Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 576 Yellow Alert Mission
Liu Ruyan acted swiftly and decisively.

The following morning, all active personnel of the Youzhou Special Service Bureau were urgently summoned to the largest briefing room.

Liu Ruyan stood on the stage, still dressed in her sharp combat uniform, her posture upright. Her gaze was no longer simply sharp, but carried a cold scrutiny as she slowly swept over every face below the stage, as if trying to penetrate the skin and look directly into the soul.

She didn't waste a single word; her voice was clear and cold, piercing everyone's ears through the microphone.

"The betrayal of the Empire by the three department heads has enraged the Imperial Central Committee. Trust cannot be tarnished, and the fortress must be strengthened from within!"

Liu Ruyan's voice was resolute.

"In order to completely eliminate hidden dangers and prevent any form of infiltration, under the leadership of the Empire, I have decided to completely reorganize the field operations forces, effective immediately! This is not a simple adjustment, but a radical overhaul!"

"The original field operations units will be completely disbanded immediately! The core of the original First Operations Unit will be the loyal backbone members, and personnel from other units who have undergone preliminary review will be mixed in to form the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Operations Units! The backgrounds of all personnel will be subject to a new round of cross-verification by the General Administration's Inspection Department!"

Her icy gaze swept across the room once more, carrying an undeniable warning.

"The new structure signifies a fresh start, and it also means the highest standards of loyalty! The past is over, but from this moment on, any black sheep discovered will be punished severely without exception!"

Then, she began announcing the appointments, her gaze sweeping over the few core members of the original unit whom she trusted most, who were standing in the front row below the stage.

"Zhou Xian!"

The middle-aged man, with a calm face and resolute gaze, immediately straightened his back.

"To!"

"You are hereby appointed as the Director of the Second Operations Division, with the rank of Third-Class Police Inspector! Your primary task is to ensure the integrity of the team and to build up its combat effectiveness in the shortest possible time, taking charge of the western and northern suburban areas!"

"Yes, Chief! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

Zhou Xian responded in a deep, resonant voice.

"Zhao Tie!"

A burly man with a powerful presence stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell.

"To!"

"I hereby appoint you as the head of the Third Operations Division, with the rank of Third-Class Police Inspector! I want you to sweep the eastern part of the city and the industrial zone under your jurisdiction clean, like an iron broom!"

"Yes, Chief! All three samples are completely free of impurities!"

Zhao Tie roared.

"Sun Miao!"

A young man who appeared rather refined, wore glasses, but had an unusually focused gaze stepped forward.

"To!"

"You are hereby appointed as the head of the Fourth Operations Division, with the rank of First Superintendent. You are meticulous and skilled in data analysis. You will be responsible for technical support and the investigation and processing of complex intelligence areas in the southern part of the city, while also monitoring all internal communication data streams."

"Understood, Chief."

Sun Miao pushed up his glasses, his tone calm yet full of confidence.

"Qin Xue!"

The tall, elegant, and aloof female team member with her ponytail stepped forward with clean and efficient movements.

"To!"

"You are hereby appointed as the Director of the Fifth Operations Division, with the rank of First Superintendent. You are skilled in tracking and counter-surveillance, and will be responsible for monitoring the city center and key targets, as well as the execution of internal disciplinary operations."

"Yes!"

Qin Xue's answer was concise and powerful.

The meeting ended in a highly tense atmosphere.

People began to move around, and many of them wore expressions of apprehension and seriousness.

However, many others were overjoyed. After all, under the leadership of those above, it was impossible to remain clean even if you wanted to. Liu Ruyan's decision to forgive and forget was like giving everyone a chance, and most people had already made up their minds not to make the same mistake again.
Dividing line

"After the meeting, there will be tasks."

Not long after the meeting ended, Li Zhongren, who had barely settled in, was dragged into a car and taken away on a mission.

"This is the norm."

In the car, Zhou Xian explained.

Although this Starman's apprentice is a newcomer, he has strong personal abilities and powerful connections. Naturally, Starman wouldn't hesitate to explain, as this is paving the way for Starman's future.

"In fact, extraordinary events happen in this city every day, big and small."

"How come we didn't know?"

Li Zhongren couldn't help but ask.

"The news is not allowed to report on it. Imperial law stipulates that, in order to maintain social stability, the news is prohibited from reporting on any supernatural events, except for those that are particularly public, like the battle between your master and the director."

"I see."

Before long, the entire Second Field Division of the Secret Service arrived at the designated location.

Inside the command vehicle, a holographic projection of the target location was displayed.

An old residential area.

Nearby, a team member was reporting the situation to Zhou Xian.
“Building No. 3 in Pingkang Community, Level 2 extraordinary fluctuation. Energy spectrum analysis shows that the core emotions are ‘resentment’ and ‘rage’, accompanied by a strong residual feeling of ‘betrayal’. It has been classified as a yellow danger event.”

He spoke very quickly, his fingers tracing the constantly changing data on the projector screen.

"Target, male, name Wang Lei, 35 years old, suffered a malignant mutation three hours ago due to his wife's infidelity and absconding with his property. His current form is about 40% dehumanized, his body is covered with keratinous growths, his strength and defense are significantly enhanced, and his emotions are extremely unstable."

“He kidnapped his ex-wife Liu Juan, their five-year-old child Wang Xiaobao, and at least ten residents who were trapped in the building because they couldn’t react in time. His core demand was to find his lover.”

"Ah."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xian nodded, and after a moment, calmly spoke.

"Group One! Deploy perimeter control, expand the energy suppressor radius to 500 meters, evacuate all residents of nearby buildings, and establish a triple physical and psionic isolation zone. Not even a fly is allowed to get in!"

"Group Two! Analysis Group, I need all the structural diagrams of this building, including the sewers and ventilation ducts. Calculate all possible entry points, demolition points, and sniping positions, and assess the risks of a direct assault!"

"Three teams! Communications team, immediately attempt to establish a stable communication channel with the target, conduct standard crisis negotiation procedures, prioritize calming their emotions, and buy us time!"

"The highest principle of this operation: ensure the safety of the hostages! If the target engages in any behavior that could immediately harm the hostages, the on-site commander is authorized to make a judgment and may take them down!"

As orders were issued one after another, the team members, with solemn expressions, quickly sprang into action.

Li Zhongren was assigned to the analysis group. He stared intently at the distorted monster image on the projector, enveloped in black and red resentful energy. His face perfectly displayed the tension unique to newcomers, not out of fear, but because he had never experienced anything like it before and was somewhat bewildered by the unknown.

A veteran player next to him patted him on the shoulder and whispered something.

"Don't panic, kid. This kind of 'resentment aggregation type' mutant has a high energy burst, but its sustainability and rationality are poor. It looks intimidating, but its weaknesses are obvious. The difficult thing is the hostages and the structure of this dilapidated building. You're tied up. Stay with us, pay attention to the data, and don't act impulsively."

"Thank you, Brother Wang."

Li Zhongren responded softly, took a deep breath, and tried to focus his attention on the constantly updating data stream, but that trace of "unease" remained on his brow. Every subtle expression of his was observed by those around him, perfectly portraying the image of a rookie facing harsh reality for the first time.

He knew that the performance had to be flawless, as the Northern Darkness Cult might be watching him from somewhere.

The analysis team worked quickly, compiling and processing a large amount of information, including the building's structural model, heat source signal distribution, and energy fluctuation peak diagrams.

"Structural analysis complete. The load-bearing walls are mainly concentrated in... We recommend three entry points, but all are close to the area where the hostages are concentrated, which poses too high a risk."

"The energy readings are still rising, the target's mood is extremely unstable, and the negotiating team, based on long-distance observation, believes that the probability of a successful negotiation is currently low."

"The sniper position is in place, but the target is always behind cover and too close to the hostage, making it impossible to guarantee a high hit rate and posing a great risk of stray bullets."

"That's a pain in the ass."

Zhou Xian picked at his teeth, looking at the data on the screen. This guy's mutation included tentacles. Damn it, if they launched a strong attack, these tentacles might kill these hostages immediately.

"Section Chief, why don't we ask the Bureau Chief to come over?"

"I can't believe it," a team member said.

"Although it was a bit embarrassing to ask for backup on my first mission, it was not my fault. The opponent was not very strong, but he was too difficult to deal with. Without hostages to restrain me, I would have dared to rush up and take him down."

"Hey"

Zhou Xian sighed, about to agree. He never cared about saving face; a dead person was a terrible sin.

However, at this moment, Li Zhongren suddenly spoke up.

“Zhou Chu, since his core demand is to find his lover, why don’t we try to bring him here? As long as we keep the lover at a safe distance and use him as bait, we might be able to lure the monster to the pre-set ambush point. This would reduce the risk of a strong attack inside the building and ensure the safety of the hostages to the greatest extent.”

Zhou Xian sighed and shook his head.

“Legally, the lover has no obligation to cooperate with us as bait. The marriage fraud and transfer of assets are civil disputes, and may even involve criminal fraud, but that’s a matter for later. Right now, we have no right to force an ‘ordinary citizen’ to confront a dangerous supernatural monster. Morally, he deserves to die, but procedurally, we are in a very passive position.”

"But."

Li Zhongren blinked, revealing an expression of confirmation based on "special talent".

"I sensed that the kidnapped child had no blood relation to the monster. I wondered if it might not actually be the monster's child, but rather the lover's. If this could be proven, according to the supplementary clause of Article 17 of the 'Great Xia Empire's Emergency Regulations for Extraordinary Events,' when an extraordinary event directly threatens a citizen's life, and a specific citizen has a direct blood relationship with the core of the event, that citizen has an obligation to cooperate with the authorities in necessary rescue operations, including but not limited to persuasion and identity verification."

"Are you sure? And how familiar are you with the regulations?"

"It should be around 80% or 90%. My master taught me the spiritual perception method, which makes me more sensitive to the connection between the auras of living beings. As for the regulations... the director made me memorize them before I came..."

His voice trailed off at the end of his sentence, sounding like a student being forced to study hard.

Zhou Xian's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by understanding. As expected of the Venerable One, his methods were indeed unpredictable! He could even perceive such subtle details.

As for reciting the regulations, Zhou Xian couldn't help but laugh. He knew his director too well. Sometimes, he was a bit petty. He probably hadn't beaten the Starlight people, so he was trying to make up for it with his apprentice. But then again, he was also grateful for the director's pettiness, otherwise this matter would have been quite troublesome.

"I'll go myself."

After saying that, Zhou Xian stood up.

“His condition is not very stable. If he finds out that the child is not his biological child, he may go berserk. I can keep him in check if I am there.”

“Zhou Chu, let me go with you. I can sense its emotional fluctuations and can give you some pointers.”

Li Zhongren also stood up.

"it is good."

Zhou Xian is also very straightforward; as a disciple of Starry Night, he should have this kind of responsibility.

Zhou Xian and Li Zhongren, under the cover of two fully armed team members, carefully entered the apartment building.

The hallway was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with viscous, slightly pulsating, dark red biological tissue, as if the entire building had been corroded by some living thing.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and an indescribable, sour smell of resentment.

As they climbed the stairs, they could clearly hear suppressed sobs and inhuman, beast-like heavy breathing coming from the fifth floor.

The higher you go, the denser the eerie tentacles extending from the walls become, wriggling slowly like living vines.

These tentacles, originating from the monster's room, pierced through the walls and bound everyone on the floor, which is why they dared not launch a direct attack. Their chief, however, deliberately used his black flames to instantly incinerate all the tentacles.
Finally, they arrived at the door of the standard apartment on the fifth floor.

The security door was already twisted and deformed, and a gap was torn open by a huge force, allowing a clear view of the room.

“Wang Lei? I am Zhou Xian, the director of the Second Division of the Special Operations Bureau. I mean no harm. A colleague and I are right outside your house and would like to talk to you. Can we come in? Or you can stay at the door.”

The panting inside the room suddenly stopped, followed by an even more violent surge of energy!

Wang Lei wriggled and turned his head to the side, revealing half of his ferocious face.

"There's nothing to talk about! Bring that bastard Zhang Wei here! Otherwise, I'll kill them all! Kill them all!"

Zhou Xian remained expressionless, his gaze quickly sweeping across the room.

He saw the mutated monster, which could still be vaguely made out to be humanoid, but its body was covered with a thick layer of keratin and constantly wriggling tentacles. He also saw his ex-wife Liu Juan, who was tightly wrapped by several thinner tentacles and was trembling with fear, and a little boy.

More importantly, his gaze settled on a family photo hanging on the wall in the entryway, which was tilted by the shock but not completely damaged. In the photo, Wang Lei, Liu Juan, and Xiao Bao were all smiling.

"That's exactly what I came here with in mind."

The moment Zhou Xian saw the photo, he had already made up his mind.

“Your idea is simple: let us bring that lover here. But logically, the lover has no obligation to cooperate, and we have no right to forcibly arrest him.”

"Then I will..."

"However, there is one exception."

Zhou Xian said calmly, interrupting Wang Lei's roar.

"What's going on?"

“His blood relatives are here, Li Zhongren, tell them about you.”

"Yes, Zhou Chu."

Li Zhongren cleared his throat and recited the supplementary clause 17 of the "Emergency Regulations for Extraordinary Events of the Great Xia Empire" again.

"Yes, he must come if it can be proven that there is a blood relative here. In fact, after observation, analysis, and comparison, our colleagues found that your son's appearance is too different from yours, but he is very similar to that lover in the eyebrows."

"Roar!!"

Sure enough, the entire floor shook as soon as he said that.

"Do you want your lover to come over?"

Li Zhongren roared suddenly, and the monster immediately fell silent, while muttering in pain.

What I already knew?
What? You bitch, I'm going to kill you?
Seeing this, Zhou Xian secretly gave Li Zhongren a thumbs up while adding fuel to the fire.

"Just ten minutes! Our technicians are downstairs, using a portable rapid DNA tester, and they can give you a definitive answer on the spot. If it's still not yours, we can immediately forcibly bring the lover you mentioned here. How about it, do you want to cooperate with us?"

(End of this chapter)