314: Chapter 314 The Bloodstained Blessing at the Jade Buddha Temple

"Good evening, Dr. Chen. And this lady is?" The club butler, a pleasant-looking but sharp-eyed middle-aged man, came forward, his gaze lingering on Lin Xiao for an extra second.

"My assistant, Anna. She is proficient in Pali and Old Khmer, which will be very helpful for tonight's theme," Chen Wenhuan replied calmly in English with a slight Singaporean accent, while handing over a dark gold invitation with a special embossed texture.

The butler examined the invitation carefully and looked up at Chen Wenhuan, seemingly trying to recall something. The invitation was real; it had been cleverly "duplicated" and replaced when a wealthy businessman's driver went to pick it up, after his communications were intercepted. The background identity had also been "prepared" in advance; The Foundation had indeed been active in the Southeast Asian art world recently.

"Welcome, Dr. Chen, Miss Anna. The appraisal meeting is in the main hall on the second floor. Please follow me."

Passing through a quiet corridor lined with antiques and modern art, the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. They were led into a spacious, softly lit room on the second floor. There were already more than twenty people here, men and women, most of them well-dressed and talking in low voices. A photo of stone carvings from Angkor Wat was projected at the front of the room, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

Lin Xiao scanned the room quickly and discreetly. She recognized several faces: an opposition MP who had once fiercely criticized the peace talks on television; an army lieutenant general close to General Apira who was currently on "medical leave"; and two reserved middle-aged men in traditional Thai clothing—the very same Royal Senior Attendants who had appeared in the previous surveillance!

Her heart rate quickened slightly, but her expression remained perfectly controlled as she stood quietly a little behind and to the side of "Dr. Chen," as if waiting for instructions.

The appraisal meeting lasted about forty minutes, with an invited French scholar explaining the cult of the God-King in Angkorian art. During this time, Lin Xiao noticed that the two attendants and the army lieutenant general left the main hall one after another. Soon after, the opposition MP and several other people who looked like business tycoons also stood up and left.

"Dr. Chen" received a very slight eye signal from Lin Xiao, whispered "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom" to a wealthy businessman nearby who was admiring the slides, and naturally walked out as well.

Lin Xiao did not follow immediately. She waited until the lecture entered the Q&A session and the attention in the room was relatively dispersed. Then, she frowned slightly, showing a hint of discomfort, whispered to a waiter at the door to ask for the location of the restroom, and slowly walked away.

The corridor was empty. However, based on the building blueprints provided by Erica beforehand and the location of the "Inner Hall" mentioned by the representatives of Council of Elders in Lin Xiao's memory, she silently turned into a side corridor covered with thick carpet. At the end of the corridor was a heavy solid wood door, with two bodyguards in black suits and headsets standing coldly at the entrance.

This was where the "secret meeting" was truly taking place.

Lin Xiao did not approach. She ducked into a small alcove in the middle of the side corridor where cleaning tools were kept, quickly opened her handbag, and took out a device the size of a cigarette case, sticking it to the wall. This was the receiver for a penetrating laser eavesdropping device; the transmitter on the other end had already been installed in a hidden spot on the outer window frame of the target room by a Shadow Blade member disguised as a maintenance worker before they entered the club.

She put on a hidden earbud and adjusted the frequency.

"...We can't hesitate anymore! The Srettha government has been scared out of its wits and only wants to kneel down and lick that Chinese man's boots!" An excited and familiar voice came through—it was that opposition MP. "If they are allowed to sign that humiliating peace treaty, Thailand will never be able to recover! The royal family's dignity will also be dragged through the mud!"

"Calm down, Mr. Songki." A voice that was old, slow, but full of authority rang out, speaking English with a heavy Thai accent. Lin Xiao's spirits lifted—it was Tan Long! The former Prime Minister and chief advisor. "His Majesty's concern is that continuous war will destroy the nation's foundation. We need a... more comprehensive plan that can both maintain the Kingdom's dignity and interests and make His Majesty feel at ease."

"Excellency Tan Long, General Harris of the United States and the special envoy from the 'Chamber of Commerce' have clearly stated that as long as we can control the situation and lead the war into a state of persistence and attrition, the assistance they provide will be all-encompassing, including necessary... political support and special funds." This was the voice of the army lieutenant general, filled with desperate urgency. "Srettha and his civilian clique must go! We can use certain provisions in the constitution, or... create some 'accidents'."

"The prayer activity." A Royal Attendant's voice chimed in, cold and clear. "Next week, His Majesty is scheduled to go to the Wat Phra Kaew to pray for the country, the military, and the people. It's a public event with dense crowds. If some... distressing 'chaos' occurs then, such as an attempted attack on members of the royal family, and the evidence points to the Srettha government's incompetence or even ties to Myanmar... then it will be only natural for the military and patriotic forces to take over the government under a state of emergency. At that time, we can 'protect' His Majesty from the chaos and continue this Holy War under a new leadership core."

There was a brief silence in the room as they seemed to digest this bold and vicious plan.

"The level of chaos... needs to be precisely controlled. It must not truly endanger His Majesty's safety, but it must be enough to trigger national outrage and a constitutional crisis," Tan Long said slowly, as if finalizing the details. "The people executing it must be absolutely reliable and must disappear completely afterwards. Can the 'Chamber of Commerce' provide such 'professionals'?"

"No problem." A voice that hadn't spoken before, with a distinct Western accent, replied—presumably the special envoy from Council of Elders or the CIA. "We have tested 'assets' who can disguise themselves as anyone. Once the plan is finalized, they can be in position within 24 hours."

"Then, let's vote." Tan Long's voice carried a tone of finality. "Those in favor of initiating the 'Operation Guardian' plan, please signify."

After a rustling sound, Tan Long spoke again: "Very well. The plan is passed. The specific action plan will be drafted in detail by General Songki and our foreign friends and submitted to me for final approval. Remember, this matter concerns the nation's fate. Any leakers will face the consequences."

The meeting seemed to be nearing its end, as they began discussing details of fund transfers and communication arrangements.

Inside the alcove, Lin Xiao had already clearly recorded the entire conversation. Her palms were slightly sweaty, but her mind was exceptionally clear. A coup plot, hijacking the royal family's name, and staging terrorist attacks to frame the current government... the madness and despicability of these people exceeded her expectations.

She silently removed the device, put it back in her handbag, adjusted her expression and clothing, stepped out of the small alcove, and walked toward the restroom as if nothing had happened.

A few minutes later, she "happened to meet" "Dr. Chen" at the restroom entrance, who had also just come out. The two exchanged an extremely brief look.