43: Inspection begins

The runway at Mandalay International Airport shimmered with heatwaves under the scorching sun, and Lin Mo looked out the window at this unfamiliar country.

The plane slowly taxied to the apron, and the moment the cabin door opened, a wave of humid, hot air rushed in.

“Temperature 32 degrees, humidity 78%, southeast wind 3 knots.” Director Zhou of the Technical Reconnaissance Department subconsciously reported the data, pushing up his glasses.

Lin Mo adjusted his suit collar and looked back at the members of the inspection team.

Zhao Zhigang of Military Intelligence Department 3 was checking his personal equipment, while Scholar Professor Shen Yi was reviewing a Myanmar culture and customs manual for the last time.

Everyone’s face showed varying degrees of nervousness and anticipation.

“Remember Director Zhou’s instructions,” Lin Mo said in a low voice, “No matter what you see, remain calm.”

Stepping off the gangway, Lin Mo first saw six black bulletproof cars neatly parked next to the apron, with more than ten security personnel in dark blue uniforms standing beside them.

The most striking was the man standing at the front of the motorcade, about 1.8 meters tall, with a Western appearance and a common middle-aged build.

He had short, dark brown hair with a slightly receding hairline.

He wore a well-tailored dark blue suit and a white shirt, but no tie.

The man exuded a somewhat lazy yet decisive and approachable aura.

“As expected,” Lin Mo couldn't help but admire Director Zhou’s judgment and reasoning ability, sighing inwardly, “They must have been prepared long ago.”

“Team Leader Lin, welcome to Mandala.” The man greeted him in standard Chinese, his voice deep and steady, “I am Jonathan Ains, Executive Officer of Titan Group.”

Lin Mo noticed that his outstretched right hand was covered with calluses, and there were obvious scars on his knuckles.

These were marks left by long-term use of firearms.

“Mr. Ains’s Chinese is very fluent, with no discernible accent,” Lin Mo replied in Chinese, deliberately probing.

Ains’s lips curved slightly: “Titan prioritizes the use of Chinese; after all, it is the most efficient language.”

His words were concise and powerful, with the directness characteristic of a soldier, “You must be tired from your journey, please get in the car first.

Titan Group has already prepared for your reception.”

The inspection team members exchanged a wary glance.

As the motorcade drove out of the airport, Lin Mo noticed that traffic along the way was temporarily controlled, but he did not see any Emerald Principality police officers; all security was handled by Titan Group security personnel in uniform.

“Your company has considerable influence in the Emerald Principality,” Lin Mo and his group shared a car with Ains, deliberately probing in a casual tone.

Ains took a bottle of chilled mineral water from the car refrigerator and handed it to him: “Win-win cooperation.”

His brief answer was airtight, “The Emerald Principality government greatly appreciates our contributions to infrastructure.”

Lin Mo noticed that the car’s temperature control system was unusually sensitive, completing adjustments almost the instant Ains pressed the button.

This reaction speed far exceeded that of conventional vehicles.

“How far is the industrial park from the city?” Lin Mo continued to ask, while observing the car’s interior.

It appeared to be an ordinary luxury car, but the details revealed something unusual.

The display screen on the dashboard had extremely high resolution, with almost no visible pixel points; the seat material had a peculiar tactile feel, neither like leather nor fabric.

“About 20 minutes,” Ains’s gaze turned to the window, “We are taking the Group’s self-built express lane.”

Sure enough, the motorcade drove onto a brand-new highway, with an incredibly smooth road surface.

What surprised Lin Mo even more was that, apart from their motorcade, there were no other vehicles on this road.

“Private road?” Professor Shen Yi couldn’t help but ask from the back seat.

Ains replied without turning his head: “For safety considerations.”

The motorcade traveled at a constant speed of 120 kilometers per hour, and Lin Mo noticed that whether accelerating or decelerating, he felt almost no inertia.

This driving stability far surpassed any luxury car he knew.

“Team Leader Lin is interested in our car?” Ains keenly noticed his observation.

“Just curious about its power system,” Lin Mo admitted frankly, “Such smooth acceleration doesn’t seem like a traditional internal combustion engine.”

“Electric drive,” Ains replied concisely, “but the battery technology is a bit special.”

Just as Lin Mo was about to inquire further, a low roar came from the sky.

Through the sunroof, four uniquely streamlined aircraft flew in a diamond formation at low altitude over the motorcade.

“That’s!” Zhao Zhigang almost pressed his face against the car window.

The aircraft were entirely black, with some golden lines for embellishment.

Their body shape resembled helicopters, but they lacked rotating tail rotors and main rotors.

Instead, they had vertical stabilizers similar to fighter jets and a pair of wings that seemed disproportionately small for the fuselage.

Most striking were the two turbofan engines on the wings, spewing blue afterburners, and the obvious openable hatch on the belly.

“CM-71 nightingale, our security patrol team,” Ains said in a normal tone, as if this was just an ordinary sight, “The industrial park is quite large, and aerial patrols are more efficient.”

Lin Mo and Zhao Zhigang exchanged a glance.

As a military equipment expert, Zhao Zhigang shook his head slightly, indicating that this helicopter design was beyond his comprehension.

“nightingale?” Lin Mo deliberately repeated the name, “An interesting name.

It reminds me of the Nova United States special forces’ ‘White Eagle’ helicopter.”

Ains’s lips curved slightly: “The name was chosen by the designer; he saved a nightingale when he was a child, that’s all.

Compared to the ‘White Eagle,’ our ‘nightingale’ is quieter and more lethal.”

He deliberately emphasized the last two words, then quickly changed the subject, “We’re almost at the industrial park.”

The motorcade continued for about twenty minutes, and a massive complex of buildings began to appear on the distant horizon.

As they drew closer, Lin Mo realized that it was not an “industrial park” in the traditional sense at all.

There were no towering chimneys, no dense factories, but rather a series of low-lying silver buildings, arranged in a geometric pattern, reflecting metallic luster in the sunlight.

“That is…” Professor Shen Yi’s voice trembled slightly.

“Titan Group headquarters base,” Ains’s voice carried an undisguised pride, “We call it ‘Titan Industrial City’.”

Just then, the motorcade suddenly slowed down and turned onto a Fork in the Road.

A checkpoint appeared ahead, with a dozen fully armed guards standing on both sides.

To the shock of the inspection team, as the motorcade approached, these guards simultaneously turned, stood at attention, and saluted, with a uniformity of movement that was chilling.

It was as if they were puppets controlled by a single brain.

“Please understand the need for necessary security checks,” Ains explained, “This is the last external checkpoint before entering the industrial park.”

The checkpoint did not have any manual inspection procedures; instead, there was a huge arch-like device.

When the first car passed through, a circle of blue light lit up inside the arch, scanning the entire vehicle from top to bottom.

“It should be a biometric identification system,” Director Zhou whispered, his eyes fixed on his portable device, “but it’s never appeared internationally, except in sci-fi movies.”

Ains heard Director Zhou’s murmur, and his lips curved slightly: “It’s normal that Director Zhou hasn’t seen it.

This is our patented technology, used only within the Group.”

As Lin Mo’s vehicle passed through the arch, he felt the button in his pocket suddenly become a bit warmer, then returned to normal temperature a few seconds later.

“The scan is harmless to the body,” Ains said without turning his head, as if he could sense Lin Mo’s confusion, “It ensures no dangerous items are carried.”

His gaze suddenly sharpened, “Of course, your special equipment will also be specially handled.”

Lin Mo’s heart tightened, “Did he know about the button?”

After passing the checkpoint, the motorcade drove onto a main road.

The guardrails on both sides of the main road were embedded with countless tiny light sources, forming a brilliant light strip.

Lin Mo noticed that as the vehicles moved forward, these light sources would light up a few meters ahead, and then slowly extinguish after the car passed, as if guiding them forward.

Even in daylight, those light strips were clearly visible.

“Photoelectric inductive navigation system,” Director Zhou murmured, “but this reaction speed…”

The motorcade stopped in front of a magnificent silver-gray building.

This central building had a tower-like design, with no visible seams or windows on its surface, as if carved from a single piece of metal.

Lin Mo looked up and found that there was no Titan Group logo at the top of the building.

“Strange,” Lin Mo deliberately asked, “Shouldn’t your company’s logo be in the most prominent position?”

Ains smiled slightly: “The logo is only for outsiders to see.

Here—” His words were suddenly interrupted.

“Here, we prefer to speak with substance.” An elegant female voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned to see a woman in a violet trench coat walking gracefully towards them.

She was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with light purple hair styled into an exquisite bun, and an emerald bracelet gleaming with a warm luster in the sunlight.

Most striking were her blue-violet eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

Sharp yet gentle, they held an innate composure.

“Ms. Emerald.” Ains nodded slightly.

“Ains, you’ve worked hard.” The woman walked towards the inspection team, her long, slender legs, faintly visible beneath her coat, moved effortlessly in high heels, “I am Director Emerald of Titan Group.”

She extended her hand to Lin Mo; the single black ladies’ glove on her left hand and the emerald bracelet on her right complemented each other, “I’ve long heard of Team Leader Lin’s reputation.”

Lin Mo couldn’t tell the nationality of the woman in front of him, and he wondered if this high-ranking executive was wearing colored contact lenses.

“Ms. Emerald’s Chinese is very authentic.”

“I learned it while studying in Yanjing,” Emerald’s lips curved slightly, “but what I’m prouder of is that Titan now uses Chinese as its primary working language.”

She turned to the other inspection team members, accurately calling out each person’s name and title, “Expert Director Zhou is very knowledgeable about electronic equipment, Director Zhao Zhigang is a military equipment expert, and Professor Shen Yi specializes in international relations; truly an assembly of elites.”

The inspection team members exchanged a glance.

The official communication for this trip was only a brief heads-up through the embassy in the Emerald Principality and the government, asking them to greet Titan.

Since it wasn't an official visit at the state level, no further information beyond the list was provided in advance.

Titan definitely possessed intelligence capabilities far exceeding those of ordinary countries.

“Also, my eye color is natural, not colored contacts.” Emerald smiled slightly at Lin Mo.

But when Lin Mo saw this smile, his pupils constricted.

“Please follow me.” Emerald turned and walked towards the door, the hem of her coat gently swaying with her steps, outlining an elegant curve, “Let me show you Titan’s true face in the Emerald Principality.”

The door slid open silently, revealing a circular hall nearly thirty meters high.

Unlike the cold, hard technological feel one might imagine, the hall’s decor carried a strong Eastern aesthetic.

Ink wash style walls, holographic decorations suspended in mid-air, and even a miniature Suzhou garden-style rockery and water feature.

“This is?”

“Our reception hall,” Emerald’s voice carried pride, “While Titan possesses cutting-edge technology, it never forgets its cultural roots.”

“Roots?” Shen Yi was somewhat confused, “Looking at Director Emerald, she doesn’t seem like an Eastern Federation person?”

Emerald turned back and subtly curved her lips at Professor Shen Yi, “I am not, of course, but my boss is.”

After speaking, she led the group forward, leaving behind the inspection team, whose hearts were stirred for the first time since entering the Emerald Principality.

The true power behind Titan was actually an Eastern Federation person!

The few people forcibly suppressed the shock in their hearts and followed Emerald forward.

But they never expected that this would be just the beginning of the day’s surprises.