Chapter Thirty: Relentless Pursuit

Almost at the very moment when Lei Dong slammed on the accelerator and sped away, a seemingly ordinary minibus with regular license plates suddenly rushed toward the North Palace Gate. As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, more than a dozen burly men with closely cropped hair leapt out in rapid succession. They swiftly fanned out, and after entering through the gate, each dispersed into the crowd, moving alone as if by chance, yet maintaining close contact with one another. Should any emergency arise—whether mutual support or isolating and protecting the surrounding tourists—they were ready to respond instantly.

It was clear these were no ordinary tourists but a highly trained special unit.

Within Lei Dong’s spiritual awareness, similar scenes unfolded almost simultaneously at the four main gates of the Changchun Garden, and even at several rarely used side entrances.

“These guys are well trained!” Lei Dong exclaimed in admiration.

From the corner of his eye and through his heightened senses, Lei Dong immediately recognized these fierce-looking men as special police deployed by the authorities. Their tactics bore some resemblance to the assault formations of the Republic's special operations forces, yet were distinctly different in other ways. No other organization could have fielded such a disciplined team of nearly a hundred men at once.

In recent years, in response to mounting violent incidents, local police forces had placed ever greater emphasis on building elite special response units. The Hanjing police, in particular, were rumored to train to a ruthless standard. Not only did they exchange techniques with special units worldwide—especially the famed "Flying Tigers" of Mingzhu—but they also took advantage of their proximity to the headquarters of the Republic’s military, enlisting the help of both the Hanjing Special Operations Brigade and even a direct-action unit under the central command. Even without recourse to such common knowledge, one look at their precise formation in motion made it clear: these officers were masters of real combat.

“It looks like there’s nothing to worry about here for now…” Lei Dong let out a long breath of relief.

By his reckoning, Ayim Nawar was not the sort to savor the beauty of lakes and mountains. If he had entered the densely crowded Changchun Garden, it must be to meet with an accomplice or to commit sabotage—either way, once discovered, the consequences would be unpredictable and dire.

Though Lei Dong had raced off without hesitation in pursuit of Ayim Nawar, he couldn't help but worry about An Jing, left alone in such a perilous place. But now, with more than a hundred special police deployed, at least three things were assured: First, the Academy had already established contact with the Hanjing police and likely higher authorities, who were treating the intelligence with utmost urgency—otherwise such a large and efficient deployment would have been impossible. Second, dispatching so many officers to Changchun Garden must mean they had found some clue; after all, Hanjing’s citywide surveillance network could find anything the police wanted in record time. Third, and most importantly, with this many special police present, An Jing’s safety was no longer in doubt.

Now, all that remained was to catch up with and apprehend Ayim Nawar as quickly as possible. “Let’s see how far you can run, you little rabbit!” Lei Dong pressed down hard on the accelerator, and the battered black Silver Dragon sedan surged forward, steadily closing in on the distant Wuling SUV, drawing nearer and nearer.

Just as Lei Dong’s car was about to leave the limits of his spiritual perception, he “saw” three special police officers in a secluded corner of Changchun Garden suddenly spring into action, pinning a bearded street vendor against a wall. One of them clapped a large hand over the vendor’s mouth, while the muzzle of a police revolver pressed hard against his terrified back.

The road outside the North Palace Gate, Changchun Garden Road, was an ordinary urban thoroughfare with six lanes in both directions. Compared to four-lane roads, it was reasonably wide, but in the core of Hanjing, where main arteries could have ten, twelve, or even more lanes, this road was modest, and with a fair amount of traffic and pedestrians, average speeds hovered around twenty kilometers per hour. Thanks to his intensive training, however, Lei Dong managed to push his speed up to nearly eighty, weaving skillfully through the traffic. Soon, he had closed the gap to within five hundred meters of Ayim Nawar’s SUV.

At this rate, he would catch up in no more than three minutes. When that moment came, whatever Ayim Nawar tried, Lei Dong was confident he could subdue him in a flash. In fact, relying on his driving skills, he could orchestrate a fender-bender and take Ayim Nawar down before the man even had time to react.

The two vehicles, one in front and one behind, sped northward along Changchun Garden Road, steadily drawing closer.

With less than ten meters to the entrance of the Fifth Ring Expressway, the Wuling SUV in front suddenly swerved sharply to the left. Amid the screeching of brakes, the clatter of ABS systems, and the curses of startled drivers, the SUV changed lanes twice in a row, darting from the outermost lane to the innermost. Its bulky frame slipped through traffic like a fish, narrowly grazing the curb at the expressway entrance before shooting onto the North Fifth Ring Road.

“Damn it!” Lei Dong cursed in frustration.

Just as Ayim Nawar yanked the wheel, less than three hundred meters ahead, Lei Dong—maintaining a lock on the SUV with his spiritual sense—immediately noticed his intent. Instinctively, Lei Dong gripped the steering wheel tight, ready to mimic the maneuver. But at the last second, he caught sight of Ayim Nawar’s shifty glances in the mirrors. A spark of realization flashed through Lei Dong’s mind, and he stilled his hands.

“He’s testing for a tail!” Lei Dong suddenly understood. Ayim Nawar’s abrupt lane change wasn’t because he had spotted Lei Dong, but rather a premeditated move as he neared the expressway, designed to flush out any pursuers. If someone followed suit, they would expose themselves instantly. Two cars suddenly swerving would create even more chaos, effectively hindering any pursuit. Even if he didn’t shake off his tail, he would at least delay and reveal them.

Understanding this, Lei Dong flicked on his left indicator, then gently turned the wheel, guiding his Silver Dragon sedan smoothly onto the expressway ramp without drawing attention.

“So that’s your game, not bad at all.” A cold, mocking smile played at Lei Dong’s lips.

Though Ayim Nawar had gained some distance, the gap now over a kilometer, Lei Dong’s spiritual sense still tracked his every move. On the expressway, Ayim Nawar continued to check his mirrors nervously. The SUV flowed eastward with the traffic, never realizing that a nondescript silver sedan was quietly closing in several hundred meters behind.

The Fifth Ring Expressway was an enclosed five-lane highway, smooth and rarely bumpy. Although the traffic was heavier than on side roads, it was less congested, and Lei Dong quickly pushed his speed above a hundred kilometers per hour.

A triple “beep-beep-beep” sounded in his earpiece. Lei Dong switched on his communicator, and a gruff, powerful voice came through—it was Lei Tiangang!

“Report your position!” The voice was short, forceful, authoritative.

“North Fifth Ring West Road, nine kilometers in, inner lane, silver Silver Dragon sedan, plate number JING PP577!”

“Status of the target!”

“Three hundred meters ahead, second lane from the inside, black Japanese-made Wuling SUV, plate JING 383BS!”

“Located!” A moment later, Lei Tiangang’s voice returned. “Switch to the police command channel and follow orders. Victory is essential!”

“Yes!” Lei Dong replied softly, then switched to the dedicated channel. Less than a second later, a commanding voice sounded in his ear: “This is Wei Jianning, Chief of the Hanjing Police Department!”

“Awaiting your orders, sir!”

“Ten minutes ago, at Changchun Garden, police apprehended Maizi Tiku, a member of the Eastern Uguqat Organization disguised as a street vendor. After a rapid on-site interrogation, he confessed that Ayim Nawar, who entered the country illegally, is planning to carry out a bomb attack. The exact target is unknown; his role was only to hand over the homemade bomb to Ayim Nawar!” Wei Jianning spoke rapidly, his voice full of urgency, making Lei Dong’s heart lurch. He cursed fiercely to himself: “So it is a bomb after all!”

Wei Jianning paused, then continued, “Currently, through surveillance, we have located both you and the target vehicle. Based on their route, speed, and movement, we have identified three possible targets for Ayim Nawar’s attack.”

A map of Hanjing appeared in Lei Dong’s mind, and as Wei Jianning spoke anxiously, Lei Dong considered each possibility.

“First, five kilometers ahead and to your right, the National Stadium.” Wei Jianning named the first location without hesitation, but Lei Dong shook his head. The National Stadium, though one of Hanjing’s most iconic structures, had no major events at this hour—no large crowds. An attack here would be less significant, even less so than in Changchun Garden.

Sure enough, Wei Jianning quickly dismissed the site: “But the likelihood here is low,” he said, then hurried on, “Second, fifteen kilometers ahead, the Hanjing International Conference Center. The World Economic Union Conference is underway. Multiple heads of state are present. An attack here would bring tremendous international pressure on the Republic!”

Yet, as Lei Dong shook his head, Wei Jianning also dismissed this target: “However, the Eastern Uguqat Organization is struggling abroad, seeking support from anti-Republic states. If they attack the conference and cause casualties among world leaders or diplomats, it would provoke collective retaliation and place enormous pressure on their ‘jihad.’ Not worth the risk. Besides, with the high-level security at this event, it’s hard to find an opportunity. That leaves only one likely target…”

Before Wei Jianning finished, a location flashed on Lei Dong’s mental map, making him gasp in shock: “Hanjing International Airport!”

“Exactly, Hanjing International Airport!” Wei Jianning affirmed gravely.

“Damn it!” Lei Dong swore involuntarily.

Hanjing International Airport, the “Republic’s Premier Gateway,” was the nation’s most important, largest, and most advanced air hub. Particularly since the opening of Terminal 3 in 2008, with over 100,000 square meters of space, it had topped the list of the Republic’s largest single buildings. In recent years, as the Republic’s global influence soared, Hanjing’s throughput reached its maximum. Seven years ago, it surpassed the Atlantis Airport of the Minia Federation to become the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume.

Travelers here came from every nation, a blend of all types, but domestic and international terminals were separate. An attack here would have massive repercussions, yet would likely not provoke overwhelming retaliation from foreign governments.

Most crucially, although the airport had a permanent security presence, its sheer size and the density of people made those forces a mere drop in the ocean. From a defensive standpoint, the place was riddled with gaps—a giant sieve.

Lei Dong suddenly felt his palms go cold, followed by a surge of rage that set his body ablaze.

“We have deployed large numbers of police to the three locations, but to avoid alerting the suspect and prevent unnecessary panic, we will not intercept on the expressway,” Wei Jianning’s voice came again, pausing before adding, “Your orders are to maintain a lock on Ayim Nawar, and you are authorized, if circumstances permit, to strike and apprehend this criminal!”

“Yes,” Lei Dong replied, his voice low but resolute.

“Do you require backup?” Wei Jianning asked, a note of hesitation in his tone. Clearly, when dealing with a mysterious operative whose code name even he was not privileged to know—an agent appointed directly by the highest authorities—it felt almost disrespectful to ask, as if casting doubt on his competence. But the gravity of the case left him no choice; a single misstep and not just he, but all of Hanjing’s leadership, would be hard pressed to bear the consequences.

Lei Dong, however, took no offense. Raised by a father who wanted nothing more than for his son to become a general, instilling in him the principles of “never fight without preparation” and “never underestimate your enemy,” and tempered by years of grueling training, Lei Dong knew the wisdom of always planning for the worst and striving for the best.

Without hesitation, he answered, “No backup for now, but I recommend diverting traffic ahead and slowing the target’s vehicle if possible.”

“Understood. We’ll consider it!” Wei Jianning ended the call.

The next instant, Lei Dong’s car accelerated once more, racing after Ayim Nawar at breakneck speed.