The day arrived for Maple Leaf Investment to depart for Qiqihar. Han Feng stood in the departure hall, watching Qin Chuan's back as he checked in his luggage, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest of his seat.

"Are you sure you don't need me to come along?" This was the third time Han Feng had asked this question.

Liu Mengran adjusted the strap of her bag, looked up, and gave him a reassuring smile: "It's just a preliminary site selection; Qin Chuan has already made all the arrangements. Besides," she blinked, "if the leaders of Qiqihar City knew that the big boss of Fenghua Investment was going in person, wouldn't they be terrified?"

Han Feng wanted to say something, but in the end he only sighed. He had barely slept last night, repeatedly examining maps and information about Qiqihar, trying to find a connection between the new energy plant's location and the failed laboratory. But on the surface, it was just an ordinary industrial zone.

"Keep communication open," Han Feng said in a low voice. "Report that you are safe at least once a day. Contact me immediately if you encounter any suspicious situations."

Liu Mengran tilted her head to look at him: "Han Feng, have you been too stressed lately? Qishi isn't some dangerous area."

Han Feng opened his mouth, but couldn't say the real reason. He couldn't very well reveal Long Yuan's information.

"Just consider it an occupational hazard," he forced a smile, handing her a small metal pendant. "Wear this; press the middle button in an emergency."

Liu Mengran took the pendant, her fingertips brushing against Han Feng's palm, the warmth of that moment sending a shiver through her heart.

"Thank you." Liu Mengran tied the charm to her bag. "We'll be careful."

The boarding announcement came on, and Qin Chuan dragged his carry-on suitcase over: "Time to go, boss."

Han Feng nodded, watching the two walk towards the security checkpoint. Liu Mengran turned back and waved, sunlight streaming through the glass curtain wall and casting a bright silhouette on her. Han Feng stood there until her figure completely disappeared into the crowd.

After leaving the airport, Han Feng didn't return to the villa. The empty house would only amplify his unease. He turned the steering wheel and drove towards the Longyuan Base.

Security at the base was tighter than usual. Han Feng navigated through layers of checkpoints and finally found Chen Feng by the training field. The former special forces instructor was timing his stopwatch, his sharp eyes fixed on the figures tumbling and leaping on the field.

"A rare guest," Chen Feng said without turning his head, clearly having already noticed Han Feng's arrival. "The European team sent back new intelligence yesterday, which we are currently analyzing."

"The intensity has increased?" Han Feng ignored Chen Feng's question and asked about the training situation.

Chen Feng wiped the sweat from his brow: "Ever since you mentioned the enemy's strength last time, everyone's been holding their breath. The news from Europe brought back by Iron Tower and his team further confirms this; those injected with the drug have strength and speed more than three times that of ordinary people."

In the center of the field, a burly player was fighting against two opponents at the same time. His movements were so fast that they were almost blurry, but the other two players cooperated well and quickly found an opening to subdue him.

"Is that a newly developed tactic to counter the drug-equipped warriors?" Han Feng narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, according to the information you and Iron Tower sent back, while the drug enhances individual soldier capabilities, its duration is limited, and it reduces cognitive abilities." Chen Feng pointed to another group of soldiers training. "We'll employ delaying and attrition tactics, waiting for the drug's effects to weaken before counterattacking."

Han Feng approached the edge of the training field. The team members noticed his arrival and immediately stopped and stood at attention. Sweat streamed down their faces, their camouflage uniforms soaked and clung to their bodies, but each of their eyes was sharp as a knife, filled with a resolute determination as if facing death.

"Continue training," Han Feng said briefly. "Remember, you are not facing ordinary enemies. Every moment of slackness could cost you your life."

The team members responded in unison and immediately threw themselves into even more intense training. Han Feng noticed that the bandage on one of the young team members' wrists was already bleeding, yet he still threw punches with all his might. This was the team he wanted—not delicate flowers in a greenhouse, but strong pine trees that could stand firm in the storm.

After reviewing several key training items, Han Feng went to Lin Zhengguo's office. He saw Lin Zhengguo looking at documents, and when he looked up and saw Han Feng, he raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" Lin Zhengguo put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and asked, "What brings you here?"

Han Feng sat down opposite him: "It's been a long time since I've been here, so I came to check in."

Lin Zhengguo's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across Han Feng's face for a few seconds before he suddenly laughed: "Are you bored at home alone?"

Han Feng's fingers trembled slightly on the armrest, then he regained his composure: "You're overthinking it."

"Really?" Lin Zhengguo stood up, walked around the desk to Han Feng, and said, "Let me guess, after sending Liu Xiaoran's sister to the airport, you felt empty inside, and I kept you at the base to work again last night, so you came to the base looking for something to do?"

"How have you been sleeping lately?" Han Feng suddenly changed the subject. "Let me take your pulse."

Lin Zhengguo chuckled, but still extended his left hand: "Clumsy attempt to change the subject."

Han Feng placed three fingers on Lin Zhengguo's pulse and closed his eyes.

"Your blood pressure is still a bit high. Have you been staying up late again?" Han Feng opened his eyes.

"There are mountains of documents in China, plus the current problems with the gene labs. How can we possibly review them without staying up all night?" Lin Zhengguo withdrew his hand.

Han Feng's fingers unconsciously rubbed the armrest of the chair. Lin Zhengguo knew this was a habitual gesture he made when he was thinking.

"That's true..." Han Feng started to speak but then stopped, finally sighing, "Actually, I feel there's a reason why this mission failed."

"How so?"

“We had just set up a branch in Europe when we returned and found that a research lab had appeared in Qiqihar. Coincidentally, our silicon crystal technology was located in Qiqihar.”

Lin Zhengguo's expression turned serious: "You suspect it's the same group of people?"

"There are too many coincidences." Han Feng stood up and walked to the window, looking at the team members sweating profusely on the training field. "Mu Xiaoxiao failed to make a move on me in Europe, and now Liu Mengran is suddenly going to Qishi. I suspect..."

Before he could finish speaking, his phone suddenly vibrated. An encrypted message appeared on the screen, from the Tower: "European clues point to Qiqihar; the raw materials for the medicine may have originated there."

Han Feng handed the phone to Lin Zhengguo. The two looked at each other and saw the seriousness in each other's eyes.

"It seems your hunch was right," Lin Zhengguo said in a deep voice. "Do you need me to send some reinforcements over?"

Han Feng shook his head: "Making a big move would alert them. I've already implanted the latest nano-eavesdropping device in Liu Mengran's brooch; it can capture all conversations within a twenty-meter radius."

Lin Zhengguo raised an eyebrow: "When did you take it from Longyuan?"

"I happened to see our equipment room last time I came here," Han Feng said casually, but he saw a meaningful smile on the old general's face.

Han Feng ignored him, simply looking out the window. On the training field, the team members were practicing new tactical formations, their movements perfectly synchronized, like a sophisticated killing machine. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Qishi, an unseen storm was brewing.

He must be prepared, for his own sake and for the sake of China!