Thankfully, nothing else happened that night. Shawn Young figured it was probably thanks to Dragon King quietly taking care of the troublemakers. Early the next morning, Colonel Hank Han contacted the team back home, confirmed their early departure, and got two big trucks ready with all the necessary disguises. With cover from the powerful Jihadist groups and arrangements by Ake, several skilled drivers from the Pakistani Intelligence Service helped them drive the trucks safely out of Peshawar, heading straight for the China-Pakistan border.
The trip was smooth, and after two days on the road, by the afternoon of the third day, they finally arrived at the Hongqifu border post in the Karakoram Mountains, Xinjiang, right on the China-Pakistan border. As everyone looked out the window and saw the bright red flag waving in the wind, their hearts swelled: 'Finally home! Nothing beats the feeling of coming back!'
Ake and the Pakistani intelligence drivers parked the trucks at the border. Once the job was done, they waved goodbye and hopped on a Chinese truck heading back to Pakistan. Ake was the star of the show, so when he left, Hank Han and Shawn Young hugged him tight, thanked him sincerely, and insisted he visit China whenever he got the chance.
Ake laughed and agreed right away. Pulling off this top-secret mission was a huge boost for his military career, and the Chinese authorities would definitely remember the help from him and the Pakistani Intelligence Service. The partnership between the two countries and their intelligence agencies was bound to get even stronger.
As soon as Ake and his Pakistani crew left, two rows of fully armed Chinese border guards rushed out from the checkpoint, followed by a fifty-something officer. Hank Han spotted the gold star on his shoulder—he was a Major General!
The Major General stood at the border post, saluted Hank Han and the crew, then shouted, 'Headquarters has already taken care of everything! No entry permits needed—you’re free to enter China! Head over to the division’s parade ground, there’s a helicopter waiting for you!'
Hank Han grinned, 'Heh, a private helicopter this time? Looks like we really earned some bragging rights! I’m definitely going to ask the higher-ups for more perks—maybe score some goodies!'
With that, Hank Han motioned for the Dragonforce Battalion team to drive the trucks into China. The border guards lined up on both sides of the road, and as the trucks passed, the Major General roared, 'Line up! Salute!'
The border guards straightened up, gripping their assault rifles, boots stomping in perfect rhythm as the trucks rolled by. Fiona Tang flashed Shawn Young a bright smile from her seat, and Shawn felt the respect from the soldiers—it was exhilarating, way better than any material reward. He knew this mission was totally worth it!
Once inside China, passing under the soaring red flag, Shawn Young felt a wave of relief and security. The convoy, led by jeeps from the Xinjiang Military Command, cruised along without a hitch for hours. By eight o’clock that night, they rolled right into a military base parade ground blazing with lights.
Shawn looked around and spotted rows of tanks with their barrels raised, parked along the edge of the parade ground. In the center were several military helicopters, and nearby stood a group of soldiers plus a man in a black flight jacket. Shawn nudged Hank Han, 'Colonel Han, where are we?'
Hank Han chuckled, 'This must be a division base in the Xinjiang Military District. See all those big shots waiting for us? The lowest rank is Senior Colonel! And look, there’s even a Lieutenant General! We really hit the jackpot! Ha!'
Fiona Tang smiled at Hank Han, 'Looks like you’re really getting promoted this time! The team’s moving up too—congrats!'
'Oh, come on—no matter how much we get promoted, we’re still not as awesome as your Special Abilities Taskforce!' Hank Han grinned, pretending to be humble, but his beaming face gave him away.
After the convoy parked in the middle of the parade ground, the Lieutenant General ordered the escorting soldiers to guard the perimeter. The lower-ranked troops joined them, leaving just the sixty-something Lieutenant General, a scholarly-looking Major General, and a short, grim-faced man in a black jacket and tinted glasses in the center.
Everyone hopped out of the trucks. Fiona Tang greeted the two men, 'Uncle Chen, Uncle Cui, you’re here!'
The Lieutenant General smiled at her, 'Yes, Fiona, you all did a great job, so the central leadership ordered us to come greet you personally.'
'Good!' The man in the black jacket nodded to Fiona Tang, saying just one word—definitely a man of few words.
Hank Han got out, saluted the Lieutenant General, then climbed back into the truck to fetch 'Black Eye,' still bundled up and spaced out. When the man in the black jacket saw him, he finally cracked a smile and said, 'You’ve all worked hard! On behalf of the Security Bureau and myself, thank you!'
The Lieutenant General introduced himself, 'I’m Lieutenant General Chen Tieshan, commander of the Military District. This is Director Cui Tianlai from the National Security Bureau—the legendary super spy! Don’t be fooled by his casual clothes, his rank’s just as high as mine!'
Then Chen Tieshan pointed to the scholarly-looking Major General, 'This is Major General Lu Botao, weapons expert from the Baicheng Weapons Testing Base in Inner Mongolia and honorary professor at the National Defense University. He came personally to check out the American Thunder Hammer mech you guys brought back!'