Han Feng stood in the command center of the Qiqihar Police Station, his hands gripping a map covered in markings, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. So much time had passed, yet there were no clues. Liu Mengran and Qin Chuan seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Surveillance blind spots, road closures, witness interviews—all conventional methods had been exhausted, but a breakthrough remained elusive.
"How did they do that..." Han Feng muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the map repeatedly. Qiqihar's terrain wasn't complicated, and the main roads were covered by surveillance cameras. It was impossible for the other party to disappear into thin air with an unconscious hostage.
Just then, Zero's voice rang in his mind:
"Host, the complexity rating of Qiqihar's underground pipeline system has been detected as A, with a large number of abandoned passages, making it suitable for covert relocation."
"Oh?" Han Feng was overjoyed. "What other good news is there?"
"I pulled up the 3D structure diagram of the underground pipeline network, this should be useful."
Han Feng's pupils suddenly contracted. A semi-transparent 3D map suddenly appeared before his eyes, with intricate blue lines weaving into a network underground, like a vast underground labyrinth. Several red-marked lines were particularly conspicuous, stretching from the city center all the way to the suburbs.
"I see..." Han Feng's lips curled into a sharp smile. He straightened up abruptly and turned to the police chief, who was studying the surveillance footage.
"Director Zhao, do you have detailed information on Qiqihar's underground pipeline system, especially the abandoned subway lines?"
Zhao Ming looked slightly surprised: "Underground pipes? Why is Captain Han suddenly asking about this?"
Han Feng tapped his fingers on the table: "I suspect the other side used underground passages to move their target."
Zhao Ming's expression changed, and he immediately picked up the intercom: "Archives, send over all the blueprints for the subway rerouting project, immediately!"
In less than ten minutes, a stack of yellowed blueprints covered the conference table. Director Liu pointed to one of the site plans and explained, "When we started building Metro Line 3, halfway through the project, the exploration team discovered rare earth veins underground."
His rough fingers traced a dotted line: "The government immediately decided to reroute the route. The sections of the tunnel that had already been dug were reinforced and converted into industrial transport corridors, mainly for transporting raw materials to several state-owned enterprises."
Han Feng's gaze settled on several branch lines extending out of the city: "Are these passages still in use?"
"Theoretically, only those marked in green are still operational," Zhao Ming frowned, "but to be honest, maintenance funds are insufficient, and we can't even inspect many abandoned lines once a year..."
At this point, Zhao Ming suddenly gasped: "You mean, the kidnappers used these abandoned passages..."
Han Feng picked up the communicator: "Iron Tower, bring men over, we've made a new discovery."
Ten minutes later, the 16 fully armed special operations team members had assembled. Han Feng transferred scanned copies of the blueprints to each person's tablet and quickly assigned tasks:
"Team A investigates the abandoned ventilation shaft in the eastern area; Team B goes to the underground power distribution room at the west station; Team C is responsible for the entrance disguised as a substation in the southern suburbs. Report any traces immediately, and do not alert the suspects."
The team members nodded silently and quickly dispersed. Han Feng then led Zhao Ming to the nearest entrance—a maintenance well hidden behind the boiler room of an old residential area.
The lock on the manhole cover had long been pried open, and the rusty hinges indicated that this was not a recent act. Han Feng squatted down, ran his fingertips along the edge of the manhole, and lifted it up to look. A layer of almost invisible gray powder reflected slightly in the sunlight.
"Directional blasting residue," Han Feng said in a low voice, "They're more professional than you can imagine."
Just then, reports from the team members began to come through the communicator:
"Fresh tire tracks found at the east entrance..."
"The lock on the power distribution room door at the West Railway Station was damaged using specialized tools..."
"Traces of recent activity have been found inside the South Suburb Substation..."
All clues point in the same direction: a chemical plant on the outskirts of the city in the north.
"Director Zhao, I need all the information about that chemical plant, the more detailed the better," Han Feng said as he quickly walked towards the vehicle. "Also, keep it a secret; don't alert them."
Back at the temporary command post, Han Feng stared at the 3D map in deep thought. All the abandoned passages eventually converged underground at the chemical plant, a space large enough to conceal a large number of personnel and equipment. However, a direct assault was too risky; since the enemy could move their targets undetected, they must have made defensive preparations.
"Captain, what's our next move?" Iron Tower asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly. This two-meter-tall, burly man couldn't wait to get started.
Han Feng's gaze swept over each team member: "Two people per group, infiltrate from different entrances, and meet at this intersection below the chemical plant." He pointed to a circular area on the map. "Remember, reconnaissance is the priority this time; confirm the target's location before taking action."
The team members quickly divided into groups and prepared their equipment. After checking the magazines, Han Feng suddenly felt a strange palpitation. It had gone too smoothly; from discovering the underground passage to locking onto the target's location, the entire process was abnormally smooth.
"Wait," he called to the team members who were about to depart, "Each group will enter at ten-minute intervals. Group B, with thermal imaging cameras, will conduct reconnaissance first. If any abnormalities are found, retreat immediately."
Iron Tower asked, puzzled, "Captain, do you think this is a trap?"
Han Feng didn't answer immediately. "Proceed as planned, but maintain maximum alert." Han Feng gave the communication equipment a final check. "Remember, our primary task is to confirm the target's safety, not to engage in direct fire."
As night fell, several groups of shadowy figures silently slipped into different entrances. Han Feng stood beside the command vehicle, watching the moving red dots on the monitor screen. The vital signs data of each team member were displayed on the side screen, and any abnormality would immediately trigger an alarm.
"Group A, in position."
"Team B discovered electronic surveillance equipment, which has been evaded."
"Group C has arrived at the designated location."
As each group arrived at the assembly point, Han Feng's heart pounded faster and faster. It was too quiet, eerily quiet.
Suddenly, the screen in Group B shook violently, followed by a suppressed gasp: "Large heat sources detected! Not just hostages, but at least twenty more..."
Communication abruptly ceased. In the same second, all the red dots on the screens turned a blinding yellow – an engagement alert.
Han Feng grabbed his tactical helmet and rushed towards the nearest underground entrance. Inside the passage, each group was encountering different forms of resistance.
The two foreigners guarding Qin Chuan and Liu Mengran were in the monitoring room, watching the two sides fighting and smiling: "Miss Mu is very thoughtful. The other side won't just walk into our trap so easily. Judging from their appearance, they are all well-trained soldiers."
Another foreigner said, "Let's go stretch our muscles."
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