June 19. There were still 11 days until the June Snowfall rules expired.
At dusk, outside a courtyard in a suburban county of the capital, Yong'an, more than twenty fully armed special forces soldiers quietly surrounded the property.
The snow around the courtyard had all been piled up in the distance. The road near the gate bore obvious shovel marks, and the snow on the walls had been cleared away as well. Clearly, the owner had professional snow-clearing equipment and plenty of manpower for the job.
"Reporting."
The Action Team captain reported to his superior through his Headphones.
"We have arrived outside the shelter where the target is located. Shall we begin the arrest operation?"
"Begin immediately," the commander's voice came through the Headphones.
"Received."
The Action Team captain made several hand signals. A few special forces soldiers crouched down and opened the cases they had brought, revealing several military-grade drones.
As the operators activated them, five drones took off and flew above the courtyard, transmitting the scene inside through high-definition cameras.
"There are snowplows, drilling vehicles, snow removal machines, and other equipment parked in the outer courtyard. Three armed individuals are playing cards beneath the left eaves. The inner courtyard has a roofed design and cannot be observed through the cameras."
"Activate the thermal imaging scanners."
"The scan detected activity in three rooms of the inner courtyard. There are twenty people in total. Only two are in the room on the south side, which is suspected to be where the target is located."
The Action Team captain said, "Everyone, prepare to move. Squad One will breach the front gate. Squad Two will scale the walls from both sides. Squad Three will circle around to the rear and stand guard. Drones, deploy flashbangs."
The drone operator said, "Flashbangs deployed."
Bang—!