Sixteen Years

Advertisement

In the suburbs of Yan City, the former military base had entered a state of alert. The gates were closed, internal inspections were underway, and people in uniforms hurriedly walked through the corridors. The military boots underfoot echoed urgently on the tiled floor.

On the third floor of the dormitory at the 72nd Division’s base, a young woman in training attire walked out of her room. She carried a large accompanying luggage bag but didn’t bother going downstairs. Instead, she threw it out of the window to a man waiting below.

The man downstairs signaled to her and then checked his wristwatch. He said, “Ten minutes.”

The woman nodded at him and quickened her pace.

Instead of going downstairs, she ascended the stairs. On the fifth floor, there was a corridor connecting to the adjacent logistics building, which had now been temporarily converted into the second command center.

The woman walked with a straight posture, and her every move was precise. She reached the door of the command room, glanced at the new label posted on the door, and then adjusted her training uniform before knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

The woman pushed open the door. Inside the command room was a desk over two meters long, with a middle-aged man in his fifties sitting behind it. Two young people stood across from him, holding folders, and all of them turned their heads toward the door, likely in the middle of a briefing.

The woman passed by the two young people and approached the desk. She saluted the middle-aged man and said, “Number One.”

Zhao Jincheng nodded in response and said, “In this operation, do not take unnecessary risks. You are all valuable soldiers, so take care of yourselves. I’ve already provided your squad with Fu Yan’s coordinates for this mission, but he’ll be traveling incognito this time and won’t have professional equipment. You’ll need to find a way to communicate on the road.”

“Yes,” the woman said. “You can trust us.”

“You are all seasoned veterans, and there are many things I don’t need to say. You should understand,” Zhao Jincheng fell silent for a moment before continuing, “But, Sparrowhawk, I want you to lead the team this time.”

Advertisement

“Me?” The woman looked surprised. She pointed to herself and asked, “Number One, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? Our deputy squad leader is still here.”

“Don’t waste time,” Zhao Jincheng reprimanded her. He had a touch of a gangster’s attitude in his speech, which was common for him. He gave her a folder and said, “For this mission, the deputy squad is ordered to stand down, so you will lead the team.”

The woman took the folder and flipped through a couple of pages. She furrowed her brows, hesitated for a moment, but didn’t refuse.

“Does the deputy squad leader know about this?” She asked. “If he doesn’t voluntarily stand down, it might be difficult for me.”

“He knows,” Zhao Jincheng replied. Glancing at his watch impatiently, he waved his hand. “That’s enough. If you’re worried, you can go ask him. The departure time is approaching, so hurry up. If you delay, your own team leader will suffer.”

The woman known as “Sparrowhawk” didn’t say anything more. She put down the folder, saluted Zhao Jincheng, and said, “I’ll ensure the mission is completed.”

The preparations for departure were already complete. The woman pressed the button for the elevator to go down and put tactical earphones in her ears.

As soon as she stepped out of the building, she saw a young man waiting for her in front of the building. He approached her naturally as soon as he saw her.

Advertisement

The man had a resemblance to the woman, especially in their facial features, which seemed almost identical, with slight variations in contour.

“Tang Tang,” the man called out to her. “Why did you take so long?”

“Brother?” He Tang was somewhat surprised. “Didn’t you go to the gathering point?”

“I was waiting for you,” He Feng said. “They’ve already inspected the vehicles at the airport. I heard that Number One had summoned you in his office, so I came to see… What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing,” He Tang replied naturally as they walked side by side towards the training ground. She reached into his pocket and took out tactical earphones, handing them to him. She casually said, “Number One asked me to lead the team.”

He Feng was a head taller than He Tang. He bent slightly to make it easier for her, and he jokingly asked, “What’s going on? He’s young and in his prime. Even if he accidentally offended Number One, it shouldn’t result in early retirement from active duty, right?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” He Tang kicked his ankle playfully and whispered, “It’s to avoid suspicion.”

“Avoid suspicion?” He Feng asked.

He Tang nodded and whispered in He Feng’s ear, explaining the basic information from the folder. He Feng understood and nodded in response, saying, “That makes sense.”

After saying that, He Feng fell silent. He straightened up and adjusted the earphones that had slipped slightly.

Advertisement

The two of them arrived at the airport just in time, as the spacious field had already been cleared. The mechanical and fighter planes had all been stored away, leaving only a few military jeeps scattered across the large square.

Several young people were by the car doors, checking the last of the supplies. One burly tall man was the first to spot them, and he waved to He Tang.

“Little Bunny,” He Tang said, “Is everything counted?”

“What’s with the ‘Little Bunny’?” The man retorted in a rough manner. “It’s not wartime now. Can’t you stop using code names?”

“Oh, Yao Tu,” He Tang said, “It doesn’t make much of a difference.”

Yao Tu, annoyed, couldn’t retort properly due to He Feng, her elder brother, being present. So, he gritted his teeth, turned his head away, and tightened the straps on his backpack as if he were trying to strangle He Tang.

He Feng: “…”

He Tang quickly ended the teasing and looked around. She didn’t spot White-Headed Kite anywhere, so she signaled He Feng to keep an eye out while she made her rounds.

Finally, on the driver’s seat of the front car, He Tang found White-Headed Kite. He was leaning back with his eyes closed, apparently taking a nap. He Tang knocked on the car window with her fingers, and when he opened his eyes, she made a downward gesture.

White-Headed Kite raised an eyebrow in response and rolled down the car window. He saw He Tang leaning on the window frame and cleared his throat before asking her, “Did Number One tell you?”

“He did,” He Tang said, visibly relieved. She reached into his pocket and took out the tactical earphones, then hesitated as she spoke, “Deputy leader, you don’t need to be too…”

“Too what?” White-Headed Kite asked.

He Tang hesitated for a moment and said, “Well, I just wanted to say, Deputy Leader, you don’t need to…”

It seemed that in this team, all the “seriousness” was concentrated in Fu Yan, leaving the others to engage in friendly banter.

White-Headed Kite sized up He Tang, then smiled and said, “I’m sure this will satisfy your craving for authority, right?”

Advertisement

He Tang let out an affirmative sound but looked at him with some concern, hesitating as she began, “Actually, Deputy Team Leader, you should also…”

Before she could finish her sentence, the man suddenly let out a cold, abrupt laugh. He pulled out a cigarette from somewhere, placed it in his mouth without lighting it, and mumbled, “I’m more than happy about it. What does it have to do with me? we should just follow orders”

His tone was very impolite, and his eyebrows were raised high, his expression becoming mocking and sharp.

“Bai Touyuan” also known as white headed kite was Fu Yan’s deputy, two years younger than him, and joined the team a year later. After working alongside Fu Yan for so many years, he hadn’t learned any of Fu Yan’s composure. He could be quite pleasant and easygoing on normal occasions, but in situations like this, he could be rather intimidating.

…Fortunately, he didn’t act this way often, He Tang thought. Otherwise, it would be quite frightening.

He Tang was momentarily at a loss for words, not sure what to say. She could only awkwardly laugh a couple of times and change the subject.

“All right,” the man then ruffled He Tang’s hair again and chuckled, saying, “Temporary deputy, let’s get ready to go.”

According to the operational plan they had previously established, Fu Yan would first go to Pengcheng City to pick up Fang Sining. The special operations team would follow his route, striving to rendezvous with him on the road when he returned. This way, they could reunite in the shortest time possible.

During this process, if any unexpected situations arose, such as “Fu Yan not picking up Fang Sining” or “Fu Yan being trapped in Pengcheng City,” they would adjust their operational plan based on the actual circumstances.

The journey from Yan City to Pengcheng City was not short, and even if they drove without rest, it would take a day and a night. Moreover, the current situation outside was uncertain, and there was a question of whether they could safely reach their destination.

“We aim to meet up with the captain within seventy-two hours,” He Tang, sitting in the front passenger seat of the second vehicle, adjusted her earpiece and said, “My brother and I will lead the way initially, and the deputy team will follow. We’ll switch positions after five hours.”

Through the earpiece, they heard several statements, and He Tang nodded at her brother, He Feng, who was in the first vehicle. She reached her hand out of the window and made a departure gesture.

He Tang had considered all possible contingencies before departure, even applying for an excess of ammunition. Unfortunately, as the “temporary deputy,” it seemed that she had some bad luck. She had only been in the position for less than three hours when an unexpected twist forced her to step down.

At that moment, they had just driven out of Yan City, heading towards the direction of S City. Suddenly, a call from the military headquarters came in.

They used an internal communication channel, carrying signal boxes with them at all times, ensuring dual-line communication. Almost as soon as the call was connected, both vehicles heard the new orders.

“Change of destination. The evacuation train from S City to Yan City has overturned near Yizhou.”

“The evacuation train overturned?!” He Tang exclaimed. ” Are there any survivors?”

“Before it overturned, there was a deceleration, but the specific circumstances are unclear, and the casualties… are also unknown,” Zhao Jincheng said with a heavy voice. “The exact coordinates have been sent to Bai Touyuan. According to the frontline reports, there is a sample of patient zero’s blood on that train. You must…”

Zhao Jincheng’s voice briefly paused for two seconds, and when he resumed speaking, it sounded somewhat shaky. “Medical professionals have been dispatched, and they insist on protecting the blood sample at all costs.”

“What about the captain?” He Tang asked. “Are we supposed to protect the blood sample and bring it back…?”

“Undecided for now,” Zhao Jincheng’s voice clearly sounded exhausted. He sighed and continued, “The external situation is too chaotic right now, and unforeseen circumstances could arise at any moment. It’s pointless to ask too many questions.”

“Understood. We have received the coordinates. Adjusting mission priorities,” Bai Touyuan quickly regained his composure. He overtook He Tang’s vehicle, took charge effortlessly, and said, “What is the status of the blood sample?”

“Unclear,” Zhao Jincheng replied. “Adapt as necessary.”

“Understood,” Bai Touyuan said, “We will ensure the mission’s completion.”