313: They've caught the mole.

Officer Jin Gu's gaze swept across the three of them. "The Supreme Command Center has completed its final assessment and authorized the operation. The target's specific identity and location have been locked."

He paused briefly before uttering a name:

"The mole is—the Director of the Strategic Resources and R&D Department, Zhao Qifeng, with the rank of Technical Major General."

The name and position caused Lu Jianchuan and the others to be momentarily stunned.

The Strategic Resources and R&D Department was a key department within GUPA responsible for coordinating resources, evaluating and introducing emerging technologies, and supervising the progress of certain internal projects. It held immense authority and had access to a vast amount of core intelligence and material flows.

Its director was a genuine high-level leader, with a status second only to the three supreme decision-makers.

"Zhao Qifeng," Golden Bone continued, his tone cold and stern, "comes from a military technical background and later transitioned into the field of paranormal affairs.

He used his position to systematically channel talent selection standards, undisclosed evolution event data, restricted biotechnology materials, and potentially even operational plans to 'Prometheus,' which he personally founded, over at least the past ten years.

He 'provided' key intelligence for every strike we made against Prometheus, while simultaneously ensuring that the core of Prometheus was preserved or even developed. He played the perfect double agent."

He pulled up the final confirmation information on his encrypted terminal:

"He is currently at the 'Frontier Technology Evaluation Center No. 7' located on the outskirts of the city, ostensibly conducting a quarterly audit of new detection equipment.

That is a facility within his direct jurisdiction and aligns with his usual itinerary. The Command Center has judged that this is a time when his vigilance is relatively low, and the environment is enclosed enough for us to control the situation."

Golden Bone closed the terminal and looked at the three of them, his eyes as sharp as an unsheathed blade:

"In five minutes, assemble at Hangar B3 for the special assault vehicle 'Night Raven.' Prioritize equipment for stealth and rapid resolution. Operation codename—'House Cleaning.'"

He emphasized one last point:

"The target is extremely dangerous and may have preset alarms or counter-measures. Do not give him any chance to delay or communicate. The Supreme Command Center's order is: capture him alive at all costs, but if you encounter lethal resistance, authorization to lift restrictions is granted. Understood?"

"Understood!" the three responded in unison, their eyes instantly becoming focused and cold. The brief respite was over; a battle aimed directly at the heart of the organization was about to begin. They had only five minutes to adjust their states, collect special equipment, and head toward a final showdown with a former "colleague" and one of the sources of all their tragedies.

"Dismissed. See you at B3 in five minutes." After saying this, Golden Bone turned and strode out of the briefing room to begin the final operational deployments.

Inside the room, Lu Jianchuan, Shen Mingyuan, and Wei Ziqing glanced at each other. Without a word, they stood up and walked quickly in their respective directions.

Time was tight, and the orders were clear. Five minutes later, Hangar B3.

A VTOL aircraft, the "Night Raven," with a matte black body and sharp, sleek lines that reflected almost no light, was already humming with its engines running and its hatch open. Golden Bone was the first to board, followed closely by Lu Jianchuan, Shen Mingyuan, and Wei Ziqing. Behind them were eight fully armed, silent special operations members who were clearly specialized in such sensitive missions. There was no idle chatter inside the cabin, only the slight hum of the System self-check and the sound of seatbelts being fastened.

The "Night Raven" rose quietly and quickly vanished into the city's night sky. Its special coating and propulsion System ensured extremely low radar and noise signatures, making it like a true nocturnal predator.

The flight was not long, but it was enough to cross from the city to the suburbs. Soon, the aircraft began to descend. Below was a frontier technology evaluation center located in a hilly area with strict blackout regulations. The Night Raven landed precisely on a designated backup landing pad at the edge of the center, far from the main buildings, its rotor wash kicking up dust.

The hatch slid open, and Golden Bone was the first to jump down. Lu Jianchuan and the others, along with the tactical team, filed out and quickly formed a security perimeter. In the darkness, the silhouette of the evaluation center appeared quiet and orderly, with only a few windows showing work lights.

Almost as soon as they landed, two personnel in base security uniforms, clearly having received a warning to verify identities, walked quickly out of the shadows. Their flashlights swept over the group, and when they saw that the leader was actually Golden Bone, they were visibly stunned. They immediately lowered their flashlights and stood at attention, saluting.

"Officer Jin Gu! You...?"

"Executing a secret order from the Supreme Command Center, codename 'House Cleaning'." Golden Bone interrupted their inquiry, his voice not loud but carrying unquestionable authority. He simultaneously displayed an electronic directive flashing a highest-clearance verification code.

"As of now, this base is under temporary control. To avoid information leaks interfering with the operation, the two of you will remain here, surrender all communication devices, and be accompanied by my men. Until further instructions are received, maintain silence and cooperate with all requirements. Understood?"

When the two security guards saw the clearance markings and codename on the electronic directive, their expressions instantly became incredibly solemn. Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately removed their personal communicators, handed them to a tactical team member who stepped forward, and nodded.

"Understood, sir! We will cooperate fully!"

They knew very well that in the face of secret orders and clearance of this level, obedience was the only option.

Moreover, given that even Golden Bone and the three "Armor Aptitude Holders" with special identities had been deployed personally, the gravity of the situation was self-evident.

One of them proactively pointed toward a simple guard post nearby. "We can wait here and will not leave."

Golden Bone nodded slightly and left two team members to guard and monitor the perimeter. He then waved his hand. "Action group, follow me. Target: Main R&D Building, Core Experimental Area. Maintain radio silence and proceed according to the preset plan."

The operation was efficient and swift. The squad led by Golden Bone sliced into the evaluation center with surgical precision.

Relying on the highest-clearance directives and their knowledge of the internal structure, they first seized control of the communications center and the security control room, cutting off all conventional external contact channels for the target area.

Then came the systematic sweep. The tactical team members Golden Bone brought were all elites who coordinated seamlessly.

Operating in small units, they quickly located and "visited" key personnel on the list belonging to Zhao Qifeng's faction—ranging from experimental supervisors and security captains to data dispatchers.

The process was not entirely without resistance. Most people, upon seeing official arrest warrants and overwhelming force, chose to surrender, their faces turning ashen as they were fitted with special restraints.

A few confidants, clearly deeply entrenched or feeling there was no turning back, attempted to resist or trigger alarms, but they were all swiftly neutralized. The methods were clean and efficient, causing no large-scale commotion.

Lu Jianchuan, Shen Mingyuan, and Wei Ziqing coordinated with the operation, primarily responsible for dealing with any sudden threats that might exceed the capabilities of conventional combat personnel. However, Zhao Qifeng did not seem to have deployed such extreme defensive forces here, perhaps to avoid early exposure. Their presence was more of a deterrent and insurance.

As the sweep progressed layer by layer, the regular tactical members gradually dispersed to escort and guard the arrested personnel and to blockade key nodes. Eventually, only Golden Bone, Lu Jianchuan, Shen Mingyuan, and Wei Ziqing remained at the entrance to the independent experimental area at the bottom of the main R&D building—the most heavily protected area.

The heavy blast-proof airtight door was forcibly unlocked by Golden Bone using his clearance. It slid open slowly, revealing the stairs leading down and the cold alloy walls. The air was filled with a faint scent of ozone and the low-frequency hum of precision equipment in operation.

The four maintained their guard and entered one by one, descending the stairs. It was exceptionally quiet here, forming a sharp contrast with the controlled areas above.

At the end of the stairs was a door left slightly ajar, marked with the sign "Core Observation Room." Golden Bone signaled, and Lu Jianchuan stepped forward, gently pushing the door open.

The space inside was more spacious than imagined, with soft lighting. Directly facing the door was a curved console covered with multiple screens constantly refreshing with data streams and complex parameters, along with numerous physical buttons and joysticks.

A figure wearing the service uniform of a GUPA senior technical officer stood with his back to them, his posture upright. He was standing quietly in front of the console, seemingly observing or debugging something. The light from the screens reflected off his graying temples.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the figure did not turn around. He only sighed softly, and a calm, even somewhat weary middle-aged male voice echoed in the room:

"You've come."

Golden Bone stepped into the room, his gaze locking onto that back like a hawk. His voice was cold and hard: "You don't seem shocked."

The figure slowly shook his head, still without turning, as if the screens before him were more worthy of attention than the pursuers behind him:

"Shocked? Why should I be shocked? From the moment I decided to do these things, I knew... that this day would come eventually."