The Legend of Chu Qiao - V1P
Prologue 1- Major Chu Qiao
Prologue 2- A Storm is coming
Prologue 3- Time's up!
1- Royal Hunt
2- Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che... and Yan
3- Fifth Brother
4- Fate is a Bitch!
5- Bloody Heart
6- Bastards
7- Snakes
8- Boundaries
9- Rocks and Plum Blossoms
10- Thank You, Sisters!
11- My name is 'None'
12- The Lantern Festival
13- Liar, liar!
14- The winner is the predator
15- Ambushed by a pervert. Saved by a Prince
The Legend of Chu Qiao:
Division 11’s Special Agents Prologue: Military Court
Present days, People's Republic of China.
Major Chu Qiao, age 26
Major Chu Qiao, age 26
May 12, 116, at 2 a.m. in the middle of the night, in the countryside of X, a city of the empire.
A fleet of seven sleek black vehicles raced down the rural highway, with two leading the way, two following closely behind, and two flanking a sedan at the center of the convoy. This vehicle was designed to military standards, its powerful engine producing a consistent, smooth hum. Its exterior was coated with a high-performance alloy, and on closer inspection, intricate spiral patterns on the windshield revealed its bulletproof nature. However, this military-grade vehicle had no visible identification; neither a license plate nor an insignia.
The soldier remained expressionless as he replied, "Major, the orders from the superiors just came through. We lack a license plate or any military signs, which raises suspicion. How did this convoy even get out of the highly secure city?"
After an hour of travel, the convoy arrived at a nondescript yellow building in the countryside. Four camouflaged soldiers approached, signaling the convoy for a security check. When the front vehicle's doors swung open, a young man in a black suit emerged and presented a dark red card to the soldier. After scrutinizing the card for a moment, the soldier softly said, "I need to get this approved by my superiors."
The man in the suit frowned and replied with slight irritation, "General Jin's signature is on the card. What further approval do you need?"
"No one is allowed to enter this military installation without permission from both General Jin and Mr. Zhang, the Chief of Staff, unless the head of state is present," the soldier explained.
"You…"
"Li Yang," a deep voice interrupted from the vehicle behind. One of the black cars slid forward, and the driver lowered the window, revealing an old and weary face. The soldier froze in surprise, then immediately straightened and saluted. "General Sir!"
General Jin nodded absentmindedly and asked, "Can we proceed now?"
The soldier hesitated, saying, "Sir, Chief Zhang has mandated that vehicle movement within the camp is prohibited; only pedestrians are allowed."
General Jin frowned and, patting his leg, asked, "Even I have to walk?"
The soldier looked increasingly uncomfortable as he glanced at the General's injured leg, but replied firmly, "Apologies, Sir. Those are the top orders. No vehicles are allowed; only walking."
Li Yang’s temper flared, his face reddening with frustration.
General Jin waved off the soldier and turned to Li Yang. "Li Yang, you go in alone. Bring my documents, and make sure to secure Agent 005. We cannot afford another loss as we did with Agent 003. These agents are vital to the empire," he instructed.
Li Yang froze before this weary figure, then saluted respectfully. With determination in his voice, he vowed, "You can count on me, General. I will see it done."
At that moment, a deafening explosion echoed through the air, followed by a brilliant flash of flames and a towering mushroom cloud. Li Yang's eyes widened in horror, and he bolted towards the military camp, veins pulsing on his forehead.
That night, residents of X were still peacefully asleep, but just outside the city limits, at the fourth military prison, a colossal blast erupted, sending shockwaves across the world. As darkness enveloped the area, countless eyes nationwide were turned towards that site, eagerly anticipating the dawn that would follow in just a few hours.
A fleet of seven sleek black vehicles raced down the rural highway, with two leading the way, two following closely behind, and two flanking a sedan at the center of the convoy. This vehicle was designed to military standards, its powerful engine producing a consistent, smooth hum. Its exterior was coated with a high-performance alloy, and on closer inspection, intricate spiral patterns on the windshield revealed its bulletproof nature. However, this military-grade vehicle had no visible identification; neither a license plate nor an insignia.
The soldier remained expressionless as he replied, "Major, the orders from the superiors just came through. We lack a license plate or any military signs, which raises suspicion. How did this convoy even get out of the highly secure city?"
After an hour of travel, the convoy arrived at a nondescript yellow building in the countryside. Four camouflaged soldiers approached, signaling the convoy for a security check. When the front vehicle's doors swung open, a young man in a black suit emerged and presented a dark red card to the soldier. After scrutinizing the card for a moment, the soldier softly said, "I need to get this approved by my superiors."
The man in the suit frowned and replied with slight irritation, "General Jin's signature is on the card. What further approval do you need?"
"No one is allowed to enter this military installation without permission from both General Jin and Mr. Zhang, the Chief of Staff, unless the head of state is present," the soldier explained.
"You…"
"Li Yang," a deep voice interrupted from the vehicle behind. One of the black cars slid forward, and the driver lowered the window, revealing an old and weary face. The soldier froze in surprise, then immediately straightened and saluted. "General Sir!"
General Jin nodded absentmindedly and asked, "Can we proceed now?"
The soldier hesitated, saying, "Sir, Chief Zhang has mandated that vehicle movement within the camp is prohibited; only pedestrians are allowed."
General Jin frowned and, patting his leg, asked, "Even I have to walk?"
The soldier looked increasingly uncomfortable as he glanced at the General's injured leg, but replied firmly, "Apologies, Sir. Those are the top orders. No vehicles are allowed; only walking."
Li Yang’s temper flared, his face reddening with frustration.
General Jin waved off the soldier and turned to Li Yang. "Li Yang, you go in alone. Bring my documents, and make sure to secure Agent 005. We cannot afford another loss as we did with Agent 003. These agents are vital to the empire," he instructed.
Li Yang froze before this weary figure, then saluted respectfully. With determination in his voice, he vowed, "You can count on me, General. I will see it done."
At that moment, a deafening explosion echoed through the air, followed by a brilliant flash of flames and a towering mushroom cloud. Li Yang's eyes widened in horror, and he bolted towards the military camp, veins pulsing on his forehead.
That night, residents of X were still peacefully asleep, but just outside the city limits, at the fourth military prison, a colossal blast erupted, sending shockwaves across the world. As darkness enveloped the area, countless eyes nationwide were turned towards that site, eagerly anticipating the dawn that would follow in just a few hours.
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Four hours ago.
In the courtroom of the nation's fourth military prison, seven high-ranking generals sat in their uniforms, their rank insignias gleaming on their shoulder epaulets. Five military judges stood at the front, each representing a different military branch that wasn't necessarily governed by the same regulations. Below them, over 20 top special forces operatives were armed with Kurt MOD733 5.56 caliber machine guns, clearly ready to deal with any threats.
The atmosphere was grave and focused. All attention was directed toward the defendant's stand. At that moment, one of the judges cleared his throat and, in a deep voice, asked, "Name?"
"Chu Qiao," came a calm and gentle reply. The voice, though slightly hoarse, easily identified the speaker as female.
Indeed, a woman occupied the defendant's stand, dressed in light-green military trousers and a white shirt. She rolled up her sleeves to reveal her fair arms and sat composedly, showing no signs of anxiety.
The judge proceeded with the routine judicial process, asking, "Gender?"
"Female."
"Birth date?"
"October 8th, 90."
"Hometown?"
"Luo City, Yun Tu Province."
"Previous military positions?"
"I enlisted in the military academy of the empire in 109. In 111, I was selected and assigned to the 5th intelligence unit within the military command center for training. That same year, I joined the Hawk squad in the 7th Army for further training. On August 27, 112, I was officially inducted into the 5th intelligence unit, where I worked in section 2, focusing on data analysis and distribution. In December 113, I transferred to the intelligence department in City Y to execute Plan HL with the 9th Military Intelligence Division. The following June, I went abroad as a spy and returned in November 114, serving as the assistant commander at the 11th division command center since."
"During your service, what operations were you involved in?"
"The 11th division executed a total of 97 operations of various types, with me leading 29 of them. Among these missions were 11 one-starred, 9 two-starred, 5 three-starred, 4 four-starred, and no five-starred missions."
"Which specific operations did you participate in? Please detail those categorized as four-starred and higher."
"In August 114, thanks to intelligence from the 7th intelligence division, I co-planned 'Operation Sea Salt' with Colonel Li, successfully acquiring 3 tons of uranium ore. In November of that year, the 11th division collaborated with the 6th outpost division on the 'Bait and Capture' operation, successfully apprehending the rebel leader 'Mica Half Rat' and dismantling the nuclear reserves in country F. In April 115, I coordinated with super-powered beings from country E and successfully retrieved access passwords for a vulnerability within the Central Bank. In June of the same year, with support from country X and the 11th division's strategy, Agent 003 of the 9th division executed Operation Ximo, successfully acquiring the HK-47 blueprint."
The judge adjusted his glasses, reviewed the documents, and muttered, "Can you elaborate on your connection with Agent 003 from the 9th military intelligence division?"
The woman raised her eyebrows, her previously neutral expression cooling as she scrutinized the seven military officials present. Eventually, she replied, "During my training in the 7th Army, I shared a bunk with Agent 003, Agent 007, and Major Huang Minrui, the operations planning officer in the 11th Division. In 115, I collaborated with Agent 003 on operation Ximo."
The judge asked sincerely, "How would you describe your relationship with Agent 003? A comrade, colleague, or an acquaintance?"
She remained calm and raised her brows once again. After a while, she answered, "We were friends."
The jury started murmuring among themselves. She looked at two judges with a penetrating stare, glimpsing at the smile they could not hide.
"Can we also infer that Agent 003 and you were close friends who shared everything?" a female judge asked. She was in her forties and dressed in a dark green military outfit.
Chu Qiao turned and faced the judge, her gaze fixed on her as she studied her for a moment. She finally said, "Your Honor, Agent 003 and I have undergone the country's professional training and are top-tier soldiers. We are very aware of what we are supposed to say and do, and what we are not. Therefore, when you said that we shared everything, I feel you are doubting our professionalism, which is utterly disrespectful to a hero who risked her life for the country's interests."
The female judge paled and sealed her lips, with an awkward atmosphere surrounding her.
The presiding judge continued, "Agent Chu Qiao, please elaborate on Operation M1N1 as of now."
At this point, the hearing was reaching a critical moment. After hearing that sentence, two judges in their forties leaned forward and stared intently.
Chu Qiao lowered her head and straightened her neck after a long moment. She spoke slowly and clearly, "I wish to meet my superior, or I will be tried in the highest military court. Before that happens, I will not elaborate further on Operation M1N1."
The judge frowned and snarled, "Are you questioning the authority of a hearing conducted together by five different military districts that the leading law experts set up?"
"I am not." With her head held high, Chu Qiao repeated, "I just want to see my superior; without a handwritten note to declassify this operation by General Jin, I am afraid I cannot elaborate on the details and data of Operation M1N1."
With his brows tightly furrowed, the judge continued, "Then, please elaborate on your orders to storm and raid the main operations building, causing the death of hostages from 23 different countries."
"They are not hostages." Chu Qiao raised her head and muttered, "All of my orders are per military law, and I have not killed a single innocent person. If I see the document signed by my superiors and General Jin, I will explain the entire operation to the military court. Before that, I will not accept any questioning."
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The hearing reached a standstill. After Chu Qiao was taken away, the judges and generals exited the courtroom, their movements closely monitored by CCTV. However, beneath the chair of one general, a small device with a blinking red light was tucked away, its screen displaying a countdown clock. Time was running out.
Chu Qiao sat quietly on her metal bed, her head bowed. She was confined in a cell made of steel-reinforced glass, which provided a clear view from the outside but left her cut off from the outside world. There was no privacy within those hard glass walls; they were so robust that it would take constant gunfire just to make a small hole. An escape would require nothing short of a nuclear bomb.
Despite being isolated from what lay beyond her cell, as the senior commander of a highly classified intelligence unit, she knew the entire layout of the facility. She placed her hand on her pulse, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat signal that mealtime was approaching.
As predicted, the hatch at the bottom of the reinforced glass opened with a loud click, and a hand emerged, holding a tray of food. Chu Qiao remained motionless on her bed, head lowered. Though she appeared inactive, she discreetly flicked a small pebble that hit the watch strap of the soldier delivering her meal with pinpoint accuracy. The watch fell to the floor with barely a sound.
Startled, the soldier reached in to locate the fallen watch but could not find it. Chu Qiao noticed the clattering noise and turned to it innocently, furrowing her brows in an act of confusion. Aware that another guard was watching her, she pointed to herself, catching the soldier’s attention. He tried once more to retrieve the watch, but failed, and ended up hitting the floor twice in resignation.
Chu Qiao quickly jumped off her metal bed, picked up the watch, placed it in his hand, and offered a smile toward the reinforced glass. Following that, she took her tray and returned to her bed.
Silence soon enveloped the area outside her cell.
All of this appeared completely natural, without any oddities.
After finishing her meal, Chu Qiao made her way to the simple bathroom in her cell and opened the door. Though the government had designed it with some degree of privacy in mind, the lower half of the bathroom was made of opaque plastic. Sitting on the toilet, she lowered her head, aware that she was being monitored and that she could not linger in the bathroom for more than 20 minutes.
Once she was out of sight, Chu Qiao opened her palm. During her earlier contact with the soldier's fingertips, she had secretly obtained a sheet of his plastic-like fingerprints. She understood that time was of the essence; she needed to act quickly.
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The C-Drama 'Princess Agents' is inspired by this novel.
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