At 7:00 AM, an abrupt video shattered the calm of the city. Major news outlets, social media platforms, and even government websites were hijacked by an anonymously uploaded video—a dark electronic clock was counting down, starting from "08:00:00." Every hour, a set of blurry images flashed on the screen: hospitals, subway stations, malls, bridges—the city's busiest and most vulnerable locations.
The voiceover was deep and hoarse, altered: "You destroyed one hand of 'Mirror,' and now we will show you how the other hand can sever the heartbeat of the entire city."
This threat was no longer a personal assassination or conspiracy—it was an organized, planned, and large-scale terrorist attack.
The city police quickly established an "Emergency Response Command Group," with the chief overseeing operations, and the alert level was raised to the highest. Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing were summoned to the war room, where the video played in a loop on the big screen, the electronic countdown ticking every second toward an unknown endpoint.
"This doesn't feel like mere intimidation," Su Wanqing murmured. "They've lost patience with hiding and have started attacking directly."
"Or… they realize we're getting closer to their core, and they're taking desperate risks," Lu Chenzhou clenched his fists.
The technical team tracked the signal and discovered the video originated from several public hotspots scattered throughout the city. However, these hotspots had undergone extensive redirection and masking, making it impossible to pinpoint a specific location. The only clue was a familiar metallic structure that briefly appeared in the background—something resembling a handmade fixed bracket.
Su Wanqing reviewed the images repeatedly and suddenly her eyes lit up. "This metal welding technique… it's identical to what we saw in the subway bombing case."
She immediately pulled up the bomb fragments collected from the previous case and, through structural analysis and weld mark comparison, confirmed that the maker had used a unique custom welding method. The welds formed a cross-diagonal pattern, something only found in a few underground factories.
"Based on the materials from the previous cases, these custom bombs are likely from the 'Qingcheng Scrap Yard' old factory," Su Wanqing quickly pointed out.
The scrap yard had been inactive for many years, its walls crumbling and the interior complex—an ideal location for hiding and operation.
With no time to waste, Lu Chenzhou immediately led a team to the site. Meanwhile, bomb disposal teams were deployed across major transport hubs for a comprehensive search.
Upon arriving at the scrap yard, the air was thick with the smell of rusted metal and nauseating diesel fumes. Lu Chenzhou led the team in search operations and quickly found three high-performance bombs in an underground storage pit, each identical to those seen in the video, with a countdown showing "01:23:47."
"They didn't plan to hide... it's a provocation," Lu Chenzhou gritted his teeth.
Su Wanqing donned gloves and goggles, immediately joining the bomb disposal team. These bombs had a dual insurance mechanism, making traditional cutting techniques useless. Two remote control signals had to be shut down simultaneously, or triggering the internal detonation system would be inevitable, even if one fuse was disabled.
"There's another remote detonator hidden nearby," she deduced. "They're probably nearby, watching us."
As her words left her mouth, several gunshots rang from the rooftop, striking down SWAT team members. "Mirror" members who had been lying in wait instantly emerged from the metal roof, firing fiercely and interrupting the bomb disposal operation.
Lu Chenzhou drew his gun and retaliated, leading his team to storm the rooftop. Amid the gunfire, he spotted a familiar figure—wearing the coat left behind by Zhang Wei when he was captured, it was clear the "Mirror" organization was taunting them.
"The faster you are, the more accurately we will bomb!" The enemy leader sneered as he pressed a remote control, and a loud explosion echoed from the southeast of the city.
The communication channel crackled with a report: "An explosion occurred at the transportation hub in the southeastern district, casualties unknown!"
This attack tightened the chest of everyone present. The countdown continued ticking, and the enemy was simply warning them: they had bombs, and they had time.
"They don't just want to destroy the city—they want to drive us mad," Su Wanqing gritted her teeth.
At that moment, she suddenly realized something crucial—all the bomb fuses discovered had frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 2.6 GHz, a common household network signal band, but also a frequency range used by drones for remote control.
"They're using drones to relay signals—distributed remote control!" she exclaimed.
Lu Chenzhou immediately deployed countermeasures, and the technical team activated high-frequency jamming systems. Shielding waves were released throughout the city, gradually cutting off suspicious signal sources.
At the same time, reconnaissance drones discovered a disguised vehicle behind the factory, with a mobile remote control and signal amplification module mounted on the roof.
"Target locked! Codename 'Shadow Shuttle,' pursuit!"
The pursuit team quickly surrounded and initiated a street chase, eventually forcing the suspect's vehicle to stop on the outskirts of the city. Before the car caught fire, a decryption terminal was retrieved from beneath the driver's seat, containing the complete list of bomb placements and a new video scheduled for release.
"This is a prelude to their next wave of intimidation," Lu Chenzhou observed the new countdown on the screen, taking a deep breath.
But at this moment, they had finally seized control of the enemy's core command center. Three unexploded bombs were successfully defused, and the city's synchronized search-and-destroy system locked onto the remaining devices.
"This isn't the end, but at least now… we're no longer passive," Su Wanqing whispered.
In the distance, the first light of dawn began to break, while the city's heartbeat continued to pulse in the aftermath of the night.