Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Exposing He Liangong

The entire special operations squad worked together to carry Xu Huaian back to a safe area, where he was finally able to get a good night’s sleep.

The Chinese army launched a full-scale assault, wiping out all enemy forces in one fell swoop. Not only did this deliver a devastating blow to the enemy, but it also kept casualties to a minimum.

In this battle, the special ops team led by Xu Huaian earned the highest honors.

At this time, the concept of a formal “special operations team” didn’t really exist in China yet. Back in the war years, such squads were called “suicide squads,” but nowadays, people preferred to call them “vanguard teams.”

Whenever Xu Huaian had free time before, he would often buy books from Gu Qinghuan’s vending machine, so he had a good understanding of the evolution of China’s military branches. Some units had only existed briefly in history, but their best qualities had been preserved.

Taking into account the characteristics of the era, he decided that when he had the chance, he would definitely propose some good, highly feasible suggestions to the organization, to help advance China’s military development.

Of course, that was all for later.

After resting for a night in the hospital, Xu Huaian received the good news the next morning: the enemy had been completely annihilated.

Coming to see him, besides a few team members, was General Zhuo.

Tang Zhenye had already returned to his post at the Xiguang border after finishing his work, so he didn’t come.

Along the way, the special ops teams had already reported everything that had happened over the past ten or twenty days to General Zhuo.

Seeing how completely convinced they were by Xu Huaian, Zhuo Yifan couldn’t help but find it amusing. These boys hadn’t respected anyone at first.

When it came to judging people, Tang Zhenye really had an eye for talent.

Xu Huaian was truly outstanding—not only was he physically strong and skilled in combat, but he also had extraordinary endurance.

He’d managed to withstand the pursuit of dozens, even hundreds, of enemies all by himself and still escape with only some minor scrapes. What kind of monster was this?

If it weren’t for that illness of his, like a ticking time bomb, Zhuo Yifan would have wanted to compete with Tang Zhenye to recruit him into his own team. Calling him a “human weapon” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

“General Zhuo, what brings you here?” Xu Huaian quickly sat up, flattered.

“Huaian, how are you feeling? Any better?” Zhuo Yifan asked kindly.

“I’m fine, just hadn’t had a good sleep in a long time. A little rest was all I needed,” Xu Huaian replied with a smile.

“That’s good. You led the team well on this mission. Even though you don’t have a military rank at the moment, I’ll still make sure you’re commended according to regulations. Don’t worry.

Is there anything else you need?”

Xu Huaian shook his head, then nodded.

“I don’t need any commendations. I’m not after fame. The only reason I agreed to lead the team was for my beliefs.

But there is one thing I’d like to ask of you.”

Hearing him use the word “ask,” Zhuo Yifan took it seriously.

“What is it?”

“I’d like to borrow your secure line to call Commander Tang. It has to be a line only he can hear!” Xu Huaian said solemnly.

Zhuo Yifan immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.

So serious—could it be…

He didn’t ask further and nodded in agreement.

“When do you need it?”

“The sooner the better. Can I use it now?” Xu Huaian said, already reaching to pull out the IV needle in his hand.

He had to tell someone he trusted—and who had the authority to deal with it—that Political Commissar He was a traitor. Tang Zhenye was the most suitable person.

The sooner, the better. There was no time to lose.

He was already two years late. Who knew what He might have done in that time, abusing his position?

Zhuo Yifan quickly stopped him. “There’s no need to rush that much. Finish your IV first, then go.”

Xu Huaian had no choice but to listen.

On the way to Zhuo Yifan’s office, he suddenly hesitated.

Political Commissar He had treated him like a son, teaching him with care, yet still turned out to be a traitor.

How could he be sure Tang Zhenye wasn’t another traitor?

You can know someone’s face, but not their heart. He couldn’t read these high-ranking officials.

Tang Zhenye and Political Commissar He had been partners for years. What if they were in it together? Wouldn’t he be walking right into the tiger’s den?

A flood of doubts overwhelmed him.

Suddenly, he felt as if there was no one in the world he could trust except his own family.

No matter how well someone treated you on the surface, they could still stab you in the back.

He didn’t know who to trust anymore.

General Zhuo noticed his anxiety.

“Is there something troubling you that you can’t resolve?”

Xu Huaian looked up. “General Zhuo, can I trust you?”

Zhuo Yifan replied seriously, “As an ordinary person, Zhuo Yifan, you can’t trust me completely. I have my own selfish motives and human emotions.

But as General Zhuo, the Minister of Defense, you can trust me one hundred percent. I can stake my life on it—everything I do is for China.”

That’s right. If even the Minister of Defense were a spy or a traitor, China would have ceased to exist long ago.

Xu Huaian made up his mind.

They passed through several layers of security and entered Zhuo Yifan’s private office, which was absolutely secure.

Before dialing the phone, Xu Huaian tried to speak several times but couldn’t get the words out. He didn’t know how to describe it, because to him, it felt like a slow execution.

“Take your time. There’s no rush,” Zhuo Yifan said, pouring him a glass of water.

Xu Huaian picked up the glass and took a big gulp.

“General Zhuo, I want to talk to you about the 715 Incident.”

“The 715 Incident? Did you remember something?”

As Minister of Defense, Zhuo Yifan was concerned about all matters of national defense.

The 715 Incident, two years ago, involved the mysterious annihilation of an entire battalion stationed at the Xiguang border. Some soldiers hadn’t even managed to draw their guns. He remembered it vividly.

Tang Zhenye had suspected an insider, but after a thorough investigation of the entire base, they found nothing, so the case was shelved as an unsolved mystery.

Zhuo Yifan had specifically looked into Xu Huaian, the sole survivor, and had even suspected him.

But Tang Zhenye had staked his life to guarantee that Xu Huaian wasn’t a traitor, which put his doubts to rest.

Otherwise, Xu Huaian would have been court-martialed.

He hadn’t expected Xu Huaian to bring up the case again two years later.

“Yes. I know who the traitor is!”

“Who?” Zhuo Yifan was so shocked he nearly jumped out of his seat.

The answer to this two-year-old mystery was finally about to be revealed.

Xu Huaian’s eyes stung as he looked at him with pain. “It was He Liangong—Political Commissar He.”

Zhuo Yifan knew He Liangong. He was Tang Zhenye’s trusted partner!

For years, the two of them had never left their posts, and the security of Xiguang and China’s western gateway had been entrusted to them without a second thought.

Could he really be the traitor?

But that would explain why Tang Zhenye’s investigation had come up empty.

Because the mole was at the top—even someone he saw every day, a familiar partner and friend. This was a classic case of “the darkest place is under the lamp.”

Zhuo Yifan swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously tightening.

“Are you sure? This is no joking matter. I trust you know that.”"

"Chapter 193: Warning Tang Zhenye