Chapter 1929 - 1419: Taking the Initiative

09:01, Alpha Military Base, outside Major Walker's office.

Song Heping reached out and knocked three clear sounds on the door panel.

The sound of paper flipping stopped abruptly.

"Enter."

Walker's voice came from inside the door.

Song Heping pushed the door and entered.

This was a room of about twenty square meters, with walls painted in the military standard beige color, which had become somewhat mottled.

On the wall opposite the door hung a giant operational map of the entire Illiguo region, densely marked with red and blue magnets indicating troop deployments and threat areas.

Scattered across the long table under the map were dozens of spread-out action reports and satellite photos.

Walker stood with his back to the door at the window.

The desk was piled high with disordered documents.

Handover lists, equipment depletion reports, transportation schedules.

Three empty coffee cups were scattered at the corner of the table, one of them overturned, with brown liquid dried into an unsightly stain on the tabletop.

The most conspicuous was a stainless steel ashtray knocked over on the floor, with ashes and several twisted cigarette butts scattered everywhere, despite strict smoking bans in all indoor areas of the base.

Swift followed behind Song Heping, bringing the door closed.

The door lock emitted a slight "click" sound, remarkably clear in the silent room.

Walker turned around.

His freshly grown stubble formed a blue-black shadow on his chin and cheeks, with eye bags swollen like two small bags, and his eyes bloodshot like spider webs.

But his gaze was most unsettling, a mixture of anger, fear, and a near-maniacal obsession.

It was like a trapped beast trying to make a last-ditch effort as the Hunter approached.

"Song." Walker said bluntly, "You actually dare to come."

In his words, he remained at the window, hands naturally hanging down, but Song Heping noticed his right-hand fingers unconsciously tapping the outside of his thigh.

That was close to the gun holster.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Song Heping casually walked to the desk, not waiting for an invitation, directly sitting in the slightly shabby visitor's chair, leaning back slightly, and crossing his hands on his legs, striking a posture both relaxed and vigilant.

"I'm here to receive my equipment, Major Walker." He continued, calmly meeting Walker's gaze, "According to the contract, the final batch of equipment for which this base is responsible is due by noon tomorrow. I want to check the progress to avoid delaying subsequent transport arrangements."

Walker's breathing had clearly intensified.

Song Heping could see the rise and fall of his chest, could see the blood vessels bulging on his neck.

He was certainly angry, thinking Song Heping would hide away after snatching the goods, at least feel guilty.

Unexpectedly, Song Heping came proactively, adopting the posture of a creditor.

Walker's Adam's apple rolled up and down before he finally squeezed out the words through clenched teeth: "Your equipment? Haven't we almost completed the handover work between us?"

His voice deliberately maintained calmness, but every word was cold and stiff.

"No." Song Heping's gaze was like a blade, penetrating Walker without any courtesy: "According to the official contract signed with the Pentagon, only four hundred ninety-one of the seven hundred forty-three items on the list have been transferred. There are still two hundred fifty-two items, accounting for thirty-four percent of the total, remaining in your warehouse, or..."

He deliberately paused, letting the "or" linger in the air for two seconds.

"Or according to your statement, 'lost, missing, or damaged due to various reasons during the transfer process.'"

Walker's facial muscles twitched.

His right hand finally raised, this time not reaching for the gun holster, but grabbing a folder from the desk.

He opened the folder and forced his finger onto a page.

"We checked very thoroughly." Walker's voice raised half a level, instinctively bluffing in defense: "The war zone environment is complex, reasonable wear and tear on equipment during storage and transport is the norm. This is clearly specified in Clause Three of Article Seven of the contract's supplementary clause: Non-human-factor depletions caused by battlefield environments must be understood by, and processed with relevant document procedures by, the receiving party."

He raised his eyes, staring fixedly at Song Heping: "If you have objections to these depletions, you should formally inquire with the Pentagon's Logistics Support Department, not question my work here."

"Reasonable depletion?" Song Heping laughed: "Major, a trente-quatre percent depletion rate in any nation's military logistics system far exceeds the realm of 'reasonable.' This approaches systemic negligence, or even..."

He paused again, then slowly uttered the word: "Embezzlement."

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Outside the window on the base training ground, a string of dull gunshots rang out, like the beat to this confrontation.

Walker's body stiffened.

His fingers still pressed on the folder, but Song Heping could see the veins bulging on the back of his hand slightly trembling.

It was a physiological reaction mixed with anger and panic.

He knew he was wrong, knew his fabricated excuse couldn't withstand solid evidence, but he couldn't retreat, as one step back would lead to the abyss.

"That's slander." Walker's voice struggled: "I can sue you for defamation of a serving officer in military court—"

"Is that so?" Song Heping interrupted him, his voice suddenly turning cold: "Then, Major, please explain..."

He reached into his chest pocket.

Walker's right hand instantaneously moved towards his waist's M9 pistol holster but stopped halfway.