“What’s going on? The rebel Dragon-Lion Army’s sudden seizure of Tamata can only mean one thing—they’ve confirmed that General Zuma is not only alive but recovering well. They also knew with absolute certainty that he would be returning home today via Kin Gold, which is why they were able to execute such a precise operation!”
“Even among the high-ranking officers of the Lima military, only one of General Zuma’s trusted confidants knew he was coming back today!” Admiral Yang Guanglian’s face was grim as he turned to address the assembled officers. “There’s only one explanation: there’s still a traitor close to General Zuma, or the leak came from our side!”
“Minister… I’ll order an internal investigation immediately. But right now, we must find a way to notify Colonel Hu Qiang and his team to turn back. Now that the Dragon-Lion Army has taken Tamata, there’s no way they can get through…” Deputy Minister General Wang’s expression was equally somber. The entire military had been working tirelessly for so long, narrowly managing to save General Zuma from the brink of death thanks to the sudden appearance of this man Xu Ze. And now this—it was enough to drive anyone to frustration.
Admiral Yang Guanglian’s face was etched with gloom as he shook his head. “We can’t reach them now. According to the plan, once they entered Lima, they maintained radio silence to prevent any leaks of their movements. There’s simply no way to contact them.”
“……” Silence fell over the room.
Black Jida was absolutely thrilled—he was finally back in his homeland. Gazing at the dense rainforests below the helicopter, he turned to Xu Ze beside him, brimming with joy. “Xu… welcome to our Lima. When we get back, I’ll treat you to Samanda…”
“Samanda?” Xu Ze looked at Jida’s proud expression and couldn’t help but ask with curiosity and a smile, “What’s Samanda?”
“Haha… you’ll find out when the time comes. It’s a secret for now!” Jida’s comically accented Mandarin was almost too much for Xu Ze to keep a straight face.
Xu Ze glanced back at Major Hu Qiang and asked casually, “How much farther to the rendezvous point?”
“We’ve just entered Lima airspace—about fifty kilometers in. This is the Tamata region. The rendezvous point is still about two hundred kilometers ahead. At this rate, we should be able to meet up with them within an hour at most.” Hu Qiang had already asked the helicopter pilot, so he answered without hesitation.
Xu Ze nodded. Just one more hour—that would be fine. If they could make it through this hour without any problems and link up with the relief force, then the mission would be a complete success.
The transport helicopter wasn’t very spacious. Packed with the three from the General Staff, plus five from General Zuma’s side and two Wolf Fang operatives, it was really quite cramped…
Xu Ze walked over to check on General Zuma. The general was in excellent spirits, staring out at the dense rainforest in the distance with undisguised excitement. He was probably already thinking about how he’d deal with those Dragon-Lion Army rebels once he returned to the capital, Niusai.
“How are you feeling, General?” Xu Ze asked with a smile.
After Jida translated, General Zuma let out a hearty laugh and rattled off a string of words, meaning: “Very good… I’ve recovered more than half by now.”
Xu Ze didn’t understand a word of it—African languages were far too complex, with literally thousands of them. The language of Lima belonged to the Niger–Congo family, which included over a thousand tongues. Unfortunately, General Zuma spoke neither English nor Arabic, so they had to rely on Jida and Major Hu Qiang to translate.
After exchanging a few words with the general, Xu Ze went back to sit by the helicopter’s open hatch. Looking down at the boundless, dense rainforest, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder—every place truly had its own unique scenery. From up here, it was quite a sight.
Damp, humid wind whistled past the hatch, and Xu Ze sat there with his legs dangling outside, swinging them lazily. It was a surprisingly relaxed moment.
After more than twenty minutes of continuous flight, the helicopter finally left the rainforest behind and entered a vast, lush savannah. Below, herds of wild cattle and zebras roamed about, with a few lions prowling nearby, sizing up potential prey for a meal.
Xu Ze was in high spirits as he watched a herd of zebras scatter in panic at the roar of the helicopter, galloping away into the distance. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Major, we’re still over a hundred kilometers from the rendezvous point. The city of Tamata is about fifty kilometers ahead… You haven’t slept all day. Why not rest a bit? I’ll wake you when we get there,” Hu Qiang said, leaning in with a smile.
Xu Ze did feel quite tired. He nodded—once they made contact with the relief team, they’d have to get off the helicopter and into vehicles, and there might not be another chance to rest. A short nap now wouldn’t hurt. He pulled his legs in, lay down on a military blanket, and closed his eyes.
Amidst the drone of the helicopter’s rotors, Xu Ze quickly drifted off to sleep.
But he hadn’t been asleep long when he suddenly jolted awake, his mind filled with the shrill sound of “BEEP BEEP BEEP…” alerts.
“Xu… this isn’t good. About twenty kilometers ahead, a large force of troops is heading this way…” Little Blade reported urgently. “Based on the satellite communications I’ve intercepted, they’re the Lima rebel Dragon-Lion Army… and their target is you.”
“What? How is that possible?” Xu Ze’s face was a mask of shock. “We’ve maintained complete radio silence! How could they possibly know we’re here?”
“It’s almost certainly an intelligence leak. Based on my analysis, their interception plan is highly coordinated. What’s more, three armed helicopters have already taken off and are heading this way. We’re expected to make contact in about thirteen minutes…” Little Blade warned again.
As Little Blade spoke, a map appeared on Xu Ze’s lens display, showing a green dot and three red dots. Behind the red dots stretched a line of crimson markers.
Xu Ze glanced toward the left edge of his field of vision, where he saw a patch of pale green. His expression turned serious as he asked, “Is that the rainforest to our left? Do we have enough time to get there?”
“If we go full speed and the enemy doesn’t notice us, there’s about an eighty percent chance…” Little Blade made a quick calculation and reported.
Hearing Little Blade’s answer, Xu Ze sat up abruptly and shouted to Hu Qiang, “Tell the pilot to change course! Drop altitude and head full speed to the left!”
“What’s going on, Major? We’re less than half an hour from the rendezvous point—why the sudden course change?” Hu Qiang was startled by Xu Ze’s sudden outburst and urgent command.
“Don’t ask why—just move! Follow orders! The Dragon-Lion Army is already coming our way…” Xu Ze was past caring about formalities. He glared at Major Hu Qiang and barked, “The Minister should have already granted me full authority—so listen to me now!”
Meeting Xu Ze’s steely gaze, Major Hu Qiang hesitated for a moment, about to argue, but something in that look made him flinch. He didn’t dare defy the order. He turned and rattled off a few instructions in a local dialect to the helicopter pilot.
The pilot responded with a surprised acknowledgment and banked the helicopter to the left.
After giving that order, Hu Qiang grabbed his radio and transmitted a series of rapid, guttural commands. A moment later, the trailing helicopter followed suit, veering left as well.
General Zuma and his men stared in confusion at Hu Qiang until they felt the aircraft change direction. Finally snapping out of it, Zuma barked a furious stream of native words at Hu Qiang.
Hu Qiang hastily explained the situation, pointing at Xu Ze as he did so.
After listening to Hu Qiang’s translation, Jida turned to Xu Ze in bewilderment. “Xu, what’s going on? Why are we changing course?”
“There’s no way forward—the Dragon-Lion Army is blocking us. We have to change direction,” Xu Ze said coldly, offering a brief explanation. He then pressed his radio button and spoke: “Captain Bai Qi… prepare for combat. And get my case ready for me.”
“Major, what’s this about? I’m in charge of this escort mission—why are we suddenly deviating from the planned route?” Bai Qi was equally shocked by the sudden course change. When Xu Ze’s call came through, he couldn’t help but protest.
“Captain Bai Qi, the Minister should have authorized me to take command. You will follow my orders,” Xu Ze said firmly.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Bai Qi responded solemnly: “I’m sorry, Major, but Admiral Yang’s orders were clear: I am to accept your command only in a critical emergency. In this situation, I must fulfill my duty. Without a valid reason, I will insist on continuing according to the original plan.”
Xu Ze took a deep breath and said gravely, “The Dragon-Lion Army has set up an ambush ahead to intercept us. We must enter the rainforest on our left immediately—otherwise, we won’t escape their pursuit. We’re running out of time and need to prepare for battle now.”
“How is that possible, Major? How could the Dragon-Lion Army possibly know our route? And how do you know this? Our radios have been in complete silence…” Captain Bai Qi was sharp and immediately zeroed in on the key questions, pressing for answers.
Xu Ze glanced at the markers on his lens display, let out a light snort, and said, “Open the satellite communication system now and contact the General Staff. I believe they’ve already received the intelligence. General Yang will instruct us on the next move. We’re only a few dozen kilometers from the rendezvous point—there’s no need to maintain radio silence anymore.”
There was another pause on Bai Qi’s end, then he finally replied, “Alright. I’ll contact the General Staff immediately. But without orders from above, I cannot accept such an inexplicable command from you.”
Dozens of seconds later, the communication link was established. The anxious voice of a general from the General Staff came through: “Wolf Fang, the escort plan has been compromised—Tamata has fallen to the Dragon-Lion Army. You must escort General Zuma back to Kin Gold immediately…”
“General, it’s too late for that. We’re already changing course and will adapt as the situation demands,” Xu Ze said gravely.
“How did you find out? Have you already made contact with the enemy?” came Admiral Yang Guanglian’s tense voice.
“Minister, we’re about to. They’re closing in. I’ve already ordered an evasive maneuver toward the rainforest on our left. Once we’re inside, we might have a chance to escape. I request your approval to assume full command,” Xu Ze demanded solemnly.
