Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Arrangement Before the Mission (Subscribe Please)
Shortly after the car left the urban area, it stopped outside an old residential district. To avoid attracting attention, the group chose to walk into the community rather than drive in.
"This is the old rolling mill factory’s residential area of this city. Most buildings are from the 1970s and 80s. Recently, it’s supposed to be demolished, but nothing has happened yet," reported Pei Yan, walking in the middle of the group.
"Oh, so the residents here are all rolling mill workers?" Zhao Yuanhu asked. Although he had read the mission report before, seeing the place in person was different. He looked at the dilapidated buildings on both sides and smelled the aroma of cooking mixed with oil in the corridors.
"Only a small portion are. Most of the original residents have moved into the urban area, leaving behind mostly elders. Many empty houses have been rented out to migrants from other places. Although it’s not in the city center, transportation is convenient, and the housing price is cheap," replied Pei Yan.
Shangxing, who was at the front of the group, asked, "So, the demographics are quite complex. Have there been any signs of foreigners appearing here recently?"
"No, no one has witnessed it. This is an old complex, and surveillance cameras are not densely arranged, leaving many blind spots. I have reviewed the surrounding footage and found no traces of suspects or abducted Zhu Yuping entering or exiting," Pei Yan answered.
Upon hearing Pei Yan’s report, Ye Jiumu nodded with a sneer, "The God’s Desire really knows how to choose a place."
As the group was talking, a skinny middle-aged man with a cold face in plain clothes approached. Seeing Shangxing’s height, the man first hesitated, then extended his hand cautiously, "You are Comrade Shangxing, sent from above, correct?"
Shangxing glanced at him and matched the photo transmitted to his phone. Then, he extended his hand and shook the other man’s hand with a smile, "It’s me, and you must be Director Li?"
"Ah, yes, that’s me!" Director Li said, turning his head to look behind him, "Weren’t you supposed to bring over ten people? The number seems off?"
"Some of them were reassigned for other tasks at the last minute. We are enough, Director Li. Please lead the way," Shangxing said without much explanation.
"Alright, follow me!"
Director Li led the group through the entire residential area to its edge, entering an old building and heading straight to the sixth floor. After knocking on a door, everyone filed inside.
The small, old-fashioned apartment quickly became crowded with so many people entering. Director Li, looking at the room filled with people, awkwardly stated, "Most of the houses in this residential area are one and a half-room units; this is the best vantage point we’ve got. I’ve temporarily relocated the homeowner to a nearby hotel. Rest assured, it’s completely secret and safe."
Shangxing waved his hand, indicating he didn’t mind, while Pei Yan and Ye Jiumu had already run to the balcony, looking down through the glass at a row of small, shabby houses in the distance, their destination for today’s mission.
"Director Li, can you tell us about the situation here?" Pei Yan turned his head, smiling and asking Director Li, who squeezed onto the balcony. Then he extracted two cigarettes from a pack and handed one over.
Director Li took the cigarette, leaned his head forward as Pei Yan lit it, and nodded with a smile, "Sure. This area used to be the factory’s warehouse. Later, when the rolling mill went bankrupt, no one managed it. Residents around here started building unauthorized structures. People lived here early on, but after a fire incident that led to casualties, the authorities sealed it off for demolition. But the residents objected to demolition, and after much fuss, they refrained from doing it and set regulations prohibiting residence in it."
Pausing to flick off ash from his cigarette, Director Li continued, "Then it was converted into an elderly activity center nearby. During the day, elders come here to play cards or ping pong, and at night, it’s locked up."
"Oh!" Listening to the explanation, Pei Yan nodded thoughtfully, pointing to the area below, "But isn’t it a bit large for an elderly center? Also, I noticed some sheds are very old-fashioned, separated room by room."
"Not exactly!" Director Li, upon hearing this, pointed to the largest house in the small building area and explained, "That is the senior activity center, changed from the original factory warehouse. The others are built by nearby residents who use them to store extra or not-so-valuable belongings as a private storeroom."
"I see!" Pei Yan and Ye Jiumu exchanged glances and nodded. At least it’s better that no one resides in this area, which could minimize casualties in case they encounter danger. However, the tightly packed houses and accumulated debris posed significant fire hazards if the God’s Desire refuses to enter the Jiezhi Space for the confrontation and chooses to fight outside instead.
Seeing the two men’s concerns, Director Li tentatively asked, "Is there any difficulty? Feel free to tell us; the higher-ups have ordered us to fully cooperate with you."
"Nothing too much!" Pei Yan looked at Ye Jiumu, who went out to make a phone call, knowing that he was contacting the local fire department for preventive measures. He turned back to face Director Li and said, "Our operation tonight might cause quite a disturbance. The complex is neither too close nor too far from the residential area, and we are worried about harming nearby residents."
"A big task?" Director Li’s eyes lit up with excitement. When he received a direct call from the bureau with a serious tone of voice, he knew this was no ordinary case. Hearing this young man’s words further confirmed his thoughts. He didn’t expect to encounter such a significant mission in this remote area; if handled well, it might help him climb the ranks. He thought of this and asked, "Are we pursuing a major criminal?"
Seeing his eagerness, Pei Yan hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t reveal the whole truth, but without saying anything, he feared it would be taken lightly. After thinking, he said, "It’s a kidnapping case. The perpetrators are ruthless criminals with heavy weaponry. I cannot disclose more details, sorry."
"Ah, understood, understood!" Director Li nodded continuously upon hearing this, stomped out his cigarette on the ground, and excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Ah, if we had enforced martial law before, it might alert the suspects. We can work in sync with your actions afterward, but our precinct is understaffed, so I’m afraid we might lack manpower."
"That’s not a problem!" Shangxing, from within the room, walked to the balcony and glanced below, adding, "I have already coordinated with the municipal bureau. They will send in special forces later. You are familiar with the area, so handle the reception and coordination, and discuss the specifics with Captain Liu when he arrives."
"The special forces are coming?" Director Li gasped, surprised at the scale of the operation, confirming it was indeed a big case, which made him a bit nervous. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he nodded, "Alright, it’ll be taken care of!"
"Director Li, could you see if these three people have entered the complex over the past two days?" Pei Yan said as he handed his phone to Director Li.