Xue Hai Wuya rose abruptly, his face serious but calm, giving clear and methodical orders, "Notify Teams Three and Four to provide immediate support. Also, inform the Security Bureau colleagues to come on board right away." The female officer replied swiftly, "We've already sent the message, but the earliest we can expect support is half an hour." Xue Hai continued, "Now, notify the nearby Security Bureau offices to dispatch officers for assistance." The officer nodded, her expression anxious, "We're following all your established procedures, but as you know, regular officers can only provide limited containment—they're good at holding the line but not much more." Bullets still posed a threat to Level 3 and below spiritual practitioners, but the border's evil professionals weren't acting alone; they operated with established criminal networks. These networks delivered far more intense firepower than the regular officers could muster. Xue Hai said firmly, "All the measures we can deploy have been implemented. From here on, we'll have to rely on luck. Go out and tell them to carry on as usual." The officer bit her lip and then nodded before stepping away. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her silhouette, then turned to Xue Hai Wuyi and asked, "What's happened?" Xue Hai Wuyi had already regained composure and spoke calmly, "A few days ago, we received intelligence from a source indicating that a group of drug traffickers based overseas are planning to cross the border soon to conduct transactions with local criminal elements. We've been monitoring them for three days and are now carrying out the arrest tonight. The Pursuit Officers must have encountered a ambush or a strong resistance—their opponents appear to have signal-blocking capabilities." The Queen frowned slightly, "That sounds quite risky." Xue Hai Wuyi smiled with a touch of resignation, "It's quite common. Once you get used to it, it becomes routine—on the border, every operation carries the risk of casualties. What can we do? We can't just watch as they keep bringing in batches of drugs and steadily eroding our population." "Having said that, he stood up and said, "I'm sorry, I need to go out and stabilize the situation. Do you have accommodations? If not, I'll arrange something—though we can only provide lodging at the police station dormitory. Our budget is limited, so we can't afford luxury hotels." The third team captain's mind had already drifted away; though he spoke of routine, routine didn't mean it wasn't urgent. With the current crisis facing the branch, he felt uneasy and restless. Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "South Ming City doesn't even have any five-star hotels that stand out." He then smoothed his expression and added, "Could you please compile a summary of the incident reports and let me know the addresses where the arrests took place? If time permits…" He checked his phone. "I might be able to rescue your officers." Xue Hai, standing still, paused, then brightened with relief. "That would be wonderful—just a moment, I'll go retrieve the materials right away." The colleagues from Songhai are no ordinary force—especially this captain, who has an unremarkable appearance. To be entrusted with a cross-province manhunt for fugitives, he must be quite capable. I’d guess he’s either a Level 3 Scout or a Wood Spirit. Immediately, he strode out of the reception room, returning just a few seconds later with a stack of documents. By then, Xuehai Wuyan had completely lost his composure and spoke urgently, "The leaders and key members of the drug syndicate are all here. The executive officer’s personal information is also included. The address is Sanban Village, Chongshui County. I’ll have someone drive you there right away. It’s like saving lives in a fire—we’re acting now. If you don’t have any urgent matters, let’s go right now." He handed the documents to Zhang Yuanqing and bowed, "Thank you so much!" As for the executive officer’s documents—ah, that’s thoughtful, to prevent us from mistakenly identifying someone and possibly injuring a teammate. Zhang Yuanqing took the documents and politely declined, "We have our own vehicles." "With that, he led Xie Lingxi and the others out of the police headquarters, and they got into the cars. As the vehicle started up and sped off, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone, opened the mapping app, and said, "I've assigned you a task—go take a closer look at Nancheng City, get a feel for its overall condition, and see if it's really as chaotic as they claim. I'll go rescue people." Xie Lingxi nodded firmly. "Brother, be careful." "It's they who need to be careful," Zhang Yuanqing said, tapping his finger once, and the gesture dissolved into starlight. "The plump, broad-shouldered Xue Hai You Ya shook his head: 'The third-grade officers of Song Hai are all elite—very strong. Of course, we can't rely on them entirely. To pose a real threat to the Pursuer of the Poison, one must be a Saint.' He paused, then sighed, 'We've done our best; I suspect the intelligence provided by our informant is flawed. I think we've been set up.' The female staff member blinked in surprise, 'How didn't you inform them?' 'They're not rookies,' Xue Hai You Ya said, with a sudden, quiet chuckle, 'I'm afraid to mention it—what if they don't take it seriously?' The female staff member echoed his chuckle. ... Chongshui County, Sanba Village. This was once notorious as a hub for drug smuggling in the 1980s, thanks to its proximity to the border, where larger criminal syndicates frequently operated. The residents here, to some extent, all kept illicit goods hidden. They banded together, armed themselves, and formed a zone that even law enforcement dared not easily enter." The criminal syndicate used Sanzaka Village as a base, distributing illicit goods outwards to spread across the entire Baigu Province and eventually nationwide. In the early 1990s, military forces were dispatched to suppress the entrenched criminal elements, eliminating the organized gangs and confiscating the narcotics. With the subsequent economic recovery and sustained anti-crime campaigns, while the drug trade wasn't completely eradicated, most people had found new livelihoods. Yet residual influence remained—everywhere, there were individuals who pursued quick, low-barrier income streams, often at the cost of moral principles and legal compliance. Wang De-fa in the village is one such person. Early in life, he was a petty criminal, lacking stable employment and unwilling to engage in farming, leaving his family's fields largely abandoned. Later, he developed a drug addiction and gradually became an integral part of the drug trafficking syndicate. He built a pig farm near the village, which served as his public-facing business, while in reality, it functioned as a key operational hub for the syndicate, handling transactions and serving as a strategic outpost. The battle took place right at the pig farm. Seven or eight vehicles, reduced to wreckage, were parked outside the farm, several of them still bearing smoky, charred marks. Bodies lay beside the vehicles, bleeding hotly from bullet wounds—official messengers and security officers from the Nanming branch. A total of nine spiritual-level messengers and twelve security officers participated in this operation, but within minutes, half of them fell in the gunfire. The real cause of their deaths was the venom. As long-time officials accustomed to working with spiritual energies, these personnel always carried anti-toxin masks during operations. The extraordinary-grade venom had previously posed no threat to them, but today, an unexpected situation arose: a high-level spiritualist from the drug trafficking group had been involved. His venom was colorless and odorless, entering the body immediately upon contact with the skin, non-lethal but causing profound muscle weakness. Now, the surviving messengers and security officers clung to life, using the vehicles as cover. The poisoned state hasn't worsened because the medium is currently battling the pursuers' steward. "Master Xiao, has the signal been restored?" barked the team leader. "No," replied the young man named Xiao, who wore a respirator mask and was hidden behind the front of another vehicle, operating a computer. "What about the satellite phone?" "The satellite phone's out too—those dogs used unconventional tactics, probably just props. We can't reach the branch office, so we can't report the enemy's situation." Xiao grumbled. "We must have been betrayed by an informant. This transaction is a trap—The Energy Council wants to eliminate the steward." "Even if we report, our branch has no saints. We'd have to call for reinforcements from the neighboring Honglin City, but it's too late." The team leader glanced toward the east of the pig farm and said, "You and your team stay here. I'll go help the steward." "Go on—just go on!" "Wang was furious, saying, 'Are you going to die? What business is it of yours in the Saint's battle? Once the toxicity passes, retreat immediately—this is the rule.' In official circles, subordinates rarely speak to superiors this directly, but at the Nanning City branch, everyone is a brother or sister in life and death. The Nanning City rule is simple: always prioritize preserving strength above all. With the border cities plagued by disorder and evil professions thriving both domestically and internationally, and with poor branch benefits, official travelers have little incentive to come. Staff shortages are a persistent challenge for every border branch. In such circumstances, it's better to lose one than many. Losing one steward allows the headquarters to quickly assign a replacement. If several official travelers perish, the branch will come to a standstill. Headquarters would find it difficult to deploy a large number of official travelers in a short time. This is a choice that must be made.