Chapter 191: The Boldest Speculation
March 12, Thursday, Capital City, a large military hospital.
Han Jie Li’s car accident not only alarmed the Han family but also prompted the headquarters and the provincial bureau’s Zhi Jun to personally visit City C. Even the commander of the Western Monitoring Zone, Wang Hong Jun, sensed that something was amiss.
Given Han Jie Li’s injuries and his undisclosed special identity, along with communication from Ye Zhi Jun, Wang Hong Jun contemplated multiple times and decided to send Han Jie Li to the capital for treatment.
After losing blood and being in a coma for three days, Han Jie Li finally woke up yesterday morning.
Aside from unavoidable superficial injuries, he had multiple fractures throughout his body, but considering his strong foundation, he had not sustained any irreparable damage.
Now, Han Jie Li was leaning against the hospital bed with his left leg and right hand encased in thick plaster, while only his left hand remained uninjured, scrolling through online news on a tablet.
The public sentiment management regarding the three locations in S Province by the intelligence department of the Western Monitoring Zone was relatively effective.
In the old mining site of Mine Mountain in P City, illegal mining activities led to a cave-in, prompting local authorities to urgently use explosives to rescue trapped personnel.
In Qingshi Town in Y City, a large-scale military and police night firefighting and disaster relief exercise was conducted in the field, simulating aftershock activity with underground explosives to test the disaster relief forces’ deployment capabilities in complex mountainous environments.
In the River Port District of L City, an explosion occurred at the logistics center construction site on the eastern bank of the Minjiang River involving hazardous chemicals. Fortunately, it happened over the weekend when work was halted, and there were no casualties.
To cover up the shocking aerial strikes that occurred almost simultaneously in S Province, the intelligence department of the Western Monitoring Zone, as well as the headquarters and provincial bureau, exerted considerable effort, even deliberately creating hot news in other areas to divert public attention from the three aforementioned locations.
“Xiao Li!”
The door burst open, and Han Xiao hurried in, her face showing panic, almost running in three steps at a time.
“Sister Xiao, what are you doing here?” Han Jie Li put down the tablet with difficulty and forced a smile, “Aren’t you participating in the Southwest Rotation War?”
Han Xiao sat at the head of the bed, turning to see a catheter discreetly peeking out from beneath the blanket. She had planned to lift the blanket to see her cousin’s injuries closely, but now she had to give up on that.
Grabbing a fruit from the bedside, Han Xiao still felt a bit shaken: “You mustn’t get into trouble. It’s not just about my dad and aunt; if Second Uncle finds out, he might be so shocked that he gets sick.”
This Southwest Rotation War was supposed to end at the end of the month, but unfortunately, it encountered the escalation of turmoil in northern Myanmar, frequent activities by the Blood Clan, and insufficient border control forces, forcing the Captive Army to stay an extra two weeks.
Last night, after the mission ended, I received a call from my aunt, saying that even the deputy director of the headquarters and my dad were alarmed, so I simply flew over from S Province to see you.”
Listening to Han Xiao saying so much in one breath, Han Jie Li could only smile.
“Not bad, not bad. Young people have a strong foundation; with this kind of spirit, if it were me, with these old bones, I probably wouldn’t even have the strength to grunt right now.”
While the two siblings were chatting, the ward door opened again, and Ye Zhi Jun walked in with a relaxed expression, followed by a strange officer carrying a briefcase.
“Director Ye!”
Seeing that the other person was in military uniform, Han Xiao quickly stood up to salute.
“This isn’t a work setting, no need to be so formal. You just finished the Southwest Rotation War yesterday, and today you flew to the capital. Among the young women of the Han family, you’re the most diligent!”
Ye Zhi Jun smiled, waved his hand, personally pulled a chair over, and sat by the bed, while the intelligence officer who followed remained quietly standing to the side.
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed not just a simple visit for illness. Han Xiao, being perceptive, after a brief exchange, took the reason of getting food for Han Jie Li to leave the ward.
Once the door closed, Ye Zhi Jun’s expression gradually became serious, and Han Jie Li fell into a peculiar serious state, his eyes fixed intently on the briefcase held by the unfamiliar intelligence officer.
In the room, a strange silence filled the air, as if everyone was brewing their emotions.
“I knew it; the first thing you’d want to know upon waking is the outcome of the last operation in the Western Monitoring Zone…”
A minute later, Ye Zhi Jun was the first to speak, extending his hand, and the intelligence officer hurriedly pulled out a stack of documents from the briefcase.
The documents were delivered to the bedside, and a corner of Ye Zhi Jun’s mouth twitched slightly, showing a bitter smile, “With so much work pressure on you, your mind still turns so quickly. Sometimes, I’m afraid you’ll make a call… Just look for yourself; everything you thought of and didn’t think of is all here.”
Using his only movable left hand to accept it, Ye Zhi Jun flipped through the documents. As he reached the last page, Han Jie Li tightly closed his eyes and did not speak a word.
Ye Zhi Jun exchanged a glance with the intelligence officer next to him, both unable to help but sigh deeply.
The Wang family has already refused to contact us… However, we obtained an unconfirmed report from other intelligence channels indicating that the Wang family was mainly betrayed by a high-level traitor from within.
You asked me to verify whether the Wang family had any actions that day, and the feedback was that they did not; and that was that. Clearly, the person pulling the strings behind the scenes had been laying out plans within the Wang family for a long time… What’s even more awkward is that we were once again used as a pawn, and this time by the 黑龙会 (Black Dragon Society).
Over the years, there have always been some results that, after the fact, have proven to be shady. But this time, it got too big and directly fell on the Wang family’s head… Now the Wang family’s attitude and stance might change, and you will likely face increased pressure in the Southern Monitoring Zone.
At this point, Ye Zhi Jun removed his military cap and looked helplessly at the ceiling.
When did the Wang family notice something was wrong?
Han Jie Li thought for a moment and quickly asked.
At 1:05 AM that night, the aerial bombardments began; at 1:30 AM, the Wang family initiated contact… I was also awakened in the middle of the night to find out that something big had happened. They rarely take the initiative to contact us like that.
The Wang family immediately requested that all bodies of the deceased be returned to them, but you know that such a powerful heavy aerial bomb leaves almost no complete bodies… The on-site clearing and analysis of the remains indicated, apart from a few outer Black Blood Clan members, that approximately eight to ten barons to viscounts from the Blood Clan died directly in this aerial strike.
We obviously cannot return the bodies immediately, as there is still a lot of follow-up analysis work to be done.
Ye Zhi Jun pointed to the documents in Han Jie Li’s hand, shaking his head repeatedly.
Are all the dead from the Wang family…?
Han Jie Li reread through the contents of the documents, and a strange feeling suddenly emerged in his heart. Uncle Ye, the Wang family noticed something was wrong in less than half an hour; that reaction seems alarmingly quick!
Saying this, Han Jie Li furrowed his brows tighter, feeling that the Wang family’s quirks in this matter were far more than just a traitor from the higher-ups.
Hmm? What are you thinking again?
Ye Zhi Jun was also taken aback, and after a few moments, he didn’t understand.
Han Jie Li laid down the documents, his eyes darting around, his tone filled with confusion: I just feel that something isn’t right… It feels like they were waiting for the results and hurriedly contacted us to prepare their stance… What could be more urgent than a traitor within their own ranks?
I had a doubt earlier; with the tacit understanding between the Wang family and 暗箭 (Hidden Arrow), since they discovered a hidden stronghold of the Black Dragon Society, why didn’t they directly inform the Hidden Arrow to take action, but instead chose to split their forces into three routes?
They were restrained by the Liang family in the south for several months, caught up in the oil and water, and now they suddenly threw so many people into the mix?
The Wang family being betrayed by a traitor is just a conclusion. To mobilize forces equivalent to two or three large viscount families for a significant operation, the Wang family did not have any opposing voices from their other high-level members and didn’t even privately communicate with the Hidden Arrow. They simply let the traitor lead everything without resistance?
The more he thought, the more Han Jie Li felt there were secrets and logical inconsistencies.
Now it’s just fragmented speculations; the real situation might be more complex than you think… These issues will take a long time to unravel; meanwhile, you, being in a car accident near the action target, is currently what we need to pay attention to most!
Ye Zhi Jun interrupted Han Jie Li’s train of thought and directly took another document from the intelligence officer beside him: The heavy freight truck that caused your accident has been traced and discovered to be a disguised vehicle with false plates.
In the highway exit surveillance footage, the driver of this truck exhibited abnormal body temperature… We are currently still trying our best to track down the whereabouts of this truck and its driver.
Now it was Han Jie Li’s turn to be dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected that his accident would be laden with conspiracy theory elements. But upon a moment’s reflection, the timing and location indeed seemed very sensitive.
The Black Dragon Society executed a grand plan while simultaneously setting up both the Wang family and the Hidden Arrow and, after achieving success, targeted him as well… Han Jie Li found it hard to comprehend.
You probably overlooked your own value; I estimate that your series of intelligence analysis activities has already attracted the opponent’s attention. Currently, the intelligence bureau assesses that you urgently initiated contact with the Wang family before the operation. Although it didn’t change the outcome, it still made the mastermind feel threatened by you.
Ye Zhi Jun’s expression became increasingly serious, carrying a hint of difficulty: Xiao Qian, from a work perspective, I hope you do less of this in the future; after all, you are not an intelligence officer, and what you are doing has exceeded your authority.
I hope you keep up the good work and can achieve more results. But emotionally, I don’t want someone as talented as you to be targeted by certain people.
The organization is considering ending your current assignment in the Western Monitoring Zone and returning you to the headquarters of the intelligence bureau. They might even revoke your drafting responsibilities. Your abilities can be utilized in many areas.
Upon hearing this, Han Jie Li immediately became anxious: “Don’t, Director Ye, the investigation results aren’t out yet! Maybe the opponent is leading us by the nose!”
Ye Zhi Jun hurriedly pressed down on Han Jie Li’s body, fearing that it would affect his health: “Currently, this is only a discussion; no final conclusion has been reached. Don’t rush; the priority is to recover your health.”
Director, what about the situation in the Western Monitoring Zone and with Han Guang Quan?
Seemingly thinking of something, Han Jie Li quickly asked.
With a super outcome that is hard to come by in over a decade or two, what can we do… Well, the Western Monitoring Zone will hold an operation commendation conference where all participating units will be recognized, and Han Guang Quan himself is no exception.
The headquarters will dispatch representatives to attend, and the commendation conference will also report to the entire military. Some things, whether for appearance or reality, must be done. After all, the frontline commanders have all been dutiful, while the underlying issues are for us to resolve.
Han Jie Li nodded, unable to deny the superficial positive significance of such a large-scale operation. All frontline members of the Western Monitoring Zone have invested a lot of effort and time this time; it’s just that they could never imagine that this victory was already tainted from the start.
Alright, that’s it for today. Focus on your recovery, and if there are any issues or new intelligence developments, I will have someone bring them to you. Remember, you need to keep a low profile now; unnecessary investigative work shouldn’t be done by you personally, and the intelligence bureau doesn’t lack a gopher like you.
Ye Zhi Jun stood up, let out a deep breath, then put on his military cap: “Once your health recovers, I plan to have you participate in intelligence investigations in the south and southwest. Now that troubles are erupting, there aren’t many who can handle things alone.”
As for the long-term investigation of the mole, the Chief of Staff and I discussed and plan to have Han Bei leave the Captive Army, nominally transferring to the logistics department at headquarters, while secretly joining the intelligence bureau to assist you with some tasks.
Han Jie Li was stunned again: “What’s going on in the intelligence work in the south and the southwest?”
While speaking, the door was pushed open suddenly, and Han Bei rushed in with a terrified expression, gasping for breath.
Xiao Li, I just saw Second Uncle! He has come up! He knows about your serious injury!
The only heir of the Han family nearly died in a car accident. If it weren’t for the fact that he’s now out of danger, perhaps the concealment from Han Zhong Liang would have continued. However, the longer the deception lasts, the more troublesome it becomes.
Most of the high-ranking members of the Hidden Arrow, including Ye Zhi Jun, did not wish for Han Zhong Liang’s mental and physical health to suffer irreparable problems due to Han Jie Li’s sudden incident.
But currently, it appears that the truth cannot be hidden. The elderly Han, who is concerned about the sole heir of the Han family, has evidently been triggered.
In the room, both Ye Zhi Jun and Han Jie Li showed expressions of helplessness.
In spring, especially at the Bamboo Sea in Southern Sichuan, as the spring breeze blows, the emerald green hills and valleys flourish, the sound of bamboo joints growing and birdsong mingle together like waves.
Still at that quiet countryside villa, a luxury SUV slowly stopped. Wan Yue hadn’t gotten out of the car yet but already sensed several chaotic auras spreading around.
It seemed the Wang family’s security work here had intensified.
Including housekeepers and a few familiar faces like Old Ninth, more than ten men and women stood outside the small building, quietly watching Wan Yue, seemingly there to welcome her, but it appeared more like an order from the Wang family ancestor forbidding them from entering.
From the looks of it, there appeared to be figures like earls within… Just with a slight glance, a few unfamiliar Wang family members left an impression on Wan Yue’s mind.
“Miss Wan, the ancestor is already waiting inside…”
The housekeeper respectfully bowed to Wan Yue while stepping forward to open the door.
In the living room, indeed, only the Wang family ancestor was seated there, looking at her with a faint smile.
As soon as Wan Yue took her seat, the Wang family ancestor chuckled lightly: “I heard you sent Aunt Jiang to the southwest?”
“Yes, together with the south. The situation there has become a chaotic mess, and I was just contemplating how far the Engel family intends to stir things up.”
Wan Yue smiled, actively picking up the tea bowl in front of her and gently blowing across the tea.
“You have quite the nerve, daring to send her out at this time.”
The Wang family ancestor sighed lightly.
Shaking his head slightly, he turned to point out that both the Wang family and the Hidden Arrow have been confirmed to be infiltrated by the Engel family; your every move may not be a secret.
“With you watching over, what am I afraid of?” Wan Yue took a sip of tea and casually replied, “For instance, this time the family has suffered losses; it should have long been within your predictions. If I’m not mistaken, those who died this time must have been tampered with.”
“I know your tricks won’t escape your eyes, little girl.”
The Wang family ancestor nodded, surprisingly admitting, “I just didn’t expect that Dali would be so ruthless for personal gain to the point of dragging two elder stewards into the fire, and it’s not just targeting the Wang family.”
“Chu Dali fought alongside the Wang family’s fifth in the past, and they were both injured in the major battles of the time, losing their hopes of further promotion. I understand how they arrived at this point now… I’m just thinking: is there nothing else our Blood Clan strives for aside from power?”
The Wang family ancestor sighed, casting a glance out at the green forest sea, revealing a rare moment of melancholy.
“Because you are a duke, you have the right to see through everything… Or rather, your pursuits have long surpassed what we younger generations can grasp. In my eyes, your dedication is no less than that of anyone else.”
After Wan Yue finished speaking, she solemnly placed down the tea bowl, then stood up and deeply bowed: “Elder, you can speak plainly now. What shall we do next?”
The Wang family ancestor slightly nodded, seemingly indicating: “Not in a hurry, let’s not expose Dali’s matter just yet. Let’s observe his movements; perhaps he too is merely a pawn.”
As for you, little girl, you are quite clever, teaming up with Gold Kid to deal with an honest person like Old Ninth… Speaking of which, in the entire Wang family, I have only seen the Empress a few times; I’m not very familiar with some arcane modern science but have enough standing to express my opinions.
Now you and Gold Kid feel that Jiang Yao resembles the Empress more? However, I have a different view…
Upon hearing this, Wan Yue’s entire body shook, and she suddenly looked up, her face filled with surprise.
For two hundred years, from the Goebbels family to the Engel family, despite different methods, there has always been an unchanging pattern: the Grandmother and the Empress have consistently appeared in Huaguo.
Old Ninth provided me with an analysis result that even you don’t know: Jiang Bing and Jiang Yao have extremely high blood purity in their multifaceted bloodline spectrums, which is what you now refer to as the completeness of dominant genes.
Moreover, even up to now, the emotional stability of these two girls far exceeds that of the Empress I encountered back in the day. Could it be that this is indeed what the Goebbels or Engel families have been pursuing?
The current physical examination results suggest that, in comparison to Jiang Yao, Jiang Yan is even more stable in all aspects; could it be that Jiang Yan is closer to the direction of the Ancestors’ plan? Their differences cannot simply be reduced to fertility…
The Wang family ancestor calmly elaborated as if these questions were the outcome of her countless reflections accumulated over two hundred years rather than a mere brainstorming session.
The real truth is known only to members of the Engel family. But we have our wits; we can exhaust all our speculations and come up with contingency plans for each one. This is something my mother, Zhu Qianhua, and I began preparing for eighty years ago.
Upon reaching this point, the Wang family ancestor deliberately paused, smiling and pointing at Wan Yue.
It seems the old master had already guessed my identity long ago, haha, perhaps it wasn’t a guess… Wan Yue said nothing in response, merely smiled, feeling much more at ease internally.
Seeing the other party’s emotions stabilize, the Wang family ancestor couldn’t help but nod secretly, continuing: “One speculation may align more with what the Goebbels and Engel families have been doing in Huaguo for the past two hundred years: they have been continuously purifying the Siberian lineage of their blood by feeding the Grandmother with blood.”
Because among the eight lineages, only Huaguo meets the population base conditions for the Siberian blood clan, and the bloodline purity is even more advanced than elsewhere. They have already completed the bloodline purification of the other seven major lineages around the world, so this may be their final step.
Wan Yue fell silent, but her gaze sharpened, as if the underlying logic behind this speculation finally lined up, explaining her long-standing confusion.
The Ancestor’s plan of the Engel family aims to create a perfect mixed-blood clan? All those so-called tier one to tier three projects are merely a smokescreen?
Wan Yue took a deep breath, articulating a conclusion that even she found hard to believe:
Hmm, because this involves a secret known only to dukes, the older fellow from the Engel family, who won’t live much longer, has probably been brooding over it…
The Wang family ancestor smiled, slowly stood up, and uttered a single word: “En.”
A few seconds later, Wan Yue’s eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
In the depths of Longquan Mountain in City C.
High mountains, deep valleys, and dense forests abound; this place is isolated from mountain traffic and distanced from the Hyacinth Manor, remote enough that the nearest human habitation is several kilometers away.
Standing barefoot on a rocky beach of a creek, nearly entirely covered by vegetation overhead and resembling a natural pathway, Jiang Yao had her hair in a single ponytail and was dressed in a light purple Latin dance backless dress, with her eyes lowered, gazing at the slowly flowing water, her expression calm.
“Xiao Yao, don’t do that; the blood on your back hasn’t yet coagulated, and you haven’t even had a second check…”
Accompanying Jiang Yao to this place, Su Xiaomeng felt a hint of regret.
Though she couldn’t sense the pheromone aura of the boiling blood of the blood clan, seeing the intensity in Jiang Yao’s eyes and the chaotic swarm of nearby insects that seemed unable to approach, she knew something significant was about to happen.
“Don’t talk; I’m still feeling it…”
Jiang Yao raised her hand, making a gesture to indicate for silence, then slowly closed her eyes.
Suddenly, an observable distortion appeared on Jiang Yao’s exposed back, with a small lump of flesh slightly bulging, its surface exhibiting a rippling motion, as if something alive was about to break free from its cocoon.
“Xiao Yao, don’t do anything reckless; your body is still unstable…”
Su Xiaomeng became a bit anxious, directly unwrapping the package on her back, pulling out a thick syringe as she approached Jiang Yao.
This was the blood clan-specific anesthetic that Su Xiaomeng had prepared for this occasion. Although it is mostly used in clinical surgeries under non-boiling blood conditions, in super large doses, it can also suppress the intensity of the blood clan’s boiling blood or even dull the body’s reaction.
According to their prior agreement, this should be used if any abnormal conditions surfaced.
“Don’t yell; I can still control it…”
Jiang Yao slightly hunched, pain evident on her face, even clenching her teeth tightly.
The bulging flesh on her back continued to writhe more vigorously, and moments later, Jiang Yao let out an extremely suppressed groan of pain as two thin, blood-colored tentacles finally broke through her body.
Exceeding two meters in length and proudly spreading open like dragonfly wings, they gently swayed in the air.
Unlike the previous failure, the tentacle transformation this time was much thinner, perhaps less than three millimeters, but slightly wider, around ten centimeters. The jagged bone edges were also smaller and denser, appearing exquisite and beautiful with a unique bloody, seductive charm.
“I… can hold on for a while longer…”
Jiang Yao strained to puff up her chest and open her arms, but her legs standing in the creek trembled.
The blood tentacles behind her seemed alive, curling and twisting at times, swaying gracefully.
As if activating a special function, Jiang Yao felt the blood energy proteins inside her being consumed at an astonishing rate, with the thin blood tentacles greedily sucking out the essence from her body.
With her eyes becoming increasingly bloodshot, Jiang Yao leaped into the air. With the blood light flashing, she severed two of her arms, taking down countless twigs and leaves as they crashed into the rocky creek bed.
As soon as she landed, Jiang Yao charged forward again, splashing water everywhere, executing a spin-and-slash with the tentacles that twisted and transformed behind her, effortlessly slicing through several hard rocks nearby.
“So cool… I should be able to control them…”
Gasping, Jiang Yao tilted over, her flushed face breaking into an exaggerated smile… then, her body went weak, collapsing into the creek, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from her.
“Xiao Yao!”
Su Xiaomeng’s face turned pale as she hurried over, gripping Jiang Yao’s wrist and forehead.
There was no need to count down; it was clear that Jiang Yao’s heart rate at this moment had exceeded one hundred and fifty. Furthermore, based on her complexion and temperature, it was a typical case of boiling blood control failure due to the exhaustion of blood energy proteins, and her bloodthirsty state was a mild description.
“Crazy, crazy! I can’t pull them back!”
Su Xiaomeng grabbed Jiang Yao’s body, supporting her by her side, watching those blood wings visibly begin to darken at an alarming rate, which left her completely astounded.
Jiang Yao had manifested four tentacles for the first time, leading to a total collapse from sheer blood energy exhaustion. Now, she could fight for around ten seconds under the conditions of having two tentacles mutated; it was uncertain whether to count as progress or stagnation.
At the very least, Su Xiaomeng was on the verge of a breakdown, because she very likely would need to perform surgery for the removal of the tentacle transformation again.
