“Autumn James, your master, and your father, along with that group of Dragon Shadow Unit members, were known as the Golden Generation of the Dragon Shadow Unit. The three of them were the standouts among the Golden Generation, just like you, Brian King, and David James. At that time, everyone believed they would become the nation’s most elite special operations soldiers. But during an overseas mission, Autumn James unexpectedly defected. A year later, a private armed force called ‘Hydra’ appeared on the China-Myanmar border, providing protection for drug traffickers. In clashes with the border anti-narcotics police, our side suffered heavy losses.”

“After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the owner of ‘Hydra’ was none other than Autumn James, who had gone missing during the mission a year earlier. In order to destroy ‘Hydra’ at its source, we planned another ‘defection’ operation. This time, the target was your father. He infiltrated Autumn James’s armed group as an undercover agent to provide us with intelligence. But before long, your father’s identity was exposed and he was silenced.”

“So my father was actually an undercover agent for the military, and he never truly betrayed the country?” Henry Lawson asked, full of hope, his voice trembling slightly. As a former member of the nation’s most elite special forces, it was impossible for him to be completely unconcerned about the stigma of being a traitor’s son.

Hearing Henry Lawson’s question, William Lawson hesitated for a moment before nodding heavily. But because of the dim light in the car, Henry Lawson didn’t notice the strange look in his grandfather’s eyes.

“Whew…”

With William Lawson’s confirmation, Henry Lawson let out a long sigh of relief. The heavy burden that had weighed on his heart for three years was finally lifted.

“If Autumn James has such great power, why would he risk so much to send his son into the Dragon Shadow Unit?” Henry Lawson asked, puzzled.

“For the Dragon Thorn!”

“Just for a medal? Even if that medal is made of pure gold, David James wouldn’t need to risk his life to return to the country. With his father’s wealth, he could easily open a jewelry shop and mass-produce them.”

“Because the Dragon Thorn medal is not only a symbol of strength, it’s also tied to a major secret—the legendary Fourth Privilege!”

“The Fourth Privilege?!” Henry Lawson couldn’t help but exclaim.

Henry Lawson had once heard his master mention the so-called Fourth Privilege by chance. The Fourth Privilege is the highest authority in the country, granted only to those who have made special contributions to the nation.

Those who possess the Fourth Privilege can, at the right moment and for the greater good, use any means necessary. Any actions they take are exempt from legal responsibility—they can act first and report later. If they discover any official engaging in behavior harmful to national security, regardless of their position, as long as the behavior is confirmed, the holder of the Fourth Privilege can choose to execute them on the spot. Not only that, the Fourth Privilege also allows the mobilization of the military.

“Inside every Dragon Thorn medal is a chip that records all the owner’s information, as well as the Fourth Privilege code personally granted by the Number One Leader, so it cannot be forged. Each Dragon Thorn medal can be used to exercise the Fourth Privilege once!” William Lawson explained slowly.

“David James is after the Fourth Privilege of the Dragon Thorn medal?”

William Lawson nodded. “Just imagine, if David James obtained the Fourth Privilege, it would mean that Autumn James would have the authority to mobilize the military. The consequences of that are unimaginable for everyone.”

“But fortunately, you discovered him before he succeeded. David James’s plan failed.” Henry Lawson shrugged as he spoke.

“That’s also the reason I came to find you this time.”

Upon hearing this, Henry Lawson’s expression changed. He didn’t respond, quietly waiting for the old general’s next words.

“All members of Dragon Shadow Unit’s B Team, during the fourth stage of the ‘Hellfire’ assassination course, defected along with David James after his identity was exposed.”

“The entire B Team defected together?! Damn!” Henry Lawson slammed his leather seat hard.

The Dragon Shadow Unit’s action teams, aside from the instructor group, are divided into three teams: A, B, and C. Teams A and B are tactical action teams, each with six members, on standby 24 hours a day. Team C is the special operations team, with an unspecified number of members scattered around the world, mainly tasked with intelligence gathering and supporting the tactical teams.

David James taking the entire B Team means he took away a fully organized special operations elite squad. Although the members hadn’t completed all their courses, their combat power was already formidable. It’s no exaggeration to say that such a team, already on par with the SEALs, could handle any special operations mission in the world.

“In addition…”

A bitter smile flashed across William Lawson’s face. “David James also took away the original target of his assassination course, Arthur Reed. Arthur Reed is a biological virus expert. His father was an officer in the original Unit 731. When he was taken by Autumn James, he was conducting research on the smallpox virus Type II based on his father’s notes…”

“Is that bastard David James planning to use biological weapons?”

“We’re not sure yet why he took Arthur Reed, but we can’t rule out the possibility that he might use biological weapons.”