Qi Taiguo sat on the hospital bench, holding his head with both hands, his eyes fixed on a spot beneath his feet. In his mind, Gao Linbing’s last words kept echoing incessantly.

He was really foolish, truly foolish!

"Deputy Battalion Commander Qi, your leg, let me take you for a bandage..." Cheng Jiasheng was pushed over by the crowd, speaking anxiously, with no other choice, since he was more familiar with Qi Taiguo.

Qi Taiguo’s gaze fell on his own leg, and his eyes suddenly darkened, his lips tightened even further.

This leg wound, it was Gao Linbing who inflicted it, only hitting the side of the thigh. The bullet penetrated the flesh, but it wouldn’t cause any major problems and definitely wouldn’t be disabling because it didn’t hit the arteries or tendons, those deadly places. Otherwise, it might have been crippling.

And Gao Linbing, though his marksmanship couldn’t be called that of a sharpshooter, was nonetheless very precise; he only hit the leg, making mobility temporarily inconvenient.

He did it on purpose!

Perhaps at that moment, he had already abandoned his identity as an agent, given up on returning to his homeland, only a little insistence in his heart and the principles he bore compelled him to make a statement.

In the end, he forced his brothers to shoot, fulfilling both loyalty and duty.

He honored his identity and the brotherhood he’d had for years.

Qi Taiguo’s eyes were slightly moist.

This outcome made him feel very uncomfortable. Gao Linbing should have either betrayed thoroughly or, rather, remained loyal to his country from start to finish!

"Deputy Battalion Commander Qi, someone’s coming!" Someone else stepped forward, accompanied by two men in military uniforms.

Qi Taiguo glanced at the insignias on their shoulders, stood up, and saluted.

The visitors came to take over Zhao Ming, the intelligence officer. Once the handover was completed, the mission would be considered accomplished.

The attending physician in charge of Zhao Ming came out, indicating that the patient was still in critical condition and needed intensive care, but for now, he could speak a few words.

The two uniformed men immediately donned disinfected attire and followed the doctor into the emergency ward.

Life was important, but the intelligence he brought back was even more crucial, as it represented the safety of a nation.

Before long, the two men came out and said to Qi Taiguo, "Comrade Zhao Ming’s situation is critical. We’ll transfer him to the Army General Hospital for emergency treatment. Comrade Qi Taiguo, you’ve worked hard."

"We didn’t protect him." Qi Taiguo lowered his head.

"Securing the intelligence already counts as a contribution to the country." One of the uniformed men said, "Regarding Gao Linbing’s matter, we will report it for investigation, so rest assured!"

Qi Taiguo nodded silently.

The two offered some words of encouragement, telling Qi Taiguo to go get treated, and then departed.

Qi Taiguo slumped back down, and Cheng Jiasheng couldn’t watch any longer, directly brought a wheelchair over, wanting to lift him onto it with the other brothers, but Qi Taiguo obediently sat in the wheelchair by himself to go for treatment.

The blow was undoubtedly heavy, but he couldn’t continue languishing, Gao Linbing still had a wife and son!

Even if they would be isolated and monitored, the brotherhood over the years was never false, and he should say something to them.

Yet Qi Taiguo didn’t expect the organization’s actions to be so swift; almost immediately after receiving the news, they isolated Sister-in-law Gao and her son.

He faced empty premises, not even knowing where they had been sent, or if they were still alive.

Even if alive, perhaps they’d undergo several interrogations?