<h4>Chapter 1464: Chapter 1772: North County Research Institute (1)</h4>


    The next day.


    After greeting Ling Kun, Ling Chen boarded a ne with Chen Junfeng, Qin Genglong, Kaelina, and Zhu Qing heading to the destination. Zhu Qing was responsible for his close protection, given the current situation. She had to follow him at all times to prevent any danger.


    Because this mission involved the military, strict confidentiality was required. Furthermore, considering his own circumstances, Ling Chen feared Ling Kun would worry about his health and not allow him to take on this military mission. Therefore, he only said he was going out for some rxation and did not reveal his true purpose to Ling Kun.


    After several hours of arduous travel, the four finally entered the borders of North County. It was Ling Chen’s second time here, so he was familiar with the environment. Upon reaching the county town of North County, Ling Chen found a hotel and arranged amodation for the four of them. Afterwards, Ling Chen made a phone call to Tang Yuan to set up a meeting to understand the situation at the research facility.


    Upon connection, Tang Yuan immediately expressed surprise upon recognizing Ling Chen’s voice. "Why is it you?"


    "Why not me?" Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Surprised? Hey! Where are you? I’m already at the hotel. Why don’t youe to see me?"


    "You... sigh! What are you doing getting involved in this mess? Alright, let’s skip that for now. Wait for me at the hotel; I’ll be there soon."


    After hanging up, pondering over Tang Yuan’s words, Ling Chen felt puzzled. Tang Yuan’s tonecked excitement. Previously, Tang Yuan would have been thrilled to cooperate. Could it be... this mission was truly extraordinary?


    After waiting about half an hour in the hotel, a ’knock, knock, knock’ was heard from outside the hotel room. Opening the door, seeing Tang Yuan outside, Ling Chen grinned, promptly stepping aside to wee him in.


    "Tea or coffee?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    Tang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Let’s cut out the nonsense. Why did you leave Beijing ande here?"


    "The military approached me and asked for my help. They offered conditions I found eptable, so I agreed. Besides, this mission involves Zhu Hong, and I certainly wouldn’t refuse."


    "Sigh!" Tang Yuan sighed helplessly, saying, "I don’t even know how to talk to you about this. Earlier, they informed me that someone woulde to meet me in North County; I never imagined it would be you. If I had known, I would have stopped you."


    "What’s wrong?" Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Is this mission dangerous? It’s just Chen Quan; I know he’s formidable, but this time I have even stronger allies."


    "If you think the targets of this mission are only Zhu Hong and Chen Quan, you are greatly mistaken." Tang Yuan said seriously, "What did they tell you when they approached you?"


    "They said nothing, only mentioned Zhu Hong and Chen Quan."


    "That’s it." Tang Yuan chuckled bitterly, shaking his head, "You’ve been set up."


    "Set up?" Ling Chen was startled, confused by Tang Yuan’s words, "Come on! Don’t create this tense atmosphere. Tell me, what’s going on exactly."


    "Since Zhu Hong was transferred to the research facility by the military, issues began emerging at the facility. Over twenty days ago, the facility lost all contact with the military; allmunications were severed, and even the inte could not ess the facility’s system. Additionally, the troops originally deployed by the military to guard the facility mysteriously vanished; there’s no news, and even the military cannot reach them. Later, the military sent an investigative team to find out what happened at the facility. However, all five members of that team disappeared without a trace."


    "Moreover, the military discovered their internal servers were breached, and many ssified documents were stolen. In the military, only a few have the authority to ess secret files, one being the director of the Military Research Institute, Yi Haisheng. Since the establishment of the North County research facility, Yi Haisheng personally led a team to study the ancient tomb, overseeing the facility entirely. During this period, Yi Haisheng stayed at the facility. Additionally, Yi Haisheng was the one who authorized Zhu Hong’s transfer to the facility."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Are you suggesting that the director of the institute betrayed the military?"


    "I don’t know; it’s all spection at this point, without concrete evidence. But now there are two possibilities: either Yi Haisheng and Zhu Hong reached a certain agreement and are coborating, or Zhu Hong took over control of the research facility, forcing Yi Haisheng to help him steal military secrets."


    "If you say so, I think the second possibility is more likely. I understand Zhu Hong’s capabilities well, and he also has Chen Quan by his side."


    "Really?" Tang Yuan interjected, "I think the first possibility is more likely."


    "The first one? Why do you say that?"


    "You probably aren’t familiar with Yi Haisheng; he’s not from a military background, but a science enthusiast with high prestige in this field. Initially, the military investigated his background, and after deliberations at high levels, they decided to appoint him as the director of the research institute. Yi Haisheng is indeedpetent; under his leadership, the institute has made great progress, aiding the military in developing many new weapons." Tang Yuan then shifted his tone, "Initially, we were tasked with hunting down the God Organization. Due to Yi Haisheng’s high authority, he also knew about the God Organization. Furthermore, he is intensely interested in researching the God Organization. We destroyed many bases of the God Organization, didn’t we? All the things seized at those bases were handed over to the institute, personally overseen by Yi Haisheng. Yet, you and I both know that nominally it’s safekeeping, but in reality, it’s secret research."


    "So that’s how it is." Ling Chen nodded, "If Yi Haisheng is interested in researching the God Organization, the discovery of the ancient tomb certainly poses great attraction to him."


    "Exactly! As I mentioned, Yi Haisheng is a science enthusiast; he cares little for rank and status, only his scientific achievements. So, I feel he is more likely to cooperate with Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong must have possessed some critical information, prompting Yi Haisheng to exploit his connections to bring Zhu Hong to the facility."


    "If that’s all there is, then there might not be much danger. At best, Yi Haisheng is a knowledgeable civilian. Earlier, you made the atmosphere so tense I thought there was grave danger."


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