3:35 a.m.: Assault on the Main Building

Darkness, like thick ink, enveloped the main white three-story building. Only the dim yellow light from the backup power supply shone through a few windows with heavy curtains, casting blurry patches of light on the building. Far from bringing warmth, it made the entire building, surrounded by absolute darkness, resemble a solitary and unsettling fortress.

Bai Shan lay hidden in the shadow of an abandoned tractor on the side of the main building, his body covered by camouflage netting that blended into the surrounding environment, with only his sharp eyes showing.

Behind him, four other agents, equally rigorously trained, stood like frozen statues on either side of him, their breathing barely audible. They had all changed into security uniforms (taken from the patrol they had just dealt with), which, though ill-fitting, were enough to confuse their vision in the darkness and chaos.

His weapon had been replaced with a captured AK-74U short assault rifle fitted with a makeshift silencer, and flashbangs, fragmentation grenades, and smoke grenades were hanging on his belt.

A near-synchronous, minimally suppressed confirmation tone came from the miniature earpiece:

"East watchtower under control, clear view."

"West outpost under control; no unusual reinforcements detected."

"The kitchen passageway was clear; no resistance was encountered."

"The dormitory area has been cleared and is now moving towards the rear of the main building."

"Explosives in position."

Bai Shan raised his left hand, his wristwatch emitting a faint glow in the darkness. 3:35:00.

He spoke into his headset, uttering only two words in a barely audible voice. "Action."

There was no response, but the four dark figures behind them moved instantly, like hounds receiving a clear command.

Bai Shan's target was the main entrance of the building. At the entrance, two well-equipped guards in black combat uniforms stood on either side, like gatekeepers.

They were clearly much more vigilant than ordinary security guards. Although it was dark and chaotic outside, the two men still leaned against the pillars of the porch, their guns slightly lowered, their bodies slightly leaning forward, their sharp eyes scanning the dark open space in front of them.

One of them would occasionally pick up the walkie-talkie on his chest and try to make contact, but there was only static, which made him frown.

Bai Shan did not approach directly from the front. He stayed close to the base of the main building, like an intangible shadow, and silently circled around to the side of the main building, where there was a protruding recess where fire-fighting equipment was stored.

He stopped and listened intently. He could vaguely hear hurried footsteps, the general's roar, and the responses of the guards from inside the building, but the sounds coming from the main entrance were blocked by the walls and could not be heard clearly.

He tapped the headset three times lightly—a signal to prepare for a frontal assault and draw enemy fire from the flanks.

Almost the instant he finished striking the metal can, a loud crash suddenly came from the darkness behind the main building, like a metal trash can being knocked over. This was followed by several terrified shouts in the local dialect, "Who goes there?!" and a few short, silenced gunshots.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the night, especially to the tense guards, it was like a thunderclap.

The two guards at the main entrance jolted, simultaneously turning towards the direction from which the voice came. "Behind us!" the man on the left growled, his gun instantly pointing into the darkness behind him. He instinctively shifted slightly from his cover, trying to get a better look. The man on the right also immediately turned around, his back to the main entrance, fully focused on guarding what was behind him.

In the fractions of a second that their attention was completely drawn to the sound behind them—

Bai Shan burst forth from the shadows on the side! His speed was astonishing; he covered seven or eight meters in a single stride, without making a sound, like a black panther pouncing on its prey.

The first guard (the one with his back to Bai Shan) felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, as if a gentle breeze had brushed past him. Before he could even react, a cold, serrated military dagger had already pierced his neck precisely from behind, the tip penetrating his carotid artery and twisting it, completely destroying his central nervous system.

The guard's body stiffened abruptly, a soft "hoarse" sound escaping his throat. His vision was instantly swallowed by darkness, and he collapsed forward limply. In the instant he fell, Bai Shan's left hand caught his gun-wielding right hand, gently twisting it to dislodge the trigger from his fingertips. At the same time, he supported the guard's falling body to prevent a loud thud.

The second guard heard the faintest sound behind him and his alarm bells went off. He instinctively tried to turn around, but it was too late.

As Bai Shan dealt with the first man, he used the momentum to lunge forward. His right hand released the dagger (which was stuck in the first guard's neck) and flashed out, his five fingers gripping the "Neiguan" acupoint on the second guard's wrist, which was holding a gun, like iron clamps. With a sharp squeeze, the immense force and precise acupoint strike instantly made the guard's entire right arm go numb and powerless. His fingers involuntarily loosened, and the rifle slipped down.

The guard reacted with lightning speed, his left hand instantly reaching for the pistol at his waist. But Bai Shan was even faster! As he grabbed the guard's wrist, Bai Shan's left knee slammed into the guard's side, right near his kidney, like a heavy hammer!

The excruciating pain caused the guard to bend over with a muffled groan, his movement to reach for his gun instantly faltering. Bai Shan gave him no chance, his right hand gripping the guard's wrist yanking sharply towards his chest, while his left arm bent, the hard, iron-like elbow carrying the weight of his entire body slamming into the guard's temple like a cannonball!

"Crack!" A very slight sound of bone breaking. The guard's eyes instantly went unfocused, and his body, like a puppet with its strings cut, slumped limply to the ground, lifeless.

From the outburst to the resolution of the two individuals, the entire process took no more than three seconds. It was fast, accurate, and ruthless, without the slightest hesitation or even a noticeable sound that could alert anyone inside the building.

Bai Shan quickly searched the two guards, finding the electronic access card and a mechanical Key for the main building's entrance. He dragged the bodies into the shadows of the porch and whispered into his earpiece, "Main entrance cleared. Prepare to enter. Team A (the other four agents) break the window from the side simultaneously. Team B (agents in the rear) continue to create noise to create distraction."

"Received," came the reply through the earpiece.

Bai Shan took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing. The real battle was behind the door. He picked up the walkie-talkie he had taken from the first guard, tuned it to the general's guard frequency, and heard the general's furious roar and the guard captain trying to calm him down and inquire about the situation.

He ignored it and taped the electronic access card to the lock. A soft "beep" sounded, and the green light flashed. He turned the mechanical Key, and the heavy door opened silently a crack.

The hall inside was spacious but dimly lit. Only a few crystal chandeliers were on, barely illuminating the gleaming marble floor and the spiral staircase leading to the second floor. The hall was empty, but hurried footsteps and the general's increasingly frantic roar could be heard from the second floor, "Bozai?! Let him in here! Also, send a few men to the finance office! Bring K here! Now!"

It seems the general has realized something is wrong, and may even suspect K.

Bai Shan slipped inside, leaning against the cold wall, his gaze quickly sweeping across the hall. At the top of the stairs, two guards who had heard the door open and were rushing down from the second floor were already visible.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Bai Shan almost instinctively raised his AK-74U and fired three precise bursts. The bullets, with the dull thud of silencers, tore through the air and pierced the chests and heads of the two guards. Neither of them uttered a sound; they tumbled down the stairs and crashed onto the marble floor with a heavy thud.

Although the gunshots were faint, they still drew attention in the empty hall and stairwell. More footsteps and angry shouts came from the second floor, "Downstairs! There's gunfire downstairs!"

Without pausing, Bai Shan charged towards the stairs like a cheetah. At the corner of the stairs, he encountered a third guard rushing down. The guard had clearly heard the sound of his comrade falling and was already on guard; the moment they met, he raised his gun without hesitation.

But Bai Shan was faster and reacted even faster. The instant the other man raised his gun, he lunged to the side, and at the same time, the muzzle of his short-barreled pistol was already spitting fire! "Pfft pfft pfft!" The bullets grazed the stair railing and hit the wall next to the guard, scattering a cloud of gravel and forcing the guard to instinctively duck and take cover.

In that split second, Bai Shan braced himself with one hand, his body springing up like a spring. Just as the guard was re-aiming, he crashed headfirst into him! His shoulder slammed into the guard's chest, while the barrel of his short assault rifle, held in his right hand, slammed down like a short club onto the guard's wrist holding the gun!

"Crack!" The sound of a wrist bone shattering. The guard screamed, his gun flying from his hand. Bai Shan had already drawn his military dagger from his waist with his left hand, and with a swift motion, plunged it upwards, viciously into the guard's jaw! The dagger pierced through the mouth and into the brainstem. The guard's scream abruptly stopped, his body convulsing violently, blood gushing out from the dagger's groove, splattering half of Bai Shan's body.

Bai Shan pushed the corpse aside, not even wiping the blood from his face, and continued rushing towards the second floor. Behind him came the sound of shattering glass and brief gunfire—four agents from Team A had broken through a side window and entered the second-floor corridor, engaging the guards there in a firefight.

Chaos reigned on the second floor. The corridor was dimly lit, filled with the sounds of gunfire, shouts, and shattering glass. The general's furious roar came from behind the heavy wooden door at the end of the corridor, "Hold on! Hold on! Are all the men outside dead?! Bozai! Fuck your mother Bozai!"

Bai Shan and two agents from Team A met up in the middle of the corridor, while another agent was clearing out a room in another direction. Three guards lay dead on the floor, all shot in the forehead or stabbed in the neck, their deaths swift and clean.

The opposing force, worthy of being the general's personal guard, displayed a reaction and tactical proficiency clearly superior to ordinary security personnel. However, they were still no match for the elite of the elite, Bai Shan. They lost due to the surprise attack, the disruption of communications, and the Bai Shan squad's well-prepared and precise hunt.

"Two left, at the general's door," an agent whispered, pointing to the end of the corridor. There, the last two guards, leaning against the door frame and the decorative pillars in the corner, were frantically firing their pistols and a UMP submachine gun into the corridor. Bullets hit the walls and ceiling, sending debris flying, as they tried to suppress Bai Shan and his men's attack.

"Flashbang," Bai Shan calmly ordered.

An agent swiftly pulled a flashbang from his waist, pulled the safety pin, paused for a second in his hand, and then threw the flashbang with a precise low arc near the porch where the two guards were hiding.

"Bang--!"

A not-so-loud but extremely piercing explosion, accompanied by an instantaneous burst of blinding white light, filled the entire end of the corridor! Even though Bai Shan and the others had closed their eyes and turned their heads beforehand, they could still feel a white blur before their eyes.

"Oh! My eyes!"

"I can't see!"

The two guards let out a bloodcurdling scream and were completely unable to resist.

Bai Shan and two agents charged out like ghosts, their short-barreled rifles spitting fire. "Pfft pfft pfft pfft..." Short, rapid bursts of fire, bullets accurately piercing the bodies of two blinded guards who were flailing their arms wildly. The screams stopped abruptly, leaving only the muffled thuds of their bodies falling to the ground.

The corridor fell silent instantly, save for the faint distant commotion and the ringing in one's ears. The pungent smell of blood and gunpowder filled the air.

Bai Shan walked to the heavy solid wood door. Inside, the general's roar had turned into terrified screams and incoherent curses, along with the sound of heavy objects being pushed over.

An agent stepped forward to inspect the door lock. It was a high-tech electronic combination lock, but it had been forcibly broken (the guards may have locked it from the inside earlier).

"Detonation," Bai Shan said succinctly.

Another agent immediately stepped forward, took a small piece of C4 plastic explosive from his backpack, stuck it to the door lock, and inserted the detonator and wireless detonator. The three quickly retreated to a safe distance.

"Detonate."

"Boom--!!!"

An explosion far more violent than any gunshot had ever rang out! Wood chips, metal fragments, and smoke mixed with the blast wave erupted from inside the door! The heavy solid wood door was blasted open with a large hole, twisted and deformed, and collapsed inward.

Before the smoke and dust had even cleared, Bai Shan was the first to rush in. The room was a mess; expensive furniture was overturned, and shards of glass and documents were scattered all over the floor.

The general, dressed in his pajamas and clutching a gold-plated pistol, cowered in terror behind his enormous desk, his face covered in grime, his eyes twisted with extreme fear and madness.

He saw Bai Shan rush in, covered in blood, his eyes as cold as ice. Terrified, he shakily raised his pistol, uttering incoherent screams. "Don't come any closer! I'll shoot! I—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

"Puff!"

A soft sound, like swatting a mosquito. A wisp of smoke rose from the muzzle of Bai Shan's short-barreled rifle. A small but deadly hole appeared between the general's eyebrows. His expression froze on extreme horror and disbelief. His body swayed, then slowly fell backward, the gold-inlaid pistol in his hand clattering onto the carpet.

This warlord, who wielded immense power in Northern Myanmar and controlled the lives of countless people, died silently in his luxurious lair, his death utterly devoid of dignity.

Bai Shan didn't even glance at the general's body; his gaze quickly swept across the room. The safe was open, but empty; presumably, the general had moved or destroyed anything important in the chaos. However, next to the general's fallen body, he found a black file box that had been torn in half, revealing some paper documents and several USB drives inside.

He walked over, picked up the file box, and glanced through it. It contained account books, lists, records of ambiguous dealings with certain foreign forces, and several maps marked with latitude and longitude. It was quite valuable.

"Clean up the battlefield, collect all potentially valuable intelligence, electronic devices, and keys. Check for hidden compartments or secret rooms. Be quick, we don't have much time." Bai Shan ordered the agents who followed him in, his voice still calm, as if he had just killed not a powerful figure, but merely completed a predetermined mission objective.

One agent immediately began searching the room, while another examined the general's body, tearing a strangely shaped metal Key from his neck (possibly the Key a secret safe or weapon), and then pulling a small encrypted USB drive from his inner pocket.

Bai Shan walked to the window, lifted a corner of the heavy curtain, and looked outside. Most of the park was still shrouded in darkness, but the chaotic noise seemed to have subsided, replaced by an eerie silence, as if it had been forcefully suppressed.

He could see several figures, guided by flashlight beams, herding the "piglet" from the dormitory area to an open space. It was other agents carrying out the control as planned.

He pressed a button on his headset. "Main building cleared, target eliminated. Status?"

A reply came quickly through the headset:

"In the finance department area, A Long A Hu have been dealt with by ' Qingsong,' and K has been brought in to meet them and is heading to the evacuation point."

"The internal security dormitory area has been cleared, the weapons depot was not stormed, but its safety has been ensured."

"The sentry tower is under stable control."

"The office area has been initially brought under control, and we are currently reassuring the 'piglet' (referring to the children who are being exploited)."

"Received. As planned, a full control signal will be issued in three minutes to begin the evacuation procedure. Prioritize ensuring K's safe arrival at the evacuation point." Bai Shan finished speaking and lowered the curtain.

He turned around, looking at the mess and blood in the room, his face expressionless, except for a fleeting, extremely subtle relaxation deep in his eyes, a relaxation that came with the completion of a mission. That relaxation was immediately replaced by a chilling vigilance.

The battle is over, but the evacuation has only just begun. The real test often comes after victory.

He picked up the black briefcase and strode out of the room, which was filled with an atmosphere of death and sin.