Chapter 90

Because of the different positions and heights from which they viewed the situation, their perspectives were vastly different. To the local officials of Xiangcheng, the death and injury of a group of people causing significant losses was a major accident; but for Wen Xiuzhi, a member of a noble family, to uncover the truth of the case, even the death and injury of some civilians or even soldiers was not a big deal—when viewed from the height of national strategic security, a mere hundred lives were nothing.

The bus sped along the road of Xiangcheng, driving very fast. As he had just gotten off the plane, Xu Yan felt a bit dizzy. He leaned his head against the backrest of the seat and closed his eyes to rest, but his ears picked up the detailed and tedious discussions of Wen Xiuzhi and others.

"Sniper placement—there are six snipers in total. Four are from the special forces of the investigation team, and two are from the Xiangcheng Armed Police Brigade—Is there a vantage point around that warehouse? Bring me a map to look at..."

"Besides the outer police force, we need to organize two teams. The first is the assault team. The assault team consists of twelve people, all of whom will not carry lethal weapons. They will only have net guns, stun guns, and tranquilizer guns—non-lethal weapons. The goal is to capture the target alive. This team will be personally commanded by Captain Zhong... Uh, also, five police officers from the Xiangcheng Public Security Bureau will be added, who can skillfully operate the net guns..."

"The second team is the emergency response team. This team will follow the assault team and carry lethal firearms, equipped with Type 95 assault rifles and riot shotguns—Note this: without my order, without my consent, the emergency response team is not allowed to open fire. Whoever fires without permission will be punished!

"Also, inform the police and armed police outside that if an extremely unfavorable situation arises and the criminals break through the warehouse's outer wall, everyone can open fire freely. The criminals must be eliminated at all costs, and they must not be allowed to escape!

"Director Ma, Commander Fang, you need to brief the participating police and soldiers, preparing them mentally: the person we are dealing with is not an ordinary criminal. He is not only cruel and inhumane but also has many strange characteristics, such as being extremely resilient, moving quickly, having extraordinary strength, and even eating human flesh and blood. Even if something unusual happens, everyone should not be afraid or panic. Make it clear to everyone that no matter how cruel and terrifying the criminal is, he is still a human, not a monster or a ghost. We, as materialists, are fearless and can still eliminate him.

"Inform the participating soldiers and police to remember to aim at the criminal's limbs, especially the knees and lower legs, to eliminate the criminal's ability to move... Absolutely do not let the criminal get close. If the criminal approaches, quickly escape and do not try to fight him at close range. We do not advocate such individual heroism because this is not an enemy that can be fought with human strength. This will only cause unnecessary sacrifices among our comrades...

"If everything goes smoothly and the criminal is subdued, everyone must remember to quickly handcuff and shackle the criminal. Put on multiple pairs—Director Ma, are the handcuffs and shackles ready? How many pairs? Ten pairs each? Oh, that's enough! Then, hand the criminal over to Lieutenant Xu for disposal... Oh, Lieutenant Xu is the young man sitting in the back row. The next steps will be handled by Lieutenant Xu..."

Hearing his name mentioned in Wen Xiuzhi's speech, Xu Yan opened his eyes and saw that the people in front were looking at him. Xu Yan nodded imperceptibly and continued to rest with his eyes closed.

The convoy did not enter the city of Xiangcheng but circled around the ring road and entered the intercity road. At a fork in the road, Xu Yan saw a sign indicating "Xiangcheng Yima Town." His spirits lifted, knowing that the destination of this journey was near.

The convoy entered a town, and as they drove, Xu Yan saw that the streets along the way were already filled with vehicles, both military and police. The convoy did not stop and entered a factory on the outskirts of the town. The speed was too fast for Xu Yan to see the sign at the factory gate clearly, but he saw armed police and police officers everywhere in the factory area, making the atmosphere suddenly tense. The chatter in the car also fell silent.

The members of the investigation team got out of the car. The on-site commander was Deputy Director Lao of the Xiangcheng Public Security Bureau. He ran over to greet everyone, holding a noisy walkie-talkie, saluted Wen Xiuzhi, and quickly reported the situation.

"Comrade Leader, hello! I am Deputy Director Lao Shan of the Xiangcheng Public Security Bureau..."

"Hello, Director Lao! Time is pressing, so let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point—What's the situation in the warehouse? Is the criminal still inside?"

"Comrade Leader, the criminal is still in the warehouse! We have confirmed that there were sixteen workers on duty, including the criminal. Only ten workers have been evacuated, and two are confirmed dead. Three workers are missing and are likely also inside the warehouse. Now... the situation is not good."

As he spoke, Deputy Director Lao looked uneasy, as if he was afraid Wen Xiuzhi would question why he did not organize a rescue. He repeatedly emphasized that it was not that he was indifferent to the workers' plight; he himself wanted to go in and rescue them, but he received orders from above not to open the warehouse door and to wait for the central investigation team to handle the situation, so he had to wait for orders.

The person who gave this order was Wen Xiuzhi. He did not care how many workers had died; he only needed to confirm that the criminal was still inside the warehouse.

Wen Xiuzhi repeatedly asked, "Besides the main door, are there any other exits from the warehouse? Are there any hidden passages or small doors? Is our encirclement tight enough to ensure the criminal is still inside? Is it possible that the criminal has already broken through the walls and escaped?"

Deputy Director Lao confidently assured him, "Comrade Leader, rest assured! We have verified with the factory leadership and conducted a personal inspection: there are no other exits from the warehouse. This warehouse was originally used to store chemical raw materials, and its walls are particularly thick, about 72 centimeters. It is impossible to break through such thick walls with bare hands.

"Moreover, police forces are arranged on all sides of the warehouse. There are over 300 police and armed police officers, and even a fly could not escape their notice. It is impossible for a person to break through the walls and escape without being seen by so many people!"

Hearing Deputy Director Lao's confident words, Wen Xiuzhi felt relieved. On the way, he was most worried that the criminal had already escaped before he arrived. Wen Xiuzhi did not act immediately but asked, "Are any of the workers who were with the criminal this morning still here? Bring them over. We need to question them."

The workers who escaped from the warehouse, except for a few who were injured and taken to the hospital, were left at the scene. The investigation team questioned them separately and quickly confirmed the facts:

First: The criminal's name is Wang Zhongmao, a veteran worker who has been in the factory for 15 to 16 years. He is 37 years old, usually honest and hardworking, does not cause trouble, and does not socialize much, being introverted.

Second: The criminal had no known grudges with the victims. His sudden violent outburst was a mystery to everyone.

Third: Before the criminal started killing, his behavior was abnormal. His body was stiff, and he muttered strange sounds, with stiff and unusual movements, which were very abnormal.

Fourth: When the criminal started killing, many people saw that his eyes were blood-red, abnormally red—according to the workers, "red with an evil aura," and no one dared to look him in the eye.

Fifth: When the criminal started killing, his strength was enormous. At first, when the workers saw him fighting with a colleague, they tried to intervene. However, the criminal knocked out several workers with a single punch, even causing one to die from a brain injury. The other workers panicked and quickly fled from the criminal.

Based on the testimonies of multiple witnesses, even Xu Yan, who was listening on the side, understood that Wen Xiuzhi was making the final confirmation to ensure that this madman was indeed the target he was looking for.

Wen Xiuzhi glanced at the members of the investigation team and asked in a low voice, "How about it?" There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

Infected by Wen Xiuzhi's emotions, everyone was also quite excited and nodded in agreement, "The characteristics are very clear, it's definitely the f-virus rage disease, no doubt about it!"

"Good!" Wen Xiuzhi waved his hand forcefully, "Everyone, let's get to work!"

At Wen Xiuzhi's command, the entire investigation team sprang into action like a well-oiled machine. The fierce special forces leaped off the vehicles and lined up in front of the warehouse. The soldiers' quick and urgent footsteps echoed in a dense rhythm. The officers stood in front of the soldiers, assigning the assault team and the support team, calling out the names of the soldiers, and giving orders.

The soldiers quickly brought several weapon boxes from the vehicles, which contained various types of weapons. The soldiers gathered around the boxes, selecting their weapons. Xu Yan stood by, watching with interest and occasionally asking curious questions to the soldiers who were checking their weapons: "What kind of gun is this? Oh, this is the Type 95 assault rifle? What's this thing under the barrel? Can it mount a grenade launcher? Can I try mounting one? How powerful is it? How many bullets can this magazine hold?"

Xu Yan asked various simple and shallow questions. The soldiers, considering he was an "intelligence officer," did not want to ignore him, but they were both amused and puzzled—where did this fool come from? Is this the level of an intelligence officer?

Fortunately, someone finally stepped in to save Xu Yan from tarnishing the reputation of the intelligence department.

"Xu Yan, what are you doing over there?" Xu Yan turned around to see Wen Xiuzhi walking toward him, looking anxious.

Seeing the busy and worried Wen Xiuzhi, Xu Yan felt a bit guilty and quickly explained, "I'm learning about firearms from the comrades."

"Stop messing around!" Wen Xiuzhi scolded, "The comrades are about to carry out a mission. Don't disrupt them with your nonsense! Go do what you're supposed to do!"

"But I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Xu Yan spread his hands, "No one has assigned me a task, and I don't have a weapon—how about you, Leader Wen, give me a gun and let me join the assault team?"

"Stop messing around!" Wen Xiuzhi said irritably. He knew Xu Yan's background—although he had learned some internal martial arts, he was essentially a useless homebody who easily panicked. Giving a gun to someone untrained would be more of a threat to his own side than to the enemy. Wen Xiuzhi did not want to receive a casualty report before the operation even began.

Wen Xiuzhi thought for a moment and realized there was indeed no suitable task for Xu Yan. He had not been trained and knew nothing, so he was not even fit for the simplest perimeter guard duty. However, saying "you're too useless for us to use" would be too hurtful to his self-esteem...

After some thought, Wen Xiuzhi decided that letting Xu Yan wander around freely would be a problem—he might cause trouble and embarrass the intelligence department. That was a minor issue, but he was more concerned that Xu Yan, unfamiliar with battlefield discipline, might get too close to the action and be injured by stray bullets. That would be a real problem!

No, he had to find Xu Yan a proper task to keep him occupied and prevent him from causing trouble.

Wen Xiuzhi cleared his throat and said seriously, "Lieutenant Xu Yan, I have an important task for you!"

Hearing Wen Xiuzhi speak so formally, Xu Yan was immediately excited, feeling full of energy and ready to tackle any challenge. He stood at attention and said, "Comrade Leader, please give your instructions!"

"Cough! Lieutenant Xu Yan, as you can see, we all rushed here from Jincheng by plane, and many of our luggage, documents, equipment, and instruments were not properly stored. They are just piled up over there..." Wen Xiuzhi turned and pointed, and Xu Yan saw that the dozen or so police cars and buses that had brought them were parked in a circle, with a pile of luggage and other items scattered in the middle, left there by the special task force.

"Cough, now that everyone is preparing to act, these items are not safe where they are. We need a reliable comrade to help guard them... Comrade Xu Yan, logistics are crucial to ensure that the comrades have no worries. This important and critical task, I will entrust to you!"

Xu Yan's face fell—despite his naivety, he knew that guarding luggage could not be considered an "important task." He felt disappointed: he had come all this way to witness an exciting battle, not to guard luggage!

Xu Yan wanted to protest, but Wen Xiuzhi patted his shoulder, "Alright, Lieutenant Xu, you stay there and guard the items. Make sure nothing is stolen, as there are many people around. Also, take your friend Zhu with you. It will be chaotic, and you need to protect her from any accidents."

Before Xu Yan could argue, Wen Xiuzhi hurried away.

Watching Wen Xiuzhi's retreating back, Xu Yan secretly gave him the middle finger—he knew that Wen Xiuzhi was just giving him a meaningless task. The entire factory was already sealed off by the military and police, with strict security. No thief would dare to sneak in and steal anything. Wen Xiuzhi was clearly just trying to keep him out of the way to prevent him from causing trouble.

He walked over to Zhu Youxiang, feeling dejected. As he approached, he was still thinking about how to explain the situation to her. However, Zhu Youxiang smiled first and said, "Lieutenant Xu, are you here to protect me on orders?"

"Ah?" Xu Yan realized that with Zhu Youxiang's hearing, it was impossible to hide their conversation from her. Thinking that she had heard everything, Xu Yan blushed.

He had been invited by Wen Xiuzhi with great enthusiasm and entrusted with an important task, which made him feel proud and satisfied—this was the "realization of self-worth" in psychological terms. (This mindset is subtle, like when inviting a leader to a meeting or ceremony, the leader will often say, "I'm very busy" and try to decline, but when repeatedly invited, the leader will finally agree, saying, "I can only speak for five minutes," but if someone really believes the leader is too busy and decides not to invite them, the outcome is usually disastrous.)

Now, Xu Yan had already positioned himself as a "Zhuge Liang" invited by Wen Xiuzhi, ready to make a stunning impact. He never imagined that his task would be to guard luggage. Even if he couldn't be the on-site commander, he felt he could at least be a "chief advisor" or "military strategist."

What made Xu Yan even more annoyed was that Wen Xiuzhi had said this in front of Zhu Youxiang—earlier, he had been subtly describing how much the intelligence department valued him and how much their leader, Wen, respected him, even begging him to join. Now, Zhu Youxiang had seen this embarrassing situation, proving that he had been exaggerating. Xu Yan wished the ground would open up and swallow him.

He laughed awkwardly, "Xuan Yun, you're making fun of me. You're so capable, what can I do to protect you? You've seen... I can only guard the luggage at most."

Xu Yan's subtle feelings were not lost on Zhu Youxiang—adolescent boys have very sensitive and fragile self-esteem. Seeing Xu Yan's self-pity, Zhu Youxiang did not want to mock him and comforted him, "Sir, don't be too hard on yourself. If you work hard and practice diligently, you will surely achieve something and earn the respect of others! Mr. Wen asked us to go and guard the luggage, so let's go."

"Alright, let's go."

Zhu Youxiang was a very considerate and understanding young woman. She saw Xu Yan's embarrassment and changed the topic, asking about his recent cultivation experiences.

Xu Yan felt relieved and eagerly sought advice from Zhu Youxiang. He had a lingering doubt: last time, Zhu Youxiang had warned him not to practice too many times or for too long when he was just starting his cultivation, but when he was locked in a small room, he practiced for a full 24 hours. Afterward, Xu Yan was a bit worried about any potential issues, but when he continued practicing, he did not feel any abnormalities. Now, he asked about this, "Xuan Yun, I practiced for a whole day, and it seems to be fine!" (To be continued)