Dragon Zhan's teasing had some effect, making Clyde realize his current "junior" status, and he finally stopped fantasizing about lying on a hammock and sleeping.
He asked Diaz for an Ambien (sleeping pill), and, obediently, tied himself to a chair.
**22 hours later.**
**Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.**
The C17 transport plane carrying Dragon Zhan and his team crossed the entire Atlantic Ocean and finally reached its destination, landing at the capital's military airport.
After dropping off their luggage and having breakfast, the time had already reached 8 AM.
The mission was urgent, and immediate action was required.
The four-person intelligence team led by Mandy, the operations team under Eric's command, the elite combatants, and two new foreign agents—Dragon Zhan and Clyde—were all summoned to a warehouse temporarily converted into a command center.
Although this was a makeshift command center, it had all the necessary facilities.
Most notably, on the left side of the meeting room was a detailed two-story building model, about 1.5 meters tall, designed in an African style. The fine craftsmanship suggested it was expensive.
The basic situation had been disclosed before departure, and with everyone present, the meeting got straight to the point.
The intelligence team connected real-time drone surveillance footage to the LCD monitor at the front of the room. The clarity of the images was decent, but the Lionheart King's base was nowhere to be seen.
Various gray, black, and brown smoke-like gases had completely covered the base.
"These aren't clouds; they are smoke. The entire city is in a sea of flames, and this is clearly deliberate. The smoke prevents the drones from taking high-altitude shots," explained a male intelligence officer, responsible for monitoring this area.
His naturally curly black hair was distinctive.
"This is a major problem. If we can't confirm Samir's location, we can't proceed with the operation," Mandy said. Every mission required approval from higher-ups, and when she referred to "the top," she meant the CIA.
"Are you kidding me?" Jason suddenly stood up from his chair, glaring at the curly-haired agent with displeasure. "How come you didn't tell us about this earlier?"
"Two hours ago, we could still see shell craters through the smoke, but just one hour before you arrived, a lot of civilians in the town where the Lionheart King's base is located started setting fires. Now, even the soldiers at the base have joined in," the curly-haired officer explained helplessly.
Upon hearing this, Dragon Zhan couldn't help but privately marvel: "No high-tech weapons can shoot down a drone, so they resort to simple methods to disable today's high-tech. Even thermal imaging can't tell who's who. This Lionheart King really has some tricks up his sleeve."
The Lionheart King's use of basic methods to counteract high-tech made Dragon Zhan realize that the "brother" was also growing in strength.
Although Dragon Zhan knew the mission's plot, facing such a cunning general as the Lionheart King still posed significant risks.
To avoid failing the mission before even starting, it was essential to be cautious—extremely cautious.
At the same time, he began recalling the details from the TV series, trying to gather every possible clue to figure out how he could acquire Samir's gold.
Considering how much the CIA cared about this, the gold must be substantial.
Who knows, maybe it could even be a ticket to an immediate fortune!
Though a guaranteed $10 million was already on the table, trying to snatch something from the CIA's clutches could lead to disaster if not careful.
But…
Who doesn't want more money?
If Mandy's intel was accurate and Samir had been hoarding gold for the past 20 years, then it would definitely be worth the risk.
As for how to discreetly complete his own mission without disturbing others during the operation...
Dragon Zhan was already planning!
At that moment, Ray suddenly remembered something, stood up, and asked the curly-haired intelligence agent, "You said the Lionheart King's soldiers also joined in setting the fires?"
"Yes, a lot of rubber products were used, which is why the drones can't observe the area," the curly-haired agent replied.
This sparked an idea in Mandy's mind. She excitedly said, "That means the Lionheart King is setting up a cover for Samir in advance. Samir is likely to show up soon."
"That's not likely; it's a certainty," Jason said, his mood improving when he realized the situation wasn't as bad as he'd thought. He smiled confidently, placing his hands on his hips and speaking to Ray, "Since the drones are ineffective, how about we go in ourselves?"
"Go in person?"
Before Ray could answer, Mandy jumped in, her face tense with concern. "That's the Lionheart King's territory. You guys stand out too much compared to the locals. There's no way you'll get close to the target buildings. If your identities are exposed, not only will the mission fail, but your lives will also be at risk."
Mandy's concern was valid.
In a world of starving, emaciated Africans, Ray, a slim black man, wasn't too out of place. But Jason, Sonny, Dragon Zhan—these large, muscular, tall individuals—all looked anything but ordinary, whether they were white or Asian.
Walking in there would be like lighting up a 100-watt incandescent bulb in the dark.
Stay low-key!
"Clyde, I think before the mission, we could take a dip in some crude oil and try a 'quick-change to black' method. What do you think?" Dragon Zhan joked with Clyde.
Foreign agents weren't allowed to participate in the operational discussions, so Dragon Zhan decided to have some fun with Clyde.
"I'd rather not experience your 'blackening method.' If I had to choose, I'd prefer to face the Lionheart King's army head-on," Clyde replied with a grimace, clearly disgusted.
Dragon Zhan and Clyde exchanged some lighthearted banter, while the official members of Team B, under Jason's leadership, finalized their plan of action.
They drove a second-hand, severely chipped 8-seater van that Jason humorously called "Shirubi." All the windows were covered with cloth.
Each of them donned traditional local robes and headscarves. Once fully equipped, they set off after nightfall.
One had to admit, they certainly had guts.