Huo Qi’s head turned slightly, his tone crisp. "Report."
"We located four students matching the robotics club roster, two males, and two females, in the east dorm laundry storage. They’re unconscious. No visible injuries, but there’s a faint chemical scent in the room, possibly chloroform or so kind of sedative."
The room stilled. A few of the technicians exchanged uneasy looks.
"Secure the periter," Huo Qi ordered imdiately. " No one leaves that floor until I arrive."
He was already moving, long strides echoing against the tiled floor. The officers standing by the door straightened sharply as he passed, falling in step behind him. The corridors outside were crowded, students huddled in lines, teachers speaking in hushed tones, guards moving with quiet precision.
By the ti Huo Qi reached the east dorms, the morning light had fully crept in through the high windows, painting the hallway in pale gold. The door to the storage room was already open, guarded by two ard officers.
Inside, the air was heavy with the sharp, sterile tang of chemicals. Four students lay on the floor, propped against the wall, still in their uniforms, masks discarded nearby.
Huo Qi crouched beside them, studying their faces one by one. They were pale, breathing shallow but steady. On closer inspection, each had a faint red mark at the base of the neck, needle injection points.
"Check for ID cards," he said.
One of the officers stepped forward, collecting the student cards clipped to their blazers. "All genuine, sir. No sign of tampering."
Huo Qi’s expression remained unreadable. "Get a dical team in here. I want full toxicology screenings and vitals before they’re moved. And seal off this area. No one touches the evidence."
He stood, glancing around the cramped storage space, the overturned mop bucket, the scattered rags, and a small, open bottle half-hidden under a pile of uniforms. He reached for it.
The label was smudged but still legible: Ethyl Chloride.
"A sedative compound," he murmured under his breath. " Quick-acting and wears off in under an hour."
One of the guards shifted nervously. "You think they were frad, sir?"
Huo Qi didn’t answer. His gaze flicked to the discarded masks on the ground, the dragon one in particular, its surface scratched near the eyehole. He picked it up carefully, turning it in his hand.
Inside the mask’s lining was a thin wire, tucked deep into the foam. A transmitter, cut clean.
His jaw tightened. "Whoever did this wanted us to find them like this."
He stepped back, tapping his earpiece. "Central command, mark four robotics students, unconscious, alive. Send dical support. Prepare imdiate transport to Huo Conglorate headquarters for containnt and questioning once they’re stable."
" Yes, sir."
"And round up every student or staff mber who was on or near the rooftop between six and nine this morning. I want them identified, docunted, and brought in as well. Full transport convoy. No exceptions."
He ended the call, turning to the captain beside him. "Pack them up. I want a clean sweep. The rest of the school stays under lockdown until further notice."
"Yes, sir."
Within minutes, the dorm hallway was filled with quiet movent, guards lifting stretchers, others escorting bewildered teachers and frightened students into black transport vans lined outside the courtyard.
From his position near the gate, Huo Qi watched as each van door closed with a hollow thud. His reflection shimred faintly on the tinted glass. Behind it, faces blurred by confusion and fear stared back at him, children, teachers, people who didn’t yet understand what they had been caught inside of.
He checked his watch. 09:10 a.m.
He pressed his earpiece again. "Inform Master Huo. We’re bringing them in."
There was a sudden pause. Then Huo Ting Cheng’s calm voice, firm as ever: "Good. I’ll have the interrogation wing prepared. No one leaves until we know who orchestrated this."
The last van rolled out through the gates, escorted by ard vehicles.
As the convoy disappeared down the road, Huo Qi stood still, the morning sun casting long shadows across the asphalt. The wind carried the faint scent of tal and dust.
He reached into his pocket again, fingertips brushing the folded scrap of paper.
Don’t trust her.
He looked back at the school behind him, silent now, almost peaceful, yet heavy with unanswered questions.
And as the breeze shifted, he muttered softly, more to himself than anyone else....
"...Then who the hell is ’her’?"
— — — —
Huo Ting Cheng stood quietly for a mont in the lounge, his gaze fixed on Tang Fei, who had grown silent again. The faint color had returned to her cheeks, but her body still trembled slightly from the aftershock of what had happened.
He lowered his head a little, brushing his thumb along her wrist, her pulse still too fast than usual "We’re leaving," he said softly, his tone firm but not unkind.
Tang Fei nodded, though her voice barely ca out. "And the children...?"
"They’re safe," he assured her. "Qi has them under watch. Minghao and Qing Xinyu were escorted back to their classes by the guards who escorted them everywhere."
Sothing in her shoulders eased at that, though her fingers still clutched faintly at his sleeve. Huo Ting Cheng didn’t wait for further protest. He slipped an arm beneath her knees and another around her back, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.
"Rest," he murmured, not looking at anyone else as he started toward the door.
Twilight followed silently behind them, her expression composed but her eyes sharp, scanning every shadow they passed.
Outside the lounge, the air was cooler, touched by the faint scent of tal and gun oil. Guards lined the corridor, standing at attention the mont Huo Ting Cheng appeared, their weapons slung tight and ready.
"Secure the place," he ordered as he passed. " Double-check all exits until Team Two reports clearance."
" Yes, sir!"
The school grounds were already crawling with uniford officers. Patrol drones hovered above the periter walls, and black SUVs stood lined in precise rows along the main driveway. Students were being ushered back into the dormitory halls, their frightened murmurs carrying faintly in the wind.
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