Lin Zhengguo remained expressionless: "This is the only team from the State-owned Assets New Energy division that meets the requirements. The three of you are in the same group, similar in age, and have a 'couple' as cover, making your operation easier." He gave Su Wanwan a special look, "It's just for the mission, don't overthink it."
Su Wanwan's neck turned red, and she muttered softly, "Who...who's overthinking it..."
Han Feng quickly flipped through the remaining information, professionally skipping over the awkward detail: "Lu Qian, 27 years old, data analyst, graduated from the same school as Zhang Qian... Her background is complete."
"Remember, from the moment you step out of this base, you are Zhang Qian, Chen Li, and Lu Qian." Lin Zhengguo tapped the table. "Never use your real names under any circumstances, including in private."
Liu Xiaoran suddenly asked, "What if we need to call for backup in an emergency?"
Lin Zhengguo looked at Han Feng, "This mission has no support from the rear; you'll have to rely on yourselves."
Han Feng understood the weight of those words. He stood up and handed the documents back to Lin Zhengguo: "I've written them all down."
Lin Zhengguo took the documents, walked to the shredder by the wall, and the three carefully prepared identity documents instantly turned into scraps. This action made the atmosphere in the room even more tense; there was no turning back.
"The plane will take off at noon. You have a few hours to prepare." Lin Zhengguo gave the three of them one last look. "While ensuring the mission's success, you must prioritize your own safety."
Han Feng shook his head helplessly, but still extended his hand. Su Wanwan laughed and slapped it away: "Dream on! The mission hasn't even started yet!"
After Lin Zhengguo left, the conference room fell silent again. Su Wanwan stared at her empty coffee cup, not daring to look up at Han Feng.
"I'll go check the equipment." Liu Xiaoran tactfully got up, giving Han Feng a meaningful look before leaving. He knew that he needed to give the two of them some space to communicate, as anyone who had such identity information would feel awkward.
After the door closed, Su Wanwan finally managed to stammer out, "Um... the mission requires... don't feel pressured..."
Han Feng suddenly laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair, just like he often did when they first met: "What are you thinking about, Miss Lu? We've been dating for eight months now. I'm the one who should be shy."
This familiar gesture relaxed Su Wanwan. She looked up and glared at Han Feng: "Team Leader Zhang, please be mindful of the impact of workplace romances!"
The two exchanged a smile, the awkwardness from before vanishing instantly. Han Feng's expression quickly returned to seriousness: "Seriously, the situation in R country is more complicated than the documents describe. The Makino family has already taken notice of the New Energy Company's movements; we might be targeted as soon as we land."
Su Wanwan patted the hidden equipment pouch at her waist: "Don't worry, with me here, their system is practically invisible."
Han Feng nodded, his gaze falling on the digital clock in the corner of the conference room—03:29. In just over a few hours, they would embark on what might be the most dangerous mission of their careers. At this moment, however, the image of Liu Mengran's quiet smile flashed through his mind.
"Let's go," he stood up, "let's find a place to rest for a while."
Su Wanwan skipped along, "Okay, okay~ But Team Leader Zhang, according to the setup, shouldn't you be holding your girlfriend's hand?"
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Soon it was time to depart. The three of them boarded the chartered plane with the State-owned New Energy Group. No one asked them anything during the flight, as if everything had been arranged by Lin Zhengguo.
The flight from China to R country took just over two hours. As soon as the group got off the plane, several R country people walked towards them; they were the people responsible for liaison from the organizers of this summit.
"Long time no see, Mr. Dai." The leader from Country R, with his signature mustache, greeted Dai Yunfeng warmly.
"Long time no see, Mr. Ota." Dai Yunfeng stepped forward and shook hands with Ota Takeshi. Dai Yunfeng was representing China at the summit as a representative of State-owned Assets New Energy. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Dai Yunfeng turned to the dozen or so people behind him and introduced, "This is Mr. Ota Takeshi, a senior executive of R Country X Star, and also the organizer of this summit."
"Mr. Dai, you're too kind. I'm just a clerk from Planet X," said the middle-aged man named Ota Takeshi in broken Chinese. "You must all be tired from your journey. Please follow me to the hotel to rest. Our Chairman Matsui has arranged a banquet tonight to properly entertain you all." After saying that, Ota Takeshi led everyone onto the bus.
The elevator at the Tokyo Bay Royal Hotel ascended silently. Han Feng observed the members of his delegation through the mirrored wall. Ota Takeshi was introducing the hotel facilities to several Chinese officials in heavily accented English, while Dai Yunfeng, the nominal superior of the state-owned new energy company, stood in a corner listening to Ota Takeshi's introduction.
With a "ding," the elevator stopped on the 28th floor. Takeshi Ota respectfully led everyone to their respective rooms. As Han Feng took the room key, his fingertips inadvertently brushed against the other person's wrist. The other person's pulse was steady, showing no signs of unusual tension.
"Please get some rest. The banquet will begin at seven o'clock," said Takeshi Ota with a bow, then bid farewell to the group, seemingly heading back to report to his superiors.
Han Feng nodded his thanks, glancing out of the corner of his eye as Su Wanwan and Liu Xiaoran each entered the adjacent rooms. Once the door closed, the polite smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious expression; he needed to ensure there were no blind spots in the room.
The room was spacious and luxurious, but Han Feng had no time to appreciate it. He quickly checked every corner: the bedside table, the telephone, behind the TV cabinet, the bathroom mirror... he even checked the air conditioner vents. After confirming there were no listening devices, he took out a device the size of a matchbox from his inner pocket and pressed it. A pale green halo spread out, forming a simple anti-eavesdropping barrier.
Just as they finished doing all that, there was a gentle knock on the door. Three long knocks followed by two short knocks—the pre-arranged code.
Han Feng opened the door, and Su Wanwan slipped in like a fish, followed by Liu Xiaoran with a cold expression.
"The room is clean," Han Feng said in a low voice, gesturing for the two to sit away from the window, "but please be mindful of your volume."
Su Wanwan had already pulled out her modified laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard: "I hacked into the hotel's surveillance system. Now the entire hotel's footage is under my view, and nothing will be disclosed." She winked smugly, "We'll know immediately if anything happens."
Han Feng nodded and said to Liu Xiaoran, "How about your side? How's the investigation going? How are these three families managing the gene lab?"
"It has been investigated and found that although there have been changes in this operation, overall some situations have emerged that are favorable to us."
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