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In the long summer days, the scorching sun blazed down from the afternoon until eight in the evening, when the twilight finally began to settle in. Since the highway opened, this stretch of the county road in Zhi Yang Town had seen hardly any pedestrians or vehicles, except for the occasional tricycle or tractor from the countryside. Once in a while, an old Santana or a van would pass by.
Yes, a van. Inside one such van, the man in the co-driver's seat glanced at his watch. It was eight o'clock; the sun was setting, leaving only a faint red glow atop the mountains. As night fell, he muttered in frustration, "What the hell are we doing? We've made eight trips back and forth and haven't seen a damn thing."
Seeing nothing had clearly disappointed them. The vehicle made a U-turn at the incident site and wobbled back along the old Zhitong line.
As they passed a natural village, the van whizzed by.
It was true: while you were admiring the scenery, you too became part of someone else's view.
Ultimately, they were being watched. Lian Qiang had been stationed at a cave entrance all afternoon and managed to capture this van on camera. He settled down with his camera and said to Old Horse, "No doubt about it, it's that damn vehicle. It's made seven or eight trips back and forth this afternoon."
"The counter-surveillance awareness is too high," Ma Fenghuo praised. As soon as police appeared for checks on the road, they would quickly learn the truth.
The driver lay on the ground, chewing on a blade of grass as he added, "We've encountered some skilled players; this isn't something your average rural bandit could pull off."
Indeed, but it was happening right here on this nearly abandoned county road, flanked by dozens of natural villages. Following them was impossible; monitoring them was even less feasible. These people had effectively isolated themselves from police scrutiny with their primitive methods.
"What should we do now, Old Horse? 3326 and Xiao Mu are probably going to face some serious questioning," Lian Qiang said. Thankfully, 3326 had rich experience as an undercover agent and used discreet methods to relay messages from the restroom; otherwise, if they were suddenly pressed for information, any hint of suspicion would have been exposed.
"3326 is a seasoned veteran; he should be fine. I'm just worried that kid won't hold up," Old Horse replied anxiously. The underworld could be so bizarre that even police might not know everything; those cunning individuals were not easy to deal with.
"There shouldn't be any issues; that kid is sharper than us... but who knows? We need something from him, so we’re being polite; he might not be so courteous in return," thought the driver aloud, his words laced with uncertainty.
"Get up... talking like that is useless; it's like letting air out of your ass. Let's go."
Lian Qiang kicked the driver, urging him to get up. Old Horse was transmitting vehicle information while following the two down to the road. When they reached the location where the car was hidden and brought it back up from below, the news from home had already come in.
It was fake—a cloned vehicle, and the motor vehicle information did not match.
At that moment, the task force was enveloped in a tense and anxious atmosphere.
An undercover agent and an informant had both disappeared from sight. Whatever had happened was worrisome.
"Any updates on Lu the Madman?" Ye Tianshu asked.
A Field Team Leader appeared in the conference room, responsible for reporting real-time information. He connected directly to listen to the surveillance report from Field Duty: they were at Chang'an Snack Street, in a Lobster Restaurant. It seemed he had also hooked up with a woman of unknown identity.
Soon after, a photo taken covertly was sent back—a side profile of the man, smiling and raising a glass in celebration with a middle-aged woman.
He looked nothing like someone who was in trouble; at least, it didn’t seem related to what had just happened.
After pondering for a long time, Ye Tianshu felt uncertain and glanced at Fan Wenjie. Fan Wenjie smiled and said, "Since Pyramid Scheme is also about evaluating cadres, I doubt there will be any quick results."
Luo Guanquan and Ye Tianshu both chuckled, but it was merely speculation. What truly happened could only be known by those involved.
Fan Wenjie clearly remained uneasy. He turned to Luo Guanquan and asked, "Director Luo, based on your experience, what do you think will happen?"
"As you said, it's an evaluation... In my experience, as soon as they detect any suspicion, they will immediately sever all ties with the newcomer. Of course, physical punishment is inevitable; perhaps that’s part of the evaluation," Luo Guanquan replied. When nothing went wrong, he appeared deeply concerned; when trouble arose, he seemed rather indifferent.
"Please... don't misunderstand me. I just feel that you seem quite optimistic about this matter," Ye Tianshu asked delicately.
"That's because I don't feel this trip is in vain. The organizational structure and methods of a criminal gang can provide valuable insights for similar case situations... I have a hunch that the pyramid scheme you are dealing with might not be so simple," Luo Guanquan replied. It was a common trait among police officers; the bigger and more complex the case, the more it sparked their professional excitement.
Indeed, it was novel and sensational. When the accomplices dared to impersonate businesses and those providing protection dared to impersonate police, it suggested that this case was serious, possibly involving organized crime or violence.
"Let's eat... We can't rush to conclusions. I'm getting a bit excited too. As long as they don't touch our people, it's fine, but now that they've crossed paths with us, let's see how they hide their tails."
Old Fan said this as he stood up, calling for the two to join him for dinner. Each person had a different perspective on the issue; while Ye Tianshu saw danger, Director Fan likely envisioned the immense rewards that could come after overcoming that danger.
The three of them paused their discussion, each lost in their own thoughts...
As night fell, the summer night scenery in the northern countryside was beyond description. Looking up, the sky was filled with stars, as if they were ready to fall from the deep indigo sky at any moment. Opening the car window, the night breeze carried the fragrance of fresh grass and new wheat, creating an enchanting atmosphere where occasionally a few sparkling fireflies would flit about gracefully.
In this beautiful scene, a strange car parked by the roadside, waiting for a long time before finally starting up. It drove a short distance off the highway and parked in a courtyard hidden by green gauze. Shadows moved in the darkness as several people whispered softly, reporting their lack of findings along the way.
Of course, not finding anything was the best outcome. Among them was one leading figure in police uniform who turned on his emergency lights and handed them to two returning individuals while pointing at the police car parked in the yard.
The two hurriedly got busy; the police car started up, and a small hairdryer was plugged in to draw power. It began blowing hot air onto the vehicle's body. Once heated, the blue striped uniform insignia peeled off easily. The words "Public Security" came off as well. Then several hands reached out to lift off the siren attached to the roof.
In just a moment, a common county police vehicle transformed into an ordinary white van.
The group turned off their lights and entered the house.
The night deepened, thick and impenetrable, shrouding countless stories that concealed the truth.
In a corner of the room, with a bag over his head obscuring his vision and his hands shackled to the iron bars, Xiao Mu had maintained this position for several hours.
A few hours earlier, there had been no movement. The temperature in this place was not high, but it felt damp, presenting him with an entirely new experience. It was like what he had learned in psychology: an environment that is eerily quiet can amplify an individual's sense of fear.
Yes, fear. Being unable to see or hear anything would lead one’s mind to conjure up all sorts of terrifying scenarios, magnifying those fears infinitely within consciousness.
This is why receiving a punch is far less frightening than waiting for the possibility of one at any moment.
Fear originates from within, not from external sources. Xiao Mu tried to remain calm, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not prevent the onslaught of fear. He thought of many things: being beaten? Being brutally assaulted? Even the strongest person would not willingly subject themselves to such torment as a test of willpower.
And Xiao Mu believed that with his delicate skin, he simply could not withstand such cruelty.
What to do? Baldy had warned him; it must be Yang Menglu's doing. Being trapped in such a lightless place, he surmised that they were likely waiting for nightfall to strike. The silence would automatically erode one’s resolve. So he believed these must be fake police; real officers wouldn’t employ such high-level psychological tactics.
But the problem was that while real police might be manageable, fake police were not so easy to deal with.
Being a good person was tough; if they found out you were a traitor, they would surely beat you half to death.
Being a bad person was also difficult; they would test your loyalty and still beat you half to death.
Oh dear, either way, he was bound to get beaten. Damn it all, what was he supposed to do? It felt so unjust to be beaten like this without any recourse. Moreover, he had nothing left to betray; he had already sold out the pyramid scheme. How could he turn around and betray that organization? No way—there was no credibility in that. Betrayal required some evidence; who would believe that he was an undercover agent planted by the police?
After much contemplation, he found himself at an impasse. He thought about using the most cunning tricks to save himself, but none seemed flawless.
Right! Those police officers were no fools either; their method of passing messages through the restroom now seemed too perfect—there were no handles to grasp at all.
Yes, it must be a surprise test, suddenly caught off guard without any warning. At this moment, even the slightest hint of something hidden on him could raise suspicion. And now, with nothing at all on him, it seemed he could only stick to his guns and play the part of a thorough Pyramid Scheme member.
Bang... The sound startled him. He perked up his ears and then heard faint scolding voices, seemingly directed at that Big Mouth character. After that, he heard muffled thuds that made his heart race, reminding him of the common intimidation tactics used by the American Black Society. They would stuff someone in a bag and give them a good beating; by the time they were released, they would likely spend the rest of their lives bedridden.
After a while, he heard Big Head screaming in agony... Oh no, Xiao Mu felt regret wash over him. If he had known that Pyramid Scheme was this ruthless, he would have rather faced a gun than come here. If he ended up getting beaten to the point of being unable to take care of himself, it would truly be a loss beyond measure.
Just then, another person was caught, and it was the scream of Yang Menglu. This left Xiao Mu stunned; he even had a moment of doubt about his judgment. Could it be that there was some sort of law enforcement clash? Or perhaps it was just another Pyramid Scheme member eliminating dissenters, intercepting this delicate Chief Lecturer along the way?
Bang… Bang… The fighting resumed; it seemed like Baldy was starting to face judgment. Xiao Mu couldn't help but envy Baldy's robust physique; for him, getting beaten up was just a way to stretch his muscles. But for Xiao Mu, he couldn't endure such treatment.
Clang! The sound of Iron Bars echoed, sending a shiver down Xiao Mu's spine. It was finally his turn to step up. He recalled a line from a poem:
"I laugh with my sword pointed at the sky; whether I stay or leave is as heavy as Kunlun."
Ah, forget those righteous words; even using the most generous reasoning to motivate himself had no effect. All he felt was an overwhelming urge to urinate and his body trembling uncontrollably…
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