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墨書 Inktalez
Two kilometers from the center of the Blockade Site, at the newly constructed Provincial Construction Four building, police cars were parked as Zhang Quan and Lian Qiang hurriedly ascended the steps.
On the fourth floor, a row of Ma Tuchui's brothers were in trouble. Just after finishing their business, they saw a large number of police cars rushing towards Jin Ke Kaiyue, and they were puzzled. They had only beaten up a few people; was it really necessary to mobilize such a large force? Feeling guilty about their actions, they dared not show their faces. In the end, they couldn’t escape and were surrounded by a team of armed police.
"Officer, we didn't do anything! You can't treat the citizens like this," one of the thugs tried to reason.
The police remained expressionless and ignored him completely.
"Hey, officer, could you at least say something? What exactly did we do wrong?" another thug chimed in.
The guard police still showed no emotion.
Ma Tuchui was furious and shouted, "Ask, ask, ask! What the hell are you staring at in that Striped Uniform? You don't know anything!"
Surprisingly, this provocation caught the attention of one officer, who glared back at him. Who was Ma Tuchui? The Tongguan Overlord! He had been in every station from the precinct to the branch office. He puffed out his chest and challenged the officer, "What are you staring at? If you have the guts, kill me! I’ll scream if you do—it's your fault for messing with me... If you're not brave enough, then stop staring!"
This was quite a character. The officer stepped closer but didn’t lay a hand on him. With an expressionless face, he said, "I could just shoot at the wall and still wouldn’t give birth to a freak like you... Get down."
The officer's words effectively deflated Ma Tuchui’s bravado. He hadn’t expected the police to be so sharp-tongued. Yet he stubbornly refused to comply. Suddenly, several officers approached him to take him away. This terrified Ma Tuchui; he screamed for his brothers to witness what was happening. "Help me! I can’t take care of myself anymore; it’s all because of the police! You have to testify for me later; I’m going to sue them!"
Without giving him a chance to argue further, they dragged him outside. Upon seeing someone approaching, Ma Tuchui was instantly overjoyed and shouted, "Yay! Bald Brother! And this brother too... Oh my god, I didn’t see that coming; your background is so solid!"
The officers listened to their banter as Ma Tuchui relaxed upon recognizing Baldy and another familiar face—clearly allies. But then he noticed that both were smiling at him. Suddenly realizing something was off, he looked around in shock and slapped his forehead in horror. "Oh no! This isn’t just a mistake; I’m blind!"
The two men were definitely police officers. Damn it! This was too frustrating—teaming up with the police? They would surely screw him over! Now genuinely anxious, Ma Tuchui pleaded with Baldy, "Bald Brother, it was all your idea for us to do this! I mean it—I’m just helping the police here; you can’t burn bridges after crossing them!"
"No evidence, no proof, you can't just say whatever you want," Zhang Quan retorted. Ma Tuchui, nearly in tears, replied, "This isn't fair! 'Shameless' is a term used to describe us; do you really want to take that away too?"
"But you were the ones who attacked him," Lian Qiang said, showing a video on his phone to Ma Tuchui. The sight made Ma Tuchui's face twitch; it was brutal. This had to be classified as intentional harm. Lian Qiang put his phone away and continued, "Intentional harm? You could be detained for three to five months for that. Moreover, Tu Shenhao is suspected of serious fraud. You better check if you're involved in this case; it could take one or two years."
"What? I, Ma Tuchui, have always collected debts honestly; I've never committed fraud!" Ma Tuchui insisted, trying to clear his name.
Zhang Quan rolled his eyes and countered, "With your reputation, who would believe you?"
Indeed, with a tarnished name, who would trust him? Ma Tuchui fell silent.
At that moment, the situation began to turn around. Lian Qiang patted him on the shoulder and said, "But remember, you just attacked a suspect involved with Tu Shenhao. So, you have... done a service for the people."
"Ah, right! We are fighting against bad people," Ma Tuchui quickly agreed.
"So, you need to continue helping us fight against them... Hey, where's Boss Tu's warehouse? I haven't seen many of your men around," Zhang Quan asked.
Ma Tuchui dared not speak up. Lian Qiang teased him, "In Tongguan, there’s no debt you can’t recover. Of course, there’s no one you can’t find. Help the Brothers out; see? Cooperation is pleasant when it doesn't involve you."
"This is too ungrateful! If this gets out, it will ruin my reputation! I have sworn never to ally with the police!" Ma Tuchui struggled internally, grinding his teeth in frustration.
Fortunately for him, no police officer dared to collude with him either. Lian Qiang found it amusing while Zhang Quan chuckled and said, "Tuchui, Jin Ke Kaiyue's operation involves millions in this case. It seems you're going to have to tough it out. Alright then, I'll respect your sense of loyalty and protect your reputation... Hey, what about your team?"
It seemed like things were coming to an end when suddenly Ma Tuchui's mental defenses crumbled. He quickly interjected, "Wait! Let's discuss this calmly. The thing I hate most in life is a con artist... I'm also sworn enemies with them. You see... I know the policies well; if you just talk without proof, I can't trust it."
After some haggling, as long as he was safe, Ma Tuchui quickly made a decision and betrayed Tu Shenhao's hideout—he was only looking out for himself. While claiming to be loyal and righteous, he led people straight to Tu Shenhao's lair...
The capture and evacuation occurred almost simultaneously. The operation at Jin Ke Kaiyue, a hub of capital operations, involved six hundred people, while the entire building housed over a thousand. The normal order of the company was disrupted. After the arrests were completed, the identification process began, but the evacuation at the lower levels was still ongoing. The parking lot was cleared, and police and patrol cars surrounded the area; it seemed they were going to requisition this place.
At 5:45 PM, news came from the Provincial Task Force that one person had been missed: He Yuguo, the Vice President of Wei Heng Commerce.
With such tight security, missing someone was unacceptable. The higher-ups issued stern warnings, demanding a thorough search for the individual. Those reviewing surveillance footage were searching, as were those setting up checkpoints, along with a SWAT team tracing the escape route of this elusive person. They quickly discovered that there was an elevator from the 25th floor leading directly to the rooftop. On the other side of the rooftop was a manhole that provided direct access to a safety exit stairway at the back of the building.
It appeared that before the operation commenced, he had gone up to the rooftop and then slipped into the safety exit, blending in with the crowd being evacuated.
The focus shifted to reviewing video footage. After twenty minutes, they finally found a clue—not through visual recognition but via facial recognition software. This individual had somehow transformed into a bald man dressed in cleaning staff attire, mingling with those being evacuated and evading detection. The time was recorded at 5:24 PM, just after passing through the first encirclement.
While police were searching for leads, an intriguing event unfolded: the phone of arrested suspect Zhang Jianqiang, known as Big Mouth, rang. Scout quickly deduced that this might be a call from He Yuguo arranging for his escape. They instructed Zhang Jianqiang to answer while simultaneously pinpointing his location.
Two mobile Field Duty teams swiftly encircled an area 3.7 kilometers from Jin Ke Kaiyue's office building, at a garbage disposal site near a road intersection in the development zone.
With guns drawn and commands shouted, they searched for a moment before spotting He Yuguo, identified as General Manager, trembling as he emerged from a green garbage bin with his hand raised.
The suspected second-in-command had been apprehended. From his hiding place, they recovered several bank cards and a substantial amount of cash; he was merely one step away from escaping, as this location was less than two kilometers from the last checkpoint.
Over a hundred kilometers from Tongguan, outside the province, in Sanmenxia City, on Jiangong Road.
Taking the initiative, Ma Fenghuo led two teams of Field Duty, closely tracking Tu Shenhao's movements. This suspect, with a background as a scout, was quite vigilant. He had been staying in various places for two days, changing locations no less than seven times. The Scout observed that he carried a laptop with him, which was constantly on in the co-driver's seat, seemingly waiting for something.
Based on the emerging information, the task force determined that Tu Shenhao's main criminal activity involved money laundering.
Shell companies, fake transactions, fictitious inflows and outflows of funds—large sums of money collected through cash transfers in Tongguan would be funneled into designated accounts after being settled through various banks. The controller of these accounts was none other than this elusive figure known as Boss Tu from the Pyramid Scheme gang.
At 5 PM, the Tongguan Operation commenced, with local supporting Police Force joining Ma Fenghuo's teams.
The arrest was temporarily postponed; the task force needed to understand what he would do in a crisis. Where would he go? Who would he contact? Or were there any hidden criminal facts yet to be uncovered?
At 5:30 PM, the Scout monitored Tu Shenhao sitting restlessly in a café, making numerous phone calls. It was clear he could not sit still. Many of these calls were connected back to Tongguan—some to banks, some to property management, and even to the police station. Such a large operation could not be concealed for long; he sensed danger and began to leave.
The clues left behind could be followed up by Tongguan.
At 5:40 PM, Tu Shenhao made his last call to a guest at the local Hailian Grand Hotel before destroying his phone and disappearing from Signal.
The arrest order was immediately issued.
At 5:50 PM, Boss Tu's conspicuous Lingzhi sped down Jiangong Road, heading straight for the Yellow River Bridge. After crossing the bridge and leaving the province, he drove at high speed onto the bridge but soon found himself cursing under his breath.
Check the vehicle.
Ahead was an endless line of large trucks; as traffic slowed down, more trucks continued to arrive from behind. The four lanes were squeezed so tightly that there was hardly any space left. Just as he cursed again, his car was surrounded. The waiting Field Duty team had him under control; it was nearly an impossible situation to escape from, leaving no chance for resistance whatsoever.
In the car's computer, information related to the financial dealings of Tongguan Wei Heng Business was found. Indeed, this person was waiting for settlement.
At the same time, action was taking place at Hailian Grand Hotel. When the police burst in, the staff from the company renting the hotel room were preparing to transfer accounts, doing so thoroughly, even dismantling the computer hard drives.
At the moment Tu Shenhao was captured, Zhang Quan, Lian Qiang, and Ma Tuchui were rushing towards Tongguan City Longfa Building Materials Market. No one expected that one of Tu Shenhao's hidden hideouts would be located in a building materials market completely unrelated to his business. Lian Qiang found it hard to believe this lead and kept probing for information. Ma Tuchui was not pleased and openly declared, "Are you looking down on me, brother? Let me tell you, when I speak, it's as solid as a nail. If I get it wrong, I'll spit it out and lick it back up—do you believe that?"
Zhang Quan handed his phone to Lian Qiang. Upon seeing the information, Lian Qiang frowned. Tu Shenhao's last known location matched with what Ma Tuchui had provided: it was at Taolin Road North Section Building Materials Market.
Lian Qiang smiled as he put away his phone. Ma Tuchui was eyeing him suspiciously and asked with a grin, "Brother Tuchui... how did you know about his hideout?"
"Tongguan is such a small place; it's filled with local thugs and ruffians. You can't possibly not know them—it's easier than knowing you police officers," Ma Tuchui replied. He continued, explaining that there are always new faces among the local troublemakers; they come and go like seasons. As for scoundrels, they cluster together; if one group becomes uncomfortable, they simply move to another. So as long as you ask locals, how could he not know? He had been hanging around these streets for twenty years now; several police chiefs had come and gone during that time.
Zhang Quan and Lian Qiang couldn't help but laugh. This guy had no idea how many cases he was involved in, but he was the type who made small mistakes without committing any major crimes—probably a headache for the local police district. Of course, today he would prove useful. As they approached the building materials market, Ma Tuchui lowered his voice and said that he couldn't go inside. It was one thing for an informant to have minor issues; losing his job and being looked down upon by his brothers on the street was a big deal. If they wanted to survive in this world, they had to maintain some reputation.
Once this minimum requirement was met, Ma Tuchui finally revealed that there were six or seven people inside who didn’t seem to be doing anything specific. There was one guy named Nao Dan who owed him money. When he went looking for trouble, his boss stopped him from going in. He thought there might be something wrong with that place... "Don't ask me who my boss is; I won't tell you even if you beat me."
Zhang Quan had no interest in dealing with the usury boss. He got out of the car and directly cuffed Ma Tuchui inside before leading a four-man team into a designated Yanxiang Tile Store. There was only one staff member inside who they quickly subdued. The storage area turned out to be just as Ma Tuchui described: in the basement. When Field Duty rushed in, several men were dismantling machines and packing things up. These individuals posed little resistance and were easily dealt with.
What Zhang Quan and his team discovered left them astonished: a speed printer and piles of professional materials related to pyramid schemes of considerable quality—color-printed pages comparable to advertisements—and among the items being packed away were recording equipment. This guy could probably handle even simple video production without any trouble.
At 6:10 PM, Tu Shenhao's last hideout was sealed off, and investigations at both the scene and his company's residence began.
At that moment, Zhang Quan, already overwhelmed with work, received a new order to escort the team returning from Sanmenxia. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered that he had left Xiao Mu behind at the scene and turned back to pick him up.
As for Ma Tuchui, after a round of threats, he was released. No one expected this kind of scum to be reformed.
That guy was full of gratitude, spouting nonsense about turning over a new leaf and becoming a better person, before jumping out of the car and running off…
After about an hour of chaos at Jin Ke Kaiyue, things gradually began to restore order.
The Provincial Task Force provided accurate descriptions of the suspects, making it easy to apprehend them. However, the most challenging aspect was dealing with those involved in the Pyramid Scheme. Unlike previous participants, these individuals came from wealthy backgrounds and many had driven themselves there. When suddenly detained, their initial nervousness quickly turned into agitation.
The first group was brought down, and after one person started arguing, chaos erupted as they began to push against the police barricade.
“What? Why are you arresting us… spit!”
“Why are you searching us? Why are you confiscating our IDs… I spit! Who are you trying to scare?”
“Come on, shoot me!”
One person shouted, and ten responded. Dozens joined in the uproar. The inexperienced officers hesitated under the pressure, causing the crowd to become even more unruly. They surged toward the barricade, knocking several officers to the ground—some were stomped on, others had their hats kicked off or were spat upon. In an instant, it looked as if the police had been overwhelmed.
As chaos ensued, it only grew larger. Those outside rushed back while those inside pushed forward. The leading men shouted: “Charge out! They won’t dare do anything to us… Charge!”
With their dreams of wealth shattered, their pent-up anger ignited like a wildfire. A group surged forward like a torrent, breaking through the first line of defense. As Zhang Quan and Lian Qiang drove up, they witnessed this scene unfold. The car screeched to a halt in front of the crowd. Zhang Quan pulled Lian Qiang’s sidearm from its holster in a panic. Lian Qiang shouted in fear, “Hey! 3326, watch your approach!”
"Attention my ass, when things get chaotic, no one can stop it."
Zhang Quan strode forward, firing two shots into the air. The crowd instantly seemed to be blocked, and as the leading charge began to falter, he shouted, "Shoot at me... damn it."
The rough men from the northwest showed no fear. Without hesitation, Zhang Quan stepped up and grabbed one of the brutes, kicking him several meters away with a loud thud. He bellowed, "Cuff them... anyone leading the charge against the blockade, cuff them all."
Several police officers rushed in and subdued the leader. One tough guy intimidated the rest; once the leader was cuffed, several defiant ones fell under Zhang Quan's merciless elbow strikes and knee blows. Zhang Quan advanced step by step toward the crowd, his gun raised high toward the sky, his expression fierce as he shouted, "The police will not aim their guns at you because you are deceived crowds, not suspects... do not make another mistake."
As he moved forward, the crowd slowly began to retreat. The pressure from one person could create such an overwhelming force that it gradually pushed back the chaos until it faded into nothingness.
Xiao Mu watched from inside the car. At that moment, he felt a surge of excitement. Understanding the essence of dark phenomena deeply, he had always rejected anything lofty in life. But at this moment, he thought there was no better display of idealism than this. He saw the chaotic crowd retreating back to the parking lot. He saw Zhang Quan, standing like an enraged deity on the trampled blockade line, order swiftly restoring.
Because his position was the final bottom line; no one dared to cross it again...
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