Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Where is he?" Jin Aiguo asked in a deep voice, his hand already on the holster at his waist.

"I didn't alert him!" Wei Chen said immediately. "Dahuang tried to rush over, but I held him back tightly. I was afraid of alerting him, so I followed him from a distance all the way to his residence—it's the innermost dilapidated house in that large compound near the mass grave on the west side of our factory! I saw him go in, so I rushed back to report!"

"You did the right thing! Absolutely right!" Jin Aiguo slammed his hand on the table, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, showing no doubt about Wei Chen's judgment.

Having fought side-by-side several times, Wei Chen's composure and keen insight, along with Da Huang's extraordinary abilities, had already earned his absolute trust. "The smell of gunpowder... the smell of chemicals... scavengers... who have been active on the outskirts of the factory for a long time..." He paced back and forth, quickly chewing on these fragments of information, and a terrifying outline rapidly took shape in his mind.

"Enemy agents! Nine times out of ten, they're lurking enemy agents! Gathering intelligence in the factory area, possibly even plotting sabotage!" Jin Aiguo abruptly stopped, making a resolute judgment. His face was so grave it could drip water: "This is a huge deal! But right now we only have Dahuang's olfactory reflexes and the address you tracked; we have no direct witnesses or physical evidence! Reporting it rashly, if we arrest the wrong person, or alert the network behind them, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

He walked to the window, looked at the deep night outside, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with the decisive light of an old hunter: "We can't wait! We'll act first! Xiao Wei, you've done a great job! Now, immediately notify all the key personnel on duty and those living in the factory dormitory to assemble in the small conference room! Remember, keep it quiet, just say it's a temporary emergency mission deployment! Absolute secrecy is required!"

"Yes!" Wei Chen accepted the order, turned around, and quickly left.

In less than twenty minutes, the seven or eight most core and reliable members of the security department, including Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li, all gathered solemnly in the small, secure conference room. The atmosphere was as heavy as lead.

Without wasting words, Jin Aiguo cut straight to the point, concisely reporting the situation Wei Chen had discovered and his own assessment. When they heard the words "smell of gunpowder," "smell of chemicals," "suspected enemy agents," and "possible hiding of dangerous materials," everyone held their breath, their eyes filled with shock and chilling killing intent.

"Comrades!" Jin Aiguo's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority. "This is the situation! The enemy situation is critical, but we lack direct evidence! It's not advisable to alert the higher-ups for now! Our security department is the factory's first line of defense! Now, we must personally tighten this line of defense! I order—"

He walked to the large map of the factory area and surrounding terrain hanging on the wall and picked up a red and blue pencil. "Target: Codename 'Scavenger,' residence located in the innermost room of the 'Mudfish Alley' courtyard in the western district. Target extremely dangerous, may be carrying weapons or explosives!"

"Operation Objective: 24/7 close surveillance! Ascertain their activity patterns and contacts! Search for clues about their accomplices or superiors! Upon obtaining conclusive evidence or discovering any immediate harmful behavior, decisively make the arrest!"

"Task assignments:" Jin Aiguo quickly circled points on the map with his pencil. "First group, Wei Chen and Xiao Li! Responsible for fixed-point surveillance of the target's residence's outer perimeter and both entrances/exits of Niqiu Hutong! Wei Chen, you know the target best, so you'll be the lead surveillance officer, Xiao Li will assist you! Pay special attention to the time the target goes out and returns, and whether any suspicious individuals contact them!"

"Second group, Xiao Zhang and Wang Qiang! Responsible for monitoring the target's daytime 'scavenging' activity area—focusing on the abandoned warehouse area outside the west wall of the factory and the poplar grove! Find out exactly what he's observing, how long he stays there, and whether he's exchanged any items!"

"Third team, Zhao Gang and Sun Jianguo! Provide mobile support and patrol other areas where the target might be active, and be ready to relieve exhausted surveillance personnel at any time!"

"I'm stationed in the department, coordinating and directing operations, and responsible for preparing emergency communication channels with the street offices and the police. This channel will remain closed unless absolutely necessary!"

"Stealth! Absolute stealth! Better to lose track than be exposed! Record all suspicious behavior of the target: locations of stay, directions of observation, physical characteristics of contacts, and changes in items carried! Use code names, and do not mention sensitive words such as 'enemy agent' or 'explosives' in communications! Shift changes must be seamless!"

"Did you all hear me clearly?!"

"Understood!" the group replied in unison, their voices low, their eyes burning with a determination to accomplish their mission.

"Good!" Jin Aiguo's gaze swept over every resolute face. "Comrades, our time to be tested has come! This venomous snake is lurking right under our noses! Whether we can dig it out, whether we can protect the factory and the people's safety, depends on us! Let's move out!"

A silent battle quietly began in the darkness before dawn.

Wei Chen and Xiao Li disguised themselves as early-rising laborers, pushing a cart loaded with tattered sacks, and staked out a breakfast stall diagonally opposite Mudfish Alley. Big Yellow was left at the factory; this kind of mission, requiring extreme stealth, made it too conspicuous. Wei Chen's mental energy became the most concealed radar, constantly monitoring the entrance to that dilapidated tenement.

As dawn broke, the dilapidated door creaked open. The "scavenger," carrying his tattered sack, stepped out with his head down. Wei Chen's mental energy instantly locked onto him. The target seemed oblivious, walking unhurriedly along a fixed route towards the west wall of the steel mill.

"Target went out, headed west, and is in normal condition," Wei Chen gestured to Xiao Zhang. At a nearby shoe repair stall, Xiao Zhang adjusted his tattered felt hat, indicating he understood.

The monotonous and tense surveillance life began. During the day, the targets were like pre-programmed machines, "scavenging" and observing from a few fixed points on the outskirts of the factory area, with the time, location, and observation angle all being almost rigid. At night, they would return to that dilapidated house that exuded a dangerous aura on time, rarely venturing out.

The monitoring team members were steadfastly stationed at their posts, like nails. Braving the cold wind and enduring drowsiness, they ate cold, dry rations, their eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. During shift changes, all they exchanged were brief records and even more serious glances.

Over the course of several days, the information gathered made Jin Aiguo and Wei Chen's hearts grow heavier, but also clearer.

"The target's activity pattern is extremely fixed, almost rigid. He leaves home around 6:15 every morning, taking a fixed route, and stops at three observation points outside the west wall of the factory area for 15 minutes, 25 minutes, and 20 minutes respectively. The observation points are carefully chosen, allowing a clear view of the boiler room chimney emissions, the frequency of vehicles entering and leaving the machine repair workshop, and the flow of people in the main passageways for workers to and from get off work. He returns to his residence around 4 pm and rarely goes out."

"No substantial contact with outsiders was found! During the 'scavenging' process, there were occasional conversations with passersby, but these were limited to asking for cigarette butts or inquiring about where to find recyclables. The content was normal, and there was no indication of any information being conveyed."

"No suspicious persons were found approaching or loitering around the residence. The target himself led an extremely simple and regular life, and had almost no social activities except for 'scavenging'. Neighbors reported that he was taciturn, kept to himself, and had not lived there for long, about two or three months."

Jin Aiguo stared at the compiled logbook, tapping his fingers on the table, his brows furrowed in a frown: "Lone Wolf... This is a 'Lone Wolf' in a dormant phase! He has no communication with his superiors or subordinates, has not initiated any sabotage missions. His mission is to remain hidden for a long time, like a nail driven into this place, collecting the most basic intelligence on factory operations and security, awaiting the activation order!"

Wei Chen nodded and added, "Judging from his focus and recording methods at the observation point—although we couldn't see him writing, the patterns in his eye movements and pauses indicate he's received professional training, and the information he records is extremely detailed. The things in his house… are a ticking time bomb!"

"We can't wait any longer!" Jin Aiguo slammed his notebook shut, a cold glint in his eyes. "It's a pity we didn't uncover his superior, but letting him continue to lie low is too risky! Nobody knows when his activation command will come! Once it's triggered, the consequences will be unimaginable! We must remove this thorn in our side immediately!"

"Arrest them!" he commanded decisively.

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became extremely tense.

"Where to arrest him?" Jin Aiguo's gaze swept over everyone. "Two options: First, take action while he's out, in a relatively open area outside the factory. Second, wait until he returns home and arrest him at his residence."

The group immediately began to discuss it in hushed tones.

"Make the arrest outside! It's too dangerous inside!" Xiao Zhang immediately said. "We don't know what he has in his house, but he definitely has weapons! If he's cornered and detonates something inside, the whole courtyard will be in danger! Besides, the space inside is cramped, which isn't conducive to our operation!"

"Yes, outside! When he's alone!" Wang Qiang chimed in. "He goes to the same few observation points every day, his route is fixed. We can find a secluded, deserted spot along the way and strike!"

"I agree to make the arrest outside," Wei Chen said in a deep voice, "but we must ensure a clean hit, leaving him no chance to react or resist. The target is trained, extremely vigilant, and he is likely carrying weapons such as a dagger, a pistol, or even small explosives."

Jin Aiguo pondered for a moment, then pointed to a narrow alley on the map that his target passed through daily: "This 'Old Locust Tree Alley' is in a secluded location, with high walls on both sides and few pedestrians. He passes through here every morning around 9 o'clock, heading from the second observation point to the third. Set up an ambush here!"

He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Operation time: 9:00 AM tomorrow! Operation code name: 'Pulling the Nail'!"