Chapter 1386 Counter-Reconnaissance

As he spoke to the end, even he himself was startled by this speculation, and the others were left stunned.

This kind of dangerous presence, one that could potentially harm the people at any moment, was lurking near their military base, right under their noses.

Yet, until now, they had been completely unaware of it, and that was the most chilling realization.

At this moment, Alina could no longer suppress her emotions and stood up abruptly.

Her expression was grave, tinged with ironlike bitterness and gloom, and her brows showed a hint of tension.

She immediately suggested, “Commander, I believe we must initiate an investigation immediately. We have to find out who this person is!”

“He carries a deadly weapon capable of taking lives at any moment, with a strong sense of reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. He’s like an unstable ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment!”

“We must apprehend this bomb before it explodes again. This is not only to protect the lives of the people but also to resolve a destabilizing factor in society!”

“Commander, I also think we must catch this person. The weapon in his hands is extremely dangerous.”

“Commander, Deputy Commander Wu is right.”

“A dangerous weapon capable of taking lives at any moment is in the hands of an even more dangerous individual. If we do not eliminate this ticking bomb, it will be a dereliction of duty for our military.”

The people present couldn’t agree more upon hearing these words.

Indeed, if such a person is not caught, it is a danger to both society and the people.

Augustus didn’t rush to give orders but continued weighing his options.

Amid the chaotic noise, he tried to maintain calm and let his thoughts gradually slow down.

At this moment, Richard suddenly stood up, “Commander, I have a different view.”

Augustus’s eyes flickered with interest, “Let’s hear it.”

Richard took a deep breath, “I believe we don’t necessarily need to be angry and rush to apprehend that dangerous person.”

Question marks appeared over everyone’s heads.

Richard calmly explained, “Consider that the ones shot were foreign criminals, not ordinary citizens. Although this doesn’t completely prove that this person is good, he hasn’t shown any inclination towards harming the people or threatening societal security.”

“And secondly, supposing our speculation is correct, that crossbow he carries is compact and handy, with powerful explosive force and strong penetration; couldn’t we possibly…”

He revealed a meaningful smile and then added, “At present, shouldn’t we take the opportunity to study it a little?”

Then, Richard deliberately paused before continuing, “Moreover, if this person managed to develop this weapon, it indicates that he is indeed a talent and possesses reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance skills. He is a rare talent!”

“Of course, we absolutely must catch the person, but…we could approach him with intentions of recruitment. The military truly needs such talents!”

A smile tugged at Augustus’s mouth, and he couldn’t help but let out a smile, his furrowed brows unraveled.

This idea truly resonated with him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think?” He lifted his head, smiling at the officers present.

Now, even the least intelligent among them could understand the implicit meaning.

Alina lightly coughed, “Commander Tan, I think this is also a good idea. If we recruit him…it’s indeed feasible, but one thing must be confirmed: the person must be from Nine Provinces.”

“On this point, I agree with Deputy Commander Wu. Let’s proceed as planned.” Augustus nodded, speaking sternly.

Then he pondered for a moment and added, “Do you have any leads on the investigation now?”

As he spoke, he glanced around at the surrounding officers.

The officers exchanged glances, and for a moment, none spoke up first.

At this moment, an officer from the corner said seriously, “Commander, as it stands now, this person can precisely use that unknown weapon, hitting the deceased’s neck accurately, causing death. From this, I deduce he is not a novice.”

“Furthermore, we can rule out the possibility that he encountered the criminals by chance. Perhaps, he had been lurking in the mountains for a long time, just waiting for the criminals to fall into his trap.”

Alina blinked in surprise and asked, “You mean to say this person is not just a novice and might have been waiting for the criminals to appear, to hone his skills?”

The officer nodded heavily, “Yes, Deputy Commander Wu, I believe this is very likely.”

Alina wanted to ask more, but the Commander raised his hand to stop her.

“I think this approach is very insightful, skilled methods, excellent weaponry, possibly intentionally setting traps…” Augustus murmured, nodding as he spoke, “Deputy Commander Wu, issue orders to check if there have been any similar incidents nationwide in the last half year; there must be no oversight.”

Alina nodded in agreement, “Rest assured, Commander Tan, I’ll immediately dispatch someone to investigate.”

Then, Augustus cast his gaze again toward the officers present, “Do any of you have other investigative ideas?”

…

Inside a room in the guesthouse.

Zhang Beixing sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes tightly closed, brows furrowed, hands folded between his legs.

He appeared to be meditating.

However, he was actually summing up the insights from breaking through to the Second-Layer Realm.

Now, he had already achieved a breakthrough to the Second-Layer Realm, capable of feeling the mysterious power within himself.