634: Nowhere to escape!

Not only the Train Station, but also the Airport, coach stations, taxi companies, ride-hailing platforms, buses, and all other public transportation Systems in Beijing, quickly ceased operations after dropping off their last passengers. The originally bustling Yanjing instantly became deathly silent. Even private cars gradually became scarce, with checkpoints set up at many intersections, and the highway entrances and exits to and from Yanjing were strictly sealed, preventing any vehicles from entering or leaving.

Such a sight had never been seen in China's history!

The internet quickly exploded, and the homepages of major portals displayed striking banners: "Beijing Locked Down!"

Relevant push notifications were also received simultaneously on social media, leaving people utterly shocked.

And all of this was closely linked to the recently escalating "Su Yue Nuclear Bomb Incident."

On Weibo's hot search, the topic "#Su Yue and Beijing Lockdown#" quickly climbed. Although there was no definite confirmation yet, people's speculation and discussion were already in full swing.

"It seems this time they are serious about Su Yue..."

"The previous small skirmishes weren't taken seriously, but now it's a thunderous blow!"

As an internationally renowned metropolis, the news of Yanjing's lockdown quickly spread throughout the world. At the same time, the China government also publicly released all the intelligence currently held about Su Yue. A public announcement titled "Nationwide Wanted: Su Yue" spread across the country within half an hour, being broadcast on television, radio, the internet, and various other channels.

The article detailed Su Yue's gender, age, characteristics, and the possibility of him being hidden in Yanjing, and reminded citizens to be vigilant. If there was any relevant information or a person suspected to be Su Yue appeared, they were to immediately report it to the police.

It also announced the complete lockdown of Yanjing, with the opening date to be announced separately based on the progress of the manhunt.

The government also advised citizens to stay at home and not go out unnecessarily. Daily necessities would be provided by designated personnel. If any unauthorized outings were discovered, criminal responsibility would be pursued according to the law.

On February 25th, the news of Yanjing's complete lockdown shocked the world! To apprehend a single fugitive, an entire city was locked down! This measure undoubtedly demonstrated the government's level of importance and determination regarding this incident.

Su Yue naturally knew about the city-wide lockdown. He knew that at this moment, he had to be like a shadow, hiding silently. Once apprehended, all his plans would vanish like smoke. Therefore, he had long been prepared for a long-term 潛伏 (qiánfú - lurking/hiding). As long as he wasn't discovered, staying in this secret stronghold for two months would not be a problem.

However, as time passed and the search deepened, Su Yue also understood that his identity could not be hidden forever. But he needed more time to perfect his plan; he had to delay enough time within Yanjing. More importantly, he had to uncover the true identity of the mastermind behind the scenes. If he continued to bear the charge of stealing the nuclear bomb, his actions would be greatly restricted, which was contrary to his original plan.

Fortunately, the high degree of automation in modern society provided him with convenience. The automated management of infrastructure such as water and electricity allowed him to stay in the room for a long time without being detected, as he didn't need to worry about trivial matters. At this moment, Su Yue was in a spacious and hidden factory building, which not only had complete living facilities but even a full set of fitness equipment. Clearly, he had made thorough preparations for such a situation.

He sat in front of the computer, the screen displaying the real-time footage from nearby surveillance cameras. Looking at the empty streets, a smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of Su Yue's mouth. This challenge excited him, although he was also aware that once he failed, an endless Abyss awaited him.

He thought to himself, "Let me see when you can find my hiding place. Will it be through surveillance cameras, or through house-to-house questioning? After I have made such thorough preparations, how long will it take you to find me?"

Su Yue knew that his hiding place would be discovered sooner or later, but what he needed now was just time, waiting for his three plan lines to gradually converge. When those three lines intertwined, all problems would be solved, including the mastermind who had not yet shown their face.

...

Under the shadow of the city-wide lockdown, Yanjing seemed to have turned into a silent ruin. The streets were empty, with only scattered patrol personnel fully armed, like the last guardians of the city.

"It's already the 28th, and there's still no trace of Su Yue..." a patrol officer complained. He brought up domestic matters, and his wife's continuous questioning gave him a headache.

Another patrol officer laughed upon hearing this: "You're lucky. I have to face an 'exam' every day when I go home. At the entrance of the residential area, I have to give a secret code, and before entering the building, I have to take a test paper with all the information about my parents, friends, and my educational experience. It's harder to remember than QQ security questions!"

The two chatted while patrolling to relieve the tension. They knew that they were just a small part of this massive arrest machine, but it was these ordinary people who together wove a watertight net, leaving Su Yue nowhere to escape.

However, this search operation also had a huge impact on the city. Many large companies had their headquarters in Yanjing, and the sudden shutdown caused them huge economic losses. Although there were compensation policies, compared to the losses, these compensations were just a drop in the bucket. The normal operation of the city was also severely affected.

The two sighed and stopped talking about these topics. They knew that what they could do was to fulfill their duties and guard this street. And in this seemingly silent city, a silent contest was quietly unfolding.

At the headquarters of the search operation team, this was undoubtedly the busiest place in Yanjing currently, with a tense and enthusiastic atmosphere. Everyone was spinning like a top.

"Arthur, where is the summary report for Zone C? How long have you been dawdling!"

"Oh my god, stop rushing me! You just asked five minutes ago!"

"Old Wu, is the new integration plan out yet? Those guys from the United States are pushing hard, you need to hurry!"

"Stanlia, your task is crucial, don't doze off!"

In the hall, despite the language differences between departments, the overall operation was still efficient. From logistics support, lockdown management, public opinion control to the core search operation, all matters converged here, and everyone was extremely busy.

Gao Xiang massaged his temples while flipping through the report information documents in front of him. These materials came from various groups, compiled through the Tixing Division's reporting System, and were complex and disorderly, with a lot of information appearing worthless. Gao Xiang had a headache from reading them, and the surrounding noise of mixed multinational languages made him even more irritable.

He took a deep breath, noticed that A Qi seemed interested in this information, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Kang Team, do you... find these interesting?"

Gao Xiang hesitated a little, but still asked.

A Qi shrugged and smiled, "It's better than watching surveillance footage."

Back when he was tracking Su Yue in Jinling, he had stared at the surveillance screen for several days without sleep. In comparison, the current situation was relatively relaxed.

Gao Xiang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and then gave a wry smile.

"I didn't see any useful information..."

"You should know, how could it be so easy to find Su Yue?"

A Qi didn't mind Gao Xiang's words and turned to say, "There may not be any gains now, but over time, some clues will be revealed."

"No matter how cunning Su Yue is, he needs a hiding place. Whether he rents or buys, he will leave traces."

"If he doesn't show up for a long time, there will definitely be records of large purchases. He can't grow his own food, can he?"

Gao Xiang gritted his teeth after hearing this and asked again, "Then how long do we have to wait?"

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Gao Xiang was young after all and didn't quite understand the principle of "good things take time," especially when it came to Su Yue. Impatience would only put him in a passive position.

Xiang Haitian's hoarse voice interrupted: "Gao Xiang, when you saw Xia Wen yesterday, she was even busier. I heard she's developing a new software that will allow people to discuss where Su Yue might appear..."

"Through information integration, perhaps Su Yue himself will participate."

"We can track all IP addresses... but the workload is huge, even experts like Xia Wen are extremely busy."

Xiao Xiao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: "Will there be Su Yue's undercover agents here? Then we'll really be out of luck."

A Qi said while flipping through the documents: "Impossible."

"We won't give Su Yue this opportunity here, and the risk is too great for him."

"He wouldn't take such a risk."

Gao Xiang also nodded in agreement.

"With Su Yue's personality, he wouldn't do something without benefit."

"Moreover, if you want no one to know, don't do it."

"What Su Yue should do now is to find a way to hide his identity."

Speaking of this, Gao Xiang suddenly fell into deep thought.

He frowned, stopped looking at the documents, and looked up at everyone, slowly speaking: "Since Su Yue escaped from the Security Bureau, we have implemented a comprehensive lockdown. It's impossible for him to leave through any means of transportation. From the perspective of time and space, he had no opportunity to leave. But the question is, why didn't he try to leave?"

As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly.

It was as if a door to a new world had opened in Gao Xiang's mind; he had a new idea.

"Su Yue didn't try to leave, which means he still has unfinished business in Yanjing."

"What does he want to do?"

"Think about it, why didn't he leave before the comprehensive lockdown?"

"This must be the breakthrough!"

These words immediately attracted everyone's attention.

A Qi frowned, recalling Su Yue's behavior in Jinling. He was never passive and always had something planned.

So, according to Gao Xiang, what exactly did Su Yue want to do in Yanjing?

He muttered to himself, "Perhaps he is waiting for something?"

"Is he waiting for an opportunity?"

On the other side, Lyon was closely monitoring the developments in Yanjing.

After cracking the "easter egg" information hidden by Su Yue in the movie, he cleverly used Su Yue's layout, intercepted it, and quickly integrated his own plan into it. Although Lyon still didn't understand why Su Yue was so obsessed with the nuclear bomb and why he revealed in the information that the nuclear bomb would attack Beichuan City, now, Su Yue's plan had been completely disrupted by him.

Time had quietly arrived at March 10th, a full fifteen days had passed since Yanjing began the manhunt for Su Yue, and the city was still under lockdown.

And Lyon was currently in a war-torn country in the Middle East, preparing to sell the three nuclear warheads he had. Although these nuclear warheads were no longer the most powerful in modern weapons, their value was still immeasurable because they represented the highest level of technological strength. The ability to purify uranium to such a purity was definitely not within the reach of ordinary financial means.

Of course, Lyon would naturally not show up in person to trade with the buyer. As "K," he had his own unique way of doing things. At this moment, he was sitting in a dilapidated hotel room, listening to the transaction process through headphones.

"Static..." There was a burst of current interference in the headphones, followed by a cold voice: "Hello, sir."

"Excuse me..." This was one of the people Lyon had previously hired to steal the Arabasta nuclear warhead.

"You must be Mr. Breeze." Lyon gently tapped the dilapidated table while listening with his eyes closed. All of this was a script he had carefully designed, including the dialogue, which he already knew by heart.

"The show is starting..." he muttered to himself.

Immediately after, another slightly older voice sounded: "Yes, it's me."

Breeze, an extremely crazy individual. From all perspectives, handing the nuclear bomb over to him indeed had the potential to trigger a world war. However, the enriched uranium in Lyon's hands had not yet been converted into a real nuclear bomb, which required additional technology. The reason why Breeze was willing to buy it was largely because he desperately needed funds, and he had a wider network of contacts than Lyon.

"I've brought the ninety million US dollars." Breeze's voice sounded again, "Where is what I want?"

Accompanied by a rustling sound, the sound of the box being opened came: "It's right here, you can inspect it."

Then, the beeping sound of the detection equipment sounded, and the inspection process was not long. Under the detection of the special equipment, Breeze quickly spoke again: "It seems there's no problem."

"It was a pleasure working with you." His voice revealed a hint of contempt, "I wonder if we will have another opportunity to cooperate in the future?"

This tone clearly showed disdain for the person he was trading with.

The cold voice sounded again: "If there's an opportunity, I will contact you."

"Then..." Breeze suddenly interrupted him, "Since there may be no more contact in this life, you won't be able to easily take my money either."

"You dare to come and see me alone... It seems you still don't know who you are dealing with."

Hearing this, a smile appeared at the corner of Lyon's mouth. A series of collision sounds followed in the headphones, as if there were many unexpected guests at the transaction site. All of this was within Lyon's expectations, and once this situation formed, he held the initiative.

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