62: Chapter 62: "Ghost" in Action, Top Agents
The "Ghost" squad is the sharpest blade of the "Obelisk".
Every member of this team is an elite selected from top special forces like the SEALs and Delta Force, having undergone years of brutal agent training and being proficient in camouflage, infiltration, intelligence gathering, and assassination.
They are like non-existent shadows, capable of transforming into anyone, appearing in any corner of the world, and completing missions deemed impossible.
The squad's commander goes by the codename "Snake Eye".
No one knows his real name; they only know he has never failed. He is hailed as the "King of Modern Spies" and is the pinnacle existence in the field of traditional espionage.
At this moment, in an underground base on a private island in the Mediterranean, "Snake Eye" is standing in front of a giant touchscreen, carefully studying all public information regarding the "Pearl of the East Sea" project.
He looks to be in his forties, a white male with a plain, unremarkable appearance, the type you could throw into a crowd and never find again. But his eyes are cold and focused like a snake's, devoid of any emotion.
"Boss, the target data has been compiled." A blonde woman walks over; her codename is "Witch," and she is the squad's hacker and information analysis expert.
On the screen appear the photos and resumes of Director Zhao Lixin, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, and Jiang Ning.
The files on Director Zhao Lixin and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo are very detailed; every footprint from their birth to the present has been clearly unearthed.
"Director Zhao Lixin, Deputy Director of The Ninth Bureau, a typical elite official of the Xia Kingdom, patriotic, firm-willed, and very difficult to corrupt. Weakness: his family. However, the Xia Kingdom protects the families of such high-ranking officials very well, and moving against them carries too much risk."
"Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, a national treasure-level engineer, an old stubborn who has dedicated his entire life to the country. He has no interest in money or beauty; his only faith is his engineering. Trying to find a gap in him is almost impossible."
"Snake Eye"'s finger slides over these two individuals' files without pausing, finally stopping on Jiang Ning's photo.
The girl in the photo is very young and delicate, with eyes that are unnervingly calm.
Yet her file is eerily simple.
"Jiang Ning, female, age approximately twenty-three. Identity: Chief Consultant for the 'Pearl of the East Sea' project. Remaining information... completely blank." "Witch"'s tone carries a hint of confusion. "Boss, this is too abnormal. We utilized the 'Prometheus' supercomputer and infiltrated almost all of the Xia Kingdom's civilian and police databases, yet we couldn't find any records of this woman before she appeared in the project. It's as if she... just popped out of thin air."
"Popped out of thin air?" "Snake Eye"'s mouth curls into a cold arc. "In this world, no one can just pop out of thin air. There are only two possibilities. First, her identity is a top-level state secret of the Xia Kingdom, and all data has been physically isolated. Second..."
He taps Jiang Ning's photo gently with his finger: "She is the 'core' of this mysterious technology, or perhaps even the 'source'."
"A girl in her twenties?" The squad's demolition expert, a muscular brute named "Rhino," scoffs. "Boss, you're overestimating her. Maybe she's just the mistress of some high-ranking Xia Kingdom official, pushed to the forefront as a vase. The real technology must be in the hands of some secret research team."
"Rhino, put away your arrogance." "Snake Eye"'s voice is not loud, but it makes the brute instantly shut his mouth. "In our line of work, even the most inconspicuous target could be the most lethal. Remember, when a lion hunts a rabbit, it still uses its full strength."
He turns around and looks at the other members of the squad.
"This mission is different from all previous ones. What we are facing might not be people, but a technological system we have never seen before. Therefore, abandon all conventional modes of thinking."
His gaze sweeps over everyone: " 'Witch,' you are responsible for network infiltration. I want you to monitor all network data streams in Donghai City twenty-four hours a day, looking for any anomalous encrypted signals."
" 'Chameleon,' " he looks toward a thin, small man wiping a sniper rifle, "you are responsible for physical infiltration and environmental reconnaissance. I want a city map accurate down to every sewer line, as well as all potential evacuation routes."
" 'Rhino,' you and 'Doctor' will be in a group, responsible for logistical support and emergency handling. Do not use violence unless it is an absolute last resort."
"Understood!" everyone replies in unison.
"As for me..." A glimmer of excitement flashes in "Snake Eye"'s eyes, "I will personally go and meet this 'popped out of thin air' Chief Consultant Jiang."
He picks up a stack of identification documents on the table.
They contain different names and identities.
One is an expert from a European environmental organization, one is a Wall Street financial investor, and another is a university professor studying ancient architecture.
"The people of the Xia Kingdom like to hold meetings and organize various international seminars to save face. For a project as big as the 'Pearl of the East Sea,' they will definitely invite all sorts of 'international friends' to visit and provide guidance."
"Snake Eye" picks up the "environmental expert" credentials and puts them into his suit pocket.
"Our first step is to become their most welcome guests. Observe them up close from the inside. Find their work patterns, find the secrets of their technology, find their... weaknesses."
He walks to the base exit, where sunlight shines in. As he steps out of the shadows, his entire demeanor changes.
The cold, dangerous aura disappears without a trace, replaced by a gentle, scholarly, and approachable demeanor. A warm smile plays on his face, and his eyes are filled with sincerity and passion for the environmental cause.
It is as if he were born an environmentalist dedicated to saving the Earth.
"Operation begins." He says softly into his headset.
A few days later, several international flights from different countries land one after another at Donghai International Airport.
"Snake Eye," "Witch," "Chameleon"... the members of the "Ghost" squad, disguised as distinguished experts, scholars, and businessmen, walk off the plane and merge into the bustling city that is about to become a battlefield.
None of them notice that at the very moment they step out of the airport terminal, far away in the command headquarters at the old shipyard, Jiang Ning is looking at a massive city sand table.
On the sand table, dense points of light represent the city's energy flow. At the location of the airport, a few barely perceptible red dots, representing "foreign high-energy-consumption individuals," flash by.
"Hm?" Jiang Ning frowns slightly.
This "high energy consumption" does not refer to any equipment they are carrying, but rather to their own spiritual power, or soul strength, which far exceeds that of ordinary people. Like a few fireflies in the dark night, although faint, they can still be distinguished within her vast range of spiritual perception.
"What's wrong, Engineer Jiang?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, who is nearby, sees her stop and asks quickly.
"It's nothing." Jiang Ning shakes her head without saying more.
Just a few flies.
As long as they don't fly to her project's core area to buzz around, she can't be bothered to swat them.
Now, she has more important things to do.
That is, to set up the first layer of the "net" for the entire Donghai City.