Ahead.

A lone factory building stood in stark contrast to the deathly silent structures around it!

The windows of the building were tightly covered with heavy, dark cloths or panels, blocking out almost all light.

But from under the factory’s main door and through the cracks of a few windows, an abnormally bright, even dazzling, incandescent light shone out.

Moreover, the ground around the factory was exceptionally clean, with no clutter piled up, as if a buffer zone had been deliberately cleared.

And outside the factory’s tightly shut metal doors, two figures stood conspicuously.

They wore dark work clothes, but their posture was anything but relaxed like that of an ordinary night-shift worker.

Both were holding something. In the residual light from a distant streetlamp, the rough, tubular metal outlines were faintly visible.

One of them would occasionally look up, warily scanning the surrounding darkness.

"Stop!"

From the command post in the rear, Wang Mengguo’s voice came through the comms, tinged with suppressed excitement.

"I see the men at the door! They’re armed!"

Yang Qi’s heart tightened. He immediately gave an order through his earpiece, "Xiaojiu, stop! Take cover, now!"

Xiaojiu reacted instantly, dropping low and deftly ducking behind a nearby pile of discarded wooden crates. It peeked out just enough for the camera to stick out, aimed at the lit factory and the guards at the door.

The camera zoomed in. Although the image shook slightly with Xiaojiu’s breathing and subtle movements, it was clear enough.

The two guards were indeed holding two crudely welded, homemade firearms, with distinct barrels and simple firing mechanisms.

Though no match for proper guns, they were lethal enough at close range.

"Windows and doors are covered, and armed lookouts are posted at the entrance."

Xiao Jun stared at the screen, his voice extremely low. "Security’s this tight. Whatever they’re doing in there, it’s definitely something illicit!"

"Advisor Yang."

Wang Mengguo’s steady voice came over the comms again. "Can you have Xiaojiu try to find a way to approach the factory from the side or back? See if there are any other entrances, or a crack to observe the situation inside."

"Also, safety first!"

"Understood."

Yang Qi replied, then issued a new directive to Xiaojiu through the earpiece. "Xiaojiu, see those two men at the door? They have weapons that can hurt you. Do not go near them."

"Circle around them quietly. Check the sides and back of this large building for any window cracks, ventilation openings, or anything that might let you see or get inside."

"Remember, be extremely quiet. If you sense any danger, retreat immediately!"

The camera feed bobbed up and down.

Xiaojiu didn’t respond, merely nodding.

Then, the feed began to move.

Xiaojiu moved like a night sprite, hugging the base of walls, piles of debris, and the shadows of various structures, using every possible piece of cover to nimbly circle toward the side and rear of the lit factory.

Inside the command vehicle, Xiao Jun and the others remained silent.

In the temporary command post at the rear, Wang Mengguo was also glued to the screen, not blinking.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xiaojiu reached the rear of the factory.

This area was closer to the foot of the hill, and the ground was messier, piled with discarded machine parts and building materials.

The factory’s rear wall was high and mottled.

Xiaojiu’s sharp eyes and nose scanned continuously.

Finally, near the roof on the factory’s back wall, it discovered a vent.

The vent looked old. It was covered by a layer of rusty wire mesh and a piece of old canvas meant to block dust.

Due to age and neglect, the edges of the canvas were frayed, and the wire mesh had several holes.

When Wang Mengguo, Xiao Jun, and the others saw the vent on the screen, they couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy.

But that was immediately followed by frowns.

The vent was four or five meters off the ground, with no obvious handholds for climbing.

"Advisor Yang, can Xiaojiu climb that high?" Xiao Jun couldn’t help but ask.

"No problem."

Yang Qi responded calmly, ordering through the earpiece, "Xiaojiu, see that opening on the wall where the light is leaking out? Be careful, and get in through there."

The camera first aimed at the vent, then, a moment later, it lurched.

Xiaojiu had taken a few steps back and, after a short running start, its agile body shot toward the rough concrete wall.

Just before impact, it pushed off with its hind legs, the pads and sharp tips of its front claws precisely hooking onto the tiniest imperfections in the wall, using the momentum to scramble upward.

In the blink of an eye, it reached the height of the vent, its claws gripping firmly onto the wire mesh at the edge.

The camera feed stabilized, now aimed inside the vent.

But then the image shook violently.

Apparently, the pungent odor coming from the vent made Xiaojiu shake its head in discomfort.

"Xiaojiu, endure it."

Yang Qi quickly soothed. "Get inside as fast as you can!"

In front of the screen, Xiao Jun, Wang Mengguo, and the others subconsciously held their breath.

The feed wobbled.

Forcing itself to ignore the discomfort, Xiaojiu reached out a paw and deftly manipulated the torn canvas.

Soon, it had widened a gap large enough for it to pass through.

Without hesitation, Xiaojiu shrank its body and slipped nimbly through the opening.

The view changed.

A network of crisscrossing, rusty metal pipes came into view.

"Xiaojiu, look down slowly."

Yang Qi instructed softly. "Then turn your head slowly."

Xiaojiu stepped onto a metal pipe and looked down at the floor.

Instantly, everyone in the command vehicle and the temporary command post stared wide-eyed.

The spacious factory interior was brightly lit, a complete departure from the dark, deserted facade it presented outside.

Several rows of crude but fully functional chemical lab equipment were running: beakers, condensers, reaction vessels...

A white mist permeated the air.

Several people in white protective suits and gas masks were busy among the equipment.

In one corner of the factory, there was a large pile of barrels and bags marked with chemical hazard symbols.

In another corner, on several long tables covered with plastic sheets, bags of already packaged white or pale yellow crystals and powders were stacked neatly.

Someone was even operating a small pill press, compressing the powder into tablet form...

One glance at this scene was enough for anyone, no professional knowledge needed, to see that this was no workshop for producing "health supplements"!

"We got it!"

Back in the command post, Wang Mengguo clenched his fists, his face ecstatic. "Get it all on film! Especially close-ups of the finished products, the raw materials, and the equipment! Quick!"

The technical officer had already switched the feed to the highest-definition recording mode and begun taking screenshots from multiple angles, marking key information.

"Package and encrypt this video and all the screenshots immediately! Send them to Zhou Zhi and the city bureau’s duty officer to apply for an emergency search warrant!"

Wang Mengguo ordered swiftly. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Yes, sir!"

The technical officer’s fingers flew across the keyboard.

On screen, Xiaojiu remained quietly perched on the metal pipes, faithfully capturing everything below with its "eyes."

Less than two minutes later, the technical officer looked up and reported.

"Wang Zhi, all data has been encrypted and sent!"

Wang Mengguo nodded and picked up his radio. "Advisor Yang, we’ve collected the evidence. You can have Xiaojiu pull out safely now."

He paused, then added with emphasis,

"A job beautifully done!"

"Roger that."

Yang Qi acknowledged, then gave Xiaojiu its orders. "Xiaojiu, you can leave now. After you get out, don’t go down to the ground. Head straight for the roof. Be careful!"

The feed began to move again.

Xiaojiu skillfully retreated back into the vent.

It expertly pushed aside the torn canvas, poked its head out to survey the dark night, then slipped out lightly, climbing up the wall and onto the factory roof.

It moved away from the vent, found a spot to crouch down, and awaited further instructions.

The minutes ticked by.

In the command vehicle and the temporary command post, the atmosphere was still tense, but now tinged with the excitement of a victory within reach.

About five minutes later, Wang Mengguo’s phone screen lit up and vibrated softly.

He picked it up quickly and glanced at the message.

Then he shot to his feet, grabbed the command radio, and his voice broadcast over the encrypted channel to every vehicle and every person involved in the operation.

"All units, this is Wang Mengguo!"