Chapter 2: Failure

Joint Operations Unit, Special Task Force.

The mood in the conference room, where six members were gathered, was grim.

"What happened?" The man speaking, a middle-aged individual named John Avery, was the leader of the Special Task Force and also the direct boss of Ethan Reed.

After a brief silence, the person seated next to Ethan, named Alex Johnson, spoke, "I can confirm that Michael Chase did get on the car." He was the one observing with binoculars from a high-rise.

"I'm also certain that Michael didn't leave the car before we reached the mountain roads," continued Chris Martin, who had been tailing Michael's vehicle.

Ethan then detailed what he observed in the car: "Based on the tracker, the car didn't stop after it entered the mountain roads."

The woman, who had disguised herself as a mother on the street, had removed her makeup, appearing several years younger, her eyes no longer filled with faux innocence. If not for the distinct facial features, it would be difficult to associate her with the woman pulling along a little boy earlier.

She and the man who had ridden the bicycle remained silent.

John Avery slammed his hand on the table, frustrated, "Then what, did he sprout wings and fly away?!" The room fell silent once more.

They were all puzzled about where the error might have occurred. If no steps were missed, how could someone, who was supposed to be in the car, vanish into thin air?

Unless...

They all thought of a troubling possibility – there was a mole within their ranks.

After a long pause, John Avery, furrowing his brows, waved off the meeting, "Let's end here for today."

As the group with heavy hearts began to stand, he added, "Ethan, stay. The rest of you, leave."

Ethan, who had begun to rise, sat back down as Alex, the last to leave, closed the door behind him, sealing the room into a perfect confessional.

John tapped on the table, "Alex and Chris, whom do you suspect?" Ethan shook his head, "Or maybe he jumped from the car after hitting the mountain roads."

"If that's the case, it indicates he was tipped off," John's gaze hardened, "This operation was known only to us six. If the news leaked, all six of us are implicated."

Ethan speculated further, "There's another possibility. Since Michael's movement and bodyguard arrangements came from our mole, maybe that mole isn't reliable."

"I hope that's the case," John leaned back in his chair, "Otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable." The Special Task Force, excluding team leader John Avery, consisted of five members, each selected through a stringent process.

The Joint Operations Unit, or JOU, annually selects orphans with promising innate qualities for specialized training, preparing them for selection and standby roles. Opting for orphans minimizes vulnerabilities as they lack close family ties.

The boy who dropped his ball was one of them, the brightest new recruit, and today served as a real-world test, his very first mission.

These specially trained individuals form an elite unit, and the team members are the elite of the elite. John Avery himself founded the Special Task Force, a national secret operating directly under the highest command.

John, though merely a team leader, is a figure not even senior ministers can control, holding vast government secrets. The team's main fear is the potential for members to turn against the state. To prevent this, the first criterion for team selection is absolute discretion, even under extreme pressure.

Not everyone possesses the required mental strength, despite the ability to enhance skills like marksmanship, combat, and technical knowledge through rigorous practice.

Though these five passed the tough selection and underwent continuous reinforcement, making betrayal nearly impossible, there are no absolutes. Even a 0.00001% chance indicates a possibility.

"I don't think it's them," Ethan said, moving from objective judgment to a personal belief.

"I understand your feelings; you've grown up together and share some bonds. I've also been with you for years and hope it's not the case," John patted Ethan on the shoulder, "But I'll investigate this matter thoroughly. Once confirmed, I won't be lenient."

"What about Michael..."

Standing up, John walked a few steps forward, his back to Ethan, "We've waited so long for this opportunity, ideally disguised as an accident to avoid unnecessary complications. Now, it seems more troublesome." He sighed, "Leave Michael to you. Don't tell the others. Whatever means you use, you have three days to clean this up."

"Understood."

John turned back, his gaze meaningful, "Ethan, they might suspect you, Alex, and Chris the most. And I'm telling you this because you are my most trusted pupil, the one I know and trust the most. Don't let me down."

Michael Chase, currently the CEO of Global Dynamics Corporation.

Global Dynamics operates in numerous sectors domestically, primarily in the tertiary

 industry, including real estate, hospitality, and finance, essentially a vast economic empire.

Becoming so immense wasn't solely through financial means.

The alliance between officials and businessmen has always been common, with numerous high-ranking officials on the same side as Global Dynamics.

The government had considered reducing Global Dynamics' power but never took decisive action.

Firstly, due to the extensive implications involving numerous individuals and broad scopes, potentially causing more harm than good. Secondly, Global Dynamics provides a significant number of jobs, and destabilizing it could lead to widespread unemployment and social instability.

Furthermore, Global Dynamics is known for its philanthropy, spending billions on charity annually, earning a good public reputation. Targeting Global Dynamics might lead to uncontrollable public opinion.

However, the immediate concern wasn't Global Dynamics' wealth or influence but its covert arms smuggling and intentions to develop new weapons, which the government could not tolerate.

The initiative to develop new weapons emerged after Michael took over, a drastic shift from Global Dynamics' previous strategies.

The Joint Operations Unit identified Michael as the key figure. Even if removing him only addressed part of the issue, he had to be eliminated.