Strongest Soldier King

After chatting for a while, Luo Zheng and Lan Xue got up to leave and drove toward the villa. On the way, Lan Xue, sitting in the passenger seat, pondered and asked softly, "Grandpa mentioned there are still many agents lurking around, like time bombs. What's your take on this?"

"It's indeed a headache. We don't know who the enemy is, where they are, or what their plans are. We're forced to play defense. Luckily, it doesn't seem they've joined forces, which would be more troublesome. It looks like we'll have to rely on the police to conduct more thorough checks, hoping to startle them into exposing themselves. Also, let Little Dao and his guys on the street keep helping out," Luo Zheng said, sounding troubled, while focusing on driving.

"That's all we can do. Besides, I find Liu Qingqing's behavior somewhat strange, but I can't figure her out. That girl is very smart and hides it well, I'm afraid there might be an incident," Lan Xue reminded.

"That's also my concern. Strong fortresses are often breached from within. But Liu Qingqing is smart enough to know what benefits or harms her, so she shouldn't act recklessly. There are three female police officers watching her, so there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Luo Zheng said, somewhat reassuring himself.

"Let's hope so," Lan Xue replied calmly, turning her face to look out the window, keeping alert to their surroundings. As a soldier, you can't let your guard down at any moment during a mission.

As they were about to reach the villa, a phone rang. Luo Zheng looked at the caller ID—it was Lan Xing, so he quickly handed the phone to Lan Xue. After listening for a while, Lan Xue said they'd be there soon, hung up, and looked at Luo Zheng with a puzzled expression, whispering, "Liu Qingqing mentioned a friend's birthday party tomorrow night and wants to attend. Is that okay?"

"Tomorrow night?" Luo Zheng was taken aback, pondering. Lan Xue knew he was thinking and didn't interrupt. After a while, Luo Zheng suddenly said, "This came up oddly, a bit unusual. Check if her classmate really has a birthday, and don't let Liu Qingqing know we're investigating in the background."

"Concerned?" Lan Xue asked, surprised.

"It's hard to say. There's still three days left until the mission ends. A birthday party tomorrow night? If it were the day after, it wouldn't be an issue, as the mission would be nearly over. Tomorrow night is critical for us; we can't be careless. I'm worried Liu Qingqing might be used," explained Luo Zheng seriously.

"Then our opponent might be more formidable than we thought, knowing how to get close to Liu Qingqing through the people around her. Does this method remind you of Charlie? Could that bastard still be alive?" Lan Xue said, worriedly.

"That possibility shouldn't exist; his identity has been confirmed," said Luo Zheng, also becoming vigilant.

"Not necessarily. What if the database information we have is also fake? From the start, it was false; the one we killed was a fake Charlie, and the database matches him, but the one who died was still a fake Charlie. No one knows who or where the real Charlie is," Lan Xue said, worried.

"What? If so, this Charlie is terrifying," Luo Zheng also started to worry, accelerating toward the villa.

Soon, they returned to the villa. Luo Zheng signaled Lan Xue to investigate Liu Qingqing's classmate's identity. He, meanwhile, called Hong Meihua into the meeting room after closing the door, asking directly, "You're most familiar with Charlie. Is there a possibility that the one we killed isn't the real Charlie?"

"That's impossible. Charlie's dossier came from the United Nations Police Headquarters. Other intelligence agencies have shared data that verifies the deceased was Charlie. I've confronted him several times; his appearance and physique match. Why would you suddenly think so?" Hong Meihua replied in surprise.

Luo Zheng went over Liu Qingqing's situation and his theory. However, Hong Meihua laughed, "Are you two getting jumpy? Sure, the method analysis makes sense, but it's not unique—quite common, actually. If that leads to thinking it's Charlie, then there are too many Charlies in this world. I guess another special agent is making moves."

"Maybe," Luo Zheng pondered, then continued, "Regardless of who it is, we can't be lax. Do you have any suggestions?"

"It's simple. Two countermeasures: one is to ignore it—risk-free but could hurt Liu Qingqing. The other is to play along—having a chance to eliminate the enemy but too risky. If it were me, I'd conservatively ignore it. Decide for yourself; my advice is just for reference," Hong Meihua said, laughing, not taking it seriously. As someone possibly becoming the greatest Spy King, she had the confidence.

Luo Zheng initially thought of ignoring it but reconsidered. If Liu Qingqing joined the National Blade eventually, they'd be on the same team. Any mistrust stemming from this would make cooperation difficult later, puzzling him. Hong Meihua looked at Luo Zheng, surprised, "Is this choice hard? We're soldiers. The mission comes first, everything else is secondary."

"I'll think it over," Luo Zheng replied casually, then heard a knock at the door. Opening it, he saw Lan Xue and smiled knowingly, asking, "How did the investigation go?"

"It's confirmed. The person is indeed Liu Qingqing's classmate, and they've been friends for three years. However, there's also the potential of them being exploited. Additionally, the classmate's family background is strange—no parents, raised by someone since childhood. Her adoptive father is just a restaurant owner, with a modest family background, and she met Liu Qingqing in high school," Lan Xue reported truthfully, concern deepening on her face.

"Adoptive father? Can we get specific information on him?" Luo Zheng asked, confused.

"We're still checking. We only know he's a 45-year-old retired soldier who came to Beijing after service. He worked for three years then opened a restaurant, still unmarried. Liu Qingqing's classmate was adopted around ten years old. Civil registry data shows she was a homeless girl," Lan Xue stated.

Upon hearing this intelligence, Luo Zheng felt something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint what. He pondered deeply, while Hong Meihua also sensed something wrong from the data, uncertainly asking, "Can it be confirmed that Liu Qingqing's classmate was adopted at ten?"

"Not certain, but that's how the civil registry records show it," Lan Xue replied.

"Adopting a ten-year-old isn't impossible, but something's strange. Why hasn't the adoptive father married? Unless there's a physiological barrier, unable to have children, check this guy immediately," Luo Zheng suggested, his eyes showing a resolute determination, with a hint of battle readiness gleaming.