Chapter 239: Departure to the United States!
Chapter 239: Departure to the United States!
Tang Chen anxiously asked, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confront those Big Nose people in the United States? Or send agents to the United States to find him and tear him into pieces!”
The old man smiled bitterly and said, “Little Tang, you are young, so you don’t understand these matters. When it comes to sensitive topics between countries, it’s not as simple as two gangs fighting and me bringing some people to beat them up. As for the agents you mentioned, I’ve already sent people from the Special Operations Bureau to investigate. But they haven’t made any significant progress. The main issue is that we haven’t been able to find out where Wang Jianfeng is being hidden by the Big Nose people. If we were to take aggressive international action and he still stubbornly denied everything, we would have no way to deal with it.”
Tang Chen really didn’t understand these kinds of matters, so his thoughts were indeed a bit simplistic. Upon hearing the old man’s words, he nodded silently to himself. But then another question occurred to him, and he asked, “So the mission you mentioned for me earlier is to send me to the United States to kill Wang Jianfeng and retrieve the data?”
Damn, Tang Chen felt like coughing up blood. He never thought he would encounter something so thrilling in his lifetime. Now they were making him act like 007 to kill a traitor? This was just too awesome.
The old man nodded and smiled. “That’s why this mission is very dangerous. I asked you to think it over carefully. But I also want you to know that if we can’t retrieve the nuclear missile data, our country’s losses won’t be small! Competition between countries isn’t about who has more people; it’s about technology and military strength. If you take on this mission, the weight on your shoulders will be heavy.”
Tang Chen bit his lip and then looked up to ask, “I only have one question. Why me?”
He was genuinely curious. Why would such a dangerous mission target him specifically? This wasn’t just giving him a way out—it was practically sending him to his death!
Think about it: if the Big Nose people dared to bribe Wang Jianfeng to bring the nuclear missile to their country, it meant they had already anticipated that people from China would try every means to eliminate the traitor and retrieve the data. The protection around Wang Jianfeng would surely be much stricter. How was he supposed to find him?
The old man chuckled and spoke to Tang Chen in a praising tone, “Because I see great spirit in you. When your sister was bullied, you even stood up against high-ranking government officials. Now that our country’s secrets are at risk of being leaked, you love your country so much—naturally, you have the responsibility to retrieve the data. Isn’t that right?”
Tang Chen’s face twisted bitterly. Damn, what an old fox! He had felt something was off earlier; it seemed he had been led into a trap. Thinking back, he really shouldn’t have said so much in a fit of anger. Now, if he said he wouldn’t go, wouldn’t that mean he didn’t love his country?
This old fox was setting him up! Sure enough, anyone who had climbed to this position was the cream of the crop in cunning.
“Um, I can go, but first you’ll have to prepare the information I need. Otherwise, if I don’t even know what he looks like, how can I kill him?” Tang Chen sighed, giving up on arguing. Since they wanted him to go, he would go. On one hand, it would be doing a good deed; on the other hand, it could offset the trouble he had caused this time.
The old man seemed to have already expected that Tang Chen would agree. He smiled and said, “Don’t worry about that. We still have agents from the Special Operations Bureau in the United States. Before you leave, I’ll give you their contact information. Once you arrive, you just need to get in touch with them.”
Tang Chen curled his lips. Oh, so this old man had already planned everything out before coming to see him. He had probably even informed the agents there that he was coming. It was clear they were determined to make him go…
Tang Chen deflated and said helplessly, “Alright, I’ll do as you say. When do you want me to leave?”
The old man thought for a moment and said, “It’s better to resolve this matter as soon as possible. You should leave in the next couple of days. Let me know when you’re ready to go, and I’ll arrange for someone to escort you abroad.”
Tang Chen shook his head, stood up, and smiled. “No need. I’ll just take a flight to the United States like a regular tourist. There’s no need for such trouble. One last question: since I’ll be representing the country on this mission, can I cause as much trouble as I want? Or maybe I should ask, what is the limit to how much the country will tolerate my antics?”
As he asked this, Tang Chen narrowed his eyes. He was clever; it was better to clarify such questions. After all, given his personality, if he encountered such a traitor, he wouldn’t just settle for killing him. What if it led to disputes between the two countries, and the old man pushed him out to take the blame? Then he’d have nowhere to voice his grievances. To prevent the old man from abandoning him after use, Tang Chen thought it was best to bring such matters into the open.
The old man was taken aback. He glanced at Elder Du, and then both of them burst into laughter. Shaking his head approvingly, the old man said, “Little Tang, oh Little Tang, you really are smart. Rest assured, the country won’t treat you unfairly. You’re working for the nation—we would never stab you in the back. On the other hand, judging by the scale of the trouble you’ve caused this time, you’re clearly not an easy person to handle. I won’t restrict you much, but I hope you’ll keep a relatively low profile. If you really can’t keep it low-key, then don’t be afraid. Our country isn’t what it was decades ago. If anyone has complaints, let them take it up with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs!”
As he spoke the last sentence, an indescribable aura radiated from the old man. It was a force filled with deterrence and authority, different from the murderous aura Tang Chen carried—this was a presence forged through decisive, long-term leadership.
Tang Chen looked at the old man with a hint of admiration. Truly, a top leader—his presence was indeed different. It seemed this trip to the United States was inevitable. Since that was the case, why not go and have some fun among those Big Nose people?
In the time that followed, Tang Chen discussed some specific details of the mission with the two elders before turning to leave.
After the study door closed behind Tang Chen, Elder Du looked doubtfully at the old man and asked, “Old friend, I’m a bit confused by your decision this time. Based on your usual thinking, you would never assign such an important task to someone like Little Tang, who isn’t even a Party member. What exactly are you up to?”
The old man chuckled, a glint in his eyes. “Precisely because Little Tang isn’t a Party member or a government employee, his identity is much cleaner. Even if the Big Nose people expect us to send agents to eliminate the traitor, they’ll only focus their defenses on certain special individuals. Who would pay attention to a student with such a clean background?”
Elder Du couldn’t help but marvel at the brilliance of the plan, yet he said with some concern, “Though that may be true, I’m still quite worried about him. After all, he’s so young—how could he possibly complete such a dangerous mission? Ah, old friend, I understand your intention: if he fails the mission and dies abroad, it would count as dying in the line of duty, and Liu Tianze wouldn’t be able to cause you trouble. Even though I know this is the most suitable way to handle it, I still feel a bit uneasy.”
Elder Du saw much deeper than Tang Chen, so he naturally understood that the old man’s intentions weren’t limited to sending Tang Chen to the United States on a mission. It was a move that killed three birds with one stone!
A smile reappeared on the old man’s serious face as he solemnly said, “This is the only option we have, Old Du. I hope you don’t blame me for being ruthless—this is just a temporary measure. I’m gambling, and Little Tang is gambling too. Why not think positively? If, by any chance, Little Tang really completes the mission, wouldn’t that be a happy outcome for everyone? In any case, I believe Little Tang might just pull off a miracle.”
Elder Du grimaced, suddenly looking several years older. A miracle? How was that possible…
Tang Chen was escorted out of the Du residence by Du Hongde. Naturally, Du Hongde didn’t know about the conversation in the study, nor did he inquire about it. He simply wished Tang Chen well and saw him off.
After returning to Z City, Tang Chen first went to see Boss Pang and told him that he might be going on a long trip soon, though he wasn’t sure when he’d be back. He instructed Boss Pang to focus on renovating the new Junyue and managing Tianyu Company.
And so, the day passed. That night, after some passionate time with Yang Mi, Tang Chen told her about the situation, though he didn’t mention the part about eliminating the traitor. He only said he was going to the United States.
Yang Mi gasped softly, hugged him, and said with a smile, “No wonder I felt you were a bit distracted all day—it turns out you’re going on a long trip. Just be careful, alright.”
Tang Chen gave a soft “Mm,” sniffed her hair, kissed the corner of her mouth, and said affectionately, “Wait for me at home. I’ll be back in a while. If I don’t contact you or you can’t reach me during this time, don’t worry. I might just be busy with something.”
Yang Mi giggled and said, “I know. You always have so much going on—I’m used to it. Take good care of yourself.”
Tang Chen gave a satisfied “Mm” and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, after saying goodbye to Yang Mi, Tang Chen took a car to the airport. Ding Xiang and Wang Baobao were still asleep, and Tang Chen had no plans to bring them along.
“System, do you think this Young Master can come back alive?” Tang Chen sat on a chair outside, waiting to board the plane, and idly asked.
The System replied, “Respected Host, based on probability, you might indeed find it very hard to come back alive. But considering your cockroach-like vitality, it would be quite difficult for the Americans to take your life.”
Tang Chen laughed heartily. Remembering that he would have to turn off his mobile phone on the plane soon, he decided to call Yu Tianyi at the hospital to check on the situation. Yu Tianyi didn’t answer; the call was picked up by Cang Shihong, that little brother commonly known as Teacher Cang.
Tang Chen briefly inquired about the hospital’s situation and then hung up. After that, he boarded the plane and left Z City. United States, wait for me—Young Master is coming!