There was no need to make such a big show of it. Linghu might have been trying to establish his authority, but the Silver Sword guys went a bit too far.
Zhang Lei followed suit and lifted a car, but he lifted a single-row sedan. His face turned red as he struggled to flip it to the side of the road. "Instructor, you're really something!" Zhang Lei said, panting heavily.
This was still quite surprising to Linghu. How long had Zhang Lei been practicing physical training? Before that, he was just a kid whose physical strength was even weaker than an ordinary person. The materials clearly stated that even a light single-row car wouldn't be enough without a ton of force.
"Let's go!" Zhang Lei was the first to walk back to the car, but on the way, he didn't forget to step on the neck of the mother and child, who were still unsure if they had finished giving birth.
Episode 3: The Bloody Path to Growth, Chapter 48: Two Groups of New Recruits (Part 1)
Zhang Lei and his group were merely delaying their discovery. Whether they were in an away game or Japanese territory, although they could act more recklessly, it was not a decisive factor and could not change the balance of power between the two sides.
All Zhang Lei and his group could do was delay their pursuers from discovering them, thus buying themselves time to escape. It was impossible for their temporary group to confront an entire country head-on; this was a consensus they had reached. Perhaps they might have a concentrated advantage in local battles.
However, as the Japanese become more and more prepared, this advantage will inevitably disappear. At that time, any Japanese search team may be stronger than them. Of course, that is not so easy to achieve. A team with two of the strongest self-examiners is enough to give them a headache.
Although this operation was touted as a worst-case scenario, subsequent developments showed that they were completely unprepared. Japan only deployed a small number of its defense agencies to patrol the sea, and the promised follow-up forces disappeared without a trace. No matter how much effort they put in later, it had no effect on the dozen or so people in Japan at that time; they could only struggle on their own.
"We must consider the worst-case scenario for everything!" Linghu concluded.
He's right; these worst-case scenarios could indeed happen.
However, it may truly be a case of good and bad fortune being intertwined; China made frequent mistakes, and Japan was not much better off.
Why is it said that a veteran who has experienced war is worth ten new recruits, and in certain circumstances, even more useful than a thousand? It's because war is the ultimate test of all tactics. Without real combat experience, soldiers can never truly grow on the training field.
Although these two countries have been outwardly united but inwardly divided in their competition, each harboring the desire to utterly destroy the other, they have ultimately engaged in far too little real action over the long term. In other words, their commanders lacked practical combat experience. This was true for both China and Japan, with Japan perhaps only having the advantage of playing on home ground—and this home ground advantage doesn't necessarily mean playing with superiority...
At the most critical moment, Michiko almost lost her mind, nearly abandoning the pursuit of the Chinese superpowered team and turning her attention to dealing with Kohara instead.
In order to capture the Chinese supernatural ability team that had infiltrated, the Japanese side mainly divided into three parts, which were not designated by higher authorities, but rather several small circles that had naturally formed naturally.
Kohara was the first to interfere with the Chinese operation. While it wasn't a complete success, it wasn't a failure either. After all, he was using the power of one superhuman to fight against six Chinese superhumans, two of whom possessed strong, self-examining abilities. In Japan, seppuku (ritual suicide) was no longer the norm for defeat; they wanted to see if the failure was truly not due to their own fault. (In Kohara's team, Michiko and Fujita were automatically excluded.) Therefore, Kohara naturally became the leader of this group of superhumans in this operation.
Michiko and Fujita are very popular in Japan. Many superhumans who are dissatisfied with Kohara's abandonment of his companions have rallied around Michiko, along with their original friends in the superhuman world.
Then there's the real big boss, Shinichiro Watanabe, one of the strongest superhumans in Japan, with lightning-based abilities. He has the most and most stable subordinates, most of whom were originally his subordinates. He is also one of the official leaders of the Japanese superhuman community. Precisely because of this, he is also the most cautious in his actions. He has always been the one who mediates the relationship between Michiko and Furuhara.
Watanabe is now in a real bind. Although Michiko and Kohara were initially at odds, they were able to prioritize the bigger picture. In addition, the direct killer of Fujita was Chinese, so Michiko focused her main energy on hunting down the Chinese. However, he never expected that Kohara would actually let Daizan eat Fujita's corpse, and this matter was leaked to Michiko.
Michiko and Fujita's relationship is an open secret in the world of supernatural abilities. Although somewhat unusual, their feelings for each other are genuine, even surpassing those of an ordinary married couple. Moreover, the Great Japanese Empire has the highest tolerance for such unusual relationships in the world; such tolerance is what gives it the right to call itself the Great Japanese Empire.
Michiko had already prepared equipment for Fujita to freeze his body year-round, hoping for his future resurrection. Although everyone knew the hope was slim, Michiko said, "Since new superpowers are constantly being created, and the types of superpowers are ever-changing, why can't there be a superpower that can resurrect someone!" Although no one held the same hope as her, it had to be admitted that what she said made some sense.
A person, especially a woman, may be very strong when there is still a glimmer of hope, but if even that last glimmer of hope is taken away from her, then the madness of that woman is unimaginable.
Michiko was in this state of mind. The Chinese people, the Great Japanese Empire—none of it mattered anymore. All that mattered was the lives of Kohara and Daiyama. Nothing was more important to her than killing those two beasts.
If they could find Zhang Lei and his group at this point, they could use those Chinese people to distract Michiko. Watanabe believed that if Michiko were given the choice between the Chinese man who killed Fujita and Kohara Daizan, she would probably prioritize dealing with the Chinese man.
The problem is that we can't find those Chinese people at all. Japanese superpower organizations are very similar to those in China, and they also place more emphasis on combat superpower users. This has led to most tracking-type superpower users sticking together in groups. Unfortunately, Michiko is the leader of this group. Without Michiko's participation, it will be even more difficult to find those Chinese people.
In terms of combat ability alone, Michiko's group is no match for Kohara's group, but Kohara's companions are also dissatisfied with his actions. When it comes to the determination to fight, Michiko's group is much more resolute.
Watanabe is currently keeping a low profile, but Michiko and her group are basically not doing any work. They are only keeping an eye on Kohara and will launch surprise attacks whenever they have the chance, which is making Watanabe very anxious. Sometimes he really wants to kill this ungrateful bitch and make soup, but this is obviously just a thought.
Episode 3: The Bloody Path to Growth, Chapter 48: Two Groups of New Recruits (Part 2)
"In an enemy country, everything must be prepared for the worst!" This phrase seems to have become their mantra, somewhat like the influence of the Three Represents.
Zhang Lei and his group weren't trying to flatter Linghu, as that wasn't the norm in the Bureau of Foreign Affairs; rather, it was because that phrase was truly the most appropriate at that moment.
Just as the pursuers didn't know Zhang Lei and his group's location, Zhang Lei and his group also didn't know what had happened in Japan or why they hadn't been found yet.
No one is a cheapskate; finding no one is certainly the best outcome. Even if these people were confident, they knew that facing the surging tide of Japanese soldiers, there was no hope of victory. More importantly, they had to bring two young girls with them—two Japanese girls who knew nothing and were not very obedient—which greatly limited their flexibility and mobility.
There are only two ways to leave Japan: by air and by sea. This is something that both Chinese and Japanese people know.
Compared to the tight control of airplanes, waterways seem to be a better choice. And compared to controlling waterways, controlling airports is indeed much simpler; one only needs to be mindful of whether anyone is disguised and entering or leaving.
Japan can't possibly prevent people from entering and leaving normally just because of a few people, nor do they have the ability to do so. All they can do is tighten their checks, or as the saying goes, tighten their back doors.
The members of the special abilities team weren't caught, but the sudden tightening of checks led to the capture of many other big and small fry, the most influential of whom was Lord Asahara, whom the Japanese government had long wanted to arrest but hadn't been able to. This made the Japanese quite smug for a long time; they kept boasting about their special operation and its brilliant results. In contrast, Linghu and Zhang Lei were somewhat shameful. It wasn't just that the Chinese didn't want to tear off the veil of superficial peace; the Japanese also needed this last fig leaf.
Whether it's loose on the outside but tight on the inside, or tight on the outside but loose on the inside, these fourteen people are like small fish in a big net. The net is gradually tightening, and there will always be a time when it really touches them. However, if there is a slightly larger mesh in the net, they can still escape from the big net.
"If the mesh isn't big enough, we'll just drill a hole through it!" In fact, if these people were truly driven to desperation and started causing a huge disturbance in Japan, the damage they could inflict on Japan might far exceed the other side's imagination.
But does that mean they've won? Probably not. Their mission is to send the sisters back to China. Otherwise, Mei Chuan Neiku wouldn't have spoken up. Even if he did, what he said might not be correct. If he makes even a slight error in a few key data points, the actual difference could be measured in millimeters. Everyone knows what a millimeter error in a precision-machined machine means.
In other words, their last resort is nothing more than a desperate attempt to achieve mutual destruction, which is of no benefit to the country and of course, to themselves. Until the very last step, their ultimate goal is to successfully escape Japan with the two sisters intact.
"Everyone, let's work harder! I know everyone looks down on those who rest on their laurels after achieving a little success, but I want to say that as long as we can successfully complete this mission, even if we spend the rest of our lives resting on our laurels, no one can say anything about us, because the contributions we've made are simply too great!"
...
The Isabelle Cruises, one of the most famous cruise ships in the world, is frequented by the extremely wealthy and powerful. A single ticket is equivalent to ten years of work for the Swiss, one of the highest-paid people in the world, and that's just the minimum cost. Moreover, Isabelle conducts certain identity checks on ticket buyers.
Linghu and Li Zaixing had their eyes on this cruise ship. Even if they discovered something on it, the Japanese wouldn't dare to openly extend their official reach. This ship had at least three tourists on average who could cause Japan's economy to decline, and their actions were largely driven by their own whims. At their level, boredom was their greatest enemy. If someone could give them a reason to do something, they would absolutely not let that opportunity pass.
However, this is relative. "On the ship, you must avoid unnecessary trouble. If you get into trouble, remember to speak Japanese. Never utter Chinese, especially Mandarin!" This is what Li Zaixing instructed his team members. Although he couldn't directly point fingers at the people from the International Bureau, the indirect instruction was still very strong.
Japan cannot afford it, nor can China. In fact, it can be said that no country in the world would dare to easily offend the tourists on the Isabelle, including the United States. They dare to intercept and inspect ships of any country on the high seas to fulfill their duty as "world police," but their inspection scope will absolutely not include the Isabelle.
Another reason they chose the Isabelle was that its next destination was not China, but Hawaii, where inspections would be relatively less stringent compared to the strict checks on ships heading to China.
Everyone knows this, including the Japanese. But knowing this doesn't mean they have to do it this way. If the Chinese do the opposite, and the Japanese let their guard down, they'll regret it.
Fortunately, the inspection personnel were trained ordinary people who could handle the job; otherwise, Watanabe really wouldn't have been able to manage it.
The Isabelle is not supposed to sell tickets halfway through the season, but those on board often cannot have a full vacation as planned. Money and power need time as their companion, and there is currently no solution to this problem.