68: Desperate measures! The Western Alliance has issued an assassination order!

As the group of white-haired, national-treasure-level scientists in the Kunlun Mountain Underground Base were mesmerized by the lithography machine design blueprint personally "drawn" by heavenly craft, as if they had seen a "divine oracle".

Thousands of miles away, in the Western Alliance.

Inside the "Eagle of Freedom" laboratory, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it could drip water.

Professor Hans Schmidt and his team of the Western Alliance's top materials science and energy experts were all pale-faced, staring at the battery tester in front of them, which had just violently exploded and was emitting thick smoke.

And the expensive laboratory, blown to pieces and in utter disarray.

Failed! Failed again, damn it!

This was their 108th failure in the past month!

They had conducted over a hundred experiments, strictly following the "core technical data" stolen from Xia Country!

Each time, in the laboratory stage, they could perfectly produce super samples with performance comparable to the "Golden Crow" battery!

But! As soon as they tried to mass-produce!

As soon as the battery's energy density exceeded that damned critical point!

There was only one result—explosion!

Each time, more violent than the last!

Each time, more terrifying than the last!

Today, it even directly destroyed their entire Class A laboratory at "Eagle of Freedom"!

"Why... exactly, why?!"

Professor Hans slumped to the ground in despair, muttering to himself.

His usually meticulously combed silver-white hair was now blasted into a bird's nest by the shockwave of the explosion.

His usually scholarly and elegant face was now blackened with soot.

He looked as disheveled as a wretch who had just escaped from an African refugee camp.

He couldn't understand! He and the hundreds of top minds in his team had thought for a month!

But they still couldn't figure it out!

Where exactly was the problem?!

That technical data was so perfect!

So flawless!

Why did it become the most fatal death warrant once it reached the mass production stage?!

Just as he was at his wit's end, almost collapsing.

The alloy main door of the laboratory, slightly warped by the explosion, was slowly pushed open.

CIA Director William Burns and Intelligence Station Chief Jack Anderson walked in, their faces grim.

They looked at the chaotic explosion site before them.

Then they looked at Professor Hans, slumped on the ground like a defeated rooster.

They knew, without even thinking.

They had failed again.

"Hans."

Burns slowly spoke.

His voice was hoarse and cold.

Without a trace of emotion.

"I need an explanation."

"I... I..."

Professor Hans opened his mouth, his cloudy old eyes filled with humiliation and powerlessness.

How could he explain?

Say he wasn't as skilled as others?

Say he was made a fool of by an eighteen-year-old Xia Country boy?!

He couldn't bear that shame!

"It's... it's the Xia Country people!"

He suddenly looked up, his bloodshot eyes filled with venom!

"They tampered with that technical data!"

"That data is fake!"

"It's a trap they deliberately set!"

"Fake?"

Burns sneered.

He walked up to Professor Hans and looked down at him.

His gaze was like looking at the most idiotic fool.

"Hans, are you insulting my intelligence?"

"If the data was fake."

"Then why didn't you realize it the first time you got it?"

"If the data was fake."

"Then how do you explain the more than a hundred successful laboratory samples you produced this month?!"

"I..."

Professor Hans was left speechless by his retort!

Yes... that was the most damn bizarre part!

From every angle, that data couldn't possibly be fake!

But the things it produced were precisely garbage that exploded on contact!

This had completely exceeded his scientific understanding!

"Useless!"

Burns looked at his stammering, foolish expression and could no longer hold back!

He kicked Professor Hans hard in the chest!

Sending this so-called "man closest to a Nobel Prize" rolling away like a ball!

"A good-for-nothing who can't even distinguish between real and fake technology!"

"What use is there in keeping you?!"

He turned away, no longer looking at the old man groaning in pain on the ground.

His hawk-like eyes gleamed with unprecedented madness and ruthlessness!

He knew.

In conventional technological warfare and intelligence warfare, they had completely lost.

Lost utterly and completely!

Now, there was only one path left for them!

That was the most primitive, most brutal, and most effective decapitation strike!

"Jack!"

He looked at Anderson and clearly issued, word for word, the most insane and malicious order of his life!

"I don't care what method you use!"

"Bribery, coercion, or even... using our deepest mole who has been lurking in Xia Country for twenty years—'Zhong Kui'!"

"I want that little bastard named Lu Chen..."

"Dead!"

"I want him to completely disappear from this Earth!"

"I want to let those foolish Xia Country people know!"

"The consequences of angering us, the Western Alliance!"

"The consequences!"

Jack Anderson's usually refined face showed shock for the first time upon hearing this order!

Assassination! Within the borders of a sovereign nation!

Assassinating a top scientist considered a "national treasure" by the other side?!

This was no longer "war"!

This was declaring war on the entire Xia Country!

"Sir..."

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more.

But when he met Burns's blood-red eyes, which were completely consumed by madness and jealousy.

He swallowed all his words.

He knew.

The Director was completely insane now.

He had become a gambler who had lost all his chips!

And his final bet was Lu Chen's life!

"Yes, Sir!"

He snapped to attention, and a similar flash of madness and ruthlessness appeared in his blue eyes!

"I guarantee, the mission will be completed!"

He didn't know.

Just as they issued this death-laced order.

Thousands of miles away.

The young man they considered their "number one target".

Was calmly watching all the surveillance footage of CIA headquarters, streamed in real-time by heavenly craft, on the light screen in front of him.

He watched Burns's face, distorted by anger.

Listening to his roar filled with murderous intent.

His face showed no ripple of emotion.

He even felt a little like smiling.

He reached out a finger and lightly tapped the virtual light screen.

Playing a top-level encrypted CIA communication that heavenly craft had just intercepted.

The content of the communication was very simple.

Only two words—

[Assassinate.]

"Master."

heavenly craft's ethereal virtual figure slowly floated beside him.

A cold killing intent flashed in her wise eyes.

"Do I need to hand this communication over to the Dragon Shield Bureau now?"

"No hurry."

Lu Chen smiled and shook his head.

"The cat and mouse game..."

"Has just begun."

"If the mouse is scared away before it even enters the field."

"Then, how... uninteresting would that be?"