Special Forces: At the beginning, An Ran pulled him to get his certificate.

Chapter 1502 World Police Tactics

"What is the 'country-swapping tactic'?" Old Director Wang Huasheng put down his teacup, the bottom clinking against the table. He looked up, his brow furrowing slightly, a hint of undisguised surprise in his aged yet still sharp eyes as he gazed at Chen Jun sitting opposite him. This term wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him; in the history of intelligence work and in certain extreme geopolitical simulations, it had been occasionally mentioned as one of the most secretive, radical, and dangerous concepts.

Jiang Ling, the current Director of the State Security Bureau, who was sitting next to Wang Huasheng, was also slightly taken aback. A look of surprise flashed across his face. He subconsciously adjusted his posture and focused his gaze on Chen Jun.

A strategy of changing countries?

How... how do we change it? "The Abyss" is not a sovereign nation; it has no fixed territory or population, and is more like a ghostly empire wandering in the shadows of the world. Its tentacles extend into multiple fields such as politics, economics, finance, technology, and military, deeply intertwined and transcending national borders. Its form is completely different from that of a nation in the traditional sense.

"General Chen, what do you mean..." Jiang Ling couldn't help but ask, his tone filled with doubt and inquiry.

Chen Jun sat opposite them, his back straight, his face calm. The room wasn't brightly lit, and outside the window was the unique tranquility and solemnity of the National Security Headquarters building. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, as if gathering his thoughts, before speaking slowly, his voice steady and clear:

"It's very simple. As you all know, the most terrifying thing about the Abyss is its all-pervasive infiltration ability and its operating system that has been running for hundreds of years and has long been integrated into the dark side of the world. It infiltrates us with sophisticated methods and strong concealment, making it impossible for us to defend against and leaving us exhausted."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Wang Huasheng and Jiang Ling. "Since passive defense is always a step behind, leaving us to be led by the nose, why can't we change our approach? If it's infiltrating us, why can't we use its own methods against it and send people out to infiltrate it as well?"

Wang Huasheng and Jiang Ling exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. This idea was so bold it bordered on madness.

Chen Jun continued, “Of course, directly infiltrating the core of the ‘Abyss’ is extremely difficult and almost impossible to achieve in the short term. But the ‘Abyss’ does not exist in isolation. Its power projections, its network of interests, and its agents are spread all over the world, attached to different countries, regions, and organizations. We can choose areas where the ‘Abyss’s forces have penetrated deeply, have a greater influence, and where we have points of convergence of interests or potential conflicts, as our ‘battlefields’.”

His tone became more strategic: "In these areas, our goal is not to overthrow the local government, nor to directly confront 'The Abyss'—that's unrealistic and would expose us prematurely, triggering uncontrollable chain reactions. Our goal is to send elite personnel, under various legal or gray identities, to infiltrate, establish long-term bases, develop intelligence networks, and support or influence local forces that share our interests or are dissatisfied with 'The Abyss.' What we need to do is, like water dripping on stone, like microbial decomposition, little by little, build our own 'immune system' and 'alternative network' against 'The Abyss's' influence in that region."

A brief silence fell over the room. Only the faint hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

Wang Huasheng remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup, lost in deep thought.

Chen Jun's vision is less a specific action plan and more a grand, top-level strategic framework requiring the efforts of several generations. It is extremely risky, requires enormous investment, and its success is highly uncertain, but... if it does succeed, it may truly be the only way to fundamentally shake or even defeat an opponent of the "Abyss's" caliber.

It transcends conventional intelligence confrontation and localized sabotage, rising to the strategic level of vying for global dominance in the "dark side."

After a long while, Wang Huasheng slowly exhaled. He did not directly comment on Chen Jun's idea, but turned to the side, reached out and patted Jiang Ling's shoulder heavily.

“Old Jiang,” Wang Huasheng said with a complex emotion, his gaze seemingly looking through Jiangling to the distant past. “I remember when I left the National Security Bureau and handed this responsibility over to you, you patted your chest and promised me that you would give me twenty years and I would return to you an omnipotent National Security Bureau that would strike fear into the hearts of all evil spirits.”

He paused, a hint of barely perceptible teasing and wistfulness in his voice: "Now it seems... you were exaggerating a bit. Dealing with an opponent of 'The Abyss' caliber, the National Security Bureau's existing framework and approach are probably insufficient. Look, it's General Chen who truly shines. His Strategic Security Bureau, with its vision, scope, and scale... tsk tsk, they've probably already surpassed you, even outperforming their predecessors."

"Cough cough cough..." Jiang Ling coughed repeatedly after being choked by Wang Huasheng's words, his old face turning slightly red.

Indeed, when he bid farewell to the old director, he was young and ambitious, and made similar bold statements. But as he actually took up the position, and especially after gaining a deeper understanding of the "Abyss" organization in recent years, he has come to realize how terrifying and troublesome this opponent is.

Being directly exposed by his former superior, Jiang Ling felt both ashamed and helpless. He shook his head with a wry smile, looked at Wang Huasheng, then at Chen Jun, and finally his gaze settled on Chen Jun. His tone was frank, yet tinged with an eagerness to seek cooperation:

"Director, please don't make fun of me. The 'Abyss' is indeed... beyond the scope of conventional responses. My National Security Bureau is good at dealing with ordinary espionage, subversion, and terrorist activities, but when it comes to a full-scale confrontation with this 'historical shadow' that has accumulated over hundreds of years, it is indeed a bit... difficult to fight alone."

He changed the subject, a smile spreading across his face, and looked at Chen Jun: "Isn't this perfect! Chen's Strategic Security Bureau has a unique positioning, distinctive resources, and flexible thinking. Our two companies can form a powerful alliance, complementing each other's strengths! You'll be responsible for strategic planning and breaking through in special areas, while we'll provide basic intelligence network support and cover for conventional operations both domestically and internationally. If we join forces and work together as one, are we afraid we can't take down this 'abyss'?"

As he spoke, Jiang Ling blinked frantically toward Chen Jun, his eyes conveying the message perfectly: General Chen, please do me a favor and say a few good words for us, so we can cooperate and achieve mutual benefit!

Chen Jun understood Jiang Ling's meaning perfectly well. He smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, took a sip, then put it down and said calmly, "Elder Wang, you flatter me, and Director Jiang, you are too modest. Under Director Jiang's leadership, the National Security Bureau has achieved remarkable results in recent years. It has a solid foundation and a vast network, making it an indispensable cornerstone of domestic security. Our Strategic Security Bureau has only explored certain specific areas and unconventional approaches. Dealing with an adversary like 'The Abyss' is by no means something that can be accomplished by one party alone. I believe the cooperation proposed by Director Jiang is both necessary and feasible. Only by combining the National Security Bureau's profound intelligence base and operational network with our bureau's special capabilities and strategic concepts in certain areas to form a synergy can we possibly contend with 'The Abyss,' or even defeat it."

Upon hearing Chen Jun's words, Jiang Ling's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! General Chen is absolutely right! Cooperation is a must!"

He leaned forward, his expression turning serious: "However, General Chen, since we're going to take action, especially since it involves the kind of long-term planning and infiltration operation you just mentioned... a kind of 'country-changing' operation, we need a suitable 'pretext' or 'excuse' that we can put on the table, right? We can't just send a large number of people out without a reason; that would be too conspicuous and easily arouse suspicion from all sides. It might even alert the enemy and give 'The Abyss' an early warning."

A meaningful smile appeared on Chen Jun's lips. He leaned back in his chair and lightly tapped the armrest with his finger: "An excuse? Isn't this ready-made?"

He looked at Jiang Ling and Wang Huasheng and said slowly, “Don’t forget, not long ago, I was ‘attacked’ by unidentified armed men in a certain place abroad. Although I personally escaped unharmed, the nature of this incident was egregious and posed a serious threat to the safety of our citizens and officials. We can use this as a reason to request relevant countries and the international community to send specialized security and intelligence analysts to the area to assist the local government in ‘investigating the truth of the attack,’ ‘eliminating the remaining armed men,’ and ‘protecting the safety of our personnel and interests in the area.’ This reason is perfectly legitimate, in accordance with international practice and diplomatic etiquette, and no one can find much fault with it.”

Jiang Ling's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "Brilliant! This is a great excuse! Counter-terrorism, protecting overseas Chinese, assisting in regional stability—it's politically correct and perfectly legitimate! Our people can use this pretext of 'assisting in the investigation' and 'security cooperation' to openly enter the target area, establish a base, and carry out their work! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!" He couldn't help but laugh and applaud.

Wang Huasheng nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face. This approach was indeed ingenious, both concealing the true intentions and occupying the moral and legal high ground.

Next, the three of them closed the door and, under this "excuse," began to discuss in detail the preliminary action plan framework, personnel selection, resource allocation, communication mechanisms, and risk contingency plans. The conversation lasted for quite some time, during which the secretary continuously brought in relevant files and maps.

By the time the discussions concluded, the city lights were already twinkling outside the window. Chen Jun politely declined Jiang Ling and Wang Huasheng's invitation to dinner and rose to take his leave.

Stepping out of the solemn yet somewhat oppressive building of the National Security headquarters, a cool night breeze brushed against his face. Chen Jun sat in the waiting car, rubbing his slightly throbbing temples. High-intensity, high-density strategic planning is always extremely mentally taxing.

The car drove smoothly towards home. Chen Jun's thoughts, however, drifted involuntarily from the turbulent international war back to his warm home, a place that now filled him with a sense of guilt.

This unexpected encounter with the "Abyss" disrupted his planned family trip. To handle the aftermath and attend this crucial meeting, he had to send his enthusiastic wife home early, leaving her alone to face the abruptly ended vacation and the unfinished journey.

Although his wife has always understood the nature of his work and has never complained, Chen Jun still harbors a sense of guilt. He is not good at expressing tenderness, but his attachment to and responsibility towards his family has never been lessened by the special nature of his work.

"Drive faster," Chen Jun whispered to the driver, his gaze fixed on the city lights rushing past the window, his eagerness to get home growing stronger.