Chapter 217:
Chang Ning saw their expressions and knew he had been misunderstood.
He hurriedly said, “You two take a good look.”
As he spoke, Chang Ning deliberately stepped aside to let them clearly see who the person sitting on the edge of the bed was.
“Not bad, you just met today and now you’re sharing a house with her tonight.” Xiao Zhuang said with a wink.
Chang Ning hadn’t expected the plot to veer completely away from the direction he had anticipated.
Alright, the misunderstanding had deepened.
Ma Qitong saw that Chang Ning’s two companions had misunderstood the two of them, but not only was she not angry, she was quite happy about it.
She didn’t explain, just watched as Chang Ning hurriedly pulled the two aside.
“It’s not what you think!” Chang Ning said with a wry smile.
“Just admit it, I can tell the girl likes you.” Xiao Zhuang said.
“Yeah, Chang Ning, doing this would be a style issue.” Lao Pao said with a serious face.
This was a style issue, and as Chang Ning’s old squad leader, he couldn’t just watch Chang Ning make a mistake.
Chang Ning saw this and knew he had to explain quickly, or who knew what these two would imagine.
So, Chang Ning told the two everything about Ma Qitong from start to finish.
“So you’re saying you want us to help you reject her request?”
Seeing that Lao Pao understood his meaning, Chang Ning nodded repeatedly.
“Yeah, we’re on a mission and her tagging along isn’t practical, plus her identity is too sensitive.”
“I think we can bring Ma Qitong along.”
On this matter, Xiao Zhuang clearly had a different view from Chang Ning.
“How can we do that? It doesn’t comply with regulations, we can’t drag civilians into this…”
Before Chang Ning could finish, Lao Pao stopped him from the side and gestured for Xiao Zhuang to continue.
“Right now, every intersection outside has Blue Team checkpoints, and the closer to the Logistics Transfer Station, the more Blue Team there are.
With our skills, infiltrating won’t be a problem, but what about getting out?
Having a woman provide cover for us would make it easier to escape.
After all, no one would think the exercise would drag civilians into it.”
“Wouldn’t that be against the rules?”
Lao Pao was a bit undecided.
“Whose rules?” Xiao Zhuang asked Lao Pao.
“Of course…”
Halfway through, Lao Pao realized.
Right! The exercise rules didn’t say anything about not dragging civilians in!
The Operations Department-issued exercise rules had been required to be memorized before depart, how else could they exploit loopholes without remembering them?
Anyone with eyes knew this kind of exercise definitely couldn’t involve civilians, which was like an unspoken rule everyone understood.
But if it’s not written into the rules, then there’s always a way to justify it later.
Lao Pao had clearly thought of this too, so he and Xiao Zhuang both looked at Chang Ning.
It was so obvious, the result was self-evident.
Chang Ning could only respond with a wry smile.
“We can bring Ma Qitong, but we can’t let her know exactly what we’re doing.
Logically, it has to match the identity background I told her, no slip-ups.
Our identities are highly classified.”
Xiao Zhuang and Lao Pao agreed with Chang Ning’s words.
First, as Chang Ning said, their identities were military secrets with a very high security level—letting Ma Qitong know would be leaking secrets, with serious consequences.
Second, Chang Ning had clearly explained Ma Qitong’s family background to the two; with her background, the three of them naturally couldn’t get too involved.
Things had come to this, so Chang Ning couldn’t object to Ma Qitong joining their operation anymore.
Seeing the three had finished discussing, Ma Qitong asked expectantly, “So? Can I come with you?”
“Yes, but you must follow command.” Chang Ning said.
“Don’t worry, as long as you let me come, whatever you say goes.”
“Alright, then let’s go.”
Ma Qitong was still driving, Chang Ning sat in the passenger seat, and the other two sat in the back.
Along the way, Chang Ning directed Ma Qitong as she twisted and turned the car to the entrance of a bar.
Chang Ning and the other two got out, and Ma Qitong wanted to follow.
“You don’t need to go in.”
Chang Ning stood at the car door, blocking Ma Qitong from getting out.
“How can that be? You all agreed I could come along.”
As she spoke, Ma Qitong tried to get out, but the door was blocked by Chang Ning.
With Chang Ning’s tall and sturdy build blocking the car door, how could Ma Qitong’s small strength push him away?
“You can only follow this far, otherwise go back.” Chang Ning said coldly.
“Fine.”
Seeing Chang Ning wasn’t joking, Ma Qitong sat back down unhappily.
“Then I’ll wait for you here.”
“Okay.”
After reassuring Ma Qitong, Chang Ning went to the bar entrance to meet up with the two.
“Solved?” Lao Pao asked.
“Mm.”
Chang Ning nodded, without much explanation.
The bar was just a cover to fool Ma Qitong; their real destination was in another block.
Only one street away from this bar.
The three left through the back door, crossed the road, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Avoiding Blue Team patrols, they reached the wall of the Logistics Transfer Station, formed a human ladder, and flipped inside.
A three-meter-high wall was a piece of cake for them.
Though the Logistics Transfer Station had strict controls outside, there weren’t that many people inside.
It was already late at night, but there were still quite a few trucks coming and going.
It seemed exceptionally busy.
The three split up, set the time on the pre-made timed bombs, and placed them in specific positions.
……
“How’d it go?”
Chang Ning, who had finished the mission early, leaned against a streetlamp pole watching Lao Pao and Xiao Zhuang hurry over.
The two didn’t speak; Xiao Zhuang gave Chang Ning an “OK” hand gesture.
“Let’s head back; soon the Blue Team in this city will be in chaos.” Chang Ning said.
“We’re not leaving?”
Lao Pao looked at Chang Ning in surprise.
“Once the Logistics Transfer Station blows, the Blue Team will definitely lock down the whole city.
It’ll be hard to get out then; better to hide in the city, right under their noses—that’s under the lamp, it’s dark.”
Chang Ning was relaxed, showing no sign of the upcoming Blue Team search.
After hearing Chang Ning’s plan, Xiao Zhuang and Lao Pao thought it made sense.
Better to stay under their noses than risk breaking out when the Blue Team is in chaos.
The three returned the way they came, boldly exiting from the bar entrance.
“Where to next?” Ma Qitong asked.
She now realized she was just driving for Chang Ning by coming along.
They were already out; even if she was unhappy inside, she had no choice but to play her role properly.
“Back.”
Chang Ning leaned back in his seat, eyes half-closed, saying lazily.
Sure enough, on the way back, just as Chang Ning said, Blue Team figures were everywhere on the streets; if it weren’t the early hours with few people out in the small county town, it would have caused total traffic paralysis.
When the car reached an intersection, they were stopped by Blue Team personnel.
Except for Chang Ning, the other three immediately tensed up.
“Tap tap tap~”
A Blue Team sergeant came to the car and lightly knocked on the window, signaling Ma Qitong to roll it down.
