"Chen Mo, Chen Mo."
A soft, anxious voice pulled Chen Mo from sleep.
He opened his eyes to see Xiao Yu's worried face hovering above him.
"What's wrong?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Why so early?"
"Zhao Jie called. There's been a fire at one of the factory dormitories," Xiao Yu said, handing him the phone.
Chen Mo's drowsiness vanished in an instant.
"A fire?"
He sat up, instantly alert, and put the phone to his ear.
"Zhao Min, what happened?"
"There was a fire at the staff dormitory of the Phoenix North Factory," Zhao Min's tone was heavy. "It's been contained now."
Chen Mo's face darkened. "Any casualties?"
"Current reports say 2 dead, 11 injured."
Chen Mo's expression tightened. "How did it get so serious?"
"It started around 4 a.m., when most people were still asleep. Luckily, someone spotted it early and raised the alarm. Some employees managed to evacuate others in time. But two staff on the upper floors tried to escape by elevator… they were overcome by smoke."
Zhao Min's voice was tight with frustration.
"You're at the scene now?"
"No. I'm at Phoenix North Hospital—the injured were sent here. I just forwarded you the video."
"Mo Nu, display the footage," Chen Mo said.
A light-blue holographic screen materialized in front of him, displaying live footage of firefighters battling flames and smoke billowing from a scorched building.
"Wasn't the fire safety system checked recently?" Chen Mo's face was grim.
"The director says everything was up to code. Regular inspections, no flagged risks," Zhao Min replied. "But something's off. The fire spread too fast. Security said there were no explosions—just ignition, then a surge of smoke and flame. Even a short circuit doesn't escalate that quickly."
"You're saying it might be arson?"
"We're not ruling it out. The police have opened an investigation. It's suspicious."
Chen Mo exhaled sharply. "What's the condition of the injured?"
"Mostly smoke inhalation and minor burns. One is more serious—Dong Donghui. He got hurt rescuing another employee. Others are stable."
"I'm heading there now," Chen Mo said, already swinging out of bed.
After a quick wash and change—Xiao Yu had already laid out his clothes—Chen Mo rushed out.
"I'm coming with you," Xiao Yu said, slipping on her shoes and catching up.
"Phoenix North Hospital," Chen Mo instructed Wang Hai as he stepped into the car.
Wang Hai gave a sharp nod, relayed orders into his earpiece, and the convoy departed the villa compound at speed.
Across the city, a young man looked up from his handheld game console. His eyes flicked to the surveillance feed, then narrowed. He picked up a pair of binoculars.
"Target confirmed. He's left the villa."
His voice echoed through the headsets of the operatives lying in wait. In an instant, their postures straightened, fingers tightened on triggers, and eyes sharpened.
"Proceed as planned," Ruth ordered calmly.
The young man put down his game device, started his vehicle, and slowly merged into traffic—quietly tailing Chen Mo's convoy.
Inside Chen Mo's car, the air was tense. The time was just past 6 a.m., and the city was waking up. On the holographic screen, Chen Mo flipped through live news channels.
"All channels are covering the fire," he muttered, his face grim.
On screen, a reporter's voice narrated: "This is the fire scene at Marching Ant Company's Phoenix North Factory. The blaze began around 4 a.m. in the staff dormitory. So far, two fatalities and eleven injuries have been confirmed. The cause remains under investigation. Injured staff are being treated at Phoenix North Hospital, where company president Zhao Min has already arrived…"
He changed channels. More of the same: shots of firefighters, injured staff on stretchers, chaos. He saw two covered bodies being loaded into ambulances, and his expression hardened.
This was the most serious incident in company history.
He opened a line to Zhao Min. "How are the families of the injured and deceased?"
"The families have been notified. The one with severe burns—Dong Donghui—made it through surgery. Stable, for now. If this was negligence, we'll find out and hold someone responsible. But if it was deliberate…"
Her voice lowered.
"There's a first time, there could be a second."
Chen Mo nodded. "Let's wait for the police report before jumping to conclusions."
Meanwhile, just up ahead—
"No. 2 has eyes on the target vehicle," a voice whispered through a secure comms channel.
"Begin interception," came the reply.
In the convoy, a spare vehicle at the rear picked up speed, its driver suddenly alert.
"There's a car following us," he muttered.
In the passenger seat, Black Hawk scanned the mirror. "When did it appear?"
"Just after the last junction."
Black Hawk frowned. "No reason for anyone to be here this early. Reduce speed. Keep it behind the boss's car."
He picked up his headset. "Captain, we may have a tail. I'll check it out."
"Got it," Wang Hai replied, eyes still on the road. He looked at his passenger. "Pearl, be ready."
White Pearl gave a curt nod and rested a hand on her concealed weapon.
"Looks like they're trying to overtake." Black Hawk narrowed his eyes. "Block them. Don't let them get close."
The rear driver slowed, subtly shifting lanes. But the suspicious car behind them didn't brake—it accelerated sharply.
Boom!
The two vehicles collided.
Inside Chen Mo's convoy, everyone jolted forward as tires squealed. The convoy began braking, and the Black Hawk's team leapt into action.
"Tail collision! Lock them down!"
The two rear bodyguards leapt from the vehicle and sprinted toward the crash.
Meanwhile, inside the trailing car, Blue Wolf calmly took off his headset and slipped into the passenger seat. He opened the door, stepping out slowly as if dazed.
"No. 2 in position," he reported.
Ruth, watching from a secluded grove nearby, smiled coldly. "Proceed. No. 3 and No. 4—advance. Prepare to spring the trap. No. 1, accelerate. Get ready to close the net."
The hunt had begun.
And Chen Mo was driving straight into it.