Handong: Sha Li wants political achievements? I'll shut down the entire province.

The strong, pungent smell of heavy-duty engine oil was mixed with a nauseating stench of rust and blood.

Like an invisible, dead hand, it tightly covered Zhao Gang's mouth and nose.

The scent was too overpowering, instantly shattering the sophisticated fir fragrance in the manor's main hall.

Zhao Gang's groin muscles twitched violently, and his kneecap instantly lost its last bit of support.

With a muffled thud, he collapsed solidly to his knees on the Persian carpet.

The bladder contracted violently from fright, and the urge to urinate rushed straight to the urethra.

He could only desperately clench his legs together, his ten fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers, his fingernails turning a deathly pale white.

Shen Pojun's blood-dripping military boots stopped less than half a meter in front of Zhao Gang.

Dark red drops of blood fell onto the carpet, leaving a glaring stain.

"Someone is attempting to smuggle solid-state battery blueprints out of the country!"

Shen Pojun's rough voice made dust fall from the ceiling.

Faced with this alarm about the leakage of core technology, Yan Qingfeng didn't even flinch.

He remained comfortably seated in the leather sofa.

Holding a glass of whiskey with ice cubes in my hand, the ice cubes clinked and tinkled in the amber liquid.

Crisp, cold, and exuding an arrogance that treats everyone else as ants.

Yan Qingfeng slowly turned his head.

Those eyes, devoid of any human warmth, lightly swept over Zhao Gang, who was slumped on the ground trembling.

"Secretary Zhao, were you frightened?" Yan Qingfeng's thin lips parted slightly, his voice even more chilling than the 16-degree air conditioning in the room.

"A new broom sweeps clean, and your first achievement has come to you on its own."

Zhao Gang was stunned at first, his brain buzzing from the sudden words.

But the fact that he managed to rise to a position of real power in the capital shows that he's quick-witted and efficient.

He forced back the sour, putrid bile churning in his stomach, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with difficulty.

He crawled forward half a meter using both his hands and feet, like an old dog eager to claim credit.

"Master Yan! I understand! I'll open a case in the official system right away!"

With trembling hands, Zhao Gang pulled an encrypted red communicator, representing state power, from the inside pocket of his suit.

My fingers were shaking so badly it looked like I had severe Parkinson's disease; it took me several tries to unlock the screen.

He pressed the one-touch emergency call button.

"beep--"

When the call connected, the cautious voice of the head of the Handong Provincial Garrison came from the other end.

"Secretary Zhao, what are your instructions...?"

Zhao Gang took a deep breath of the cold air, which smelled of blood, and the fawning on his face instantly turned into the authority of an official.

"The entire province has entered Level 1 combat readiness!"

Zhao Gang's voice was hoarse, but he deliberately raised his voice so that Yan Qingfeng could hear him clearly.

"Terrorists have appeared in Guangming District and are suspected of stealing core secrets and fleeing!"

His leg cramps hadn't subsided, so he could only kneel on the ground to issue the highest command.

"Notify customs, air traffic control, and the marine police! All seaports and shipping routes in Handong Province must be physically blocked within three minutes!"

"From this moment forward, all underlying control of the official system will be opened to Yunxiao AI via its API!"

The director on the other end of the phone was so shocked he stammered.

"Secretary Zhao... this isn't in accordance with regulations. If control is transferred to the conglomerate, won't our official security personnel just become accomplices?"

"Bullshit!"

Zhao Gang was so anxious that his eyes turned bloodshot, and he started cursing into the communicator.

Spit sprayed onto the screen.

"These are the rules! The current counter-terrorism situation is extremely urgent! Anyone who dares to block the way will be skinned alive and forced to beg for food!"

The phone hangs up.

Less than a minute later, a blinding red light burst from the huge holographic screen in the hall.

The emotionless, cold, mechanical voice of Yunxiao AI boomed in the empty hall.

"Authorization granted. Full control of the official air traffic control and water police networks of Handong Province has been completed."

"System computing power fully activated, full-domain investigation initiated."

Zhao Gang gripped the communicator tightly, his white shirt soaked with cold sweat.

The dampness clung to my spine, and when the cold wind blew, my teeth chattered.

But a fawning smile, so humble it was almost obsequious, stretched out from the corners of his mouth.

"Mr. Yan, what do you think... this supporting service is quite efficient, isn't it?"

Yan Qingfeng ignored him and simply picked up a cup of Da Hong Pao tea from the table.

I gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, and the tea water rippled slightly.

at this time.

Dozens of nautical miles from the coastline of Handong, on the edge of a desolate stretch of high seas.

Night fell heavily over the sea, not a single star could be seen.

A smuggling fishing boat with a rusty hull and dilapidated exterior was violently rocking in the dark waves.

The diesel engine roared like a broken tractor, sputtering and sputtering out pungent black smoke.

The strong smell of diesel exhaust mixed with the stench of dead fish and rotten shrimp was enough to rot one's lungs.

In the small, dark room at the very bottom of the ship's cabin, the air was so hot and humid that you could practically squeeze water out of it.

A middle-aged man in a gray jacket was clutching a silver encrypted hard drive tightly.

This is Wang Jian, a former senior executive of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a traitor who was bribed by European capitalists with an exorbitant sum.

Wang Jian huddled on the wooden bed covered in fish scales and foul-smelling water, trembling all over.

A wave plunged down, causing the fishing boat to rock violently.

Wang Jian's stomach churned violently, and sour, rotten food residue rose straight to his throat.

"vomit--"

He clung to the edge of the bed, mouth agape, and vomited a puddle of yellowish-green acidic liquid.

The sour stench permeated the enclosed hold, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.

He quickly wiped the filth from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and pulled out his satellite phone with trembling hands.

"Boss...I...I'm on board."

Wang Jian's teeth chattered, his voice filled with the ecstatic joy of having escaped death.

"Those blind men at the Handong Customs didn't notice anything! The smuggler took the money and guaranteed to get me onto the waiting cargo ship before dawn!"

A stiff European accent, tinged with arrogance, came from the other end of the phone.

"Very good, Mr. Wang. With the blueprints in hand, the rest of your life in Europe will be yours. The Lingxiao Consortium isn't as amazing as people say."

Wang Jian held the hard drive tightly, his fingernails almost digging into the metal casing.

He grinned, revealing his chapped lips and an ugly smile.

He had no idea.

At this moment, the entire state apparatus of Handong Province has become Yan Qingfeng's private property.

The maritime bureau's patrol boats obediently remained docked in the port.

Fully armed marine police stood like security guards beneath the Lingxiao drone swarm, awaiting the command of the conglomerate's AI.

Inside the manor hall.

The red light on the holographic screen flashed rapidly, and the radar scanning circle shrank rapidly.

"drop--"

The mechanical voice of Yunxiao AI pierced the deathly silence.

"Target identified. One unregistered smuggling fishing vessel, located three nautical miles from the edge of international waters, coordinates 453, 219."

Zhao Gang collapsed to the ground, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets when he heard the announcement.

He knew the conglomerate had a strong foundation, but he never expected that they could find a needle in a haystack in just three minutes.

His thigh twitched uncontrollably again; this time, he was genuinely frightened.

Yan Qingfeng put down the purple clay teacup in his hand.

The porcelain base struck the crystal tabletop with a crisp, cool sound.

He slowly stood up, his black shirt fluttering slightly in the cold air.

A chilling, bloodthirsty glint flashed in his dark, deep eyes.

"Po Jun" (破军).

Yan Qingfeng turned his head to the side, his voice as calm as if he were ordering a dish.

"Your 'Dark Sword' hasn't seen blood at sea in a long time."

Shen Pojun grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked with a series of sharp, popping sounds.

"Don't worry, Master Yan, I'll personally lead the team. I guarantee we'll chop this rat into pieces and feed it to the fish."

"No."

Yan Qingfeng turned around, his gaze fixed on the flashing red dot on the holographic map.

His tone was filled with condescending disdain.

"I want to live."

"Po Jun, bring the blueprints back. As for that traitor, go. Don't let him die too easily."