The 3 B's- Beauty, Brains and Bravery

Chapter 546  The Xis in the Camouflage

Aelorion, Xanvoria;

Military Chief Office, 10:30;

As Xi Yuan strode inside the Media and Public Affairs edifice, established at the very corner of the entire MCO arena, the officers stood up from their seats to have a look at him. More than half of this particular personnel hadn't had the rough and regular, physical training before they'd joined in here. Most of their job description had always been about observing irregular and suspicious activities around the world concerning Xanvoria anyway. And so, their conduct was much 'civil' as compared to the other sectors of the Military.

"The military uniform suits him, I must say!", one of the men mumbled, as Xi Yuan passed his phone to Xi Fang, absent-mindedly glancing at his watch.

"Vice-President Fang looks yummy as well.", one of the female officers remarked, feeling the rapid beat of her heart.

"I am going to post this on my Instagram! I don't care.", another woman chuckled, as she quickly clicked a picture of the two brothers.

"Me too."

"I can see why the Military Chief fell for him. Look how intimidating he is. And so tall."

"I know, right? Such a sight to see.", another girl swooned over the man, "He should never have left the Military Services."

Unconcerned by the inevitable and upcoming media frenzy over their attire, Xi Yuan and Xi Fang remained focused on more pressing matters. The issue of identifying and getting to their primary enemy still hung over their heads, with little progress made so far. The viral storm brewing around them was nothing compared to the shadowy threat they were determined to unravel.

"It was Ying.", Xi Fang pinched the space between his brows, his voice exhausted, "Auntie hasn't woken up yet."

"What about Dad?", Xi Yuan frowned.

"He's just accompanying her in her ward silently.", the man replied, "But Ying spoke to him about how you had to leave, and he said he understood. He doesn't blame Sister-in-law either, thankfully."

"Morning, Sir.", a man in his forties rose from his seat the moment his gaze fell on Xi Yuan. A warm smile spread across his face as he extended his hand. Xi Yuan met it with a firm shake. "Hopefully, we are not bothering you too much, Lieutenant.", he said.

"Military Chief is family, Mr. Xi. And now, so are you.", the man shook his head, his gaze dropping to the computer screen in front of him. As he took his seat, the three men standing behind him silently shifted their attention to the monitor. With a few quick taps, the man pulled up CCTV footage, the grainy video flickering to life on the screen.

The footage was captured at the entrance of Castle Tryst. Onscreen, a man in formal clothing discreetly handed a gun to a woman. The moment they saw it, the men immediately recognized the weapon—it was the same Smith & Wesson Magnum discovered in Rong Xinghe's room. Unfortunately, the camera's angle, directly overhead, obscured the woman's face as she turned to leave. But the man? Xi Yuan and Xi Fang needed less than a second to identify him.

"Arkady Kuznetsov..." Xi Fang muttered in disbelief, his eyes darting to his elder brother. Their Russian business rival- once a prominent shareholder of Xi Corporations. Gambling, murder, kidnappings, corruption—there wasn't a crime this bastard hadn't committed in Xi Yuan's name back then.

This man had nursed a grudge against Xi Yuan for years. After severing ties, he'd even founded a tech company in Russia to compete with his former boss on the global stage. Recently, while Rong Xinghe and Xi Yuan were in Scotland, he had the audacity to hire a hitman to target one of them. Naturally, Xi Yuan retaliated in full force, driving the man to the brink of bankruptcy.

That should have terrified him—Xi Yuan's power and influence were undeniable. But instead of backing down, the monster had the nerve to strike again, this time targeting Xi Yuan's mother in a ruthless act of revenge.

"Track him. I'll pay him a visit myself.", Xi Yuan ordered after a while, his tone dripping with pure disdain.

"What about this woman?", Shou Wu questioned, muddled.

"He must know her. At least, her face.", Xi Fang said, "She's wearing a Red gown. That's an immensely common color. Lots of women were wearing those during the event. It'll be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even so, while we interrogate this guy, keep looking, Lieutenant Zhao."

"Understood, Second Master Xi."

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Half an hour later, Xi Yuan stepped out of the building, his eyes drifting to the proud and majestic national flag of Xanvoria fluttering in the wind. Just a piece of fabric—yet, it carried profound meaning. For the Hybrids. For her. For every individual in the Military who had bled and sacrificed for it.

'Doesn't it bother you? My work?', Rong Xinghe had once asked him, back when they had just started dating.

'No. It suits you. Military compliments the vehement passion in your eyes.', he'd replied, 'It enlivens you with certainty, and confidence. And zeal. And I love to watch you like that. And let's not forget, while being the Military Chief of this nation was your destiny, you've made history, Xinghe, as the first woman to hold that title on this land. From the moment you took your oath until the day you step down, we cannot let anything go wrong. Not on your part.'

'What do you mean?', she'd asked then, confused.

'You have been placed onto a pedestal, Love. Women across the country- and the world- look up to you, while the men wait for you to make one mistake. Xinghe, they want you to fail. Now, we can't give them that satisfaction, can we?'

As he thought about the situation they were in now, a feeling of entrapment washed over him. Everything was so chaotic. Of all the scenarios he had envisioned for them, he never anticipated that his family would ever threaten her position. Deep down, everyone in the Superfamily and the Xi family knew that the moment news broke about Li Jungah being attacked while speaking to her daughter-in-law, it would send shockwaves throughout the country.

People wouldn't care about the bond between the two women. Those corrupt and self-serving politicians would seize the opportunity to call for her resignation in the central parliament, desperate to rid themselves of the woman who had kept them in check for three long years. The public would inevitably choose sides, questioning the very foundation of their relationship.

"What are you thinking, Brother?", a few minutes later, Xi Fang approached the man.

"There's no TV at her location, right?" the man asked, releasing a deep breath.

"Not where Sister-in-law is now, there isn't.", the younger one said, shaking his head. "Assistant Shou just informed me. The area taken over by Lashkar ul-Mujahidin is completely cut off from the internet and any media. Why? Were you planning to go live for her or something?"

"No.", Xi Yuan replied, "That would just alert her enemies. Honestly, I feel relieved. This way, she won't be burdened by all those ridiculous accusations, even if the situation spirals out of our control here."