The front-line command headquarters mistakenly judged the Zhanlong Squad as deceased due to their previous disconnection and inability to trace their whereabouts. Currently, the captain of the Zhanlong Squad, Jiang Wuming, has contacted the front-line command headquarters. They did not perish in battle but were unable to contact the front-line command headquarters earlier due to special circumstances.
That evening, the front-line command headquarters clarified the previous news of the Zhanlong Squad's demise and briefly explained the reasons.
Upon its release, the news immediately caused a stir in the Mount Everest battlefield and even in the global martial arts community!
"That's great!"
"I said it long ago, I didn't believe Jiang Wuming would die in battle. The facts are indeed true!"
Some were excited by this news, while others were hindsight strategists, boasting about their previous judgments.
In addition, some raised questions: why was the Zhanlong Squad out of contact for two days? What did they encounter?
Not only the front-line soldiers and some figures in the global martial arts community, but even Li Rui and others at the front-line command headquarters were very confused.
With this confusion, they waited for the return of the Zhanlong Squad that evening.
Long Qisheng, Li Rui, the three elders of the Martial Department, and the head of the Enforcement Division, Zhujian, all welcomed the return of the Zhanlong Squad outside the front-line command headquarters' courtyard.
After disembarking, Jiang Wuming asked Qin Xiaozhi, Xing Tian, and Dongfang Xiaoyao to take Huangfu Weixia to the field hospital.
Although Huangfu Weixia's injuries were no longer life-threatening, she had not fully recovered.
In addition, her wounds needed careful treatment, otherwise, after the wounds healed, they would leave extremely ugly or even hideous scars.
This would be a nightmare for a girl.
Moreover, Huangfu Weixia's wounds were in a sensitive area?
"I want to report to Staff Officer Li alone."
After Qin Xiaozhi and the other three left, Jiang Wuming suddenly spoke, stating his request.
This request was the same as when he reported to Li Rui previously.
"Alright."
Li Rui was the first to nod in response.
Long Qisheng hesitated to speak, and finally swallowed the words that came to his lips.
The three elders of the Martial Department, however, felt a stir in their hearts, understanding that Jiang Wuming and the Zhanlong Squad had experienced a special encounter.
And Jiang Wuming only being willing to report to Li Rui indicated his distrust of the front-line command headquarters.
This meant that the matter was very serious and would likely involve the front-line command headquarters and even the entire Martial Department!
"Wuming, can I be present?" Zhujian asked.
"If Uncle Zhu wants to listen, then let's all be present."
Jiang Wuming nodded.
Just as the three elders of the Martial Department had judged, Jiang Wuming indeed did not trust the front-line command headquarters.
To be precise, in the entire Martial Department, Jiang Wuming trusted only four and a half people.
Qin Yuanzheng and his son Qin Linhai were counted as one each, but they had already died in battle.
Qi Wufu counted as one, but he was now seriously injured and in a coma, and had not woken up yet.
The remaining half were Zhujian, Li Rui, and Zhou Hetu, the latter also having died in battle.
As for Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Xueqin of the East Sea Martial Arts Academy, they were not included.
In Jiang Wuming's heart, they were like family.
Perhaps feeling it was too awkward, Long Qisheng left voluntarily, and the three elders of the Martial Department hesitated for a moment before also leaving without a word.
"Staff Officer Li, Uncle Zhu, let's find a quiet place."
Jiang Wuming spoke again.
There were many people and eyes at the front-line command headquarters, and with powerful figures like Long Qisheng at the half-step Celestial God realm, speaking at the entrance and conversing in front of Long Qisheng made no difference.
"Alright."
Li Rui and Zhujian nodded simultaneously.
A few minutes later, Jiang Wuming, Li Rui, and Zhujian moved away from the command headquarters and came to a snow-covered hillside, surrounded by silence.
"Wuming, it should be fine here."
Zhujian stopped and reminded Jiang Wuming.
Jiang Wuming heard this and stopped.
"Wuming, what happened?"
Li Rui finally couldn't help but ask about his doubts.
"The Zhanlong Squad was framed and nearly annihilated collectively!"
Jiang Wuming said the truth in a low voice.
Swish! Swish!
Upon hearing Jiang Wuming's words, even though Li Rui and Zhujian had realized the matter was not simple, their expressions still changed in shock.
"Who framed you? What exactly happened?"
After a brief shock, Zhujian's face was filled with anger. It seemed that as long as Jiang Wuming revealed the mastermind, he would go and kill them.
In the eyes of most people in the Martial Department, Jiang Wuming was the banner of the younger generation, a hero and the future of the Martial Department and Long Country. But in Zhujian's eyes, Jiang Wuming had another identity— a benefactor.
For a long time, the relationship between Qi Wufu and Zhujian was that of master and disciple, as well as father and son.
Jiang Wuming had saved Qi Wufu in time during the Southeast Region battlefield and was Qi Wufu's savior.
Zhujian had always remembered this favor.
As for Li Rui, his eyes flickered, judging that this matter was related to Gu Tianlong, but he did not voice his deduction, waiting patiently for Jiang Wuming to reveal the specific details.
"Staff Officer Li, Uncle Zhu, on that day, after I received the order from the front-line command headquarters..."
Jiang Wuming no longer concealed anything. With a calm expression, he recounted everything that happened when he led the team to the canyon to Li Rui and Zhujian, and explained the reasons why he believed they were framed:
"First, when we arrived at the entrance of the canyon, our communication devices and armed helicopters lost signal, making it impossible to contact the front-line command headquarters. However, I returned to the canyon afterward and found that there was a signal.
Second, the coordinates provided by the front-line command headquarters were the entrance of the canyon, but I did not find the bodies of the Dragon God Squad members inside the canyon.
Third, before I engaged in combat with the extraterrestrial enemies, the extraterrestrial enemies personally admitted that they had killed the members of the Dragon God Squad ten miles away. As for Gu Tianlong, the captain of the Dragon God Squad, he inexplicably evaded their pursuit and sent a distress signal to the front-line command headquarters."
"Elder Wu saw the wreckage of the Zhanlong Squad's armed helicopter when he went to look for you, searched the canyon, and also contacted the front-line command headquarters at the canyon entrance, with no signal interference! Gu Tianlong, that bastard, actually did such a heinous thing, he's practically courting death!"
As Jiang Wuming finished speaking, Zhujian was completely enraged.
He was the head of the Enforcement Division.
And Elder Wu Ju of the Martial Department was the elder in charge of enforcement, essentially Zhujian's superior.
For this reason, Zhujian was fully aware of the situation when Wu Ju went to search for Jiang Wuming and the others.
And the Martial Department's Enforcement Division, besides managing the martial artists in Long Country's martial arts community, also handled internal members of the Martial Department.
"Wuming, what is your judgment?"
Li Rui was also very angry, but at the same time, he remained calm.
"The Zhanlong Squad was framed and trapped. Someone conspired with Gu Tianlong to harm the Zhanlong Squad. They knew the canyon was the stronghold of the extraterrestrial enemies and deliberately lured the Zhanlong Squad there, setting up a high-power jammer to prevent us from contacting the front-line command headquarters."
Jiang Wuming slowly revealed his deduction, his face showing no anger, as if he didn't care at all.
However—
The more Jiang Wuming was like this, the tighter Li Rui's brows furrowed.
Because, rationally, Li Rui knew that Jiang Wuming's expression was like the calm before the storm, or like turbulent undercurrents beneath a calm sea.
Li Rui pondered for a moment and asked, "Wuming, do you have any evidence besides your deductions? For example, recordings of your conversation with the extraterrestrial enemies before the battle?"
"No."
Jiang Wuming shook his head.
"Staff Officer Li, this matter is obvious. Gu Tianlong harbored a personal grudge and was blinded by power, wanting to eliminate Wuming and the Zhanlong Squad with the help of extraterrestrial enemies! I suggest we summon Gu Tianlong immediately for interrogation!"
Zhujian said indignantly.
Li Rui's brows furrowed even tighter.
He believed that everything Jiang Wuming said was true and agreed with Jiang Wuming's deduction.
However, if Jiang Wuming had no evidence, this matter would not be as easy to handle as Zhujian imagined.
"Staff Officer Li, how do you plan to handle this matter?"
Seeing Li Rui's silence, Jiang Wuming took the initiative to ask.
Thump!
Hearing the address "you," Li Rui's heart trembled slightly.
With his intelligence and emotional quotient, he naturally understood that Jiang Wuming's return with the squad and his sincere confession were a sign of trust in him and Zhujian.
Or rather, it was Jiang Wuming's trust in the Martial Department.
And his silence began to shake that trust in Jiang Wuming's heart.
"Wuming, how do you want to handle it?"
Li Rui thought for a moment and asked back.
"The entire Zhanlong Squad walked through the gates of hell. This matter must be explained to us!"
The young man's mind flashed with the image of the heavily injured Huangfu Weixia, and he spoke again, his tone resolute!
...