Prologue

The ambulance sped down the dark highway, its red lights flashing, casting an eerie, almost sinister glow over the night. Close behind, an armored vehicle followed, inside which more than a dozen armed police officers sat, fully equipped, checking their weapons in silence.

"Shen Duo, once this mission is over, you can retire with honor," said Sergeant Yuan Hong as she wiped her Type 95 automatic rifle.

They were the only female armed police squad in City A. This was Shen Duo's third year of service, and though she was just in her early twenties, she was deeply devoted to her duty.

She smiled, running her fingers over the Type 92 pistol that had been her companion for three years. Her voice was tinged with reluctance: "Sergeant Yuan, I will see my last mission through to the very end!"

Yuan Hong patted Shen Duo’s sturdy bulletproof vest. She had watched over this young woman for three years, and Shen Duo’s intelligence, wisdom, and unwavering resolve had left a profound impression on her.

The armored vehicle came to a halt before an abandoned building, already cordoned off by local police. At Yuan Hong’s signal, Shen Duo and her team buckled on their helmets, lowered their visors, gripped their guns, and, with silent efficiency, leapt from the vehicle and advanced toward their target. Not a single extraneous sound escaped their ranks.

The operation was in response to a drug gang that, after one of their hideouts had been taken down, had seized two innocent civilians as hostages to coerce the police. Negotiations had failed, leaving force as the only option.

Shen Duo led a small squad toward the rundown warehouse on the sixth floor where the hostages were held. She relayed information via radio to Yuan Hong, who led another squad. The two teams coordinated their approach, preparing to surround the criminals from both sides.

Cautiously, they crept closer, taking position at a corner. After a silent countdown and a meaningful glance exchanged, they swept out, encircling the suspects with swift, decisive movements. Shen Duo shouted, "Drop your weapons!"

Caught off guard, the criminals didn’t even have time to reach for their guns. The hostages, bound nearby, began to call desperately for help, their mouths muffled but their fear unmistakable.

Behind her heavy helmet, Shen Duo’s brows knitted, but her rifle remained steady, aimed unerringly at the criminals. "Step away from the hostages and drop your weapons, or you’ll be shot on the spot!" Her clear, commanding voice echoed through the empty warehouse.

The criminals shuddered at the sight of so many guns trained on them. Though resentment and unwillingness flashed in their eyes, the threat to their lives held them frozen in place.

Yuan Hong signaled to Shen Duo and began edging forward with her squad. Just then, from behind a hidden shelf, a man brandishing a knife lunged forward, seizing a young woman and dragging her swiftly toward the broken window. He moved with calculated skill, keeping the hostage between himself and any possible shot—neither Shen Duo nor Yuan Hong could find a clear angle.

Pressing the blade against the girl’s carotid artery, he pulled her to the open window, his own body shielded by the wall. His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted, "Drop your guns, all of you! Let me go or I’ll kill her!"

The girl screamed in terror, her voice hoarse, tears streaming down her delicate face. Shen Duo narrowed her eyes, quickly assessing the situation and calculating her options. Suddenly, she noticed the criminal’s leg exposed beyond the wall. Her eyes flashed, and she signaled to Yuan Hong.

As Shen Duo edged closer, the criminal pressed the knife harder against the girl's throat, drawing a line of blood. He shouted, "Stay back if you want her alive!"

A confident smile curved Shen Duo’s lips beneath her helmet. She raised her rifle, drawing the criminal’s attention. In that instant, Yuan Hong, from the other side, aimed at his knee. The silenced gun emitted only a muffled thud; the criminal lost control and lurched sideways. Shen Duo seized the opportunity, lunging forward to pull the hostage to safety, shoving her aside, and in a swift movement, disarmed the man of his knife.

Stunned and furious, the criminal’s eyes suddenly gleamed with vicious intent. He drew another knife from his pocket and drove it toward Shen Duo’s abdomen. Although swift and agile, Shen Duo was caught off guard by his strength and training. Unable to draw her sidearm in time, the blade plunged into her abdomen—her vest offering no protection against the knife. She heard the faint, chilling sound as it pierced her flesh, followed by the rush of warm blood.

Yuan Hong witnessed the scene in horror. As everyone raised their guns at the assailant, a gunshot rang out—Shen Duo, before collapsing, had drawn her pistol and fired, striking the criminal square in the heart. He fell, killed instantly.

Shen Duo collapsed with him, the sharp light in her eyes quickly fading. Pain overwhelmed her, her senses growing dim. Yuan Hong’s anxious voice echoed at her side: "Shen Duo, hold on, the medics are almost here!"

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, the world threatening to slip into endless darkness. The frantic figures and the faces of her comrades blurred and receded, and then she felt herself spiraling down into a vast, black abyss...