Chapter 13: The Special Operations Division

After arguing with his father, Lin Xiaofeng sat on the grass of the training field, letting the autumn wind sweep over him as if it could carry away his troubles. Not far off, Zhang Xingmin, Zhao Nana, and Yang Yichen stood together, wanting to apologize for eavesdropping earlier in the day and to try and comfort Lin Xiaofeng. However, they hesitated, unsure how to begin; after all, eavesdropping was embarrassing enough.

“What do we do? Are we just going to walk over there?” Zhao Nana asked reluctantly.

“What else do you suggest?” Zhang Xingmin replied.

Zhao Nana was still hesitant, so Long spoke up, “Damin, why don’t you go?”

“It wouldn’t look right. If I sit down next to Xiaofeng, it’ll look like we’re up to something. Doesn’t feel appropriate,” he said.

Zhao Nana conceded, glanced back at the two, and—still unwilling—walked over and sat next to Lin Xiaofeng. Damin and Long followed behind, keeping a short distance.

Lin Xiaofeng didn’t react. Zhao Nana hesitated for a long while before tentatively saying, “About earlier today… I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” Lin Xiaofeng looked a little surprised.

“For eavesdropping on your conversation with Commander Lin,” she clarified, embarrassed.

“It’s nothing! Actually, I should have told you earlier that he’s my father,” Lin Xiaofeng replied nonchalantly.

Everything around them was utterly quiet. Damin and Long, listening from afar, heard the exchange and saw Lin Xiaofeng smile. They hurried over. Zhang Xingmin slung his arm around Lin Xiaofeng’s shoulders, laughing, “I knew you wouldn’t hold a grudge, Xiaofeng.”

Lin Xiaofeng said nothing, just quietly removed his arm and sighed.

“Well, if you’re not saying anything, that means you’ve forgiven us!” For once, Long was perceptive.

“Right, right,” Damin and Nana chimed in.

Lin Xiaofeng collected his thoughts and then spoke slowly, “Honestly, I’m not angry. I just can’t understand why he can’t let me make a decision for myself, just this once.”

“You should count yourself lucky you have someone looking out for you. Some people, like Long here, could drop dead and no one would even notice,” Yang Yichen teased.

“Yeah! Maybe you should try talking to Commander Lin properly. He actually…” Zhao Nana began.

But before she could finish, Lin Xiaofeng cut her off, “He worries about me and it’s all for my own good. Nana, can’t you come up with something new when you’re trying to comfort someone?”

“Get lost! Want me to sock you?” Zhao Nana jokingly raised a fist.

Damin and Long both made faces, and Lin Xiaofeng looked exasperated as well.

In the office, Commander Lin sat smoking one cigarette after another. Ever since Lin Xiaofeng had slammed the door and left, he’d been brooding, filling the ashtray almost to the brim. He couldn’t understand why those friends that Lin Xiaofeng had only just met seemed more important than his own father. Trying to recall the past, he found only blankness between father and son, nothing coming to mind. He felt a little disheartened.

Commander Lin didn’t sleep all night. Before sunrise, he was already at the new recruits’ training base. After some hesitation, he knocked gently on the door. Inside, Zhang Xingmin was still fast asleep. Roused by the knocking, he rubbed his drowsy eyes and got up, hair in disarray, to answer the door.

Opening it, he saw Commander Lin’s face and froze, thinking he must be seeing things. Then he quickly snapped to attention, “Good morning, sir!”

Commander Lin waved a hand. “Just call me Uncle Lin, I’m here in a personal capacity.”

Zhang Xingmin understood immediately, his expression clearing. “Is this about Xiaofeng?”

Commander Lin nodded. “Can I come in and sit?”

Zhang Xingmin quickly ushered him in and poured some tea.

Once seated, Commander Lin got straight to the point. “I thought about yesterday for a long time. I don’t blame Xiaofeng for being headstrong. It’s my fault. I’ve gotten too used to giving orders, running everything, never once asking for Xiaofeng’s opinion. He was right—he should be allowed to choose his own path. I came to ask you to tell him that, no matter what happens, his father will always support him.”

“Why not tell him yourself?” Zhang Xingmin asked.

Commander Lin shook his head. “That boy, once he gets mad, he’ll ignore me for days!” With that, he stood up to leave, but Zhang Xingmin stopped him.

“Wait here, Uncle Lin!” he said, and dashed out, returning shortly with a sleepy Lin Xiaofeng in tow.

Seeing his father, Lin Xiaofeng’s face fell. He turned to leave, but Zhang Xingmin held him down. “Sit. Talk it out. He’s your father—where can you run?”

Zhang Xingmin quietly left, closing the door behind him to give them privacy.

No one knew what was said inside, but it was very quiet; at least, there were no raised voices. When Yang Yichen and Zhao Nana came to find Zhang Xingmin, there was still no sound from within.

“Damin, what are you doing standing out here in the sun so early? Face unwashed, hair all over the place—trying to fly away?” Yang Yichen teased, unable to hold back a laugh at Zhang Xingmin’s disheveled look.

“Knock it off! Xiaofeng and his dad are inside. I thought I’d give them some space,” Zhang Xingmin explained.

“How long has it been?” Zhao Nana asked.

“About half an hour,” Zhang Xingmin checked his watch.

They didn’t say anything more, just waited outside. It wasn’t very long before Lin Xiaofeng and his father emerged, calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

Commander Lin departed without another word.

As he walked away, Long couldn’t help but ask, “Well? How did it go?”

“Nothing much. It’s just the first time I’ve seen the old man so reasonable,” Lin Xiaofeng said quietly, watching his father’s receding figure. For a fleeting moment, he felt that the stubborn old man had finally grown old.

Twenty-three years, and for the first time he felt genuinely sentimental—only to have his moment ruined by the other three, who couldn’t have been more uncooperative.

“Come on, we need to get moving! We’re formally getting our assignment today!” Zhao Nana urged.

“Wait, I haven’t washed my face!” Zhang Xingmin disappeared before he’d finished speaking.

Once Zhang Xingmin and Lin Xiaofeng were ready, the four members of Falcon Project hurried to report to the Military District Special Operations Office. The Special Operations Office, under both the Military District and the National Security Bureau, held a unique status and boasted top-tier security. Its offices were tucked away in a remote corner of the base, in a secluded compound.

As the four approached the main gate, they were stopped and subjected to a comprehensive scan by the AI security system. Only after confirming their identities did the gates open. Guided by the AI system, they wound their way through the complex, following a twisting, labyrinthine path.

“What the hell is this place? The route is insane—who designed it like a maze?” Yang Yichen complained.

“We must be close,” Zhang Xingmin estimated. Sure enough, after passing through another corridor and turning left, they found a security door. After a facial scan, it opened, and someone was waiting for them.

A woman in a mask greeted them in a cold tone, “Welcome, Falcon Squad. Captain Zhang Xingmin, Vice Captain Yang Yichen, members Lin Xiaofeng and Zhao Nana, please follow me.”

“Hey there, beautiful, how do you know our names? It’s our first time meeting! You know my name, but I don’t know yours—that’s not fair!” Yang Yichen couldn’t resist flirting with a pretty woman. The more she ignored him, the more persistent he became.

As he buzzed around her like a fly, the masked woman suddenly stopped and said to Yang Yichen, “I am an AI robot assigned to brief you on your mission. My name is Cuihua, but you may call me Luna. My only responsibility is to introduce your mission details. I will not answer questions beyond that.”

“So cold! Hey, beautiful, are you Cuihua or Luna?” Yang Yichen teased.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yang Yichen. As I said, my name is Cuihua, or Luna if you prefer. If you’re still confused, I’ll have to report to my superiors that you may have cognitive issues, and they will send someone to evaluate you.”

“What the—? You’re just a robot, calling me an idiot? Careful or I’ll take you apart!” Yang Yichen bristled at the insult.

Luna retracted her mechanical hand and replaced it with a sharp blade. The security system intoned, “Warning! Mechanical Agent Luna is federal government property. Anyone damaging her may be dealt with in accordance with Article 21 of the Federal Homeland Security Act.”

Realizing he might be in real trouble, Yang Yichen quickly raised his hands. “Alright, alright, don’t get excited—I was only joking.”

“Security check complete. Please proceed with your mission.”

Luna replied, “Understood,” and continued leading the four forward. No one spoke again.

In fact, they didn’t go very far—the Special Operations Office building wasn’t large. From a bird’s eye view, all the winding corridors simply led to the central basement level.

They soon found themselves in a room resembling a conference hall, but there was only a single large display screen—nothing else, not even a remote. Was it controlled by thought?

Luna seemed to sense their confusion, but said nothing—it wasn’t her concern.

“Now, let me introduce you to the Falcon Project.” As Luna began to speak, the display lit up, showing a world map marked with numerous red dots…