Chapter 261: Million-Dollar Evacuation
Lin Wei understood perfectly.
These kinds of "black cards" used to circumvent regulatory oversight weren't hard to obtain through specific channels.
The catch was that these cards couldn't make phone calls;
they had no phone number, but they did have data. For Su Zhan, that was enough.
She quickly went out and soon returned with a brand-new, budget-friendly phone and an already activated data card.
Su Zhan took the phone, inserted the card, and powered it on.
The long-unseen network connection screen gave him a feeling of being transported to another era.
He swiftly opened a map app and a news app, starting to confirm his current location and information.
Lincheng.
A major industrial city in the northern part of Daxia.
Meanwhile, Vermilion Bird Academy, and the people from his memory like Wang Mingyuan, Ye Hongyu, and Liu Ziming, were all in the southern part of Daxia. They were worlds apart, separated by far more than a thousand miles.
This distance gave him a slight sense of relief, reducing the risk of being recognized by acquaintances.
Next, it was time to solve the most pressing issue: funds.
Using the phone, Su Zhan began searching for information on mid-level officials within Lincheng's government institutions.
These positions were neither too high nor too low. They held a certain degree of real power and opportunities for illicit gains, yet unlike high-ranking officials, they weren't as heavily guarded and were easier to overlook.
He focused particularly on officials who had recently appeared in news reports or public government information, whose home addresses might be indirectly inferred.
By cross-referencing snippets of information from real estate forums and social media, he initially filtered out several targets who likely had substantial illicit gains and whose residences were relatively easy to infiltrate.
During the day, he had Lin Wei go to scout the areas near these target residential complexes. She was to confirm the specific buildings and units, and observe the presence of security guards, camera distribution, and other details.
Su Zhan himself familiarized himself with the surrounding environment in advance, planning infiltration and escape routes.
The first target was locked onto an official surnamed Chen from the Urban Construction Department.
According to the information, he lived in a somewhat older, upscale residential community.
Late at night, at 2 AM.
Su Zhan changed into dark-colored clothes, put on an ordinary baseball cap and mask that Lin Wei had temporarily found for him, and silently arrived at the target community.
Avoiding the surveillance cameras at the main entrance, he chose a section of the wall that was relatively low.
A running start, a step up, and he vaulted over.
The movements were clean and efficient, landing without a sound.
Based on the daytime observations, he avoided several cameras within the community, used cover for concealment, and arrived at the building where the target lived.
The access control on the building's entrance was an old-fashioned coded lock.
Su Zhan extended his index finger. An extremely wispy strand of Mist Energy seeped from his fingertip, slowly worming its way into the gaps of the coded lock.
"Zizi..."
A faint, almost inaudible sound arose.
One minute later.
"Click."
The lock core of the access control had been quietly corroded and damaged. The door opened with a gentle pull.
Su Zhan reached the floor where the target lived.
The security door at the entrance was even sturdier.
Su Zhan employed the same method again, channeling Mist Energy once more to infiltrate the keyhole of the security door.
This time it took a little longer, but the effect was the same.
The internal structure of the lock core was corroded and destroyed, rendering the lock useless.
Su Zhan slipped inside and gently pulled the door closed behind him.
The interior was pitch black and utterly silent.
The sound of the homeowner's deep, sleeping snores came from the bedroom.
Su Zhan didn't turn on the lights, quickly beginning his search.
His targets were clear: cash, valuable and easily liquidated jewelry, gold bars, and the like.
Soon, behind a bookshelf in the study, he discovered a small, built-in safe.
This kind of household safe was very secure for ordinary people, but for Su Zhan...