Chapter Eleven: The Plan

“Well, now you’ve seen my sincerity. It’s time I saw some from the Northern Alliance government,” Uzniev said impatiently as soon as Keshov finished his tour of the assembly hall.

Without even looking up, Keshov replied, “Isn’t my presence here the greatest show of sincerity?”

Keshov had always been known for his conciliatory approach toward the Stann region—indeed, it was this very reputation that had earned him the position of former mayor.

The leader of the KB cell nodded in agreement. “True enough. Unlike the other bigwigs from the Northern Alliance, you are a friend to the people of Stann.”

Seizing the opportunity, Keshov pressed on with his request. “Then, as a friend, could you grant me a small favor? Release some of the hostages—at the very least, let the mothers with infants go.”

Uzniev fell silent, the seconds ticking away. As Keshov was about to resign himself to disappointment, Uzniev spoke. “Very well. We can show further sincerity. Those mothers may leave with their infants, but one of their children must stay behind as a hostage.”

With that, Uzniev ordered his men to bring the hostages forward.

A wave of panic swept through the mothers holding their babies. They feared they were being led to execution, unwilling to see their infants, swaddled and innocent, leave this world without ever having seen it.

When they learned they were to be released, a commotion of relief broke out among them.

But another harrowing choice awaited: each mother still had an older child held as a hostage—they had come to the school ceremony with their newborns, but leaving now meant abandoning their older children, perhaps forever.

Suddenly, one mother made a decision. She handed her infant, still wrapped in swaddling clothes, to Keshov and returned to stay as a hostage herself—she would not be parted from her older child, come what may.

Keshov stood frozen. He realized, with a weight pressing down upon him, that he was already shackled by the gravity of his role. He knew the Northern Alliance would never yield; he was here as nothing but a delaying tactic.

At that moment, the mood shifted. Perhaps it was a pang of conscience, or the bond of shared motherhood. Two female KB members rushed toward Uzniev, tears welling in their eyes, pleading, “Leader, can’t you release a few more hostages? Those mothers are so pitiful.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Uzniev’s face twisted into a mocking sneer, his voice icy. “Aren’t you two pitiful as well?”

With that, he raised his submachine gun and riddled the unsuspecting women with bullets.

The brutality of Uzniev’s act cowed everyone present. Keshov’s pupils shrank with terror.

He realized he had underestimated the KB’s ruthlessness—their so-called sincerity was nothing more than a ruse, a means to an end.

“Keshov! When you leave, tell them I have shown my sincerity. Now it’s their turn!” Uzniev declared, blowing away the gun’s smoke with a smile.

Keshov had never wished more fervently to leave a place; he nodded, gathered the hostages, and led them out. Behind him, the assembly hall echoed with Uzniev’s tirades to his subordinates...

Stran Middle School, in a computer-filled classroom.

A group of people stood gathered around a projected screen, eyes fixed on the scene from the assembly hall.

Unbeknownst to Uzniev, several hidden cameras had been placed on Keshov’s person. For the first time, the Hostage Rescue Command Center could see exactly what was happening inside.

“All departments, prepare for a tactical meeting! And update the headcount of KB members,” a stern officer ordered. “The general will be attending this meeting!”

The room erupted into a flurry of frantic preparations...

After the press conference, Chen Qi was escorted back to a classroom filled with special forces soldiers. Even before entering, he heard the unmistakable sound of snoring.

“Well, as expected of the special forces—their snoring is louder than my roommate’s,” Chen Qi mused silently. The soldier escorting him said, “Since you’re here, do your best. Get some sleep—you’ll need your strength for the battle ahead.”

Without another word, the soldier departed. Chen Qi found an empty spot, lay down on the dirty floor like the others, and tried to mimic the soldiers around him.

“How will the assault play out?” He closed his eyes, his thoughts suddenly racing. The tension hit him in waves—the same nervous anticipation he’d felt on the eve of college entrance exams.

“It’s always nerve-wracking the first time,” he consoled himself with a wry smile, “just like every first time.”

But reassurance was fleeting. He shifted his attention to the Nightwalker II Nano Combat Suit he wore.

The suit was a blend of black and gray, its fabric imbued with a resilience that was almost uncanny, shimmering with subtle color changes under the light—a marvel of technology.

Chen Qi gave his own chest a light punch. As expected, he barely felt a thing—the suit’s material absorbed most of the force.

“So this is what blue-grade equipment is like. I wonder how bulletproof it is. If only I could take it home—wouldn’t my roommates be jealous?” Chen Qi’s mouth watered at the thought, and a stray droplet landed on the suit, marring its futuristic sheen with a touch of gross reality.

While Chen Qi fiddled with his night vision helmet, the meeting room in the academic building was already thick with a grim atmosphere.

22:35—The operations meeting began.

The general sat at the head of the table, listening intently to his staff’s briefings and discussions. Sometimes he frowned; sometimes he lapsed into deep thought; other times, he tapped the table with his fingers.

“Our operational plan consists of three phases. First, we cut the power to the assembly hall. An elite special forces team will enter through the underground manhole and launch a surprise attack, aiming to seize the bomb detonator immediately.”

“Meanwhile, the second squad will stage a frontal assault, using gunfire to distract the enemy and cover the special forces’ infiltration. As soon as the special team moves, they’ll breach the doors.”

Seeing the general’s approving nod, the staff officer grew more animated. “Finally, a SWAT team will rappel from helicopters onto the second floor to eliminate KB members there and coordinate with special forces to secure the entire hall.”

The general slammed his pen onto the table and declared, “Excellent! Proceed as planned!”

0:45—The passageway beneath the manhole cover leading to the assembly hall restroom was breached.

Back in the classroom, the soldiers around Chen Qi were abruptly roused. Each began warming up, listening to the officer at the door as he laid out the steps of the operation.

Chen Qi mimicked the exercises while straining his ears for the details.

“Emerge from the manhole... crawl out into the restroom... secure the detonator...”

Sifting through the key points, Chen Qi couldn’t help but mutter, “Am I really going to have to crawl through sewage?”