A man with such a birthmark shouldn't be hard to find. Coupled with our advanced surveillance technology, we indeed quickly located the guy. He was frequently seen around a hotel called Xing Hui. He was quite clever, though, deliberately entering through the back door, likely not wanting people to know he was staying there.
Watching the surveillance feed, I turned to Xiao Yuande beside me and said, "I'm assigning the task of apprehending him to you!"
"Understood, got it!" Xiao Yuande left, but Xia Hou and Gao Mingqiang followed. Seeing the three of them act together put my mind at ease. I returned to my office to await the results. I had expected them to apprehend the suspect quickly, but after I accidentally dozed off, there was still no response. I hastily grabbed my phone, found Xiao Yuande's number, and dialed it.
However, within minutes, the call connected with the automated voice: "Hello, the number you have dialed is powered off..." I was stunned. We were not allowed to turn off our phones. If a phone was off, it meant something had definitely gone wrong.
I immediately left the Director's office and went to the Technical Department, only to find no one there either. I was quite puzzled. How could this be?
Then, I walked towards Liu Yuning's desk but couldn't see her. I continued walking, reaching the provincial criminal police office, the SWAT team office, and even the armed police work area, yet I couldn't find a single soul.
I pinched my face hard, thinking I was hallucinating. But the sharp pain confirmed it wasn't a dream and I wasn't hallucinating!
What on earth was happening? A sense of dread washed over me. I left the provincial headquarters and wandered aimlessly through the streets of Guangming City. Perhaps it was as I had feared; I discovered there wasn't a single person outside!
My heart pounded violently. Could Guangming City be experiencing some strange epidemic, causing everyone to evacuate? But why wouldn't they tell me?
I drove around, checking town after town, only to find every place utterly deserted. It reminded me of a scene from a horror movie, where a group of college graduates visited a deserted tourist resort...
But what I was experiencing was tens of thousands of times more terrifying, because this was the entire city! Guangming City had a population of over a hundred million. So many people vanishing all at once, what did that even mean? I noticed that lights were still on in some buildings. After parking my car and going upstairs to search, I found many public places also empty. Even clubs, nightclubs, and bars were the same.
It was just too eerie!
In that instant, I felt as though the entire world had abandoned me.
But how could this be explained? Was my mind playing tricks on me, or was I having a nightmare I couldn't explain away?
The latter offered a glimmer of hope; if I could wake up, that is. But if it was the former...
Suddenly, something clicked. I accelerated, heading towards the mental hospital, to find Li Zhiliang.
Following my memory, I arrived near his hospital, only to find it already closed. I banged on the doors several times, calling out Li Zhiliang's name, but there was no response.
Li Zhiliang had probably vanished too. I picked up my phone and frantically dialed everyone in the Punishment Squad. All their numbers, from Liu Yuning to Su Yaxin, all of them turned out to be invalid numbers!
My terror reached its peak. If I were still in the car, I would have lost control.
At this moment, I didn't even dare to drive, fearing I might suddenly get into a car accident.
My mood was abysmal, my fear extreme. I couldn't even walk without worrying I might fall.
No matter what, I had to stay calm. Otherwise, everything would truly be over. This was just Guangming City, perhaps they had gone to Fuming City, Gaogang City, or Zhenshui City! Yes, that's it!
I couldn't give up. I randomly ran into a supermarket and headed straight for the restroom. I splashed water on my face. Looking at my reflection, I finally found a sliver of solace. At least I was still myself. If something as cliché as my own face being replaced were to happen, I would have completely broken down on the spot.
The coolness of the ice water jolted my senses, temporarily restoring my state. I quickly ran out of the supermarket. It was only then I realized the supermarket was open. But there was no one inside, as if it had been opened just for me. But how was that possible? I looked around the street, noticing that all the shops were open and brightly lit. I checked them one by one, confirming they were safe, before finding my car and driving away.
My first destination was Fuming City. Upon entering its streets, I immediately found the old Public Security Bureau from memory, only to discover it was also deserted. I slapped myself hard several times, repeatedly telling myself, "This must be a dream, an unprecedented, thrilling, bizarre dream. It has to be!"
After all, even if Guangming City faced a major epidemic or a bizarre incident, this situation wouldn't be possible. Now, Fuming City was the same. In fact, before I even reached the Public Security Bureau, I had noticed no one on the roads, and I already suspected things would unfold as I had imagined. It seemed unavoidable that everything would go awry. I continued slapping myself, my face already flushed red, when I suddenly heard footsteps approaching me...
"This patient's condition is very serious. We need to administer more barbiturates quickly, or we might not be able to control his situation!" a female doctor's voice sounded from outside a door. I then realized I had indeed been dreaming. But how had I ended up here? Wasn't I at the provincial headquarters before?
A fragmented memory suddenly surfaced in my mind. It was Director He, having a secret video call with me.
"He Sheng, this time, we might have truly infiltrated Polaris. Therefore, I have a mission for you, a very important mission. Perhaps, given your current identity, it's impossible to complete. So, there's no other way. You are an excellent spy, do you understand? Only your professionalism and technical skills can accomplish such a difficult task. But you have the right to refuse. I might be able to find someone more suitable, but up to this point, the country has still chosen you, He Sheng..."