"Since I'm already here, I can't exactly refuse, can I?"

Not at all worried about what kind of trap the old man might set up, Xu Fan smiled slightly and agreed without overthinking it.

"Xiaodie, the old man asked me to join him for a meal. You all should stay at the hotel for now."

God knows what the old man plans to discuss with him, but it's better to leave Xiaodie and the others behind regardless.

Xu Fan walked over to Xiaodie and instructed her in a sentence.

"Okay, remember to notify us if anything happens."

In front of outsiders, the girl gave Xu Fan a lot of face. She nodded and agreed without hesitation.

After giving his instructions, Xu Fan greeted Zhang Shicun and then left the hotel.

"Alright then, let's get going."

After getting into the car, Xu Fan decided to get straight to the point.

The invitation for a meal was just a courtesy. It would be better to get straight to the matter rather than beating around the bush at the dining table.

Just tell him directly what the issue is and why they sought him out.

"Well..."

Apparently not expecting Xu Fan to be so direct, Zhang Shicun looked somewhat awkward and glanced toward General.

"Alright, since he's so straightforward, there's no need to beat around the bush. Speak up."

The old man smiled slightly and gave the order.

Zhang Shicun nodded and looked at Xu Fan apologetically.

"Brother, to be honest, we came this time because we need your help with something."

Expecting this, Xu Fan wasn't surprised at all. He nodded and said, "Tell me what it is first. I'll think about it."

Considering Xu Fan as a brother but now seeking his help for other purposes, Zhang Shicun felt somewhat guilty.

He sighed and said, "It's hard to explain here. Let's go back to the military district, and you'll understand after watching the footage."

Seeing the worried expression on Zhang Shicun's face, Xu Fan couldn't help raising an eyebrow. It seemed that this group was really in trouble.

"Alright, take me there."

Feeling somewhat indebted to them, Xu Fan nodded and prepared to go and see the situation.

With that, the group drove toward the military district.

After speeding all the way, they quickly arrived at the military district.

Under Zhang Shicun's lead, Xu Fan and the others went directly to the conference room.

After Zhang Shicun gave instructions, it wasn't long before someone brought a USB drive.

Zhang Shicun took the USB drive. After receiving a nod from General, he looked at Xu Fan.

"Brother Xu Fan, this drive contains footage of our border patrol squad's encounters during their mission."

"Please take a close look at it later."

After a brief explanation, Zhang Shicun inserted the USB drive into the computer and began the playback.

Amid intense shouting, images gradually appeared on the dark screen.

The footage wasn't clear; in fact, because of the rapid movement, it was quite shaky.

But it was faintly visible that they had encountered a very formidable enemy, and the special forces team was in retreat.

The enemy was very powerful. Although the special forces team cooperated closely, they couldn't avoid casualties.

Like a brutal game of hunting, the special forces soldiers fell one by one as the footage progressed.

From beginning to end, the footage documented the tragic fate of these soldiers.

One soldier after another fell, but the identity of their assailant remained unknown.

As the screen gradually darkened, Zhang Shicun turned off the video and sighed deeply.

He knew every one of these soldiers by name and had shared many nights of drinking and laughter with them.

They had sacrificed their youth to protect Huaxia's borders.

And now, they had given their lives.

"How can I remain indifferent when my brothers, my comrades, die in vain?"

Zhang Shicun would not let this go easily.

"Seven days ago, the Thorn Squad disappeared while on border patrol. Twenty-four hours later, we sent a team to investigate. In total, ten..."

As Zhang Shicun reported the situation to Xu Fan, he began to choke up.

Even his fierce eyes reddened.

Xu Fan understood this emotion well.

To lose the brothers you once laughed and drank with, it's unbearable for anyone...

"Zhang Shicun, go on."

The old general broke the silence in the conference room with his deep voice, urging Zhang Shicun to continue.

Having experienced the loss of comrades throughout his life, even seeing them die before his eyes, he remained unyielding.

These countless experiences had not numbed his heart; rather, they made him more adept at handling such situations.

An enemy of Huaxia, no matter how far, will be punished!

This time, whoever attacked them would pay in blood!

"I'm sorry..."

Guided by the old general, Zhang Shicun gradually regained his composure.

He took a deep breath and then operated the remote control, displaying the photos of the special forces team on the big screen.

"The Thorn Squad consisted of sixteen members. According to the investigation, all sixteen are missing, with no survivors."

"Our investigation on the ground has also uncovered some clues..."

As Zhang Shicun elaborated on the details from the footage, Xu Fan's thoughts lingered on the image of a female soldier's face in the video.

The woman's face seemed familiar. He must have seen her somewhere before.

Furrowing his brow in thought, Xu Fan soon found the answer.

He also understood why Zhang Shicun was so heartbroken when he mentioned the numbers.

This time, he lost more than just his comrades...

If he remembered correctly, when he first arrived in Diannan, Zhang Shicun had invited him to his house in the military compound for a drink. At the time, the woman's photo was hanging on the wall.

In the photo, she was playfully posing with Zhang Shicun, smiling sweetly.

And Zhang Shicun's gaze toward her was filled with affection.

Although they weren't wearing wedding attire in the photo, their relationship was quite clear.

Considering the tragedy now befalling Zhang Shicun, one could easily imagine the helplessness in this strong man's heart.

Thinking of this, Xu Fan couldn't help but sigh.

By this time, Zhang Shicun's explanation was coming to an end.

His reddened eyes looked at Xu Fan with a resolute plea, and he spoke in a deep voice, "This is all the information our forces have gathered."

"Brother Xu Fan, we really need your help to come up with a plan."

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