"Splash—"
A uniform metallic scraping sound.
This time, not only Leng Nan, but all members of the Snow Wolf Squad, including Li Mo who had just been rendered speechless by Qin Xiao, drew their guns and cocked them.
Six dark gun barrels, from different angles, locked onto Qin Xiao and Fang Mengru, who was about to operate the computer.
The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop to absolute zero in an instant.
Geng Yu and Ling Changning felt as if an invisible hand was gripping their hearts, preventing them from even breathing a single breath.
It's over.
This time it's really over.
Brother Xiao... he's funding terrorists! Right in front of the military!
"Qin Xiao!" Leng Nan's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. The last shred of reason in her eyes was burned away by anger, replaced by a desperate despair of utter betrayal and murderous intent. "Do you know what you're doing? This is treason!"
"Of course I know." Qin Xiao's answer remained calm, as if those six gun barrels that could instantly turn him into a sieve were just a few harmless fire sticks.
He didn't even look at the guns, but looked at Fang Mengru and asked, "Sister Mengru, do you need me to repeat myself?"
Fang Mengru pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light. She didn't look at the gun barrels, but calmly opened her laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard, bringing up an encrypted international money transfer interface.
"I will carry out the boss's orders unconditionally." There was not the slightest wavering in her voice.
This unconditional trust and execution, more so than Qin Xiao's madness, sent a chill down Leng Nan's spine.
What kind of people are in this team?
"Stop!" Li Mo roared, lowering the gun slightly to aim at Fang Mengru's hand. "If you dare touch the keyboard again, I'll smash your hand!"
"You can try." Qin Xiao turned to the side, blocking Li Mo's gun barrel and Fang Mengru's position. "But before you fire, you'd better think carefully about the consequences."
He looked at Leng Nan, who was on the verge of exploding, and said, word by word, "Captain Leng, this money is not a grant. It's a bribe, a stepping stone, and also... my pledge of allegiance to her."
“‘Ghost’ isn’t stupid; she’s a top predator living on the edge. The slightest disturbance will put her on alert. The inescapable trap your military has laid is a joke to her. If you want her to come out of the cave, if you want her to believe me, the first step is to show her a sincerity that she can neither refuse nor understand.”
"Ten million US dollars for a chance to talk to her. Do you think this is a good deal?"
Leng Nan's chest heaved violently, and he breathed rapidly.
Reason told her that every word Qin Xiao said was fallacy and heresy, the logic of a madman.
But her intuition, her combat instincts as a top soldier, was frantically warning her—Qin Xiao might be right.
"Now, the choice is yours." Qin Xiao spread his hands, looking as if he were at Qin Xiao's mercy. "Option one: Shoot me dead now, then report to your grandfather that the operation's commander-in-chief has committed treason and has been executed on the spot. The mission has failed completely, 'Ghost' has vanished without a trace, and your Snow Wolf Squad is to prepare for an even heavier casualty blunder next time."
“Option two,” he paused, his gaze sharpening, “put away your gun and take a gamble. Bet that this madman of mine can give you, the military, an outcome you could never even dream of.”
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Every passing second felt like a slow, agonizing torture for Leng Nan.
She stared into Qin Xiao's unfathomable eyes, as if trying to see into his soul. But she failed; there was nothing there, only a terrifying calm.
Finally, as if she had used up all her strength, she slowly lowered the gun in her hand.
"Put the gun away," she ordered her men.
Li Mo and the others' faces were filled with confusion and struggle, but their duty as soldiers ultimately compelled them to obey orders and put away their weapons. However, each of them kept their hands on their gun handles, maintaining the highest level of alert.
“I’m taking the gamble.” Leng Nan looked at Qin Xiao, her voice filled with a do-or-die determination. “But I have one condition.”
"explain."
“From now until the mission is over, I will be with you 24/7. Wherever you go, I will go. Everything you do must be within my sight.” She said, enunciating each word clearly. “I’m not protecting you, I’m monitoring you. If I find any sign of betrayal from you, I will break your neck with my own hands.”
"Sure." Qin Xiao agreed readily, even smiling. "However, your identity needs to be changed."
"What's the meaning?"
“Captain Leng’s identity is too conspicuous. From now on, you are no longer the captain of the Snow Wolf Squad.” Qin Xiao looked her up and down, his gaze carrying the meaning of inspecting goods, which made Leng Nan feel humiliated.
He snapped his fingers.
Soon, one of Fang Mengru's female assistants came in carrying a clothing bag and respectfully handed it to Leng Nan.
"Change into your bodyguard," Qin Xiao commanded. "From now on, you are my personal bodyguard. If necessary..."
His gaze lingered on Leng Nan's icy face for a few seconds, and the corners of his mouth curved into a playful smile.
"...even, she was my lover."
"You're asking for it!" Li Mo roared again, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Leng Nan raised her hand to stop him. She stared intently at Qin Xiao, her gaze as if she wanted to tear two pieces of flesh from his body.
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