The Special Counter-Terrorism Response Detachment was stationed in the southern district of Fangshi.
Lu Zhao handed his identification to the sentry at the main gate. The guard glanced at the papers, then looked back up at him with a scrutinizing stare.
The man seemed on the verge of speaking, his expression tinged with a faint hostility.
"Pass through."
Lu Zhao entered the Special Response base. To his left stretched an expansive drill ground.
Clad in camouflage training uniforms, detachment members were running laps, their cadenced chants of "One, two, one, two, three, four" ringing out in crisp unison.
To the right stood an administrative building clad in white exterior tiles. Five stories tall, it appeared far more imposing than the border defense station.
Lu Zhao told Liao Lang and the others to wait outside while he entered the building alone. After showing his credentials, a receptionist escorted him directly to the detachment commander's office.
Muffled voices drifted from inside the room.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
At the sound of the knock, the voices ceased instantly.
"Captain Wang, Captain Lu from the border defense station has arrived."
"Come in."
The door swung open. The receptionist stepped aside to make way, and Lu Zhao walked in, greeted by the pungent smell of cigarette smoke.
Two men were inside the office. One was a colonel sitting behind the desk; the other was Company Commander Xu Zhenhua of the Special Response Detachment, with whom Lu Zhao had clashed not long ago.
The former was a second-rank superhuman, and Lu Zhao felt a pronounced sense of danger emanating from him.
Psychic superhumans were far more perceptive to danger than other types.
Lu Zhao stepped up to Xu Zhenhua's right, snapped to attention, and saluted. "Ant Ridge border defense station operations and training staff officer, Captain Lu Zhao, reporting as ordered."
A glance carrying a trace of hostility came from the man beside him.
"Comrade Lu Zhao, I am Detachment Commander Wang Tong."
The colonel stood, returned the salute, and retrieved a manila file from his desk, gesturing for Lu Zhao to take a seat on the adjacent sofa.
"Time is short. Let's get up to speed on the mission intel first."
"Yes, sir."
Lu Zhao sat on the sofa and quickly flipped through the intelligence dossier. Xu Zhenhua and Wang Tong sat across from him.
Wang Tong studied Lu Zhao. He had heard rumors about him long ago; during an anti-narcotics operation two years back, Lu Zhao's outstanding performance had caught his attention.
Back then, Wang Tong had been ready to poach him. A talent like that rightfully belonged in their Special Response unit.
Then he had received a warning from his immediate superior, the city executive of Fangshi.
No specific reason was given, and he had not pressed the matter.
Meeting him in person now, the young man was indeed strikingly capable, with the looks of a movie star.
Within two minutes, Lu Zhao finished reading the dossier.
The Fangshi police had roughly pinned down the fugitive's location to Kabukicho in the Foreign District on the west side of the city.
The name 'Kabukicho' was derived from traditional Fusang song and dance. Such quarters were widespread across Nanhai Circuit, typically consisting of streets operated by Fusangese, lined with specialty shops, and focused mainly on the service industry.
To put it bluntly, they were brothels. The Fusangese virtually monopolized the Federation's entire sex industry.
Wherever there was a Foreign District, a Kabukicho was sure to follow; even places without a Foreign District inevitably had one.
The Federation officially banned prostitution, but following the Cataclysm, regulation in that sphere had dropped to practically zero.
What struck Lu Zhao as strange, however, was why they had not simply cordoned off the Foreign District.
Since the target was injured and incapable of traveling long distances, finding him ought to be merely a matter of time.
Lu Zhao set the report down. Wang Tong cut straight to the point. "The fugitive is a first-rank fire-nature superhuman. His divine power manifests as a flaming saber; when swung, it creates a wall of fire capable of deflecting bullets."
"Our mission is simple: locate the fugitive in Kabukicho."
Lu Zhao asked, "Why not simply lock down the Foreign District? Wouldn't deploying a large police force for a grid search work?"
Wang Tong explained, "The situation in the Foreign District is complicated. High command wants to keep the fallout to an absolute minimum."
Blunt as ever, Xu Zhenhua chimed in, "What fallout could there possibly be? Can those people turn the world upside down?"
Wang Tong shot his subordinate a look of exasperated disappointment. "One of these days, that mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble."
Lu Zhao thought the same.
He had an uncompromising attitude himself, but he had never been so utterly reckless with his words.
***
At noon, Lin Zhiyan arrived at the Special Counter-Terrorism Response Detachment with her personnel.
Colonel Wang Tong, who ranked two grades above Lü Jinshan, adopted the very same deferential posture, having waited by the main gate early to welcome her.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lin Zhiyan led the group to a conference room for the pre-mission briefing.
Lin Zhiyan laid out the operational objectives, Wang Tong outlined the prepared plan, and Xu Zhenhua was put in charge of execution.
Lu Zhao remained silent throughout, quietly taking notes.
The Federation had no shortage of talent; nothing was unable to proceed without him. At most, things might go a little worse in his absence and a little better with him present.
The voices in the room fell quiet.
Lin Zhiyan stood, and everyone present followed suit.
"Then let the mission begin."
Half an hour later, twenty-two operatives assembled, including the squad Lu Zhao had brought.
Each man dressed in plainclothes and carried a handgun, leaving rifles inside the vehicles to avoid drawing attention the moment they entered the Foreign District.
Because of past friction, the atmosphere was somewhat stifling. The men exchanged glances carrying varying degrees of hostility, though everyone maintained their restraint.
Most people in the Federation were conscientious in performing their duties. If everyone were like Lü Jinshan, society would have collapsed into chaos long ago.
Having relayed the orders, Xu Zhenhua looked at Lu Zhao and asked, "Do you have anything to add?"
Lu Zhao stepped forward. "Although this operation is taking place in the Foreign District, I hope everyone exercises restraint during the mission and minimizes civilian casualties as much as possible. Even the Foreign District is subject to Federation law."
At these words, a slight stir rippled through the ranks.
It was clear that disregarding civilian casualties in the Foreign District was a common practice.
Xu Zhenhua did not object. As the field commander, he had no desire to see such things happen either.
If too many people died, even if they were foreigners, reprimands would follow.
Moreover, members of the Hua ethnic group frequented the Foreign District as well, and they were all registered citizens.
At ten in the morning, the disguised convoy set out.
Naturally, Lu Zhao was pulled into Lin Zhiyan's vehicle once again, under the pretext that she had an important assignment for him.
And once inside, Lin Zhiyan indeed had a crucial task in mind.
"When we get there, you're getting out of the car with me and pushing straight into the depths of the Foreign District."
Lu Zhao frowned. "That's too dangerous."
What Lin Zhiyan meant by 'pushing deep' certainly was not conducting surveillance along the main road from inside a vehicle. She intended to penetrate the labyrinthine residential maze, an area as dense and chaotic as Kowloon Walled City.
Superhumans were still made of mortal flesh and blood. A surprise attack could kill them just the same.
"My divine power can unleash a wide-area psychic intimidation capable of knocking out ordinary people within fifty meters in an instant." Lin Zhiyan tapped her index finger in a circle. "And you, Senior Lu, can alter bullet trajectories. Between the two of us, we can handle most situations."
Lu Zhao considered it for a moment, then asked, "Your intimidation can't distinguish friend from foe?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Zhiyan's face.
He was remarkably sharp. She had barely revealed anything about her ability, yet Lu Zhao had already deduced the rest.
She nodded in concession. "That's why only you can come with me. Given the current life-force development of our team, you're the only one who can endure my psychic intimidation."
Chapter 54