178: Chapter 178 The Battle to Steal the Corpse

Inside the Hong Kong City Chief Executive's Office, a group of high-ranking government officials watched the footage transmitted from the entrance of Citibank today, their expressions so grim that water could practically drip from their faces, and deep within the eyes of many, a trace of undisguised terror was hidden.

The entire conference hall was deathly silent, the air so oppressive it felt as if it had solidified.

"At what stage is the autopsy of those monsters?"

A steady, resonant voice finally broke the silence.

The one speaking was Zhou Bingkun, the leader of the Mainland Special Investigation Team.

"Team Leader Zhou, the preliminary tests are still ongoing; the complete report won't be ready until this evening," a Hong Kong City government staff member hurried forward to report.

"As fast as possible, you must speed it up," Team Leader Zhou said in a deep voice. "Once the tests are finished, I want the bodies taken back to the Mainland immediately. The Mainland has better-equipped biological laboratories. These bodies are of great importance, and security must be foolproof; there cannot be any mishaps."

"Rest assured, Team Leader Zhou," Chief Executive Li spoke slowly from the side. "Those guarding the laboratory are already the elite of the Hong Kong Garrison. We can trust our own soldiers."

"Thank you for the trouble, Chief Executive Li." Team Leader Zhou nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "Also, how is the investigation into that group of people in black who appeared today coming along?"

At the mention of the people in black, the expressions of those present became even more solemn.

The Hong Kong Police Commissioner looked troubled and shook his head with a bitter smile:

"Team Leader Zhou, it's not that we aren't trying our best. It's bad enough that this group has terrifying combat prowess, but their logistics and counter-reconnaissance capabilities are ridiculously formidable. We pulled all the surveillance footage along their evacuation route, but we couldn't capture a single effective trace; it's as if they evaporated into thin air."

He sighed: "What has the world come to? Why have so many extraordinary individuals suddenly appeared..."

"You cannot stop," Team Leader Zhou said, his tone brooking no argument. "Although they helped us today, the power they displayed is a ticking time bomb in itself. If surveillance can't find them, use manpower to search. I don't believe they can completely vanish from the face of the earth. You must hold onto this lead tightly."

He paused, emphasizing his tone:

"But remember, once you lock onto the target, do not act rashly. Use courtesy before force. I want to find out their purpose for coming to Hong Kong City, as well as the source of their terrifying strength. Also, whether the recent series of extraordinary events in Neon is related to them."

"Understood, I will issue the order immediately to investigate with full force," the Commissioner replied solemnly.

Team Leader Zhou nodded slightly, though he felt completely overwhelmed.

After the attack on Hong Kong City yesterday, the Mainland immediately established a special investigation team, and he was the person in charge. In terms of authority, he was comparable to an imperial envoy of ancient times, practically outranking every official within Hong Kong City.

But this envoy was not easy to be.

What he had to investigate was a group of extraordinary individuals who came and went without a trace, with individual combat power comparable to war machines. If not for Qin Yang's intervention today, he probably wouldn't have even been able to get a single monster corpse, and the leads would have been completely severed.

Night fell.

The autopsy report for the monster corpses was finally placed before Team Leader Zhou.

The few short lines of the conclusion made his heart tighten.

"You mean... these monsters were originally human?"

In the office, Team Leader Zhou pointed at the report, his voice tight.

The technician nodded, his tone grave: "That's right, Team Leader Zhou. They became this way after undergoing systematic genetic modification surgery."

Genetic modification—this is a forbidden technology explicitly banned by the international community.

To successfully mass-produce such monsters, countless innocent lives must have been piled up behind the scenes.

"How dare they be so insane!" Team Leader Zhou slammed the table, his face full of fury.

"Team Leader, there is no time to lose; we must report this to the higher-ups immediately," a team member said urgently. "The fact that the other side has mastered this forbidden technology is a catastrophic disaster for us. Even if just three or five of these modified monsters are released into a city, it would be enough to cause social collapse. We must formulate a prevention and control plan as soon as possible."

"Report it immediately!" Team Leader Zhou decided decisively. "Seal the bodies immediately and prepare to transport them to the Mainland!"

Before the words had even faded, the harsh ringing of an emergency phone suddenly exploded.

Team Leader Zhou grabbed the phone, and after hearing only a few sentences, his face turned livid:

"It's me... What?! They have lost their minds! Notify the Hong Kong Garrison, hit them hard, and don't hold back! Openly attacking our important facility, do they want to start a war?! —This is my order, I will bear all the consequences!"

"Bang!"

The phone was slammed back onto the base.

"Team Leader, what happened?" the team member asked, trembling with fear.

"A group of foreign armed personnel, blatantly attacking the laboratory to snatch the monster corpses! And it's not just one group!" Team Leader Zhou laughed in extreme anger. "These scumbags, do they really think Hong Kong City is their backyard?!"

"Then what should we do now..."

"What else can we do? Kill them!" Team Leader Zhou grabbed his coat. "Let's go, to the laboratory site. I want to watch the bodies be transported away safely with my own eyes!"

...

Outside a high-level laboratory building in Hong Kong City, it had already become a sea of flames.

Stationed here was the elite Special Warfare squadron of the Hong Kong Garrison.

The attacking side was not to be underestimated either; their tactics were skillful, their equipment was superior, and it was clear at a glance that they were the top special forces of a major power.

Bullets whistled, explosions rang out one after another, and the entire block had turned into a battlefield.

More than sixty Special Warfare soldiers held their ground against the repeated, fierce assaults of nearly two hundred enemies.

But this was Hong Kong City of the Great East; the Special Warfare squadron was fighting on home turf with endless logistics, so the advantage quickly shifted to the Special Warfare squadron.

Seeing that they couldn't break through after a long fight and fearing they would be surrounded, the enemies had no choice but to retreat in a panic.

By the time Team Leader Zhou arrived, the battle was already over.

Reinforcements were sealing off the scene and cleaning up the aftermath.

The on-site commander hurried forward: "Team Leader Zhou!"

"What's the situation?"

"It went fairly well. Support arrived in time, and the enemy failed to succeed. We suffered eight casualties, and the enemy left behind over thirty corpses."

"What are their identities?"

"All foreign faces, both Black and White. After facial recognition comparison, we ruled out the possibility of mercenaries. It is basically certain that they are elite special forces secretly trained by certain countries." The commander paused and lowered his voice. "In my opinion, nine times out of ten, they are from the USA."

"Hmph, apart from them, no one else has such guts," Team Leader Zhou said coldly. "Order a city-wide manhunt. You must round up this group of attackers! This is the territory of the Great East; how can we allow them to run wild here!"

"Yes! The pursuit team has already been dispatched; there will be news soon."

"Immediately call in a helicopter and contact the Eastern Theater Command to request fighter jet escort." Team Leader Zhou looked at the laboratory building, his eyes as sharp as knives. "These corpses are priceless; they must be transported back to the Mainland intact!"

"Understood!"