Afterwards, in Deputy Commander Liu's office.
The atmosphere was so serious it was almost stagnant.
Deputy Commander Liu personally poured two steaming cups of tea for Xiao Dongsheng and Su Tang in enamel mugs. The tea was top-quality Longjing tea, which was his treasured possession.
He carefully pushed one of the cups in front of Su Tang, then said to Xiao Dongsheng, "You two chat, I'll go deal with those brats first."
After saying that, he tactfully closed the heavy wooden door, leaving the two of them alone.
Only Xiao Dongsheng and Su Tang remained in the office.
Su Tang picked up the enamel mug, feeling the warmth emanating from the cup with her fingertips, but didn't drink.
The emerald green tea leaves in the cup slowly unfurled, much like her seemingly calm yet turbulent inner world.
She was waiting, waiting for the other person to speak first.
She knew in her heart that ever since she performed the minimally invasive surgery to save Chief Engineer Liang on the train, she had come into the sights of certain people.
The physical examination at the military hospital later was probably not just a routine check-up.
How much do they know? That was her biggest concern.
“Comrade Su Tang, don’t be nervous.” Xiao Dongsheng broke the silence first. His smile was gentle and his voice was steady, like an intellectual elder next door, making people unconsciously relax their guard. “I came here today not only to deal with Zhou Huai’an, but also mainly to have a chat with you.”
He paused, then solemnly took out a velvet box from his briefcase and opened it. Inside were two gleaming gold medals and two certificates stamped with bright red seals.
"These are your and Comrade Qin Ye's Special Merit Medals and certificates, as well as the corresponding awards, which have been recorded in your files. This is the highest honor the country bestows upon heroes, and you truly deserve it."
Su Tang looked at the heavy medal, but her heart was not very stirred. She had received too much honor in her past life, and had also lost too much because of it.
She raised her eyes, looked directly at him, and asked in a calm, unwavering voice, "What would you like to talk about, Chief Xiao?"
Xiao Dongsheng seemed to appreciate her composure and smiled slightly.
Xiao Dongsheng didn't answer directly. Instead, he took out a sealed file in a brown paper bag from his seemingly ordinary briefcase. The file bag had two bright red characters printed on it: Top Secret.
He pushed the file folder in front of Su Tang.
Su Tang's heart skipped a beat.
Her fingertips were a little cold, but her movements remained steady. She unsealed the package and pulled out the documents inside.
It turned out to be her pre-marital medical examination report.
Su Tang's pupils contracted slightly, but her face remained expressionless.
She continued flipping through the files, which contained information about her assistance in cracking the Su Dongcheng spy case in Shanghai, a detailed report on her rescue of Liang Jianguo on the train, and even the rescue incident in Langcuo Village.
Every single item and every single incident was recorded clearly.
Good heavens, this isn't an investigation, it's like dissecting her entire body under a microscope.
“We first noticed you from this medical examination report,” Xiao Dongsheng said calmly.
"This report has greatly piqued our interest in you. Subsequent investigations revealed that your background is clean. Although your family background is complex, you steadfastly assisted Comrade Lin Wenbo in cracking the major spy case involving Su Dongcheng in Shanghai, demonstrating outstanding merit. Furthermore... all your subsequent achievements... prove one point..."
He paused, then adjusted his glasses.
"You are neither an enemy nor a spy."
“I won’t beat around the bush with you, Comrade Su Tang.” Xiao Dongsheng’s tone suddenly changed, with a frank and sincere tone. “You are an… unparalleled national weapon. However, we are not sure whether this weapon is willing to be used by the country.”
The nation's sharpest weapon.
Su Tang held the file in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white.
She knew in her heart that the other party had already figured out most of her background.
Fortunately, they seem to attribute all her achievements to her exceptional talent.
That's fine. It saves her a lot of trouble.
She placed the file back on the table, looked up, and calmly met Xiao Dongsheng's scrutiny: "Director Xiao, I don't understand what you mean."
Xiao Dongsheng smiled, as if he had expected her to say that.
"The nation needs your strength." Xiao Dongsheng's voice became extremely solemn. "Comrade Su Tang, on behalf of a special department called 'Dragon Flame,' I formally extend an invitation to you. We hope you can join us, become a true soldier, and become a member of the National Security Bureau."
Dragon Flame—the term flashed through Su Tang's mind in an instant. She had seen it in intelligence networks in her previous life; it was the intelligence organization of the national military in this era.
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