"Captain Cui." Song Ren took the initiative to greet Cui Yan when he saw him approaching.
Cui Yan nodded in agreement and pushed the door open. Song Ren followed closely behind him and closed the door behind him.
"Take a look at this information." Cui Yan first took out Lin Fan's information from the desk drawer and handed it to Song Ren, then slowly put down the briefcase.
Song Ren didn't ask any more questions. He took the information, sat down on the chair in front of the desk, and looked through it carefully.
The information sent by the Special Affairs Office was not very detailed. It only contained basic information such as Lin Fan's height and blood type. It emphasized that she was suffering from depression. Her emotions and psychology were different from those of ordinary people, and she needed to be treated with 800 caution.
Song Ren was more interested in the relevant information about the mecha transformation. He glanced back and forth between the computer-generated images and the high-definition screenshots for a long time, then raised his head and waited for Cui Yan to speak.
"Lin Fan will be brought here tomorrow by someone from the Special Affairs Office."
"Special Affairs Office?" Song Ren heard an unfamiliar word.
"It's a unit of the same level as us, specializing in some weird research." Cui Yan explained lightly.
If Zhu Cunjun knew that the Special Affairs Office was being treated like this by him, he would be so scared that his heart would be torn apart.
"You've also read the information from the Special Affairs Bureau: Lin Fan can transform into a mecha. There are witnesses and video footage, though it's not very clear." Cui Yan raised an eyebrow, sipped his water with satisfaction, and continued, "Deputy Chief Xie guaranteed that the information from the Special Affairs Bureau is reliable and accurate. I'll assume that's the case for now."
"Their scientific research capabilities are weak, and they have no idea how to research mechas. After a week of research, they still haven't figured out anything. They asked for help from higher-ups, and they eventually sent me an assistance order, asking us to help research and find out what exactly happened to Lin Fan's transformation."
The fact that a living person with flesh and blood can transform into a steel mecha will indeed arouse people's curiosity and attention.
But what does this have to do with him? Song Ren thought to himself, but didn't show it on his face.
"Given the unique and special nature of this matter, Lin Fan has been designated a key confidential protection target. Special agents from the Special Affairs Office have been closely guarding her. Once she's been sent to us, we naturally can't let those agents roam free. After careful consideration, I've decided to send you to protect her safety."
Song Ren's eyelids drooped.
He has been working at 800 for more than a year. I don't know much about other things, but the defense and security of the institute are extremely high.
Before coming to 800, he had always thought that a scientific research institute was just a bunch of scientists in white coats conducting research in a bright and clean building. However, in the past year or so, he hadn't seen many scientists, but he had seen quite a few soldiers. And these weren't members of the mecha reserve team, but real soldiers.
Everyone knows that 800 is a confidentiality unit, but who would have thought that it is hidden under another confidentiality unit - Sichuan District Aviation Flight Base?
Just like the Special Affairs Office uses RiRiHong Trading Co., Ltd. as a cover, 800 also has a cover unit, but this unit is also a confidentiality unit.
The military has long known about the Sichuan Aviation Flight Base, responsible for testing various new fighter jets. Because it involves the latest weapon secrets, the base is only known by name, with its exact location unknown.
Song Ren didn't know at first. The car that picked him up drove all the way from Guangshi City in Sichuan District into the mountains. He thought it was heading to the 800 Research Institute.
As a result, when he passed through the dense forest and arrived at the first checkpoint to change cars, he saw the heading of the Sichuan District Aviation Base on the registration form and realized that something was wrong.
The car drove for a long time, passing a dense checkpoint, and gradually left the forest and arrived at a flat, open area. Through the barbed wire fence, Song Ren spotted several fighter jets neatly arranged in the open space. He got out of the car again to register and undergo a full security check. Only after confirming that there were no problems were he allowed to pass.
It was also here that Song Ren first realized how big the difference was between the security measures of confidentiality units and ordinary units.
The car drove Song Ren along the edge of the apron. During the journey, Song Ren saw several types of fighter jets that he had never seen before, and many pilots and staff were busy on the ground.
There is a huge maintenance room next to the apron, with the words "Sichuan District Aviation Flight Base" clearly posted on it.
The car drove by slowly, passed a shady area of trees, and stopped in front of an office building.
The office building had seven floors, resembling an enlarged Chinese character (凸). Its exterior was painted a light beige, a plain, unassuming shade of technology. Song Ren met Cui Yan in the director's office on the top floor and raised his doubts.
Cui Yan told him that 800 was a purely scientific research unit. Although the research projects involved military weapons, it actually had no defense capabilities.
The Sichuan Air Force Flight Base has sufficient military strength. In addition to carrying out various not-so-intensive flights and maintenance tasks on weekdays, it also maintains daily military training and has sufficient military equipment to defend the base.
Instead of wasting high-quality combat resources and arranging additional personnel to protect 800, it is better to merge the two districts and use the defense capabilities of the Sichuan District Aviation Base to protect 800.
As a secret military unit, the Sichuan Air Base has sufficient combat power and can easily protect 800. 800 provides new fighter jets, which can also be brought to the flight base for test flights, killing two birds with one stone.
The land on several hills in this area has been fenced off and designated as a restricted area, with layers of checkpoints, and ordinary people are not allowed to approach. Therefore, even if someone discovers that there are troops stationed here, they will not be able to find out the specific situation, let alone know that there is a scientific research institute inside.
Song Ren admired the founder's ingenuity at the time. Who could have thought of this - using one security unit to disguise another security unit, it was amazing.
So, given the security level of the Sichuan District Aviation Base itself, with a sentry every three steps and a guard every five steps, even a fly could be shot down. What security issues could an ordinary person like Lin Fan encounter here? Asking him for protection was simply unnecessary.
"Part of the reason you, a former soldier king, are protecting her is to show our superiors and the Special Affairs Office how much we value her. If Lin Fan could truly transform into a mecha, he would be quite valuable."
"She's only been in contact with the Special Affairs Bureau for about ten days. If, through prolonged contact, her favorability towards 800 greatly exceeds that of the Special Affairs Bureau, then keeping her will be a piece of cake." Cui Yan's eyes flashed with determination as he continued, "Asking you to protect her is actually more about monitoring her condition."
"It's said that Lin Fan can't control her transformation yet. We don't know when it will happen, nor what will happen after she transforms. According to the clues we have, she transformed twice with immense strength and was able to fly, but the duration wasn't long. Although the Special Affairs Office has solemnly assured us that there are methods to prevent Lin Fan from losing control after transforming, I don't believe them. If she really loses control while I'm here, the damage she'll cause is unpredictable."
As a scientific research unit, the 800's internal data and research projects were extremely valuable. Given the capabilities currently displayed by Lin Fan's mecha, if it were to go out of control, wouldn't their fragile research unit be completely destroyed?
Cui Yan has also seen the movie "The Hulk", where wherever it passes, there is ruins. He doesn't want 800 to become like that.
"Protection is necessary, but it's also surveillance. If something goes wrong, you can control her in time. Her transformation doesn't last long, and she will be able to change back quickly. You should be able to control her easily. If unfortunately she remains in mecha mode, with all the combat personnel of us and the Sichuan Air Force Flight Base, I'm afraid you are the only one who can hold her back and wait for support." Cui Yan knew Song Ren's ability very well. "But the surveillance must be done secretly so that no one can see. She is also accompanied by a psychologist from the Special Affairs Office. He has an extremely high IQ and will be difficult to deal with."
Song Ren pondered.
Protection and surveillance were not difficult tasks for him, but when he came to 800, Cui Yan told him clearly that he would be a mecha pilot, and it would be convenient for him to train team members. Now he was suddenly transferred to do security work, so what about the mecha pilot?
Song Ren glanced up at Cui Yan, who immediately understood what he meant. He said, "I can tell you that both the skeleton-like mecha and the giant mecha are now in the final stages of development. I originally wanted you to test-drive the giant mecha, but after seeing the images of Lin Fan's mecha, I changed my mind. As you can see, Lin Fan's mecha is a single-person mecha. It's small in size but powerful, making it more suitable for individual combat."
"We have also done some research on single-person mechas, but due to the current level of scientific development, they are at a standstill. So I wonder if if we successfully develop a mecha similar to hers, you would prefer a single-soldier mecha to a giant one. After all, you've been in the Special Operations Department for a long time and are more familiar with individual combat methods."
Song Ren thought about it and felt that what Cui Yan said made sense.
Cui Yan added, "Individual mechas are powered, so they won't put too much pressure on your knees, and their flexibility is close to that of a real person. It's just that you'll have to wait a little longer. If the research and development is successful, we can form a mecha unit..."
The entire army is armed with mechas, and its combat power is unimaginable.
"I asked you to go protect Lin Fan. Of course, your strong abilities and the fact that you want to improve her favorability are factors, but I also want you to get close to her. What's her situation? Why can she transform? No one can say for sure right now."
"I'm not sure how long it will take for scientific research on her to yield results. But if she can truly transform, as the person who has the most contact with her and is most familiar with her, with your keen investigative abilities, wouldn't you be more likely to discover some details and thus solve the mystery of her transformation?"
"No matter how you look at it, I think you're the right person for this. I've assigned you an assistant, but you'll still be the primary one, for a period of no more than one year. Once Lin Fan's condition stabilizes, if you're still not interested in individual mechas and want to pilot other mecha equipment, I won't stop you from returning to the reserve. What do you think?"
Song Ren found Cui Yan's words reasonable and well-founded, and he was indeed aroused by his curiosity.
Whether it was protection or surveillance, it was easy for him. Although it deviated from his original plan, Cui Yan had left him a way out. A year was not a long time, so it would be inappropriate for him to refuse.
Seeing Song Ren nod in agreement, Cui Yan took out the personnel transfer order and confidentiality agreement and asked him to sign. Although technology has advanced and electronic signatures are available, it is still safer to have a paper signature when it comes to confidentiality agreements.
The appointment letter stated: Song Ren will be transferred to Group 623, specializing in Lin Fan's protection and maintaining 24-hour covert surveillance to prevent any unusual changes. This assignment will last for one year, during which time Song Ren will be fully responsible for all aspects of Lin Fan's life.
On the premise of ensuring Lin Fan's safety, Song Ren is given full autonomy of action.
The confidentiality agreement is about keeping Lin Fan's special identity, matters related to human-to-mecha transformation, and all research contents within Group 623 confidential.
Song Ren took a look and agreed, so he signed it without hesitation.
Cui Yan took it, and took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to Song Ren. Song Ren took it and saw that it was a kill order.
It said: If Lin Fan loses control and poses a huge threat, Song Ren must kill him immediately.
Song Ren's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't like he had never killed before. But facing his own compatriot, especially a weak woman, and being prepared to kill her without even meeting her, he felt uncomfortable.
"Song Ren, you are a soldier!" Cui Yan urged from the side.
Soldiers should obey orders and put national interests first.
Song Ren hesitated for a moment, but still signed his name. From the moment he signed the transfer order, agreeing to assign Lin Fan to his area of responsibility, he had already signed the kill order.
This guy Cui Yan! Give him this trick.
Song Ren was unhappy, but he also knew that, as Cui Yan said, if Lin Fan lost control of her mecha form, it could really cause great losses, and he was indeed the best person to stop her.
Cui Yan put the kill order into a folder and stuffed it into the filing cabinet, reminding him, "You and I are the only ones who know this kill order. Don't reveal it to anyone else."
Song Ren nodded and asked again: "Which one takes priority, the protection order or the kill order?" These were two conflicting orders, and Song Ren had to ask clearly.
"Kill orders take precedence." Cui Yan said without hesitation, "When there are no problems, the protection order takes precedence. Once an uncontrollable situation occurs, the kill order will take effect instead of the protection order."
Xiang Xiang added, "If there are no major casualties or property damage, protection should be the priority. It would be best to control her. After all, this researcher is quite valuable."
"But if it's truly difficult to control and poses a huge threat, then don't hesitate and just kill it!"