The night was heavy, and the abandoned factory loomed under the moonlight like a decaying beast. Rusted steel beams stretched across the sky, resembling the bones of a long-dead giant. Outside, the silence was eerie, broken only by the wind howling through shattered glass windows.
Li Chuan and his team lay in wait, watching their target. On Shen Qiu's screen, streams of data flickered as he rapidly typed, trying to breach the factory's security system.
"No sign of Nightveil reinforcements yet, but this place… it's definitely one of their temporary bases."
Li Chuan glanced at the screen, his eyes narrowing. "Can you get in?"
Shen Qiu gritted his teeth. "Their firewall is tougher than expected. I need time."
Through her sniper scope, Su Man scanned the factory interior. She spoke in a low voice, "Four men patrolling. They don't move like regular guards."
Cheng Mo gripped his combat knife, smirking. "Then let's take out a few."
But Li Chuan shook his head. "Not yet. We need to know what they're hiding."
Shen Qiu's fingers flew across the keyboard. Moments later, a new feed appeared on his screen. He exhaled sharply.
"I'm in. The factory has two levels—ground floor is an abandoned production line, second floor is the control room. That's where they'll be."
"Move in." Li Chuan ordered.
They split up—Su Man remained outside as sniper support, while Li Chuan, Cheng Mo, and Shen Qiu slipped in through a side entrance.
Their footsteps were nearly silent as they glided through the ruins of old machinery and scattered metal debris.
Li Chuan raised a hand, signaling a halt. He studied a patrolling guard ahead, then turned to Cheng Mo. "Take him out. Five seconds. No noise."
Cheng Mo nodded. In a blur of motion, he ghosted behind the man, clamped a hand over his mouth, and drove his knife into the target's heart. He carefully lowered the body to the floor.
Shen Qiu glanced at the corpse and murmured, "You're getting better at this."
Cheng Mo chuckled. "It's becoming a habit."
They avoided further patrols and advanced toward the control room. Shen Qiu swiftly hacked the electronic lock. As the door slid open, Li Chuan was the first inside, his gun aimed at the Nightveil operatives inside.
"Move!"
Gunfire erupted. Bullets tore through the dimly lit room, splattering blood against the walls. Cheng Mo closed in, two precise knife strikes ending lives in silence.
Shen Qiu wasted no time. He took over the main console, fingers working rapidly. Then, his expression darkened.
"This place isn't just a base. They're running experiments here."
Li Chuan leaned in, scanning the files flashing across the screen. Biological experiment logs. Research notes. And then—a folder titled Neural Mapping Project.
His pupils contracted. He quickly flipped through the files. The contents sent a chill down his spine.
Nightveil was developing a technology capable of reading and controlling human memory.
Cheng Mo scowled. "What the hell is this?"
Shen Qiu's voice was grim. "If they succeed… they could rewrite a person's mind completely."
Suddenly, Su Man's voice crackled through the comms. "You need to wrap it up. Nightveil reinforcements are closing in."
Li Chuan's gaze hardened. "We're leaving."
Shen Qiu copied every file and wiped the system clean. They slipped out of the control room, vanishing into the factory's shadows.
The storm was coming. And now, they held the secret that could bring Nightveil to its knees.