Chapter 30

"Facial feature tests have already been conducted using instruments. It was precisely because we confirmed that the two photos are of the same person that headquarters transferred you from the American Bureau. Since you have been executing this mission all along and are familiar with many of the details, there is no one more suitable than you," Yang Weiguo said.

Zhang Zhenxing took a deep breath. Since the mission would continue to be carried out by him, he naturally had some questions that needed to be clarified.

He picked up the photo of the short-haired person and asked, "Director, where did this photo come from?"

"Getting this photo was purely a coincidence," Yang Weiguo pointed to the light switch and said, "Turn off the light."

Zhang Zhenxing immediately walked to the door and pressed the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.

Yang Weiguo turned on the projector on his desk, and a beam of light projected an image onto the opposite wall, showing footage from the airport surveillance. If Lin Zixian had seen this video, he would have been both amused and exasperated, as it was the scene of him being beaten up by Qiao Yun at the airport.

After the content finished playing, it started to rewind and stopped on a particular frame. Yang Weiguo pointed the red dot from his infrared laser pen at Lin Zixian's face and said, "There's no need to talk about him; you will need to investigate him. The woman who hit him is Qiao Yun, the only daughter of the chairman of Minghua Group, one of the top 100 companies in the country, and the current general manager of Minghua Group. We discovered this surveillance footage because during this period, the chairman of Minghua Group, Qiao Antian, secretly used his connections to search for the entry and exit records of someone named Lin Zixian, which caught the attention of our security department. After verification, it turned out that Lin Zixian is actually the 'No. 1 Earth Dragon' that your Special Operations Department has been looking for all along."

"Surprisingly, we found that 'No. 1 Earth Dragon' is actually serving as the deputy head of the security department at Minghua Group, which is something no one could have imagined. The source of the photo is from the employee board of the Minghua Group security department. According to our investigation, 'No. 1 Earth Dragon' joined Minghua Group just a few days ago, the day after he returned to the country. We don't know whether 'No. 1 Earth Dragon' joined Minghua Group because he met Qiao Yun at the airport or because Minghua Group got involved with the 'Qinglong Gang' and needed his help."

At this point, Yang Weiguo changed the projection to a slideshow, showing a series of photos of Lin Zixian wandering the streets of Donghai City. He continued, "After we discovered that the person Qiao Antian was looking for was 'No. 1 Earth Dragon,' we immediately sent people to check the surveillance cameras on all the roads in Donghai City. This person clearly has a strong anti-surveillance awareness and always avoids the cameras, either intentionally or unintentionally. However, after our staff sifted through the vast amount of surveillance footage, we finally found a set of his videos, confirming that he is still in Donghai City... Turn on the light!"

Zhang Zhenxing turned on the office light, and Yang Weiguo turned off the equipment on his desk, walked over, and handed him a brown paper bag with a serious expression. "This is all the information we currently have. The detailed analysis is inside. We now require you to immediately head to Donghai to continue the mission, to determine the true intentions of 'No. 1 Earth Dragon' in returning to the country and whether he poses a threat to our national security."

"Yes!" Zhang Zhenxing accepted the mission solemnly, paused for a moment, and then said, "If we need to arrest him, we will likely need the cooperation of the military. Otherwise, it will be difficult to control him given his capabilities."

"Absolutely do not act rashly," Yang Weiguo shook his head and said, "You should know that the forces behind this person are not to be underestimated. The consequences of a forced arrest are unpredictable. If a forced arrest is necessary, the police can handle it; there's no need for our National Security to expend so much effort. The highest leader of headquarters believes that national interests come first. Find him, try to get close to him. If the forces behind him can be used for our benefit, that would be best. At the very least, we cannot let his forces affect the overall situation of our country. In short, even if we can't be friends, we can't be enemies!"

Zhang Zhenxing received clear instructions and immediately responded, "Yes! I will take the next available flight to Donghai."

"That's not necessary," Yang Weiguo glanced at his watch and said, "We have already contacted the Air Force. In about half an hour, there will be a cargo plane flying to Donghai, and a seat has been reserved for you. A car will take you directly to the Air Force airport, and we have arranged for someone to meet you in Donghai. Once you arrive in Donghai, you can start working immediately, and the Asia Bureau will fully support your mission."

After their conversation, Zhang Zhenxing quickly left...

On the streets of the old district of Donghai, Lin Zixian was wandering around with a backpack.

This was an old street, no more than ten meters wide, with buildings on both sides that were at least several decades old. The floors were generally not high, and the walls were weathered. New shops were interspersed among the old houses, and there were not many passersby. Occasionally, tourists from home and abroad could be seen taking photos of the old buildings.

At the intersection of the street, Lin Zixian entered a small southern goods store. It was located at a corner, and the shop area was probably no more than five square meters. It was rare to see such a small southern goods store nowadays, and it was likely the only one on this street.

Inside, there was a cigarette counter that took up most of the space, with a wall cabinet displaying daily necessities. There was also a fruit stand at the entrance. The small space was filled with the scent of fruit, and a little girl was drawing on a small stool, completely absorbed in her work.

The boss, dressed simply and with a gentle and beautiful appearance, immediately stood up from behind the counter and asked politely, "Sir, what would you like to buy?"

Lin Zixian was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look at her for a moment. In his opinion, the boss was indeed very attractive, with a good face and figure. Her buttocks and thighs were hidden behind the counter, so he couldn't evaluate them.

Noticing that she was a bit embarrassed by his gaze, he quickly reined in his eyes and smiled kindly, "Sorry for the disturbance! Excuse me, is the Sakura Snow Apartment down this road?" He pointed to the left turn.

The boss was taken aback for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, go straight, and the old house at the end of the road is the Sakura Snow Apartment."

"Thank you!" Lin Zixian thanked her and was about to leave when he noticed the little girl on the stool staring at him with wide, twinkling eyes. He couldn't help but smile and compliment her, "You're so beautiful!"

The little girl immediately stood up and replied, "Uncle, hello!" She was about four or five years old, well-behaved and polite.

"Goodbye!" Lin Zixian smiled and waved to her before leaving.

The side street was quiet and devoid of shops.

After walking about a hundred meters, he reached the end of the road and stood in front of a high-walled courtyard gate. The sign on the gate read "Sakura Snow Apartment." It was called an apartment, but it was more like a rental property. Looking over the wall, it was actually an old-style villa, likely from the Republican era, with walls covered in ivy.

The rusted iron gate was tightly closed. Lin Zixian took out the key from his pocket, found the largest one, and inserted it into the lock, opening the gate and walking in.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Lin Zixian felt a refreshing coolness despite the warm weather.

The courtyard was filled with large green banana plants, several shade-providing sycamore trees, and a grape arbor formed by old grape vines. There were small, old-fashioned flower beds in the corners of the yard, with a few small flowers blooming, and a well in the corner. The combination of these elements with the old, dilapidated villa gave a pleasant feeling.

What caught his attention most was a slightly shy young girl looking at him nervously from under the grape arbor, sitting at a stone table.

The girl had a well-proportioned figure, long hair that seemed freshly washed and still damp, and was wearing a white sports outfit, looking youthful and elegant with a hint of scholarly charm. Standing under the grape arbor, she gave the impression of being a painting come to life. Several books were on the stone table, and she held a fountain pen, looking like a student.

"Who are you?" she asked Lin Zixian with a wary look, her voice sweet but tense, her eyes occasionally glancing at the key in his hand.

Why does she think I'm a thief! Lin Zixian waved the key in his hand and laughed awkwardly, "Sorry, I'm the new tenant. The landlord gave me the key, so I just opened the door and came in. I hope I didn't disturb you!"

From the moment he saw the courtyard, he fell in love with the place. The beauty of the girl made him even more pleased. Her fresh and elegant appearance was a delight to the eye. Clearly, she was one of the tenants mentioned by Ms. Qiu. Just seeing her beauty made him decide on the spot to rent here!

So he dispelled any thoughts of just checking the place out and immediately positioned himself as a tenant, ready to establish a relationship with his future female roommate.

"Which room are you renting?" The girl remained cautious, slowly picked up her phone from the stone table, and discreetly pressed three keys, 110, with her thumb hovering over the call button, ready to call the police if anything seemed amiss.

What kind of person is Lin Zixian? This little trick couldn't fool him. He glanced at the three-story old villa and found it amusing that the girl wasn't entirely a bookworm; she was testing him. If he answered incorrectly, she would call the police immediately.

"The landlord said the room on the west side of the third floor is still available," Lin Zixian said with a smile.

The girl relaxed a bit and asked, "What's your name?"

"Why do you sound like a police officer interrogating a suspect?" Lin Zixian chuckled, not wanting to scare her, and honestly told her, "Lin Zixian."

PS: Generally updates at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, with additional updates depending on the situation. Thank you for your support!