Strongest Soldier King

The night was deep; the sea breeze blew gently, carrying a hint of brine, rustling the palm trees by the window and quietly slipped into the room, intoxicating the people inside. The cool moonlight also trickled through the gaps in the leaves outside, soft and enchanting, keeping one from sleeping. Lan Xing, with a stern face, was intently watching the laptop screen, her slender fingers dancing rapidly across the keyboard, as gracefully as an elf performing a tragic song.

Not far away, Luo Zheng and Lan Xue were leaning against the sofa, drinking tea and waiting. Several hours had passed and Lan Xing still hadn't found any weaknesses of Song Tao. It wasn't that Lan Xing lacked skill, but Song Tao was too disciplined, offering little to exploit. Ghost Hand had reservations about exposure, so Luo Zheng decided not to act immediately, opting to see how things unfolded to prevent the thugs responsible for investigation from being startled into exposing themselves.

Suddenly, Lan Xing exclaimed in surprise. Her eyes began to shine as she looked at the screen, coupled with the red rings around her eyes, giving her a peculiar appearance. Lan Xue urgently asked, "What's wrong? Did you discover something?"

"Hmm, I just received news that that bastard Song Tao's wife has been kidnapped. The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of a hundred million, in dollars. The specifics of the transaction are unknown. Serves him right, karma." Lan Xing explained excitedly.

"Kidnapping?" Luo Zheng asked in shock, "Given Song Haitian's status, there should be Zhongnanhai bodyguards at their home. The Song family lives together, so it couldn't have happened at home. Was it on the way to or from work? Is there any reliable information, like the identity of the kidnappers?"

"No, the Song family hasn't reported it. It happened at the school gate. The school reported it, but the Song family has yet to make a statement, almost as if nothing happened." Lan Xing said, showing curiosity but more excitement, as if she was avenging and venting her frustrations.

"Could Song Tao's hurried return from Gambling City be related to this? Why not report it? Is the Song family afraid of something?" Luo Zheng pondered suspiciously.

"Your analysis makes sense. No one dares to kidnap a member of the Song family, let alone demand such a huge ransom. This likely isn't a common kidnapper nor an ordinary kidnapping case. We'll see some excitement. What should we do next? Should we stay here and direct remotely?" Lan Xue questioned in agreement.

"No, the situation has changed, and so should our response. You're right; this is no ordinary kidnapping case. There's definitely something else going on. We need to go join the excitement, and see if we can snatch something out of the fire. Even if it means causing trouble for the Song family, it'd be worthwhile." Luo Zheng immediately replied, shaking his head.

"Alright, I'll make the arrangements right away." Lan Xue agreed and ran into the inner room to make a call to the consul.

"Brother-in-law, you must take me with you for this. Otherwise, I won't recognize you as my brother-in-law." Lan Xing suddenly turned to Luo Zheng, stating seriously.

"Of course, it's something you should be doing." Luo Zheng agreed.

Lan Xing agreed and continued typing on the computer. As an information soldier, her battlefield was the virtual world, and the keyboard was her weapon.

Not long after, Lan Xue came over and said, "There's a flight at ten past twelve tonight, leaving in half an hour. The consul wants us to leave immediately. He'll try to delay the plane's departure a bit. If not, we can take the flight tomorrow morning."

"Let's go now," Luo Zheng said.

Upon hearing this, Lan Xing quickly packed her luggage. Though they had just arrived by plane, which meant they'd have to head back in less than a day without having a chance to enjoy themselves, Lan Xing showed no hesitation as family revenge was a priority. The three hurriedly gathered their things and rushed to the door, where a business car had already started. The Gambling City consul who had brought them was waiting, along with the local consul.

"Are you ready?" The Gambling City consul asked enthusiastically.

The three nodded and hurriedly got into the car, speeding away to the airport. About half an hour later, they arrived at the airport, quickly cleared customs through diplomatic channels. The Gambling City consul escorted them to the customs gate but didn't travel with them. Luo Zheng expressed his gratitude, and he and Lan Xue quickly boarded.

They had purchased first-class tickets at the last minute. Once on board, they settled into their seats, enduring complaints from the economy class passengers behind them. Luo Zheng chuckled awkwardly as crew members came to check, making sure seat belts were fastened before leaving. Soon, the announcements began, offering a few comforting words to passengers as the plane taxied and quickly soared into the sky.

Throughout the journey, everyone remained silent, lost in thought. Luo Zheng couldn't fathom who would dare kidnap someone from the Song family; it was like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. He drifted to sleep, waking the next morning around eleven when the plane landed at Beijing International Airport.

The three disembarked, revealing their real identities during immigration. Airport police verified their identities and let them pass. Leaving the airport, they took a taxi to a hotel not far from the Song family's residence and booked a suite as their temporary operations base. Lan Xing quickly powered on her computer to start working.

Luo Zheng went in to freshen up and came out in the hotel's bathrobe, as the spare clothes they'd brought were dirty and insufficient. Lan Xue called hotel services to have their clothes dry-cleaned and ordered three sets of clothes from the hotel store, one for each of them.

After changing into new clothes, Luo Zheng said, "Lan Xing, you stay here and investigate. Inform me immediately if you find anything. Xue Er, go see your grandfather, report the situation and see if he has any instructions. I'll go look around the Song family residence; I want to see who dares to be so bold." With that, he took a silicone mask from his luggage and put it on. It was provided by the consul on Palm Island last time, and he had brought it with him, though not yet used.

Lan Xue agreed, glanced at Lan Xing, who nodded. Lan Xue then placed a small earpiece in her ear, checked her credentials and weapons, and left the room with Luo Zheng. They took the elevator downstairs and arrived at the hotel entrance. Lan Xue advised, "Be careful; don't rush. Revenge can wait. It's been years, a day or two won't hurt. Safety first."

"Don't worry. I have it under control." Luo Zheng replied and walked outside to hail a taxi.

Minutes later, Luo Zheng got out of the taxi, looked at the distant large estate, the Song family residence, about two kilometers away. The estate was shrouded in greenery, obscuring the view inside. Luo Zheng strolled forward, remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

Not long after, Luo Zheng arrived at an intersection, where he noticed a black car parked by the roadside. The driver wore sunglasses and appeared to be waiting for someone; it was quite ordinary, yet Luo Zheng sensed a dangerous aura emanating from the person, which struck him as odd. He quickly memorized the car's license plate, then continued forward nonchalantly while quietly saying, "Check this car."