The generals froze in surprise. There was something odd about the tone—how could it sound so much like an order? All eyes turned toward Jin Shirong, wondering how he would react. What they saw left them speechless: Jin Shirong actually saluted, said nothing, and immediately turned around to leave with his subordinates.
Even Commander Song was silent, as were the rest of the room's occupants. Ever since they learned this woman, Xiao Liji, was the head of the Oriental Group, many of them had dismissed her as nothing more than a "flower vase"—a pretty face enjoying the spotlight inherited from her late husband, Shangguan Ming, who had been the real genius behind their technological advancements.
But now, they realized how terribly wrong they had been.
From Jin Shirong's reaction, it was clear this woman held a higher rank than him. As a Deputy Director of the National Security Bureau (NSB), Jin Shirong was answerable only to a handful of top leaders and—most notably—the Director of the NSB. And now it was undeniable: the rumors were true. The NSB's Director was, in fact, a woman.
Commander Song looked at Xiao Liji in shock. This woman… she's no ordinary person.
Xiao Liji, seemingly oblivious to everyone's stares, quietly returned to her seat. Her gaze fixated on the screen showing the dangerous, high-stakes race unfolding before them. Tears silently traced down her cheeks.
"Feng'er… don't blame Mom. Trust me, I'll save you. I will."
Seeing her silent yet determined figure, the generals in the room suddenly felt a lump in their throats. Jin Shirong's earlier words echoed in their minds, and they couldn't help but reflect on their own shortcomings. Could they, in her place, make the same cold, calculated decision to use their own child as bait to lure out the enemy? The answer was clear: no.
Commander Song looked at Xiao Liji, and for a moment, he was disoriented. Was it an illusion, or was her presence growing larger and larger in his eyes?
"Everyone, please sit down," Xiao Liji said softly, breaking the silence. "I won't say much. Aside from rooting out the traitor today, I've also called on you to ask for your help. My husband and I… we only have one child."
"Rest assured, Ms. Xiao!" Commander Song's hand slammed on the table as he stood up. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll make sure you're reunited with your son!"
Xiao Liji was stunned by Commander Song's enthusiasm but nodded softly in gratitude.
"Enough talk," she said. "If anyone has a plan, speak up now."
After some discussion, a middle-aged lieutenant general stood up. "I think the solution is simple. We deploy special forces stationed in Chongqing to send a helicopter and take them out with a rocket launcher. Problem solved."
Commander Song nodded, thinking this sounded reasonable. Just as he was about to commend the lieutenant general, he noticed Xiao Liji shaking her head with a bitter smile.
"What's wrong, Ms. Xiao?" he asked.
"You've forgotten who her son's opponent is," came a voice from the doorway.
Everyone turned to look and saw a young man standing there. Many of them didn't recognize him, and they were immediately puzzled. How could a mere junior officer—a second lieutenant, judging by his rank—be allowed into Zhongnanhai's senior conference room?
However, a few generals seemed to know him and nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing this, those who were about to scold the young man swallowed their words and turned to Commander Song, expecting him to respond.
And yet, to everyone's surprise, Commander Song showed no signs of anger. Instead, he looked astonished. "Jinfei, why are you here?"
The young man didn't respond. He walked quickly to Xiao Liji, snapped to attention, and saluted.
"Second Squad Member Song Jinfei of the National Security Bureau, reporting as ordered by my captain to meet the Director!"
Director? So it was true—she was the head of the NSB.
By now, everyone in the room was too numb to feel shocked anymore. They had already learned too much tonight.
But Commander Song was visibly stunned. "Jinfei, you're in the NSB?"
Xiao Liji stood up and returned Song Jinfei's salute, her expression calm yet questioning. "Commander Song, you know him?"
Commander Song gave an awkward chuckle. "He's my son. But he's always been a troublemaker, so I sent him to the military to straighten him out. I had no idea he'd end up in the NSB…"
The generals burst into laughter. For a man of Commander Song's stature—a full general—to not know where his own son was, it was a source of much amusement.
"Commander, I wasn't being a troublemaker. I was carving out my own path," Song Jinfei said with a smirk.
"Ha! Commander Song, I've seen Jinfei's records," Jin Shirong interjected as he re-entered the room. "When you said he was a troublemaker, I assume you were referring to his racing? Well, did you know that in the underground racing world, he's known as 'The God of Racing'? If even a racing god is considered a troublemaker, I'd say you've wronged him. That's actually why I recruited him into the NSB. Though I didn't realize he was your son at the time. If I'd known, I might've thought twice about it."
Commander Song rolled his eyes at Jin Shirong but didn't respond. After all, joining the NSB wasn't shameful—it was an honor. In fact, when the NSB was first established, Song himself had wanted to join but was unable to due to his responsibilities in the military. Now it seemed his son had fulfilled that dream for him.
"We'll talk about this when we get home," Commander Song said, waving off the banter. "For now, explain what you meant earlier."
"Yes, sir!" Song Jinfei snapped to attention before stepping forward and pointing at the screen. "The person in that car is Shinohara Kenrei, the younger brother and right-hand man of Shinohara Kenshi, the current leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi."
"So what?" one general scoffed. "A single rocket will take him out."
Song Jinfei shook his head. "Don't forget, there are two cars involved here. One rocket won't be enough. And that's not the main issue. Intelligence suggests there are four operatives in total. Earlier, the young master—uh, Feng'er—managed to take out one, which means there are three left. But here's the problem: where is the fourth person?
"Right now, we could potentially eliminate Shinohara Kenrei and the other pursuer. But if we do, we risk exposing the young master to an ambush by the fourth operative, who's likely lying in wait up ahead. The Yamaguchi-gumi wouldn't be foolish enough to operate without contingency plans."
The room fell silent as everyone processed his words.
Commander Song asked, "So your point is that Feng'er's life isn't in immediate danger yet because they haven't seen us?"
"Exactly," Song Jinfei replied. "As long as we remain hidden, they'll avoid taking extreme action. These guys would want leverage against us. Killing Feng'er outright would ruin their bargaining chip. But if we interfere now, they might be forced to take desperate measures."
Commander Song turned to Xiao Liji, who was silently weeping. "Jinfei, do you have a plan?"
Song Jinfei hesitated. "To be honest… no."
"Then… is Feng'er truly at a dead end?" Xiao Liji asked, her voice trembling as she stood.
Song Jinfei clenched his jaw and nodded slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know."