To deal with the representatives of Shen Ya Pharmaceutical, Javier had to return. Claire was still busy with an important interview, so he went back alone. Natasha, on the other hand, had boarded a flight to handle matters related to Tricell.
Wasting no time, Javier headed straight to the company's headquarters. Interestingly, he had no direct contact with Shen Ya's executives. On the surface, everything looked the same—Catherine and Natasha were still officially the leaders of the company.
Sitting in his office, Javier watched the security cameras closely, focusing on the reception room. Three representatives from Shen Ya Pharmaceutical had arrived: two men and one woman, all wearing serious but calculated expressions.
As soon as Catherine entered the room, the three stood up. The woman, dressed in a sober and professional manner, extended her hand with a slight smile.
"Ms. Catherine," she said firmly.
"We've come with complete sincerity. Shen Ya Pharmaceutical is very interested in establishing a partnership with your company."
Catherine returned the handshake but maintained a cautious tone.
"Partnership? What exactly are you interested in?"
"The G-Virus," the woman replied without hesitation.
Catherine's expression hardened.
"You think you're going to get something like that... for free?"
One of the men stepped forward, hands raised in a conciliatory gesture.
"Not at all. We're willing to exchange valuable information. We have something that we believe will be of interest to you."
From the office, Javier frowned and grabbed his communicator.
"Catherine, hear them out. It might be useful."
Catherine gave a discreet nod before turning back to the visitors.
"Very well, I'll accept the cooperation. Now tell me... what kind of information do you have?"
The woman exchanged brief glances with her colleagues before answering.
"Recently, Tricell, in partnership with the local government, discovered an ancient ruin in an African country. They sent a team to explore the site... but lost contact. The last message we received indicated they were attacked. By monsters."
"Monsters?" Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"Are we talking about bioweapons?"
The woman shook her head seriously.
"We're not sure yet. But it's a ruin over a thousand years old. Even if they were bioweapons, it's unlikely they could survive for so long. There may be something... different there."
"And you didn't investigate it yourselves?"
"We don't have the same resources as your company," replied the man who had spoken earlier.
"That's why we decided to share the information. We believe that together, we can explore the ruins. There might be something extremely valuable hidden there."
Javier didn't hesitate. The possibility of uncovering a new bioweapon—or even a source of power—was too intriguing to ignore.
"Catherine..." he said through the communicator.
"You can sign the contract with them. Let's prepare. I'll depart for Africa in three days."
Three days later, Javier, officially representing the Azure Dragon Company, departed alongside agents from Shen Ya Pharmaceutical for Africa. Azure Dragon deployed a force of fifty men, while Shen Ya brought thirty of their specialists.
To avoid international attention, the teams were divided into smaller groups, boarding separately. The rendezvous point was a remote, arid region in the desert.
As Javier stepped off the plane, the scorching heat hit him like a wall. The horizon was nothing but sand and sky. A makeshift camp had already been set up, with dozens of tents and heavily armed soldiers patrolling the area.
"Welcome, sir." Krauser stood at attention, awaiting Javier's arrival.
To keep his identity a secret, Javier had given clear orders: no one was to call him "boss" in public. He was now officially the expedition commander for Azure Dragon.
Upon seeing him, Javier walked firmly toward Krauser and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
"You've gotten stronger since the last time we met," Javier said with a faint smile.
"All thanks to you, Commander," Krauser replied sincerely.
"If it weren't for you, I'd still be just another failure lost in the world."
As they exchanged words, the two entered one of the central tents together. The place was filled with cutting-edge equipment and soldiers focused on maps and reports. When they saw Javier, many stood up in respect.
"This is Javier, the commander of Azure Dragon's security force," Krauser introduced firmly.
A man with glasses and a calculating expression stepped forward.
"It's an honor, Mr. Javier. I'm Junjie, supervisor from Shen Ya Pharmaceutical. This is Lin Ye, captain of our team for this operation."
Javier gave them a slight nod, studying the two with cold, focused eyes. Once everyone was seated, Junjie began the briefing.
"After today's rest, we'll head to the ruins. The journey takes about an hour by land. The command center will remain here to provide logistical support. Azure Dragon brought fifty men under Krauser's command. Lin Ye leads a team of thirty, and the rest will remain at the base."
After a subtle pause, Junjie frowned, hesitating before continuing. Javier noticed immediately.
"Go on. Is there a complication?"
"Yes... shortly after we arrived, local military forces also sent a team. About fifteen men. They should reach the ruins tomorrow. Also, Tricell agents sent personnel to investigate the disappearance of their original team."
Javier let out a quiet sigh. The situation was becoming more chaotic than expected.
"Tricell, huh? Of course, they wouldn't miss the chance to get their hands on this..." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"We'll deal with them if they get in our way."
Later, in a private conversation, Junjie exchanged impressions with Lin Ye.
"What did you think of the Azure Dragon commander?"
"Javier?" Lin Ye stared into space for a moment.
"He's like a beast. You can feel it... if he wanted to, he could crush us without blinking. We're no match for him."
Junjie simply nodded, deep in thought.
---
The next morning, the operation began. Equipment was packed, and everyone gathered in the vehicles. The convoy included ten transport trucks, five military Hummers, and three support vehicles.
As they advanced along the dusty trail, clouds of yellowish dust rose on the horizon. Javier and Krauser rode together in one of the Hummers. Javier was fully geared up—tactical vest, custom rifle, sunglasses, and mask. Only silence emanated from him.
The trip was grueling. The road shook the vehicles nonstop, and the heat punished everyone mercilessly. After a while, the convoy reached the outskirts of the village mentioned in the reports. Instead of approaching directly, they made a strategic stop at the base of a mountain behind the village.
Javier and Krauser jumped out of the vehicle, and Lin Ye approached with a report.
"Commander, I've already sent a team to the top of the mountain for reconnaissance."
"Well done. Let's go up and check it out ourselves." Javier didn't wait. He grabbed his binoculars and started climbing.
From the top of the hill, the village finally came into view. Javier adjusted the focus of the lenses and observed.
"No civilians in sight..." he murmured.
"Only armed men, patrolling."
"They're local military," Lin Ye confirmed.
"They seem to be from the regional force. We counted over fifty men."
Javier narrowed his eyes.
"They're occupying the village... but why?"
That's when the sound of helicopter blades echoed through the sky. Five helicopters appeared over the village and, without warning, opened fire on the local military. Chaos erupted instantly.
"Damn!" Krauser exclaimed.
"They're from Tricell—and from what I can tell, from the United States. I recognize that weaponry!"
The local forces were completely caught off guard and retreated into the buildings. Then, the helicopters landed, and enemy soldiers began a ground incursion.
"They're not just investigating. They're waging war," Lin Ye commented, eyes filled with concern as he looked at Javier.
"And this is just the beginning," Javier replied.
"Looks like the ruins are hiding something far more valuable than we imagined."
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."