294: At all costs

The cabin gradually fell silent, leaving only the low hum of the transport plane's engines.

Jiang Chen leaned back on the sofa, adjusted to a comfortable position, and prepared to close his eyes to rest.

Although most of the trip had been for leisure, the travel over the past few days had indeed left him somewhat exhausted. Coupled with the less-than-pleasant reunion with He Xiaomi, a vague sense of irritability had built up in his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, just as he was about to drift into sleep, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated violently.

Jiang Chen opened his eyes and pulled out his phone. When he saw the name flashing on the screen, his pupils constricted slightly—it was He Xiaomi.

Moreover, it was a video call.

A trace of doubt rose in his mind. At this time, shouldn't she be on her journey through South Africa? Why was she suddenly calling him via video?

Without thinking much, Jiang Chen swiped the screen and answered the call.

The next second, the image reflected on the phone screen caused his expression to darken instantly.

He Xiaomi's hair was a bit disheveled, her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with lingering terror. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she were trying her best to suppress her fear.

The background wasn't some scenic tourist spot, but a dimly lit room with the curtains drawn tight.

Immediately after, a crisp gunshot abruptly rang out from the phone's speaker, accompanied by the screams of a crowd and the sound of chaotic footsteps. It was so piercing it made one's heart skip a beat.

Jiang Chen's heart clenched, and his voice tensed instantly with unprecedented urgency: "What's going on?!"

On the other end of the phone, He Xiaomi seemed startled by the gunshot. Her body shrank back, and her hand holding the phone was shaking. She looked at Jiang Chen on the screen, her voice choked with sobs as she spoke intermittently, "Jiang Chen... there's unrest in this country... there are anti-government forces everywhere... we're trapped, we can't get out..."

Jiang Chen's hand gripping the phone tightened instantly. The lingering fatigue from moments ago was washed away completely by a bone-chilling coldness.

He stood up abruptly, his movement so sudden it startled Cold Front, who had been dozing, into snapping his eyes open. Li Zha also quickly straightened his back.

"Where are you? Give me your specific location!" Jiang Chen asked calmly.

He stared intently at He Xiaomi's pale face on the screen, his gaze sharp enough to almost pierce through the phone. "Tell me where you're hiding. Lock the doors and windows, and don't make a sound. Do you hear me?"

He Xiaomi's tears finally fell uncontrollably. She bit her lip hard and nodded while sobbing, "I understand. We're hiding in the hotel right now... I'm so scared..."

Before she could finish, another burst of heavy gunfire accompanied by the sound of shattering glass came through. He Xiaomi screamed in fright, nearly dropping her phone. The screen shook violently for a few moments, and Lily's panicked expression could be seen briefly beside her.

"Xiaomi! Xiaomi!" Jiang Chen growled, his heart feeling as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. He forced himself to stay calm. "Quickly send me your current location! Then hide well!"

He Xiaomi nodded frantically, her hands shaking so much she couldn't even hold the screen steady. She finally managed to find the location-sharing button. Just as she clicked it, a violent banging came from the door outside. The heavy thuds made the walls tremble.

"Someone's there!" Lily's scream caught in her throat as she gripped He Xiaomi's arm tightly.

He Xiaomi's face was as white as paper, the light from the phone screen reflecting the fear in her eyes. She looked at Jiang Chen, her lips trembling, unable to even utter a complete sentence: "They... they're breaking down the door..."

Jiang Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and an unprecedented look of panic appeared on his face. He growled into the phone with urgency in his voice: "Stuff the phone under the pillow and put it on silent! Then hide with Lily! Don't make a sound, no matter what! I'll find someone to save you right away!"

He Xiaomi subconsciously followed his instructions, trembling as she stuffed the phone into the gap under the pillow. The lens managed to capture the shaking door through the gap under the bed.

Jiang Chen's face was as tense as a drawn bow, his jawline tightly set, and the ferocity in his eyes almost overflowing.

"Chairman Jiang." Cold Front had already stepped quickly to his side. His gaze swept over the phone screen, his expression grave to the extreme. "I just checked. Domestic news says that anti-government riots have broken out in Santander City."

"Divert! To Santander City!" Jiang Chen's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness that made everyone in the cabin shudder.

Without waiting for Cold Front's response, he immediately took out the private terminal Alfred had given him and dialed Arrod's number.

As soon as the call connected, Jiang Chen spoke at a very fast pace, "Arrod, it's me! Listen, Santander City is in chaos right now. My people are trapped in a hotel in the city center, and anti-government forces are breaking down the door! I don't care what methods you use, send people there immediately! At all costs, you must save their lives!"

Arrod on the other end had clearly received news of the unrest as well. His tone was grave yet carried a hint of certainty: "Boss, don't worry. We have two military bases there. I will notify the base supervisor immediately. Rest assured, I'll have him lead the team personally to ensure..."

"Jiang, don't worry, I know the location of that hotel. My people are only a ten-minute drive away. Rest assured, I'll lead the team personally to ensure..."

"I don't want assurances, I want results!" Jiang Chen interrupted him abruptly, the veins on his temples throbbing. His gaze was fixed on the crumbling door on the phone screen. "Now, immediately, right away!"

"Understood!" Arrod's voice dropped instantly. "I'll contact the base supervisor now. We'll stay in touch."

Hanging up the phone, Jiang Chen turned to look at Cold Front, a terrifying storm swirling in his eyes. "Li Zha, have the pilot contact the ground control tower and apply for an emergency flight path. I want this plane to head to Santander City at maximum speed!"

"Yes!" Li Zha took the order and walked quickly toward the cockpit.

"Brother? What's going on!?" Jiang Yan had been woken up by Jiang Chen's loud voice. Seeing his brother's serious expression, he hadn't asked until now.

However, Jiang Chen did not answer him because, on the other end of the phone screen, the sound of the door splintering had already come through clearly. Accompanied by the coarse curses of men, each sound hit his heart like a heavy hammer.

Jiang Chen stared fixedly at the phone screen, his hand turning pale from the force of his grip, and even his breath carried a scorching heat.

The light on the screen flickered. He could vaguely see the hem of a camouflage uniform sweep past the hole in the door, along with the cold clink of metal equipment. Every sound was like a needle dipped in ice, tightening his chest.

"Chairman Jiang, the tower has replied." Li Zha hurried back, clutching a communicator, his tone grave. "Santander City's airspace has been temporarily restricted. Fortunately, we can use Flame Peak's flight path, but..."

"But what?" Jiang Chen didn't even look up, his voice as cold as ice.

"Even if we turn around and fly there now, it will still take nearly eight hours..."

Cold Front, having just put down a satellite phone nearby, said in a deep voice, "Chairman Jiang, I've already contacted the embassy. They are coordinating urgently with the peacekeeping forces, but it will take at least half an hour."

"Half an hour?" Jiang Chen suddenly looked up, the crimson in his eyes almost overflowing. "Can they afford to wait?"

Just as he finished speaking, Lily's suppressed sobbing and He Xiaomi's hurried breathing suddenly came from the phone, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the floor.

Jiang Chen's heart suddenly constricted. Just as he was about to roar out, the screen yet suddenly went black—someone had discovered the phone.

"Xiaomi!" Jiang Chen's hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly, his strength so great it seemed as if he would crush the device.

He looked at the now-black phone screen and forced himself to calm down. Now, his only hope was Arrod's side.

Jiang Chen took out his private terminal and called Arrod again. "Arrod, what's the status? Have the people arrived!?"

Arrod's voice on the other end was extremely fast, "Boss, don't worry! The base supervisor has personally led an elite squad out. The armed helicopters are flying at low altitude to avoid the anti-government forces' radar."

He paused and added, "I've already transferred the real-time footage from the combat team to you. Look at your terminal screen. They are expected to arrive at the hotel in ten minutes."

Jiang Chen immediately looked down at the private terminal. A real-time transmission window indeed popped up on the screen. The footage was from a shaky cabin perspective. Several team members in black combat gear were checking their weapons, their faces professionally cold and hard. The whistle of the wind outside the fuselage was clearly audible.

"Tell them to stay concealed," Jiang Chen's voice was still tense, his gaze locked onto the screen. "There are other tourists in the hotel. Try not to cause innocent casualties. Also, you must ensure He Xiaomi's safety. Not a single thing can happen to her!"

"Rest assured, Boss," Arrod replied concisely. "The supervisor has already received the orders: rescue is the priority, clearing the area is secondary."

After hanging up, Jiang Chen's hand gripping the terminal was still trembling slightly. He looked up at Li Zha and spoke so fast there were almost no pauses: "Pass the word down, the plane is to head to Santander City at the fastest possible speed!"

"Brother!" Jiang Yan finally couldn't help but rush over, his face full of shock. "Santander City is a war zone now. Have you lost your mind?"

Jiang Chen didn't even look at him, his tone filled with an unquestionable decisiveness: "Shut up. Stay in the cabin and don't come out."

Li Zha stepped forward and said deeply, "Yes, Chairman Jiang."

For him, as long as Jiang Chen gave an order, he would execute it... The gale whipped up by the rotors overturned the gravel and dust on the ground. Three dark green military helicopters flew low over the ruins of Santander City, their fuselages vibrating slightly in the turbulence from the aftermath of artillery fire.

Base Supervisor Raymond leaned against the cabin wall, his fingers sliding rapidly across a tactical tablet. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's as it swept over the team members ready for action.

He raised his hand and pressed his communicator, his cold voice echoing in the cabin: "Target: Room 1207, XX Hotel, city center. Complete the assault and rescue within ten minutes."

As he spoke, he synchronized the photos of He Xiaomi and Lily to the tactical tablets on everyone's wrists. The screens lit up instantly, showing two clear faces.

Raymond thought of what Arrod had told him earlier—to rescue these two girls at all costs, no matter what. He couldn't help but look solemn.

His finger tapped heavily on the tablet screen, his tone carrying an unquestionable command: "Listen up, these two Chinese girls are the VIPs of this operation, the highest priority! No matter what situation you encounter, their safety must be guaranteed. Even if you have to trade your lives for it, you cannot let them lose a single hair!"

The team members all nodded and gave a standard military salute. Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they replied in deep voices, "Roger!"

"There are other trapped tourists in the hotel," Raymond added, his gaze falling on the city skyline where thick smoke was billowing outside the porthole. "The clearing squad will be responsible for drawing the anti-government forces' fire. The rescue squad follows me. Make it quick and clean, don't drag it out!"

Just as he finished speaking, the warning lights inside the cabin suddenly lit up, their red glow dancing on the team members' cold, hard faces.

"Three minutes to target!" the navigator's voice came through.

Raymond grabbed the assault rifle beside him, the cold metallic feel of the gun spreading through his fingertips.

He tugged at the strap of his tactical helmet, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "Check your gear, prepare to rappel!"

Before he could finish, a sharp explosion suddenly sounded outside the cabin, and the fuselage jolted violently, nearly losing its balance.

"RPG—!"

The team member on lookout roared, his finger pointing dead ahead at an unfinished building below. Several dark figures were seen carrying rocket launchers, their muzzles still emitting white smoke.

"Evasive maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers!" The pilot's pupils shrank as he slammed the control stick. The helicopter, like a steel bird out of control, suddenly tilted and dived to the left. The team members in the cabin were caught off guard and slammed into the walls, making muffled thuds.

The rocket projectile grazed the belly of the helicopter and exploded in a burst of fire on the open ground in the distance. The shockwave, carrying gravel, rushed toward them, making the cabin glass buzz.

"Fuck!!!" Raymond steadied himself and yanked open the cabin door. The gale instantly poured in, making his tactical suit flap loudly. "Fire suppression team, suppress them! rappel squad, get ready! Move!"

Two team members immediately set up machine guns and fired frantically toward the unfinished building. The sound of bullets tearing through the night sky was deafening, and those dark figures were instantly suppressed, unable to even lift their heads.

"Altitude is sufficient! rappel!" the navigator roared.

Raymond no longer hesitated and grabbed the rappelling rope. The tactical tablet on his wrist was still lit with He Xiaomi's photo. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Follow me! Target: Room 1207!"

As he spoke, he was the first to leap out of the cabin, his black figure like a hawk, descending rapidly along the rope.

The team members followed closely behind, their figures disappearing into the night sky one after another. Their movements were crisp and efficient, without a hint of hesitation.

Raymond's boots landed heavily on the hotel's rooftop. Upon landing, he immediately rolled to dissipate the force, his assault rifle already aimed at the surroundings.

The team members followed closely, quickly spreading out along the edge of the rooftop to form a security perimeter.

Almost at the same time, the other two helicopters also hovered steadily in the air on both sides of the hotel. The cabin doors opened, and rappelling ropes dropped down like silver snakes. Several black figures emerged one after another, landing on the rooftops of the adjacent floors.