"mi sao la mi sao, la sao mi dao ruai."
"Joyful songs filled the air."
This was a song that Qingchen taught the soldiers, and now, with the setting sun casting its rays and everyone in high spirits, it was the perfect time to sing "Returning from Target Practice."
In the back of the truck, Old Li asked Qingling with a smile, "I heard you guys are doing quite well. You've already returned to the Secret Service, so why are you back in the wilderness this time?"
Qing Ling chuckled and said, "In that case, our Qing family's intelligence agents are even more loyal than you. They'd give up delicacies, power, and money to fight alongside the boss in the wilderness. We should tell the boss about this; they deserve a reward."
Old Li's face immediately darkened: "When the hell did you start making trouble? There's no such thing as the Li family or the Qing family anymore."
Qing Ling paused for a moment: "I misspoke then. We're all family now. You may see how glamorous we are, but the internal factions of the Qing family have been completely torn apart because of Lee Byung-hee's death. The different factions can't stand each other and are fighting each other to the death. It's okay for other spies to be hiding their identities, but those of us who followed the boss out of the A02 base are in the open. We're too easy targets, and we can't do anything we want. Even investigating a murder case is being obstructed."
Qingling was well aware of this as well. Rather than having such a pure team unable to thrive in the city, it would be better to start afresh in another location.
Whether they exist or not, the Secret Service is still Qing Chen's Secret Service.
Only by leaving the Secret Service can they truly be themselves.
Facing the setting sun, they covered in just over three days what others took six days to achieve. When they finally saw the towering tree, cheers erupted from inside the car.
This is where the boss sent them.
At this moment, Yangyang had been sitting in the canopy of the World Tree for several days. She was going to follow these people and then take them to the settlement 200 kilometers away, the place where the Freemasons were located.
As the saying goes, once you practice the Cundi Dharma, you infect two others. If you ask what to do, go and infect two more.
This time, Qingchen sent Li Cheng and Qing Ling to the settlement to use the power of the Freemasons to 'infect' these people with the Zhunti Dharma, and to quickly build a fighting force through initiation.
With too few people during the day, and parents having more important things to do, the Freemasons became Qingchen's only choice.
What's rather strange is that Qingchen still doesn't know to this day why Shadow placed the Freemasons in the wilderness.
At this moment, Qingling looked through the binoculars and saw Yangyang leap from the crown of the World Tree and then fly towards them with her arms outstretched.
Qingling exclaimed, "This must be the girl who helped the boss capture Shindai Seiji! She and the boss are a perfect match!"
Li Cheng raised an eyebrow: "What, you're itching to flatter the boss since you can't get your way?"
"Get lost," Qing Ling said irritably.
Upon arriving at the boundary of Forbidden Land No. 002, everyone disembarked.
Yangyang landed in front of them and said with a smile, "Password."
Li Cheng said, "Zard and Xiaoyu are best friends for life. Okay."
Yangyang laughed and said, "Zard, are you mentally challenged?"
The password and response are like a conversation...
At that time, Qingchen was talking to Licheng about serious business via satellite phone. When they got to the topic of passwords, Zard suddenly leaned in and said something like this. Qingchen replied with something similar, and that became Licheng's password and response code.
This is something most people wouldn't think of, but they use it anyway.
Yangyang said, "You've worked hard. Follow me to Forbidden Land No. 002. We'll walk along the edge of this place and continue south."
"Okay," Li Cheng said cheerfully and followed.
At this moment, Xiaoyu, Zard, and others also ran out and even enthusiastically helped everyone carry their luggage and distributed yellow fruits.
However, just after everyone entered the forbidden area, someone suddenly turned around and saw four warriors smiling as they watched them leave, while he himself did not enter.
Two from the Qing family, and two from the Li family.
Li Cheng had a bad feeling: "What are you doing?"
One of the four soldiers smiled at Old Li and said, "Old Li, I'm sorry, it was too tough back then, I couldn't hold on. I'm sorry."
Old Li was stunned. These four soldiers had all defected before. Because of the hardships and difficulties of life, they chose the path that was easier for them.
Another person said, "Every time I think back to how I gave up because life was too hard, I feel so ashamed that I don't even dare to look in the mirror at myself now."
As Li Cheng walked toward them, he said, "I understand, I understand everything. Those kinds of days are truly unbearable for humans. I've also thought about surrendering."
“We wanted to spend more time with you all along the way, but you rushed on day and night as if you were in a hurry to be reborn,” a soldier said with a laugh, wiping away tears. “What should have been a six-day journey was squeezed into three days by you all… Three days is too short, we didn’t even have time to say a word to each of you.”
"I'm sorry, we can't go any further, and we don't have the right to go any further."
One of the Qing clan's hawks laughed and said, "I remember when I first enlisted, my recruit company commander, Qing Ling, told me, 'If you have no hope on the battlefield, then you should leave the hope to others.' Old company commander, I haven't forgotten those words. Farewell, brothers."
"No!" Qingling rushed over with eyes wide with rage.
Before he could reach his opponent, he saw four soldiers simultaneously draw their sidearms and pull the triggers at his chin.
This was a choice they had agreed upon: to end the stain on their lives with death.
This journey south was like the most beautiful memory of their lives, just like when they first joined the army, when the recruit company commander led them on a five-kilometer cross-country run with weights. It was a tough time, but it felt sweet when they thought about it.
Three days was the final deadline the soldiers had given themselves.
The soldiers charged back at them with desperate cries, but all they found were four corpses.
At this moment, Zard seemed unusually normal. He covered Xiaoyu's eyes in advance and whispered, "Don't look, don't be afraid."
What I see before me is the cruelest scene in the world.
People who have just embarked on a better life are unable to look back at the road behind them.
Because there are dirty hands behind them, trying to drag them into an abyss, and the gods are threatening them to continue being spies.
However, the people of the Age of Gods probably never imagined that those who had once bowed to life and fate would now have the courage to end their own lives.
There are no myths in this world, and the worries of the Li and Qing families are not unfounded. Everyone knows very well what will happen in that cruel environment.
However, the four soldiers made their own choice. They couldn't face themselves and didn't want to put their comrades in a difficult position.
Li Cheng stood beside their bodies for a long time: "Bury them. Don't say a word about this. They weren't traitors. That way, the Li and Qing families will continue to send money to their families."
“Yes,” Qingling nodded.
The group buried the four warriors in Forbidden Land No. 002.
Li Cheng suddenly shouted, "This is the world we have to face. It is cruel, and it will always be cruel. Keep moving forward!"
After saying that, he turned around and led the way to Yangyang: "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Yangyang shook her head, turned around without saying a word, and led the way.
To be honest, for a moment she envied Qing Chen, because the troops he brought out from Base A02, although no longer in their prime, had become one of the most resilient troops in the world after more than ten years of training.
The wasted ten years can be made up for by the Cundi Dharma.
And this sword, honed over ten years, is about to be drawn from Qing Chen's sheath.
The group arrived deep within the forbidden land, where Dingdong was already waiting. Yangyang said, "Everyone, walk over slowly and place your hand in his palm. Just a moment is enough for us to know if there are any spies in the group."
Li Cheng and Qing Ling exchanged a glance. They had thought Qing Chen was going to use some cruel method to test them, but they didn't expect it to be so simple.
Li Cheng took the first step forward and placed his hand in Dingdong's palm.
After only two seconds, Dingdong laughed and waved at him, signaling him to keep walking.
Qingling also stepped forward, imitating Li Cheng's manner, and Dingdong waved to let them pass.
The soldiers passed by Dingdong one by one, undergoing this wondrous selection process.
After everyone had finished their selections, Dingdong said to Yangyang, "Dingdong!"
The problem is, Gudu, who can translate Dingdong's language, has gone to continue its conquests, and Qingchen has already set off for City 10. So, among everyone present, there isn't a single person who can understand Dingdong's language...
Yangyang said to Dingdong, "I'll ask you a question, and you can just nod or shake your head. Are there any spies in the team?"
Dingdong shook her head with a smile.
Yangyang smiled.
Li Cheng and Qing Ling, among others, remained calm, but their fists clenched tightly; their innocence had been hard-won.
Moreover, their own innocence is no longer important.
This incident also proves that the brothers who had worked as spies have indeed voluntarily left the team.
Among them, no one hid in the crowd out of cowardice or wishful thinking; there were no cowards.
Yangyang said earnestly, "Congratulations everyone."
Li Cheng asked, "What should we do now?"
"To usher in a new era, a new world."
...
...
Return countdown: 1:00:00.
In the Caramel Bar in the Fifth District, a teenager led a little boy through the door.
When the bar door was pushed open, it hit the wind chimes on the door, making a tinkling sound.
"Two glasses of water, please," the boy said, sitting at the bar.
The bartender in front of the boy smiled and said, "Boss, you're back."
The bartender's expression betrayed his excitement. The Shadow's farewell battle was a secret, and it only began to circulate in recent days as Kashima began preparing for Lee Byung-hee's funeral.
The entire Secret Service only learned today that Shadow had taken away a demigod and almost took away two others.
Subsequently, Qingchen and his men defeated two air forces of the Southern Fleet, as well as a field division and two field brigades.
Such achievements are truly remarkable, and the colleagues in the Secret Service are also proud of them.
After all, who wouldn't want their boss to be more capable?
Qing Chen smiled and shook his head: "Tell me, has anything happened in City 10 recently?"
Now that Qing Chen has taken over the Secret Service, all 30,000 spies, falcons, and informants in the entire Federation will be under his command.
However, Qing Chen has now handed over all the daily affairs to Qing Ye and Qing Qu. Just like with the Shadow before, he chooses to unconditionally trust these two former right-hand men of the Shadow.
While mixing drinks, the bartender whispered, "The first thing is that Qinghe University's entrance exam season is approaching. Currently, over 40,000 students from all over the Federation have gathered in City 10 to study and prepare for the exams, making the hotel industry extremely busy. The second thing is that the annual boxing championship finals are about to begin, and many spectators have driven thousands of miles to watch. Even celebrities who are out doing gigs are returning to City 10. It's like walking the red carpet; many 'carpet stars' are waiting for this wave of traffic. It's estimated that City 10 will welcome 130,000 tourists in the coming period. It's also around this time of year that espionage activities in City 10 are most frequent."
Qing Chen said, "We're going to find these spies."
The bartender paused for a moment: "There are too many tourists, it's not easy to find these spies."
“I’ll take care of finding them,” Qingchen said with a smile. “You tell Qingyi to prepare the armed forces. He only needs to strengthen the martial law and search in the upper six districts of the city and drive those spies to hide in the lower three districts.”