Ahead.
A lone factory building stood in stark contrast to the deathly silent structures around it!
The windows of the building were tightly covered with heavy, dark cloths or panels, blocking out almost all light.
But from under the factory’s main door and through the cracks of a few windows, an abnormally bright, even dazzling, incandescent light shone out.
Moreover, the ground around the factory was exceptionally clean, with no clutter piled up, as if a buffer zone had been deliberately cleared.
And outside the factory’s tightly shut tal doors, two figures stood conspicuously.
They wore dark work clothes, but their posture was anything but relaxed like that of an ordinary night-shift worker.
Both were holding sothing. In the residual light from a distant streetlamp, the rough, tubular tal outlines were faintly visible.
One of them would occasionally look up, warily scanning the surrounding darkness.
"Stop!"
From the command post in the rear, Wang ngguo’s voice ca through the comms, tinged with suppressed excitent.
"I see the n at the door! They’re ard!"
Yang Qi’s heart tightened. He imdiately gave an order through his earpiece, "Xiaojiu, stop! Take cover, now!"
Xiaojiu reacted instantly, dropping low and deftly ducking behind a nearby pile of discarded wooden crates. It peeked out just enough for the cara to stick out, aid at the lit factory and the guards at the door.
The cara zood in. Although the image shook slightly with Xiaojiu’s breathing and subtle movents, it was clear enough.
The two guards were indeed holding two crudely welded, homade firearms, with distinct barrels and simple firing chanisms.
Though no match for proper guns, they were lethal enough at close range.
"Windows and doors are covered, and ard lookouts are posted at the entrance."
Xiao Jun stared at the screen, his voice extrely low. "Security’s this tight. Whatever they’re doing in there, it’s definitely sothing illicit!"
"Advisor Yang."
Wang ngguo’s steady voice ca over the comms again. "Can you have Xiaojiu try to find a way to approach the factory from the side or back? See if there are any other entrances, or a crack to observe the situation inside."
"Also, safety first!"
"Understood."
Yang Qi replied, then issued a new directive to Xiaojiu through the earpiece. "Xiaojiu, see those two n at the door? They have weapons that can hurt you. Do not go near them."
"Circle around them quietly. Check the sides and back of this large building for any window cracks, ventilation openings, or anything that might let you see or get inside."
"Rember, be extrely quiet. If you sense any danger, retreat imdiately!"
The cara feed bobbed up and down.
Xiaojiu didn’t respond, rely nodding.
Then, the feed began to move.
Xiaojiu moved like a night sprite, hugging the base of walls, piles of debris, and the shadows of various structures, using every possible piece of cover to nimbly circle toward the side and rear of the lit factory.
Inside the command vehicle, Xiao Jun and the others remained silent.
In the temporary command post at the rear, Wang ngguo was also glued to the screen, not blinking.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xiaojiu reached the rear of the factory.
This area was closer to the foot of the hill, and the ground was ssier, piled with discarded machine parts and building materials.
The factory’s rear wall was high and mottled.
Xiaojiu’s sharp eyes and nose scanned continuously.
Finally, near the roof on the factory’s back wall, it discovered a vent.
The vent looked old. It was covered by a layer of rusty wire sh and a piece of old canvas ant to block dust.
Due to age and neglect, the edges of the canvas were frayed, and the wire sh had several holes.
When Wang ngguo, Xiao Jun, and the others saw the vent on the screen, they couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy.
But that was imdiately followed by frowns.
The vent was four or five ters off the ground, with no obvious handholds for climbing.
"Advisor Yang, can Xiaojiu climb that high?" Xiao Jun couldn’t help but ask.
"No problem."
Yang Qi responded calmly, ordering through the earpiece, "Xiaojiu, see that opening on the wall where the light is leaking out? Be careful, and get in through there."
The cara first aid at the vent, then, a mont later, it lurched.
Xiaojiu had taken a few steps back and, after a short running start, its agile body shot toward the rough concrete wall.
Just before impact, it pushed off with its hind legs, the pads and sharp tips of its front claws precisely hooking onto the tiniest imperfections in the wall, using the montum to scramble upward.
In the blink of an eye, it reached the height of the vent, its claws gripping firmly onto the wire sh at the edge.
The cara feed stabilized, now aid inside the vent.
But then the image shook violently.
Apparently, the pungent odor coming from the vent made Xiaojiu shake its head in discomfort.
"Xiaojiu, endure it."
Yang Qi quickly soothed. "Get inside as fast as you can!"
In front of the screen, Xiao Jun, Wang ngguo, and the others subconsciously held their breath.
The feed wobbled.
Forcing itself to ignore the discomfort, Xiaojiu reached out a paw and deftly manipulated the torn canvas.
Soon, it had widened a gap large enough for it to pass through.
Without hesitation, Xiaojiu shrank its body and slipped nimbly through the opening.
The view changed.
A network of crisscrossing, rusty tal pipes ca into view.
"Xiaojiu, look down slowly."
Yang Qi instructed softly. "Then turn your head slowly."
Xiaojiu stepped onto a tal pipe and looked down at the floor.
Instantly, everyone in the command vehicle and the temporary command post stared wide-eyed.
The spacious factory interior was brightly lit, a complete departure from the dark, deserted facade it presented outside.
Several rows of crude but fully functional chemical lab equipnt were running: beakers, condensers, reaction vessels...
A white mist perated the air.
Several people in white protective suits and gas masks were busy among the equipnt.
In one corner of the factory, there was a large pile of barrels and bags marked with chemical hazard symbols.
In another corner, on several long tables covered with plastic sheets, bags of already packaged white or pale yellow crystals and powders were stacked neatly.
Soone was even operating a small pill press, compressing the powder into tablet form...
One glance at this scene was enough for anyone, no professional knowledge needed, to see that this was no workshop for producing "health supplents"!
"We got it!"
Back in the command post, Wang ngguo clenched his fists, his face ecstatic. "Get it all on film! Especially close-ups of the finished products, the raw materials, and the equipnt! Quick!"
The technical officer had already switched the feed to the highest-definition recording mode and begun taking screenshots from multiple angles, marking key information.
"Package and encrypt this video and all the screenshots imdiately! Send them to Zhou Zhi and the city bureau’s duty officer to apply for an ergency search warrant!"
Wang ngguo ordered swiftly.
"Yes, sir!"
The technical officer’s fingers flew across the keyboard.
On screen, Xiaojiu remained quietly perched on the tal pipes, faithfully capturing everything below with its "eyes."
Less than two minutes later, the technical officer looked up and reported.
"Wang Zhi, all data has been encrypted and sent!"
Wang ngguo nodded and picked up his radio. "Advisor Yang, we’ve collected the evidence. You can have Xiaojiu pull out safely now."
He paused, then added with emphasis,
"A job beautifully done!"
"Roger that."
Yang Qi acknowledged, then gave Xiaojiu its orders. "Xiaojiu, you can leave now. After you get out, don’t go down to the ground. Head straight for the roof. Be careful!"
The feed began to move again.
Xiaojiu skillfully retreated back into the vent.
It expertly pushed aside the torn canvas, poked its head out to survey the dark night, then slipped out lightly, climbing up the wall and onto the factory roof.
It moved away from the vent, found a spot to crouch down, and awaited further instructions.
The minutes ticked by.
In the command vehicle and the temporary command post, the atmosphere was still tense, but now tinged with the excitent of a victory within reach.
About five minutes later, Wang ngguo’s phone screen lit up and vibrated softly.
He picked it up quickly and glanced at the ssage.
Then he shot to his feet, grabbed the command radio, and his voice broadcast over the encrypted channel to every vehicle and every person involved in the operation.
"All units, this is Wang ngguo!"
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