Military Chief Office, 09:00;

Even though her administrative leave was yet to be over, the first thing Rong Xinghe did the next morning was to visit her workspace. She needed to catch up with the Hybrids before proceeding with the Wedding preparations anyhow, for she couldn't take chances with an enemy as sly and duplicitous as Ahmed Ali Fadhil.

"You are not supposed to be here, Xinghe.", Elijah Williams approached the girl from behind, joining her in the observation room.

"I am not participating in the Military activities, am I?", the girl chuckled, her gaze fixed upon the two men visible through the one-way mirror. Huang Ling was occupied with Neil inside the interrogation cell, right next to the dark expanse, wherein, Rong Xinghe stood, watching them quietly.

"Here you go.", Williams sighed, handing the girl one of the two takeaway cups he'd brought along, "Your café au lait."

"Why thank you, Mister!", Rong Xinghe beamed with bliss, "Where are the Florence brothers, by the way?"

"Shawn is engrossed in all the paperwork.", the man answered casually, "And as for David, I haven't heard from him since the last night. He went home with two women. Let's just leave it at that."

"Ah.", the girl pursed her lips inarticulately. She had seen it coming, to be truthful. Of all the Ten Hybrids, David Florence had always been one spoiled brat. The quintessential womanizer. Well, after her male alias, Lu Xi, of course.

"How's the situation in Afghanistan, though? Is there something Abram and Jackson needs?", Rong Xinghe asked a few minutes later as Huang Ling stood up and lugged his chair across the confined room, nearing the injured jailbird.

"Not that I am aware of.", Elijah shook his head, sipping from his own cup, "Aftaab Ali hasn't been able to contact Ahmed Fadhil through his coordinates. But that's alright. Considering that he is one of the most fortified fugitives in the world, he's bound to be on the qui vive."

"Their cover is intact though, right?", the girl voiced her primary concern.

"Yeah. Everyone over there believes that Abram is a businessman curiously fond about Fadhil. He has gained a lot of trust and allies over there as well, in fact.", the man smiled.

Rong Xinghe nodded, a lot more relaxed now. It was immensely crucial for them to get hold of that terrorist this time, as they'd never been able to get this closer to him over the past two decades of manhunt. And not just Country X. Even countries like America, India, and Germany hadn't been able to capture that hateful abomination to date, despite their endlessly well-orchestrated undercover operations.

Kiling Ahmed Ali Fadhil was the need of the hour for the world, at this point. That man, on the loose, was but a ticking time bomb. With more than fifty catastrophic explosions ascribed under his name, the man was responsible for about one lakh-plus deaths, overall. He was a global threat; the most powerful countries, including Country X, hunting for him concomitantly.

"Try to break him before I rejoin as the Military Chief.", Rong Xinghe said, pointing her chin at the man Huang Ling was talking to, "We have to make sure Country X is thoroughly safe from any sort of internal terrorist attack, or a preposterous extortion, at that, before we leave for Afghanistan."

"We're leaving for Afghanistan?", Williams asked, taken aback. The woman simply nodded, in response. Ahmed Ali Fadhil was like a rat.

One can not capture a rat with just one rattrap, for the little animal tends to have an advantage in size, speed, and sense. Now, she was confident of Abram Orlov's skills, unmistakably. But she needed to be there in person, so as to set sufficient traps for the man to stumble into at least one, eventually. That was the only way to put an end to this persecuting chapter. Once and for all.

_____________________

Xi Corporations Headquarters, 14:00;

Xi Yuan leaned back in his chair, his one leg comfortably crossed over the other, his gaze drifting from the start to the end of the long conference table. Too embarrassed of how they'd reacted at their last meeting, the shareholders didn't have the nerves to even look at the man, let alone initiate the symposium.

"Mr. Wei, and Mr. Chen.", the man said in an undertone, picking up the file placed in front of him.

"Y... yes, Sir.", the two men stood up, their voices barely audible.

"I wonder if you still wish for the Military Chief to resign from her position as Xi Corporations' Advisor.", Xi Yuan demanded, "You two had caused quite the ruckus about her competence of late, hadn't you?"

"We're s--sorry, President.", one of the two men stammered in panic, his legs trembling in an undeniable terror.

Only after the two men had pleaded to him for forgiveness, along with the other shareowners in the wrong, was the man a tad satisfied. He didn't care of the irrelevant bickering concerning him and Xi Fang among those in the Xi Corps. But to aim at Rong Xinghe or Jiang Yue, was just straight-up unacceptable. Brotherly politics aside, the ladies were to be one of the Xis some day. And no way in hell was he going to give such strangers the satisfaction of hurting or denigrating his family.

"Know your limits.", the man remarked in the end, shutting the file in his hands close, as he stood up steadily, scrutinizing almost every soul at the table, "For your own good."

Just as the man was about to wind up the meeting, a certain someone sauntered across from him, outside the conference hall, a group of young employees surrounding the person excitedly. Following Xi Yuan's line of sight, the shareholders, along with Xi Chongkun and Xi Chonglin attempted to sneek a peek at the source of disturbance. To their shock, it was none other than her. Xi Corporations' soon-to-be Queen.

"Fine.", the girl laughed tenderly, stopping in her tracks, "One selfie at a time, alright?"

"OMG! Thank you so much, Ma'am.", a female employee shrieked with exhileration.

Patiently, Rong Xinghe allowed everyone to click a picture with her, and even signed some of the handkerchiefs, out of general courtesy. It took roughly fifteen minutes for the crowd to finally calm down. But she didn't mind the uproar. It wasn't like she was on a packed schedule in the moment, anyway.

"Are you here to meet Big Boss?!", an employee questioned, thrilled by just the thought of it.

"Yes.", the girl replied, "He wasn't in his office. We're supposed to have lunch together."