The scene seemed to be on pause, everything frozen, and I suddenly felt time stretch interminably.
As predicted, there should have been the thunder of battle, our two decoys overwhelmed from all sides, the situation dire. Yet, the sight before me was one of utter tranquility.
I even doubted my own judgment and the veracity of Kang Gong's earlier phone call, wondering if they were trying to trick us.
My senior tugged at my sleeve, reminding me, who was lost in thought, not to be deceived by the scene. He whispered, "I suspect their two forces have colluded. That's even more terrifying."
I was startled. Indeed, if they were two unrelated groups, they wouldn't be this quiet.
"They are waiting for an opportunity."
I hummed in agreement. Yes, they must be waiting for a specific moment to strike suddenly and catch us completely off guard.
The two decoys were clearly disoriented. This wasn't the script we had rehearsed, and they were faltering.
We couldn't step in to direct them, so they had to improvise.
Fortunately, Wen Siqiang regained his composure. He had them return to the car, while he and Qian Fugui continued to stand outside.
I saw Da Kui, after arranging everyone, head to the guests' temporary lounge, likely to report to Brother Leopard and Lan Ya.
At that moment, a standard Mandarin announcement from a young woman came over the loudspeaker, stating that the foundation stone ceremony was about to begin and inviting all leaders and guests to the site.
Lan Ya and Jing Lei were the first to emerge, standing on either side to welcome the VIPs.
A group of hostesses then guided the guests to the foundation stone site.
Suddenly, I noticed something unusual in the surrounding jungle. The branches, as if blown by the wind, began to shake erratically, not in one spot, but from all directions.
What was inevitable had arrived.
Da Kui also saw that something was amiss. He used his walkie-talkie to instruct all security personnel to quickly approach the jungle, ensuring the area was secure.
I called Wen Siqiang on my phone, telling them to prepare for battle.
My senior also waved, signaling the Taoist brothers accompanying us to quickly occupy advantageous positions.
The entire venue was about half the size of a football field. As long as these intruders could be contained on the perimeter until the foundation stone ceremony concluded and the VIPs evacuated, we could let them in and deal with them ruthlessly.
I called Da Kui, telling him to hold on for twenty minutes, no matter what.
The entire ceremony would last about fifteen minutes, and even with five minutes for departure, time was tight.
Da Kui acknowledged, telling me not to worry.
Da Kui was a man of few words and decisive action. I felt reassured by his efficiency. However, the situation today was complex, and one person couldn't control everything. It would ultimately depend on how the enemies hidden in the jungle revealed themselves.
My analysis was that these people had been ambushed in a more distant location earlier, which was why our patrol had not discovered them, and the scene had appeared so peaceful. This was the reason for the false impression I had upon arrival.
When the ceremony began, they quickly converged on the site, preparing to act.
Senior: "I believe their command center is at our eleven o'clock position to the right. This spot is far from the main site and relatively safe. When they start their move, we'll approach them."
I hummed, glancing in the direction he indicated. Indeed, while branches were shaking elsewhere, this area remained remarkably still, as if in a different timeline from its surroundings.
We began to move towards it, followed by two Taoist brothers. As we approached the treeline, I told the few security guards stationed at this position, "When we make our move, you split to the flanks. We'll handle this side."