317: Chapter 317 Your actions constitute a serious criminal offense!

The pitch-black rainy night swallowed the entire city into chaos.

Big, bean-sized raindrops smashed onto the streets, splashing countless tiny water droplets.

The distant neon lights became blurry and hazy in the rain curtain.

Chenxi Home, located in the suburbs, seemed to have completely fallen into a deep sleep at this moment.

However, beneath this seemingly tranquil facade, undercurrents were surging, and murderous intent lurked everywhere.

Inside a small inn located at a remote street corner.

The lights in a certain room on the second floor were one of the few bright spots in this darkness.

Smoke curled and swirled.

Minister Luo Lie stood by the window, gazing at the torrential rainy night sky with a face as gloomy as water.

The cigarette between his fingers had burned to the end, and the flickering sparks reflected in his gloomy eyes.

In the ashtray behind him, twisted and deformed cigarette butts had long been piled up.

Obviously, waiting had worn away most of his patience.

Station Chief Feng and Zhuo Feng stood on his left and right, like two statues, attending by his side.

The room was so silent that there was no sound at all, save for the tireless roaring of the howling wind and heavy rain outside the window.

For a long time, Minister Luo Lie finally turned around slowly, his voice breaking the silence:

"Still no movement?"

Hearing this, Station Chief Feng felt a tightness in his heart and hurriedly nodded and bowed to answer:

"Minister, the wind and rain outside are really too heavy, and the visibility is extremely low."

"I think... it's also possible that the target intends to stay overnight at the orphanage due to the extremely bad weather."

His tone carried a hint of guesswork and ingratiation.

Zhuo Feng appeared calmer and more professional. He slightly bowed and respectfully added:

"According to the report from the observation personnel who just withdrew from inside Chenxi Home, Cheng Jiashu is currently still staying in the lobby of the orphanage."

"Judging by the look of it, it seems he is waiting for someone, or observing the situation outside."

Hearing this, Minister Luo Lie raised his eyebrows and questioned:

"Oh, could it be that the operation news leaked?"

The icy voice instantly made the temperature in the room drop by a few degrees.

"This subordinate thinks this possibility is small."

Zhuo Feng immediately shook his head, his tone firm:

"Those who participated in the operation meeting are all core elites within the Noah Organization. Their bodies and minds have been tested, and their loyalty is beyond doubt."

"The specific operation plan was only officially issued this evening, and the scope of those in the know is strictly controlled."

He paused, organized his words, and continued to analyze:

"This person Cheng Jiashu has extremely strong perceptual abilities, and had previously discovered our intelligence personnel tracking him."

"Now he must have raised his vigilance, sensing some abnormal movements outside, so he chose to temporarily hide in the orphanage and stay put."

Zhuo Feng raised his eyes slightly, met Minister Luo Lie's scrutinizing gaze, and added a key judgment.

"Furthermore, even if he realizes someone is targeting him outside, it is absolutely impossible for him to know that we have deployed nearly two hundred elite forces here, forming multiple encirclements."

"It is even more impossible to know that there is an expert like Minister Luo presiding over here, which is enough to control the overall situation and cope with all variables."

After saying this, he didn't forget to flatter him a little bit.

Station Chief Feng seized the opportunity to take over the conversation, smiling all over his face to perform:

"Minister, please rest assured, we have already set up an inescapable net. Even if that Cheng Jiashu has three heads and six arms, don't even think about escaping alive, unless he can really grow a pair of wings and fly away!"

"The only thing that needs a little consideration now is, if the target really chooses to stay overnight at the orphanage, whether our original plan needs to be adjusted, or... postponed?"

Minister Luo Lie paced slowly in the room, every step seeming to step on the heartstrings of the two.

After a moment of contemplation, he stopped, a cold glint of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Send a few people in and lure the target out for me."

A brief command, yet it carried an unquestionable weight.

Hearing this, Station Chief Feng and Zhuo Feng both felt a chill in their hearts.

They both knew that the few people sent in were destined to be abandoned pawns from the moment they stepped into the orphanage.

Station Chief Feng rolled his eyes, immediately showed an expression of sudden realization, and praised loudly:

"Minister, this plan is brilliant!"

"Since the target thinks someone outside wants to sneak attack him, then we will simply send people in to substantiate his guess."

"In this way, it can instead dispel his other doubts and make him completely let down his guard."

Zhuo Feng had no extra nonsense and immediately bowed to take orders:

"Yes, Minister, I'll go arrange it right away."

After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly to the side, picked up the walkie-talkie, and issued instructions.

Afterwards, the room fell once again into an unsettling silence.

Time ticked away minute by minute.

The rain outside the window showed no sign of weakening at all.

The anticipated scene of Cheng Jiashu being lured out of the orphanage did not happen either.

The elite members sent in were like stones sinking into the sea, with no news at all.

The expressions on the faces of Station Chief Feng and Zhuo Feng gradually became solemn.

"What's going on?"

This time, Minister Luo Lie's voice already carried a trace of suppressed anger.

"Has the target still not come out?"

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Station Chief Feng's forehead, and he replied cautiously:

"Logically speaking... there should have been movement long ago... How about we wait and see a little longer, perhaps they encountered some unexpected accident?"

However, continued waiting still brought back only dead silence.

The atmosphere in the room became increasingly oppressive.

The complexions of the three all became exceptionally ugly.

No news usually represents only one possibility—the assassins who sneaked in have met with misfortune.

And after dealing with the infiltrators, the opponent still chose not to come out.

This undoubtedly indicated that Cheng Jiashu was clearly aware of the true situation of the orphanage being heavily surrounded outside.

Station Chief Feng could no longer hold his composure and actively requested instructions:

"Minister, it seems now that the target is determined to turtle up inside. What should we... do next?"

Minister Luo Lie took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his impetuous emotions.

He understood that dragging it out like this would only lead to complications.

Tonight's bad weather, although bringing many inconveniences to the operation, could also happen to become a natural barrier.

To maximize the concealment of the operation's traces, reduce the impact caused, and avoid prematurely attracting the attention of the police and the Special Investigation Team.

If the stalemate continues, not only will the target Cheng Jiashu's vigilance become higher and higher, but he might even take some unexpected measures, causing the difficulty of the capture to increase sharply.

More importantly, once such a big battle startles the official forces, especially the Special Investigation Team, whose work style is tough.

Not only might the operation fall short of success at the last hurdle, but even the entire Dongdu Branch will fall into trouble.

Minister Luo Lie raised his wrist and glanced at the faintly glowing hands on his wristwatch.

The time was already very late.

A trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and he hesitated no longer.

"Notify everyone, prepare to attack!"

"Target, Chenxi Home Orphanage!"

Minister Luo Lie's eyebrows raised like two unsheathed sharp swords.

Afterwards, he made a resolute gesture.

"Now align your time, there are three minutes left until eleven o'clock sharp!"

"When the time comes, everyone strike together, quickly kill the target, fight a quick battle to resolve it, and leave no survivors at the scene!"

As the words fell, a silent sense of urgency quickly permeated.

The torrential rain poured like a waterfall.

On the outskirts of Chenxi Home, in various hidden corners.

Figures wearing raincoats, like leopards in the dark night, lurked silently.

They were elites of the Noah Organization, and their cold weapons flashed with deadly cold light in the rain.

Behind the newsstand at the street corner.

On the rooftop of the opposite building.

Inside the inconspicuous truck compartment parked on the roadside.

Even at the edge of the dense woods behind the orphanage.

Every possible entrance and exit, and every commanding height with a broad view, was firmly controlled by them.

These people were all waiting patiently.

Waiting for Cheng Jiashu, whom they regarded as prey, to walk out of that seemingly safe iron gate.

When the attack order was transmitted to each action team via the encrypted communicator.

Everyone's gazes instantly and unanimously turned to the time on their wrists.

The cold numbers appeared particularly striking in the darkness.

In an alley a few hundred meters away from the orphanage.

The team led by Xu Hao and Ma Biao also received the same order.

Rainwater dripped down the brim of Xu Hao's raincoat in front of his forehead.

His right hand reached into his pants pocket without a trace.

In a moment when no one noticed, his fingertips gently pressed a miniature device.

A weak special signal was quietly emitted.

At the same time, on a street further out.

Inside an inconspicuous van, the atmosphere was equally tense.

Gao Jin sat in the Driving seat, staring with burning eyes at a certain building in the distance.

Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound came from the earphones.

"Signal received."

His eyes condensed, and he immediately ordered in a deep voice through the walkie-talkie:

"Attention all units, the target is about to act, prepare to launch the capture!"

Inside the compartment, several other Special Investigation Team members wearing black combat uniforms suddenly perked up upon hearing this.

Click—click—

In an instant, the sounds of firearms colliding and bolt-pulling sounded successively in the narrow space.

Among them were Officer Zhou Liang and A-Li, who had previously suffered losses under Fang Cheng.

A-Li moved his wrist, making a series of cracking bone sounds, and muttered in a muffled voice:

"Damn it, it's finally coming. After waiting all night, I'm almost suffocated to death!"

Officer Zhou Liang appeared calmer. He checked the sidearm at his waist, sharp light flashing in his eyes, and thought to himself:

"This time I must redeem myself by meritorious service, capture a few more Noah bastards, and strive to perform well in front of Officer Gao."

The mission news they received was to stop a possible terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians.

And the Noah Organization was the prey they must capture tonight.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Just as a multi-party wrestling dark night hunt was about to kick off in the torrential rain.

Inside Chenxi Home Orphanage, it was still pitch silent.

In the dark corridor, only the lightning flashing from time to time outside the window could bring a momentary pale light.

The howling wind mixed with heavy rain violently whipped against the glass windows, making heart-palpitating "clatter" and "clatter" sounds.

Cheng Jiashu walked alone in this unlit corridor.

The moment the lightning illuminated the dark night.

His figure, along with the swaying tree shadows outside the window, was projected onto the wall, stretched like boding ghosts with claws and teeth bared.

Moments before, Cheng Jiashu had been quietly guarding the lobby of the orphanage.

Relying on his five senses and consciousness far surpassing ordinary people, he keenly perceived the abnormal movement in the rainy night outside.

Several hazy prying gazes, as well as extremely slight footsteps mixed in the sound of wind and rain that were deliberately suppressed.

Someone sneaked in!

Cheng Jiashu's heart tightened, knowing that the opponent had finally made a move.

Therefore, he immediately held his breath and concentrated, following the source of the anomaly he perceived, quietly left the lobby, and searched for the infiltrators hidden in the darkness.

The hint on that mysterious note made him realize one thing.

Tonight's targeting of the orphanage was definitely not just a few small fries; there was probably also a mastermind from a higher level of the Noah Organization.

He must stay to ensure the safety of these children.

At this moment, Cheng Jiashu's ears twitched slightly, capturing a trace of unusual movement.

Not from outside the house, but from upstairs.

He sniffed with his nose and immediately stepped forward like a leopard, touching past silently.

At the door of an empty utility room on the second floor, he suddenly stopped.

A faint smell of blood drifted out in wisps from under the crack of the door, mixed in the humid air, exceptionally pungent.

Cheng Jiashu hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand and gently pushed open the ajar door.

Gurgle—gurgle—

A round thing rolled out from inside the door, stopping right at his feet.

Taking advantage of the flashing electric light outside the window, Cheng Jiashu saw it clearly.

That was shockingly a human head!

The deceased's eyes were wide open, and their face still retained an expression of extreme terror and disbelief.

As if they had seen some incomprehensible terrifying monster before dying.

Its neck showed an unnatural twisted angle, obviously snapped raw by brute force.

Cheng Jiashu's gaze instantly turned icy.

He bent down, touched the bloodstain with his fingertips, simply checked the corpse, and confirmed its time of death and method of victimization.

Immediately afterwards, his gaze sharply swept toward the interior of the room.

In the corner, there was another corpse, and the manner of death was equally miserable.

At this moment, a blurry black figure, like a ghost, flashed past from the corner of his eye!

The speed was simply unimaginable, only stirring up a faint wind force that was almost negligible.

Cheng Jiashu's eyes suddenly became stern, and the blood in his body seemed to boil in an instant.

Without any hesitation, his whole body burst out like a sharp arrow off the string, chasing fiercely in the direction where the black figure disappeared.

His speed was also astonishingly fast, turning and shifting in the narrow and dim corridor, making almost no sound under his feet, like lightning shuttling and flying through.

Seeing that he was about to catch up with the fleeing figure ahead, Cheng Jiashu suddenly opened his five fingers.

Carrying the whistling sound of tearing the air, it turned into a fierce beast's claw, fiercely grabbing towards the other party's vital back heart.

This must-kill strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, containing that tyrannical and powerful force within his body!

In a split second, the black figure running at high speed ahead suddenly twisted sideways at a bizarre angle that completely violated human anatomy.

This movement was simply like a boneless snake, narrowly avoiding Cheng Jiashu's claw that was enough to disembowel someone!

Even more unexpectedly to Cheng Jiashu, after dodging the attack, the figure slid sideways with its footsteps, instantly pulling away a distance of several meters from him.

Then, it suddenly stopped its steps, turned around abruptly, and faced him.

This was a tall man, entirely enveloped in a black raincoat, but with a somewhat ordinary face.

After stopping, the opponent didn't make any extra movements, directly taking out a dark blue identification card from his bosom and holding it up in front of Cheng Jiashu.

"Special Investigation Team handling a case!"

A cold and rigid voice came from his mouth, without a shred of emotion.

Immediately afterwards, that figure said in an unquestionable tone:

"Your actions just now have been suspected of assaulting law enforcement personnel, obstructing special duties, and violating the relevant provisions of Article 7 of the Special Affairs Law, constituting a major criminal offense!"

Cheng Jiashu's movements froze instantly, a trace of astonishment appearing on his face.

He looked at the ID card in the other party's hand that was still clearly distinguishable under the dim light.

Beneath the badge of a crossed golden shield and sharp blade, a line of striking bold characters was impressively printed:

[Special Affairs Investigation Team, Dongdu City Detective Detachment, Level 2 Official, Officer Zhou Liang].

Below the ID card, there was also a clear steel seal and a unique serial number.