chapter 17 Is there any smoke?

"Don't be in a hurry to think about killing me. Listen to what I have to say, then decide whether you want to make a move." Jackson's murderous intent was unmistakable, and Heidi, who was not weak herself, immediately sensed it and hastily spoke. Hearing this, Jackson's murderous aura slightly receded, waiting for Heidi to continue. "Jackson, codename White Hound, a member of the national special warfare unit, former leader of the Blade Squad. Three years ago, White Hound led the Blade Squad on a peacekeeping mission abroad. They were attacked by an unidentified force, resulting in total annihilation and shocking the nation." At this point, Heidi took a deep breath, "Later, the nation sent teams to retrieve the bodies of the brave martyrs, but White Hound's body was nowhere to be found. His fate was a mystery until three days ago." "Fortunately, this mystery has finally been solved now," Heidi said solemnly. "Miss Heidi, why do you know so much about my identity? My return to the country should have gone unnoticed," Jackson asked expressionlessly. "The reason is simple. Someone notified me in advance," Heidi replied. "Who?" "Your partner, Iris!" Jackson's heart stirred. Iris was indeed wicked, as her name went Wicked Iris. She was his partner for the past three years. Although she had a bad temper, she always managed to arrange everything perfectly. Having been partners for three years, they knew each other's temperament well. Wicked Iris's action was nothing more than hoping that Jackson would have a safeguard in the Land of the Red Dragon. She also knew that Jackson's return to the country was motivated by a desire for revenge. An individual's power is limited after all, and if the nation could lend a hand, the effort would surely be more effective. "Miss Heidi, don't you have the slightest doubt that I betrayed my teammates three years ago, leading to the demise of the Blade Squad?" Jackson asked. "For the past three years, the discussion about you has never ceased domestically. I've checked your information, and considering how you returned to the country, although you-kept a low profile, you didn’t hide, you were open and aboveboard. Therefore, I concluded that something must have happened three years ago that led to your survival, and you had no choice but to return to the country now," Heidi spoke earnestly. "If my judgment is wrong, then I'll just consider myself unlucky, and you can kill me right now," Heidi added quickly. "Ask whatever you want to ask," Jackson said, curling his lip. "If it's convenient, can you reveal what happened back then?" Heidi's expression became serious. This was not just her own curiosity, but also that of the security bureau and even the nation behind her. "Do you have a cigarette?" Jackson suddenly asked. Heidi quickly took out her best cigarettes. "Puff." Slowly exhaling a stream of smoke, Jackson's eyes gradually became misty. "Three years ago, my teammates and I were on a peacekeeping mission in the Sahara Desert. Before we reached our destination, we were attacked from multiple sides. My teammates died one after another. In the end, only three people were left beside me. They were Gideon, Jaziel, and Matthew." As he spoke, Jackson's eyes slowly reddened. Heidi knew that the crucial part of the story had come. She didn't dare to breathe loudly, holding a recorder pen, quietly waiting for what came next. "In that situation, it was almost a certain death scenario. It was Matthew and the others who sacrificed their lives, covering for me as I broke through the encirclement. All I could do was watch helplessly as they were riddled with bullets, unable to do anything but madly run forward." Jackson's emotions were somewhat out of control, and his voice turned hoarse. "What happened next?" Heidi quickly asked. She was most eager to know why Jackson had stayed overseas for three years before returning now. "I ran through the desert for three days, lacking food and water, and lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I found myself locked in a laboratory," Jackson said. "A laboratory?" Heidi asked in confusion, her face suddenly changing as if she had thought of something. "Yes, you're right, the S virus, it was injected into me in that laboratory," Jackson said with a bitter smile. "Moreover, at that time, I wasn't the only one captured for experimentation. There were ten people in total, all top experts from various countries. In the end, I was the only one who survived the S virus injection," Jackson continued. The S virus, abbreviated from the English 'Sitag,' means absolutely lethal. It is non-contagious and can enhance human strength. However, the virus has not yet been successfully developed, its effects are unstable, and currently, Jackson is the only known survivor after injection. It has been listed as a banned substance by the United Nations. "After merging with the virus, my abilities were enhanced, and I managed to escape from the laboratory," Jackson said. "Have you investigated the forces behind this laboratory?" Heidi couldn't help asking. "There's no need for me to investigate, they have been troubling me for these three years," Jackson flicked his cigarette ash, then slowly mentioned a term, "Origin of Everything." "Origin of Everything? What does that mean?" Heidi asked, puzzled. "The force behind the laboratory is called Origin of Everything. In these three years, under the alias God of Wind, I've been active in the Third World, mainly to thoroughly investigate the insides of Origin of Everything and to find the antidote for the S virus," Jackson finally said. "The Griffith Group?" Heidi immediately guessed this point. The Griffith Group specializes in pharmaceuticals, and Violet is renowned as a talented developer. Upon returning to the country, Jackson stayed with the Griffith Group. Adding to the fact that his main goal in the past three years was to find the antidote for the S virus and his reluctance to return to the country. Now suddenly returning, it wasn't hard to guess why. Jackson hummed in affirmation. "Two months ago, Violet developed a new type of special medicine. My partner, Wicked Iris, discovered that the special medicine had properties that could alleviate the S virus. This special medicine is of great significance, and it has not yet been successfully developed. But once it is released, it will shake the entire global pharmaceutical industry and hinder many people's interests," Jackson said. "Isn't Violet in great danger then?" Even Heidi's expression changed. "Until the antidote for the S virus is successfully developed, Violet cannot die," Jackson said coldly, extinguishing his cigarette butt. After hearing about Jackson's experiences over the past few years, Heidi took a deep breath. Unconsciously, she was moved by his story and looked at Jackson with more respect. "Comrade Jackson, I will report your situation to the state exactly as it is," Heidi said solemnly. "My experiences over these years, it's enough that the internal leaders of the Security Bureau know about it. I hope you can keep it a secret for me," Jackson said. "Of course," Heidi nodded. Having discussed everything, it was already late at night, and Jackson stood up to leave. "Mr. Jackson, have you ever considered that when your Blade Squad encountered danger in the desert, it might have been due to a leak of information from within our country?" Heidi stopped Jackson and proposed a hypothesis. "Do you think that my return to the country this time is solely for the antidote?" Jackson's gaze was tangible, giving Heidi a look, then he twisted the door and left. With that one look, Heidi was frozen on the spot, her palms breaking out in cold sweat. She realized that she had still underestimated Jackson. Thinking about it, after hearing Jackson's experiences, the questions she came up with, wouldn't Jackson, as the person involved, have thought of them in these three long years? Heidi felt as if she could already picture the scene of Jackson turning the whole Land of the Red Dragon upside down.