The time was frozen at 2 a.m. on May 12, 2009, the location a desolate outskirts beyond the national heart of Shangjing City.
Seven black cars sped across the wilderness—two in front, two behind, and two flanking the sides, escorting a black Mercedes in the center. Military-grade high-performance engines hummed smoothly, the bodies entirely constructed from high-strength aluminum alloy. Faint spiral patterns of bulletproof markings were visible on the windshields. No license plates, no special military insignia—it was baffling how such a convoy had emerged from the heavily guarded gates of the capital.
An hour later, the convoy entered an inconspicuous khaki building in the suburban outskirts. Four soldiers in camouflage stepped forward, signaling the vehicles to halt for inspection. The door of the lead car opened, and a young man in a black suit stepped out, handing over a deep red pass. After examining it for a moment, the soldier said sternly, "I need to request instructions from my superior."
The man raised an eyebrow, his tone urgent and tinged with suppressed anger as he lowered his voice. "This bears Commander Hua's signature. Who else do you need to consult?"
The soldier replied expressionlessly, "Major, we've just received orders from above. Except for the senior officer's personal presence, anyone entering the military restricted zone must have the joint signatures of both Commander Hua and Chief of Staff Zhang. Otherwise, no one is permitted entry."
"You—"
"Li Yang."
A deep voice suddenly came from the car behind. The black Mercedes slowly pulled forward, its window rolling down to reveal a weary, elderly face inside. The soldier started in surprise, immediately snapping to attention and saluting. "Sir!"
Commander Hua nodded faintly. "May we proceed now?"
The soldier hesitated slightly. "Reporting, sir, Chief of Staff Zhang has ordered that no vehicles are allowed in the military restricted zone. Everyone must proceed on foot."
Commander Hua frowned slightly, patting his leg. "Do I need to walk as well?"
The soldier's expression grew increasingly strained, his eyes flickering toward Commander Hua's injured leg through the window. Finally, he repeated woodenly, "My apologies, sir. Orders from above—no exceptions. Everyone must proceed on foot!"
Li Yang's face darkened with fury, but Commander Hua gently waved a hand, turning to him and saying gravely, "Li Yang, you go in alone. Take my documents. You must retrieve 005 intact. Military Intelligence can't afford another loss like 003. They are all national treasures."
Li Yang was deeply moved. Facing the white-haired, exhausted elder, he saluted with reverence and said resolutely, "Rest assured, sir. I will complete the mission without fail!"
Just then, a tremendous explosion roared through the air, a blinding fireball giving rise to a dark mushroom cloud that surged into the night sky. Li Yang's eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead. Without a word, he spun around and sprinted toward the military restricted zone.
That night, the citizens of the capital slept peacefully, but outside the city, at the Fourth Military Prison, an explosion powerful enough to shake the world had occurred. In the darkness, the attention of nations everywhere covertly converged on the site, awaiting the dawn a few hours away.
**
Four hours earlier.In the trial hall of the National Fourth Military Prison, seven high-ranking officers in military uniforms sat solemnly, their shoulder insignias gleaming with stars, indicating they were all of general rank. On the judges' bench were five military judges, each from different military regions and not belonging to the same military system. Below stood over twenty national-level special forces soldiers armed with Colt MOD733 5.56mm assault rifles, their expressions alert as if facing a formidable enemy.
The atmosphere in the entire trial hall was solemn and severe, with everyone's gaze fixed on the defendant's stand. The presiding judge in military uniform cleared his throat and said gravely, "Name."
"Chu Qiao."
A calm and composed voice responded softly, the tone somewhat hoarse but clearly indicating the speaker's gender.
Indeed, seated in the defendant's dock was a delicate-looking woman wearing light green military trousers and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up, revealing half of her fair forearms. Her expression was composed, her eyes clear, showing no trace of nervousness.
The presiding judge continued the monotonous procedure: "Gender."
"Female."
"Date of birth."
"October 8, 1982."
"Place of origin."
"Antu County, Jilin Province."
"Military service record."
"Enrolled in the Central Military Academy in 1999, selected for training at the Fifth Intelligence Division of the Central Military Command in 2001, entered the Eagle Group's Seventh Unit for training in the latter half of 2001, officially joined the Fifth Intelligence Division on August 27, 2003, assigned to the second team, engaged in intelligence analysis and coordination work. Transferred to the Xinjiang Intelligence Department in December 2003, cooperating with Military Intelligence Department 9 to execute the anti-terrorism plan. Went abroad undercover in June 2004, returned to the country in 2007 and entered the Command Center of Department 11, serving as deputy commander until now."
"What operations did you carry out during your tenure?"
"From 2007 to April 2009, Department 11 executed a total of 97 operations of varying scales, 29 of which I handled personally. Among them, 11 were five-star operations, nine were four-star, five were three-star, four were two-star, and none were one-star."
"Please truthfully report the two-star operations you executed."
"In August 2007, Military Intelligence Department 7 provided intelligence, and Military Intelligence Department 9 took action. Colonel Li from Department 9 and I jointly planned the 'Sea Salt Plan,' successfully obtaining 300 tons of uranium ore. In November 2007, Department 11 collaborated with overseas Department 6 to execute a decoy operation, capturing the traitorous general known as 'Mika Half-Mouse' and destroying Country F's nuclear reactor. In April 2008, we planned the defection of Country E's psychic, recovering the vulnerability password of the central bank. In June 2008, with the assistance of Country X, Department 11 planned the 'Cimo Operation,' primarily led by Agent 003 from Department 9 with psychic support, successfully obtaining the blueprints for HK47."
The presiding judge adjusted his glasses, cross-referencing the documents as he said gravely, "Please elaborate on your relationship with Agent 003 from Military Intelligence Department 9."The woman raised her eyebrows slightly upon hearing this, her usually unchanging expression turning somewhat cold. Her gaze swept over the seven military officers serving as jurors before she finally said in a low voice, "In 2001, during my training in the Seventh Unit, I shared a dormitory with Agent 003 and Major Huang Min Rui, a staff officer from the 11th Department. In March 2004, Agent 003 was dispatched to the Xinjiang Intelligence Division to execute the plan to eliminate East Turkestan terrorists, and we collaborated for two months. In 2008, I worked with Agent 003 again on the Ximo Operation."
The presiding judge said gravely, "What was your relationship? Comrades-in-arms, colleagues, or mere acquaintances?"
The woman remained composed, her eyebrows slightly raised. After a long pause, she replied firmly, "We were friends."
A faint murmur rippled through the jury. The woman’s eyes turned toward two of them, sharply catching the traces of smiles that had yet to fade from the corners of their mouths.
"So, you and 003 were close, confidants who shared everything, is that correct?"
A female judge in her forties, dressed in dark green military uniform, asked sternly.
The woman turned her head, her eyes scanning the seemingly amiable face of the female judge before she replied firmly, "Your Honor, both 003 and I are highly trained soldiers who have undergone specialized national training. We are well aware of what can and cannot be said. Therefore, I find the phrase 'shared everything' in your questioning to be a disregard for our professionalism and the greatest disrespect to a martyr who has sacrificed his life for the nation’s interests."
The female judge paled, pressed her lips together, and fell silent. The atmosphere grew tense.
The presiding judge continued, "Chu Qiao, please now provide a brief statement and defense regarding Operation M1N1."
At this point, they had finally reached the crux of the matter. Two jurors in their fifties leaned forward slightly, their expressions intensely focused. Chu Qiao lowered her head, then after a long moment, lifted her chin and spoke slowly and deliberately, "I request to see my superior or to be tried by a military court under the Supreme People's Court. Until then, I will not make any statement regarding Operation M1N1."
The presiding judge frowned, his voice tinged with clear anger as he said slowly, "Are you questioning the authority of this military court, which was jointly established by five military regions and composed of the nation’s top legal experts?"
"No, I am not," Chu Qiao replied, raising her head. "I am merely requesting to see my superior. Without the declassification documents personally signed by Commander Hua, I regret that I cannot disclose any information or details about Operation M1N1."
The presiding judge frowned deeply and continued, "Then, please provide your own defense and explanation regarding the order to detonate the General Affairs Building, which resulted in the deaths of over twenty hostages of various nationalities."
"They were not hostages," Chu Qiao raised her head and said firmly. "Every order I gave strictly adhered to military regulations. I did not wrongfully kill a single person. Once I see my superior and the documents signed by Commander Hua, I will provide the military court with a complete testimony. Until then, I will not accept any trial."The trial had reached a stalemate. After Chu Qiao was taken away, all the judges and officers filed out of the hall. The comprehensive surveillance system recorded their every move, but beneath a bench in the corner where high-ranking military officials had just been seated, a tiny device emitting a faint red light pulsed silently.
Time was running out.
Chu Qiao sat on the iron bed, head bowed, remaining silent. Her cell was enclosed by specially tempered glass walls—fully transparent from the outside, yet completely opaque from within, offering no privacy whatsoever. The durability of this glass was such that even continuous firing with a German M7KB large-caliber submachine gun for a year would only create a small bullet hole. To shatter it for escape, one might need the help of an atomic bomb.
Though she could neither see nor hear outside, as a senior commander of the nation's most classified intelligence division, she was acutely aware of the entire external setup. Feeling her pulse, she silently counted the seconds. She knew mealtime was approaching.
Sure enough, with a crisp snap, a small hatch opened at the base of the glass, and a hand slowly slid in a tray.
Chu Qiao remained seated on the bed, motionless. But just then, a tiny pebble flew out, striking the clasp of the wristwatch with precise and soundless accuracy. With a clatter, the watch fell inside the cell.
Startled, the soldier outside reached in, groping a couple of times but failing to retrieve it. Hearing the noise, Chu Qiao turned her head as if unintentionally, a puzzled frown on her face. She knew there was another person standing outside, closely monitoring her.
Normally, prisoners were not allowed near the cell door during meal deliveries. Yet at this moment, Chu Qiao gestured toward herself. The soldier outside saw it clearly, made two more unsuccessful attempts to reach the watch, then tapped the floor twice with his fist to signal approval.
Chu Qiao hopped off the iron bed, picked up the watch, and handed it to the soldier. She offered a faint smile toward the opaque tempered glass, then carried her meal back to the bed.
Outside, silence soon returned.
Everything appeared perfectly natural, without the slightest anomaly.
After finishing her meal, Chu Qiao walked to the makeshift bathroom and pulled open the door.
The authorities had shown some humanity—the bathroom offered a degree of privacy, with opaque plastic covering everything below shoulder level. Sitting on the toilet, Chu Qiao lowered her head slightly. She knew someone was watching her from outside, and her time in the bathroom must not exceed twenty minutes.
In the concealed space of the bathroom, she gently extended her pale hand. At the tip of her finger, which had brushed against the soldier’s hand earlier, was a transparent film bearing his inadvertently lifted fingerprint. Chu Qiao knew time was short—it was time to act.
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