Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“So soon?” Even though he had expected it, when the real situation presented itself, General Ji still couldn’t accept it.
He took the Internal Control Report and began reading.
Huo Shaoheng remained silent and poured himself a cup of tea. He sipped on it slowly, waiting for General Ji’s reaction.
After a good while, General Ji massaged the wrinkles between his brows.
“This is indeed severe. We have already discussed the possibilities of this during the meeting today. However, you can’t just quit like that, can you? You were the founder of this Special Forces. Could you really bring yourself to leave the place?” General Ji sighed wearily.
“Shaoheng, you’re already a Major General. You know that you cannot throw in the towel like this.”
“General Ji, I’m merely stating a fact, and I never intended to pick a fight.” Huo Shaoheng smiled as he shook his head. “I’m used to expecting the worst situation before planning all our possible attacks, and observing our opponents’ reactions, before coming up with a strategy.”
“You’re really not giving up?” General Ji looked over at Huo Shaoheng above his reading glasses. “Regarding Xu Piaohong, it’s my fault. I’ll bear the consequences, and have already done a reflection report at the meeting. I will also apologize personally to you.”
“There’s no need for that, ” Standing up, Huo Shaoheng continued, “We’re talking about work matters, General Ji, so even though Xu Piaohong’s has incident indeed caused me a lot of trouble, it has nothing to do with you.”
General Ji looked at Huo Shaoheng gratefully. “I’m truly thankful that you’re not angry with me because of this, but the fact remains that I was in the wrong for this incident regarding the Xu’s. I shouldn’t have let her know such information before checking on her family background and character thoroughly.”
Huo Shaoheng made no comment. He looked straight ahead, expressionless.
“The organization is extremely concerned about your marriage. They’ll be much stricter henceforth. You have to be prepared.”
Huo Shaoheng finally broke the silence:
“I hope that, due to the nature of my work, the organization is able to let me have the option to select my life partner.”
What Huo Shaoheng actually meant was that he did not trust them to make a decision for him.
Before, General Ji would have demanded that Huo Shaoheng listen to their arrangement. He used to insist that the organization would make the best choice for him.
However, after something like this, he had no choice but to consider Huo Shaoheng’s suggestion.
“Do you have someone in mind already?” General Ji took off his glasses and continued to look at Huo Shaoheng. “Let me tell you. We have to think twice, or even thrice, when it’s regarding some people. This will affect how you advance in the military.”
“General Ji, I don’t see how my personal life will affect my career progression.” Huo Shaoheng knew that he did not have solid proof to convince General Ji as of now, so he did not continue. Instead, he switched the topic easily to work.
Taking a step back, he dimmed the lights in the meeting room with a remote, and down came a screen from the wall across from them. It displayed information on intelligence agencies of different countries.
Sitting beside General Ji, Huo Shaoheng began to explain. “Our Special Forces is a special department within a special department. The members of the Force were kept as top secret.”
“Compared to the CIA in America, the Military Intelligence in Britain, Israel’s Mossad, and Russia’s Federal Security Service, our Special Forces are much more advanced. Our country has never admitted to its existence in public.”
Nodding, General Ji agreed. “But your achievements were all remembered by the country and its people. For the benefit of our country, the members of our Special Forces are scattered all over the world, and they’ve all performed exceptionally well. However, their achievements were only recorded by the Army’s Supreme council, and showcased in the hall of honor for the Special Forces.”
“Yes, precisely. However, due to Xu Piaohong’s recklessness, our cover almost got fully blown.” There was a hint of aggressiveness in Huo Shaoheng’s voice.
General Ji breathed a sigh of relief. This was the Huo Shaoheng he knew. He had been uncomfortable with the calm and collected Huo Shaoheng. This hint of anger in his voice fit the current situation.
He understood how Huo Shaoheng felt. The head of Special Forces, which was supposed to have been the most confidential position, had been publicly exposed just like that. General Ji’s efforts all these years had gone down the drain in a moment.
“Shaoheng, I understand, but you cannot quit just like that, and more importantly, you cannot leave the Special Forces.” General Ji pat him on the arm. “You’re the only one I trust. After the meeting with the Army’s Supreme Council today, everyone agreed that you’re the only one they trust as well.”
The Special Forces, as an organization, was far too important. The person leading it had to have extensive knowledge and confidence in technology, combat and battle tactics, and commanding people.
As of now, the only person who could qualify for all these criteria for the Special Forces, with a character that was trustworthy enough for all the seniors in the Supreme council, was only Huo Shaoheng.
Moreover, due to the fact that at the age of 30 years old, he was considered the youngest Major General, the seniors had no intention replacing him at all. They all believed that Huo Shaoheng would be the one to train the person who would be taking over this position when it was time.
No one had expected Xu Piaohong to be so reckless. Not only had she put Huo Shaoheng in a dilemma, she had also messed up the pace of the Army’s Supreme Council. There was no way they wouldn’t be furious about this.
And General Ji, who was at the forefront of the entire episode, was under the limelight; there was no peace for him as well.
Thankfully, Huo Shaoheng was the man who General Ji had groomed personally from the beginning. He felt more emotionally close to him than with most others; he would never allow him to quit.
“General Ji, I think you understand the severity of this incident. Maybe they’re still unable to confirm my identity, but after receiving such an important lead, they’re bound to confirm it…in person. Therefore, I can do a mockup of what might happen subsequently for General Ji, ” Huo Shaoheng said, pointing at the information on the screen.
Picking up the remote again, he changed the screen for General Ji.
“If I were in their shoes, trying to find out who was the head of the Special Forces using this as my lead, I would do this.” Huo Shaoheng pressed a couple of buttons, and several options appeared on the screen.
“First, I’ll get people to get near Xu Piaohong. Get first hand information out of her through our conversations. Anyone who watched the video could easily do that.”
What he actually meant though was that Xu Piaohong had a big mouth and no brains, so it would be easy to get information out of her.
General Ji looked at Huo Shaoheng out of the corner of his eyes and realized that he was really getting old; his heart actually wrenched upon knowing the sentence Huo Shaoheng had in mind for Xu Piaohong.
Nodding towards General Ji, Huo Shaoheng continued: “Second, I would try to get people to enter the Special Forces. I cannot confirm that there are no spies within us, but I can assure you that for the departments that are really important, no spies from other countries will be able to enter.”
General Ji clenched his fists and frowned. “Really? That’s not good.” He raised his hand and got Huo Shaoheng to pause his presentation. “Stop for a bit. I’ll get people to settle the issue.”
Huo Shaoheng pressed on the pause button and the lights in the meeting room brightened.
General Ji wanted to make a phone call, but realized that there was no reception when he took his phone out. He looked at Huo Shaoheng in bewilderment.
“You forgot that the army had a new rule the year before? No phones are to be allowed in meetings.”
“I remember, but are we having a meeting really?” General Ji chuckled. “Forget it, I’m just fighting a losing battle trying to debate with you. You have an intercom here, don’t you?”
Landlines could still be used even though mobile phones couldn’t.
“Yes, over here.” Huo Shaoheng handed the landline to General Ji.
With Huo Shaoheng around, General Ji called his personal secretary and said, “Get someone to apply for an immediate order of arrest for Xu Piaohong, and lock her up alone. No one is allowed to visit her until this case is over. Deputy Chief of Staff Xu and his wife must be quarantined as well. They can remain at home, but they’re not able to leave from there. Anyone who wishes to get in contact with the Xu family must be brought to the Special Forces and dealt with accordingly.”
Hanging up the phone, General Ji turned to Huo Shaoheng. “The Xu family has been taken care of. Xu Piaohong will be arrested according to the law, and her parents will be quarantined. Once you’re done with your end of things, you’ll be able to apply for the case of Xu Piaohong leaking confidential information. Deputy Chief of Staff Xu will also have to have a change in his job position.”
Huo Shaoheng did not respond. These human resource issues in the organization were not up to him to decide on. He had no authority to and did not feel like commenting on things like these.
“And…” General Ji turned to him and said, “The Army’s Supreme Council also decided to promote you to the Vice Secretary of the Army’s Supreme Council, which is my formal right hand man.”
This position had been to prepare the candidate to be the Chairman of the Army’s Supreme Council. General Ji himself had been promoted to his current position from this very one.
Huo Shaoheng was in shock. He had not expected General Ji to have promoted him this quickly.
“We will be announcing your abdication of the position as the head of the Special Forces very soon,” General Ji continued. “But that’s just a façade: it is only a show for the public. In actual fact, you’re still the head of the Special Forces, but your establishment is now here.”
