176: Operation Skynet, number 175?

The helicopter landed back in the courtyard of the Biyuntian Villa. Cao Xiao hauled out several barrels of aviation gasoline from the basement to refuel the helicopter before taking off again without a moment's rest.

Huanghe City covered a total area of 9,500 square kilometers with a population of over ten million. To truly search every inch of it would take more than a short while, even by helicopter. Cao Xiao only needed to search the thirteen municipal districts and the surrounding suburbs. Excluding water and forest areas, he had to probe an area of about a thousand square kilometers. While a thousand square kilometers sounded vast, the scanning radius of the Super Industrial Mother Machine was ten kilometers; as long as the flight path was planned reasonably, the entire scan could be completed within two hours.

However, before starting, he had to set the search targets. The first target was naturally the bombs and dangerous biochemical materials planted by the terrorists within the urban area. Regardless of whether those hidden terrorists could be found, the hidden bomb threats in the city had to be resolved first. Cao Xiao had no intention of playing hide-and-seek with those people; he would use brute force to solve the problem, pulling the rug out from under them by clearing the danger first. That way, even if the people couldn't be found, he wouldn't be as passive as he was now. He doubted those people would expect their painstakingly laid trap to be solved through brute force. Once they noticed the anomaly, they would definitely make a move, perhaps even acting out of desperation or putting everything on the line. Extinguishing the source of danger meant seizing the initiative. Unless the opposition was willing to accept defeat and vanish forever, Cao Xiao would use this to set a trap, creating illusions to draw the snake out of its hole. As long as the enemy showed even a hint of a flaw, they would taste the heavy blow of the police's iron fist without Cao Xiao even having to lift a finger!

The second target was to directly search the target group based on specific facial characteristics. If the bomb maniacs were indeed the overseas terrorist organization from the west as Cao Xiao suspected, then their facial features would be quite distinct. Huanghe City had a large migrant population, but the proportion of people from the western border regions wasn't large—at most a few tens of thousands. Among them, the number of mobile personnel without a fixed local residence was even smaller. After filtering by specific criteria, there wouldn't be many who fit the conditions for committing the crime. He now held a status within the Supervision Department and was on a mission, so he could openly use his so-called detection abilities. It would only take a bit of time to read these people's memories, and the truth would eventually come to light.

After planning the flight route and giving instructions to Duan Hong, Cao Xiao closed his eyes to rest with a composed air, leaving Duan Hong completely bewildered. Cao Xiao didn't explain, and Duan Hong didn't feel it was his place to ask. Cao Xiao felt he should maintain an appropriate level of mystery in the eyes of others; over time, many unreasonable things would become taken for granted.

...

A full three and a half hours later, the helicopter slowly landed outside the Municipal Bureau building. Before Cao Xiao even stepped out of the cabin, he saw Liao Kai leading a group of people hurrying toward him.

“Staff Officer Cao, has the situation been confirmed?” The first to speak wasn't Liao Kai, but a spirited man about sixty years old wearing a black jacket.

Cao Xiao didn't recognize this person and cast a questioning look at Liao Kai.

“This is Director Liu of our Municipal Bureau; he is also a member of the Municipal Committee. These two are Director Zhou and Director Wu. They are the captains of various detachments,” Liao Kai introduced upon seeing the look.

“Hello, everyone. This isn't the place to talk; let's go to the command center!” Cao Xiao said with a slight nod.

Liao Kai led the way, followed by Cao Xiao, Director Liu, and the others, while the rest trailed a few steps behind.

At this moment, a detachment captain in his thirties walking at the back asked Director Zhou beside him in a low, dissatisfied voice, “Director Zhou, this guy is being way too dismissive of us. He's just a Major Staff Officer; even if he belongs to the General Logistics Department of the Military Commission, there's no need for such grand airs!”

“Hehe, I'm not sure of his background either. Director Liu has no objections, so don't overthink it, Xiao Huang!” Director Zhou said with a squint and a chuckle.

“Regardless, I can't stand it. He's being too disrespectful to you. This person is so young yet so arrogant; he probably doesn't have much ability. I'll definitely give him a piece of my mind in a bit!” Captain Huang saw the slight curve of Director Zhou's lips. He had been single-handedly promoted by Director Zhou and understood his superior's temperament well. Knowing he had guessed right, he spoke up indignantly.

...

The group arrived at the command center hall. Cao Xiao walked unhesitatingly to the monitoring console, turned to face everyone, and said seriously, “Director Liu, everyone, time is of the essence, so I won't stand on ceremony.”

“This is the decision of the Municipal Committee. Our Municipal Bureau is only responsible for the arrest operation. Now, the Armed Police Detachment and the Special Police Detachment are ready to go, and the various branch bureaus and police stations are on standby. Please begin!” Director Liu stood straight like an old soldier waiting for inspection, speaking with calm solemnity.

Seeing Director Liu's posture, Cao Xiao was momentarily surprised. He then stood tall with his chest out, snapped to attention, and gave Director Liu a standard military salute, his face full of respect. This Director Liu was likely a veteran; otherwise, he wouldn't have such a demeanor and awareness. One had to realize that Cao Xiao's rank was much lower than Director Liu's, yet he was now asking the director to follow his lead. Anyone else might follow orders, but they certainly wouldn't be as sincere as Director Liu, treating himself like a soldier waiting for a command.

Regardless of how the others reacted, Cao Xiao said loudly, “I am the overall commander of this operation appointed by the Municipal Committee. The operation code name is ‘Sky Net.’ This is a matter of great importance; for security reasons, specific intelligence will not be shared with everyone for now. You only need to strictly execute your respective tasks according to orders...”

“Wait!” Cao Xiao was interrupted before he could finish. The speaker was Deputy Director Zhou. Seeing Cao Xiao stop and look over, Deputy Director Zhou said with righteous indignation, “As leaders of the Municipal Bureau, we have not received any appointment documents from the Municipal Committee, nor do we know anything about this operation. Please, Staff Officer Cao Xiao, present the relevant documents and report the specifics of the case. If it's true, we also need to hold a meeting to discuss it carefully before deciding whether to act. Even if we do act, we must first formulate a reasonable action plan; we cannot abuse police resources.”

Hearing Cao Xiao's words, Captain Huang knew that Cao Xiao's actions did not conform to standard procedures. He had been itching to do something, and seeing Deputy Director Zhou suddenly interrupt Cao Xiao with such logical arguments, he looked at Cao Xiao with schadenfreude.

Cao Xiao frowned and gave Director Zhou a displeased look, then turned to look at Director Liu without saying a word.

“Deputy Director Zhou, this is a resolution jointly made by all members of the Municipal Committee. It is an order! Due to the special nature of this operation, no paper documents were issued. Until the operation is over, no one except the leadership of the Municipal Committee has the right to know. Our Municipal Bureau is only responsible for the execution and will follow all of Staff Officer Cao's commands. Do you understand!” Director Liu stared at Deputy Director Zhou and spoke with powerful resonance; anyone could hear the dissatisfaction and the tone that brooked no argument.

“Director, deploying so many police forces for an operation is no small matter. As the executors of the operation, we don't even know a bit of case intelligence, target information, or even the action plan. How can we blindly carry out arrests? If the operation fails and something happens, who will be responsible? It's not that I'm defying orders, but maintaining stability is also our primary duty as police. Regardless of whether it's a resolution by the Municipal Committee, if this causes public panic, we will have to bear the primary responsibility!” Deputy Director Zhou faced Director Liu without fear, speaking with composure. Finally, he looked at Liao Kai and Director Wu and asked, “Director Liao, Director Wu, wouldn't you agree?”

Director Liu clearly hadn't expected Deputy Director Zhou to say such a thing and was momentarily stunned.

That Captain Huang also refused to be left out and stepped forward at the right time, saying, “Leaders, Director Zhou is right...”

“Shut up! Huang Kai, it's not your place to interrupt. Deputy Director Zhou, we are police; this is an order! Not an administrative suggestion!” Liao Kai did not back him up as Director Zhou expected; instead, he snapped at Huang Kai and loudly reminded Director Zhou without mercy.

“Old Zhou, are you going to ignore the Director's orders?” Deputy Director Wu asked, looking at Director Zhou mockingly.

Cao Xiao looked at Deputy Director Zhou with some disappointment. Before coming to the Municipal Bureau, he had reported to and consulted Commissioner Zhang. After hearing the situation and the proposed solution, Commissioner Zhang was very supportive and immediately notified the other Municipal Committee members. The Municipal Committee then quickly made a resolution; given the urgency, they handled it as a special case and agreed to his specific request for independent and full command of this operation. He did this to conclude the bomb case quickly and perfectly, but he hadn't expected to encounter resistance before even starting—and from a top leader of the Municipal Bureau at that.

This Deputy Director Zhou looked upright and his words seemed reasonable, but everyone present was sharp-witted and could naturally hear the underlying meaning. It was nothing more than a lack of trust in Cao Xiao. Cao Xiao could understand this; after all, he looked too young, and his rank was the lowest among those present. Youth meant a lack of experience, and a low rank couldn't command the room. It was normal for people to have thoughts, and since what he said did have some merit, Cao Xiao wasn't angry. It would have been one thing if Deputy Director Zhou's rhetoric was just aimed at making things difficult for him, but questioning even Director Liu's orders was unacceptable. Furthermore, he was negating the Municipal Committee's orders from his own standpoint. As a policeman, arguing against a known order was a very serious act of dereliction of duty and insubordination. On a battlefield or in an emergency, one could be summarily executed for this. Yet here this man was, at a critical moment, being obstructive and pedantic, completely disregarding whether his behavior would cause delays or even lead to the direct failure of the operation! Cao Xiao could no longer tolerate Deputy Director Zhou's bureaucratic thinking and dilatory style.

Cao Xiao knew that a man like Deputy Director Zhou was eloquent and full of verbal traps; even Director Liu couldn't suppress him, and he himself certainly couldn't outtalk him. Therefore, he didn't bother wasting words. Execution was impossible; even if Cao Xiao could find sufficient reasons to do so, the aftermath would be too damaging. Having a bureau-level deputy director shot for insubordination and dereliction of duty in the heat of the moment would create a very negative image of the government and make many people resentful. The gains would not outweigh the losses, and impulse wouldn't solve the problem. After thinking carefully, Cao Xiao raised his hand, pointed at Deputy Director Zhou, and said loudly to Duan Hong, who was on guard at the door, “Brother Duan, take him away immediately for detention and isolation. If there is any resistance, shoot to kill on the spot!”

“Yes!” Duan Hong had seen everything that had just happened. This Deputy Director Zhou was disrespectful to his boss, and as a soldier, he also loathed those who defied orders on the front line. At Cao Xiao's command, he immediately complied, drawing his gun and chambering a round, approaching Deputy Director Zhou rapidly with a predatory gaze.

Deputy Director Zhou never expected Cao Xiao to play so outside the rules. Seeing Duan Hong's fluid tactical movements, he realized this man in his thirties was no ordinary bodyguard. He finally understood he was facing soldiers who followed orders strictly. Since Cao Xiao had given the command, Duan Hong would execute it without fail. The fact that he had drawn his gun meant they were serious and were going to move against him regardless of his status. Panic flared in his heart, and he barely maintained a semblance of composure as he shouted harshly at Cao Xiao, “What are you doing! This is a police station, not a military camp! You have no right...”

“Noisy!”

Director Liu and the others didn't speak to stop Cao Xiao, and Cao Xiao watched coldly without a word. Duan Hong lunged forward, his hand stiffening into a blade, and with an impatient low shout, he chopped down on Deputy Director Zhou's neck. Instantly, Deputy Director Zhou's voice cut off, his eyes closed, and he slumped unconscious to the floor. Duan Hong held his gun in one hand and grabbed the man's clothes with the other, dragging him out. Seeing this, Huang Kai had long since shrunk to the side with a face full of terror, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Facing the mocking gazes of his colleagues and fearing Cao Xiao would come for him, he stood there feeling both ashamed and uneasy.

Once the command center doors were closed again, Cao Xiao scanned everyone present before speaking: “Time is very tight, let's continue! Now, except for the three Directors and the heads of the Armed Police, Special Police, Criminal Police, Public Security, Fire Department, Traffic Police, and the detention center, everyone else please leave the command center immediately. Those staying must turn off their communication devices. Without my order, no one is allowed near the entrance of the command center.”

“Yes!”

This time, no one interrupted him. After everyone responded in unison, those who were supposed to leave did so quickly and silently.

Cao Xiao began issuing orders: “This time we are arresting extremely vicious terrorists. I have full control over all intelligence regarding the targets. Now, each department only needs to strictly execute their respective tasks according to my detailed orders. The Municipal Bureau's Armed Police, Special Police, and Criminal Police detachments will implement the arrest plan. The Provincial Military Region troops have already assembled and can support us at any time. The Public Security detachment and its subordinate branch bureaus and police stations will all go on duty to maintain order in their respective jurisdictions; all officers are to carry weapons and may open fire if necessary. The Traffic Police detachment and its subordinate branch traffic police squadrons must ensure smooth traffic in the city and be prepared to block any road in the city at any time. The Fire detachment is on standby to coordinate with hospitals for rescue preparations and to clear the scene after the operation. The detention center should immediately arrange independent holding areas; many people will be arrested this time, so prepare for two hundred.”

“Director Liu, please contact the provincial and municipal publicity departments. In the name of a joint military-police live-fire exercise and a large-scale crackdown on criminal activities, coordinate with us for full publicity via television, public radio, and the internet starting in one hour—that is, exactly at 14:00. Director Liao is responsible for conveying my orders to each action group. After I make arrangements here, I have other missions to execute. Once I leave, I'll leave this place to you and Director Liu to preside over. I will provide a copy of the relevant intelligence information to Commissioner Liu; just implement it according to my plan. Director Wu, please personally go to the Provincial Police Department and hand this data directly to the provincial leadership.”

“The three detachment captains of the Special Police, Armed Police, and Criminal Police are to go immediately to assemble all personnel of their respective detachments. Weapons must be issued, vehicles prepared, and assembly completed within ten minutes. Do not use sirens during assembly and movement; ensure the operation's stealth as much as possible. I will divide multiple action groups based on the specific target situation and equip each group with at least one communication device that can link directly to the command center's main console. Execute immediately!”