80: Chapter 80 The King Returns! Returning to the Team to Oversee the Acceptance Battle, Hidden Clues Intertwine as He Embarks on a Perilous Journey (5)

After the meeting, Tiger immediately gathered his core members in his office, copying Mu Li's encrypted data onto each of their laptops. He instructed them to study it word for word, analyzing it repeatedly. At the same time, he began selecting personnel for the operation. From among his subordinates, he handpicked twenty agile, experienced, ruthless, and absolutely reliable elites to form a specialized action team. Each was equipped with the finest weapons and gear, encrypted communication devices, and emergency medicine. He also prepared forged identification for everyone to facilitate their movements in the City-State.

Meanwhile, he arranged for five members to travel to the City-State three days in advance, carrying forged documents and ample funds. They took a private plane, bypassing all regular security channels. Upon their quiet arrival in the City-State, they immediately followed the plan to familiarize themselves with the local environment, road conditions, and customs. They conducted a detailed reconnaissance of the hotel and the conference site's terrain, using hidden cameras to film the security personnel's patrol routes and guard posts to identify shift changes and security gaps. They rented a secluded residential house near the hotel as a temporary base and contacted the local black market to arrange for getaway vehicles and emergency supplies. Every step was meticulously planned without a single oversight, making full preparations for the kidnapping operation.

A fatal conspiracy against Mu Li was being plotted with intense urgency. In the manor's basement dungeon, torture instruments like barbed whips and high-voltage stunners were neatly arranged in dark corners, their cold metallic surfaces gleaming with a chilling light that sent shivers down one's spine, as if they were already prepared to taste blood. In particular, the unhealed wound on Mu Li's back was the primary "breakthrough" point in Tiger and his associates' plan. They had already calculated to use the most cruel methods to torture Mu Li and force him to hand over the core technical parameters.

At this time, Mu Li was still in the temporary dormitory of the nuclear fusion power station project, wholeheartedly preparing the presentation materials for the International Nuclear Energy Conference, completely unaware that a fatal crisis was quietly approaching him. While using the internal encrypted system to guide team members in various preparations for the project's official commissioning and sending out relevant instructions and requirements, he sat at his desk, repeatedly polishing the report's content and detailing every technical aspect. His computer screen displayed the first draft of the report, and beside it lay a thick stack of materials from the international nuclear energy field, all of which he had accessed and downloaded through official channels, then printed after encryption.

He ignored the old injury on his back—a mark left from the detention center that still throbbed with pain even after suturing and treatment. The pain intensified when sitting for long periods or leaning over, yet he remained diligent. He consulted a vast amount of the latest international nuclear energy data, learning about the current status and technical levels of various countries' nuclear energy development. Combining this with the actual situation of China's nuclear fusion power station project, he repeatedly revised and perfected the report, adjusting the wording and verifying data time and again to ensure the content clearly and accurately presented the project's technical achievements and innovations, fully showcasing China's nuclear power strength and the professional caliber of its nuclear energy workers.

Simultaneously, he repeatedly considered how to handle various questions that might arise at the conference and how to guard against sabotage by Overseas Forces. He specifically blurred the core technical parameters in the report, keeping only the main thread of technical concepts and overall effectiveness. Even the presentation slides to be shown during the report were multi-encrypted with temporary access permissions, set to unlock only for the live demonstration and expire immediately afterward. He also set up emergency destruction procedures to eliminate the possibility of core data leakage at the source. He then sent the revised and perfected report to the relevant leaders for review via the internal encrypted channel of the National Energy Administration, waiting for feedback before making final adjustments.

Lin Wei saw that he had been neglecting food and sleep for days. His back wound often throbbed because he sat for long periods or leaned over to revise materials. He was often still working at his desk in the temporary dormitory late into the night, the lamp casting a long shadow. The fatigue at his temples was hard to hide, yet his eyes still shone with a focused and determined light as he stared intently at the text and data on the screen. She couldn't help but walk in multiple times with warm water, urging him to rest: "Engineer Mu, take a break and have some water. We can help you verify details and check the wording of the report. Your wound hasn't healed yet; if you keep pushing like this and it gets infected or worsens, it'll be trouble. That would actually delay the conference preparations."

Mu Li would always look up, rub his aching shoulders while carefully avoiding his back wound, and a gentle but firm smile would appear on his face. He would take the cup, take a few small sips, and say in a mild tone, "It's fine, no harm done. It just needs a bit more polishing. This conference is of great importance and allows for no errors; every detail must be thoroughly considered. Overseas Forces have been watching us like hawks, coveting our core technology. They might take the opportunity at the conference to fish for core parameters or even secretly cause sabotage. We must ensure everything is foolproof. We cannot let them succeed, and we must also showcase the strength of our Chinese nuclear energy workers. We cannot fail the country's trust or the efforts of everyone on the team."

As he spoke, he leaned over to look at the computer screen again, his fingertips tapping quickly on the keyboard as he modified the wording in the report. He carefully considered every sentence, aiming to be professionally rigorous in accordance with international nuclear energy exchange standards while also being easy to understand, so that experts from all countries could clearly grasp the breakthroughs and value of China's nuclear fusion power station project. At the same time, he skillfully avoided key nodes of the core technology, giving Overseas Forces no opportunity to exploit. Sometimes, for a precise expression or a more secure confidentiality plan, he would deliberate for hours. Even as the pain in his back intensified and fine beads of cold sweat soaked the stray hairs on his forehead, he would just wipe it away with his sleeve, pause briefly to stretch his stiff shoulders, and then dive back into his work.

In addition to revising the report, Mu Li also used his spare time to organize various emergencies that might occur during the conference, listing all possible accidents in an encrypted document and formulating detailed contingency plans. For example, how to respond if an overseas expert deliberately made things difficult by asking tricky questions involving core technology; how to handle it if Overseas Forces secretly arranged for personnel to infiltrate the conference site to steal materials or create chaos; and how to protect himself while also securing the report materials and core data if security failed and a sudden attack occurred. He sent these contingency plans to the security head appointed by the state through an internal encrypted channel, communicating and rehearsing with them repeatedly to confirm every security link and detail every response step, ensuring that every move during the conference followed a set protocol and was well-prepared.

He even specifically simulated the conference scene, having Zhang Hongyuan, Lin Wei, and others play the roles of international experts and relevant personnel in emergency situations. They repeatedly rehearsed the presentation process and contingency plans. Especially regarding the probing and testing methods that Overseas Forces might employ, he polished his responses over and over, practicing his tone and expression to ensure he could remain composed and professional without leaking any core information, showcasing the confidence of a Chinese nuclear energy worker. After each rehearsal, he would incorporate everyone's feedback to refine the plans. Even a subtle look or an inadvertent wording had to be perfectly placed to eliminate any oversight.

During this time, the Public Security General Administration sent an urgent message to Mu Li via the internal encrypted communication system. The message was multi-encrypted and could only be decrypted and viewed by Mu Li. The message stated that a faint lead on Hans's whereabouts had been found. Through screening his movements and data analysis, it was preliminarily judged that he might have already headed to the Nanyang region to collude with local criminal forces. However, his exact location was not yet determined. It wasn't ruled out that he was preparing for Mu Li's arrival in the City-State for the conference, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

This news made Mu Li's heart tighten, making him even more alert and strengthening his resolve to be fully prepared. He knew clearly that Hans must be acting under the orders of the blond, blue-eyed overseas leader, lurking in Nanyang and secretly plotting actions against him. The International Nuclear Energy Conference in the City-State, with its complex personnel and security that, while tight, would inevitably have gaps, was undoubtedly their best time to strike. Mu Li immediately synchronized this information with the security head through an encrypted channel, requesting a further increase in security forces during the conference, an expansion of the alert perimeter, and double verification of the identities of conference participants, even adding fingerprint and iris recognition steps to strictly prevent Hans and others from infiltrating. He also strengthened the guard forces at the conference site and the hotel, increasing patrol frequency to eliminate any security loopholes.

Meanwhile, he once again checked the encryption of the report materials. On top of the original security, he added an emergency destruction procedure. In case of danger, a single press of a portable encrypted remote control would destroy all electronic versions of core-related materials in the shortest time possible, including documents on the computer, presentation slides, and backups on his phone, leaving no opportunity for Overseas Forces. He also divided the printed report materials into two copies; one he carried with him, and the other he gave to Lin Wei for safekeeping, instructing her that under no circumstances should the materials be given to anyone unless she received an encrypted instruction from him, even keeping it strictly confidential from other team members.

As the day of departure for the City-State drew closer, Mu Li's preparations entered their final stages. He printed out the final version of the report and proofread it one last time, confirming there were no omissions, that the blurring of core technical parameters was in place, and that the encryption programs were running normally. The contingency plans were perfected, and the rehearsals with the security team had reached the expected results, with corresponding measures for all possible emergencies. The on-site operations of the project had also been fully handed over to Zhang Hongyuan. He repeatedly reminded Zhang Hongyuan to stay at his post, strengthen security checks, and closely monitor the movements of Overseas Forces. Any abnormality had to be reported immediately through encrypted channels without any delay.

The night before departure, Mu Li stayed alone in the temporary dormitory. He took out the medical kit and carefully removed the gauze from his back, looking at the scar that was gradually healing. There was still faint bruising around the scar. He brushed his fingertips over it gently, fearing he might pull at the unhealed wound. A slight twinge of pain made him subconsciously frown. This scar bore the hardships of the detention center, the struggle with the assassin, and the pain of treatment; more importantly, it bore his determination to protect the country's core technology and uphold his beliefs. He picked up the report materials from the desk and gently stroked the cover. The cover was a simple white with the words "International Report Materials for China's nuclear fusion power station project" printed on it in neat, firm characters. He secretly made up his mind: no matter what dangers he encountered in the City-State, no matter what temptations or tortures he faced, he would stay true to his heart, protect the country's core technology, and successfully complete the mission entrusted to him by the state. He would showcase China's nuclear power strength and never fail the trust of his team, the mandate of his country, or the beliefs he had held onto despite all his hardships.

Meanwhile, at a hidden base in Nanyang City-State, Tiger had already led his action team in making full preparations. He sat on the sofa of the temporary base with a laptop on the table in front of him. The screen displayed Mu Li's precise itinerary, reconnaissance maps of the hotel and the conference site, as well as the security personnel's patrol routes and shift times, with every detail clearly marked. The members around him were fully armed, their expressions cold and ready for action.

In the dark corner of the base, torture instruments such as barbed whips and high-voltage stunners were neatly placed in a black box, emitting a cold chill. Tiger occasionally looked up at the box, a cruel light flashing in his eyes. He picked up Mu Li's itinerary from the table, tapped his finger on the line for "Arrival Time in the City-State," and a sinister smile curled his lips. He gave a low-voiced command to his elites: "In two days, Mu Li will arrive in the City-State. Everyone get ready and act according to the established plan. Make sure to bring him back alive. Remember, don't kill him, but don't be polite either. As long as you can force him to hand over the core technical parameters, any means can be used—especially the old injury on his back. That is our best breakthrough point. Use it well, and he will surely bow his head."

The subordinates responded in unison, their voices low and cold, with a cruel light flashing in their eyes. Everyone was prepared for action, their weapons wiped clean and ready to strike at any moment. A fatal contest centered around Mu Li and China's core nuclear technology was about to quietly begin at the International Nuclear Energy Conference in Nanyang City-State.

Carrying the meticulously prepared report materials, the expectations of his country, the concerns of his team, and his unhealed old injury, Mu Li boarded the special plane to the City-State. On the plane, he still did not relax, holding a tablet to review the report materials and contingency plans once more, his eyes focused and firm. He knew the road ahead was treacherous, yet he remained fearless because his heart was always filled with the interests of his country and the responsibility and commitment etched into his bones. Even if the path ahead was a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, he would move forward without hesitation.