At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

Chang Le, speaking into the phone at the edge of the freight yard, reported to Director Wang in a heavy tone: "The target has escaped; we are organizing a manhunt!"

Director Wang frowned: "It seems Chen Geng can't go back to see that mercenary! We must organize his arrest immediately!"

Inside the command center, the lights were on, and a huge electronic screen was flashing real-time images and data streams of the dock area and the western suburban freight yard.

Director Wang had just hung up the call with Chang Le, his brows furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

Just then, a short, loud car horn sounded downstairs. It wasn't a police siren, but it had an undeniable penetrating power.

Immediately following were the inquiries from the sentries, the hurried footsteps, and the distinctive sound of hard-soled military boots striking the ground, all mixed together, disrupting the evening order of the municipal bureau compound.

Director Wang had an idea. He got up and walked to the window facing the main entrance of the building, looking down.

Three Dongfeng Mengshi off-road vehicles, painted in dark green camouflage and without any license plates or markings, sped straight through the automatic barriers at the city bureau gate like steel behemoths, and came to a sharp stop in front of the steps of the command center building.

The car doors opened almost simultaneously, and more than ten fully armed soldiers, dressed in unmarked dark gray urban digital camouflage combat uniforms, wearing special operations helmets, and with camouflage paint on their faces, leaped out like cheetahs.

After getting off the vehicle, they did not stop or form a line at all, but spontaneously formed two loose defensive circles, with soldiers on the outer perimeter holding guns and one person striding into the building in the middle.

The entire process was silent, swift, and efficient, carrying the scent of battle-hardened veterans and the aura of steel, a stark contrast to the surrounding police officers in their navy blue uniforms, whose pace was relatively "conventional."

Standing behind the third-floor window, Director Wang could clearly see the soldiers below scanning his window with their wary and cold gazes. He could even feel the slight chill of being targeted by predators on the battlefield.

He sighed inwardly; what was bound to happen had finally happened, and it had come so quickly and so forcefully.

When a case involves keywords such as "international terrorist mercenaries," "lurking within major foreign investment projects," and "potential attack threats," it is already destined to no longer be something that local police agencies can handle independently.

The speed of the response far exceeded his expectations.

The heavy soundproof door to the command center was pushed open with a "bang"—not knocked, but pushed.

Two young police officers guarding the door tried to stop them, extending their hands: "Sorry, you can't..."

Before he could finish speaking, a tall, cold-eyed soldier who had stepped in first gently bumped him on the shoulder, causing him to stagger to the sides. It wasn't rough, but it carried an irresistible force and indifference.

"Let them in." Director Wang waved his hand, signaling the somewhat bewildered police officers at the door to step back.

A tall, upright figure walked steadily into the brightly lit command center.

The newcomer was also wearing an urban digital camouflage training uniform without any markings, which outlined his slender and powerful lines.

This is a female officer. She is not wearing a helmet. Her extremely short, jet-black hair is close to her scalp, revealing a clear and full forehead and a distinct, even somewhat cold and hard, facial contour.

His skin was a healthy wheat color from long-term outdoor training; his eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples; his nose was high and straight; and his lips were pressed tightly together in a straight line.

What's most striking are his eyes. The pupils are a light color, resembling some kind of cold amber under the light. Wherever his gaze sweeps, it's like a tangible blade scraping across—sharp, calm, and devoid of any superfluous emotion.

Her epaulettes, bearing the rank of colonel with two bars and three stars, gleamed brightly.

His height was similar to Chen Geng's, close to 1.8 meters, making him stand out even more among the generally not tall southern people and the already upright soldiers.

She stood there, without making any unnecessary movements, yet she seemed to exude a powerful aura.

Her gaze fell on Director Wang, and she stepped forward, raising her hand to give a crisp military salute.

He spoke quickly and clearly, without any small talk or preamble.

"Southern Theater Command, Commander of the 'Sea Dragon' Counter-Terrorism Special Forces, Lang Hehe. Ordered to arrive here immediately and take full control of the investigation and command of all cases involving the 'Green Hell Legion' and related entities! This is the official order!"

She maintained her salute, and a soldier beside her, equally expressionless, stepped forward and handed a sealed document bag bearing a bright red stamp to Director Wang with both hands.

Director Wang quickly glanced at the heading and seal, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart vanished.

He looked up and met Lang Hehe's eyes, which seemed to see right through people: "I am Wang Liguo from the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau. Colonel Lang, welcome! We are currently compiling the latest information, and the relevant files and intelligence have been preliminarily organized and are ready for handover at any time."

"Time is of the essence, so let's skip the formalities. Director Wang, I need the most concise update, especially regarding the current possible movements of target 'Carlos,' details of the 'Viper' team's infiltration intelligence, and the complete interrogation records of those involved. In addition, I believe there are significant risks involved in the operation plan regarding 'Carlos's' former safe house, and I recommend that our department immediately reassess and implement it."

Late at night, in the penthouse suite of the Peninsula Hotel in Shenzhen. Mu Xueke had only recently arrived in Shenzhen and had been staying here temporarily.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, neon lights hang like an inverted Milky Way, and cruise ships on the river glide slowly by, trailing ribbons of light.

She took off her coat and casually draped it over the expensive velvet sofa. She walked to the window, looked down at the turbulent city below, and sighed silently.

What happened today was just the beginning, a prelude to something more intense and dangerous than she had anticipated.

Picking up the phone, Mu Xueke dialed her father's number. The phone was answered after only one ring, as if the other party had been waiting.

"Dad." Mu Xueke's voice rarely revealed a hint of fatigue.

"Xue Ke." Mu Yunhai's voice came from the distant capital, carrying a power that could soothe anxiety.

"Back at the hotel? I knew you'd call."

There was no blame in his tone, only understanding and deep concern.

"Yes, I just got back. You... haven't rested yet?"

Mu Xueke's heart tightened when she heard a barely perceptible hoarseness in her father's voice.

"I'm fine, it's just an old problem, I know what I'm doing."

Mu Yunhai chuckled softly, his laughter tinged with both relief and a hint of helplessness.

"Sending you to Shenzhen alone to face such a huge mess, and encountering such a big storm right from the start... It was my fault for not thinking things through, and it frightened you."

"Dad, don't say that!"

Mu Xueke felt a slight pang of sadness, but quickly suppressed it.

"Mom passed away early, and you supported this family all by yourself... Now that I'm grown up, it's my duty to share the burden and uphold the dignity of the Mu family."

She paused, then said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Besides, aren't you always saying when you'll be able to bring home a good son-in-law so you can hold your grandson soon? If I don't step out and stand on my own, where am I going to find a son-in-law who meets your standards?"