Fifteen kilometers wasn't an incredibly long distance, but for someone traveling on foot, it wasn’t short either. After cautiously advancing for more than two hours, Lin Tao finally approached the designated location.

  Beyond a ten-meter-high dirt slope, a bck civilian helicopter y quietly, its exterior showing clear signs of wear—paint peeling in multiple spots. The aircraft was camoufged with branches, and no one was visible nearby. In the darkness of the night, it looked like a beast lurking on the hillside, waiting patiently for its prey to walk into the trap.

  Lin Tao and Michael were currently concealed behind a rge boulder about three hundred meters from the helicopter. The aircraft was positioned upwind. Michael, lying on the ground, sniffed the air vigorously before whispering, "Seven people in total—four hidden in the trees near the helicopter, and three underground in dug-out pits. One of them is a woman."

  "A woman? Are you sure?" Lin Tao asked, surprised.

  Michael nodded confidently, his tone serious. "Absolutely. Because she's on her period—I can smell it."

  Lin Tao rolled his eyes, baffled by how the dog could even detect something like that. Shaking off the thought, he muttered, "The numbers don't match. It was supposed to be six people, and why would there be a woman? Never mind, let’s signal them first and see what happens."

  Pressing his back against the boulder, Lin Tao picked a spot where he wouldn’t be an easy target for snipers and shouted, "Have you eaten yet?"

  A brief silence followed before a male voice responded, "Not yet, we’re waiting for your treat!"

  "What the hell kind of code is this?" Lin Tao mumbled under his breath before continuing, "What do you want to eat? How about U.S. dolrs?"

  "No, only rubles!" The voice answered. Moments ter, a burly man, his face smeared with camoufge paint, jumped down from a tree about two hundred meters away. He carried a sniper rifle, modified with camoufge netting, making its model indistinguishable.

  Seeing the man emerge, Lin Tao stepped out of hiding but signaled Michael to stay put, approaching cautiously.

  "Lin Tao? Why are you alone? Where are the others?" The man stopped in his tracks, his expression puzzled.

  As Lin Tao drew closer, he realized he knew this person. His initial wariness faded, and he waved a weary hand. "Something went wrong."

  The man’s expression changed drastically. "What? How could that happen? Did you complete the mission?" He gestured behind him, signaling his concealed teammates to emerge.

  "It’s done." Lin Tao replied while discreetly counting the figures appearing from the darkness—a habit forged from years of surviving the edge of death.

  ‘Wait… only six? Where’s the woman Michael mentioned?’ Lin Tao frowned.

  "The package—do you have it?" The burly man pressed.

  "Yes." Lin Tao nodded but then asked, "How many of you came?"

  "Including me, six. Why?" The man looked around, perplexed.

  "Nothing. Let’s get out of here—this pce isn’t safe." Lin Tao wasn’t keen on eborating and gestured toward the helicopter.

  "Can I see it? I’m really curious." The man stretched out his hand expectantly.

  Lin Tao hesitated slightly but ultimately pulled a small silver metal box from his pocket, offering it forward. Just as the box was about to reach the man's hand, he suddenly grabbed Lin Tao’s wrist instead.

  "What the—?!"

  The moment Lin Tao saw the sinister smirk creeping onto the man’s face, his instincts screamed danger. He tried to break free, but before he could react, a powerful electric current surged through his wrist. His entire body seized up, muscles locking rigidly as darkness swallowed his consciousness…

  When Lin Tao awoke, his head was still spinning, though marginally better than before. At least this time, it merely felt like a helicopter was churning inside his skull. As he gradually regained crity, he looked up and found himself—ironically—inside an actual helicopter.

  The cabin was nearly empty except for a single pilot at the controls. Beside him, Michael was tied up tightly to a chair, a rge wad of cloth stuffed in his mouth—likely because someone got fed up with his chatter. Despite this, his bright, mischievous eyes darted around eagerly, lighting up when he noticed Lin Tao waking.

  "You're awake?"

  The deep voice came from the pilot's seat. Lin Tao turned his gaze and saw a burly, bearded man at the controls. However, the next words that came from the man’s mouth were in an unexpectedly melodious, feminine voice.

  "Who are you?" Lin Tao asked, noticing he wasn’t restrained. Either this person was confident he couldn’t escape, or they had no hostile intentions.

  "What, did the shock fry your brain? You don't even recognize my voice?" The pilot chuckled pyfully. Then, before Lin Tao’s stunned eyes, the "man" reached up and massaged their face. A moment ter, the illusion faded, revealing an exquisitely beautiful Asian woman beneath. She removed her flight helmet, shaking out a neat crop of bck hair.

  Now standing before him was a breathtakingly attractive woman—sharp, crescent-shaped brows, slightly upturned lips, and piercing bck eyes that, though not rge, were incredibly expressive. However, her current appearance was a strange mix of rugged masculinity and delicate femininity, thanks to the oversized flight suit still hanging loosely on her frame.

  "S-Su Yue?! What the hell are you doing here?" Lin Tao’s jaw practically hit the floor.

  "Why wouldn't I be?" Su Yue casually switched the helicopter to autopilot, then stood up, unzipping her oversized flight suit.

  Lin Tao’s eyes widened as he realized she had been wearing thick padding underneath—an attempt to mimic the bulkier pilot she had impersonated. Once the disguise came off, she revealed a sleek, form-fitting bck combat suit that accentuated her curves. The tight shorts left her long, toned legs completely exposed, making her appear both deadly and alluring.

  "Did you… save me?" Lin Tao forced himself to look at her face rather than her strikingly athletic legs.

  "Who else?" Su Yue strapped a parachute onto her back, then turned toward him with an apologetic smile. "First of all, I should say sorry. The team you’ve been working with? They’re not just regur mercenaries. They’re all affiliated with the Holy Light Sect. I only found out recently."

  "They betrayed me. That part I figured out the moment they electrocuted me," Lin Tao sneered.

  Su Yue smirked, then pointed downward. "Also… the helicopter’s fuel tank has been leaking. And I happen to have the only remaining parachute. I think you get what that means."

  Before Lin Tao could respond, Su Yue winked pyfully, holding up the stolen metal box. Then, with a mischievous grin, she threw herself backward out of the helicopter, vanishing into the night.

  Lin Tao stared bnkly for a moment before realization struck—she had taken his mission’s objective.

  Letting out a bitter chuckle, he turned his attention to the fuel gauge. His heart sank. The remaining fuel would st… five minutes, at best.

  "Master! That woman was so pretty! Why haven’t I met her before?" Michael, now freed, wagged his tail excitedly.

  "You couldn’t even talk when I first met her." Lin Tao was too focused on maneuvering the chopper to pay much attention.

  "But she was so mean to me! I just asked if she was on her period, and she tied me up!" Michael whined. "Though… she did get hurt protecting you."

  Lin Tao frowned. "What?"

  "Yup! When she was carrying you onto the helicopter, one of the mercs who wasn’t completely dead tried to shoot you in the back. She instinctively shielded you and took the hit instead."

  Lin Tao's grip on the controls tightened. His emotions were a tangled mess—worry, relief, and… something else.

  "Master, what exactly is your retionship with her?" Michael asked.

  Lin Tao took a deep breath. "She’s the kind of woman worth risking my life to protect. Now sit tight—we’re crash-nding."

  As the arms bred, the helicopter plunged toward the earth.

  "Where are we going after this?" Michael asked, still excited.

  "Home," Lin Tao murmured. "To China."