Volume I, Military Prisons Chapter 3: For Your Country
By Xiao Xiang Dong'Er Translated and Arranged by Angel Chua
Edited by Angel Chua 01 June 2019
Everything turned out to be easy after Chu Qiao cracked the password lock and the fingerprint reader. She gently turned the door handle sideways and slipped inside. Although it was late at night, the corridor was brightly lit, and there were still many people walking back and forth. Chu Qiao moved freely, heading toward the corridor designated for foreign guests. As she swiftly paced to the fourth prison office, she bumped into a staff member and nodded in acknowledgment of their greeting. Although the staff did not know her, she appeared calm, dressed in a uniform, and even the guards passed her without recognizing her. Who would have thought she was a prisoner?
Five minutes later, Chu Qiao left the office. The military officers' staff lounge came into view, and the air carried the scent of wine. Chu Qiao knew she was in the right place.
Near the bedroom, sensing movement, Chu Qiao reacted swiftly and muttered to herself, "I've got company." A smart-looking man with tattoos on his body stood near the door. Her slender palm quickly reached for the HK pistol strapped to her waist.
A man in a short black suit seemed alert. He noticed the movement in the corridor, but his reaction was slow. Chu Qiao watched him closely. She raised her silenced pistol, and with precision, the bullet shot out of the muzzle, hitting him squarely in the heart, creating a large, bloody hole. His pupils widened in shock as Chu Qiao covered his mouth until his pulse stopped. Then, she released him and continued walking quickly.
Before leaving the room, Chu Qiao observed the surroundings. Despite the boldness of her actions, there were others in the room, none older than sixteen, apart from the man she had killed. The rest were fast asleep, unaware of the looming danger. They were insiders with forged legal statuses, equipped with high-level weapons. These people likely never dreamed someone would be audacious enough to break into their room, and their deaths were only moments away.
Against her enemies, Chu Qiao had always lacked compassion. Though she was usually engaged in behind-the-scenes planning, this did not mean she lacked the courage to pull the trigger. With her HK pistol firmly in hand, her eyes narrowed, revealing a trace of cold-bloodedness. She aimed at the bed where a middle-aged man slept. A muffled puff sounded, and the man's body jolted as a bullet pierced his forehead, splattering white and red matter across the room.
Without lingering, Chu Qiao quickly moved on. She counted ten seconds before confirming no one in the room was still alive.
When she opened the inner door, five men lay sleeping on their beds. Without hesitation, she executed her plan. Five gunshots rang out, their muffled sound followed by the gurgling of blood. The air was thick with the sickening smell of blood.
Chu Qiao searched the belongings of the dead men and found a small DV. Standing amidst the corpses, she turned it on and watched. After confirming the contents, she pocketed the DV and retrieved the super C4 blasting expert kit from one of the bags. Activating the boot device, she watched as the red cursor on the black box began to flash rapidly.
After one final look at the room of the dead, Chu Qiao confirmed everything was in place, opened the door, and walked out. But just as she was leaving, a sharp force suddenly wrapped around her neck and dragged her back!
Chu Qiao fell, quickly rolling to evade her assailant's bullet. Hanmang's flash fired without stopping. Chu Qiao kicked a door, sealing herself inside. Kneeling on the ground, she listened intently, her breathing low. She knew she had been exposed.
Her muscles tensed as she slowed her breathing, eyes locked on the door across from her. Chu Qiao was not Agent 003 or a super-action Agent 009. She specialized in explosives, planning, and utilizing favorable environments and limited resources to maximize her gains. She understood that engaging in direct combat was irrational in this situation.
Her eyes aimed at the unfortunate man who still lay asleep, unaware of death looming over him.
Bang! The door was kicked open. Chu Qiao stood confidently in front of two men outside the room.
They were surprised to see her emerge on her own, their faces showing brief shock.
Two sharp cracks rang out. Chu Qiao, her HK still in hand, assumed a Tai Chi posture, inviting the two men to attack.
The two men, armed with assault rifles capable of firing 160 rounds, suddenly threw away their guns in rage. One poised himself in a boxing stance, his eyes vicious as he leaped toward Chu Qiao at lightning speed.
The small room reeked of death. As the two men rushed her, Chu Qiao was forced into hand-to-hand combat. Their tangled muscles flexed as they shot cruel glances at her. It seemed that the fate of this woman was sealed.
But then, Chu Qiao smiled coldly. A Japanese-made M609 pistol appeared in her hand—a weapon for close-range killing. She fired, and the next sound was the blast of the gunshot. In 0.05 seconds, the two men's heads exploded, their brains splattering across the room.
Chu Qiao kicked one of the bodies aside, opened the bathroom door, and encountered two more men. Her swift actions saved her twenty minutes, enough time to perfectly finish her mission.
Fifteen minutes later, a woman in a black military suit calmly exited the military law office. She crossed the second-floor corridor and, with a friendly smile, nodded to the fourth prison staff. Three minutes later, she opened the door on the second floor and stepped out.
The cool night wind blew softly on Chu Qiao's face as she walked through the busy crowd on the ground floor. Soldiers were welcoming the arrival of the country's elite forces. She glanced at her watch—ten seconds remaining.
Chu Qiao continued walking calmly, grabbing yesterday's newspaper as she went.
10, 9, 8…
"May 11, China has reported a case of infection with the M1N1 virus in Beijing. Forty-seven people have been diagnosed. Ports and some flights have been suspended, affecting tourism, and the stock market has taken a hit…"
7, 6, 5…
"According to Xinhua statistics, the number of confirmed M1N1 cases in China has reached 689, with 1,227 suspected cases. The death toll has risen to sixty-eight…"
4…
"M" country's Ugly Association reported that experts from the M countries suspect the M1N1 virus was spread by Z country. They claim the Z earthquake disrupted the atmosphere's balance, creating the ideal conditions for the virus to breed. The Z government failed to respond effectively to the natural disaster, resulting in the rapid spread of infectious diseases. The M government plans to suspend trade with Z country and expel Z nationals residing within its borders. Additionally, Z citizens are being barred from entering M country. The House of Representatives is currently engaged in tense discussions, and it is believed that a solution to the pandemic will soon be proposed.
2, 1, 0!
Still within the prison perimeter, the earth suddenly shook violently. A massive explosion ripped through the air, accompanied by blaring red sirens. Smoke billowed, and fire collapsed the buildings. The fourth prison trembled violently under the force of the blast.
As the ashes and smoke dispersed, all fourth prison staff were placed on high alert. They were trained to act swiftly, retrieving their weapons and moving in an organized manner toward the explosion site. Chu Qiao, covered in dust, feigned panic as she grabbed the arm of a man in uniform and shouted, "Comrade! What happened?"
The man, still disoriented from the military law department, looked at her. Realizing she wasn't from the fourth prison, he pulled her up and said, "You're with the military service department. Come with me, I'll get you out."
Amid the chaos, the other soldiers and officials didn't realize that Chu Qiao, the cause of the explosion, was right in their midst. Moreover, more than a dozen "military law" comrades had already fallen by her hand.
As the panic-stricken crowd rushed out of the hall, two men suddenly appeared and collided with them.
"Ah! Sorry, it's Colonel Li!" one of the men said apologetically.
"What happened inside?" Li Yang furrowed his brow, glancing at Chu Qiao, who stood silently, her eyes intense.
Before Li Yang could question her further, Chu Qiao quickly interrupted, "We need to talk about the explosion outside."
The soldiers overheard her and responded, "We don't know what's happening inside. We were ordered to leave. I'll go back and check."
Li Yang nodded and watched as the soldier left, but then he grabbed Chu Qiao and said coldly, "What's going on? Why does the military court want to try you? How did you escape?"
"The M1N1 virus is not a natural disaster. It's man-made, with countries like M, R, Eagle, F, and other Western powers involved. Even certain people within China are complicit. The so-called hostages were not hostages at all—they were virus experts hidden in military research institutes. Their plan was to spread the virus globally to destabilize economies. At the last moment, a listed company would produce M1N1 antibiotics, profiting immensely from the disaster. My agents have gathered evidence of this conspiracy."
She spoke coldly, "Take out the DV and see it for yourself, Li Yang. Our last agent, the 'Poet of Tokyo,' was sent to eliminate the senior leadership of the X forces and retrieve critical evidence. But unfortunately, the agent was killed on the streets of Tokyo. Their death wasn't in vain. The M1N1 virus outbreak was a cover for illegal organ trafficking and the development of a deadly virus. They sent operatives into this country, disguised as military law officers, to steal the evidence from the fourth prison, but I've neutralized the threat."
Li Yang, stunned by what she said, replied, "So, they killed the agent, and that's it?"
Chu Qiao nodded, her voice firm, "I was ordered to sacrifice Agent 003, who was embedded among the enemy's high-level agents. I was also ordered to retrieve the criminal evidence that would expose the heinous crimes committed by traitors within the government."
Li Yang, still reeling from the shock, frowned, his eyes darkening with anger. "Today, artillery experts from M country are in Beijing for a visit. I was assigned to them, more focused on the diplomatic task, but I should have been more vigilant…"
"What did you say?" Chu Qiao interrupted sharply.
Li Yang paused in surprise, "What?"
"Did you say that M country's artillery experts arrived in Beijing?"
Li Yang nodded. "Yes, they arrived last night."
Chu Qiao's face grew serious as she asked, "And there's no navigation locator on them?"
"Are you looking for that?"
Chu Qiao's expression turned furious as she snapped, "You didn't bring it with you?"
"How could I bring such a thing here?" Seeing Chu Qiao's anxious face, Li Yang quickly said, "Come with me. I know where to find it."
They jumped into a military jeep and quickly sped through the courtyard. It took them two minutes to reach the location, where Chu Qiao saw the navigation locator flashing with a red dot. Her mind went blank for a moment.
"How is this possible? You haven't installed the navigation locator on the second floor of the guest room? How are you monitoring the courtroom on the fourth floor?"
Chu Qiao quickly stood and began looking for weapons in the warehouse to use when she went outside. She said coldly, "M countries don't trust the X forces of R country. They fear R country will fail, and the plan will be exposed. That's why they installed the navigation locator in the trial room. As soon as the timing is right, they'll fire artillery shells, obliterating the entire fourth prison—including all the evidence and me."
"What do we do now? Should we immediately inform the bomb experts and call for reinforcements to stop M country?"
"It's too late," Chu Qiao replied in a deep, formal voice. "Prepare a helicopter immediately and disperse the crowd. Your most important task now is to deliver this evidence to the Chinese Commander. The lives of eleven out of the fourteen people, the fate of the world, and the control of the M1N1 virus are all in your hands. You cannot afford a single mistake."
Li Yang was momentarily taken aback. As the distant smoke grew thicker and the crowd became more restless, he looked into Chu Qiao's firm, determined eyes. His heart filled with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. After a long pause, he spoke coldly, "Do what you must, Chu Qiao. Take care of everything."
"You too."
Chu Qiao did not return to the warehouse. She remembered the hardships she had endured and quickly ran through the four-story complex, racing toward her next objective.
Ten minutes later, a helicopter took off from the helipad at the fourth prison. It flew rapidly away, heading toward the desolate outskirts.
Inside a car, Li Yang sat beside the Chinese Commander, holding the navigation locator. He watched the red dot move slowly from the four-story courtroom to the helipad, and then fly toward the outskirts of Beijing. Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the area. The red dot on the navigation locator vanished, replaced by a black skull icon.
Li Yang, sitting in the car, did not turn around. He never showed his emotions in front of others, but in the darkness of the night…he let his tears fall.
That night, Beijing fell silent.