CHAPTER 30: THE COUNTERSTRIKE

The press buzzed with headlines following Mei Li's fabricated declaration:

"Mei Li Claims Maternity of Jin Hao!"

"Family Feud Reignites as Mei Xing Faces New Allegations."

But Mei Xing wasn't shaken—she was done playing defense.

"She's trying to distort the truth before we make our final move," she said to Zhao Chen and Kai, standing in the war room they'd set up in her penthouse. Maps, documents, surveillance footage—everything was in place. It was time to strike back.

"Then we need to move faster," Kai said. "We've confirmed it—Jin Hao is in that estate outside Fengyuan. Our team even caught glimpses of him through infrared scans. He's alive. He's healthy. But heavily guarded."

Mei Xing's eyes narrowed. "Then tonight, we take him back."

The plan was codenamed Operation Dawnlight—because Mei Xing vowed that by dawn, her son would be in her arms again.

Her team mobilized swiftly. Armed with drones, trackers, and stealth tech, Zhao Chen led the tactical side while Mei Xing handled the political cover—releasing a carefully worded public statement debunking Mei Li's claims with medical proof and audio evidence from Lin Yu and Madam Qiao.

But Zhang Wei retaliated, holding a live interview.

"She's a desperate woman," he said with a smug smile. "Fabricating stories to manipulate public sympathy."

Mei Xing watched the interview calmly. "Keep talking," she murmured. "Talk while we close in."

As night fell, the estate near Fengyuan was surrounded. Hidden cameras transmitted every angle. Guards patrolled the perimeter, unaware that they were being watched.

Mei Xing sat in the command van, eyes glued to the screen. Her heart raced as Zhao Chen's team moved in, disabling alarms and tranquilizing guards silently.

Inside the estate, a small room was locked behind reinforced doors. A camera drone slipped through a narrow vent and scanned the interior. There he was—Jin Hao, sitting on a couch, reading a storybook under soft lighting.

Tears welled in Mei Xing's eyes. He looked older, taller… but it was him. Her son.

"Go in," she said, voice trembling.

The breach was clean and swift. The reinforced door was overridden, and within moments, Jin Hao turned toward the sound—startled but unharmed. One of the operatives knelt beside him.

"Don't be afraid," the man said gently. "We're here to bring you to your real mother."

At that moment, Mei Xing stepped into the room.

Jin Hao looked at her, confused at first… then something flickered in his eyes. A connection. A feeling.

"Jin Hao," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm your mother."

He stared, stunned, unsure… but then he slowly stood, walked to her, and touched her hand. "You feel warm," he said softly.

Mei Xing knelt down and pulled him into her arms, holding him tightly.

"You're safe now," she whispered. "Mama's here."

But just as they prepared to exit, an alarm blared through the estate.

Zhang Wei had arrived.