Chapter 93: Fighting side by side, perfect tacit understanding

The sudden, horrifying attack in Milan was like a bolt of cold lightning, instantly splitting Su Wanqing's vision of an international stage filled with art and romance. She saw with uncanny clarity the dangers and cruelty lurking beneath, a world not unlike Huo Tingxiao's own. As the plane touched down in Beijing and she flung herself into Huo Tingxiao's strong, eager embrace, a profound sense of security mingled with the lingering fear of surviving a catastrophe, leaving her unable to calm down for a long time.

Back home, Huo Tingxiao didn't elaborate on the details of Milan's incident, but instead used tighter security measures to protect her. The lingering solemnity and hostility in his eyes made Su Wanqing realize that things were far from over. Those enemies lurking in the shadows, like leeches, hadn't given up on this defeat. On the contrary, alerting them might have made them even more frantic and secretive.

She was no longer just a protected person. Her decisiveness in pressing the emergency button during the attack, and her subsequent calm despite her fear, made her vaguely aware that she might be able to do something. She no longer immersed herself solely in the design drawings, but began to pay more attention to the occasional traces of fatigue and contemplation that Huo Tingxiao occasionally showed, trying to read the unspoken pressure in his furrowed brow and the light in his study late at night.

That evening, Huo Tingxiao returned unusually late. His face was gloomier than ever, and he exuded a nearly tangible low pressure. Even Assistant Chen was extremely cautious when reporting on his work. At dinner, he barely touched his chopsticks, simply sipping his soup in silence, his eyes fixed sharply on a single point in the void, as if he were mentally replaying an extremely complex chess game.

Su Wanqing saw this and became even more worried. She silently poured him a bowl of soup and asked softly, "Is...things really troublesome?"

Huo Tingxiao came back to his senses and glanced at her. The coldness in his eyes melted a little. He shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "It's okay. Don't worry." His tone was the usual soothing one, but with a hint of fatigue that was hard to conceal.

The more he acted like this, the more worried Su Wanqing became. She knew he was used to shouldering everything on his own.

Late at night, Su Wanqing woke from a light sleep and found no one around her. A faint light shone through the crack of the study door. She stood up, put on her coat, and walked over quietly.

Pushing the door open a little, she saw Huo Tingxiao still sitting at his desk, the desk lamp illuminating his stern profile. He was concentrating on a complex electronic map and several personnel files, his fingers unconsciously pressing hard on his temples. Between his brows was an unshakable solemnity and... a very faint trace of confusion that she keenly caught.

She noticed that his eyes repeatedly moved back and forth between a marked area on the map and a detail in a file, as if he had encountered a critical bottleneck.

Su Wanqing's heart tightened slightly. She hesitated for a moment, but didn't go in to disturb him. Instead, she gently closed the door and retreated to the living room. She sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, and her mind kept replaying the scene she had just glimpsed - the map, the file, his confused expression...

Suddenly, a tiny detail flashed through her mind! It was a blurry background photo in the file attachment that appeared to show the interior of a building! In the corner of the photo, there was a very familiar, distinctive decorative pattern!

That pattern... she'd recently delved into it while designing a set of public facilities for military families, blending Eastern and Western elements. It's a less common, yet highly recognizable, variation of the Rococo scroll pattern from the late Italian Renaissance, often used in decorative details of ancient buildings from certain periods and styles.

And near the area marked on Huo Tingxiao's map, there happened to be a city with historical buildings of similar style!

A bold, almost absurd guess instantly struck her! Her heart began to pound wildly!

She stood up suddenly and almost ran into the study!

Huo Tingxiao was startled by her sudden intrusion. He raised his head and frowned slightly, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Su Wanqing didn't bother to explain. She rushed to the desk and pointed at the marked point on the map, her breath a little unsteady. "Tingxiao! This place! Is it... is there an old building with arcades and reliefs, like a Baroque town hall from the mid-seventeenth century?"

A flash of extreme surprise and sharpness flashed across Huo Tingxiao's eyes! He sat up straight and stared at her with a sharp gaze: "How did you know?! This map is highly encrypted!"

"It's a pattern! That pattern!" Su Wanqing excitedly pointed at the corner of the photo attached to the file. "Look at the direction of this scroll pattern and the special hook at the end! It's a very typical technique of a niche school in Lombardy, northern Italy. This kind of oxidized patina can only form on stone that has been well preserved in a specific humidity environment! I saw an almost identical one when I was researching! The probability of this pattern appearing in China is extremely low, but if it does appear, it's very likely in that old building that was documented and designed by an Italian missionary at the time! This element is also in the missionary's family crest!"

She speaks very fast but with clear logic, and her eyes sparkle with confidence and sharpness that is unique to her professional field!

Huo Tingxiao was completely shocked! He stared intently at the corner of the blurry photo he'd studied repeatedly but couldn't find the key. He suddenly looked up at Su Wanqing's cheeks, flushed with excitement. A flash of lightning flashed through his mind! All the blocked clues suddenly connected!

That's it! That's it! The enemy's chosen hiding place or contact point is most likely connected to this building with a unique landmark! They exploited cultural differences and the hidden power of architectural details! And his people had overlooked this seemingly irrelevant, unpopular clue in the field of art history!

"Assistant Chen!" Huo Tingxiao suddenly pressed the intercom, his voice rising slightly with excitement, carrying an unquestionable command, "Immediately retrieve all historical building protection files in Area B! Focus on checking buildings in the Italian Lombard style, especially those with distinctive scroll-shaped reliefs! Quick!"

After giving the order, he turned around abruptly and grabbed Su Wanqing's shoulders, his eyes blazing with unbelievable surprise and a new, fervent admiration: "Wanqing! You...you've done a great deed!"

Su Wanqing felt a little embarrassed by the light in his eyes and the excited tone. Her cheeks turned even redder and she whispered, "I... I just happened to see it and made a blind guess..."

"No! This isn't a blind guess!" Huo Tingxiao said firmly, "This is a key breakthrough! Our people have checked all the conventional clues and have come up empty! The details you provided may have directly pinpointed their core activity area!"

He looked at her with complex and deep eyes, as if he really realized for the first time what kind of delicate and sharp brain this seemingly weak wife beside him possessed, which was a treasure-like brain that could play an unexpected role at critical moments!

Soon, Assistant Chen received exciting news—based on the clues provided by Su Wanqing, they quickly located a historical building that met all the criteria. Using technical means, they discovered an extremely hidden source of abnormal signals and traces of human activity within it! The target area was instantly narrowed from the entire area to a specific point!

An action plan was quickly formulated. Huo Tingxiao acted decisively, issuing clear and decisive instructions.

Su Wanqing stood at the doorway of the study, watching Huo Tingxiao, who instantly entered combat mode, his aura fully radiating, commanding with unwavering confidence. Her heart was filled with an indescribable excitement and... a sense of participation. She actually... actually helped him?

Just as Huo Tingxiao was about to issue the final order for action, he suddenly paused, his gaze falling once again on the photo attached to the file, his brows furrowed slightly. The photo was taken from a difficult angle, with a cluttered background. While the building had been identified, its internal structure remained unclear, and the risks and uncertainties of a forced attack remained.

Su Wanqing keenly caught his momentary hesitation. She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, stepped forward, and pointed at a half-obscured, blurry window outline in the photo. "Tingxiao, look at the arch of this window and the proportions of the latticework... and the barely discernible remains of the wall lamp next to it... This fits a very specific spatial sequence. I speculate... the entrance to this room is most likely not in the front, but to the side and back. There might be a hidden spiral staircase leading to the underground structure..."

Based on her profound knowledge of architectural history and spatial design, she boldly speculated on the possible internal structure and even picked up a pencil to quickly sketch out several possible floor plans on the blank paper next to her.

Huo Tingxiao's eyes followed her pen closely, their gleam growing brighter. Her speculation, surprisingly, matched the fragmentary intelligence and satellite image analysis he had, even filling in several key blind spots.

"Great!" He slammed the table, his eyes gleaming. "This way, the assault route and firepower deployment can be more precise! It can minimize casualties and damage!"

He immediately adjusted the final details of the operation based on Su Wanqing's sketch and analysis.

Putting down his pencil, Huo Tingxiao raised his head and looked deeply at Su Wanqing, his eyes filled with unprecedented trust and a kind of... fiery passion to fight side by side. "Wanqing, you stay at the command center. Keep the real-time communication open. Your on-site judgment may be needed during the operation."

This wasn't a discussion, it was an order! It truly incorporated her into the combat system!

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and a surge of blood rushed to her head! She nodded vigorously, her eyes firm: "I understand!"

A few minutes later, the large screen in the remote command center lit up, transmitting a real-time feed. Huo Tingxiao, seated at the center, calmly issued orders. Su Wanqing sat next to him, headphones on, her heart pounding as she stared intently at the shaky, slightly blurry internal footage beamed back from the helmet cameras of the team members ahead.

The action begins! Like cheetahs in the dark night, the special forces sneak into the target building silently.

"Attention! There may be a secret door after turning left and the third pillar! It fits Wanqing's speculation!" Huo Tingxiao's calm voice came through the encrypted channel.

"Report! A secret door has been found!"

"Look at the end of the corridor on the right, behind the mural, and check for any vents or passages!"

"Report! Ventilation duct found!"

"Attention, assault team! The entrance to the target room is most likely in the southeast corner. Pay attention to the direction of the door axis, it may open outward!"

Huo Tingxiao continued to give precise hints based on Su Wanqing's prior analysis. Su Wanqing held her breath, staring intently at the screen, her mind racing as she compared the information with her memory of architectural knowledge.

Suddenly, a hall with a complex structure and multiple passages appeared on the screen, and the team members in front hesitated briefly.

"Tingxiao! Look at that dome! The way the pendentive is supported! And the direction of the floor tiles!" Su Wanqing grabbed Huo Tingxiao's arm and said urgently, "The main passage should be the one directly in front and to the right! The others may be deceptive false passages or dead ends!"

Huo Tingxiao didn't hesitate and immediately ordered: "Assault team, the passage to the right in front! Move through quickly!"

"clear!"

The team members acted quickly and the process was smooth and unobstructed! Their precision was astonishing!

The ensuing operation was unstoppable! With the remote assistance of Su Wanqing, their "plug-in" art history and architectural structure consultant, the commandos seemed to possess clairvoyant vision, always able to pinpoint key paths and hidden spaces, striking directly at the enemy's core with minimal effort and swiftness!

In the end, the remaining enemies, hiding deep within the building and attempting to exploit its complex structure to resist, were captured in one fell swoop! Important evidence was seized intact! The operation was a resounding victory!

"Mission accomplished! All targets eliminated! No one on our side is seriously injured!" The captain's excited report came from the channel!

In the command center, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, with happy smiles on their faces.

Huo Tingxiao leaned back in his chair and breathed a long sigh of relief. His tense jawline finally relaxed completely. He turned his head and looked at Su Wanqing, whose face was pale from intense tension, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

When their eyes met, both of them were filled with excitement, excitement and an indescribable... tacit understanding and appreciation.

Huo Tingxiao reached out his hand, not to shake it, but to grasp it firmly, firmly. His palm burned hot, carrying the warmth of victory and an unprecedented eagerness.

"Wanqing," his voice was a little hoarse with excitement, his eyes burning with undisguised admiration and pride, "you are the best...consultant."

Su Wanqing's heart was beating fast, her cheeks flushed, and she held his strong hand tightly with her backhand, tears and smiles flashing in her eyes: "You are the one who commands well..."

At this moment, they are no longer simply husband and wife, protector and protected.

They are comrades-in-arms and partners, and they have perfect tacit understanding that can complement each other perfectly and fight side by side at critical moments.

With her unique perspective and professional knowledge, she made up for the blind spots in his tactical thinking; with his absolute trust and decisive command, he turned her discoveries into the power to win.

Fighting side by side with perfect tacit understanding.

After this thrilling and successful joint operation, the relationship between them was sublimated to a new, more solid and precious dimension.