Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Li Xiujin's face instantly darkened frighteningly. After ordering them to continue their watch, he boarded a plane and returned to the command center.

Meanwhile, locked in the room, Lin Ze grew increasingly worried. With no other option, he pressed a gun against his own head, forcing the soldiers at the door to open it for him.

"Colonel, if we let you out, the General will kill us."

"If you don't, I'll pull the trigger right now," Lin Ze said.

The four soldiers exchanged glances, but ultimately opened the door for Lin Ze. Before Lin Ze could even board a plane, a group of people, who seemed to come out of nowhere, unleashed a barrage of gunfire on the entire command center. Since most of the forces had rushed to support the mining site after the explosions, the command center was left with few troops and was quickly suppressed by the overwhelming firepower...

Their gun barrels were soon aimed at Lin Ze's head.

A masked man said to Lin Ze, "Colonel Lin, come with us."

Hearing him accurately call out his name, Lin Ze retorted, "You know me?"

"Of course."

However, Lin Ze did not recognize this man. Judging by their attire, they were likely the cross-border gang they had been guarding against. Lin Ze had never had any contact with them, so how did they know him?

"Stop stalling, Colonel Lin."

With a child in his belly, he couldn't confront them head-on. He had to buy time first. Lin Ze discreetly hid the pistol at his waist.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll know when we get there."

When Li Xiujin rushed back and saw the ground littered with the dead and wounded, the door to Lin Ze's room wide open, and no one inside, his eyes instantly turned red. He seized a soldier who was still breathing and demanded, "Where is your Colonel?"

"He was... taken by the other side?"

"Which direction!"

The soldier pointed in the direction they had left. Li Xiujin grabbed a gun, jumped into a vehicle, and pushed the accelerator to the limit. After driving for some time, he finally saw headlights ahead. Relying on his years of combat experience and heightened senses, Li Xiujin controlled the steering wheel with one hand while firing at their tires with the other.

After the tires burst, the speeding vehicle slowed down.

Someone stuck their head out the window to return fire, only to be shot in the head by Li Xiujin.

Lin Ze, bound in the back seat, saw Li Xiujin driving up in pursuit, his face turning deathly pale. Seeing the two men flanking him preparing to shoot back at Li Xiujin, Lin Ze struggled to free himself from the ropes, pulled out his pistol, and pressed it against his own temple. "Your leader probably wants to see me alive, right?"

"From now on, don't fire another shot, or I'll die right here in your vehicle."

Lin Ze guessed correctly; they did not want him dead.

Li Xiujin, chasing their vehicle from behind, fired several more shots at the tires. After overtaking them and cutting them off, he got out of his car, aimed his gun at the leader in the driver's seat, his expression extremely grim. "Let him go!"

The leader in the driver's seat raised his hands, but his foot was poised to hit the accelerator. However, a bullet soon struck his forehead, and he slumped back, lifeless. Seeing this, the two subordinates guarding Lin Ze also tried to fire, but Li Xiujin yanked open the car door, swiftly shot one dead, and subdued the other.

Li Xiujin tightly bound the surviving captive for interrogation with rope, and worried he might bite his tongue to commit suicide, stuffed cloth into his mouth.

After finishing this, he finally untied Lin Ze.

Lin Ze hadn't expected Li Xiujin to arrive so quickly. Li Xiujin cupped his face, checked him over from head to toe, and only after confirming he was unhurt did he tremble slightly and pull Lin Ze's head into his embrace. "Xiu Jin, I'm fine, the baby is fine too. They probably didn't intend to kill me..."

Li Xiujin nodded against his chest.

The bombing of the mining entrance, the attack on the command center, and the kidnapping of an officer quickly alarmed Su Wang and the Prime Minister.

Mining was ordered to be suspended. Li Xiujin and Lin Ze returned to the city together.

Lin Ze was forced to rest at home on the grounds of being frightened, while Li Xiujin interrogated the sole surviving captive day and night without rest.

Unexpectedly, his mouth was extremely tight; no matter what methods were used, he refused to talk.

It was time for Li Xiujin to go home, so he had Yang Yu take over his shift.

Before leaving, he coldly commanded, "Use any means necessary when the situation calls for it."

Yang Yu: "Understood, General."

When Li Xiujin arrived home, Lin Ze was engrossed in watching cartoons.

Li Xiujin took off his coat, walked quietly up to him, embraced him from behind, and kissed his neck and earlobes. Lin Ze trembled lightly in his arms. "Xiu Jin, did you find out anything?"

"No."

Lin Ze wasn't particularly concerned about that; he was more concerned about when the mining would resume.

"The incident has caused too much of a stir, and the public knows about it now. It will probably have to wait for a while," Li Xiujin said, turning him around, unbuttoning his pajamas, and beginning to suckle his increasingly soft chest while simultaneously stroking his pregnant belly...

Although Lin Ze really wanted to return to work soon, hearing this, he accepted it. Besides, his belly was getting bigger and bigger; he couldn't afford to be running around and exhausting himself anymore.

Remembering something, Lin Ze asked shyly, "...Xiu Jin, are you free tomorrow?"

"It's... it's time for the prenatal check-up..."

Li Xiujin simply continued sucking attentively. After stroking his pregnant belly, his hand wandered lower, kneading, and soon Lin Ze felt a wetness...

"If you're busy, I can go with Auntie..."

"I'll go with you," Li Xiujin said hoarsely.

"Mm..."

On the day of the check-up, Lin Ze and Li Xiujin got up very early. While the doctor performed the ultrasound on Lin Ze, Li Xiujin held his hand tightly beside him.

This time, the examination report no longer showed a vague gestational sac; instead, the baby's hands and feet were visible. Lin Ze stared intently at the report, his eyes slightly warming.

This was his and Xiu Jin's baby...

"The baby is very healthy," the doctor assessed after reviewing Lin Ze's various tests. "But you're also entering the third trimester now, so you need to be careful in all aspects."

"Avoid strenuous activities, don't do heavy labor, and especially..." the doctor cleared his throat, "...don't have intercourse too frequently."

Li Xiujin showed no expression, but Lin Ze's face instantly flushed hot upon hearing this.

Back home, Lin Ze's ears were still red.

Li Xiujin went to answer a phone call, then came back and started kissing him again, opening him up, completely ignoring the doctor's advice, still wanting to do it... Lin Ze slightly closed his legs, saying shamefully, "Xiu Jin, the doctor said not to have intercourse too frequently..."

"So you want your husband to stay like this?" Li Xiujin breathed heavily.

"C-can I help you with my mouth?"

But Li Xiujin shook his head, his gaze falling on his chest, his voice hoarse. "Use these to hold it."

Lin Ze trembled, humiliated, but he went ahead and helped him anyway.

After it was over, Li Xiujin burrowed into his arms and fell asleep. Lin Ze affectionately stroked his head. Though a heap of headaches was still waiting for him, he felt deeply happy.

Lin Ze picked up his phone and secretly took a photo of Xiu Jin sleeping soundly in his arms, setting it as his wallpaper.

Then he logged into a social platform he hadn’t used in a long time. His last login had been to ask how to get pregnant, which he remembered with a twinge of shame. He posted a new update.

Already seven months pregnant. Today, my husband accompanied me for the prenatal checkup. The doctor said the baby is healthy. After returning home, my husband fell asleep in my arms.

After posting, Lin Ze turned off his phone, cradled Li Xiujin’s head tightly, and snuggled close to him as they drifted off to sleep.

*

“What did he say?”

Li Xiujin arrived at the military headquarters early in the morning, his expression extremely grim.

Yang Yu steeled himself. “He said they were in contact with Lin Ze. The bombing of the mining entrance and abducting Lin Ze were all planned with him in advance.”

“He also said… the mining coordinates discovered seven years ago were given to them by Lin Ze. They stole it under his guidance.”

Li Xiujin let out two cold laughs in succession and was about to reach for his gun to interrogate the man again when Yang Yu’s communicator rang.

After hanging up, he reported, “The spy has been captured. Now we can check who knew the exact location of the combustible ice back then.”

“I’ll investigate immediately.”

Yang Yu used Li Xiujin’s key to access the system, input the commands, and clicked. Seeing the results, his face fell. He deleted the entry and re-entered it, but the outcome remained the same.

Noticing his troubled look, Li Xiujin walked over to the equipment.

The list contained seven names. Six were generals, all of whom had been killed in action. Only Lin Ze remained alive.

This meant that, as of now, Lin Ze was the only person who knew of the combustible ice deposit discovered seven years ago.

Combined with the testimony, this would lead to Lin Ze being charged with colluding with foreign groups.

“How could it possibly be Colonel Lin? If it really were Colonel Lin, why would he spend so much time training soldiers? This must be a frame-up!” Yang Yu argued.

Li Xiujin swept the files off the desk, grabbed his gun, and headed to the interrogation room to question him again.

Agonized screams echoed from the interrogation room. The whole afternoon went by before Li Xiujin emerged, his face dark with fury.

Seeing his expression, Yang Yu knew the prisoner had stubbornly pinned everything on Lin Ze.

Just as Li Xiujin returned to his office, he received a summons from the Prime Minister.

At the Central Headquarters, besides the Prime Minister, Su Wang was also present.

“I heard the suspect confessed,” the Prime Minister inquired. “It involves Lin Ze, is that correct?”

“Whether Colonel Lin is involved cannot be determined solely based on his one-sided testimony,” Li Xiujin replied coldly. “There is a strong possibility that someone, seeing Colonel Lin reinstated and credited with achievements, fears the truth from seven years ago being exposed. Out of that fear, they deliberately framed Colonel Lin.” Li Xiujin’s gaze shifted, locking coldly onto Su Wang. “Isn’t that right, Commander Su?”

Su Wang offered an uneasy smile.

“Commander Su has already shown me the list of those who knew about the incident back then. Apart from Lin Ze, the only survivor, all others are dead. It may not be proven, but it's highly suspect,” the Prime Minister said sternly. “Ordinarily, he should be detained for investigation. However, considering his contributions to the Regeneration Plan 2, his military rank will be temporarily revoked for now. He must remain within the country and be available for investigation at any time.”

“Without concrete evidence, why jump to conclusions so hastily?” Li Xiujin asked with a dangerous edge. “If you’re stripping him of his rank, strip me of mine as well.”

“You!” The Prime Minister was furious.

Li Xiujin raised his head and repeated, “The claim that Colonel Lin colluded with foreign groups is full of holes. Either let me investigate thoroughly, or remove me from my post as well.”

*

Leaving the Central Headquarters and getting into the car, Yang Yu asked, “General, what did the Prime Minister say?”

Li Xiujin’s face was dark. “Suspended from duty. For now.”

Arriving home, Li Xiujin forced his expression to soften.

Lin Ze was already asleep but woke immediately at the sound of his movements.

Even though he had masked his emotions, Lin Ze gently cupped his face. “Xiu Jin, hasn’t the suspect confessed yet?”

Li Xiujin lowered his eyes. “No.”

“Take your time with the interrogation. Don’t get angry.”

Li Xiujin breathed in Lin Ze's scent.

Seeing his continued silence, Lin Ze thought he was still troubled by the suspect. After kissing his cheek, he whispered, “Xiu Jin… we can do it once today…”