Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Strange Forest and the Luminous Building

Page 1 of 3

Dong Wei was a senior security officer at a high-end security company. Before joining the company, he had served as a special forces soldier. After leaving the military, he turned down a prestigious government position arranged for him by the state and instead chose to become a security officer. His decision baffled all his relatives and friends. They simply couldn’t understand why Dong Wei was not tempted by a respectable job arranged by the state, and instead chose such a risky profession.

Although his family could not accept his answer, it was nonetheless one that commanded respect. Dong Wei said, “When I was a soldier, my duty was to protect the safety of my country and its people. Now that I have retired, I need to turn that duty into my lifelong mission.

I don’t have any other talents, but when it comes to protecting others, I can truly make a difference. I don’t have what it takes to be a police officer; all I have are my martial arts and combat skills. The best way to put my abilities to use is to become a security officer.

This way, I can be the first to appear by the side of those in need of protection.

Besides, while this line of work is dangerous, the pay is generous. For the sake of my family’s well-being, and to provide others with a safer environment, becoming a security officer is the most suitable path for me.”

So, despite everyone’s objections, Dong Wei joined the security company where he now worked. Thanks to his outstanding abilities, Dong Wei quickly earned the trust of the company and was soon appointed team leader.

In addition to training new recruits and teaching them security techniques, he was also responsible for the advance planning and strategy of security assignments. Dong Wei’s performance had always been exemplary. Throughout his career, he had participated in countless dangerous missions, large and small, and completed every assignment with distinction.

Sometimes he took part in operations personally; other times, he oversaw everything from behind the scenes. Regardless of the nature of the task, he always ensured the client’s safety. Everyone admired Dong Wei, respectfully addressing him as Sir Dong.

A few days ago, Dong Wei received a new assignment from the company. This time, the task was commissioned by a major financial conglomerate, which was willing to pay five times the standard fee.

This delighted the company’s owner, who was also Dong Wei’s friend. To demonstrate his company’s commitment and respect, the owner decided to appoint Dong Wei—the most astute, capable, and outstanding member of the team—to oversee the entire operation.

The owner personally advised Dong Wei, “For this assignment, I want you not only to plan the security operation but also to lead the team yourself. My friend, this client is a truly remarkable conglomerate. If we can successfully complete the job, we’ll establish a strong relationship that will be extremely beneficial for expanding our business in the future.

You should know that countless major enterprises around the world cooperate with this conglomerate. If they are satisfied with our work, I’m sure they’ll be happy to recommend us to other companies and individuals in need of security services.

When that day comes, you’ll be our chief hero! I’ll even grant you twenty percent of the company’s shares. After that, you won’t have to handle security work in person anymore—you’ll be a company owner, just like me!

It’s thanks to you that the company has achieved such success over the years, and I’m truly grateful. Let this be your last security assignment; after this, you can retire with honor!”

Dong Wei was no longer the spirited young man who had just left the military. Now in his thirties, he had a family of his own—a son and a daughter. The pressures of life, the demands of work, and the passage of time had changed him.

Page 2 of 3

His mindset, his outlook, even his physical condition had all changed. He was no longer driven by youthful passion, and his body was no longer as energetic or agile as before. Dong Wei knew he was getting older. Among the company’s new recruits, he had spotted several promising talents.

He was already planning to pass on his responsibilities, for with elderly parents and young children at home, constantly being on the front lines was simply too risky. His physical condition was no longer suited for highly dangerous assignments.

For the sake of his family and himself, Dong Wei had long planned to step back from the front lines. This opportunity seemed perfect—he could retire from active duty and become a partial owner of the company. Why not?

So Dong Wei readily agreed to his friend and boss’s request, deciding to lead the mission personally.

Before the operation, Dong Wei undertook extensive preparations, including learning the number of people to be protected, their destinations, and the geographical details of those locations.

To his surprise, the target of protection this time was not a person, but a building. Even more unusual, this building was not in a city but deep within the remote mountains of Kester.

If it hadn’t been for his investigation, Dong Wei wouldn’t even have known that such a strange building existed in the forested wilderness of Kester.

Moreover, the client made an odd remark: he didn’t need Dong Wei to ensure the building remained undamaged; he only needed to make sure that nothing inside the building got out.

What a peculiar request! This... was far from ordinary.

From his investigation, Dong Wei also learned that this conglomerate had its own formidable security force. Their personnel were handpicked and trained at great expense; their loyalty and skills were at least equal to those of Dong Wei’s company, if not superior. This was yet another strange detail.

Nevertheless, Dong Wei’s professional discipline kept him from asking too many questions. Since the client had made a request, he would simply do his job. Ha! Protecting a building... This was a first in his entire career!

No matter. All he needed to do was his job. Wasn’t it just a matter of preventing anything from leaving the building? Though the client hadn’t spelled things out, Dong Wei had dealt with plenty of eccentric clients and unusual requests before.

He figured there must be some dangerous animal or experimental specimen inside the building. His assignment, while called security, was more like containment or supervision.

With this in mind, Dong Wei instructed his team to bring all necessary protective equipment and formulated a comprehensive plan.

Given the building’s location—in a depression surrounded on all sides by small hills—Dong Wei thought the task wouldn’t be too difficult. His team could set up defenses on the hills, giving them a commanding view of the area and clear oversight of the building’s surroundings.

High ground also made it easier to set up security nets or weapons. Even if something strange did escape the building, Dong Wei and his team could respond immediately.

Page 3 of 3

With the plan set and assignments delegated, Dong Wei waited for the day of the operation.

When the day arrived, the conglomerate sent a large aircraft to transport Dong Wei and his team. To his surprise, he found that his was not the only security company on board—five other firms were present as well.

These companies were neither rivals nor close allies, but everyone knew of each other, and some had even worked together before.

Upon meeting, Dong Wei greeted his counterparts and led his own team to their seats.

Yet questions nagged at him. What kind of assignment would require so many well-regarded security companies to work together? Where were the conglomerate’s own security staff—were they not up to the task?

He kept his suspicions to himself, but a glance at the other team leaders revealed similar doubts in their eyes. Clearly, they were not fully apprised of the situation either.

It seemed this mission would not be as straightforward as he had imagined.

Still, that made it all the more interesting. After all, this was to be his final operation—a fittingly challenging close to his security career.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Dong Wei frowned. Though the environment seemed peaceful and harmonious, he sensed something amiss. It was impossibly quiet—so quiet, in fact, that not even the sound of birds could be heard. In this vast forest, there wasn’t a single bird? Not even the rustle of leaves in the wind. Dong Wei almost wondered if he had stepped into a world where time stood still.

Something was definitely wrong, Dong Wei thought. The feeling only intensified when he saw the building they were to protect. Gazing at its bizarre architecture, Dong Wei even felt a faint twinge of fear—a sensation he hadn’t experienced in years. Besides changing diapers for his children, nothing in the world had frightened him for a long time.

What was going on?

The first couple of days were uneventful, until the night before Chen Hao and his team arrived in Kester. That night, something strange happened—the building began to glow...