Just as Alex had finished speaking to Hank, Louis called to talk about Yvonne.
Alex wanted to tell everyone that he wasn't really interested in Yvonne. After all, he was happy with Debbie.
But this time, Yvonne's actions seemed to have something to do with the tricolor flower, so Alex wanted to know more.
**
In an inconspicuous building in a western suburb of Baltimore, several people were gathered around a map. Among them were Alex and Louis. Alex had said that he would help, and he never went back on his word.
It was a very dilapidated house, and few people ever went there. It was a bit gloomy in the daytime and even worse at night. In fact, it was so unsettling that it made people's hair stand on end. Few people knew that it was actually a military base. Not on the surface but in the vast underground space that covered the entire residential area.
Alex and Louis were sitting in one of the underground rooms. Although, from upstairs, the entire area looked dark and empty, the room they were in was brightly lit.
The military map in front of them covered the entire table, and it was covered with red marks. At one point, there was a red circle, and on the circle, a red cross had been drawn.
When Louis spoke, a strange light flashed through Alex's eyes. He looked at Louis in surprise and asked, "What? The Valley of the Buried Heart? I've never heard of it! Why has she gone there?"
"I don't know," Louis said. "But I'm sure it has something to do with the super soldiers. It might be very dangerous, because according to the information sent by our personnel, there may be hundreds of people there. This is a secret organization, and they may be involved in some mysterious events."
He gave Alex a meaningful look.
Alex merely nodded, realizing what Louis was talking about. "You think the super soldiers come from the Immortal Realm, don't you?"
Louis seemed to have seen Alex's doubts. He said straightforwardly, "Alex, you've dealt with these super soldiers. Why don't you tell us about your views and experience with them?"
"Why are you asking me?" Alex asked in surprise.
"Alex, you don't have to hide anymore," Louis said, smiling. "Tell us about it."
Alex understood immediately that his work in Philadelphia and Baltimore hadn't escaped the eyes of many people with a variety of motives.
"If you want to talk about experience, then I don't have that much to say," he said. "After all, I've only had one brief interaction with that super soldier, so I don't know whether the other side is strong or weak, and I don't have any other specific information."
He looked around at them. "But I do know one thing. The super soldiers can die. They're not invulnerable. I found a weak point in that soldier's heart."
Everyone gaped at him.
Louis cleared his throat. "Actually, Alex is right. None of them are indestructible. The super soldiers are afraid of death, and they all share one fatal weakness. The metal used to cast their spines isn't up to standard, or perhaps, the technology isn't advanced enough. As a result, their spines are very fragile, and a sudden impact is enough to fracture them."
He continued to share his combat experience with everyone in the room. As he had said, this wasn't the time to hide. Once there was a battle, there would be fatalities, so hiding information now would put lives at risk.
Alex was shocked as he listened to Louis' explanation. Where did all this technology come from? he wondered. Is there some civilization out there that I don't know about?
"Remember," Louis said, "when you go back to your teams, you must tell them everything you have learned here. The enemy is powerful, and we must not provoke them."
A young man stepped up beside him. He was in his mid-twenties and slightly taller than Alex. His expression was cold, his hair was short, and he was the epitome of a soldier.
Louis said, "Alex, to facilitate the operation, I plan to lead a separate team with you, and we should formulate our strategy together. What do you think?"
Alex didn't have any experience, so naturally, he wouldn't have any opinions. He nodded his head and said, "You can make the decisions."
"Go and prepare," Louis said to everyone. "Team leaders, remember to convey everything we have just discussed."
"Yes, sir!" The rest of them responded, including Sawyer. They left quickly, and then only Alex and Louis were left in the room.
"Our mission may not go smoothly," Louis said. "Have you settled everything at home?" He took out a cigarette and offered one to Alex.
Alex waved it away. "Where is this valley?" he asked.
"The Valley of the Buried Heart?" Louis asked. "Don't you know? I assumed that because you've created all these magical medicines, you would know all about it."
Alex frowned. Even though they had only been talking casually, Louis was starting to make him feel uncomfortable, so he changed the subject and asked, "When will we start?"
"As soon as the plane is ready," Louis said. "Go and get some rest. You'll need your energy."
Alex walked along the brightly lit corridor to the common area. Sawyer and the others were checking their weapons, and when Alex came in, they immediately stood up.
"Sit down," Alex said, waving his hand. He smiled and sat in a chair. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Sawyer said. "Why don't you rest, and I'll call you when we need to leave."
Alex nodded. "Thank you for all your hard work."
He picked up an automatic rifle, quickly removed all the parts of the gun, and skillfully wiped it. The speed at which he did it was amazing, and the others were surprised.
But for Alex, it wasn't fast at all. The skill of dismantling guns had already become instinct. Not just basic guns, either. He could dismantle even heavy weaponry almost without a thought.
The only reason he wasn't working at top speed was that he was still thinking about other things.
If Louis hadn't seen the super soldier with his own eyes, then he wouldn't have been able to describe his weaknesses so accurately. Clearly, he knew more than he was letting on, and Alex was suspicious that Louis might be working for the other side.