Huo Shaoheng had been in the army for so many years. After making such a decision, he was already mentally prepared to give up everything.
However, he hadn’t expected that not only did General Ji not stop him, but he even strongly supported him in finding Nianzhi. What was even more unexpected was that he didn’t have to leave the army!
Even though Huo Shaoheng had always been calm and collected, he was shocked speechless at this moment.
He looked up at General Ji in disbelief.
General Ji patted him on the shoulder and sighed. “Now that things have come to this, I think it’s time to tell you something.”
The corners of Huo Shaoheng’s eyes twitched. “… I don’t understand.”
General Ji picked up the red phone in the study and dialed a few numbers. He then said to Huo Shaoheng, “Go to the standing committee’s small meeting room.”
This small meeting room had the same level of security as the central control room in the headquarter of Special Operation Forces’ encampment ground.
To a certain extent, it was even better than the central control room.
Because here, it was people who made important decisions, not machines.
Huo Shaoheng suppressed the doubts in his heart and followed General Ji to the standing committee’s small meeting room.
There were already six other standing committee members waiting there. There was also someone Huo Shaoheng had not expected — his mother, Song Jinning.
“Ms. Song, why are you here?” Huo Shaoheng frowned and looked at her, then at the standing committee member in the small meeting room.
The Huaxia Empire’s Military Supreme Council had a total of 15 standing committee members. However, among these 15 standing committee members, seven of them had higher security levels than the other eight. They belonged to the standing committee of the Standing Committee.
The empire’s highest secret was in the hands of these seven standing committee members.
Even his father, Huo Guanchen, one of the 15 standing committee members, wasn’t here. Therefore, when Song Jinning appeared here, it was an unexpected surprise to Huo Shaoheng.
Song Jinning was extremely beautiful, and she appeared much younger than she actually was.
However, her expression was very serious now. There was no sign of her usual relaxed and easygoing manner.
She also glanced at Huo Shaoheng and looked at General Ji inquisitively. “General Ji, what is the meaning of this? Is Shaoheng’s security level high enough?”
“I’ve discussed this with the other six members of the standing committee and decided to give him special permission.” General Ji nodded and reached out his hand. “Everyone, take a seat.”
Everyone in the room sat down at the round conference table.
There were seven members of the Standing Committee, plus Song Jinning and Huo Shaoheng. A total of nine people sat around the round table.
General Ji cleared his throat and was the first to speak.
“It’s like this. Shaoheng came to see me today and requested to be discharged from the army.”
Song Jinning turned to look at Huo Shaoheng in shock.
She knew that in her son’s heart, the interests of the country and the army were above everything else.
Why would he take the initiative to retire?
Huo Shaoheng sat upright in his chair. He knew that everyone was looking at him. His eyes were lowered and impassive.
General Ji added, “… Because he wants to find Gu Nianzhi.”
Song Jinning let out a long sigh. So that was how it was.
She sat next to Huo Shaoheng and quietly reached out to hold his hand tightly, as if to cheer him on.
Huo Shaoheng returned the handshake and expressed his gratitude.
Huo Shaoheng’s expression didn’t change as he quietly let go of Song Jinning’s hand.
General Ji glanced at the other members of the Standing Committee and then looked at Song Jinning. He said, “Of course I don’t agree to Shaoheng’s retirement. Besides, he’s going to look for Gu Nianzhi. This doesn’t conflict with his responsibilities.”
Huo Shaoheng: “? ? ?”
To him, he was looking for Gu Nianzhi because he loved her. It was his personal matter. How could it not conflict with his responsibilities?
Song Jinning met General Ji’s gaze and said, “So you all agree to let Shaoheng know about this?”
Everyone nodded in unison.
Song Jinning opened the laptop she had brought with her and connected it to the big screen in the small meeting room. “Then I’ll say it.”
Slightly puzzled, Huo Shaoheng’s gaze shifted to the big screen.
“Shaoheng, you know that the military cooperated with our Institute of High Energy Physics 17 years ago to conduct magnetic field experiments. Do you know what the purpose is?”
With the usual incisiveness and rigor of conducting experiments, Song Jinning looked at him seriously.
Huo Shaoheng thought about it for a moment and said, “For energy?”
Generally speaking, when people heard the concept of a high-energy magnetic field, they would think of a new type of energy source. It was efficient, environmentally friendly, renewable, and sustainable.
“Yes and no.” Song Jinning pointed the laser pen in her hand at the big screen, then said very calmly, “The new energy source is only a by-product of the high-energy magnetic field research. In fact, our laboratory and the military are collaborating to start the high-energy magnetic field experiment. The main purpose is to generate magnetic resonance and open a channel to parallel universe.”
“Parallel universe?!” Huo Shaoheng raised his head abruptly. His eyes were deep and wild, like a sleeping tiger suddenly awakened. “There really is a parallel space?! How did you think of starting this experiment? ! Who else knows about this secret experiment? What about Bai Jinyi? Does she know?!”
After all, Huo Shaoheng had gone through many years of professional training, and his sense of secrecy was deeply rooted in his bones.
When he heard the true purpose of the experiment, he immediately thought of the possibility of a leak.
Song Jinning was familiar with the content of the experiment, but she didn’t know the details of what Huo Shaoheng had asked.
Therefore, General Ji took over the topic and spoke with confidence.
“The start of this experiment was initially proposed by your uncle, colonel commandant Huo Guanyuan. At that time, he didn’t say where he got the information from, but now we know that it was Gu Xiangwen who contacted him and told him that two countries were already conducting high-energy magnetic field experiments in this area. These two countries are the United States and Japan.”
“Since they have already started this experiment, we can’t fall behind.”
“Due to well-known reasons, of the two countries, the United States was alright, but Japan was very threatening.
“If Japan finds the passage to the parallel space first, for our country, it may mean that we will face another tragic fate of being beaten if we fall behind
“And our country and nation can no longer withstand such a century of devastation.
“Therefore, after the military received the news, they sent many people to the United States and Japan to investigate. After losing dozens of elite field personnel, they finally found out that the information was indeed true.
“For example, there was a famous Japanese high-energy physicist, Ishihara Baisan, leading the magnetic field experiment, not to mention the United States. All of them are led by the physicist, Taishan Beidou.
“Under such circumstances, we decided to join the project. At that time, because this experiment was likely to determine the future of our country for the next hundred years, we classified it as a top-secret plan A.
“Among all the top-secret plans, this one was the best. It also stipulated that the person who knew the news must be a member of the Standing Committee of the Military Supreme Council, which was a group of seven, along with the liaison sent by the military to work with the Institute of High Energy Physics, which is your uncle, Huo Guanyuan, and the director of the Institute of High Energy Physics.
“In other words, the number of people who know the news will always be at most nine, not one more.
“The seven-person team is the standing committee of the standing committee. We are all permanent members, so there is no need to worry about leaks.
“The first liaison was Huo Guanyuan. He was the one who proposed the plan. Of course, we don’t have to worry about him leaking the secret.”
“At that time, Song Haichuan, the Director of the Insitute of High Energy Physics, was only told the truth after a strict examination.”
“We also set up a strict examination procedure to assess the second liaison and the second Director of the Insitute of High Energy Physics in the future.”
“Later, you also learned that the experiment failed. The magnetic resonance caused a huge amount of energy that couldn’t be controlled. In the end, it led to a huge explosion that almost flattened the entire experimental building
“Other than your mother, Song Jinning, all the experimental personnel, equipment, and records inside were lost.
“Later, your uncle, Huo Guanyuan, and the four soldiers, were blasted into pieces.
“Your mother’s brain was also affected by the explosion of the magnetic field. She went insane and lost a lot of her memories.
“Under such circumstances, we sealed the truth of the experiment
“Later, Bai Jinyi took over as Director of the Insitute of High Energy Physics. She didn’t pass our test, so we didn’t tell her the truth of the magnetic field experiment.
“She didn’t know what the magnetic field experiment was for, so she turned the experiment to using the high energy magnetic field experiment to research new energy sources.
“Later, your mother recovered from her illness and took over as Director of the Insitute of High Energy Physics. She found some experimental notes left by your grandfather, Song Haichuan, at home and asked us for confirmation.
“Only then did we restart our assessment of her.”
“Fortunately, Director Song passed our assessment, so the seven of us told her the truth of the experiment and declassified the top-secret plan A to her.”
“Director Song didn’t disappoint us. She really kept the secret. She didn’t even reveal the slightest bit of it to her own son, who was in great distress.”
General Ji sincerely praised Song Jinning’s ability to keep secrets.
Huo Shaoheng’s specialty was intelligence and confidentiality, so he didn’t have any resentment towards Song Jinning.
He was very clear on what was public and what was private.
Hearing this, Huo Shaoheng had some clues. He calmly asked, “… So all of this has something to do with Nianzhi’s disappearance?”
“I think you already understand. When I was reporting this discovery, I had already reported it to the seven-person team of the military’s Supreme Council Standing Committee.” Song Jinning spoke very frankly, “When I was examining the video of the Sanhuan Road intersection, I found traces of magnetic resonance.”
Huo Shaoheng’s pupils dilated.
The doubts in his heart were confirmed. His hands clenched and unclenched under the conference table, and his heart pounded.
General Ji nodded. “At that time, Director Song gave a separate report to the seven of us. She deduced that Gu Nianzhi must have been abducted and brought to the other side of the parallel space.”
