Chapter 135: The Mysterious Briefcase

Li Gang drove the military jeep deep into the dense forest. The original asphalt road had transitioned into a hardened concrete path, and eventually, even that vanished.

The jeep came to a halt.

"The vehicle can only go this far. We have four kilometers left to cover on foot," Lin Yan said, opening the door and stepping out.

Li Gang turned off the ignition and followed suit.

"Beyond our essential weapons, we travel light," Lin Yan stated. She activated her tracking system to scan the area for a fifty-kilometer radius. After confirming that there were no other "Chosen Ones" within the South China General Military Region’s special sector, she turned to Li Gang.

Li Gang nodded, shouldered his automatic rifle, slung on a backpack, and followed Lin Yan as they quickened their pace into the depths of the forest.

Two figures moved rapidly through the woods.

For the current Li Gang, a four-kilometer hike through primitive forest was as effortless and mundane as a post-dinner stroll to a riverside park back before the apocalypse.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at the South China General Military Region’s special sector.

Various buildings appeared before them, arranged in a structured, orderly fashion. Most of the military structures were camouflaged, cleverly integrated into the surrounding mountain landscape.

Lin Yan stopped, gazing at the scene before her with a complex expression. Sensing her mood, Li Gang held back, waiting silently to the side.

After a few minutes, she spoke. "Let's go."

Lin Yan walked toward the base, with Li Gang following closely, observing his surroundings with curiosity. Many of the layouts and structures were similar to other military zones he had seen, with functions and facilities largely the same.

Lin Yan led the way, navigating the base with ease until she reached the equipment storage area. Her demeanor was indifferent, as if it didn't matter whether her new JGS bulletproof vest was still there or not. Li Gang, by contrast, was quite nervous, even offering up a few silent prayers.

Noticing his prayers, Lin Yan found it amusing and teased him a little before walking toward the back, where the new JGS vests were kept. In truth, she didn't harbor high expectations. It had been four years since she retired; the likelihood of that vest still being there was slim. Still, returning to the special sector to take a look was a welcome experience. It held so many memories—years spent training, learning, and growing. Most precious of all was the camaraderie she had shared with her comrades-in-arms.

There were over a dozen identical crates. Lin Yan opened them one by one. Some were empty, but most contained brand-new JGS vests. Without exception, however, they were all men's sizes.

Though her expression remained neutral, Li Gang could catch a flicker of disappointment. His own heart sank as he surveyed the dozen crates filled only with men's gear.

Lin Yan soon regained her usual composure. She turned to Li Gang and said, "What is meant to be will be; what isn't, shouldn't be forced. Let's go. Since we're here, we'll stay the night and head out tomorrow. I'll take you to see where I used to live."

"But..." Li Gang started.

"No 'buts.' I had already anticipated this outcome," Lin Yan replied.

He persisted, checking every crate again, even scanning the surrounding area thoroughly, before finally standing still, feeling dejected. Lin Yan watched his efforts without comment. The room wasn't large; a cursory glance was enough to see everything.

She stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said softly, "Let's go. Truthfully, that vest wouldn't have made much difference to my combat effectiveness anyway."

They left the storage area. Lin Yan guided Li Gang through the base, introducing the sights based on her memories.

Half an hour later, they reached the barracks. As a female officer, Lin Yan had been assigned a private room. It was sparsely furnished, consisting of a small bathroom, a modest parlor, and her former bedroom. A layer of dust had settled over everything.

Looking around, she remarked, "Four years gone. I never thought it would remain so unchanged." Her words were half-addressed to Li Gang, half-muttered to herself.

Li Gang looked on with curiosity, feeling a thrill of excitement knowing this was where she had lived. They walked into the bedroom. It was simple: an empty bed, a closed wardrobe, and a bare desk.

Li Gang was deeply disappointed. The vision he had conjured of a girl’s bedroom—filled with pink decor, cartoon pillows, or dolls—was shattered. The room was utterly hollow.

"Let's go. There’s nothing here; I cleared it all out the day I left," Lin Yan said, losing interest and heading for the door.

"Sister Lin, I'd like to stay a little longer," Li Gang said.

Lin Yan didn't respond or stop, continuing on her way. Li Gang remained, pacing the room and trying to absorb the atmosphere of her past life, feeling that it brought him a step closer to her. He sat at the desk, looking out the window at the training grounds. He imagined her sitting here years ago, just as he was now, and felt a strange surge of excitement.

A minute later, he stood up reluctantly. As he did, he instinctively pulled at the drawers of the old-fashioned desk, driven by a sudden, irrepressible urge to search.

The desk had one large drawer and one small one. He opened the large one first; it was empty, save for some useless, blank sheets of paper. He checked the smaller one—also empty, not even a scrap of paper remained.

He closed the drawers and glanced at the rest of the furniture. The bed was empty and transparent underneath. The wardrobe was closed; if anything of hers remained, it would be there. Yet, he knew the odds were low, given what Lin Yan had said. Even if she had left something behind, the thorough military cleaning crews would have cleared it out years ago.

He knew she was just here for nostalgia, but he couldn't help himself. He walked to the wardrobe and opened it. To his surprise, it wasn't empty—inside sat a black briefcase.

Li Gang pulled it out, eager to see the contents, but found it secured with a keypad lock. It wasn't the kind of case anyone could just pop open. His heart sank with frustration, feeling as though a potential treasure was just out of reach.

He knew he had the strength to force it open, but he hesitated. Instead, he grabbed the case and ran outside in a flurry of excitement to find Lin Yan. Perhaps this was something the military had specifically left behind for her. After all, a female special operative of her caliber was a rare talent.

He found her standing on the edge of the barracks rooftop, gazing out at the training base. "Sister Lin! Look what I found!" he called out.

Lin Yan turned, and upon seeing the briefcase, her eyes filled with surprise. She leaped down from the ledge and hurried over.

"Where did you find this?" she asked, examining the case closely.

"In your room. It was in the wardrobe," Li Gang said, beaming with pride.

Lin Yan took the case, her expression suggesting she recognized it.

"Is this yours?" Li Gang asked.

She shook her head. "No."

"That's a shame," Li Gang sighed. "It has a lock. I could force it open, but if the contents are fragile, I might damage them."

Lin Yan looked at him. "It’s a good thing you didn't. This isn't as simple as you think. If I'm not mistaken, there are security measures inside. Forcing it open might trigger an explosion. You wouldn't just lose the contents; you’d lose your life."

Li Gang felt a cold shiver down his spine. He thought to himself that military gear was truly something else—even a simple box could be rigged to blow.

Sensing his anxiety, Lin Yan laughed. "Don't worry. Even if there were a bomb, it wouldn't kill someone like you. At most, you’d be severely injured, and with your full-regeneration capabilities, you'd recover in an instant."

She turned her gaze back to the briefcase. If she remembered correctly, this type of case was used exclusively by the military to transport top-secret intelligence.