Chapter 291: The Official’s Residence

In the Tokyo Shibaura area facing Tokyo Bay, there were renowned universities such as Keio University and Shibaura Institute of Technology, as well as prominent Japanese corporations like NEC, Tokyo Gas Company, and Toshiba. Nearby was the iconic Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba and Shibaura.

Around midnight, three cars loaded with passengers slowly came to a stop near a large residence spanning over 300 square meters.

After turning off the engine, No. 1 did not roll down the window but instead took out binoculars to observe through the glass.

After a while, he handed the binoculars to Zhang Qian.

Zhang Qian took them and asked while observing, “Are you sure that person is inside?”

In a low voice, No. 1 replied, “Based on reports from No. 3 and No. 2, who have been tracking them, that person entered this house with the others and hasn’t come out through the front or back doors since.”

Passing the binoculars to Lei Yin in the back seat, Zhang Qian asked, “Have you looked into the owner of this house?”

“This residence belongs to the director of Tokyo’s Foreign Trade Office. Among the seven people who went to pick them up at the airport today, one of them is him.”

After putting down the binoculars, Lei Yin asked Zhang Qian, “Can you get the floor plan of this house?”

Zhang Qian shook her head. “It’s impossible given the short time. We initially thought they’d go straight to the church, but unexpectedly, a government official picked them up. This complicates things.”

She then turned to No. 1 and asked, “What’s your opinion?”

After some thought, No. 1 replied, “We don’t know anything about the situation inside. I think it’s better to observe for another day or two.”

“If we wait to act when they are outside, what’s the success rate?”

No. 1 shook his head. “Taking action outside could easily cause a commotion and alert others. We’d have to rely on long-range sniping, but that person might not be ordinary. The success rate is too low. I don’t recommend this plan.”

Zhang Qian sighed. “According to the schedule, the leader will only stay in Tokyo for two or three days. We must act quickly and can’t spend too much time preparing. Given the time constraints, we’ll observe for just one night.”

“I’ll stay here with No. 2 to continue monitoring tonight.”

“That’s all we can do. Let’s head back for now.”

“Understood,” No. 1 said as he prepared to open the car door.

But at that moment, the surroundings were suddenly plunged into darkness. Streetlights and the lights in nearby houses all went out at once, followed by a series of startled shouts, both near and far.

“Why did the power suddenly go out?” Zhang Qian’s voice, full of caution, came through the darkness.

“Stay in the car. I’ll check it out,” No. 1 said as he got out and ran toward the mansion.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Qian whispered, “Masashi, do you think this is just a blackout?”

“Don’t you think it’s too coincidental for the power to go out now?”

“You’re suggesting someone else is making a move?”

“If that’s the case, what’s your plan?”

“What else can we do? This is a one-time opportunity. Now that we’ve startled them, we have no choice but to move forward.”

No. 1 returned and reported, “I heard several suppressed gunshots from inside. It seems someone else has already acted. Just now, No. 3 and No. 2 reported seeing two groups of unidentified people entering through the back door and the garden during the blackout.”

Clenching her teeth, Zhang Qian said, “In that case, notify all team members. The operation begins now.”

No. 1 frowned. “If we enter now, we might be seen as enemies by the two fighting factions inside. Moreover, the enemy of our enemy is our ally. Wouldn’t it be wasteful not to take advantage of this?”

Zhang Qian smiled slyly and pointed to the two white rings on her black tight-fitting outfit. “Don’t you think these markings on the arms are peculiar? When planning this operation, Mr. Yang already considered the possibility of interference from other nations’ espers. While we can’t openly cooperate due to confidentiality, a tacit agreement isn’t out of the question.

“The same applies here. If you see someone inside with the same white arm markings, don’t shoot them. Conversely, if they’re not blind or impostors, they shouldn’t attack you either.

“Also, No. 1, you’re the expert in such special missions. From now on, including myself, everyone will follow your commands.”

“Understood. Let’s begin,” No. 1 replied without hesitation. As he spoke, he covered his face with a mask, and the others followed suit.

Under the cover of darkness, the seven people silently got out of the car and quickly approached the mansion.

Although the official residence of the Tokyo Foreign Trade Office director was surrounded by a more than four-meter-high wall, it posed no obstacle to the highly skilled intruders. Within just two minutes, everyone had used their unique methods to climb over the wall and advanced toward the mansion.

The several hundred meters of grass lawn between the wall and the mansion were planted with various flowers and plants. They encountered no obstacles on their way—no guards or even large guard dogs like Great Danes.

Aside from some strange noises faintly coming from the house, the mansion felt eerily empty, like an uninhabited building.

As they moved, Zhang Qian asked, “Do we know where that person is now?”

“Before the power outage, No. 2 saw that person enter the study on the second floor and remain there, reading without leaving. As for now, it’s hard to say. Typically, if attacked on the ground floor, people tend to run upstairs to hide. You, No. 8, and No. 9 should go around to the left side of the house and climb up to the second floor to find that person as quickly as possible. I’ll lead the others to climb to the third floor from the back of the house. If you don’t find them, don’t wait for us. Head straight to the fourth floor until you locate the target.”

“Understood. No. 8, No. 9, follow me.”

Temporarily assigned the code name “No. 8,” Lei Yin silently followed Zhang Qian, while “No. 9,” Kuang Dao, grumbled inwardly about being ordered around by this young woman. Still, the opportunity to confront the rumored formidable figure kept him from voicing his dissatisfaction.

When the three reached the left side of the mansion, they found themselves facing a series of balconies on each floor.

The second-floor balcony was a daunting seven or eight meters above the ground. However, Lei Yin and Kuang Dao leapt up simultaneously, grabbing onto the support frame of an air conditioning unit beneath the balcony. Using the momentum, they vaulted onto the second-floor terrace.

Zhang Qian, on the other hand, simply “lifted” herself up, effortlessly using her powers to ascend. Seeing her abilities in action for the first time, Kuang Dao shot her a fiery glance of admiration.

The three entered a corridor from the balcony, where the muffled sound of suppressed gunfire and intermittent screams from downstairs grew clearer. Strangely, the corridor itself was completely deserted.

Although the situation seemed odd, Zhang Qian pressed forward, reaching for the nearest door to open it.

The door opened easily. With the help of night vision goggles, Zhang Qian confirmed the room was empty.

At the same time, Lei Yin and Kuang Dao checked other rooms, but they, too, found no one inside.

They advanced along the corridor, methodically opening room after room. Yet, after searching seven or eight rooms, they still hadn’t found anyone.

When Zhang Qian reached for the handle of the largest room near the staircase, Lei Yin suddenly cautioned in a low voice, “Be careful. I hear something strange inside.”

Zhang Qian nodded and took cover beside the door. Slowly, she reached out to turn the handle, but it was locked.

As she prepared to shoot the lock off with her gun, a sudden burst of hurried footsteps and gunfire echoed from the stairs, growing louder. Someone was coming up.

The three instinctively raised their guns, aiming at the staircase.

Through her night vision goggles, Zhang Qian soon saw seven or eight men in camouflage uniforms, also equipped with night vision goggles, firing downwards as they ascended.

Among them, a few spotted Zhang Qian and her group at the same time.

Without hesitation, two of the men opened fire.

“Don’t shoot! They’re not enemies!” Zhang Qian quickly called out, spotting two white rings on one of the men’s arms.

Because of her warning, Lei Yin and Kuang Dao refrained from firing and instead took defensive positions.

The group of men, seeing their shots had missed, did not continue firing but hurriedly ran toward the third floor.

“Hey, lady, they don’t seem very grateful. What now?” Kuang Dao remarked, glancing at Zhang Qian.

Before she could respond, the door they were about to open suddenly burst open with tremendous force. The impact was so strong that the thick cypress wood door was ripped from its frame and smashed into the opposite wall.

From the spot where the door had fallen, a black figure slowly rose to its feet.

In the darkness, the figure appeared exceptionally tall, occupying nearly a third of the hallway. What stood out even more were its glowing, cat-like yellow eyes, staring at Zhang Qian and her team.

A strange, heavy breathing sound filled the air.

One of the breathing sounds came from the figure itself, while others emerged from the room with the missing door. From there, more shadowy figures began to emerge, each with similarly glowing cat-like eyes.

The heavy breathing sounded less like ordinary respiration and more like the low growls of ravenous beasts.

To Lei Yin, this sound was all too familiar. Zhang Qian, however, couldn’t suppress her shock and exclaimed, “Test subjects? Why are there test subjects here?”

Just as she finished speaking, a series of roars, akin to wild animals, echoed from the stairwell. Footsteps thudded heavily against the floor as numerous shadowy figures, moving with agility, either jumped or crawled their way up the stairs. Zhang Qian now understood why the men from earlier had fled so frantically to the third floor.

“Old Ghost, what are those things?” Kuang Dao asked, using the faint starlight outside to examine the bizarre creatures standing upright but looking nothing like humans.

Lei Yin drew the heavy, long blade from his back and replied nonchalantly, “They’re the kind of high-level pets you can dismember without worrying about the animal rights activists coming after you.”

Kuang Dao squinted. “So, we’re free to kill them all, right?”

Zhang Qian muttered under her breath, “We’ve been set up.”

“Boom!”

A deafening explosion suddenly rocked the official residence of the director of the Tokyo Foreign Trade Office.

The nearby residents were startled by the intense blast, and those living closest to the mansion found their windows shattered by the shockwave.

As the mansion was engulfed in flames, a deep voice slowly emerged from the shadows. “Apologies, Director. Your beloved residence has ended up like this.”

“You’re too kind. I’ve insured the property, and the insurance company will compensate me. Serving Mr. Andrew is my greatest honor,” said the fifty-something director with a broad smile, as if it were his enemy’s house burning instead of his own.

“I will remember your help this time.”

Hearing this, the director was overjoyed. He understood the man’s influence and knew that a few kind words from him could guarantee a limitless future.

Although thrilled, the director maintained a humble tone. “Mr. Andrew, you flatter me. I’ve already booked a hotel room for you. Would you like to go there now, or perhaps visit another place first?”

“I’m not going to the hotel. I have other accommodations. No need to trouble yourself further. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“In that case, safe travels.”

Without another glance at the director, the man led four others toward two luxury cars parked at the park entrance.

After getting into the car, the man glanced through the window to see the director bowing deeply in his direction.

With a faint sneer, the man muttered in French, “Insects, nothing but insects. Firth, do you think insects are amusing?”

The driver respectfully replied, “Your Holiness, your words are truth. If you say they’re amusing, they must be. If you say they’re not, they’re not.”

The man spoke with a peculiar tone, “Firth, I actually detest insects. They’re numerous and filthy, and I wish I could crush them all underfoot. Never mind. Drive.”

“Yes.”

Just as the two cars were about to move, there was a sudden “pop, pop, pop, pop” as the tires on both cars burst one after another.

Firth grew tense. “Your Holiness, our tires have been shot out. There must be snipers nearby. Please remain in the car and do not exit.”

No sooner had Firth spoken than a soft “pop” sounded from the front car’s windshield. A bullet struck the center of the bulletproof glass, leaving a conspicuous mark without breaking it.

“Who would have thought there were some not-so-dumb insects among them,” the man said calmly, watching as several figures slowly emerged from the surrounding darkness. With that, he opened the car door and stepped out.

The four men who had exited the first car earlier immediately surrounded him, forming a protective shield.