Chapter 166: Sending an Escort for Her Return to China

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Sending an Escort for Her Return to China

The Zhonglian team quickly made their way through the crowd, heading straight for them.

The team stopped in front of them, the armed gang nearby tense and on high alert.

The man at the front of the team was obviously the leader. He seemed completely unfazed by the wary gestures around him, letting his gaze pass over everyone else and land on their instructor.

He spoke his first words upon arriving, asking directly, "Did they touch you?"

His eyes were steady and sharp; his voice was deep, calm, and with that faint lilt—enough to impress even veteran directors who’d heard countless award-winning voice actors, including Miles Yates himself.

That voice, pleasant and gentle yet unwavering, shouldn’t have been threatening at all. Yet everyone felt a chill—if anyone truly laid a hand on the one he spoke of, today, he’d have unleashed hell right here at the airport.

"Commander, why are you here in person?" The instructor was visibly shocked to see who had arrived.

The others, hearing the word "commander," were momentarily stunned. It was Prescott who first collected himself, stepping forward to shake hands in greeting.

The rest snapped back to reality, instantly on edge. The way they looked at him mixed awe with disbelief.

That title wasn’t exclusive to District J, but only high-level leaders were addressed with such respect.

The man exuded a silent authority—the kind that needed only a glance to send chills down your spine. But he looked far too young for such presence.

How outstanding? He could instantly outshine Miles Yates, the man dubbed "King of Looks" and legendary movie star, without breaking a sweat.

Their disbelief was only natural.

"Just happened to have a mission here." Ethan Sterling offered an explanation, barely glancing at Prescott, who was ready to shake hands. Ethan simply lifted his hand, motioning there’d be none of that.

The instructor stepped out and gave Ethan a concise rundown of the situation.

Ethan listened patiently, his eyes settling on the young woman in the crowd.

Lately, with missions running hot and heavy and rumors swirling online, even his own men would gossip during downtime. "Renee Morgan"—a plain and common name—had started popping up around him more and more.

Ethan’s life was disciplined and dull, so for him to remember a girl’s name was a rare thing.

Now they’d crossed paths, he simply gave her a quick once-over, then looked back to the instructor. "What do the higher-ups back home say?"

The instructor’s earlier call was to his superiors back home. As luck would have it, Ethan was leading a team on a mission in Merrick—one call, and he was heading straight for the airport.

Ethan didn’t know the details, but the instructor was their District J man; there was no way he’d let outsiders push them around.

The instructor leaned in and lowered his voice. "Leadership says Renee Morgan’s current status is of great significance to us. They’ll send someone to bring her back to the country."

Ethan: "..."

The instructor looked a bit uneasy—not that he thought the higher-ups were overreacting, but with Ethan’s status, whoever he was sent to protect had to be...

Renee Morgan’s identity was important, but nowhere near their level—certainly not enough to warrant this kind of attention.

Seeing Ethan’s impassive face, the instructor grew anxious. "Should I make another call and double-check?"

Ethan was never one for wasting time. Once assigned a task, he completed it efficiently. "No need. Take the others back home first. I’ve got a mission here; I’ll take her along."

The instructor let out a huge sigh of relief and had Renee step aside, giving her some quick but thorough instructions.

Ethan started toward the opposition.

The gang, guns in hand, all aimed at him. Their leader looked at Ethan with undisguised apprehension.

But this wasn’t the wary suspicion aimed at Renee Morgan—this was plain fear of real power.

Yet Ethan didn’t posture or raise his voice; he was on the clock and didn’t have time to waste on them. He took out his badge, flashed it right in their faces, and after making sure they’d seen it, finally met the leader’s gaze. His look sharpened into a conclusion: "Marco sent you?"

The man’s expression changed instantly. Everybody knew Marco’s name, but in Merrick, no one dared to say it aloud. Even in private, they’d call him "The Godfather."

And yet this man had just said Marco’s name, out loud, right in the middle of Merrick Base?

Ethan saw the man clammed up, clearly rattled. He let out a silent sigh, staring at them with annoyance. "Didn’t Marco ever tell you messing with Zhonglian Authority soldiers is suicide?"

His voice was melodious, not loud, but in that airport hall, it thundered through everyone’s ears with overwhelming force.

The entire group broke into a cold sweat, their grips on their weapons involuntarily slackening.

Suddenly, someone appeared at the door and hurried over, carrying a black communicator. Spotting Ethan, he bowed deeply, passed the device to the gang leader, and said, "The Godfather wants a word."

The gang leader was the same man who’d just struck Zara Chapman and tried to drag Renee Morgan away.

He took a long, hard look at Ethan, instantly dropping his gaze before Ethan could meet his eyes, then reached out to take the communicator.

Marco kept it brief—but whatever he said made Niden, shaken to the core, close his eyes as if waking from a nightmare.

They were lucky they’d had the sense not to lay a finger on the instructor. If they had, it wouldn’t just be them—Marco himself wouldn’t sleep easy again.

The group withdrew quickly, and order was soon restored at the airport.

The instructor led the others to board the plane; Renee Morgan wanted to accompany them back to the country.

But orders were in, and someone else would be coming for Renee Morgan.

Ethan Sterling was that envoy from the top—they’d be going with him.

Left with no choice, Renee Morgan picked up her luggage and followed Ethan’s team out of the airport.

Parked on the main road outside were several SUVs. The rest of the team got in first; Ethan and Renee stayed behind.

Ethan glanced at Renee, trailing behind him.

His presence was overwhelming—more intimidating than even their instructor.

But Renee knew this kind of intensity came with the job, so she didn’t feel afraid. Instead, she watched as Ethan opened the car door and skillfully climbed in.

Ethan didn’t ride alongside Renee.

The men assigned to her sat beside her instead—presumably on Ethan’s orders. They explained they were on a mission and might not be able to take care of her much.

Renee had no objections. When she said goodbye to the film crew, she’d already told Prescott to contact her agent, and Warren would update her family and assure them she was safe.

She wasn’t curious about their task. Curiosity killed the cat. All she needed to do was go along, wait for them to finish, then return home under their escort.

The car drove her to the Zhonglian Authority’s consulate in Merrick, where the staff, realizing Renee Morgan was under their government’s protection, treated her with utmost care. She was shown to a private floor, soldiers patrolling outside, so she could rest easy for a few days.