Chapter 36: The Impossible Task – Section 6

“I’m going to kill you,” said the Black-Haired Beauty.
And so General Lin Hao died.
No one expected that such a successful raid, at a huge cost to the United States, would yield such a result. When he learned that the military base in California had been destroyed by a nuclear bomb, and that the culprit was none other than the famous Black-Haired Beauty, the U.S. President was stunned speechless. He thought it must be China’s ultimate trump card—a last resort used to save their general.
Everyone knew the Black-Haired Beauty was exorbitantly expensive. And the cost of allowing her to carry out such a massive operation on U.S. soil was unimaginable. Who knew if China’s annual tax revenue could even cover the cost of this operation? The U.S. President had even prepared to hear news the next day about the successful return of his general.
But all he heard was the tragic news of General Lin Hao’s death!
His face turned as pale as paper. For the first time, the U.S. President regretted his actions. Because he suddenly realized he had made a huge mistake.
It was a conspiracy.
The death of a general—on the battlefield—could be considered honorable. But if it happened in a surprise attack, across national borders, in an operation that couldn’t possibly be made public, then it could only be shame!!
The United States had made tremendous efforts for the gene map, even going so far as to betray thousands of its spies, many of whom held high positions—positions that couldn’t possibly be exposed in any country. It was like darkness beneath the light. No one would be foolish enough to slap themselves in the face.
The U.S. President had thought that even if China learned of this operation, it would swallow its pride and endure it, just as they had always claimed to embody the magnanimity of a great nation—without making a fuss, perhaps only issuing some trivial protests.
But now General Lin Hao was dead, and his body had been taken away by a rogue organization like the Black-Haired Beauty. No matter how much they tried to hide it, it was useless. China couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to stop the spread of this news.
So, whether it was China or the United States, they both had to give an explanation. The U.S. President could even imagine himself apologizing to the Chinese President and paying huge compensation.
But he didn’t know that, before this, while General Lin Hao was still alive, there had been a young man standing before him, who said,
“I’m going to kill you.”

“Why?” General Lin Hao remained calm. There was even a faint smile on his face. Now he knew that this young man was the leader of those madmen. Then, the battle just now must have already reached a conclusion, right?
One really can’t help but admire these madmen… General Lin Hao thought to himself. They captured a state-of-the-art assault ship in just two minutes—was there anything in this world these madmen couldn’t do? Even his most elite soldiers probably couldn’t compare to them.
With that, General Lin Hao no longer worried about his own secrets. There was only one person who could bring these madmen before him. And no matter how hard General Lin Hao tried, he couldn’t imagine that person doing anything harmful to the country.
So General Lin Hao smiled and calmly raised his question.
“Because you know too much. He said that knowing too much is not good for him, nor for Huaguo. Although this incident put him in a difficult position, if used well, it might even be a turning point for Huaguo. He needs someone influential to serve as the fulcrum for this change.” The young man spoke calmly and naturally. Under the light in the cabin, General Lin Hao saw no signs of excitement on his face, as if he were talking about something trivial.
“I see…” General Lin Hao pondered for a moment before showing a wry smile.
“Indeed. Knowing too much is always a burden. Now that the burden is gone, I’m at ease. But to know that I can be used as a fulcrum before dying is truly an honor. Were these words told to you by him?”
“No. These are my words. Lin Hao is a general, not a mere soldier. If he is to die, he must die understanding things clearly. Though the dark-haired beauty isn’t a good person, she still respects such a general.”
“Heh, should I feel honored?” General Lin Hao blinked, as if joking.
“I’m the one who should feel honored.” The young man finally bowed slightly, performing an imperfect courtesy. “That’s why I came personally for this mission—to see the general off.”
“Very good, excellent.” The general smiled happily. Then a flash of black light appeared before his eyes, and the tight grip on his arm loosened. A long-lost sense of relief returned to him.

He moved his arms slightly. The general stood up. It was only then that he realized he was actually a head taller than this black-haired man. When they stood face to face, they resembled two stone statues—the taller one covered in an aura of violence, while the shorter one was shrouded in utter darkness.

Looking at the young man before him with satisfaction, General Lin Hao suddenly realized he was actually a quite good-looking young man, though a bit cold. The long scar not only did not diminish his charm but also added to his masculinity. Standing before him, this young man showed no sign of retreating; instead, he exuded an air of authority usually reserved for those in high positions, subtly challenging the old general’s presence.

Indeed, worthy of being the leader of the Black-Haired Beauty… The old general nodded inwardly. His own authority had been built over years of war, filled with a strong sense of violence—enough to make ordinary people uneasy even while sitting, let alone standing in his presence. Yet this young man remained calm as if unafected, proving his remarkable mental strength.

Perhaps only such a person could carry out his final will.

With that thought, General Lin Hao decided not to waste time. The warship was already on the verge of collapse, ready to turn into a falling fireball at any moment. He didn’t want his secrets to remain buried inside him until his death.

“Black-Haired, I heard that although your organization is classified as illegal internationally, you still take on missions for mercenaries?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then, may I apply for a mission now?”

“Yes, as long as you can pay a sufficient price.” Black-Haired gave the old general a brief glance before slowly nodding.

“Hmm. What price did he demand this time for you to come here?”

“A one-cent coin from 1952.”

“Hm?” The old general frowned. “So expensive?”

“The Black-Haired Beauty always charges a high price.”

“In that case…” The old general pondered for a moment before nodding firmly. “Very well!”

Reaching into his robe, the old general carefully took out a small red cloth bag and slowly opened it. He was so excited that his hands trembled. As the red cloth was peeled back layer by layer, a silver-white metal piece appeared before them.

It was another one-cent coin from 1952!!

Studying the metal piece in his hands carefully, the old general’s eyes grew moist. Years of warfare had left his hands covered in calluses. They were hands meant to hold a gun, requiring stability at all times. Yet today, the old general relaxed that restraint, allowing his hands to tremble as if shaking grain.

It was because of the coin on it.

“This was from when I was 46, during my campaigns in the Philippines. That year, I led 20,000 men in a parachute drop on the enemy’s capital, with 15 heavy assault ships serving as our vanguard, facing off against American cruisers. After the battle, 80% of those 20,000 men died, and I was also severely injured. Yet I eventually forced the Philippines to sign a surrender treaty, allowing our country to establish a foothold there. Out of recognition of my achievements, he reluctantly gave me this coin. It is said that there are no more than three such coins in all of Huaguo.”

“I know,” Hei Fa said calmly. Though his gaze also fell on the coin in the old general’s hand, it remained utterly steady.

“Those who possess such a coin can make one request of Huaguo. As I’ve said, the price for beauty and talent is always high.”

“Yes, your price is indeed high. I doubt many in this world can afford it. Then, using this coin as payment, would you consider hiring me?”

“Yes,” Hei Fa nodded, taking his gaze off the coin and focusing on the old general’s face. He seemed puzzled—was there still some unfinished business for the old general at this moment? And it seemed quite important, too.

Yet his reply made the old general regain his composure, turning his attention back to the coin. After pondering for a while, he finally spoke.

“The task is simple. I want you not to hand over the genetic map you obtained this time.”

“Is it because it’s fake?” Hei Fa asked gently. If that was all the old general wanted, then it was indeed simple. He had known from the start that the genetic map was fake. After all, among the talents in Hei Fa Hong Yan, there were many experts in biology. Sending a message to headquarters would be enough to confirm whether a genetic map was genuine or not.

He had thought the old general was worried that he might send the fake genetic map back to Huaguo, causing unnecessary losses.

Unfortunately, his guess was wrong. The old general wasn’t surprised as he had expected. Instead, he sighed deeply and shook his head.

“No, what I mean is, don’t hand over the real genetic map either.”

“A real gene map? Where is it? Why won’t you let me hand it over?” The dark-haired man’s gaze sharpened.
“The real gene map is on me. I’ll give it to you soon. As for why I won’t let you hand it over, it’s because… Huaguo is no longer worthy of possessing it.” The old general smiled bitterly, then, under the dark-haired man’s gaze, raised his hand… and thrust it hard into his own chest!!