Chapter 1 Zone 53

Yang Tong's facial muscles twitched a few times, and he muttered in a voice that was nearly exasperated, "I have said it tens of thousands of times, do not call me Yang Head!"

Xiaohua shyly tapped Xiahou on the head, not daring to look at Yang Tong, who was standing nearby and giggling. She nodded and said, "Well, drive carefully on the way. It's rainy, and the road is slippery."

Yang Tong forced a smile and said, "I apologize, Xiao Hua, but there is an urgent academic meeting. As a result, Xia Hou can only accompany me this time."

In the hazy spring rain, Yang Tong carefully hung the oiled paper umbrella on a branch of a nearby azalea flower. Sitting across from Xia Hou at the small tea table, he lowered his voice and said: "Indeed, there is something going on. We currently cannot spare any personnel, so you, this semi-retired Xuanwu, will have to go out on duty one more time for me. Have you heard of Zone 53?"

Xiahou leisurely took a big gulp and then said: "Zone 51, also known as Area 51, I have heard of it. Not only have I heard of it, but back in the day, I, along with Xiao Chong, Xiao Mao, and Xiao Niao, even broke in and caused quite a ruckus. However, as for Zone 53, I truly have not heard of it"

Xiahou's expression darkened, but he suddenly smiled and said, "Yang, in our line of work, what is there to worry about? Let's go."

Yang Tong's face was filled with misfortune: "Don't say anymore. Qinglong has stirred up great trouble in the UK, with top figures among the dozen or so vampires chasing him from Europe to Africa, and then he smuggled into Latin America. How can one discern his origins? Zhuque is on vacation, having gone to Latin America to steal the totem from the Mayan temple, and is being relentlessly pursued by a large group of unknown superhumans, struggling to catch his breath. Qinglong has taken advantage of the chaos with those vampires."

Yang Tong forced a smile: "Indeed. They have no idea whom to seek for a drink, and both ended up returning with alcohol poisoning! They are still lying in the hospital! Good grief, the top-notch S-class superhuman recognized internationally, White Tiger, actually suffered from alcohol poisoning! If this gets out, the entire organization will be ridiculed!"

Sitting amidst a courtyard full of jasmine flowers, a robust man holding a small teapot burst into hearty laughter, his booming laughter echoing like a landslide or a tidal wave, unceasing. He turned his head and shouted towards the few traditional black-tiled, white-walled houses behind him: "Xiao Hua, Yang Tou has arrived. Go to the town entrance and buy two legs of dog meat from the butcher, and while you're at it, pick a few leaves of tangerine. Our old hen just laid a few batches of eggs; once the dog meat is stewed, we can put the eggs in. Yang Tou loves this dish!"

Jiangnan is beautiful, the spring colors are like brocade, the spring breeze is intoxicating, and the spring willows are like water

Then, what about the White Tiger? This kind of matter is most suitable for this violent man. Xiahou fiercely scratched his head and said somewhat unhappily: "Is it because you saw that I just got married that you have to trouble me? Hey, Yang, according to the bureau's rules, now that I am married, I either retire or transfer to an internal position; generally, I won't be involved in external duties anymore"

Yang Tong stood up suddenly after a moment of silence, grabbed the oiled paper umbrella, and the two walked out of the courtyard side by side

Yang Tong muttered angrily, "White Tiger? When you come back from over there, I suggest you visit him in the confinement room! No organization, no discipline, you and your designated successor, Little Xuanwu, both of you, damn it." Yang Tong, filled with resentment, suddenly let out a curse.

Xiaohua looked at Xiahou's back, smiled softly, and gracefully walked into the courtyard

Casually placing the teapot on the small table in front of him, the burly man stood up and stretched his body. Every joint in his body emitted a crisp 'crack' sound. He then twisted his waist and laughed, saying: "Hey, selling dog meat under the name of Yang, who was the first to spread this rumor? However, Yang, it's not wrong that you enjoy eating dog meat."

Stretching out his hand to scratch his bald head, Xiahou attributed the responsibility to Yang Tong: "Who told you to rush and send me to the hospital of Xiao Hua and the others when I was injured that year?" After reminiscing for a moment about past events, Xiahou became serious: "What is it? I am already in a semi-retired state, and you, the Director, never come without a reason, do you?"

Xiaohua happened to be returning with a basket in hand. Upon seeing the two of them walking out side by side, she quickly smiled and said: "Professor Yang, Xiahou, are you going out now? You should eat first before leaving!"

After taking another sip of tea, Xiahou said with a frown: "Not to mention our eldest son, he is proficient in overall planning, infiltration, and violent attacks, equivalent to three of us! Why not seek them out instead of deploying someone like me, who is already semi-retired?"

His wife, Xiaohua, is a typical girl from the water towns of Jiangnan, petite and charming. When the two stand together, it is as if Mount Tai is paired with a white jasmine flower, creating a striking contrast

Xiahou's facial muscles twitched, as if he wanted to laugh but felt too shy to do so. Shaking his head, he said in a low voice: "Well then, I will go. The action plan, procedures, target objects, and the support team are all ready. What exactly do you know about Zone 53?"

Xiahou stepped out slowly, his body moving while his shoulders remained perfectly still. He did not turn back, but shouted loudly: "I understand, you go back first. The rain is uncomfortable on the body, be careful not to catch a cold. Don't worry, I will be back the day after tomorrow at the latest, okay? Prepare dinner and wait for me."

Yang Tong gave a bitter smile, shook his head, picked up the teacup and took a sip, cursing: "There is not even a hint of tea flavor left, jasmine tea?"

The cobblestone path twists forward, flanked by ancient, weathered walls on either side. The mottled green moss on the walls has silently taken root among the stones. As the spring rain, soft as powder and mist, sweeps by, the greenery becomes even more vibrant. On the path, a few brightly dressed young girls, holding flower branches, come skipping along, their sweet and delicate Wu dialect from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions already intoxicating half of one's senses.

At the end of the path, there is a square courtyard measuring three to five meters, surrounded by a delicate blue brick wall and an ancient black wooden gate. Outside the gate, two gardenia trees are in full bloom.

Suddenly, a petite girl dashed out from the main room, dressed in black trousers and a light blue long shirt. Her brows resembled green mountains, her eyes were like autumn waters, and her lips were akin to the fiery red maple leaves of autumn, making her a captivating young lady. She smiled cheerfully at Yang Tong and said, "Professor Yang has arrived? Xiahou, please brew some tea for Professor Yang first. I will go buy some side dishes and dog meat, and then I'll be back." Her delicate lips pouted helplessly, seemingly wary of the dog meat.

Xiahou laughed heartily and suddenly pulled Xiaohua into his arms, giving her a heavy kiss: "Wife, stew the dog meat and wait for my return. Hmm, if everything goes smoothly, I should be back tomorrow evening. Prepare the meal for me!"

Yang Tong's expression grew more serious: "To be frank, I don't know anything specific. Once you go in, all actions must follow the instructions of our insider, but his authority is also limited, so there is a significant risk involved in the operation"

Yang Tong glanced at He Tushu and slowly nodded: "Now. In two hours, a diplomatic aircraft will take off from Pudong Airport. You will parachute down when it passes the perimeter of Zone 53." After a moment of hesitation, Yang Tong said: "Think it over. The information from the insider is extremely urgent, but... the White Tiger can return to normal in two days. I have already ordered the Qinglong and Zhuque to resolve their current troubles and head directly here. Or, you may not need to take action."

The black wooden gate opened automatically with a creaking sound. Behind the door, in a garden full of jasmine flowers, a robust man sat, clapping and laughing: "Yang, what brings you here today?"

Yang Tong chuckled a few times, watching as the girl brushed past him like a gentle breeze. He turned his head until she had gone far away, and his expression suddenly became extremely serious: "What, haven't you let her know what you really do yet? Well, perhaps it's for the best." With a sigh, he walked over to Xiahou's side and slapped him hard on the stomach: "What a sin, how could a girl as gentle as a crescent moon be entangled with a big gorilla like you? With such force from your hand, is there even a living person left?"

Have you stirred up trouble?" Xiahou wore a somewhat gleeful smile on his face

Xiahou laughed heartily, his face adorned with a simple and honest smile. It must be said that he was quite a handsome man, yet his physique was truly intimidating. Standing at around 1.9 meters tall, his shoulders measured over 1 meter in width, and his arms were exceptionally large compared to an average person. When he stood there with his arms hanging down, the tips of his middle fingers nearly reached his knees. Beneath his tan skin lay bulging muscles, and when he stood there, he gave the impression of an indestructible mountain.

Standing outside the courtyard gate, Yang and Tong quietly put away the brand new red oiled paper umbrella in their hands, gently shaking off the tiny water droplets from the umbrella surface. Standing there, they took a deep breath of the fresh, fragrant air and raised their hand to knock on the door

So? "Xiahou furrowed his brow: "Is it to seize the research results or to destroy that area? If it is to infiltrate and steal the results, the success rate of the little bird has always been thirty percent higher than mine. If it is violent destruction, the little cat can single-handedly confront a fully armed enhanced armored division. I have always been responsible for rear support or clearing the way."

The refined and elegant Yang Tong, exuding a certain masterly demeanor, revealed a hint of embarrassment on his face and exclaimed in exasperation: "Alright, I am afraid of the words that come from your mouths; they cannot produce anything good!"

Xiahou stood up and murmured, "I am not afraid of risks; my Xuanwu True Solution, not to mention its other abilities, is top-notch for self-preservation. When do we depart?"

Xiahou picked up the teapot, first taking a sip himself. Suddenly recalling Xiaohua's instructions, he fumbled around and found a teacup, filling it for Yang Tong. Observing the tea that had already turned slightly pale, Xiahou glanced left and right, then plucked two blossoms from a large cluster of jasmine flowers nearby. With a squeeze of his hand, the flowers became withered and he tossed them into Yang Tong's teacup: "Jasmine tea, give it a try."

Yang Tong cautiously looked around before lowering his voice even further and explained in detail: "Area 53 has just been established for less than two years, with a confidentiality level of red S grade. The research direction is unclear, and the research subjects are unknown. By chance, we managed to insert twelve moles into it, but we lost eleven of them after six months. The last mole sent us an urgent report yesterday, indicating that Area 53 seems to have developed some results that are extremely unfavorable to us"