Chapter 23

An Ze went to the command center and met Yu Qiankun, a former university classmate, at the door. Yu Qiankun's current military rank was the highest-ranked captain. Although that was one level lower than a major, he was also a very rare genius for being such a younger soldier.

His family's background was much deeper than An Ze's family. Unlike An Ze's family, which had been in business for generations, Yu Qiankun's grandfather, Yu Lan, had been a highly respected general and the direct commander of the Xilin Military region.

An Ze had met Yu Qiankun when they were in university. Later they were both assigned to the Xilin military region. There, they were partners in crime and gradually became close friends. Yu Qiankun was also the only person besides An Yan who knew that An Ze had a crush on his older brother.

The two of them exchanged a glance at the door. That brief look made them aware of the seriousness of the situation.

They quickly took the elevator to the third floor, and entered the secret meeting room through the fingerprint scanner. The commander of the Xilin Military Region, Major General Zhou Peng, and the other leaders of the airborne corps, the reconnaissance team, and the combat crew were all waiting there on standby.

Seeing that everyone was finally there, Zhou Peng said, "I just received an urgent request from the police five minutes ago. A private jet will enter our airspace around 11 o'clock tonight. Its destination is unknown. This plane is the most advanced stealth aircraft out there, and it can't be detected by radar. Moreover, this craft is likely to carry nearly half a ton of new drugs onboard. If these drugs successfully make it into the hands of domestic drug dealers, the consequences will be unfathomable!"

An Ze and Yu Qiankun looked at each other, knowing their next task clearly.

Obviously, this was information that Interpol had found while investigating drug traffickers. When they learned where the drugs were headed, they immediately notified the local police. But the police were worried they wouldn't be able to capture the drug traffickers immediately after the plane landed, which would result in the drugs entering the market. So they sent an urgent request to the military HQ for air force support to intercept the drugs before they landed.

Sure enough, Zhou Peng continued, "We must race against the clock to find that plane in an airspace of almost one million kilometers, and force that plane to land at Xichuan Airport." He pointed to the map on the big screen and paused. Then he turned to An Ze. "Major An Ze, we need you to personally fly Black Hawk 7, find the target location, and report back to headquarters!"

An Ze immediately stood at attention and made a standard military salute. "Yes, sir!"

"Captain Yu Qiankun, you lead the combat crew to get ready. Once the target is found, carry out air interception immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

"All teams in position, move!"

***

Black Hawk 7 was the latest model of recon plane that had been developed just last year. It was completely dark and looked like a soaring eagle with outstretched wings, so it named "Black Hawk." Every time it took off, looking at its figure from the ground, it seemed like a black eagle magnified hundred times its size, taking off into the sky. It seemed to have its own distinct spectacle.

However, other than the people in the military, few could see the Black Hawk fighter, because it often flew at an altitude of more than seven kilometer, silently and secretly carrying out reconnaissance missions.

That kind of advanced stealth reconnaissance aircraft cost a lot of money, so only four had been built. Its advantage laid in its fully electronic navigation system and optical reconnaissance equipment, which could detect anti-radar stealth aircraft.

The Black Hawk was also the fastest among the military aircraft, and could locate enemies in the shortest time. It also had its own anti-radar detection and anti-satellite surveillance system, which could silently perform high-altitude collection of important reports.

An Ze was one of the few people who could fly it in the whole military.

Taking out the long-untouched helmet from his locker in the changing room, the look on An Ze's face was still cool-headed and unhurried.

Although the Black Hawk was not his exclusive aircraft, An Ze had a deep affection for it. He'd flown it millions of kilometers away and it'd once accompanied him through near disaster.

But for a long time afterwards, the Black Hawk collected dust. Today, however, it was launched again for an emergency mission. It was still as fascinating as when he'd first seen—its dark fuselage, its striking eagle-like shape, the cold and hard metal lines of its surface, and the speed that all other aircrafts could only.

It suddenly started raining outside the window, and the rain gradually began to increase. But the flight mission was urgent. An Ze knew very well that if the plane went undetected in the air and landed at its unknown destination, by the time the police discovered it, the drugs could have already disappeared. The air interception had to succeed.

An Ze walked to the airport, boarded the Black Hawk, and sat in the pilot's seat. Through the transparent window, he saluted the soldiers on the ground. His calm expression never changed. It seemed as if flying the newest fighter jet was nothing special to him.

An Ze put on his helmet and his seat belt, quickly making all preparations.

A call from HQ came over his earpiece. "Command headquarters to Major An Ze. Major An Ze..."

An Ze said into his wireless mic, "Ready and waiting for instructions from headquarters."

"Take off immediately."

"Understood."

As his deep voice fell silent, An Ze raised his hands to the familiar buttons.

The black reconnaissance plane slowly taxied down the runway in the drizzle. Its speed accelerated faster and faster. It finally nimbly escaped the shackles of the ground, and pierced into the night sky like a sharp sword, disappearing into the night.

***

10:50 PM:

The combat crew led by Yu Qiankun was fully armed and on standby. The command center was on high alert, monitoring the information from the satellites while simultaneously staying in contact with the police and An Ze, who was carrying out the reconnaissance mission.

Suddenly, there was a shocking voice in the command center—

"An Ze to headquarters, An Ze to headquarters. 33.17N, 103.57E. A suspicious target has been found. Target moving south!"

"Good! Keep tracking it!"

As the commander-in-chief, Zhou Peng finally breathed a long sigh of relief. An Ze's voice, calm and steady, seemed to finally give everyone peace of mind.

He knew it was the right decision to give this kind of emergency mission to An Ze. Although An Ze was young, he was always calm and discerning. He could complete the most impossible tasks in the shortest time. Moreover, he seemed to have an unusual connection to the Black Hawk. It was only when An Ze flew the Black Hawk that it had this subtle sense of "man-machine integration."

Zhou Peng released the burden in his mind and quickly contacted Yu Qiankun. "Combat crew take off immediately. Latitude 34.17, longitude 107.57. Target moving south. Stay in constant contact with HQ!"

"Understood!"

The three fighter jets on standby rushed to An Ze's location.

Convinced they were invisible to radar detection, the people on the private jet were excited to reach their destination. They didn't realize—above their heads, there was a black shadow seven kilometers above the earth. Like a hawk flying in the hair watching its prey, it silently followed them all the while.

***

10:55 PM, Xilin City Police, Special Investigation Team Headquarters:

Sitting at the head of the conference room was a handsome young man. Although he was the boss of the special investigation team, he had a kind smile on his face and seemed to have a good temper.

He pointed to the topographic map on the big screen and said, "We've just received news from military headquarters that they've successfully detected the position of the plane in the air. The military headquarters will force a landing at Xichuan Airport in thirty minutes. Now, report to Xichuan Airport for an ambush!"

The people who had been long waiting for this moment immediately shouted, "Yes sir!"

Under the leadership of that captain, the Special Investigation team of the police were dispatched to Xichuan Airport, moving as rapidly as an arrow fired from a bow.

***

11:00 PM:

A private plane of unknown origin entered the airspace of Xilin City. The military headquarters of that region finally sent a communication to that plane.

"Plane T-7417, this is the Xilin military headquarters speaking. This is the Xilin military headquarters speaking. Please land at Xichuan airport in front of you. Please land at Xichuan airport in front of you, otherwise we will take military action."

The startled captain looked out the window, and saw that three fighter jets were alongside them, forcibly suppressing their flight path. If the captain didn't comply, those planes could take immediate action.

Under that pressure, that plane of unknown origin landed at the Xichuan airport ten minutes later.

As soon as they landed, before they could catch their footing, they saw a group of police officers with guns rushing over. Their leader said with a smile, "Hello Mr. Lin. We're police officers with the Special Investigation Team. We suspect you are involved in international drug smuggling. We'd like to search your plane. We have a warrant."

"You've got to be joking! I'm just coming back for a holiday!"

"Vacationing or trafficking, we'll know after we search." The young captain ignored his opponent's twisted face. He raised his eyebrows at his subordinates behind him, and decisively ordered, "Move!"

He himself turned back to the 50-something Chinese man from overseas, and said with a smile. "Mr. Lin, you'd better not get any ideas about running away. My marksmanship is highly accurate. I could hit a mosquito from thirty meters."

***

11:30 PM, Xilin Military Headquarters:

"Major An Ze, mission completed. Please return."

"Understood." The young soldier's serious and indifferent face finally revealed a hint of a smile.

An Ze calmly flew the Black Hawk through the rainy night back from the Xichuan airport to the military headquarters.

Meanwhile, An Luo was sleeping on the double bed in the bedroom.

He was sleeping deeply because he had just taken a sleeping pill, which he had taken because he couldn't sleep at all.

For some reason, the words An Ze said before he left repeatedly echoed in his ears. He had heard the roar of a plane taking off outside shortly after. It was obvious that the air force was carrying out an overnight mission. An Luo's heart suddenly welled up with uneasiness.

Would An Ze have an accident?

That young brother, who always looked so mature and stable, would something happen to him while he was out?

In a land operation, he could hide to avoid injury. In a sea operation, there was a chance to swim to escape. However, once an air operation failed, the consequences of a crash would only be being torn apart.

What if something happened to him?

Although the two of them were still supposed to be strangers, An Ze had been taking care of him so considerately that whole time. If he was like that—

An Luo's mind couldn't be at ease.

The more he thought about it, An Luo didn't have any option but to take a sleeping pill.

So An Luo, who was deeply asleep, didn't notice when An Ze came back from his mission. An Ze sat down by the side of the bed and meaningfully watched An Luo's peaceful sleeping face.

"Gege, I'm back." His low voice seemed to suppress a strong emotion. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He leaned in to An Luo's ear and whispered, "I said, I won't let myself meet with any mishaps until I've got what I want."

"Does gege know... what I want?"

An Luo, who was sleeping, did not respond.

An Ze sat by the side of the bed and looked at him. After a long time, he finally bent down and gently kissed An Luo's lips.

An Luo, fast-asleep, did not resist. This let An Ze, without any hesitation, open An Luo's mouth with his tongue. The emotions that he had repressed for so long finally had a release.

An Ze stretched out his hand and clasped the back of An Luo's head tightly. He deepened their kiss boldly.

"Ah... Ah..." The sleeping An Luo who was being deeply kissed let out little indistinct resisting noises.

An Ze ignored them. His fingers twined them even closer, pressing their bodies together. His tongue licked at An Luo's mouth wantonly, plumbing its depths without missing a single inch. Their tongues entwined, and he sucked and breathed against him again and again.

This frantic kiss gradually calmed An Ze's tangled heart and stifled feelings.

After the kiss satisfied him, An Ze finally let go of his brother, who had become flushed from gasping.

He gently reached out his thumb and brushed An Luo's spit-slick kissed lips. An Ze's pitch black eyes became even deeper in the darkened room. But when looking at the person on the bed, his gaze also became extremely tender.

An Ze used a voice that only he could hear, lips pressed to An Luo's, and said softly, word-by-word, "All I want is you.... An Luo."