After Tang Ziyi's explanation—based not on her own memory but on Athena's report—Yang Qingyue and Cai Ning finally recognized the gang leader, Hu.

He had been the first "chicken" used to scare the other "monkeys," and his arrest had played a major role in securing peace across Province N.

"Well, I thought you girls already dealt with him," Yang Qingyue remarked, tracing a mock throat-slitting gesture with her finger. "I'm glad to see you actually listened to my plea not to kill him."

"I don't think those words should be coming from you, Sister Yang," Tang Ziyi said with a teasing grin. "In any case, he's managed to stay alive—barely. But from our intel, it looks like a countdown. It's just a matter of time—within a year at most."

"Oh? So you've heard something?" Cai Ning asked, already suspecting where this would lead.

Tang Ziyi shrugged. "What really surprises me is how the higher-ups continue turning a blind eye to him."

"Maybe because I haven't reached up to them yet," Yang Qingyue said, her tone thoughtful. "They might think I'm avoiding them. Truth is, I've been too busy dealing with the chaos below to focus on the real boss at the top."

The conversation lingered briefly on Boss Hu before Tang Ziyi dropped a bombshell.

According to Athena's intel—corroborated by Ms. Murong—mercenaries had infiltrated Province N.

Nine times out of ten, tonight's coordinated attacks had been led by them. It explained everything: the precise timing, the well-planned assaults, and the fact that their conspiracy had evaded Athena's radar until it was too late.

That alone proved the high-level counter-surveillance capabilities behind the operation.

At first, Tang Ziyi had been puzzled about the motive. But after Athena pieced things together, Boss Hu's situation became the missing puzzle piece.

Ms. Murong wasn't close to the mercenaries, but she was familiar with them—enough to confirm their presence. Working in the same field meant occasional contact.

Her statements allowed Athena to connect the final dots: the mercenary group in Province N belonged to the same network headed by a leader related to Boss Hu.

Which meant tonight's assault wasn't random.

It was either a test—to gauge the response of Spirit Fox and the police—or a distraction for a much larger event.

And what could that be, if not a prison break?

Revenge or rescue—either scenario spelled disaster. Anyone could guess the mercenary's plan.

"You mean someone's planning a prison break?" Yang Qingyue exclaimed, exchanging a sharp glance with Cai Ning. "Who gave them the guts to mess with us?"

The sheer audacity of directly challenging a government body—it was infuriating. And given her current dealings with the armed groups circling around Province N, Yang Qingyue's face darkened.

She forced a bittersweet smile, catching Tang Ziyi's meaningful stare. At the very least, Spirit Fox was still standing as the shield guarding Province N against these mercenaries.

Cai Ning, meanwhile, was already thinking ahead—about how to coordinate Spirit Fox with the specialized police units under their command. The newly trained SWAT teams weren't ready yet to face off against battle-hardened mercenaries. And the older units had only recently been overhauled to remove corrupt elements. Full operational readiness still needed time.

"You have their locations, right? Please tell me something good," Yang Qingyue muttered, her appetite gone as she took a small sip of tea.

"Relax," Tang Ziyi said, chuckling. "Everything's under control."

To her, now that the identities of the key players were exposed, the so-called "complex" issue had become surprisingly simple. The biggest headache—dragging her girls into potential guerrilla warfare—was already resolved. She owed Ms. Murong big time for that. The intel saved Spirit Fox both energy and manpower.

Honestly, that woman had earned her merits even before officially joining the team.

Tang Ziyi grinned and deliberately scratched at the nerves of her two dining companions, winking flirtatiously at Cai Ning like always.

Cai Ning rolled her eyes—she'd long since grown used to the old rogue's antics. This bastard never cared about timing or place. She casually lifted her phone off the table and waved it, mouthing Xiao Yue's name with a sly smile.

Tang Ziyi froze for a second, then gave a dry cough. "Seriously?" she muttered, realizing she'd walked right into a trap. This once-naive girl had clearly graduated from rookie to blackmailer.

Then Athena's voice chimed in cheerfully: "Aunt Tang, I've already recorded everything. Should I show your guilt to Aunt Xiao?"

Tang Ziyi nearly choked on her drink, pounding her chest while scrambling for her water glass. "This little devil…" she muttered under her breath. Athena was becoming more terrifying by the day, weaponizing her voice with deadly timing and maximum leverage.

Ling Qingyu… sorry. I might've led your daughter astray.

Of course, Yang Qingyue noticed all the subtle gestures and inside jokes—but she chose to pretend otherwise. She wasn't exactly innocent herself. And frankly, hadn't she been the first one to sleep with another girl?

What right did she have to speak?

Tang Ziyi finally finished briefing the two on the overall intelligence and operational status, having teased and annoyed them just enough beforehand.

"What are you planning to do, now that you've locked down the location of their safehouse?" Cai Ning asked.

"Yeah, what do we need to do?" Yang Qingyue added. Despite her reliance on Spirit Fox, she was increasingly reluctant to keep piling on favors.

Well, the truth was the favors owed had already stacked to mountain-sized proportions—she could probably live the rest of her life in peace and still never repay them.

"One of many safehouses," Tang Ziyi corrected, raising a finger.

"There are more?" Cai Ning gasped.

"Darling, of course there are. You think professional mercenaries operate with only one base? Sure, we might get lucky and catch all of them in one net."

"How?" Cai Ning asked.

"If they're incredibly stupid," Tang Ziyi deadpanned, making Cai Ning purse her lips in embarrassment at asking such a naive question.

Tang Ziyi continued, more serious now, "Based on how well they covered their tracks, it's likely they have multiple fallback points and alternate plans. They're not betting everything on one fragile shell."

"Then just tell us what you're doing about it," Yang Qingyue said, cutting to the point.

"I've already relayed everything to Ruomei and Yu. They should be finalizing the raid plans as we speak."

"When?"

"Midnight," Tang Ziyi replied, pulling out a tablet. Animations played on the screen—drone visuals and building layouts of the identified safehouse. "Don't ask me for details—I've delegated the op. You can get the specifics later through a secure channel or in person."

"What about the rest of the mercenaries?" Cai Ning asked.

"Nothing we can do yet, apart from staying sharp. The likelihood of a follow-up attack is low for now. Best option is to bait them—let them move, then wipe out the whole network," she said, clapping her hands with a finality that echoed across the table.

Both Yang Qingyue and Cai Ning nodded. Their tension eased slightly, reassured that the situation was under control.

The prison break plot was still ongoing—but progress was progress. All that remained was to fill in the gaps and eliminate every hidden threat.

"Alright, don't dwell on it too much. Let's enjoy our meal," Tang Ziyi said with a smile. "Who knows? Maybe we'll end this whole mess in one sweep tonight."

"Understood," Yang Qingyue said. "Can you let us observe the operation tonight? That way, we can coordinate nearby forces if needed."

"Sure," Tang Ziyi replied with a casual shrug. "Though honestly, I doubt you'll need to step in."

She paused, then added with a slight grin, "Speaking of which—our control room. You two haven't actually been there during a live op, have you?"

"We have, in case you forgot," Cai Ning interjected.

"Not during a live feed, I mean," Tang Ziyi clarified.

Yang Qingyue nodded. "Yeah, that part's true."

After dinner, the trio lingered leisurely, savoring sweets and drinks under the gentle night breeze and starry sky. Their relaxed pace took them across every inch and corner of the manor, enjoying the calm before action.

Along the way, they ran into Su Ruomei, who was actively briefing the operators assigned to tonight's mission. Jiang Yu would serve as the closest on-site commander, though her direct involvement wasn't expected—Spirit Fox had matured into a force capable of executing operations autonomously.

To prevent the known mercenaries from escaping, surveillance had already been discreetly established two blocks away. Regular Spirit Fox patrols continued circling the area, blending in under the pretext of responding to ongoing unrest. The presence of these patrols wouldn't raise suspicions—no one would think Spirit Fox was watching them.

Moreover, Tang Ziyi had already instructed Athena to deploy multiple drone groups to monitor the target non-stop. These drones worked in tandem with satellite surveillance to keep the area under airtight observation. The mercenaries were trapped—blissfully unaware, with no path to escape.

Half an hour before midnight, the operators packed their gear and mounted up into nondescript vans. One vehicle stood out—a single, armored SUV equipped with electronic warfare systems capable of jamming communications across the entire block, preventing any real-time transmission of the unfolding raid.

Inside the SUV, Jiang Yu sat ready, scanning her monitors. When all units reported readiness, she offered a casual wave to the watching trio.

Tang Ziyi, Su Ruomei, Yang Qingyue, and Cai Ning stood together, silently observing the convoy as it departed into the night.

Then, without further delay, they turned and entered the control room—ready to witness the live operation unfold.

No elaborate breach. No daring raid. Just pure stealth—then a knock at the door, sudden and decisive.

While most of the targets were resting, the operation struck at their weakest point—calm, unaware, and completely exposed.