The lights in the meeting room were not harsh, only sufficient to see people's faces clearly. Cold white light reflected off the long metal tabletop, upon which a large map of the entire Northern region was spread. Routes were circled, connected by red pen, creating a streak stretching from the South all the way to the edge of Iron City.
The room was situated deep within a semi-underground concrete structure, over a hundred kilometers from Iron City. Outside was a strictly protected military base, but inside this room, the air was so quiet that the faint hum of the air conditioning could be clearly heard.
In the presiding seat, a middle-aged male sat with a straight back. His military uniform was tidy, without redundant insignia; the shoulder boards bore a rank just enough to make others not dare look for long. His face was not old, yet wrinkles were imprinted at the corners of his eyes and forehead. His two hands were interlaced, resting still on the table.
Before him, a young officer stood at attention. The uniform was new, the collar straight, his gaze alert but unable to hide a trace of tension.
"Report," the young officer opened his mouth, his voice clear.
The middle-aged man nodded slightly. "Begin."
The young officer took a breath, activating the projection screen on the wall. The map zoomed in, and each area was marked in turn.
"Target to be monitored: Lam Thanh Moc. Plant-system ability user, medium-high level, former records belong to the Duong Nam district."
He paused for a beat, then continued: "One year ago, the subject left Duong Nam illegally; someone internal allowed it. The identity of the approver is still being verified." "After leaving Duong Nam, the subject appeared in Nam An. According to information we gathered from a small organization nearby, Lam Thanh Moc was accompanied by a male."
The screen displayed a short line of description.
"Male, approximately one meter seven tall, always carries a sword. No clear ability recorded. Combat style... difficult to classify."
The young officer swallowed hard, but kept his voice stable.
"From Nam An, the two continued moving Northeast, appearing at the Dong Kinh survival base. The duration of stay was not long, but there are many witnesses."
He switched pages.
"Witnesses describe the male using a sword in close combat to eliminate mutated Intermediate-level Zombies." "No firearms used, no signs of common abilities seen." "Some believe he is a rare Physical-system ability user, others believe he is unlike any system ever recorded."
The middle-aged man furrowed his brows very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"After Dong Kinh, the two continued toward the Northwest, passing through Luc Thuy Fortress; they stayed there quite a long time, then reached the Western refuge."
The young officer paused for a second before speaking the next part.
"The key point is at Iron City."
The screen changed to a schematic of the city gate, the checkpoint, and several lines of text marked in red.
"One year ago at the northern gate of Iron City, a conflict occurred between these two and local guard soldiers."
The atmosphere in the room seemed to sag.
"At that time, a soldier had a conflict with the two and had his right hand severed." "The wound did not bleed normally; corrosion and poisoning occurred. The subject was injured and died shortly after, in an incurable condition."
The young officer looked quickly toward the presiding seat, then continued:
"The one who caused the injury was the male accompanying Lam Thanh Moc. According to witness descriptions, he only drew one sword-strike. No one saw the unsheathing movement clearly."
The middle-aged man finally spoke, his voice deep:
"How did Iron City react?"
"They did not pursue," the young officer replied immediately. "The checkpoint commander allowed the two to pass. There was no order for execution or tracking."
A long silence ensued.
The middle-aged man stared at the map, his gaze stopping at the red streak connecting Duong Nam to Iron City.
"Preliminary assessment?" he asked.
The young officer took a deep breath. "The male accompanying Lam Thanh Moc is classified as an Unidentified Dangerous Extraordinary. Extremely high close-combat capability, possesses a special injury-inflicting capacity, possibly related to toxicity or an unrecorded energy form."
"And Lam Thanh Moc?" the man asked further.
"Previously in the Duong Nam safe zone, according to reports received, she possesses a plant-control ability; coincidentally, in an assigned mission, these two were in the same squad."
The middle-aged man was silent for a very long time.
Finally, he stood up slowly, two hands leaning on the tabletop, his gaze cold and deep. He leaned his body slightly forward. The cold white light reflected off the face accustomed to giving orders, making the features even harder.
"Contact Iron City."
His voice was deep, not loud, but every word fell very heavily.
The young officer immediately stood straighter. "Understood."
"Use the underground intelligence line," the middle-aged man continued, his gaze still not leaving the red streak on the map. "No need for formalities, leave no traces. I want to know how long they were there, who they contacted, and in which direction they departed."
He paused a bit, then added: "Especially that male. Identity, origin, signs of ability... even if it is only speculation, it must be gathered."
The young officer hesitated for a split second, then asked: "What about Lam Thanh Moc, General?"
The middle-aged man finally raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping across the person opposite.
"Prioritize finding her." His voice dropped a notch. "At all costs, bring the girl back to the base."
The young officer froze slightly. "If... she refuses?"
The middle-aged man was silent for several seconds. In that silence, the hum of the air conditioning seemed even clearer.
"If she refuses," he said slowly, "then find a way to persuade her."
His gaze darkened. "And if persuasion is impossible... then separate the two."
The middle-aged man lightly raised his hand, signaling the young officer not to continue. His gaze had become deeper, as if he had just made a resolution for something from which there was no turning back.
"Remember well." His voice was deep, every word falling very slowly. "No engaging in combat."
The young officer immediately stood at attention. "Understood."
He slightly raised his head. "And as for that male—"
"Also persuade him," the middle-aged man replied without hesitation. "Do not place him in an adversarial position. Speak clearly, transparently, without beating around the bush."
His gaze swept across the map, stopping at the final point in the North.
"Tell him that we have no intention of detention, and even less intention of prosecution."
"Only that Lam Thanh Moc returns to the base safely." He added slowly, his voice lower than before: "Use my personal name."
The young officer frowned slightly. "You mean...?"
The middle-aged man was silent for one breath before opening his mouth:
"Tell her—" "It is Lam Tich Khanh who tells her to return."
The moment that name was uttered, the atmosphere in the room changed immediately. The young officer's eyes widened for a very short moment, then he quickly bowed his head. "Understood."
The middle-aged man turned his back, walking slowly toward the door.
"The girl is intelligent," he said, as if to himself. "She will understand... this is not an order."
He stopped before the thick metal door, his hand on the handle but not yet opening it.
"I do not need her to return for duty." The middle-aged man's voice was very light. "I only need her to be alive."
The young officer stood behind, his spine straight.
The door opened, and light from the hallway poured in. The middle-aged man stepped out, his back straight but heavier than when he entered.
Before the door closed, he added one more sentence without turning back: "Choose the people."
"Not the strongest."
"The ones who know how to talk."
The door closed.
The meeting room returned to its original state of stillness. The cold white light still shone down on the Northern map; that red streak looked like a long, unhealed gash.
The young officer stood still for a few more seconds, then exhaled a very slow breath. He reached out to turn off the projection screen, but the image of Lam Thanh Moc, marked small in the corner of the map, seemed still imprinted in his head.
He turned to leave the room, his footsteps echoing in the concrete hallway.