Ch. 62: Infiltration
1:00 PM, December 24th, 1924, Black Army HQ
Gathered in the briefing room, the Zero Division, still somewhat exhausted from the previous night, waited patiently at the table as the grandfather clock in the corner of the room rang 1:00 PM. Kim Gu, carrying a rolled up piece of paper in his arm, entered the room and sat down at the end of the table.
"Alright. According to the report Kae provided me, it seems that last nights mission was an overall success." he announced. "Also glad to see you guys get out of there practically unscathed."
"Well I didn't. My arm is still stinging from the bullet that grazed me." Roh interrupted as he rolled up his sleeve and showed his bandaged arm.
Roh then suddenly felt stinging pain in his arm once more, forcing him to put pressure on it in order to reduce the pain to tolerable levels.
"Don't over exert yourself. You'll just make it worst." Kim Gu replied. "Anyway as I was saying, thanks to the information we managed to get from Zhao, we finally know where we can find Qian and potentially the evidence we need to clear Zero."
Kim Gu then unfolded a giant map of the city of Shanghai and placed it on the table for everyone in the room to see. A red dot marking the address Zhao gave could be seen on the map in a part of the city outside of both the International Settlement and the French Concession.
"According to the map, the address Zhao gave us leads to this giant estate." Seo said.
"Well that's not a surprise, seeing how he's a wealthy, powerful drug lord." Jeong replied.
"So Kim, how do you plan to get to Qian?" Kae asked.
"Because this does not require an infiltration mission, I plan to have you guys do a coordinated covert raid on the estate. This will allow us to quickly get in and out without giving Qian anytime to react. To further assist you, a platoon will be transferred to your command for this mission." Kim Gu explained.
"When do you plan to have this raid occur?" Park asked.
"Because of the commotion you guys created at the casino last night, there's no doubt that Qian has already heard of the news by now and has most likely increased his security. As a result, I believe we need to do more reconnaissance around the area and look for any more openings we can exploit." Kim Gu continued to explain. "Also accounting the time needed to gather the personnel and equipment, I would have to estimate that we will be prepared in about one week."
"So basically right around New Year's Eve." Kae added. "What a perfect way to celebrate the end of the new year."
"Indeed Ms. Kae." he replied back. "Hopefully we can celebrate the end of this year with finding the evidence we need to exonerate Zero."
"Kim Gu then gave different assignments and directions to each Zero Division member. Once they received their instructions, each member saluted back and exited the briefing room. Kim Gu then rolled the map on the table back up.
It was then that Kae, who had not exited the briefing room upon receiving her instructions, approached him.
"Excuse me, but as second-in-command of the Zero Division, I would like to ask about Zero's current condition." she asked.
"Zero is...doing fine." Kim Gu stammered. "As you already know, he mostly stays in his room and avoids contact in order to maintain as much deniability regarding the independent investigation along with avoiding giving members of the Provisional Government any ideas he is conspiring."
"Kim, I noticed you stammered when you answered me. Is there something wrong with Zero?"
"No. Of course not. I just met with him recently and I can tell you everything is fine with him." Kim Gu rapidly answered back. "Excuse me Kae, but I really need to go and prepare for this upcoming raid. I recommend you do the same too."
Kim Gu then quickly scurried off.
Because she could tell Kim Gu was not being fully truthful regarding Zero's current condition, she decided to ask Zero herself, despite the fact he kept himself isolated to minimize his interactions with Black Army members as much as possible. Climbing up the stairs to the second floor, she walked down the hallway towards his office and knocked on the door.
"Zero! It's me Kae!"
"Kae!? What are you doing here?" Zero answered from behind the door.
"I need to speak to you. I asked Kim Gu about your status and he said you were perfectly fine, but I could tell he wasn't being fully truthful when answering me. Therefore I need to know if you are truly ok."
"Kae, you know I can't answer that. Hell, I shouldn't be even talking to you. Me talking to you while I am suspended can be used as an excuse by the Provisional Government to accuse me of planning usurpation."
"Zero! I understand the ramifications of my actions and the last thing I want happening to you is to be punished for a crime you did not commit. However, as someone who has pledged to stand by your side and follow you no matter where you go, I must know the truth in order to fully assist clearing your name."
A few seconds of silence passed as Kae quietly waited in the hallway.
Zero, respecting Kae's devotion and loyalty to proving he was innocent, relented and allowed her to enter.
Kae entered the office and saw Zero, somewhat stressed, sitting at his desk while reviewing some paperwork and writing several notes.
"You look extremely stressed. What exactly are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm writing a rough draft of my resignation speech should the worst case scenario occur." he answered.
"What do you mean resignation speech? The Provisional Government hasn't even issued an official resolution on the matter yet, let alone put it up for a vote."
"That's where you're wrong Kae." Zero replied. "I've been told that in accordance with the Shanghai Agreement, enough members in the Provisional Government recently approved to put a resolution on how to deal with me in regards to the embezzlement charges up to a vote. Should enough members vote for it, then I will be practically disowned by the Provisional Government while control over all Black Army assets and forces will be transferred to the Provisional Government."
"They're already putting it up for a vote?" Kae asked with shock and disbelief. "When do they plan to vote?"
"Fortunately due to input from Kim Gu and his allies, the final resolution has been delayed and won't be put up for a vote until January 5th, 1925." Zero answered.
"January 5th? That's less than two weeks away. I'm surprised no else has mentioned this."
"That's because they haven't announced it yet. President Syngman Rhee plans to officially announce the decision tomorrow. Even though this information should be exclusive to members of the Provisional Government, Kim Gu nevertheless deemed the decision to be critical enough to alert me at the last minute."
"But that doesn't fully explain why Kim Gu wasn't being truthful about your current condition."
"I suspect he didn't tell you the truth was because he didn't want you, along with everyone else, to be distracted. He figured the last thing you guys need to have on your mind when preparing to go on a mission is worrying about me."
"Zero, as one of your closest and most loyal followers, I find it absurd to ask me to not worry about you. When you made me second-in-command of the Zero Division, I effectively sacrificed my well being in order to protect yours."
Zero then stood up from his chair, approached Kae, and placed both of his hands on her shoulders.
"You definitely are one of a kind Kae. There is no question that out of all the members of the Black Army, you and Kim Gu are the most loyal and devoted members. I respect that greatly. However it is your duty right to help clear my name. I therefore ask you from the depth of my heart to not let your emotions distract you from your mission."
Kae, who upon hearing Zero's heartfelt answer felt a small tear fall down her face, nodded her head approval.
"You have my word Zero. I fully devote myself to my mission, which is to prove your innocence and protect your leadership."
Kae then proceeded to salute Zero before exiting his office.
"Zero, for the past several years you have been a maker of miracles. The miracles you have created have helped countless people fight back those who thrive on oppressing the weak. Now it is our turn to make a miracle to help you. I swear that I will not rest until justice is properly served." she thought to herself as she walked down the hallway.
11:53 PM, December 31st, 1924, Shanghai
Situated amongst the multiple, tightly-packed buildings, Qian's estate consisted of a multi-storied Chinese-style mansion surrounded by wide turfs of grass. Several trees and shrubs dotted the lawn while a large fountain could be seen running in the center of the roundabout in front of the mansion. Behind the mansion was a pagoda overlooking an artificial pond.
Surrounding the entire perimeter of the estate was a tall wall made of stone. The wall only consisted of one entranceway, which was a giant iron gate in the front. Several guards were stationed at the front gate while numerous others patrolled the grounds.
In his office overlooking the roundabout, Qian, who had a lit cigar hanging in his mouth, was pacing back and forth, occasionally peeking out of the window.
"Sir, I suggest you sit and calm yourself down. Nobody except for a select few know you are here. Repairs are also already underway at the casino and I'm told we've bribed the authorities and press to keep quiet on last week's incident." said Qian's chief of security.
"Calm down? Did you just say calm down?!" Qian replied. "One of my largest and most protected centers of operation was attacked by a group of spies. How the hell do you expect me to keep calm after that?!"
Qian, who's cigar left a trail of smoke behind him, walked back to his desk and picked up a ledger.
"Also that little incident last week at the casino screwed up our entire opium distribution network. As a result our overall profits have sunk to abysmal levels."
"My apologies sir. Me and my men will ensure such an incident will never occur again. I've already increased the number of security personnel guarding the estate and all other centers of operations." the chief replied.
"It better not happen again. Because if it does, I assure you these troublemaking spies aren't going to be the only ones who will face my wrath." Qian said as he pulled out his gun and placed it on his desk.
The chief immediately took a gulp as he saw Qian placed the gun on his desk.
"Speaking of those spies that attacked us, have we gotten any closer on finding out who they work for and where they are?"
"Our entire intelligence team is currently working on that as we speak." the chief answered. "So far no traces of them or who they are connected with have been found."
"What do you mean by no traces?!" Qian roared.
"Well as you know, the reason we brought them and captured them was to find out who their backers were. Of course with them escaping, we were unable to find that out. As a result we've had to start from scratch and painstakingly comb every gang, drug dealer, and police authority operating in the city for any evidence showing a connection with a group called the "Samjok-o"."
"Well tell them then to triple, no quadruple their efforts! I want to find these spies and their backers so l can kill them in the most painful and gruesome manner imaginable."
Qian then took the cigar out of his mouth and placed it in a glass ashtray on his desk. He then walked over to the box of cigars sitting on a nearby table. Taking one of the cigars and the cutting one end of it with a cigar cutter, he placed it in his mouth and proceeded to light it. More puffs of thick, white smoke filled the room as a result.
"What about Zhao? He was in charge of capturing and interrogating these infiltrators. Have we heard anything from him yet?"
"Sadly Zhao is still undergoing medical treatment and is still too weak to talk. As you already heard he was found shot in the arm. Man lost so much blood that it was a miracle that the doctors were able to save his life." the chief answered.
"Well when he can talk, I want to talk with him as soon as possible."
"Any particular reason sir?"
"Because according to the report I received from the security at the casino, Zhao was found wounded in his office, which is where it was determined that the infiltrators made their escape from since guards witnessed them going up there. Therefore it is clear that their target was Zhao. And since he was found wounded and not dead, we can assume that these guys wanted Zhao for information he knew."
"Information he knew? I wonder what that could be?" the chief curiously asked.
"That's what is bothering me the most. Zhao knows a lot of vital, important information regarding our distribution networks, connections, and financial possessions. If any competing dealer or gang in this city got possession of such information, our entire operation could be put at risk." Qian answered as he paced back and forth.
While Qian and the chief continued to talk, a pickup truck carrying multiple boxes driving by slowed down and parked itself across the street from the front gate to Qian's estate. The casually-dressed driver inside exited the truck and pulled out his watch which read 11:57 PM.
"Three minutes." he whispered to himself as he put his watch back into his pocket and walked towards the back of the pickup truck where several boxes labeled "fireworks" and "firecrackers" could be seen. Though the boxes in the back of the pickup truck were of various sizes, all of them had a small wire sticking out that led to a mechanical clock connected to a battery circuit switch. He driver set the clock for three minutes before walking away.
Meanwhile near the artificial pond, a guard patrolling the area heard a "CLINK!" sound followed by the sound of footsteps. He quickly turned around and scanned the darkness with the flashlight he was carrying.
"Who the hell is there?" the guard asked as he continued to scan the area. Except for the occasional gust of wind, everything was silent
Suddenly a giant "THUD!" sound could be heard and felt. The guard, now really concerned, pulled out his gun and ran in the general direction the sound came from. After running for a few seconds, he stumbled upon the wall, causing him to stop in his tracks.
The guard shined the flashlight all over the area, hoping to find any clues that could tell him what he had just heard. When he shined the flashlight upwards, it was then he saw what appeared to be a grappling hook caught on the top edge of the wall.
"What the hell..." the guard muttered before being knocked unconscious by an individual hiding in the shadows.
Stepping out of the shadows, Kae picked up the flashlight the guard was carrying and proceeded to turn it off.
"Ok guys. It's all clear." she whispered over the wall.
"CLINK! CLINK! CLINK" could be heard as more grappling hooks flew up into the air and grabbed onto the top edge of the wall. On the other side of the wall, Park and five other Zero Division soldiers, each carrying a small bag, climbed up the wall and dropped onto the ground. The ground shook slightly as each individual hit the soft, earthen grass.
"Ok is everyone here?" Kae quietly asked.
"Yeah." everyone whispered in response.
They then opened each of the bags they were carrying and pulled out several pistols, submachine guns, grenades, and spare rounds of ammo. They also put on some body armor Ronan and the R&D Department recently designed. Once all the weapons were distributed amongst each of the Zero Division members, Kae signaled the others to follow her.
Kae and the Zero Division swiftly and quietly moved across the grass lawn towards Qian's mansion. Hearing a faint sound of people talking, Kae immediately signaled the others to hide behind some nearby shrubs.
"Hand me the binoculars Park." Kae asked.
Park opened the bag he was carrying once more and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Kae took the binoculars and proceeded to scan the area in front of her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Guards, at least half a dozen of them. Each one seems to be heavily armed with submachine guns." she answered as she passed the binoculars to one of the Zero Division soldiers.
"That's a lot of heavily armed guards to have to just secure one area of your house. There's no doubt the recent infiltration you guys did definitely made Qian extremely paranoid." the soldier said.
"So are we going to ambush them head on or covertly attack them?" asked the second soldier.
"Negative. According to Kim Gu's plan, our team, along with Jeong and Seo's team on the other side of the estate, are not to proceed forward until 12:00 AM when the signal is given." Kae explained.
"Guess Kim really want to start the new year with a bang." the third soldier commented.
"Just remember, the mission is to find Qian and retrieve the evidence that can clear Zero's name." Park reiterated.
Meanwhile Kae pulled out her pocket watch, which read 11:59, and stoically stared at it as she waited for the minute hand to point towards 12.
As a bell in the distance could be heard ringing to signal the start of the new year, the minute hand of the mechanical clock located in the box on the pickup truck pointed to the 12. With the clock reading 12:00, the ringing mechanism inside started to activate. This triggered another mechanism that flipped the switch connected to the battery circuit.
"BOOM! BANG! BANG! BOOM!" echoed throughout the area as each of the boxes exploded. Fireworks could be seen shooting out in all directions before exploding into a variety of colors while the firecrackers emitted a mixture of crackling and popping sounds. Windows of nearby buildings were shattered as the fireworks flew into them. The road also became scorched as it came into contact with sparks from the fireworks that failed to shoot and simply span in circles on the ground.
All the guards at the front gate leading into Qian's estate immediately took cover upon hearing and seeing the explosion. They then pulled out their guns and aimed them at the vehicle as they formed a defensive line outside of the front gate. Unable to approach the now burning truck because of all the fireworks whizzing through the air, the guards were forced to keep their distance and wait until the fireworks settled.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" a guard patrolling the grounds asked as the sound of lit fireworks and firecrackers echoed through the air.
"Sounded like an explosion followed what appears to be gunfire." a second guard noted.
"GUNFIRE? ARE WE BEING ATTACKED?!" a third guard patrolling nearby asked.
"I don't know. Only one way to find out." a fourth guard replied.
The four guards, along with several other guards patrolling the immediate area, could be seen rushing to the front gate to see what exactly was going on.
Once they were gone, Kae and her team of Zero Division soldiers stepped out from the shrubs they were hiding behind.
"That explosion must've been the signal Kim Gu was talking about before." said Kae. "Everyone, follow my lead."
Kae, Park, and the other Zero Division soldiers in her team continued running towards Qian's mansion. Confirming no guards were patrolling the immediate area, Kae peeked through one of the large windows on the side of the mansion. Inside she could see a giant marble foyer consisting of a dual staircase along with a crystal chandelier, a large ottoman rug, and numerous statues and porcelain vases. Several guards inside could also be seen scrambling all over the place.
Realizing it was the perfect time to break in, Kae grabbed one of the grenades she was carrying, pulled the pin out, and placed it next to the window.
"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" she yelled as she ran away from the window.
The rest of her team immediately reacted by stepping back slightly and crouching on the ground.
"SO WHAT THE HELL CAUSED THOSE EXPLOSIONS?!" Qian yelled as he exited his office and walked down a hallway.
"We're still trying to find out sir." the chief of security reported as he hung up the phone he was using and rushed toward Qian's side.
"WELL TRY HARDER! I HIGHLY DOUBT THIS WAS SOME SPONTANEOUS ACCIDENT!"
"Then what do you think it is sir?"
"ARE YOU REALLY ASKING ME THAT?!" Qian roared. "WHO DO YOU THINK? THE SAME PEOPLE WHO SENT THOSE SPIES TO THE CASINO THE OTHER NIGHT YOU MORON!"
"Impossible, they would have to know you lived here, which is a tightly guarded secret." the chief replied as a few guards scurried passed him. "Unless..."
"That bastard Zhao told them the other night!" Qian added. "That must've been their goal the entire time. When i get my hands on him he's going to wish he was a dead man and...!"
"BANG! BOOM! BOOM! BANG!" could be heard outside as the sound vibrated throughout the entire mansion.
"Sir! This place is not safe! I urge you to get out of here immediately!" said the chief.
Qian, still fuming with anger and frustration, nodded his head while the vibration of another explosion could be felt. He, followed by the chief, continued to walk down the hallway towards the main stairs.
"I assume everything has been prepared for my emergency departure?" he asked.
"Your private armored car has been taken out and fully prepared sir. Emergency hideout has also been alerted of the current situation and is expecting you." reported the chief.
The two men then reached the top of the stairs that led to the foyer below. They were then approached by three heavily armed guards.
"Sir, the Chief already alerted us of the current situation. Everything is ready to go. Me and my men here will escort you to safety." one of the guards said as he saluted Qian.
"You better." Qian angrily grumbled as he followed the three guards down the stairs.
As they were walking, a deafening explosion occurred at one of the foyer windows. Pieces of the window was blown all over the place as the three guards immediately stopped where they were and raised their weapons.
"Sir stay back!" the guard told Qian.
Suddenly a lit smoke bomb could be seen flying through the opening where the window was and landing in the middle of the foyer. The room immediately started to quickly fill with thick, gray smoke.
"What are you waiting for? Go in the smoke and find out what's there" Qian pestered the guards.
"Sir, with all due respect, that smoke is extremely thick, meaning our visibility will be hindered and..." one of the three guards tried to explain.
"DID I ASK YOU FOR A REASON!" Qian roared. "DO YOUR JOB AND GET YOUR ASS DOWN THERE!"
"But sir, we'll be practically blind, meaning..." the guard replied before he found himself staring at Qian aiming his gun at him.
"IF YOU CAN'T FOLLOW SIMPLE ORDERS, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD!" Qian yelled back as he continued to aim the gun at the guard's head.
Not wanting to face Qian's wrath and be shot, the guard relented and told the other two guards to follow him into the smoke. While Qian waited safely on the staircase, the three guards slowly approached the thick smoke and entered it. With the smoke all around them, resulting in limited visibility, the guards kept an eye out for any sounds or movements.
The sound of footsteps could suddenly be heard coming towards them from different directions. The three guards aimed their guns as the sound of the footsteps grew louder by the second. It was then several shadowy figures appeared out of the smoke and quickly approached the three guards.
"WHAT THE HELL!" yelled one of the guards as he prepared to pull the trigger.
Meanwhile Qian and his chief of security, still standing on the stairs, continued to patiently for the guards he sent in to come back to report what they had found.
"Sir, perhaps we should leave the area and find somewhere safer to be for the time being?" the chief asked.
"The safest place I can be right now is in my armored car and getting as far as I can away from here for the time being." Qian replied. "Besides, it won't be a matter of time until the guards we sent in ensure our pathway is cleared of any hindrances."
Suddenly Qian and his chief were surprised by the sound of several people being punched and beaten up followed by those of several gunshots and moans of pain.
"What the hell was that?" Qian asked.
"Sounded like it come from inside the smoke." the chief pointed out.
It was then one of the three guards slowly walked out of the smoke with a semi-lifeless look on his bloodied and bruised face.
"So, what the hell did you find in there?" Qian yelled from where he was standing.
The guard did not acknowledge Qian at all and continued to slowly walk forward in silence.
"HEY YOU DOWN THERE! ARE YOU DEAF?! ANSWER ME!" Qian continued to yell.
The guard then stopped moving and stumbled onto his knees. A loud "THUD!" could be heard as he fell forward onto the ground face first. Upon falling down, a knife could be seen protruding from the back of his neck.
"WHAT THE..." Qian stammered as he leaned forward to get a closer look.
"SIR STAY BACK!" the chief screamed as he pushed Qian away and pulled out his pistol. "
He then slowly descended down the stairs towards the guard's lifeless body while Qian climbed higher on the stairs in order to keep a distance. When the chief got close enough to the body, he immediately aimed his pistol into the smoke. He then shot several rounds into the smoke in order to see if anyone was there.
"DINK! DANK! DINK! DONK!" could be heard as the sound of bullets ricocheting off metal echoed throughout the room. Baffled by the sound, the chief stepped over the dead guard's body and stepped into the cloud of smoke. While initially he was unable to see anything due to the thickness of the smoke, the smoke started to dissipate resulting in increased visibility.
As the smoke cleared, the chief could see two more bodies lying on the floor. One of the bodies was rocking and moaning while the other one was motionless. Once enough smoke was cleared, he could immediately determine that those were the bodies of the other two guards sent in before. The guard who was moaning was pressing his hand on a bullet wound in his leg, which was soaked with so much blood that it started to form a pool of red beneath him.
Then out of the corner of his eye, the guard saw a dark figure wearing a gas mask and wielding a dagger charge at him. The chief slightly turned to face the figure and frantically fired numerous rounds at him until he ran out of bullets. Some of the bullets missed while others that managed to directly hit the figure in the chest simply ricocheted off into a random direction.
"How is he still alive?" the chief, now somewhat worried, asked himself as the figure brandishing the dagger got closer.
Just as the figure lunged the dagger at him, the chief quickly took evasive action by leaning backwards slightly. This caused the dagger to barely miss hitting him, giving him the opportunity to disarm his attacker. The chief kicked his attacker's hands, causing him to drop the dagger. He then used this opening as an opportunity to punch his attacker in the chest.
Upon punching his attacker in the chest, a loud gong-like sound rang through the air as the hand the chief used to punch made impact with the metal body armor.
"YEEEOOOWWW!" the chief yelled as he covered his now broken and swollen hand.
While he was writhing in absolute pain, he could see another figure wearing a gas mask, seemingly out of nowhere, popping out of a cloud of smoke and charging towards him from a different direction. Unable to defend himself or fight back due to the injury he just sustained, the second figure approached him and punched him in the jaw with all of his strength.
A loud cracking sound could be heard as the chief's jaw became fractured and dislocated due to the figure's fist digging into his face. The chief immediately lost consciousness and fell down like a rag doll.
Qian, who was waiting for his chief of security on top of the stairs, started to become even more concerned when the chief failed to return after a minute. As the smoke started to clear up, he could see four figures wearing gas masks stepping out from the smoke and three more stepping through the opening where the window used to be. Because all his guards and his chief of security failed to return, Qian concluded that these mysterious figures took them out. As a result, he immediately ran up the stairs to the second floor.
"Hey it's Qian!" yelled one of the gas mask wearing figures as he pulled out his submachine gun and fired several rounds.
"DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" the submachine gun hummed as Qian began running for his life. Qian managed to reach the second floor and turn down one of the hallways as the stream of bullets missed him and created numerous holes in the rear wall instead.
Because most of the smoke had dissipated, the first figure removed their gas mask. Upon taking it off, Kae let her hair down and approached the figure shooting the submachine gun.
"YOU FOOL! DON'T SHOOT HIM!" Kae commanded. "WE NEED HIM ALIVE!"
The figure wielding the submachine gun immediately stopped shooting and lowered his arms.
Afterwards the six other figures removed their gas masks. Because they were partially exhausted and the masks were hot, Park, along with the other five Zero Division soldiers, shook the sweat out of their hair once they took off their gas masks.
"Alright, where did he go?" Park asked.
"He just ran down one of the hallways on the second floor!" one of the Zero Division soldiers answered as he pointed upwards.
"Everyone follow me!" ordered Kae.
With their guns raised, she, Park, and the other Zero Division soldiers charged up the stairs and down the second floor hallway.
"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" Qian thought to himself as he turned down an adjacent hallway. "This mansion is supposed to be a fortress that was impenetrable to any rival gang or the police. Only an expertly trained army of some sort would be able to penetrate the security defenses."
He the continued running down the hallway, which was lined with many large windows on one side and numerous porcelain vases, paintings, tables, and jade statues on the other.
"Have to find a way to get down to the car so I can get out of here. One of the windows up ahead is next to a drainage pipe I believe. Perhaps I could use that to safely slide down to ground level and reach the car."
Qian's thought process was then suddenly interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. Time for a moment slowed down for him as he turned his head and saw a masked figure dressed in black swinging from a rope and crashing through one of the windows next to him.
Tiny shards of glass from the window being shattered flew pass Qian, causing small cuts to appear on parts of his face. He then felt a surge of pain in his stomach as the feet of the figure crashing through the window dug into his abdomen. The force from being kicked in the stomach caused Qian to loose his balance and fly into one of the porcelain vases, which proceeded to fall onto the floor and shatter into many pieces.
The masked figure that crashed through the window proceeded to then hoist himself up and unhooked the rope he was attached to. Suddenly, one window after another shattered as several more masked figures dressed in black crashed through each one and swung onto the floor of the second floor hallway.
While the figures that crashed through the windows gathered around Qian's bruised, bloodied, semi-conscious body, Kae and her team of Zero Division soldiers turned the corner. Upon seeing the masked figures, she along with the other Zero Division members following her, aimed their guns.
"Hey you!" she yelled from across the hallway.
"WAIT DON'T SHOOT!" one of the masked figures yelled back as he raised his hands. "IT'S ME JEONG!"
Jeong then took off his mask to show Kae it was indeed him. Seo and the other Zero Division members in Jeong's team followed suit by removing their masks too. Once she was sure it was them, Kae and her team lowered their guns and approached Qian, who was still dizzy and in pain from the kick he suffered before.
"Nice to see you guys got in without any difficulty." said Kae.
"Well those pneumatic grappling hook launchers Ronan developed made it much easier for the hooks to reach to top of the mansion." Jeong replied. "We definitely timed our entrance perfectly seeing how we managed to catch him as he was running in front of us."
"Errgh! Oooh! Damn that hurts!" Qian grunted as he tried to raise himself off the floor, which was covered in shards of glass and porcelain. "What the hell was that?"
Once his vision started to clear and he saw the Zero Division in front of him, Qian regained full conscious immediately and pulled out his pistol.
"If you want to survive and not suffer any more pain, I suggest that you drop the gun." Kae said as she and several other Zero Division soldiers aimed their guns directly at Qian.
Realizing he was at an absolute disadvantage and firing back would be futile, Qian dropped his gun.
"Who...who..who the hell are you guys?" he asked as he started to slightly tremble in fear.
Kae then ordered Seo and Jeong to grab Qian by both arms and lifted his hefty body off the floor.
"Mr. Qian, I have a question for you." Kae asked. "Does an organization called the Black Army ring any bells?"
"The Black Army? Never head of them." Qian answered.
Not believing him for even a millisecond, Kae jabbed her knee into Qian's crotch, causing him to scream and moan in agony.
"Did that jog your memory?"
"Ok, ok, I have read about them in some newspapers and from people on the street. But honestly, that's all I know about them."
Still not believing Qian, Kae once again jabbed her knee into his crotch, causing his whole entire body to feel unbearable pain once more.
"ALRIGHT! I AM 100% FAMILIAR WITH THE BLACK ARMY DUE TO THEIR INTERFERENCE IN THE SYNDICATE'S SMUGGLING ROUTES AND DISTRIBUTORS!" Qian confessed at the top of his lungs.
"And what about their financial records? We received word that the Syndicate was responsible for replacing them with forgeries in order to frame it's leader Zero of embezzlement." Kae asked.
"Wait. Who exactly are you guys? Why the hell would you care about..." Qian responded.
"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION NOW OR I SWEAR I WILL BREAK YOUR RIBS ONE AT A TIME!" Kae yelled back as she prepared to lunge her fist into Qian's chest.
"ALRIGHT!" Qian yelled. "You're correct. I did order my men to forge Black Army financial records and replace the real ones with them. The raids launched by Zero and his gang were costing us a fortune. We naturally had to to get rid of him in order to protect our revenue and distribution. However, I wasn't the one who came up with the idea."
"What do you mean when you say it wasn't your idea? Didn't you just say you wanted to get rid of Zero?" Kae asked.
"I did. However, I wasn't the one who thought to get rid of Zero by framing of embezzlement through the use of fake financial records. It was my associate's idea. He wanted to get rid of Zero as much as I did and pitched the idea to me about two months ago. At first I was somewhat skeptical, but when he paid me 25,000 yuan, I changed my mind and decided to follow his plan. You have to believe me."
"Tell us more about this associate of yours! What's his name? Who do they work for?"
"I don't know who exactly he his since I communicate with him indirectly through one of his handlers. What I do know is that he has access to a distribution network that is practically safe and not known by any rival gangs or the police. In exchange, all I had to do was pay him a cut of the overall profits."
"If everything you say is truthful, then you must have records showing such communication did occur. Right?"
Qian nodded his head slightly in response.
"Then where can we find them?"
"Wait a minute, why am I telling you all this stuff? I don't have to answer to a bunch of thugs who decide to..." Qian angrily spouted.
It was then Kae, really growing tired of his resistance, sucker punched Qian in the cheek with so much might that it caused him to spit out a bloodied tooth.
"I'm sorry I couldn't hear your answer. Where are the records?" Kae sarcastically asked.
"They're...they're...in the v-v-vault...in my o-o-office." Qian muttered as blood dripped out of his mouth.
Kae then ordered two of the Black Army soldiers to bind Qian's hands behind his back and leash him with some rope. Once he was tied up, she then ordered Qian to lead them to his office. Too exhausted to resist and not wanting to be in anymore agonizing pain, Qian told them where his office could be located.
With Qian still in their custody, Kae and the other Black Army soldiers entered Qian's office.
"Alright, where's the vault?"
"T-t-t-turn the h-h-h-head of the Buddha Statue."
Kae approached the large golden Buddha Statue sitting on top of a platform right next to a large display case filled with antique Chinese swords, daggers, and muskets. Upon slightly turning the head of the statue, the sound of gears and levers moving followed by a loud "CLICK" sound could be heard.
Because the clicking sound came from behind the display case, Kae investigated it. As she grabbed it, she could feel that the entire display case was loose. She then pulled on it slightly, which caused the entire display case to swing open and reveal a giant metal vault door behind it.
Needing the combination, Kae went back to Qian and asked him for it.
"54 right 3 times...12 left 2 times...77 right 1 time." he instantly answered.
She then went back to the safe and input the combination on the vault door's dial. Once she turned the dial to the right, passed the zero once, and left it on 77, she turned the wheel. The sound of tumblers moving could be heard, indicating the vault door was unlocked.
Using all her strength, she opened the large metal vault door, revealing several shelves full of books, money, and jewelry along with numerous drawers. Calling over Jeong and Seo to assist her, Kae scavenged through all the books and drawers in hope of finding the records she was looking for.
Upon opening one drawer and skimming through its contents, Jeong noticed a telegram that mentioned the Black Army sticking out of one of the record books.
"Kae, I think I found the records!" he yelled as he took out the record book.
Putting down the papers she was looking at, Kae grabbed the record book and looked at it herself. Flipping the pages, she could see more notes that talked about Black Army and the numerous raids on the Syndicate's distribution and trade networks. There was also a bank receipt showing 25,000 yuan being deposited into one of Qian's bank accounts.
"Alright guys, it looks like we found what we came for." announced Kae. "However, just to be sure we didn't miss anything, I suggest looking some more just in case these aren't the only records."
"Uh Kae, I don't think we're going to have enough time for that!" one of the Zero Division looking out of the window yelled.
"Why? What's going on!?" she asked.
"Because it looks like the fireworks we set off before just died out and numerous soldiers are coming back!"
"Wait what?" Kae said as she exited the vault and looked out the window.
In the distance she could see the flashes of the fireworks die out as all the guards they saw leave their posts earlier to investigate the situation starting to come back.
"Damn it! Our mission must've taken longer than I expected." Kae muttered to herself.
"What do we now? You can't expect us to fight through all those guards with the equipment we have remaining. We'll be annihilated." said one of the other Zero Division soldiers.
Kae then took a moment to come up with an escape plan.
"Hey, do we still have those sticks of dynamite?" Kae asked the Zero Division.
"Yeah we still do!" answered Seo as he looked in the bag he was carrying.
"Ok listen carefully! Seo, gather all the other documents and books that were in the drawer that contained the records. Park and Jeong, I want you both to keep an eye out on Qian and make sure he doesn't get killed. As for everyone else, form a defense perimeter around us!" Kae ordered.
"SIR!" everyone saluted before carrying out their orders.
Once Seo gathered everything and everyone made sure their guns were fully loaded, Kae led them out of the office and into the hallway. The Zero Division, along with Qian, who was still bound to the leash held by both Park and Jeong, stealthily ran down the hallway and towards the stairs.
As they ran down the stairs, the front doors bursted open, revealing half a dozen guards that had returned from investigating the fireworks out in the street.
"Hey what the...!" one of the guards yelled out.
"WHY ARE YOU HESITATING? SHOOT THESE BASTARDS NOW AND GET ME..." Qian yelled before he was muted by the sound of the Zero Division firing their pistols and submachine guns into the guards.
"BANG! BANG! DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH! DERRRR-DERRRR-DERRR!" was all you could hear all the guards that appeared in the front door fell down. Within a few seconds, all that was left were six corpses full of bullet holes along with the walls and floors being stained with blood.
"Alright, continue moving out!" Kae yelled.
The Zero Division and Qian then reached the bottom of the stairs. They then headed towards one of the doors that lead to the backyard. As they exited the foyer, several more guards brandishing submachine guns appeared at the front entrance. One of the Zero Division soldiers at the rear noticed the guards at the last minute and unleashed a barrage of bullets on them.
While some of shots were direct hits, others ricocheted off nearby objects, allowing some of the guards to take cover. The guards then returned fire. The Zero Division soldier then immediately tried to retreat and join the others. However, a couple of stray bullets managed to hit him in the back of the head.
"UUUGGGHHHH!" the soldier moaned as his body fell down to the ground.
Turning around and seeing his comrade lie in a pool of his own blood, one of the other Zero Division soldiers separated himself from the crowd so he could check to see how hurt the soldier lying on the ground was. After firing several rounds in order to keep the pursuant guards at bay, the soldier approached the body and checked it.
"DAMN IT!" he grunted to himself with frustration as he confirmed the soldier lying on the ground was dead.
He then yanked the soldier's dog tag off before unleashing another barrage of bullets. Once it was clear, the soldier ran back to the Kae and the others, who were at the backdoor entrance.
"Where were you? What just happened?" Kae asked as she saw the soldier run towards her.
"We suffered a casualty. Looked like he took a direct shot to the back of the head. I confirmed he was dead." the soldier answered.
"I was hoping this mission would be carried out without any casualties." Kae said to herself in frustration. "Nevertheless, the loss of one of our comrades should not deter or hinder us from completing our mission."
All the other Zero Division soldiers nodded their heads in approval and resumed with the mission at hand.
Kae then unlocked the backdoor and led the Zero Division outside. As they stepped onto the patio, a couple of guards could be seen coming from around the corner. Without any hesitation, Kae raised her pistol and shot them. One of the guards fell down dead while the other retreated due to being shot in the arm.
"C'mon, we're almost there!" Kae said.
The Zero Division proceeded to run across the patio and the grass the covered much of the property. As they continued to run, more guards suddenly appeared and began shooting back at them. Bullets whizzed past the Zero Division as they narrowly avoided being hit. Several Zero Division soldiers took a moment to turn around and shot back.
The guards in the distance immediately fell down dead or fled the scene as the stream of bullets sprayed in their general direction. The Zero Division soldiers then returned to following Kae and the others.
Once they reached one of the walls surrounding the entire perimeter, Kae ordered some of the soldiers to take and prepare the dynamite.
"So according to the map, there is an alleyway behind this wall?" Kae asked.
"That is correct!" one of the soldiers said after quickly reviewing a map he pulled out.
Kae then ordered Seo to take out some sticks of dynamite out of the bags he was carrying. He was then instructed to place the dynamite at the base of the wall.
While he was setting it up, Kae could see several more guards in the distance approaching them.
"Enemy at 12 o'clock!" she yelled.
Three Zero Division soldiers aimed their submachine guns in response and shot back. A repetitive hum filled the air as the submachine guns fired away. The guards approaching them found themselves being pelted with bullets, forcing them to either retreat or take cover.
"Just keep them at bay for a minute!" Kae yelled to the soldiers shooting.
As several stray bullets missed her and blasted holes in the nearby stone wall, Kae quickly returned to Seo, who was still setting up the dynamite and the detonation wires.
"Are you almost done?" she asked.
"Give me a minute at max!" he replied. "I just have to connect the wires to the blasting machine!"
Kae then looked back and saw more guards in the distance arrive on the scene to reinforce the guards already there.
"Try to get it done within the next 15 seconds!"
Seo nodded his head and continued setting up the dynamite while Kae pulled out her pistol and fired several rounds at the guards.
Meanwhile, the three Zero Division soldiers continued firing their barrage of bullets. Suddenly one of the submachine guns stopped shooting bullets.
"DAMN IT! OF ALL THE TIME TO RUN OUT OF AMMO!" the soldier frustratingly yelled.
It was then another submachine gun ceased it's barrage of bullets.
"OUT OF AMMO OVER HERE TOO!" the second soldier replied.
"THERE SHOULD BE SOME EXTRA AMMO IN ONE OF THE BAGS WE BROUGHT!" the third solider yelled as he continued firing.
The two soldiers approached one of the bags lying on the ground and looked for extra ammo. While they were looking, one of the guards felt a multiple bullets ricocheting off his body armor. However, after being hit numerous times in that area before, one of the bullets punctured the armor plating and dug itself into the soldier's upper back.
"URRRGHHH!" the soldier yelled as he bent over in pain and agony.
"What happened?" the other soldier asked.
"Bullet managed to hit me...in the...back!" the soldier who was shot explained.
The other soldier immediately stopped looking for ammo in order to help his comrade up.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
"I should have no problem walking for the time being. But this pain is making me weaker by the second." the wounded soldier replied.
The soldier helped his wounded comrade walk towards the main group.
"Kae! We've suffered another casualty! He's alive, but he will need medical attention as soon as possible!" the soldier explained.
With ammo starting to run low and the increasing number of guards attacking them, Kae knew that they had very little time to keep them at a distance.
"SEO! THE DYNAMITE?!"
"DONE!" he answered as he twisted a screw and secured the last wire to the terminal of the blasting machine.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE STAND BACK!" Kae yelled to everyone.
All the Zero Division soldiers and Qian moved back from the wall while the one firing at the guards retreated to join the others. When they were all at a safe distance, all of them took cover and plugged their fingers into their ears.
"3...2...1...!" he counted down before turning the metal handle.
A deafening "KABOOM!" bellowed through the air as large chunks of the stone wall were scattered all over the place. A large cloud of debris also covered the area while some of the guards pursuing them were knocked off balance due to the force of the explosion.
When the Zero Division looked up, all they could see was a giant opening in the stone wall.
"This is our chance! Follow me!" Kae yelled to the others as she got up from the ground and ran through the opening.
The other Zero Division soldiers, along with Qian, slowly got up and followed her through the opening. Once they stepped over the rubble that covered the opening, Kae and the others found themselves in long alleyway.
With the records and Qian now in their possession, the Zero Division proceeded to make their escape through the alleyway and heard towards one of the multiple emergency rendezvous points they set up earlier.
Author's Note: With Qian and his financial records now in their hands, the Black Army now has the evidence to prove that Zero was being framed for embezzlement by the Syndicate before the Provisional Government can vote on a resolution to kick him out and essentially take over the Black Army. The only question now is who paid Qian and the Syndicate to assist in getting rid of Zero. Based on the amount of effort put into the plan and the amount of money Qian was paid, one can only guess it's someone who heavily despises Zero and has a decent amount of money and power.
The truth behind this plot against Zero will ultimately be revealed next chapter, therefore finally concluding the "Embezzlement Arc".