"You're late," snapped the Grand Commander General the moment Huo Shen appeared on the screen.
"I apologize," Huo Shen replied evenly. "I just sent Gu Qingze off. I was delayed."
Behind him, Bai Renzhou bit back a smile.
It was clever phrasing. Huo Shen had indeed seen Gu Qingze off. And yet, said like this, it strongly implied medical treatment -enough to sting.
Serves you right, Bai Renzhou thought viciously. You never cared whether he was hurt.
The jab landed.
Commander Huo's expression shifted, guilt flickering across his face. "Are you injured? How are you feeling? I can…"
"No need for the performance, Grand Commander," Huo Shen cut in flatly. "Let's proceed with the debrief."
The older man inhaled slowly.He was always wrong-footed with this son. But feelings could wait - this situation could not.
"Proceed," he said curtly.
"By the time I arrived, the SOS had already been sent," Huo Shen reported. "I still entered the premises, as Senior Mo's safety could not be confirmed. I neutralized the guards near the classrooms and conducted a sweep."
His voice was calm, precise.
"I encountered Black Lotus operatives outside the control tower. They had Senior Mo and Huo Yichen in custody. I incapacitated Han Zheyu. Your grandson was unconscious; reinforcements were en route. I exited through the west window."
Lu Mian was erased entirely from the narrative.
"So Senior Mo was at the control tower?" the Grand Commander asked, relief creeping in despite himself. If Huo Shen had seen her, the chances of abduction dropped significantly.
"Yes," Huo Shen replied smoothly. "He was unharmed and under guard by Black Lotus agents. He was restrained beside Huo Yichen."
The screen went still. The Grand Commander's face drained of color. "Describe Senior Mo," he demanded sharply.
"Approximately fifty years old. Grey hair. Glasses. About five foot five—"
"That's enough!" The Grand Commander slammed his palm down. "Because of your carelessness, the real Senior Mo is now missing!"
Bai Renzhou bristled. Carelessness? It was your precious grandson who bungled the mission. Our commander cleaned up the mess - and this is the thanks he gets?
"I did not mistake the target," Huo Shen said coldly. "The individual matched the mission dossier precisely…"
"That dossier was wrong!" the Grand Commander snapped. "As a soldier, how could you fail to verify independently? This is basic diligence!"
Huo Shen smiled thinly. "Understood," he said.
"Next time I'm ordered into an urgent extraction, I'll be sure to disregard official intelligence and conduct my own independent background investigation mid-combat."
"Stop being a smartass," the Grand Commander barked."This time… Yichen made a mistake." he continued rather stiffly
"That," Huo Shen replied coolly, "is the first accurate assessment you've made today."
The air froze.
"At your request," he continued, voice edged with steel, "I went in to clean up his mess. I used the information you provided. If the Grand Commander has objections, he should direct them to the appropriate party."
Silence.
The older man exhaled, frustration weighing heavy on his shoulders. This conversation was not going as he had envisioned.
"I didn't mean it that way," he said at last. "I had hoped you might have uncovered additional clues. Senior Mo is missing. Surveillance was wiped clean. Shen'er… you must understand the pressure Yichen is under."
Huo Shen did not respond. He refused to take on responsibility or burden that was not his to bear. Not anymore.
The pause stretched.
The Grand Commander pivoted. "We have a cover prepared for Aegis," he said abruptly. "Black Lotus believes Huo Yichen is Aegis. We can allow that misunderstanding to persist. It will buy you time to go deeper undercover."
"Negative."
The refusal came instantly.
"That assumption is unverified," Huo Shen said sharply. "I will not risk my team based on enemy speculation. The Grand Commander General can use other means to prop up his grandson. I will not let my team suffer for your selfish bias."
That was his line.
He would never allow the Grand Commander's bias to endanger the people under his command.
"Shen'er, you must consider this from my position - "
"If there's nothing further, Commander," Huo Shen interrupted coolly, "I'll return to my vacation."
He paused deliberately.
"And in the future, it may be best if the Grand Commander refrains from requesting my assistance. I seem… incapable of meeting expectations."
He cut the call. Huo Shen exhaled slowly.
Conversations with his father always left scars. He knew how to play his father, because his father was unmistakably biased, and absolutely indifferent towards him.
He should've been used to it by now, he thought ruefully. Yet, it never stopped hurting. For a second, Huo Shen was glad for the pain. It was a reminder that told him why he could never ever have a chance with the lovely young girl in his home.
With a father who was ready to sacrifice him at any minute, with a life that was submerged under shadows, what can he give her?
And then, there was his health…
Forcing back the bitterness, Huo Shen abruptly stood up. He will not waste time on what could not be. For now, his girl was under his care - that was so much more than what he had last week. It was enough.
"Tell Senior Mo our plan is good. She has 3 weeks with Rhino and our team to uncover the mole in Project Nexus." he ordered Bai Renzhou.
3 weeks and then they would be away on the next mission. Each one of Aegis' mission was dangerous. He was in the frontlines and could be sacrificed at any time. He held on for so long because he had a young son who needed him.
Now, there was her.
Huo Shen reached for his phone, and gave instructions to his lawyer. It was time to have a plan for her as well, in case of emergencies.
Tomorrow was not a guarantee after all.