118: Chapter 118 Let Mother Get a Villa

"Move? Move where? We've lived here our whole lives..." Qian Shuqing instinctively resisted.

"To a place with a better environment, quiet, and complete security," President Chen Ran described. "I had a friend look at a detached villa over in Xixi, Hangzhou. It has a small courtyard and is very peaceful."

"There are few neighbors around, and the security is top-notch; strangers can't get in at all."

"You and Dad can plant flowers in the yard, raise some chickens and ducks, or start a small vegetable garden. Didn't you always say you missed Grandma's old vegetable garden?"

"You can also raise a gentle little dog or cat to keep you company."

"When you want to go out, you can have security drive you to the mall or the West Lake area. It's very convenient."

"Most importantly, it's safe. You'll live with peace of mind, and I'll be at ease too. The pressure on the brothers protecting you will also be smaller, so it won't be like this time..."

He paused deliberately, his voice lowering: "...so that the brothers don't have to bleed and cry again."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

President Chen Ran could hear his mother's suppressed breathing.

He knew that phrases like 'not causing trouble for the country' and 'not letting the protectors take risks again' hit his mother's most guilt-ridden and softest spots.

Finally, Qian Shuqing's voice sounded again, carrying compromise and a hint of helplessness, but also a faint expectation for a new life: "...Then, that must cost a lot of money, right? Your money doesn't just blow in with the wind..."

"Mom, don't worry about the money. Your son can make money now."

President Chen Ran smiled, his tone lightening. "Just think of it as your son showing his filial piety by moving you to a more comfortable environment."

"You and Dad have worked hard your whole lives; it's time to enjoy some happiness."

"Safety first. Only when you are safe can I do my work outside with peace of mind."

"It's settled then. I'll have my friends back home handle the paperwork as soon as possible, and aim for you to move in within half a month."

"During this time, just follow the arrangements of National Security and Captain Liu. Try to go out as little as possible."

"...Alright, I'll listen to you."

Qian Shuqing finally agreed, then rambled on, telling President Chen Ran to stay safe, eat on time, and not get too tired.

Ending the long and emotionally complex call with his mother, President Chen Ran leaned against the cold stone wall and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Handling family matters and soothing his parents was equally exhausting.

But fortunately, his parents' safety and future living arrangements were finally settled.

Next, it was time to handle 'outside' matters.

His gaze shifted to another encrypted terminal in the corner of the stone room, which displayed the final preparation briefing summarized by Victor regarding the second stage of Operation 'Startled Bird'—Operation 'Homing'—as well as the latest developments in New Zealand.

The New Zealand government's reaction wasn't slow after the initial shock and chaos.

After losing fourteen elites in succession, the Ministry of Defence and SAS Command finally realized that this was by no means an accident or an isolated incident, but an organized, planned, and extremely lethal targeted elimination.

The remaining SAS members, including trainees at the training base, civilian support personnel, and those urgently recalled from secret missions abroad, totaled about 170 people.

They were forcibly ordered to concentrate at the core SAS base within the Waiouru Military Training Area in the central North Island, as well as another backup training camp near Christchurch on the South Island.

The bases entered a state of highest alert. Conventional forces added outposts and patrols to the perimeter, while internal SAS members had all leave and field assignments canceled, were issued live ammunition, and intensified anti-sniper and anti-infiltration drills. The atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

In the eyes of the New Zealand government and top military brass, this was perhaps the safest choice at the moment.

Concentrating forces, holding their ground, and waiting for reinforcements—surely they would be safe in their most rigorous military Fortress?

They even sent secret intelligence-sharing and potential support requests to their main allies: Australia, the United States, and the Eagle Country.

However, on President Chen Ran and Anvil's battle map, this decision to hold their ground happened to gather the last targets to be eliminated into a few relatively fixed nests.

"Boss, all targets have been confirmed to be concentrated at the Waiouru main base (approx. 120 people) and the Christchurch auxiliary camp (approx. 50 people)."

"Perimeter security has been strengthened, but the defense system is still primarily focused on conventional threats and internal control. It lacks a contingency plan for a localized infiltration and assault of our scale and quality."

Anvil's voice came through the encrypted channel.

"What about our people?" President Chen Ran asked.

"Five hundred men have all completed infiltration and assembly within New Zealand."

"According to your instructions, four hundred men have been divided into four attack clusters and have moved to preset lurking points twenty kilometers away from the Waiouru base."

"The other hundred men are divided into twenty five-man sniper/sabotage teams, deployed near major traffic arteries, passes, and bridges connecting these two military bases with the nearest towns and other military camps."

"All teams are equipped with heavy anti-materiel rifles, rocket launchers, remote-controlled explosives, and electronic suppression equipment."

"The ghost submarine has arrived in the designated rendezvous waters and can pick up the evacuation at any time."

"Monitoring and communications?"

"We have gained control over most civilian and some low-level military monitoring network nodes in the target area."

"Once the operation begins, comprehensive electronic suppression and physical destruction will be implemented simultaneously."

"The encryption of the New Zealand military's communication channels has been partially cracked, allowing for interference and false signal injection."

President Chen Ran looked at the detailed 3D map of the Waiouru base and its surrounding roads on the terminal, captured via high-altitude micro-drones and satellite mapping, and slowly ran his finger across it.

"Operation time?"

"3:00 AM tomorrow. At this time, human functions are at their lowest and sentries are most fatigued."

"The weather forecast shows localized fog, which is conducive to infiltration and concealment."

"Approved," President Chen Ran replied with only one word.

He walked to the window of the stone room and looked down at the dark and magnificent ruins of El Dorado.

Shen Wanqing and Chen Yan, accompanied by a small squad in the distance, were holding flashlights and curiously studying a mural made of colored mineral pigments on a wall. Chen Yan's excited whispers and Shen Wanqing's soft explanations could be heard faintly.

The brilliance, antiquity, and mystery of this place seemed like two separate worlds compared to the iron-blooded, cold, and efficient events about to unfold in New Zealand.

But he knew clearly that these two worlds were connected because of him.

Gold gave him power and a future, while iron and blood would clear away all the thorns and hidden arrows that dared to block the path to that future.

New Zealand, North Island, Waiouru Military Training Area, 2:55 AM.

The thick fog arrived as scheduled, shrouding the wilderness and hills in a damp, cold milky white, with visibility less than fifty meters.

The light from the SAS base's searchlights blurred into hazy spheres in the fog. The footsteps of the patrol and occasional coughs sounded exceptionally clear.

High walls, electric fences, watchtowers—everything met the standards of an elite military base.

Most SAS members inside the base were sleeping in their clothes, guns within reach, but the consecutive days of high tension without incident had inevitably caused even the most elite soldiers to feel a bit of fatigue and laxity.

3:00 AM sharp.

The electronic monitoring screens from four directions on the perimeter of the base simultaneously burst into a mass of static.

Piercing electrical noise rang out in the internal communication channels, which was then replaced by a monotonous, irritating white noise.

Several key communication antennas and signal towers were destroyed almost simultaneously by incredibly precise anti-materiel rifle bullets or micro-missiles fired from a distance.

"Enemy attack! Electronic warfare attack! Everyone to your positions!" The shrill alarm finally sounded, but the sound seemed muffled and distorted amidst the thick fog and electronic interference.

However, the attack did not come from afar.

Just as the alarm sounded, violent explosions occurred almost simultaneously at four different sections of the base's high walls!

Not artillery shells, but directional shaped charges already placed at the wall foundations or drainage outlets by Hammer Team Members who had infiltrated and lurked there!

Huge gaps were blown in the thick concrete walls, and smoke filled the air.

In the thick fog, ghost-like figures surged into the base from the gaps and from corners where they used the fog and darkness to scale the electric fences with unbelievable agility and skill!

They wore grey-white urban combat uniforms that almost blended in with the thick fog and night, their faces covered by fully enclosed helmets. Their movements were swift, quiet, and perfectly coordinated.

In teams of four, covering each other, they sliced into the base like scalpels.

Resistance broke out instantly, but it was not on the same level at all.

The SAS members, dazed by the explosions and electronic suppression, had just rushed out of their barracks or bunkers when they were met with despairingly accurate shots, elusive crossfire, and silent throat-slitting daggers in the dark.

The attackers knew the internal structure of the base like the back of their hands, heading straight for the command center, communication hubs, heavy weapon storage points, and barracks where personnel were concentrated.

The battle was almost a one-sided slaughter.

The SAS members were elite, but the Hammer Team Members were killing machines from the system, integrating the world's top special operations experience, and they held an overwhelming advantage in numbers, equipment, intelligence, initiative, and combat will.

More importantly, this was a pre-planned battle of annihilation, not an encounter.

Inside the Waiouru base, the sounds of gunfire, explosions, short screams, and the roar of collapsing buildings merged into one, but under the thick fog and electronic shielding, they couldn't travel very far.

However, they had intentionally left the communications open at the moment the attack began, allowing the distress signals to be sent out before the shielding started.

Only twenty-five minutes later, the gunfire in the core area of the base gradually died down.

Meanwhile, on the main roads leading to the Waiouru base, fierce blocking actions were taking place simultaneously.

Nearby conventional military camps and police tactical units, having received the distress signals, hurriedly assembled vehicles and personnel to rush to support.

However, not long after their convoys left the camps, they were met with devastating blows.

Claymore Mines and improvised explosive devices placed on the road ahead blew the lead vehicles into the air.

Snipers on the hillsides or in the jungle on both sides used large-caliber anti-materiel rifles to precisely pick off the observation windows, tires, and engines of the armored vehicles. Rockets flew in from unexpected angles, destroying the troop transport trucks.