"General, today is the second day of the New Year; we've come specifically to pay our respects. Could we avoid talking about such grim topics?" Xiao Han hurriedly said from the side.

The old General's gaze fell on Xiao Han, looking very solemn and serious.

The old General's look made Xiao Han extremely awkward, and he quickly glanced around the room, hoping someone would stand up and help him out. However, it seemed in the end no one could. Embarrassed, Xiao Han said, "Of course, if you want to speak, it's not that you can't... haha..."

"You are right." The old General nodded and said, "Today is the second day of the New Year; how could I talk about such grim topics, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Han immediately relaxed. The General's tone and attitude had almost scared him to death just now. Xiao Han wasn't Lin Chuan; he dared not act recklessly in front of the General. So, he could only sit honestly in his chair.

In the study, everyone appeared very restrained. Only Lin Chuan and Miss Lan seemed completely at ease, without the slightest bit of restraint.

"Old General, what exactly is our mission this time?" Miss Lan asked curiously.

"This time, the mission is a cultural heritage rescue operation." The old General looked at them seriously and said, "The task is rather significant, and the state cannot conveniently intervene. Therefore, only you and Lin Chuan can take action."

"What about us?" Xiao Han hurriedly asked.

"Yes, what about us?" Upon hearing there was a mission and he wasn't involved, Iron Ox became anxious.

The old General smiled and said, "Rest assured, you all naturally have your own tasks. The Republic's surroundings are filled with threats like wolves, tigers, and leopards; many issues await your attention. So, you all have your tasks. Just focus on doing your tasks well, understand?"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded, not daring to act insolently.

Miss Lan curiously asked, "Old General, what exactly is our mission this time?"

"Last month, the Qin King's Tomb was looted." The old General looked at them and then said, "Many valuable cultural relics have already been transported abroad. Therefore, we must rescue them now. This isn't just a matter of substantial wealth; it's about our dignity too. If such a prominent nation can't even guard its ancestors' belongings, what good are we descendants?"

Miss Lan sat up straight at once and said, "Who on earth did it?"

"Hmph." The old General snorted coldly and said, "Some government people were involved. But that's not something you should worry about. Right now, you should think about how to retrieve those precious relics from abroad. Understand?"

"Where are the relics now?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"In Thailand," the old General replied, "Currently, they are hidden in Bangkok. Based on reliable intelligence, they're likely to secretly transport them from Thailand to France in about a month."

"What's the final destination?" Lin Chuan continued asking.

"We're not sure yet." The old General shook his head immediately and said, "We only know that the relics are temporarily in Thailand and that the next step is to send them to France."

"Alright!" Lin Chuan nodded and said, "In a month... we'll wait for them to make a move before we act."

"That's what I thought too." The old General nodded.

They talked for a long time in the study. At this moment, the orderly Xiao Liu ran in: "General, the meal is ready."

"Good, let's go eat." The old General laughed heartily and said, "Xiao Liu, go get the wine from the cellar."

"Yes!" The orderly Xiao Liu nodded immediately.

Then everyone went into the dining room. The private chef hired by the old General was a formidable cook. The old General was from the south, so the chef was also from the south. The chef's Hunan and Jiangxi dishes were remarkable. The table was almost entirely southern dishes, with a glance showing a spread of red chili peppers.

"Wow!" The group was amazed at once.

"This is a table full of Hunan cuisine," the old General smiled and said, "Yesterday, I ate with some Northern soldiers, so we didn't use much chili. Today, since you all seem to be Southerners, I asked the chef to prepare a table of Hunan cuisine. See if it suits your taste?"

Hearing this, everyone nodded, saying, "Yes, it definitely suits our taste."

Lin Chuan led the group and sat down, immediately picking up his chopsticks to eat. A braised fish head was particularly flavorful. There were many other delicious dishes as well. The table full of chili dishes truly made them exclaim with great satisfaction.

The orderly Xiao Liu enthusiastically poured drinks for them.

The old General drank glass after glass. Iron Ox, holding a small cup, felt unsatisfied; he wished he could switch to a larger glass. However, he dared not be presumptuous in the General's residence.

"Come." The old General suddenly raised his glass and said, "This toast is for our brothers who died on the battlefield."

All six of them stood up simultaneously.

The smiles on everyone's faces immediately disappeared, replaced by a solemn, dignified expression. Those brothers who died on the battlefield sacrificed for the country, yet after their deaths, they never received the honor they deserved. Their deaths, while greatly benefiting the nation, were never accorded the honors they merited by the country.

What soldiers need most is honor, what they need most is dignity. Although their families received large sums of money due to their deaths, for the fallen soldiers themselves, it is a tragedy.

The old general's expression was one of remembrance. He said, "Those who have passed are the most glorious, carrying with them supreme dignity and honor."

After speaking, everyone raised their heads and drank their glasses of wine.

"Since we chose this path, we must march forward with unwavering resolve." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "We never care about our own honor, nor about what we gain. We hold only the interests of the nation in our hearts, not personal interests."

"Exactly!" Iron Bull patted his chest and said, "My greatest wish is to have a fierce fight with those Japanese bastards. Unfortunately, all these years, the country has been restraining itself, and being patient."

"No politics," the old general immediately waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Today we only drink wine."

"Drink!" Everyone raised their glasses.

In the restaurant, the group drank themselves into a stupor, each exceedingly happy.

Everyone seemed extraordinarily excited. It's the liquor that intoxicates, yet people intoxicate themselves.

Quickly, the old general fell over. Today, he was extremely happy to see the Dark Soldiers reunited, to see these lovable children eating and drinking heartily before him. He felt it was a comforting sight.

Very soon, Xiao Han and the others also fell one by one. Miss Lan had only one drink; aside from her slightly flushed face, she seemed fine. She carefully picked the bones out of the fish while serving Lin Chuan.

"Miss Lan, you're doing this all wrong." Hema, who was drunk next to her, said, "We're all teammates, a family. But you're so kind to Lin Chuan, why not treat everyone equally?"

"Hmph." Miss Lan glanced at Hema and said, "If you have the guts to be as handsome as Lin Chuan, then go ahead."

"Haha…" Hearing this, Hema laughed awkwardly.

"Don't be jealous if you're not as handsome." Miss Lan was very assertive and fierce towards others, yet she was meek and obedient solely towards Lin Chuan.

"Hema, go to South Korea and get some cosmetic surgery."

"Yeah, make yourself more handsome."

Everyone started teasing, which made Hema's face turn red. He quickly surrendered, "Stop it, stop it, I admit I'm ugly, isn't that enough? Xiao Han, you're handsome, does Miss Lan fancy you?"

"Haha…" Everyone burst into laughter again.

Xiao Han was evidently more refined, with a handsome face framed by black-rimmed glasses, exuding an intellectual vibe, looking very elegant and gentle. While Lin Chuan was also handsome, his attractiveness seemed wilder, arrogant, and untamed. He gave the impression of a wild horse, a horse without reins.

With Miss Lan's personality, naturally, she preferred Lin Chuan's demeanor more.

Thus, in front of Lin Chuan, Miss Lan seemed like a gentle mare that followed this wild stallion galloping all the way.

............

Jiangbei City.

Within a villa in the East River District, a luxurious mansion was filled with sounds of miserable sobbing.

In the three-story villa, a disheveled-haired woman, despite her impressive figure, appeared so deranged that it made people afraid to approach her. The villa's security rushed in panic, fearing a murder case. However, when they arrived, they found no issue.

"What's going on?" a security guard asked.

"Nothing," the security captain shook his head and said, "Let's go, it's just a crazy woman."

"Eh, isn't that the chairwoman of the Liu Group?" The security guard said in surprise, "Isn't that woman now the person in charge of Liu Group, Yang Zi?"

"Yes!" The security captain nodded and said, "Her husband died, her family fell apart, what good is all that money? She still went mad."

"Alas, such a pity." The group of security guards shook their heads.

Everyone felt a deep sense of regret. Such a beautiful woman had turned into a madwoman. Yang Zi was the goddess in the eyes of all the security guards in this district. Many guards stood at their posts every day, enduring the scorching summer sun and biting winter winds, just for a glimpse of Yang Zi. Unfortunately, the once goddess had become this pitiful sight. It truly elicited a sense of sorrow.

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