15 minutes later.

"Aunt, the girls have captured the escaping vehicles," Athena reported.

"Show me the feed," Tang Ziyi requested.

Live video footage filled the screen, showing a high-speed chase in progress. Under Athena's surveillance, once a vehicle initiated an attack, it could never escape her sight.

Perhaps the criminal had planned to switch cars and disappear into the public, but he had underestimated Athena's intelligence network. He didn't get the chance to switch, nor to cut contact. The encirclement was swift—available units, especially Spirit Fox's vehicles, had locked onto him.

What Tang Ziyi saw now was his final act of resistance.

Multiple feeds were displayed: helmet cams, pursuit vehicles, nearby CCTV, drones hovering above, and even satellite imagery.

If any battlefield commander had access to these assets, leading an operation would be as easy as eating cake.

Alongside the video streams were Athena's overlays—labels, predictive paths, and threat assessments—streamlining the decision-making process.

Naturally, Tang Ziyi had no interest in interfering. She could already predict the outcome.

Either he would be captured alive—though that seemed unlikely, given her subordinates' current mood—or the vehicle would be torn to shreds.

She mused that if she hadn't ordered them to try to capture him alive, he probably would've crashed and died already.

Gazing at the bullet-riddled sedan, Tang Ziyi nodded slightly. Her girls had done well, particularly the three first victims of the sudden hit-and-run.

Athena's report confirmed it: the driver was alive, but his passenger was dead, shot by the recovered operator immediately after the impact.

The attackers might have held the initial advantage, but they ran into Spirit Fox.

Well, Tang Ziyi chose to ignore the exaggerated perks of Spirit Fox's so-called invincibility, that she and Ling Qingyu had emphasized.

Tut-tut. A call came in. Tang Ziyi glanced at the screen—it was Su Ruomei. She answered casually.

"Hey, what's the matter, Sister Su?"

"Sister Tang, aren't you going to take care of our affairs? It's absolute chaos over here."

Tang Ziyi shook her head, unfazed by Su Ruomei's exaggeration.

"No need for me to step in. I trust you. Besides, the situation—unexpected as it was—is well under control."

"Tsk. And here I thought you'd stretch your limbs a bit now that Xiao Yue is following Sister Ling. Turns out you're still the same."

"Hehe, that's why I trained you all so well. What's the point of me doing everything myself? Anyway, enough pleasantries. You clearly have something to tell me."

She already had a hunch, especially after the images Athena had shown her.

"Alas, who made you our instructor?" Su Ruomei clicked her tongue. "Yes, we've captured a few of the attackers and interrogated them. They spilled some useful info, and I'm prepping to hit the safehouses they pointed out. Don't worry—we confirmed with Athena too. But aside from what they told us, there's nothing else on the bodies. No ID, no tech, nothing."

Tang Ziyi watched the beaten faces and wretched clothes of two attackers. Apparently, her operators should have roughen them up hard.

Expressionless, Tang Ziyi regarded these dirtbags as lucky.

"So, where exactly do you need me?"

"It'd be great if you came with us," Su Ruomei said, clearing her throat to sound more formal. "Also, Sister Yang just called me. She wants to know what the police should do now, since it looks like we've already taken down almost everyone—except for that one early sedan."

"You're right about that sedan. Give it a few more minutes; that'll be wrapped up too." Tang Ziyi idly scratched her toes against the polished floor. "As for Sister Yang, tell her to raise the alert level across the province. Get patrols out, make some noise, draw attention. The more disruption, the better. No need to hide what we're doing—we'll cut off the last buds before nightfall. Just make sure to prompt her that we'll take care of everything and they'd trail behind."

"Roger that. I'll pass it along," Su Ruomei confirmed.

"Also, be advised—we might be dealing with terrorist elements here. This isn't just some run-of-the-mill organized crime," Tang Ziyi added, even though she still wasn't fully convinced herself.

She didn't want to believe things had escalated that far. But better to be prepared than caught off guard.

"Understood," Su Ruomei replied.

"If that's all, I'll end the call. I've got a few matters to handle," Tang Ziyi said.

"Oh? Quite unexpected," Su Ruomei teased.

"Shut up," Tang Ziyi chuckled helplessly before ending the call.

She then turned to Athena. "When will that mercenary arrive?" Please read this chapter on its original platform—*.

The female mercenary had caught Tang Ziyi's attention—for both professional and personal reasons. Professionally, she was tied to the current crisis. Personally, Tang Ziyi found herself intrigued by a woman operating in one of the world's most dangerous fields.

Though their experiences were vastly different, something about that woman's path resonated with her. Tang Ziyi had already gone through the available intel on the network, supplemented with Athena's own data aggregation.

"Aunt, she'll arrive soon—within a dozen minutes or so," Athena replied, tracking the incoming SUV returning to base.

"Alright. Notify me the moment they arrive. Prepare the serums and arrange a room," Tang Ziyi instructed.

Outside Ling Qingyu's residence, the streets were alive with the wails of sirens.

Blue and red lights streaked across the neighborhoods as police vehicles patrolled the area. Foot patrols moved through the streets, questioning residents—many of whom stared, wide-eyed and anxious.

Province N had been peaceful for some time. So peaceful that people had nearly forgotten the days of chaos. Now, some feared those dark times might return.

Online, netizens lit up the platforms with news of the attacks on Spirit Fox. The footage and updates had already gone viral, spreading with a snowball effect.

While a few pessimists voiced their worries, the majority cursed in frustration or clung to hope, praying the peace they'd come to cherish wouldn't be shattered.

As the police made a noisy show of presence, no one paid much attention to the discreet convoys slipping through side routes—vehicles splitting into strike teams, heading toward marked targets.

To maintain appearances and distract any eyes watching too closely, Su Ruomei had also dispatched several patrol units with Aegis teams in tow, reinforcing public trust.

It would've caused even more panic if Spirit Fox hadn't shown up at all. Their visible presence was part deterrent, part reassurance.

Not to mention, there were hidden criminals still observing the situation. Had Spirit Fox failed to respond at all, it would have been a direct signal that the net was closing in on them.

At a particular residential apartment complex, three Toyota Hiace vans—one white, one black, and one blue—pulled up near the boom gate at the entrance.

The barrier lifted automatically, bypassed through Athena's hacking. The security guard stationed nearby didn't even notice anything unusual as the vans passed through.

They came to a halt in front of one of the buildings, parking at a slight angle.

Two dozen Spirit Fox operatives swiftly exited and fanned out, establishing a perimeter. Two assault teams—each composed of four members—moved toward the entrance.

Their presence immediately drew the attention of bystanders. Ignoring the murmurs, camera flashes, and gossiping residents, Spirit Fox locked down the building. All points of entry and exit, including the emergency stairwell, were secured.

Two shieldbearers took the lead—each equipped with a polygonal anti-ballistic shield—while their partners followed close behind with rifles raised.

One team ascended via the stairwell; the other took the elevator. They met outside the target unit's door.

The team leader gave a final reminder: "Remember—don't go in too hard. There could be unrelated personnel inside."

"Roger!"

On cue, the breacher stepped up and delivered a heavy mule kick. The door burst open with a sharp crack.

"Province N Police!"

"Police! Don't move—stay where you are!"

Inside, an elderly woman who had been peacefully watching her favorite mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law drama clutched her chest and gasped.

"Oh my! Oh my!"

The operators quickly assessed the threat level and began advancing into the side rooms. One by one, they kicked open closed doors.

A few passed the old lady, sweeping into the bedroom and clearing it thoroughly—checking under the bed, inside closets, and behind curtains. They left no space unchecked, but took care not to damage personal property.

"Stay calm, Ma'am. Where's your son?" one of the operators asked.

"Stay calm? How am I supposed to stay calm when someone just kicked down my door?" the old lady snapped, clearly furious.

The team already knew she was the mother of their target—a man who, while not a major criminal, had assisted in delivering messages that helped coordinate the attack on Spirit Fox.

Athena had confirmed it by cross-referencing security footage of his past movements and comparing it with the terrified confessions of two captured suspects.

Even messengers could carry vital intel. And Spirit Fox, determined to root out the mastermind behind the operation, couldn't afford to ignore any potential source of information.

"Clear!"

"Clear here!"

"Why are you here?!"

A new outburst rang out from the kitchen. A woman had just seen the operators enter and screamed in protest, her voice shrill with both fear and anger.