newbobooks Chapter 82 The Eager Mission to Xia
Chapter 82 The Eager Mission to Xia
Old Li didn't stay long.
He is neither a warehouse manager nor an equipment appraiser.
As the leader of the Dragon Guard, his first reaction upon seeing this equipment was to consider how to transform it into the most direct combat power.
"Qianyu, put a detailed operation report on my desk in three hours." Before leaving, Old Li gave Lu Yan one last look. "Little Lu, come with me."
Lu Yan followed Elder Li through layers of checkpoints and into his office.
Instead of sitting down, Mr. Li walked directly to the wall and unfurled a huge world map.
The map is covered with symbols of various colors, representing the entrances to both known and unknown secret realms.
More than half of the entrances to the advanced dungeons were covered by a prominent white eagle head marker.
"The White Eagle Empire has been monopolizing high-level secret realms for years, selling equipment, tickets, and even intelligence internationally. They have used these resources to cultivate the world's most elite Awakened Legion."
"Old Li's finger traced an area surrounded by eagle head markings. "Many times, our border soldiers don't lose because of their will, but because of the generational gap in equipment."
He turned around and looked at Lu Yan.
"The equipment you bring back for us every time is our hope for breaking this deadlock," Old Li said in a deep voice. "Do you know what that means?"
Lu Yan knew, of course.
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime," he replied crisply.
An approving look appeared on Old Li's face. "You're even more insightful than I was. That's right, such a large quantity of top-tier equipment entering the warehouse can't be kept secret. The White Eagle Empire will react soon."
"Therefore, we need to get these equipment to the people who need them most as soon as possible," Lu Yan added.
"Yes." Old Li nodded. "From now on, the logistics department, the equipment research and development department, and the command headquarters of each major war zone will operate around the clock. These equipment will be allocated, debugged, and then appear on the border in the shortest possible time."
"What do I need to do?" Lu Yan immediately assumed that Elder Li had something to ask for and quickly gave his answer.
"You don't need to do anything." Old Li waved his hand. "Your next task is to rest. Absolute rest. Recharge your energy for the next operation."
He walked up to Lu Yan, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Remember, you are now China's most precious treasure. Your safety is the most important thing, and so is your rest."
---
Just as Mr. Li predicted, China's actions could not be concealed at all.
Sets of A-grade equipment and legendary gear poured out of the Dragon Guard's underground warehouse like a flood, and were secretly distributed to the most elite units in each major war zone with the highest level of military secrecy.
On the border, the Chinese patrol team, which had been constantly suppressed by the elite squads of the White Eagle Empire, was suddenly upgraded overnight.
Previously, it would have taken a whole squadron to pay a heavy price to barely drive away the monsters in the secret realm, but now a standard squad can easily wipe them out.
The leap in combat power brought about by the equipment was exponential. Casualty figures in the battle reports dropped sharply, while the amount of rare materials captured increased rapidly.
Anomalies of this scale are like searchlights in the dark, impossible to conceal.
The intelligence department of the White Eagle Empire was the first to notice something was wrong.
Reports about the unusually strong military capabilities on the Chinese border flooded into the White Eagle Empire's highest command center.
"Where did the Chinese get so much high-level equipment? Did they discover a new S-class secret realm?"
"Impossible! All identified S-level entrances are under our surveillance!"
"According to feedback from the front lines, the equipment of the Chinese troops is very standardized, unlike the products of scattered explorations, but more like... mass production in an organized manner."
Mass-producing legendary equipment? Are you crazy?
Panic and unease spread rapidly through the high-level conference room of the White Eagle Empire. Accustomed to overwhelming everything with superior equipment, they could not accept the reality that China had suddenly broken free from its technological blockade.
Conflict? The cost of a direct war would be too high, and it wouldn't be in their interest.
Thus, a seemingly mild solution was proposed.
A week later.
A special plane bearing a white eagle emblem landed at the Capital Airport of China.
An "international friendly exchange delegation" composed of high-level officials from various countries, representatives of conglomerates, and technical experts descended the gangway amidst a flurry of flashing lights.
Leading the group was the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the White Eagle Empire, a man named Jensen. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and his smile was textbook perfect, but his inherent arrogance was palpable even through the screen.
"We come for peace and for exchange," Jason said to the reporters. "The White Eagle Empire has always been committed to maintaining the balance of power in the world. We are pleased to see China make progress in the field of Awakened Ones and are willing to provide our technical support and assistance."
These words sound grand and righteous, but they really mean: We know all about your resources, so hand over your skills obediently, and we might even play with you.
Longwei Base, Operations Command Center.
On the giant screen, the airport's welcoming ceremony was being broadcast live.
"Here you are." Old Li said, holding a teacup, his face expressionless.
There were forty-seven people in total.
Xiao Qianyu stood aside, reporting intelligence, "Among them, the identities and backgrounds of twelve individuals are questionable. After cross-referencing by the intelligence department, it can be basically confirmed that they are elite agents from the White Eagle Empire's CIA and MI6. Their purpose in coming here is to investigate the origin of this batch of equipment."
"Heh, it's called an exchange, but it's really a test," Zhao Leiguang sneered from the side. "These guys always want to have their cake and eat it too."
Old Li took a sip of tea: "Since our guests have arrived, we must treat them well. Send word to keep a close eye on those twelve 'guests.' Whatever they want to see, let them see what we want them to see."
On the very night the delegation was accommodated at the state guesthouse, the twelve "special guests" quietly left the group, disappearing into the city's night like drops of water flowing into the ocean.
They thought their actions were secretive, but little did they know that from the moment they set foot on Chinese soil, an invisible net had already been quietly cast.
In every corner of the city, seemingly ordinary sanitation workers, food delivery workers, or even old men playing chess on the roadside could be informants for Longwei.
"Lure A has entered Zone 1 and is attempting to infiltrate the municipal network."
"Bait B is heading to the Awakened Materials Black Market on the outskirts of the city."
"Bait C... He seems to be lost and is using translation software to ask for directions."
Inside the command center, real-time updates are displayed on the screen.
Looking at the burly white man on the screen, gesturing at a square-dancing auntie while holding his phone, Old Li smirked, "The professional skills of this generation of spies have declined."
Everyone couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Lu Yan was also sitting in the command room. He had been called over by Old Li under the pretext of "observation and learning." He looked at the "bait" jumping around on the screen and felt a little bored.
It's like an adult watching a bunch of self-important kids playing hide-and-seek.
"Commander, should we close the net?" Xiao Qianyu asked.
"No rush," Old Li shook his head. "Let them have a couple more days of fun. The stage has just been set up; the actors need to perform for a while longer."