Chapter 4

Chapter 002: The Dark Path

Ye Shaofeng looked up at the bearded man in front of him, finding him somewhat familiar. The bearded man took off his wide-brimmed hat and said, "What's wrong? Don't recognize me after a few years out?"

"Peng... Peng Xiaofei!" Ye Shaofeng immediately recognized him, the brother he had hung out with since junior high school, Peng Xiaofei!

...

In the small tavern across from the bathhouse, Ye Shaofeng and Peng Xiaofei sat at a small table, with a couple of cold dishes and a few bottles of Tsingtao beer.

"When did you come back?" Peng Xiaofei asked, chewing on some peanuts.

"Yesterday."

"Time flies, eight years have passed in the blink of an eye. I heard you served as a soldier for two years. What did you do after your service?"

"After my service, I did business in the south for a few years, but achieved nothing. Now I'm back, living a stable life at home." Ye Shaofeng lied, but he did it so easily that no one could detect the flaw in his words.

The Long Group's Special Forces is a mysterious elite unit of the country, and its members are not allowed to interact with the outside world unless they have a special mission to execute.

During interactions with civilians, they must not reveal their identity or any information about the Long Group. If they do, they will be severely punished by a military court.

This time, Ye Shaofeng's return to his hometown was not for retirement or a family visit, but to carry out a top-secret mission for the Long Group.

This is the highest-level mission, with the highest risk, the lowest success rate, and the longest duration.

4S-level missions are referred to as death missions by Long Group members. Few who receive such missions return alive. Moreover, these missions are not issued all at once. After receiving the mission, the Long Group will issue instructions in stages. If a member fails to complete a stage, is exposed, or is sacrificed, another Long Group member will immediately take over and continue the mission.

Although these missions are extremely challenging and almost no one returns unscathed, all Long Group special forces members consider receiving such a mission the greatest honor of their lives. Those who can execute a 4S mission alone are the absolute top experts in this elite unit.

"Life is more stable now. Why don't you join me? Although we won't get rich, we can live a carefree and comfortable life!" Peng Xiaofei said.

"Join you? To impersonate police and extort money? Brother, I advise you, don't go down that crooked path, there's always a way back!" Ye Shaofeng advised.

"Brother, you misunderstood. I'm not what you think I am."

"Then what are you? I saw it with my own eyes today, you're just robbing the robbers."

"Brother, you misunderstood. I'm now the squad leader of the security team at Zhonghai Group. The owner of this bathhouse owes our boss over 500,000 yuan and won't pay. We had no choice but to dress up as police and come here every day to cause trouble, so they can't do business. After a few disturbances, the owner will pay up."

"It's not a proper thing to do," Ye Shaofeng said casually, then took a sip of beer, secretly planning in his mind.

Before this mission, the Long Group provided him with the most detailed city information, including the latest city map, the city government's various levels of management, and even information about the city's wealthy and criminal organizations.

The Zhonghai Group that Peng Xiaofei mentioned is a typical criminal organization that has risen through violence. Nowadays, these criminal organizations all want to legitimize themselves, forming companies and groups, but they are just putting up a front. Ye Shaofeng despised these criminals from the bottom of his heart.

"Brother, I have a question," Ye Shaofeng asked.

"Brother, go ahead."

"Does the boss of your Zhonghai Group have a daughter?" Ye Shaofeng asked.

"Sure. Brother, after so many years, you're still the same old pervert. Why are you thinking about the boss's daughter as soon as you come back? Chang Miaoke is the acknowledged beauty of the entire group, with both charm and looks. Many young men line up to try to get close to her, but they can't. I advise you, don't think about her, we can't afford to reach that high." Peng Xiaofei said with a bitter smile.

Ye Shaofeng nodded. The reason he was asking about Chang Miaoke was entirely for the mission. The first stage of the 4S mission was for Ye Shaofeng to actively approach the only daughter of the Zhonghai Group, Chang Miaoke, and gain her trust to infiltrate the criminal organization.

The Zhonghai Group used to be a criminal gang that made its fortune through drug trafficking. Although the company has now been legitimized, it has never abandoned this illegal business. Chang Fuguo, the boss of the Zhonghai Group, no longer openly operates the drug business. To avoid suspicion, his 21-year-old daughter, Chang Miaoke, has taken over the entire drug operation, from procurement to distribution. Despite her young age and ongoing university studies, she manages this illegal business efficiently, to her father's satisfaction and her own confidence.

Ye Shaofeng's task was to approach Chang Miaoke, gain her trust, and infiltrate the drug network to trace the source of the supply and cut it off, thereby solving the drug problem in Luyang City and its surrounding areas without the need for military intervention.

The question now was how to approach Chang Miaoke.

From Peng Xiaofei's words, it was clear that Chang Miaoke was a popular figure, and without some charisma, it would be difficult to get close to her. The Long Group's mission information about Chang Miaoke was brief:

[Chang Miaoke, female, 21 years old. Daughter of Chang Fuguo, chairman of Zhonghai Group. Proud personality. Currently a third-year student at Luyang City Yingde Noble University, majoring in psychology, with excellent grades. She controls the drug market in Luyang City and its surrounding areas, with serious consequences.]

"By the way, brother, I just got back, I don't have any skills, but I'm strong. Do you need anyone in your security team? If you do, can you introduce me? I don't need a high salary, just food and lodging." Ye Shaofeng said with a smile.

"That's exactly what I meant, to have you join the security team with me. It would be good to have each other's back. Don't worry, I'll make sure it happens! You don't have to go anywhere today, just stay with our security team and get familiar with the environment." Peng Xiaofei said generously.

Ye Shaofeng smiled, and the two raised their glasses together, the beer foam splashing as they drained their cups in one go. Ye Shaofeng's dark path was about to begin...

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