As night fell, the river breeze howled through the abandoned container yard at the port. Under the dim yellow lights, a dark gray van slowly drove into the old dock area. The van bore the insignia of an international logistics company. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable, but it concealed a secret known only to a few.
In the driver's seat, Lu Chenzhou kept his eyes fixed ahead, wearing work clothes with a sharp, focused gaze. In the passenger seat, Su Wanqing wore civilian clothes under a false identity, her hand tightly gripping a hidden wireless earpiece. Their target was a high-risk secret transaction, based on a list provided by the "Mirror" organization.
Earlier, the police had discovered in the materials left behind by Lin Chenghai that "Mirror" was scheduled to conduct a key transaction at midnight on Friday at the abandoned No. 5 pier in S City. The file clearly stated: "This transaction may involve illegal weapons, communication chips, and an indirect meeting of the organization's high-level members."
To avoid alarming their targets, the operation team decided to use an undercover infiltration strategy, with Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing entering the transaction circle under false identities, while maintaining remote communication with the special police team, waiting for the right moment to act.
The van stopped next to a designated container, and a man in a black trench coat walked out slowly. His face was obscured, as if deliberately hiding his features. He quietly asked, "Code name?"
Lu Chenzhou calmly replied, "D-49."
The man gave a barely noticeable nod, lifted the container's door curtain, and gestured for them to enter. Su Wanqing quickly scanned the surroundings with her peripheral vision, noticing two armed sentries positioned in the back left, likely sniper spots, while the entire dock area was arranged in a "U"-shaped trap, completely sealing off any retreat routes.
They were led into a makeshift meeting room inside a modified container. On the walls were world maps and satellite communication charts. In the center, a metal box held several high-end weapon models—this was not just a transaction, but more like an internal display and handover.
However, as Lu Chenzhou scanned the surroundings, a low voice crackled through the earpiece. It was Special Police Captain Li Yue's warning: "Something's wrong. We've detected communication interference. The remote signal is about to be cut off. You may be surrounded."
Almost simultaneously, Su Wanqing's instincts screamed a warning. She silently took half a step back, moving toward the exit of the meeting room. However, her movements seemed to have been anticipated. A cold, metallic gun barrel was pressed against her back.
"I knew you weren't D-49," the man in the trench coat removed his gloves, revealing a strange prosthetic hand. "Welcome to the 'Mirror' testing ground."
"Open fire!" Li Yue's voice shattered through the earpiece, and in the next second, a barrage of gunfire erupted from all sides.
Outside the container, the special police team descended from above, attempting to assist Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing. But the enemy had already laid landmines and remote devices. The entire yard was engulfed in flames from the explosions.
Lu Chenzhou quickly turned around, subduing the man who had held Su Wanqing at gunpoint, and shouted, "Retreat!"
In the chaos, the two of them sprinted down the container side path, explosions echoing behind them. The enemy's firepower was clearly far greater than expected. After running a mere ten meters, a sniper bullet grazed Su Wanqing's shoulder. She staggered but gritted her teeth and pressed on.
The next moment, there was a muffled thud.
Su Wanqing's right leg was jolted, and she collapsed to the ground.
"I've been shot..." her voice trembled, but she still raised her gun to return fire toward the enemy.
Lu Chenzhou immediately turned back, lifting her by one arm and hoisting it over his shoulder, his voice low. "Hang in there, I'll get you out."
"You're crazy!" She struggled. "If you carry me, we'll both be trapped!"
"Shut up!" Lu Chenzhou gritted his teeth. "If you die, how can I live?"
Amidst the firelight, he fired to cover their retreat, dragging Su Wanqing through the debris, heading toward the special police team's rendezvous point. Finally, in the midst of the chaotic wreckage and gunpowder smoke, they were successfully picked up by Li Yue's assault team.
But the cost of this battle was severe.
That night, the entire abandoned pier was sealed off, and over 20 bodies were recovered, all members of the "Mirror" organization. The man in the trench coat, however, had vanished in the chaos—his identity still unknown.
Su Wanqing was rushed to the hospital. The bullet had grazed her fibula, fortunately missing the nerves, but she still needed to stay in bed for treatment. In the hospital room, Lu Chenzhou sat at her bedside, his elbow resting on his knee, his gaze calm but filled with anxiety.
"You knew it was a trap," Su Wanqing weakly spoke. "And still, you took me there."
Lu Chenzhou lowered his head. "You know I wouldn't let you go alone."
They fell silent for a moment, and then she quietly said, "We've been exposed."
"Yes," he clenched his fist. "Mirror knows who we are now. We're no longer just investigators—we've become their targets."
In the early hours of the next day, the police department received an anonymous letter. A photo was slid under the door of Su Wanqing's office.
The photo showed her and Lu Chenzhou standing by the hospital window. In the reflection of a building's rooftop mirror, the scene was clearly recorded.
The envelope contained only one sentence:
"You've only seen the beginning of the shadows."
Su Wanqing read the line softly and said, "They've declared war."
Lu Chenzhou's gaze was sharp as a blade. "Then let them know—we are not just shadows."