104: Chapter 104: Espionage Agents Out of Control! Chen Luoqi Dies from a Shot in the Heart!

Anwan Province, Xuancheng City.

Inside a high-rise building currently under renovation, the lights were ablaze.

Two squads of elite intelligence operatives from the Special Higher Police, armed with firearms, were positioned at various points throughout the building, vigilantly watching for any unusual movement.

At this moment, the high-rise had been sealed off layer by layer by armed personnel, with caution tape strung up all around the building and over a dozen black and white troop transport vehicles parked below.

"Wuwu—Wuwu!"

Many residents secretly watching nearby noticed that at the end of the brightly neon-lit street in the distance, a unit of the Xuancheng Garrison, sirens blaring and ignoring traffic lights, was rapidly approaching!

Private cars on the street swerved to avoid them, fearing they might block the passing garrison convoy.

Following behind the convoy were several black official sedans.

Among them was one with the license plate: Wan D-00001.

"Is someone dead again?"

"It's been so chaotic these past few days; either people are dragging their families to Xiangnan, or all sorts of homicides are happening. It's gotten to the point where few people are actually going to work properly, and companies are announcing they're dissolving one after another."

"Hey, isn't that the Mayor's car? Even the Mayor is here? It seems this homicide is very serious!"

"Does that even need to be said? Can't you see the armed blockade and the garrison encirclement? This is likely more serious than a counter-terrorism incident!"

"I saw online that the Spiritual Energy Revival is happening in Xiangnan and many Transcendents have appeared. Do you think this incident could be a 'Transcendent disturbance'?"

"Who knows. Those of us who have stayed in our hometown are just ordinary people who are content with the status quo and aren't interested in the Spiritual Energy Revival. Even if it really is a Transcendent disturbance, we don't even have the right to know. We just live one day at a time; the exciting future world has nothing to do with us 'slackers'."

"Sigh, that's true."

"A few days ago, my son wanted to go to Xiangnan, saying he wanted to cultivate the Dao for Immortal Ascension. I didn't agree, so he secretly rode his e-bike in the middle of the night and snuck off to Xiangnan."

"At first, he would call, but it's been two days now, and I can't even get through on the phone. I don't know if something happened to him."

"I'm planning to go to Xiangnan tomorrow to look for him..."

"Uncle, I don't know if I should say this. Society's environment used to be relatively conservative. But after the Spiritual Energy Revival, it's naked survival of the fittest. The weak don't even have the right to choose to survive. I think your son... is probably dead..."

"...!?!"

The surrounding residents were discussing it heatedly. Some people talked and talked until they brought up Xiangnan, the origin of the Spiritual Energy Revival. Others brought up the recent international turmoil and the event where the newly established [Earth Federation] issued a war threat notice to the East.

Xuancheng City originally had a population of over 7 million. When the news of the Spiritual Energy Revival broke, as a city in a province neighboring Xiangnan, ordinary youths gathered in groups of three or five and traveled together, frantically rushing towards Xiangnan.

In just a few days, the population of Xuancheng City dropped by over a million, and as of now, it is less than 5 million. Of course, some people saw that troubled times were approaching and returned to their hometowns or went to stay with relatives.

With the arrival of the Mayor, there was a backbone to the operation. The armed personnel in charge and the garrison commander hurriedly came to the vehicle with the 001 license plate, waiting for the Mayor's latest instructions.

"What are you waiting for me for!?" "Hurry up and check the surrounding blockade and arrange plans and measures to rescue the hostage!" "You two pieces of trash, people have already brought guns to our doorstep, and you didn't even discover a single anomaly beforehand?" "If they can kidnap someone else today, can they kidnap me tomorrow!?"

Contrary to what the two expected, the Mayor, dressed in a suit and tie with hair gel, stepped out of the car and began cursing at them with a face full of anger. He wasn't his usual approachable self; his eyes were burning with rage, as if he wanted to vent it all out.

The two were stunned by the scolding, but they didn't dare to show the slightest dissatisfaction on their faces, keeping their heads down and enduring it silently. Other armed personnel seeing this scene were also terrified, not daring to even breathe loudly. This was the first time they had seen the easy-going and approachable Mayor get angry, and it was truly terrifying!

"I'm telling you, you both know the identity of the hostage inside! If she suffers even the slightest harm, you, you, him... and me, every single one of us will rot in prison for the rest of our lives and never think about coming out again!" "Now get out of here!" "Yes, yes, yes!"

As if granted a reprieve, the two quickly set up defenses at the scene, drenched in sweat. The arrival of reinforcements did not escape the eyes of the Special Higher Police intelligence operatives inside the building. Their expressions remained unchanged, unconcerned, simply guarding various points in the building, remaining still in the shadows.

At this very moment, the intelligence squad leader in charge of this kidnapping operation received the latest order through his miniature satellite headset, "Operation complete, release the hostage, offer your loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor!" "Repeat: Operation complete, release the hostage..."

"Received!" the sturdy intelligence squad leader replied. He walked out from behind a load-bearing column in the building and gave a look to the personnel guarding the hostage, "Untie her and let her go." "Understood!"

Two stood in place, while two others moved quickly to untie her. Little Princess was terrified, her eyes filled with deep fear. As the Little Princess of the Chen family, where had she ever experienced such a situation before? She had thought these bad people were going to do something terrible, but when she saw them untying her, she immediately understood that these people intended to release her.

"You, leave here!" The intelligence squad leader, with two American-made pistols tucked into his waistband, waved his hand to signal Little Princess. Little Princess felt a sense of relief, and with a somewhat panicked expression, she walked quickly towards the stairwell, wanting to escape this place as soon as possible.

No one at the scene noticed that an intelligence operative in the corner saw this scene, a glimmer of undetectable cold light flashing in the depths of his eyes. He silently watched Little Princess's retreating back and slowly drew the pistol already chambered at his waist.

The next second, he drew his pistol and aimed at Little Princess, who was about to disappear into the stairwell, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger! Bang—!

"Who are you!?" Bang!

Although his movements were very stealthy, they were still discovered by the intelligence squad leader, who had stepped into a sliver of the Transcendent Domain, and he raised his dual pistols and fired at the same moment! The result was subtle; the time difference between their actions was only a millisecond!

Little Princess was shot in the back and collapsed powerlessly, while the mysterious intelligence operative who fired the shot had both hands shattered! The next instant, he was kicked by the leaping intelligence squad leader and slammed against the concrete wall behind him.

In this split second of sparks and lightning, all personnel present were shocked. Someone had disobeyed orders and fired without authorization to kill the hostage??

To become an intelligence operative of the Special Higher Police, regardless of their combat and marksmanship skills, at the very least, their loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor was unquestionable! They only needed one order from above, and they wouldn't even frown if told to commit seppuku; instead, they would take it as an honor!

But now, someone had acted on their own initiative, violating the will of the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor! "Catch him!" the intelligence squad leader growled angrily, turning and running towards the stairwell entrance!

Little Princess's eyes were tightly shut, and the blood from her back gushed out endlessly like a stream, dyeing the concrete floor into a red river. Her body trembled slightly, and the breath from her nose and mouth was fading rapidly.

"It's over! It pierced her heart!" Arriving close by and taking a look, the intelligence squad leader's pupils constricted, and he murmured in a daze. The headset asked: "What happened!?"

Having received such a gunshot wound, he knew that conventional hemostasis was useless, so he reported to the miniature satellite headset: "...Section Chief, an intelligence operative suddenly jumped up and fired, causing the hostage to be shot in the back of the chest, hitting the heart. Preliminary check... the heart is bleeding uncontrollably, there is no hope of rescue..."

"—Nani!?!" "An intelligence operative disobeyed orders and fired?" The other side of the headset was filled with shock and rage, "This means personnel from another spy organization have infiltrated our Special Higher Police!" "Useless! How are you serving as a squad leader? You didn't even notice a single anomaly!?" "Useless! Find out the true identity of the infiltrated spy, or you all commit seppuku!" "Haiyi!"