"Before we go over the plan, I'll remind you one last time—our mission is to capture the target and take him out of China. Do not kill him."
Ruth's tone was sharp, her expression even sharper as she sat on the table before the team. Around her, the five operatives carried on with their usual indifference—playing handheld games, polishing weapons, lifting dumbbells, reading dossiers. For them, this was just another job.
"Understood?" she asked, though she was already used to their nonchalance.
"You've said it more than three times already," the young man muttered, digging in his ear and continuing his game. "Got anything new?"
Ruth didn't bother arguing. Instead, she opened her laptop and projected a map of Binhai City on the wall—roads, intersections, and coastal terrain marked in crisscrossing lines.
"This is Binhai. Being a coastal city gives us an advantage—we can get the target out by water. I've already coordinated with the higher-ups. Once we seize the target, we'll evacuate by sea. A boat will be waiting to transport him to open waters as quickly as possible."
"Wait. You want to take him through the docks?" one of the team asked skeptically. "That's a customs hotspot. Too many people. We'll be exposed the second we show up."
"Who said anything about docks?" Ruth scoffed. She tapped the map. "We'll exfiltrate from Hutou Beach—a small, quiet spot the locals use. It's perfect. No surveillance, no traffic. Once Chen Mo is out of the city and at the beach, it'll be nearly impossible for the Chinese security bureau to track him in time."
The young man finally looked up from his game console to glance at the spot on the map. Satisfied, he returned to his buttons without a word.
"Now for the operation details," Ruth continued, her tone sharpening. "The ambush point is between the spare parts warehouse and the hospital near Chen Mo's villa. That road has minimal traffic in the early morning and leads straight toward the coast."
She began assigning roles.
"After the arson incident at the factory dormitory, there'll be injuries. The nearest hospital is right here. If anyone from the Marching Ant Company gets hurt, Chen Mo will show up—he's not the kind of boss to sit still."
She gestured to a schematic showing the expected route.
"When his motorcade leaves the villa, there'll be four cars: a lead, a follow car, a decoy, and the main car in the middle. Once they reach the Phoenix Road intersection, we make our move.
Blue Wolf, you intercept the decoy car. Black Cat, you're on the rear vehicle—disable or delay them. Don't let them catch up. The front guard will be left isolated. The rest of us will handle the extraction."
It was a tight plan, and it had to be. This was China—not some war-torn country. Here, law enforcement was fast, organized, and lethal if provoked.
"Any questions?"
The young man raised his hand immediately. "Yeah. How do you know the boss will go to that hospital?"
"Simple," Ruth replied. "It's the closest facility to the warehouse. If anyone's injured, that's where they'll be taken. And Chen Mo? He's never indifferent to his people."
"Fair enough. Finally, something interesting." He stretched his fingers. "What time's the op?"
"Four a.m."
Elsewhere...
In a shabby apartment, Yan Wenbin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling in silence. Outside the window, the night was deathly still. He couldn't sleep.
On his desk sat a table tennis-sized ball—a compact solid fuel incendiary device. Just one spark, and it would engulf an entire floor.
He turned again, eyes flicking nervously to his phone. The hour was approaching.
Regret gnawed at him like acid. If he hadn't taken the money, if he'd just swallowed his pride, asked for help, picked up a second job... he might've paid off his gambling debts in a few months. But now?
He was in too deep.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He flinched.
Unknown number.
He stared at it for a few seconds, then answered.
"It's time," a cold voice said. "Or did you plan to take the money and disappear?"
"Where's the rest of the three million?" Yan Wenbin asked hoarsely.
"It's ready. Same location, noon tomorrow, cash. But only if you deliver. Do this right, and there'll be more opportunities. Our goal is the Marching Ant Company. Help us, and your fortune changes. Screw it up, and we'll come for your family."
There was a long pause.
"...Fine," he muttered at last.
A few hours later...
"Damn... why'd I drink so much water before bed?"
Dong Donghui stumbled toward the bathroom, half-asleep. The moment the toilet flushed, though, a sharp burning smell hit his nose.
He blinked, frowning, then turned to the window—and froze.
Flames. Black smoke. Heat.
"Fire!!" he shouted, yanking his pants up and bolting out of the bathroom.
The security guard's voice below echoed up into the dormitory corridors, waking others.
Dong Donghui ran into the hallway, slamming the fire alarm.
BZZZZT! BZZZZT!
The alarm wailed, cutting through the night like a siren of doom. Screams and panicked footsteps followed as people poured out of their rooms.
"It's a fire! Get up! Get out!"
The smoke thickened quickly. Dong Donghui rushed to the emergency exit, grabbing the fire hose on his way.
"Keep calm! Head to the exits! Cover your mouths and don't push!" he yelled.
A girl stumbled into him, panic in her eyes. "Room 503! Ami's passed out—I can't carry her!"
"Damn it. Lao Niu! You handle this crowd. Keep them low, keep them moving!" Dong Donghui turned back and charged up the stairs, fire extinguisher in hand.
The dormitory had descended into chaos. Cries for help, alarms, and shouts of confusion filled the air. The night was shattered.
From a distance, Blue Wolf watched the smoke rise, his expression unreadable.
"It's started."
Beside him, Ruth nodded calmly and adjusted her earpiece. "All units, begin the operation. The moment the target leaves the villa, notify us immediately."
"Understood. What a pain," the young man yawned from the van. "No sleep, no games, and no breakfast. This job better be worth it."
He glanced out the window at the silent villa compound—where Chen Mo remained, unaware that the trap had been set.
The game had begun.