Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

Less than three minutes after Xu Lao's instructions were relayed, all thirty-plus members of the first squad had arrived at their positions.

The tactical helmet was fastened, the bulletproof vest was pulled up, the Type 95 assault rifle was hung in front of his chest, and the magazine was loaded.

No one spoke, no one asked why.

The Internal Security Bureau's rule: receive the order, execute it, and keep quiet.

The roller shutter door of the underground parking garage slowly rose, and a Hongqi bulletproof sedan with a special license plate from the Central Military Commission drove out first and stopped directly in front of the office building lobby.

Immediately afterwards, two unmarked black troop carriers drove out from the depths of the garage. Their dark, bulletproof windows were completely sealed, making it impossible to see how many people were inside from the outside.

The rear door of the troop carrier opened, and more than 30 members of the Internal Security Forces, divided into two groups of six, filed into the vehicle.

The movements were clean and efficient, and the entire process from assembly to boarding took no more than four minutes.

Old Xu, wearing a military overcoat, walked out from the steps of the lobby.

With a black leather briefcase tucked under his left arm, he walked steadily, each step on the stone steps carrying weight.

The guard quickly stepped forward and opened the rear door of the Hongqi sedan.

Old Xu bent down and sat down, placing his briefcase on his knees and leaning back in the chair.

"Bang."

The car doors were shut tightly.

"Set off."

The convoy did not sound its sirens.

The roof lights of all three cars turned on simultaneously, their blue and white lights flashing in the midday sun, making one's eyes sting.

With a red flag in front and two troop carriers behind, maintaining a distance of about eight meters, they drove out of the iron gate of the Central Military Commission compound at a steady speed.

Upon seeing the license plate number, the armed police sentry at the gate of the compound raised the barrier to its highest position without saying a word.

The convoy merged into Kyoto's main thoroughfare.

An interesting thing happened—all the traffic lights ahead turned green the moment the convoy approached.

Not a coincidence.

The traffic management center's back-end system has received the instructions, and all the traffic lights at the seventeen intersections along the route have been taken over, creating a smooth green channel specifically for this convoy.

The Hongqi sedan maintained a stable speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

This speed is considered fast in Kyoto city, but the car body doesn't sway at all, and the chassis is as stable as if it were welded to the ground.

Thirty minutes.

The convoy turned into that narrow old alley.

The first armed police post at the entrance of the alley saw the special license plate of the Central Military Commission from afar. The two sentries looked at each other, stood at attention and saluted without saying a word, and the barrier gate rose with a "whoosh".

The convoy did not slow down and drove straight in.

The second security checkpoint follows the same procedure: check license plate, salute, and let the vehicle through.

No one dared to stop them, and no one had the right to stop them.

The three cars came to a steady stop in the bluestone courtyard inside Su Zhenhai's courtyard house.

The engine stalled.

The troop carrier's sliding doors opened almost simultaneously, and twelve internal security personnel jumped off, their tactical boots making a dense and rhythmic thud on the bluestone slabs.

Two people form a group, and six groups act simultaneously.

The front and back gates of the courtyard, the corner gates on the east and west sides, and the two entrances to the veranda—all the accessible passageways were controlled within fifteen seconds.

The gun was pointed downwards, but the safety was off.

Inside the main hall, Su Zhenhai was leaning back in his armchair, resting with his eyes closed.

Two walnuts were spinning in his left hand, while his right hand rested on the armrest, his index finger tapping the mahogany wood intermittently.

I'm waiting for Liu Qigang's call; it should be soon.

The sudden sound of a car engine shutting off in the yard shattered the tranquility.

This was followed by a series of sounds of tactical boots treading on the cobblestones, dense, orderly, and with a well-trained rhythm.

Su Zhenhai stopped.

The walnuts stopped turning, and my index finger stopped tapping them.

He opened his eyes and looked towards the main hall. His gaze passed through the half-open red lacquered wooden door, and he could see a corner of the courtyard.

Black troop carriers, fully armed soldiers, assault rifles.

Su Zhenhai clenched his fist, holding the two walnuts in his palm.

Meanwhile, in the backyard wing room.

Zhao Lichun was woken up by the noise.

Less than twenty minutes after his head hit the pillow, the commotion in the yard pulled him out of his light sleep.

He sat up, shuffled to the door in his leather shoes, and pushed the door open a crack.

He leaned half his body out and saw the scene in the yard.

More than thirty fully armed internal security guards were scattered in various parts of the courtyard. Although the muzzles of their guns were pointed at the ground, the cold metallic glint reflected from the barrels was unmistakable.

Zhao Lichun was pinned to the door frame, his hands gripping the edge of the door, his knuckles turning white.

Just moments ago, I was contemplating things in my mind—overturning He Xia's appointment, removing Wang Jian, and having Qian Shouyi take over as governor of Lüzhou.

A commotion came from the main hall.

Two bodyguards walked up the steps, pushed open the wooden door of the main hall from the outside, and stood on either side of each other, guns pointed downwards, facing the courtyard.

A figure appeared in the doorway.

He wore a military overcoat draped over his shoulders, his hair was completely white, his back was ramrod straight, and a black briefcase was tucked under his left arm.

Old Xu stepped across the threshold and into the main hall.

Su Zhenhai had already stood up from the armchair.

He casually placed the walnut on the tea table, where it rolled twice before hitting the base of the teacup and coming to a stop.

He saw the person's face clearly.

"The old squad leader?"

The moment those three words left his mouth, Su Zhenhai's mind began to race.

Old Xu personally led the first squad of the Inner Guard to visit.

He didn't call or send someone to deliver a message; he came in person.

They also brought more than thirty guns.

This is not a grand affair for reminiscing.

Old Xu didn't give Su Zhenhai any room for pleasantries.

The briefcase was placed on the tea table with a dull "thud".

"Su Zhenhai, you've overstepped your bounds."