Chapter 330: Chapter 330 No Escape
"You suspect it’s..."
"First, I suspect that Duanmu Qingsuang isn’t dead. Duanmu Qingsuang doesn’t seem like the kind of overlord who would be destroyed along with his schemes. Moreover, Mr. Ming, have you noticed that although the Duanmu Family was annihilated, Lv Fengchi seems to have been unaffected? She had the protection of the Lv Family and apparently took a large amount of assets back to the Lv Family. On the day that Duanmu Qingsuang self-immolated, knowing full well he was certain to die, why would he set himself on fire?
Second, Mu Qiaoli had nothing to do with Duanmu Qingsuang for over twenty years. Everyone might know about that billion in funds, but Mu Qiaoli may not necessarily be aware of it. And during this sensitive period, the billion in funds that hadn’t moved in twelve years suddenly made its way to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. Don’t you think the timing is too coincidental?"
"Are you saying Duanmu Qingsuang has already reached the Kingdom of Ice and Snow?"
"Possibly."
"Impossible!" Ming Baiye said decisively. "With the current situation in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, they have almost been abandoned by the entire world. There are only three countries maintaining contact with the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. Moreover, recently there has been an increase in checkpoint inspections at national borders. It wouldn’t be so easy for Duanmu Qingsuang to leave Jade Country, and it certainly wouldn’t be easy for him to arrive in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow."
"Given Duanmu Qingsuang’s status and strength, slipping away from Jade Country unnoticed wouldn’t be very difficult," Wang Lan said gravely. "When I was still in Suzhou City, my guide and superior, Wang Qianfeng, once said to me that we shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking we can stop spies from the Demon Clan from infiltrating. No matter how tight our defenses, they always find a way to sneak in. If they couldn’t, they wouldn’t be fit to be spies lurking within our ranks. Likewise, no matter how vigilant our border checkpoints are, don’t expect to stop someone like Duanmu Qingsuang. If we did, then he wouldn’t be Duanmu Qingsuang."
"Alright, I’ll make a call to the embassy in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow."
Ming Baiye immediately picked up the phone, searched the intelligence network for the embassy number in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, and dialed through.
"Hello, this is the Action Department of the Tianjian Bureau in Modu City. I’d like to inquire about something. Today, a billion in funds was transferred to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow from Modu City. Can you check the identity of the recipient of that transaction for me? Also, could you check if there have been any Jade Country people or individuals with an Eastern appearance who have arrived in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow within the last week? Thank you!"
After a wait of less than half an hour, the other end called back.
"Hello, Senior Colonel Ming. The investigation result for that billion-dollar transaction is out; the recipient is someone named Yi Xianxing. However, this Yi Xianxing is not among the registered Jade Country nationals in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. This account was only registered last year. Second, given the current situation in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, there haven’t been any people entering the country for nearly a month. There have been no entries via airplane, passenger transport, or cruise ship."
"Alright, thank you," said Ming Baiye, giving Wang Lan a look as if to say, "See?"
"Wait, hello, Ambassador. Are there any plans for visits to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow recently? Including any on an international scale?"
"Yes, there are. Since the beginning of this year, the Kingdom of Ice and Snow has been continuously requesting aid from the United Nations, and Jade Country has accepted their request for assistance. There will be an aid inspection team arriving in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow tomorrow morning to conduct surveys. Right, this inspection team seems to be organized by your Modu City Star Martial Academy."
"Arriving in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow tomorrow morning? Then their departure time would be..."
"According to our local time, it should be this afternoon."
Wang Lan quickly took out his mobile phone to browse through the academy’s data, and sure enough, he soon found a notification about the school’s inspection trip to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. The Kingdom of Ice and Snow had been almost destroyed by Exotic Beasts in the past fifteen years. All the Exotic Beasts in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow are Poisonous Beasts. Consequently, they pose a great threat to Star Martial Warriors from various countries, and not many nations are willing to take such a risk to help them. If the Star Martial Academy in Modu City hadn’t developed the Star Martial Toxins Vaccine technology, Jade Country wouldn’t have arranged for an inspection team to go there. This inspection team is led by Vice President Nangong Meng of the Modu City Star Martial Academy. Their main objectives are to investigate the situation in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow and the types of Poisonous Beasts. They will also attempt to bring back samples of Star Martial Toxins to produce vaccines for support. From what the school’s announcement indicated, this inspection embodied the great spirit of internationalism, selflessly aiding the weaker Kingdom of Ice and Snow.
Yet, all of this happening at this specific time helped Wang Lan connect the dots, revealing a comprehensive plan.
"As the saying goes, the grain must arrive before the troops do; hence Mu Qiaoli’s billion first went to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. I suspect that Duanmu Qingsuang might very well be hidden within this inspection team."
With the analysis reaching this point, Ming Baiye fully understood. He quickly stood up and phoned Modu Qiaohong Airport. "Hello, is this Modu Qiaohong Airport? I am Ming Baiye, the director of the Tianjian Bureau’s Action Department. Could you tell me if the charter flight from the Modu City Star Martial Academy to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow has taken off?"
"Two more hours until it takes off? That’s great. I’d ask for your cooperation to prevent the charter from leaving before we arrive. Also, do not disclose any information about the Tianjian Bureau’s involvement to avoid startling the snake. You should understand such matters. Alright, thank you for your trouble."
After hanging up the phone, there was a look of excitement on Ming Baiye’s face. "We might catch a big fish this time."
"Old Ming," Chen couldn’t help but say, "how about assigning this mission to our Intelligence Department? The Action Department has really been working hard lately, and it troubles me to see the lads running around so busy. How about this, your big brother here will take over for you, and please, don’t thank me—we’re comrades, it’s only right."
"I’ll thank your grandma! Old Chen, I never thought you could be so shameless," Ming Baiye retorted.
"How is this being shameless?" Chen responded. "I’m just considering how hard the Action Department has been working lately and that they really deserve to rest. Besides, the Intelligence Department has been conserving strength and keeping idle recently."
"No, please, don’t worry about us. The brothers told me they don’t mind the hard work. Our Action Department’s ideological awareness has always been top-notch, and our motto is, as long as we’re not dead, we work to the bone. Wang Lan, don’t bother with that shameless guy; let’s go."
Wang Lan gave a simple acknowledgment and followed Ming Baiye out of the office.
"Action Squad One, assemble—Independent Action Teams A and S, assemble—"
In less than five minutes, a hundred-member action squad and two independent action teams had gathered at the assembly point. Yang Yang looked at Wang Lan, who was following Ming Baiye, and clicked his tongue.
I think the captain has made another major discovery, why can’t he ever rest? We’ve just taken down the Duanmu Family, and now this?
"Team Leader Yang, that just rolled off your tongue, didn’t it? Have you forgotten that *you’re* the team leader?"
"Uh..."
Five off-road vehicles and two transport trucks majestically left the Tianjian Bureau and headed for Modu Qiaohong Airport.
Modu Qiaohong Airport is located northeast of Modu City, about seventy kilometers from the city center. Although it is said to be part of Modu City, it is actually on the very outskirts. The airport covers a vast area and from a bird’s-eye view is almost the size of a county town. It is also the sixth-largest international airport in the world, with seventy-two runways and over five thousand passenger flights a day.
In the waiting hall of Modu Qiaohong Airport, the twenty-seven members of the inspection team led by Dean Nangong had been waiting in the departure lounge for half an hour.
"Mr. Zhang, since we’re taking a chartered flight, we don’t need to stick strictly to the takeoff schedule, right? Wasn’t it immediate departure once everyone was here in the past? And what was that earlier about a flight path conflict? I looked just now; there’s only one flight path to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, and there aren’t any other flights, so how could there be a conflict?"
"I apologize, Dean Nangong. I wasn’t clear earlier. Aside from the earlier route conflict, there was also an issue discovered during the plane’s self-check. Our technicians are urgently fixing it, and I am deeply sorry for the valuable time this has cost you. Please forgive us."
"An issue with the plane? If I remember correctly, the charter request was submitted last week, wasn’t it?"
"Yes, there were no problems with the aircraft yesterday. It’s just that there was a sudden alarm earlier. Don’t worry, it’s not a major issue; otherwise, it wouldn’t be a simple, last-minute alarm. Please understand."
"So, that means we can’t depart early, and our flight might even be delayed."
"I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you."
"Alright, enough!" Vice President Nangong Meng said, waving his hand in irritation. "Make it quick."
As Nangong Meng lit a cigarette in the private boarding lounge and read the newspaper, the five Tianjian Bureau vehicles silently entered Modu Qiaohong Airport.
"Immediately isolate the airport passengers, and please, make sure to move them to the standby runway without arousing their suspicion."
"Understood!"
"Dean Nangong, the maintenance of the aircraft is now OK, please follow us," said two flight attendants as they led the way. Dean Nangong’s inspection team stood up and followed, carrying their hand luggage.
As they walked, an old scholar suddenly frowned. "Wait, I remember the boarding passage isn’t this way?"
"Good day, sir. The gate we’re heading to is at Runway 5," they replied.
"Runway 5? Isn’t that the standby runway?"
"Yes, that’s just a colloquial term. As of last Friday, Runway 5 was designated as a dedicated runway for private jets. Since their departures and landings are quite flexible, they were given a separate runway."
As the people filed out of the passage, they saw five empty runways—with not a trace of their private plane in sight.
In front of them, Ming Baiye, Wang Lan, and the two independent action teams stood lined up, as the hundred-member action squad suddenly appeared, encircling the twenty-seven members of the inspection team.
All of them looked baffled at the scene before them, except Dean Nangong, whose eyes were fixed on Wang Lan, his expression souring instantly.
"Tianjian Bureau, what is the meaning of this?"
"Please excuse us, Dean Nangong. We suspect that there is a dangerous fugitive wanted by Jade Country hiding among your inspection team, which is why we had to resort to this measure."
"Nonsense! Everyone in the inspection team is a highly respected scientist. We’re about to travel to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow for a field inspection. This is absurd! Who are you accusing of being a fugitive? Me, or these esteemed individuals behind me?"
"Dean Nangong, rest assured, we’re just delaying everyone slightly. We only need to take a small blood sample. After all, Star Martial Warriors might be able to transform and disguise themselves, but they can’t fake DNA. It won’t take long, just ten minutes for the results. Please line up for a quick blood test."
With that said, the side doors of the nearby off-road vehicles opened, and two medical personnel dressed in white lab coats were already waiting inside.
"Alright, fine. I’ll go first," said Nangong Meng without much thought, stepping forward towards the off-road vehicle.
BOOM—
Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke erupted, covering a three-hundred-meter radius before anyone had time to react.