Their Father's Supreme Directive

The roar of a military transport plane tore through the night sky over the airport in the capital's western suburbs.

The cabin door opened, and a bitter wind rushed inside.

Holding Nuannuan wrapped in a military greatcoat, Su Mingfeng was the first down the boarding stairs. The moment his foot touched the ground, several figures hurried toward him.

Leading them was an elderly man with an upright bearing. There were no general's stars on his shoulders, but his commanding presence made all the field-grade officers around him instinctively straighten their backs.

He was the pillar of the Su Family, a founding hero of the nation, Su Zhenbang.

Behind him stood his wife, Lin Wanyi, along with his second son, Su Mingguo, and his fourth son, Su Mingyuan.

"Dad." Su Mingfeng's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Su Zhenbang did not look at him. His gaze went straight to Nuannuan in his arms. The little girl was sleeping soundly, her cheeks rosy, her long eyelashes like two tiny brushes.

"What matters is that you're back." Su Zhenbang's voice was deep. He reached out and lightly touched Nuannuan's cheek, then immediately withdrew his hand, as though afraid of disturbing her.

Lin Wanyi's eyes had already reddened. She hurried forward, took Nuannuan from Su Mingfeng's arms, and held her tightly, warming this granddaughter they had lost and regained with her own body heat.

"Where's Mingzhe?" Su Zhenbang turned his gaze toward Su Mingzhe, who had just stepped off the plane.

Carrying a black classified-document case, Su Mingzhe strode up to his father. Without speaking, he opened the case and took out a sheet of white paper.

On it were four characters written in pencil, the force of the strokes leaving deep impressions in the paper.

The mole is in the capital.

Su Zhenbang's pupils suddenly contracted as he read those words. The air around them seemed to freeze. Behind him, Su Mingguo and Su Mingyuan saw them too, and their expressions instantly turned utterly grave.

The wind swept hard across the airport apron, making their military greatcoats snap.

Su Zhenbang remained silent for a full minute.

He did not ask what had happened in Li Family Village, nor did he reprimand Su Mingfeng and Su Mingzhe for bringing so many men and making such a commotion.

He simply turned to the guard behind him and said, "Pass the order down. Seal all of tonight's flight records under Level One classification. The guard company involved in the operation will rest in place and undergo individual interviews in isolation. No one is to contact the outside world."

The guard snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Only after all that did Su Zhenbang look back at his two sons.

"Get in the car. We'll talk at home."

The black Hongqi sedan drove smoothly away from the airport, followed by several jeeps. The snow leopard, Big Kitty, was placed in a covered military truck, with Zhang Li personally leading the men watching over him.

The study, Su Family Compound.

The room was brightly lit, yet the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Nuannuan's grandmother had already carried her back to her room to sleep. Only Su Zhenbang and his four sons remained in the study.

Su Mingzhe gave a full, detailed account of their discoveries in Li Family Village, the Braille code their younger sister had left behind, and the sniper who had spied on them along the way.

He spoke calmly, but every word landed like a stone on their hearts.

"...That's the situation. Five years ago, our sister had already noticed something wrong within the organization. She paid with her life to leave us those four characters." Finishing his report, Su Mingzhe pushed the paper bearing the words "The mole is in the capital" and the letter from Base 713 into the middle of the desk.

A deathly silence filled the study.

Su Mingguo slammed his fist onto the desk, drawing a dull thud from the thick rosewood surface.

"They've gone too far! They targeted our Su Family and got Mingyue killed!" His eyes were bloodshot. "Dad, I'll take men and investigate! I don't care what department he belongs to. I'll dig three feet into the ground if that's what it takes to drag him out!"

"Investigate? How?" Su Mingyuan pushed up his glasses, his voice so calm it was almost cold.

"The enemy is a spy organization that's been lying hidden for years, code-named Green Pine. Our only leads right now are those four characters and a man in gold-rimmed glasses who might work in the hospital system. There are more than a dozen prominent hospitals in the capital, with thousands upon thousands of staff. It's like searching for a needle in the ocean."

"Then we search!" Su Mingfeng spoke, his voice ice-cold. "Even if we have to overturn the ocean, we'll find that needle."

"All of you, sit down!"

At Su Zhenbang's low bark, the three sons who had risen instantly sat back down.

The old man leaned back in his traditional armchair, tapping his fingers lightly against the armrest as his gaze swept over each of his sons.

"From this moment on," he said, stressing every word, "we are establishing a secret investigation group, code-named Great Wall. I will personally take command."

Everyone held their breath.

"Mingfeng." Su Zhenbang looked at his eldest son. "You'll be responsible for all field operations, arrests, and interrogations. I'm granting you the authority to mobilize any force in the Capital Military Region except the garrison troops in an emergency."

Su Mingfeng jerked his head up, his eyes filled with shock. This was an enormous grant of authority.

"Yes, sir!" He straightened his back.

"Mingguo." The old man turned to his second son. "You'll handle logistics and peripheral support. You'll coordinate all the personnel, vehicles, and equipment our operations require. You'll clean up every loose end they leave behind. I want the entire operation to leave no trace, like water vapor."

"Understood!" Su Mingguo nodded firmly.

"Mingzhe." The old man finally turned to his third son. "You'll handle intelligence. Analysis, decryption, planning-you're the brains of the group. All physical evidence will remain in your custody."

"Yes, Dad," Su Mingzhe answered.

"As for Mingyuan," Su Zhenbang's tone softened a little, "your task is the heaviest. Nuannuan's health is in your hands. Also, keep a close eye on the capital's major hospitals, especially your own territory. See if you can find that rat in 'gold-rimmed glasses.'"

"I understand." Su Mingyuan nodded.

With responsibilities clearly assigned, a secret investigation group centered on the Su Family and vested with terrifying authority was established in mere minutes.

Su Zhenbang rose and walked to the window, gazing into the deep darkness outside.

"This matter involves Project 713, Mingyue's death, and, beyond that, national security. Our opponent is cunning and may very well be hiding right beside us."

He turned, his gaze piercing as he looked at his sons with utter seriousness.

"That is why the Great Wall Group has one more secret, its most essential and most highly classified."

He paused, lowering his voice to a near whisper.

"And that is Nuannuan."

"Her ability is the sharpest sword in our hands and our only trump card. Until we root out every mole, apart from the five of us, this must never be revealed to any fourth person outside the Su Family! That includes your closest subordinates and your wives!"

"Remember, that means anyone!"

All four sons rose together, their expressions solemn.

"Yes, sir!"