Chapter 516 - 245: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell? (Part 2)
Chapter 516: Chapter 245: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell? (Part 2)
The instant the person on top of the tower turned their binoculars in another direction—
SWOOSH!
Xiaojiu’s hind legs kicked powerfully, its body shooting out like an arrow from a bow. In a few quick movements, it scrambled up a large tree. Then, it moved along a thick branch extending over the wall, light and swift as if walking a tightrope, before making a mighty leap from the branch’s end!
The small, black figure traced a nearly invisible arc through the air, precisely clearing the barbed wire. It landed silently in a shadow behind a pile of clutter inside the wall, rolled to absorb the impact, and then froze, blending perfectly into its surroundings.
The person in the watchtower was completely unaware, the binoculars continuing their slow sweep.
"It’s in!"
Yue Fangping watched through his own binoculars as Xiaojiu landed safely. A weight was lifted from his chest, and he marveled at the cat’s agility and timing.
Yang Qi activated his Spiritual Eye Technique to observe the situation inside the villa grounds.
After landing, Xiaojiu didn’t move right away. It crouched in the shadows, its ears twitching as it listened intently for a moment.
Once it confirmed the immediate area was safe, it began to move quickly and stealthily, hugging the corner of the wall.
The main building was a small, two-story structure. Its doors and windows were half-open, and the sounds of a television and conversation drifted out, suggesting a fair number of people inside.
Xiaojiu didn’t risk approaching the doors or windows, simply circling from a distance to observe.
The side building to the left was a kitchen and dining hall. Smoke rose from its chimney, and the clatter of pots and pans, along with the aroma of food, wafted from within. Silhouettes moved behind the windows.
From the side building on the right came the calls of various birds. They seemed to sense Xiaojiu’s presence, as their chirping suddenly intensified. Hearing this, Xiaojiu quickly moved away.
The warehouse was a separate, large, one-story building. It looked the most inconspicuous, but its main door was shut tight. A burly man holding a hunting rifle was pacing back and forth in front of it, his expression wary.
This unusually heavy guard immediately caught Xiaojiu’s attention.
It deftly circled to the side of the warehouse. A pile of broken wooden planks and discarded farm tools created a perfect blind spot.
After scouting the area, Xiaojiu discovered a ventilation window high on the side of the warehouse. It was mostly boarded up, but a sizable gap remained.
Instantly, it leaped lightly onto a nearby abandoned grinding stone, then sprang upwards with all its might. Its claws caught the windowsill, and it nimbly scrambled up, poking its head and the attached camera toward the large gap.
The camera lens adjusted its angle, and a clear view of the warehouse’s interior was transmitted through the gap to Yue Fangping’s tactical terminal.
The inside of the warehouse was spacious but mostly empty.
At this moment, there were over a dozen children inside, some sitting and some standing!
They appeared to be between the ages of eight or nine to eleven or twelve, both boys and girls.
They were wearing relatively clean clothes. Some were silently nibbling on hard, dry bread, while others huddled together in groups of two and three, speaking in low voices.
A few of the older ones were even gathered in a corner, reading books by the last sliver of daylight filtering through a small, high window!
The children’s faces mostly showed confusion, anxiety, and a numbness that belied their age, but there were no obvious injuries, nor any signs of them being tied up or abused.
A corner of the warehouse held a pile of bedding and plastic buckets, apparently for them to sleep and relieve themselves.
Seeing this, Yue Fangping and Yang Qi exchanged a glance. They both saw surprise in each other’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper, heavier feeling.
The surprise was that the children were alive and hadn’t suffered the abuse they had imagined.
The heavy feeling came from the realization that this meant the criminal organization was even more professional and cold-blooded.
They viewed these children as "merchandise" or "organ donors awaiting processing." Before "use," they did their best to keep them healthy and calm to minimize loss and unexpected problems!
This cold-blooded objectification of human life was more chilling than simple violence.
"..."
Yue Fangping lowered his voice. "Advisor Yang, have Xiaojiu do a detailed sweep of the area around the warehouse."
Yang Qi nodded and gave Xiaojiu more detailed reconnaissance instructions.
Xiaojiu understood. It slipped silently from the window and began to circle the warehouse’s exterior, using various obstacles for cover as it conducted a thorough inspection.
It recorded the patrol route and frequency of the guard at the main entrance. It also discovered an inconspicuous small door on the other side of the warehouse, which appeared to be locked from the inside. Furthermore, it observed that not far behind the warehouse was a steep, nearly unclimbable cliff.
After completing its detailed reconnaissance of the warehouse, Xiaojiu didn’t linger. Following Yang Qi’s orders, it found a gap behind a relatively hidden pile of clutter not far from the warehouse and settled in, its eyes vigilantly scanning its surroundings, ready to transmit the latest updates at any moment.
Meanwhile, Yue Fangping, carrying the terminal, retreated slowly with Yang Qi and two other team members into a dense patch of woods farther away.
He took out an encrypted satellite phone. He gave Yao Zhenwei a concise and clear report on everything Xiaojiu had discovered: the villa’s defenses, the watchtower, the patrols, and especially the dozen or so unharmed but captive children found in the warehouse, as well as the situation with the three vehicles and the guards.
On the other end of the satellite phone, Yao Zhenwei was silent for a few seconds before his voice came through.
"Good. You’ve done an excellent job."
"The children are safe. That’s the best we could have hoped for in this situation. Stay hidden where you are, maintain surveillance, and do not alert the targets."
"I’m coordinating reinforcements to move into the mountains immediately. You must protect yourselves, and especially Advisor Yang."
"Remember, the children’s safety is the number one priority!"
"Understood!"
Yue Fangping responded in a low voice and ended the call.