Speaking Properly Has Prerequisites

The command post for the joint operation was set up in a large tent at the very center of the camp. With electronic equipment filling nearly half the space, it carried a distinct air of modernity and high-tech sophistication. If one ignored the fact that seventy percent of the gear bore "Made in China" labels, the scene might have actually succeeded in overturning the stereotypical image of Soviet-style military camps being nothing more than crude, hulking masses of iron.

A section of the tent had been cleared to serve as a makeshift conference area, where Xiang Qian stood at the center, surrounded by a dozen officers who treated him like the moon among stars.

"Distinguished gentlemen..." Xiang Qian swept his gaze across the room, noting the few female officers present, including the Weather Witch. "...and ladies, it is a pleasure to work with you all. I even see a few familiar faces here, people who have had excellent collaborations with my company in the past."

Xiang Qian spoke fluently in Russian, his tone smooth and engaging: "I learned on my way here that under your command, the Joint Counter-Terrorism Force has just concluded a successful operation. You've cleared the chaos along the border with Afghanistan and driven a pack of terrorists into their tunnels, where they haven't dared to show their heads since..."

Vector stood on the periphery of the crowd, listening as Xiang Qian used highly artistic, euphemistic language to describe the current stalemate. She couldn't help but click her tongue in secret.

Watching a group of straight-laced soldiers being charmed into high spirits by a few well-chosen words, Vector couldn't resist whispering to the Weather Witch beside her: "It's not like this guy doesn't know how to talk properly. Why is he such a living hedgehog whenever he's at the Bureau?"

"If you could make billions by saying a few nice words, wouldn't you?" the Weather Witch sneered. "If you want to hear this billionaire-to-be say something pleasant, the price tag isn't cheap."

Vector was left speechless, while Saber, standing nearby, couldn't help but scoff: "How much is the total annual military budget of these Central Asian countries combined? I'm afraid our technical consultant is counting his chickens before they hatch."

"You really think he's stupid? He doesn't care about this pittance of a military budget." The Weather Witch shot Saber a cold look and tilted her chin toward the edge of the crowd. "See that Russian observer over there? He looks unassuming, but he's actually a confidant of the Russian President, responsible for military equipment procurement at the Russian Ministry of Defense."

It was the first time Vector had seen her superior and a senior agent gossiping behind someone's back. Bewildered, she couldn't help but interject: "But, aren't the Russians supposed to be broke?"

"The Russians are poor, but they have a massive stockpile of assets left over from before the breakup. I'm afraid our consultant is eyeing something good of theirs again," Saber said with disdain. "A textbook profiteer."

Vector curiously studied Saber's indignant expression. After thinking it over, she couldn't help but ask: "Saber, why do I get the feeling you particularly dislike Consultant Xiang?"

Saber glared at her and countered: "How many people in our Bureau don't dislike that guy?"

Saber's answer dodged the question entirely. Failing to get a straight reply, Vector turned her gaze toward her captain for help. The Weather Witch, however, couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, her clear, cold face thawing instantly: "Don't mind them; that's their personal grudge."

"Huh?" Vector was even more curious, while Saber let out an even more dissatisfied huff.

"Xiang Qian's laboratory has many joint research projects with our Bureau, including combat equipment—the two sabers you see Saber carrying were designed and manufactured with the help of Xiang Qian's laboratory."

"Isn't that a good thing? Everyone says the Five Elements Laboratory is the strongest research facility in the country, and it ranks among the best in the world," Vector whispered.

The smile on the Weather Witch's face deepened: "It's good, but they have a habit of being arrogant because of their status. Back then, as the end-user, Saber offered quite a few suggestions on the design plans right to Xiang Qian's face..."

"And then?" Vector caught on; this so-called "personal grudge" likely stemmed from those very suggestions.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened next, only that when Saber came out of the lab and returned to base, he couldn't eat a single bite for an entire day." The Weather Witch looked at Saber with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Actually, I've always been curious about what happened that day. Why is it that no matter who asks you in the team, you never say a word?"

"He was just an arrogant, foul-mouthed brat who didn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. I don't care to talk about him." Saber's face was obscured by his tactical mask, making his expression unreadable, but Vector clearly saw a vein throbbing on his temple. Thinking back to Xiang Qian's "living hedgehog" persona, she guessed that whatever happened must have left a significant shadow on Saber.

However, mere speculation wasn't enough to satisfy Vector's curiosity: "Then later, Saber, why did you end up using the sabers designed by the Five Elements Laboratory anyway?"

As soon as the words left her lips, Saber turned and walked away without a sound.

The Weather Witch sighed in silence and gave Vector's forehead a sharp flick: "You, don't you ever say that in front of Saber again."

"Oh." Vector shrank her neck, guiltily avoiding her captain's gaze, and turned to look at Xiang Qian in the crowd. To be able to slap someone in the face and still make a firecracker like Saber swallow his rage—not many people could pull that off.

Xiang Qian, still in the crowd, finished his string of empty, flowery rhetoric and finally moved to the point: "How to destroy and clear deep underground tunnel fortifications is a global challenge. During World War II, the tunnels extensively used by the Chinese behind enemy lines were a successful example of utilizing underground works to annihilate the enemy."

By dragging the Americans out to "whip the corpse" of their past failures, he made the officers present feel much better. If the world's number one military power looked pathetic against tunnel fortifications, then being held up for ten or twenty hours didn't seem so shameful after all. This young man certainly knew how to talk; no wonder he had achieved such success at such a young age.

Xiang Qian's performance continued: "However, starting today, tunnel fortifications will no longer be a problem."

As his confident declaration fell, a 3D topographic map of the surrounding area was projected onto the screen on the wall, quickly zooming in on a specific mountainous region. Every officer present recognized it as the location of the Ten Rings militants' underground hideout—the very problem that had stumped the joint force for over a dozen hours.

"With current modern weaponry, striking underground fortifications is not impossible. The most advanced bunker-busters can penetrate 180 meters underground, and even against solid granite, the effective penetration depth is up to 40 meters. The greatest difficulty in striking underground works actually lies in confirming the target's location."

As Xiang Qian operated his tablet, the map on the screen began to change. Irregular lines appeared, winding and twisting like a child's doodle, but as the lines continued to extend and multiply, the officers began to grow excited.

Many started whispering to one another, the noise rising until someone finally couldn't help but voice the common suspicion: "Mr. Xiang, are those the maps of the underground tunnels?"

"Obviously!" Xiang Qian tapped his tablet firmly, completing the final survey of the electronic map. The 3D model of the underground cave system appeared in full detail. "This is the latest achievement of the Five Elements Laboratory. A drone equipped with the newest Microwave Deep-Earth Penetrating Radar is currently circling above us. It has an effective detection depth of over 200 meters and is paired with an Intelligent Graphic Generation System. To put it immodestly, this is another successful innovation and leap forward in radar technology."

"Ladies and gentlemen, from this moment on, those 'ground rats' have no more secrets from you. Clearing out the militants in the underground works will become simpler than a game of Whac-A-Mole." Xiang Qian strolled casually to the screen, pointing at several spots. "Even a layman in military command like me can see that these dead-end paths, less than half a meter from the surface, must be the secret exits the militants have hidden. They use these exits to launch their surprise attacks."

Xiang Qian boasted about the precision of the radar mapping with a nonchalant attitude.

"Oh, the most interesting part should be here." Xiang Qian pointed at the screen. "This section, which is the deepest and relatively most spacious part of the cave—if this isn't their core activity area, then it only proves they aren't very professional."

The officers could no longer sit still; they all crowded around the screen in excitement. Fighting a battle where you could see the enemy's entire position clearly—how was that any different from an open-book exam for students?

Xiang Qian looked at the officers, who had regained their confidence, and spread his hands with a smile: "Well, shall we send in a strike team to clear it out, or should we simply drop a bunker-buster into their core area? That is for you to decide. From now on, this is a stage for soldiers once again."

The command post erupted into a flurry of noise.

"Mr. Xiang, does your drone have offensive capabilities?"

"Of course. It was originally modified from an integrated reconnaissance and strike drone, and we have retained most of the weapon hardpoints."

"How is the compatibility of the onboard electronic systems?"

"Rest assured, the electronic control system retains fully open ports and can be integrated into any battlefield command system without any obstacles."

"Why not just mount bunker-busting weapons on the drone? If we did that, we could be opening vodka to celebrate in a minute."

"Time is too tight. The drone took off from within our country, and your aviation regulations do not allow us to fly through your airspace with weapons mounted."

"This is a delay of military opportunity! I'm going to have them sent to a military tribunal."

"Uh... while the procedure is indeed a bit rigid, could I perhaps put in a good word for your aviation department?"

"Hahahaha, Mr. Xiang, you really are a great friend..."

Watching Xiang Qian navigate the situation with grace and ease amidst the praise of the officers, the Weather Witch remained expressionless, while a new light of admiration flickered in Vector's eyes.

Saber, who had retreated outside the tent, peeked in for a moment. He cursed under his breath, crushed the half-finished cigarette in his hand, and pulled his mask back up to hide his sour expression: "Stinking, pretty-faced brat. Showing off!"