229: Chapter 229 A Pair of Xixi as Li Li

The sound of shutters from long lenses and short barrels merged into a dense rain.

Li Li was dragged out of the camouflage tent by two SWAT officers, one on each side.

His hair was ruffled like a bird's nest, and his jacket was torn, revealing the dirty T-shirt underneath.

His legs were shaking, his shoulders hunched, and his chest heaved violently.

He was the spitting image of a fugitive caught red-handed.

Telephoto lenses pierced through the gaps in the riot shields, locking onto that terrified face.

The photo spread across the globe within three seconds.

Domestic short-video platforms and Weibo trending searches crashed completely.

#The True Face of the Zero-Dollar Shopping Agent Exposed#

#The Appearance of the F35 Pilot#

Tens of millions of netizens flooded into the comment section of the high-definition image.

The likes on the top comment skyrocketed.

"This guy looks a bit familiar, doesn't he?"

"Holy crap! Isn't this Li Li?"

"Don't talk nonsense! Dean Li has been in the Northwest Desert for the past few days accompanying Jiang Rumu for their travel livestream! I saw them gnawing on watermelon on a sand dune yesterday! Jiang Rumu even scolded him for dripping watermelon juice on a camel!"

"Look closely, the features are a bit similar, but this vibe is way too sleazy, right? This is definitely the nine-point-nine-yuan free-shipping knockoff version of Li Li!"

"Even if we take a step back, Li Li is just a male guest on a Dating Reality Show; he doesn't even have his passport with him. How the hell is he going to go to Okinawa to steal an F35?"

"When this guy stole the F35, he couldn't have looked this pathetic, right?"

"President Trump says he's a top-tier agent disguised as an internet celebrity? Why does he look like an internet cafe manager caught stealing headphones to me?"

"Holy sh*t! The Strategic Deception Bureau is playing a big game! The official side is blatantly mocking them! President Trump said the agent was disguised as an internet celebrity, so the official side just pulled out an agent who looks like him to walk a few steps!"

"Use magic to defeat magic! Brothers, charge to the overseas internet! Flood the White House comment section with photos of Zhang Nan!"

Okinawa, Kadena Air Base.

Tower Command Center.

A dead silence.

General John Browning stood before the giant screen, staring at the broadcast footage from Hongqiao Airport.

The adjutant handed over a report.

"Sir, the comparison results from the CIA are in. This person is confirmed to be Zhang Nan. He knocked out Yamada Ichiro and used his identity to fly the plane."

John didn't take the report.

"What about Snowden?"

The adjutant lowered his head even further.

"He's missing."

"The container holding him was pried open; there were only two empty tin cans inside. Port surveillance shows two people wearing standard US military camouflage boarding a cargo ship bound for Osaka during the chaos."

John braced his hands on the console, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

"One person stealing an F35, one person rescuing Snowden, plus an insider cutting off part of the base's air defense radar. This was a long-planned joint operation."

He slammed a fist onto the desk.

"Send this Zhang Nan's file to The Pentagon! I want an explanation from the East!"

The adjutant stood straight and swallowed hard.

"Sir, The Pentagon just sent instructions... telling us to maintain restraint and not to over-hype Zhang Nan's identity in the media."

"Why?"

"Because... netizen from the East are crowdfunding across the entire internet, trying to name Zhang Nan as the number one 'Top Ten People Who Moved America'. The White House thinks... it's too embarrassing."

John clutched his chest, and his vision went black.

Middle East, Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel.

Yossi was half-reclined on a beach chair, his tablet playing a special CNN report.

The screen was frozen on Li Li's terrified face.

Yossi stared at the screen, a hoarse laugh rolling from his throat.

The laughter grew louder, pulling at the burn on his abdomen; he coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, but he couldn't stop.

"Zhang Nan?"

He raised his only remaining intact hand and tapped the screen forcefully.

"I'd recognize this face even if it were turned to ash."

The assistant next to him lowered his voice.

"Sir, are you sure it's him? The official authorities of the East have already announced the identity of this double agent."

Yossi leaned back into the chair.

"You can't even trust the punctuation marks in the official reports from the East."

"This method of rubbing Kadena Air Base into the dirt, this unscrupulous yet watertight style of doing things. Besides that lunatic who keeps messing with me time after time, who else could it be?"

Yossi licked his cracked lips, his facial muscles twitching slightly.

"Li Li, oh Li Li, you really know how to give people surprises."

"Go, move our plan up."

"I can't wait to face this old friend again. This time, I won't give you another chance to steal a plane."

Shanghai, Yan'an East Road Tunnel.

The No. 3 riot control vehicle sped along in the middle of the convoy.

Inside the vehicle, the SWAT officer let go.

Li Li rubbed his shoulder, which had been pinched sore.

"Brother, you've got a strong grip."

The SWAT officer ignored him and pressed his communicator.

"Entering the tunnel soon. Prepare for the handover."

The convoy drove into the dim tunnel.

The police cars in front and back suddenly slowed down, pinning the civilian traffic firmly behind them.

The side door of the No. 3 riot control vehicle slid open with a clatter.

An unmarked black Passat drove side-by-side, hugging the riot control vehicle.

The rear window of the Passat rolled down, and a man leaned out halfway.

The same short, layered haircut.

The same torn jacket.

Even the cold sweat on his forehead was exactly the same.

Li Li sized up the person opposite him.

With this speed of changing disguises, he could make a fortune as a stunt double in Hengdian.

"Switch!"

The SWAT officer grabbed Li Li by the collar, shoved him out of the riot control vehicle, and simultaneously yanked the man from the Passat inside.

The whole process took less than three seconds.

The side door of the riot control vehicle slammed shut.

The Passat floored the gas, broke away from the convoy, and merged into traffic from another tunnel exit.

Li Li sat in the back of the Passat, watching the riot control convoy roar away.

The plainclothes officer in the driver's seat kept his eyes straight ahead.

"Mr. Li, time is tight. Please remove your disguise immediately. There are wet wipes and a change of clothes in the back seat."

Li Li grabbed a wet wipe and scrubbed his face hard, wiping away the shadows that had been deliberately applied.

Changing into the prepared black windbreaker, he leaned back against the seat and pulled out his phone.

As soon as he turned it on.

The WeChat notification sound rang out frantically like a machine gun.

Hundreds of unread messages.

Pinned at the top was Jiang Rumu.

"Get your ass back here immediately! The scheduled livestream starts in an hour and a half!"

"If you dare to stand me up, I'll bury you in the sand dunes to plant Populus euphratica!"

Li Li looked at the screen and chuckled.

He quickly typed a reply.

"On my way."

Outside the window, the online uproar continued.

The world's attention was drawn to that military convoy heading towards the Imperial Capital.

No one noticed this ordinary black sedan merging into the morning rush hour.

Dongpu Military Airport.

The Passat drove straight onto the tarmac.

At the end of the runway, a massive silver-gray fighter jet lay in wait.

Canard wings, twin vertical stabilizers, the stealth coating gleaming with a cold, hard light under the sun.

The J-20S two-seater version.

This war machine, representing the highest level of aviation industry in the East, had its two engines preheated, with the tail nozzles spewing high-temperature airflow.

Before the Passat had even fully stopped, Li Li pushed the door open and jumped out.

Ground crew handed him a brand-new G-suit and flight helmet.

Li Li quickly donned the G-suit and climbed the boarding ladder, carrying the helmet.

The cockpit canopy was open.

The pilot in the front seat turned his head, his voice coming through the mask.

"Mr. Li, I've heard much about you."

Li Li climbed into the back seat and buckled his seatbelt.

"Brother, you're too kind. How long will this flight take?"

The pilot pressed a few buttons, and the flight route appeared on the multi-function display.

"The straight-line distance is 2,800 kilometers. At conventional cruising speed, it'll take two hours."

Li Li clicked his tongue.

"Too slow."

"Jiang Rumu's livestream starts in an hour and a half."

"If I'm late, she'll dock my pay. Capitalists exploit the working people; I have to clock in on time."

The pilot in the front seat chuckled.

"Don't worry."

"The higher-ups gave a hard order."

"For this trip today, don't worry about fuel consumption or G-load. As long as you don't fly the plane to pieces, just go as fast as possible."

The pilot pulled down his visor and gripped the control stick firmly with both hands.

"Mr. Li, put on your helmet and hold on tight."

"My takeoff might be a bit intense."

The cockpit canopy slowly closed.

The terrifying roar erupting from the two WS-15 engines completely tore through the tranquility of the airport.

The silver-gray fighter jet accelerated violently on the runway, its nose pitching up high.

A vertical climb!

The J-20S, at a near-vertical limit pitch angle, dragged a deep blue exhaust flame as it pierced straight into the firmament.