Three kilometers outside an abandoned cannery in the Westside of Los Angeles, Liu Yutong's convoy remained hidden, choosing not to act rashly.
"Jesse's informant confirmed that the Snakehead Gang is going to transfer about twenty trafficked victims tonight. It's highly likely that Zhao Weixiang will show up in person."
After reporting the information, Yun Cheng asked, "Miss, should we make our move?"
Liu Yutong replied, "Zhao Weixiang is a very cautious man. Back in Pearl City, the fact that he managed to flee before the police could track him down proves he won't easily put himself at risk. Until he shows his face, there's no need for us to clash head-on with the Snakehead Gang."
"What do you suggest, Miss?"
"Punishing the wicked and eradicating evil is a job for the local police," Liu Yutong said.
Even though she had orchestrated a massive operation, mobilizing the core elites of the Wanlong Society to capture Zhao Weixiang, she was genuinely unwilling to let her brothers and sisters engage in a bloody shootout with a local gang in a foreign land.
Even if she knew nothing about warfare, she was well aware that launching a frontal assault on an armed gang stronghold would likely result in casualties.
If anyone lost their life, she wouldn't be able to accept it, nor could she ever face their families.
Let the local police take the lead and charge the front lines. All she needed was an opportunity to capture Zhao Weixiang.
In short, if Zhao Weixiang didn't show himself, neither would she.
Although Yun Cheng felt it was a bit of a pity—he genuinely wanted to use some heavy firepower to duke it out with those guys, just thinking about the scene was thrilling—he still deeply respected the Miss's decision and was even quite moved by it.
The Miss always put their safety first, which was exactly why they were willing to follow her to the death.
"Yun Cheng, contact Su Mansu. Have her reach out to a few mainstream local media outlets in Los Angeles, as well as the Dragon Country press station in the US. Tell them we've received reliable tips that the Snakehead Gang is illegally detaining our compatriots in an abandoned cannery, suspected of human trafficking. Invite them to witness the police rescue operation from start to finish."
"To pressure the police?"
"Not pressure. With the media present, the gang won't dare to publicly massacre the hostages. Even if the Snakehead Gang wants to make a move, they'll have to weigh the consequences—unless they truly consider themselves terrorists and have a death wish."
"Also, sync up the information with Detective Davis. Tell them we've pinpointed the exact location where the hostages are being held and urge them to send more backup. As per their request, we will only provide necessary flanking and intelligence support from the perimeter."
"So you want the police to act as the vanguard, Miss, while we stay hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike and capture Zhao Weixiang when he's forced out or reveals himself?"
"Exactly!"
Liu Yutong nodded, then looked at Chu Yang. "Chu Yang, you have special ops experience. You'll be the main commander for this operation. You will arrange everyone's specific actions from here on."
"Understood, Miss!"
Chu Yang didn't make excuses and quickly got into the zone.
He had already studied the topographic maps of the area and had even scouted the vicinity during the day. He already had a battle plan in mind.
"Brother Yun, take five men and secretly infiltrate the third to fifth floors of that abandoned office building on the east side. Bring high-powered binoculars and thermal imagers. Establish a concealed observation post to monitor the entire factory area and all surrounding movements, especially any unusual personnel flow."
"Lan Die, take ten people and guard the vicinity of the old passage connecting to the main road on the south side. Use the terrain to set up an ambush. You're responsible for intercepting any targets that might flee in that direction, or initiating a pursuit."
"Ji Yu, you and the remaining personnel will protect the Miss. At the same time, keep an eye on our rear and flanks. Be on alert in case any gang members try to circle around from behind."
"I will personally follow the police tactical team closer to the front lines. Once I gather firsthand intelligence, I'll sync it to everyone in real-time via the walkie-talkie."
"Understood!" everyone replied.
Chu Yang looked at the group and emphasized once more, "Everyone remember, the core mission the Miss gave us is to capture Zhao Weixiang alive, not to get into a firefight with the Snakehead Gang. Unless the enemy shoots first, no one is allowed to open fire preemptively. Also, put on all the gear we just acquired."
As soon as he finished speaking, several Wanlong Society members carried a few large black cases down from the vehicles and placed them on the ground.
Upon opening the cases, they revealed neatly arranged heavy body armor, tactical helmets equipped with night vision and communication modules, cut- and puncture-resistant gloves, and tactical vests with ballistic protection plates.
Chu Yang gave them a brief introduction to this equipment, which had cost a fortune.
"These are premium goods bought with heavy cash. For instance, this is Level IV body armor, capable of withstanding a direct hit from a 7.62mm rifle round. The helmets are military-grade; they can easily block shrapnel and close-range handgun bullets. Every tactical vest is equipped with a quick-response first-aid kit, non-lethal flashbangs and tear gas, as well as multiple spare magazines..."
"All the gear was procured according to the Miss's highest standards. The safety is beyond question. As long as your luck isn't terrible enough to get shot in an unprotected area, or you don't take a direct hit from a cannon, you'll generally be fine."
"If some unlucky bastard really gets blasted by an RPG, I only have one piece of advice: catch the rocket barehanded and throw it right back at those sons of bitches!"
"Hahaha..."
Hearing this, the group's initially tense nerves noticeably relaxed.
To be honest, the thought of potentially engaging in a live-fire shootout with a gang inevitably made some of them a bit nervous.
Who would have thought that people who had never even touched a gun back in their home country would suddenly be thrust into a gunfight? It would be a lie to say they weren't nervous. However, as the elites among the elites of the Wanlong Society, they had their pride. They wouldn't show fear on the surface, nor would they back down.
Now, seeing that the Miss had prepared so much excellent—even slightly absurd—protective gear for them, whatever little tension and worry they had vanished into thin air.
Just the heavy body armor alone had a market value approaching ten thousand dollars. Add in the helmets, vests, and various attachments... the gear each person wore was worth tens of thousands of dollars, making them comparable to human fortresses.
With such thorough preparation, if they still accidentally died, they really could only blame their own terrible luck.
After seeing them change into their gear, Liu Yutong was still a bit uneasy and emphasized her point again.
"Everyone needs to be careful. No matter how good the gear is, you must not act impulsively. Play it safe and stay hidden if you can. Above all, no one is to get hurt. Each of your lives is worth more than anything else."
Yun Cheng and the others felt a warmth in their hearts and replied in unison, "Understood!"
Chu Yang picked up a tactical vest, slipped it on, and stretched his limbs. He sighed with emotion, "This is even better than what I wore back in the military. This level of protection feels like wearing an iron shell."
"That's exactly the effect we want."
Liu Yutong gave her final instructions, "Remember, try to take them alive, especially Zhao Weixiang."
"Yes, Ma'am!" the crowd responded.
About half an hour later, a convoy consisting of multiple patrol cars and SWAT vehicles from the local police department arrived at the perimeter of the cannery. Forty to fifty fully armed officers quickly stepped out and established a perimeter using their vehicles for cover.
Detective Davis once again located the group from the Wanlong Syndicate hiding a short distance away.
When he saw them, he was startled at first, and then couldn't help but mutter "Good lord!" a few times.
The twenty or so people standing before him were almost uniformly dressed in pure black heavy body armor and tactical helmets... This gear was clearly not civilian-grade.
It was leagues better than what he was wearing.
If he hadn't recognized Liu Yutong, he would have instantly drawn his weapon and called for SWAT backup. Were these guys some top-tier mercenaries or what?
Chu Yang turned his head, the dark goggles on his helmet making him look like a Terminator.
"Detective Davis, we are ready on our end. We can coordinate with your operation at any moment."
Davis: "..."
He looked over the group's equipment once more, finally unable to hold back as he spoke in a rather sour tone.
"Buddy, we're just taking down a street gang. You guys are geared up like you're going to war with aliens. Is this really necessary?"
