Huo Shaoheng, decorated commander of an elite special forces unit, was thousands of miles away from City C. A month ago, he had vanished on a covert operation, leaving strict instructions and a single, secure number in Chen Lie's trembling hands—"Only use it if her life hangs in the balance." Tonight, Chen had no choice.
Chen's fingers shook as he punched in the four-digit emergency code, dread heavy in his chest. Nianzhi lay curled on the couch, skin fevered, breathing uneven and shallow.
Across the country, Huo stood outside the Federal Senate chambers, cigarette smoldering between gloved fingers. His tailored navy uniform, sharp with gold epaulettes, accentuated his towering, intimidating figure. At 6'3", his presence alone commanded silence, his icy gaze daring anyone to approach.
The discreet buzz in his earpiece sliced through the quiet—only one person had access to this frequency.
"Speak," Huo commanded sharply, voice devoid of warmth.
"Commander, it's Nianzhi," Chen's voice shook, panic clear even through the static. "She was drugged—Blissfire. I can't stabilize her condition."
A desperate, fragile voice cut in, slicing straight through Huo's icy composure. "Commander Huo…" Nianzhi's faint plea sent a pulse of unease surging through him.
Huo crushed the cigarette, grinding the ember ruthlessly beneath his boot. "Administer a strong sedative. Restrain her immediately."
"I've tried! She's resistant—going through everything!"
"Then move her to the military base hospital," Huo ordered sharply, ending the call. His jaw tightened as he turned towards the Senate chamber doors, now swinging open.
"General Huo, you're needed inside," a nervous staffer gestured hastily.
Inside, senators waited impatiently as Huo stepped confidently to the podium. Behind him, holographic screens projected strategic maps illuminating proposed military expansions.
"The Sixth Division isn't merely a proposal," he began, voice strong and unyielding. "It's our essential response to threats that current divisions are unprepared to handle."
A senator snorted skeptically. "We already have five divisions—why add another?"
"Because our enemies won't wait for us to catch up," Huo responded coldly, eyes flashing dangerously. "Adaptation isn't optional—it's survival."
Debate erupted around him, but his focus flickered momentarily to Nianzhi, bound in Chen's jeep, speeding toward safety. His fists clenched at his sides. Failure wasn't an option—not tonight.
Outside the chamber, his trusted aide Fan Jian stood at attention. "Commander, the Shadowhawk is ready for departure," he reported crisply.
"Prepare immediate takeoff once this spectacle ends," Huo commanded quietly, determined eyes already fixed beyond the immediate chaos, toward the girl who needed him most.