; I’ll come right over… Let Xiao Dong keep an eye on her and do some basic checks.”
Ending the call, Wanyue’s gaze shifted back to the desk, quietly watching those two strange phones.
