"As for that—this mountain man has his own clever scheme. Too many ears and too many mouths, so I won't be sharing it with you all just yet. In any case, all you need do is attend properly to your own duties." Glasses Doctor smiled with an air of profound mystery.

The faces of the assembled doctors immediately turned somewhat stiff. Their standing here was not a whit lower than Glasses Doctor's, and in terms of research achievements of every kind they were far above him—they were simply nowhere near as adept at scheming as he was. In the end they were scholars, while Glasses Doctor was more like a politician. Their futures would forever be confined to the research base, whereas Glasses Doctor might well become a true power at the highest levels.

Only, Glasses Doctor had spoken rather too soon. To this moment he was still nothing but a doctor himself, and the only one present with the authority to demand that they attend to their duties was Lan Xiaoru. At least for now, Glasses Doctor was far from having any such qualification.

Seeing the varied expressions on their faces, Glasses Doctor promptly realized he had grown a little too pleased with himself, and coughed somewhat awkwardly. Fortunately Lan Xiaoru stepped in at just the right moment to smooth things over: "Glasses Doctor speaks the truth. The plan that follows is not suited to being disclosed publicly to you all; you need only do your duty faithfully. What I can tell you, however, is that the Hunter Group will presently be formally deployed into action around the Shennongjia area, and someone will be needed to lead them."

The others were taken aback, then quickly understood. The Foundation Establishment adepts of the Hunter Group were hardly suited to operating on their own. Even though they had all been thoroughly brainwashed by the serum, there was still a certain risk—their identities doomed them to be nothing more than killing tools, and it was absolutely impossible for them to become true team leaders in the short term. So this operation required someone to take charge.

"This team leader must meet two basic requirements. First, he must be a member of our Taigu Research Group—that is, one of you seated here. Second, he must be familiar with conditions in the region around Shennongjia and thoroughly versed in the movements of every power in the secular world within our borders. As it happens, there is one person here who satisfies both conditions." Lan Xiaoru paused, then looked toward the corner and said, "Dafeng, any problems?"

"Ah?" Dafeng had just been wondering who on earth would be chosen to lead. Most likely it would be Glasses Doctor—he had never imagined Lan Xiaoru would name him directly, and he froze on the spot.

"You are the head of the Red Conch branch, and of everyone here you know conditions within our borders best. Moreover, should it be necessary, you can mobilize Red Conch personnel at any time. Add to that the fact that you have been a member of the Taigu Research Group from the very beginning—I think no one is better suited than you?" Lan Xiaoru said, watching him with a meaningful look.

Only then did Dafeng react, and he was instantly wild with joy. He nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes! Thank you for your trust, Dr. Lan. Your subordinate will serve with utter dedication unto death!"

He had been worrying himself sick lately over how to get word to Wei Zhao, and now, in the blink of an eye, he had become the Hunter Group's team leader. This was simply a gift from heaven!

"Very good. I have always thought highly of you. I hope you will not disappoint me." Lan Xiaoru actually came over in person and patted Dafeng on the shoulder. Such treatment was truly overwhelming—even the veteran doctors looked on with a touch of envy—but Dafeng was utterly baffled. What did this woman mean by suddenly pulling such a move? Could she really be preparing to promote him?

Be that as it may, becoming the Hunter Group's team leader was no bad thing. He need only find a suitable opportunity, and it should not be difficult to get the information into Wei Zhao's hands. As for what to do then, that would be for Wei Zhao to decide.

Everything was ready. With fifteen Foundation Establishment adepts of the Hunter Group in tow, Dafeng finally returned to familiar soil after more than a month. Unfortunately, even now he had yet to figure out the location of the secular world's central headquarters. Both journeys had been by fully sealed aircraft drop, with all communications signals jammed throughout. The Center's security measures were truly flawless.

Of course, that did not really matter. This time he had obtained a good deal of valuable intelligence from the central headquarters. And now, with the added role of leading this operation, he could give Wei Zhao a tremendous surprise. As for the exact location of the central headquarters, there would always be a way to ferret it out eventually.

Everything looked wonderful—except that, for Dafeng, there was one fly in the ointment: he was not the sole person in charge of this operation.

On paper, those fifteen Foundation Establishment adepts were indeed under his command. Unfortunately, the one who could truly make the decisions was not him, but a black-clad figure accompanying them, whose face outsiders could not make out, and whose every move was shrouded in utter mystery. Dafeng, however, knew that this creature was none other than Glasses Doctor.

The Taigu Plan bore on the honor, disgrace, and standing of the entire secular world central headquarters, so Lan Xiaoru obviously could not truly rest easy letting him lead alone. Glasses Doctor was the real man in charge behind the scenes.

"Glasses Doctor, since you've come in person, why do you still need me to be this team leader? Why not just issue the orders yourself? It's completely superfluous..." Dafeng could not help complaining.

"Superfluous? How is it superfluous?" Glasses Doctor shot him a glance, then beckoned him to lean in close, and said with an appearance of frankness, "The target of this operation is the gathering place of those Taigu Alliance adepts. That is no small matter. Even with a full fifteen Foundation Establishment adepts on our side, success is hardly guaranteed. If there were only one team leader, what would we do if they caught the king of the bandits first?"

"Ah?" Dafeng understood at once, and his face grew all the more bitter. "So I'm just a decoy to draw their fire?"

"No need to be so glum. This is merely a precaution against the worst. So long as you are careful and prudent, you will always be able to protect yourself! Besides, if this operation succeeds, it will be a solid, substantial merit for you—boundless prospects will be a matter of course afterward. This is a golden opportunity that comes once in a thousand years. I recommended you to Dr. Lan precisely because I count you as one of my own. If you're unwilling, then forget it—I'll find someone else." Glasses Doctor smiled a smile that was not quite a smile.

"No, no, no—since Glasses Doctor thinks so highly of me, I, Dafeng, absolutely cannot let you lose face! Besides, I am at least the head of the Red Conch branch, and no one knows the domestic situation better than I do. It's already come to this point, and swapping out the general at the last moment wouldn't be appropriate either. Wouldn't you say so?" Dafeng hurriedly put on a placating smile.

Arranged this way, it was not exactly perfect, but it was at least an opportunity. If he stayed on at the central headquarters, who knew how long he might have to wait before he could see the light of day and get word to Wei Zhao... (To be continued.)