The maglev car was stopped by people from the Traffic Department before reaching Star River Road.
"Temporary traffic control ahead, please detour if you need to pass."
The traffic officer with sunglasses said coolly.
"Excuse me..."
Zuo Yiming was about to speak but was pulled back by Lu Lin, who stepped forward to the traffic officer.
"Big brother, we need to go home. You can't just stop people from going home because of traffic control, right?"
"Home? Where is your home?"
"Lakeside Mansion."
"..."
The traffic officer was momentarily stunned when Lu Lin mentioned Lakeside Mansion.
He took off his sunglasses and frowned:
"Lakeside Mansion, huh? You three might have a hard time getting home for a while."
"Why?"
Luo Ling asked anxiously.
Her sister, Luo Yu, was still at Lakeside Mansion, and she had made over thirty calls on the way, none of which got through.
"Because..." The traffic officer was about to explain but suddenly stopped.
He put on his sunglasses again and waved impatiently.
"Leave, just leave. It's very dangerous here now."
After speaking, he turned away without a second glance at the three of them.
Luo Ling, Zuo Yiming, and Lu Lin exchanged looks.
Now they didn't know what to do next.
"Luo Ling, don't worry, the traffic officer just said..."
"Forget it, there's no use worrying here; let's go back first. Maybe your sister didn't come here after all."
Zuo Yiming advised.
At this point, anyone with any sense could tell that finding Luo Ling's sister today was unlikely.
Luo Ling was anxiously pacing back and forth. After all, she was just a girl who had recently graduated from high school, with little social experience and unable to think of any solutions.
"Wait a minute, Luo Ling, can you locate where your sister is?"
Lu Lin suddenly suggested.
On Earth, even lost phones have tracking features, so there was no reason the more advanced biological chips couldn't do the same.
"There is, there is!"
Luo Ling exclaimed with joy as she opened her biological chip to locate her sister.
"Found it! My sister... she's right at Lakeside Mansion before us."
"Lu Lin, what should we do? I think I heard gunfire earlier."
"What if my sister is hurt... I, I..."
Luo Ling stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
Zuo Yiming was anxiously scratching his head as well.
"Don't panic, follow me."
Glancing in the direction the traffic officer had left, Lu Lin led the other two away.
Luo Ling and Zuo Yiming were at a loss and could only follow behind Lu Lin.
"This way!"
Lu Lin activated his Perceive Star Skill, dodging electronic cameras until they reached the outer wall of a villa area.
"Climb over!"
Zuo Yiming and Luo Ling followed as instructed.
They both felt an inexplicable emotion at that moment.
Excitement.
As if they were outlaws walking on the edge of the city.
Continuing the journey, the three of them avoided cameras and climbed over walls smoothly due to their years of physical training and the recent physical enhancement from activating their Star Power Talent.
They finally reached the outskirts of the Lakeside Mansion community without mishap.
"Luo Ling, check your sister's location again..."
"Boom!"
Before Lu Lin could finish his sentence, a loud explosion rang out.
The three of them looked in the direction of the sound and saw a cloud of smoke rising into the sky.
The residential glass within Lakeside Mansion shattered into pieces instantly.
"This..."
Zuo Yiming's jaw dropped in disbelief at what he saw.
Someone had detonated a bomb at Lakeside Mansion.
A high-end villa built of brick and stone was reduced to nothing by the power of the explosion.
Luo Ling instinctively reopened her sister Luo Yu's location.
"Oh no!"
"What's wrong?"
"My sister, my sister's location is not far from the villa where the explosion just occurred..."
"What!!"
Lu Lin exclaimed in shock. Suddenly, hearing a rush of footsteps approaching, he pulled the two of them to hide in the nearby bushes.
"Get down, quickly, don't let them see us."
Lu Lin felt his heart racing, his hands beginning to tremble unconsciously.
This wasn't fear, nor was it nervousness.
The intense footsteps drew closer and closer.
Lu Lin forcefully pressed their heads down, ensuring they wouldn't reveal themselves, while he cautiously peeked out.
A squad of soldiers in dark green military uniforms, armed to the teeth, with high-tech electromagnetic imaging helmets ran past them.
Lu Lin exhaled softly.
"Kids!"
The sudden voice startled all three of them.
Lu Lin looked up to see three soldiers standing before them.
"..."
"Kids, it's very dangerous here now, don't play around here!"
The cold voice sent a shiver down Lu Lin and his friends' spines instinctively.
"No, we are..."
Too nervous to continue, Lu Lin was saved by Zuo Yiming stepping forward.
"Sir, we have a reason to be here..."
"There's no way you can stay even if you have a reason."
"This area is currently under temporary military management, do you want to leave on your own or should I escort you out?"
The soldier with an unclear face said coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Sir..."
"I am not your sir!"
Seeing Zuo Yiming try to be familiar, the soldier stepped forward, his helmeted face almost touching Zuo Yiming's.
"I'll say it one more time, leave here!"
Zuo Yiming turned his head away, taking a step back.
"We can help. My classmate's sister is inside, she can precisely locate the enemy for you!"
Lu Lin seized the opportunity to shout.
"Hmm?"
The soldier turned his head, looking at Lu Lin.
"Do you know the consequences of deceiving the military?"
"I don't need to know!"
Lu Lin pulled Luo Ling over, "We are students from Golden Sword High School. Earlier, her sister said she would come to Lakeside Mansion to find someone and then lost contact."
"We also saw the explosion just now, which was less than 30 meters from where her sister is."
"Luo Ling, tell this soldier your sister's client's name and address."
"It's, it's Lakeside Mansion, Building 31, Room 102, Li Sha."
"Li Sha?"
The soldier muttered to himself, saying nothing further, and quickly contacted his superior through the biological chip.
Li Sha was just an alias for a small henchman in a notorious kidnapping case.
Their real identity was a member of the evil organization Black Shark Society.
"Understood, I'll bring them in right away."
The soldier ended the communication, smiling at the trio, although they couldn't see it.
Relying on his Perceive Star Skill, Lu Lin could sense the soldier's aura easing.
From a fierce tiger ready to devour them, he relaxed into just an ordinary tiger.
Truly worthy of being a federation's soldier, the aura alone silenced Zuo Yiming, made Luo Ling barely hold on, and only Lu Lin could counter this terrifying presence seamlessly.
They followed the soldier to the main gate of Lakeside Mansion, where the Joint Command Center for the kidnapping case was set up at the property office.
"Dad?!"
Zuo Yiming yelled out in surprise as soon as he entered, seeing Zuo Zhenyu, who was studying the villa's plans.