Chapter 39: Returning to Familiar Grounds

At this moment, the Falcon Squad had already returned to the Special Operations Division, unaware that an old acquaintance had carefully laid a trap, waiting for them to step right in. Though greater dangers awaited them, the Falcon Squad was now enjoying a rare moment of peace. They felt reluctant to leave the children behind at the Central Hospital in the wilderness district of Shazhou City. Yet, there was no safer place for them for the time being, and at least the children would be well cared for, spared the hardship of following the squad.

Now, the Falcon Squad had become the favorites of the entire Special Operations Division, promoted directly from trainee agents to senior agents. In recognition of their bravery and decisive actions during the liberation of the underground city in the wilderness, and to establish heroic figures in these troubled times, the Division held a grand internal ceremony to welcome the heroes home.

Everyone who participated in the wilderness operation received some form of commendation, but the Falcon Squad, having made outstanding contributions, were naturally the stars of the event. As soon as Damin, Long, Xiaofeng, and Nana stepped off the plane, without even a chance to glimpse the rebuilding Jiang City, they were whisked away by personnel from the Jiang City Special Operations Division of the National Security Committee.

The director praised their performance endlessly, as though he had witnessed it firsthand, exhausting every word of admiration he knew. Listening to him, one might have thought the four members of Falcon Squad possessed the courage to face ten foes alone, and the composure to remain unshaken before the collapse of Mount Tai. In short, they were described as divine warriors, unmatched anywhere.

Such lavish praise left the four feeling somewhat ill at ease. Yet, seeing the leaders so excited, they couldn’t help but play along, certainly not daring to expose the exaggeration. After all, when you're said to be exceptional, you must act the part, even if you're not. If the leaders lost face, it might seem trivial, but damaging overall morale was no small matter. Especially for the newly joined young agents, it was essential to create the image of perfect idols.

Noticing that Damin, Long, and the others seemed distracted and weary, the director realized they hadn’t rested after their long journey, and felt embarrassed for having kept them so long. He finally let them go, only then remembering that he’d summoned them to personally inform them about a ceremony for new recruits in the Division two days later.

“Damn, all this fuss just to tell us about an event? Couldn't he just have sent someone to inform us?” Long, already exhausted, grumbled with dissatisfaction after the director’s lengthy speech.

“He just wanted to show how much he cares, for everyone to see! My dad’s the same—always putting on airs. Luckily, he’s not as talkative,” Xiaofeng sighed.

“Hey, what are you saying about me?” came the voice of Commander Lin from nearby.

Damin, Long, and Nana recognized the voice immediately, as did Xiaofeng. He thought, "How did the old man arrive so quickly?" Commander Lin hated empty displays, and now Xiaofeng had been caught criticizing his father for exactly that—a situation not easily smoothed over.

Xiaofeng quickly turned, grinning, and said, “Dad! What brings you here? We’ve been on a plane all day, spent two hours with Director Zhao, and were just about to go home and rest!”

After more than a year apart, Commander Lin seemed just as spirited and neat as before, but up close, it was clear he had gained a number of gray hairs and looked much older. Evidently, the past year had taken its toll.

Yet, more than his appearance, what had changed most was his demeanor—he was much gentler with the younger generation. He took no offense at his son’s teasing, and half-jokingly retorted, “You rascal, calling your father a showman again, aren’t you?”

“Never!” Xiaofeng denied vehemently.

Damin, Long, and Nana hurried to smooth things over.

Commander Lin was not angry; he had come specifically to fetch the youngsters. After more than a year, he missed them dearly. He refused to let them stay in the Division’s arranged dormitory, insisting they come to his home, which he had already prepared and was not far from the Division.

The four followed Commander Lin home, washed up, and went to rest. Once they were well-rested, they were drawn into half a day’s worth of stories about the past year by Commander Lin and Nana’s mother. Then, the group decided to visit the rebuilding Jiang City.

Over the past year, the Jiang City military district had expended enormous resources, organizing four major sweep operations to clear out the monsters active in the city, as well as the members of the dark organization lurking within. At last, they had eradicated the dark organization’s influence. However, after all these battles, the city had been reduced to ruins.

The reconstruction plan for Jiang City had only begun two months prior, and most areas still bore the scars of disaster. Revisiting familiar places easily stirred memories.

Driving out from the military district, they first visited the old Jiang City Botanical Garden—the temporary safe zone in the north where Long once held sway. The garden had been reduced to ashes by the great fire, and after a year of neglect, wild grass had taken over, growing thick and lush like an untended wilderness. Only a few surviving flower trees and some marble ruins remained, silently recounting the beauty that once was.

Standing before the garden, the group was filled with emotion.

“Do you remember our first time here?” Nana, sensitive by nature, asked with a touch of sadness.

“Of course! The place was covered in trash—I even wanted to grab a broom and clean it up! Now, even if I wanted to, there’s nothing left to sweep,” Damin replied, laughing at the transformation.

“If you want, I’ll give you a hoe and you can clear out the weeds—fulfill your dream!” Xiaofeng joked, picturing Zhang Xingmin rolling up his pants, towel wrapped around his head, wielding a hoe to clear the weeds, and burst out laughing.

Zhang Xingmin glanced at the laughing Xiaofeng, ignored him, and looked over at Long, who stood silently on a large stone, gazing deeply at the scene.

“Hey, stop laughing. Look at Long—he looks like a statue,” Zhang Xingmin signaled to Xiaofeng.

“Commanding the land, stirring words, treating the past like dirt…” Xiaofeng stretched out his hand, mimicking the gesture of an emperor bestowing favor in a film.

Noticing them watching him, Long turned, slightly embarrassed, and asked, “Did I look cool just now?”

“Missing your days as the local overlord?” Xiaofeng teased bluntly.

“A bit, but not entirely. It’s just that so much has changed in the past year—it’s like the world has turned upside down,” Long mused.

“You’ve gone from gang leader to senior agent in the National Security Division—quite the transformation! You should thank me; if I hadn’t…” Damin teased.

“You? If I hadn’t let you, your little frame wouldn’t have threatened me at all.” Long had never mentioned that, when Zhang Xingmin tied him up, he could have escaped any time, but played along for fun—until the cyborg incident sent everything spiraling out of control.

“Alright, let’s not argue. Should we go down and take a look?” Nana suggested.

“No need—the fire cleaned out everything. And even if there’s anything left, it’s nothing compared to what we found in the wilderness,” Long declined, unwilling to risk scratching his new leather jacket.

“True. Why don’t we head to the observatory? I still don’t understand why Professor Wu was there—was he waiting for us? It doesn’t seem likely. Maybe there was some secret we stumbled upon but haven’t realized yet?” Damin suggested.

“I agree! Damin always wanted me to investigate Professor Wu. I told him I didn’t have the skills, but he wouldn’t believe me,” Long laughed.

“Let’s go, then! I’m curious too,” Xiaofeng said, heading for the car.