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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 122: Cross-Border Pursuit 6
At 21:40, the Coastal Task Force discovered that the two suspects, Li Derli and Nie Qifeng, had disappeared for ten hours. Based on the phone number associated with the search for Golden Treasure, one number was traced heading towards the Suzhou and Hangzhou expressway, while another was linked to Jinhushi. The interdepartmental dispatch of highway conditions revealed only a dense flow of traffic, making it impossible to pinpoint their location. Moreover, the mobile phone on the highway vanished after a single use.
The task force concluded that the individuals connected to this stolen property must have moved.
At 21:50, Lin Qizhao reported on the case situation to the Provincial Department. By this time, the Toy Store had nearly finished clearing out the stolen goods. Preliminary estimates valued the stolen items—watches, handbags, antiques, and jewelry—at over thirty million yuan. With two major theft cases occurring in one day and intricate connections between them, the Provincial Department directly assigned a deputy director along with a supervisory team to head to the scene.
At 22:00, at the Provincial SWAT Training Center, engines roared and firearms were retrieved as dozens of fully armed SWAT members boarded vehicles. Five armored transport vehicles departed urgently for Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Considering the circumstances of the crime, it was unlikely that a large quantity of stolen goods could be easily transported away; they might still be hidden or lingering in nearby cities. The phone number that had vanished on the highway was deemed the most suspicious.
At 22:20, a taxi slowly drove past Commercial Road. The passenger inside scanned for familiar sights in the direction of the Toy Store. As it came into view, his heart sank.
In the darkness, shadows loomed ominously. Despite efforts to conceal their activities, a keen-sensed suspect could tell something was amiss. Cars came and went, with people exchanging furtive glances before departing; yet in that darkened area, not a single light was turned on.
The taxi passed by without stopping and took a detour. Not far away, Li Derli was already sweating profusely from fear. Wiping his brow—uncertain if it was rain or sweat—he trembled as he asked, “What... what’s going on? This isn’t how things are done on the street.”
If it were street thugs, they would have cleaned up and fled long ago; clearly, this was an ambush.
“I thought Old Cripple wanted to pull a black-on-black operation; it seems I was wrong,” Nie Qifeng said in terror.
“Then Jinbao must have been caught,” Li Derli replied nervously. He urged Nie Qifeng, “Niezi, let’s get out of here... It’s over; if we’re seen now, we’ll never come back.”
“We’ve already been seen! Do you really think we can leave safely? What’s going on... why is Big Gourd trying to rob Golden Treasure’s wife? He said it was this group that attacked; how did it turn into police involvement... Could it be?” Nie Qifeng furrowed his brow.
Then both men blurted out simultaneously: “Xiao Mu?”
Those two gourd figures only obeyed two people; if it wasn’t Old Cripple, then it had to be Xiao Mu.
"Is he one of the police?" Li Derli thought a thousand times that it couldn't be true.
"If he were really one of the police, it wouldn't just be us in trouble," Nie Qifeng said. For some reason, this person now sent a chill down his spine. He organized his thoughts and said, "Quick, notify Rong Wu to get ready. If it comes to it, we’ll leave tonight. Don't worry about the money... we need to wait for Old Cripple's news."
"What news are we waiting for? The boat is already prepared," Li Derli said awkwardly.
"Stop talking nonsense. I need to figure out what's going on here. We have to think about our families; you wouldn't want us all to die together, would you?" Nie Qifeng replied, forcefully dragging the weak-legged Li Derli to a secluded spot to avoid the rain. Once there, Li Derli steadied himself and called Old Cripple. After a long inquiry, he spoke in a low voice, "Xiao Mu orchestrated the Golden Treasure incident and was caught by Striped Uniform. He's on his way here now; Xiao Mu and Big Gourd are meeting up. Damn it, we need to eliminate this disaster star, or we'll all be finished."
Niezi angrily pulled Li Derli toward their parked car. Inside, he wedged the phone between his head and shoulder while asking for directions, checking his weapons with his hands. The sound of loading Insurance made Li Derli's back tingle with unease.
...
At 9:40 PM, an ordinary Volkswagen approached Cangji Village from the north. The rain blurred visibility, and the lights were dim. Where the headlights shone was littered with garbage and construction debris. Further north stood an unfinished building, a place where Xiao Bei rallied the local ruffians upon returning from Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Inside the car, Guo Wei's hands trembled slightly as they arrived. Shen Lingchen signaled him to stop and turned to Xiao Mu, asking, "Mu, this isn't a game; are you sure you want to go?"
Xiao Mu was looking at several printed pages illuminated by his phone light. He pressed the phone's flashlight and said, "From your perspective, you can't understand their destructive power nor sympathize with their plight. If these people are incited, you'll hesitate to act against them, and in the end, it will be them who suffer."
"They're just a bunch of local thugs," Shen Lingchen replied dismissively. Those people were at most cannon fodder and spies.
"Yes, those without property can be categorized like that. The effects of pulling someone in or pushing them away are vastly different. This is my mistake; I didn't expect Old Cripple to show up so soon," Xiao Mu admitted.
"What if they're prepared? Can you handle it?" Guo Wei asked.
"The phone number shows he's still at Golden Lake. There's a time gap right now; as long as we can take advantage of this time gap, he'll be isolated," Xiao Mu explained.
"There are still people lurking in the shadows, possibly Nie Qifeng. He's a retired martial artist with a history of violence. He likely plays the role of a killer in this gang," Shen Lingchen said.
"They treat these people as if they are nothing, just like you do. They have no right to speak in front of them," Xiao Mu remarked, noticing Guo Wei and Shen Lingchen hesitating. He urged, "Sometimes lending a hand or giving someone a ride can lead to miracles... Old Shen, just like when you carried me out of the cemetery. I always wanted to stay out of it, but I couldn't convince myself. I know you have your flaws, but you're a good person... There are no born bad people; if there are, it's due to society's injustices, people's indifference, disdain, and irresponsibility that push them into a world against society. Would you want to see more Mourning Hairs, Widow Mas, and Old Cripples among these people years later?"
Shen Lingchen took a deep breath and stopped arguing. He commanded, "Drive."
As the car approached its destination, Xiao Mu got out and walked. At that moment, Guo Wei saw him as a towering figure. He leaned out of the window and shouted, "Hey, I want to tell you something. Guess what it is?"
"You look down on me in your heart, but now you're quite impressed, right? There's really no need for that; I'm not doing this for the police," Xiao Mu replied without turning back.
"You finally guessed wrong this time. What I wanted to tell you is that I can sense Yi Qing likes you a bit. Don't get into trouble; otherwise, I'll be left without a rival and will be very disappointed," Guo Wei confessed after holding it in for so long.
"Foolish Striped Uniform, your perspective is too narrow; she won't like you," Xiao Mu scoffed as he swaggered away with an air of confidence that made Guo Wei feel somewhat impressed. He turned back to Shen Lingchen and said, "Coming out of the Mental Hospital is different; he's got such thick skin."
"It is different; he's thinking about saving people while you're thinking about women," Shen Lingchen retorted angrily as he drew his gun, unloaded the magazine for inspection, chambered a round, turned off the lights, and stealthily approached like a raccoon.
The Iron Bars' defenses had already been kicked open. As Xiao Mu walked through the rain-soaked ground, he could guess how many people had come by the muddy footprints—probably quite a few. When he stepped into the ventilated floor supported only by concrete, he was slightly taken aback. Several piles of fire burned on the ground; around fifty or sixty people were gathered—some warming themselves by the fire, some smoking, others lined up taking swigs of cheap liquor. The moment he entered, they all stood up in unison.
He saw several pairs of terrifying eyes filled with hatred and others with complex expressions—some bore pity while most were filled with suspicion and scrutiny. He understood that in this forgotten corner of society, they would despise anything resembling rules and reject all forms of civilization; there was only one naked law: survival.
Anyone threatening their survival was an enemy—even if they had been brothers just moments before.
Big Gourd and Erhu Lu had bloodshot eyes—half from anger and half from drink—and they stood furiously in front of Xiao Mu with a group behind them surrounding him. Xiao Mu calmly asked, "What do you want?"
"Lame Brother said you're a damn police spy," Big Gourd seethed with rage; his hatred for the police ran deep.
"Golden Treasure is Lame Brother's brother. Did you stab him in the back and hand him over to the police?" Erhu Lu added angrily.
The two gourds finally realized that they had unwittingly become the pawns of the police, which was utterly intolerable.
Xiao Mu remained silent as the crowd of ruffians grew increasingly boisterous. Someone shouted, "No wonder you always come out unscathed!" Another yelled, "Break him!" A third voice roared, "Kneel down! Damn it, I’ve had to kneel every time I go to the station." Someone else chimed in, "I hate the police more than anything!"
Many others looked at Xiao Mu with pity, unable to bear the sight.
Big Gourd raised a hand, silencing the crowd. They had to admit that Old Cripple had a good eye; he had picked these two who couldn’t even count their money. With a serious tone, he said, "Brother Mu, we all consider you a brother, a big brother... Today I just want to ask you one thing: Are you really a spy sent by the police to betray Lame Brother and the others?"
Xiao Mu replied calmly, "And what do you plan to do about it? Break me?"
"I..." Big Gourd gritted his teeth but soon found himself unable to speak harshly.
Erhu Lu, emboldened by alcohol, said, "We’ll hand you over to Lame Brother. Today we’ll take down the police anyway; it’s not like we can’t handle a little trouble."
"Bah!" Xiao Mu suddenly spat at Erhu Lu's face. Erhu Lu froze for a moment before drawing his knife in anger. But Xiao Mu's expression remained stern; he didn’t flinch. Erhu Lu was taken aback and couldn’t bring himself to attack. Instead, he handed the knife to Big Gourd and said, "You take it."
"Let’s wait for Lame Brother," Big Gourd also hesitated.
"Bah!" Xiao Mu spat at Big Gourd and glared at him. With a booming voice, he shouted, "Everyone stand straight! Want to know what’s going on? Then perk up your ears and listen... I’m talking to you—stand straight! If you want to break me, come on! Let’s see if I blink!"
Months of accumulated authority erupted in that moment. Those who had benefited from him finally remembered that Wood Master had once been a boss and Brother Mu had once been a big brother. The instinctive reaction made everyone straighten up and look at Xiao Mu.
"I’ll say a few things. If you brothers think I deserve to die, then I’ll end it myself." Xiao Mu’s voice softened as he raised a hand and pointed. "First thing: Mourning Hair has millions in assets; Widow Ma has dozens of cars; Lame Brother’s private properties are probably astronomical... What do we get for serving our big brother? Just this worthless life of mine that I have to carry into jail myself? And when I try to get some money from Big Head, I still have to pay him back? I have no regrets about how I've treated you all. You wouldn’t be so blind as to not see this, would you? Who’s living well with Lame Brother and who’s eating well with me?"
The simplest question of survival extinguished half of the crowd's anger. Some hesitated while one person with a fierce glint in his eyes said, "But you’re definitely a cop."
"Wrong! I'm not! But I have done some work for the police," Xiao Mu replied. The crowd murmured in surprise and began to stir again when Xiao Mu shouted louder, pulling something from his pocket and raising it high. "The reason is right here! Take a look for yourselves—who are all these people locked up in prison? Big Gourd, take a look first; see if you recognize anyone."
A stack of suspect photos lay before them, a powerful weapon indeed. Just moments ago, Lin Qizhao had retrieved them from the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Police. Big Gourd's expression changed dramatically as he muttered, "Damn, isn't that the Two-bit Kid? I thought he was living it up."
"This... this one is Old Miao."
"Damn, when did that idiot get locked up?"
"Tsk, if Panzi is in there, none of us can escape."
"Hey, when did my brother go in... No wonder he hasn't come to find me."
"Your real brother?"
"No, my cousin. He’s been with Master Pan for two years now..."
All the suspects were linked to the Panzi case, and according to the rules of serving time based on the crime location, they would be sent to different places to serve their sentences—some light, some heavy. The only commonality was that many hailed from this area.
Big Gourd's grip on the photos faltered as despair washed over him; the myth they once believed in had crumbled. With a pained expression, he asked, "Bro, what’s going on?"
"This is all Lame Brother's doing. We work for him while he sells us out. Panzi is the ringleader; he recruits a bunch of thieves to steal for him. Once they get caught by the police, he just finds another batch... What are we? Not even as valuable as a stray dog; a good meal and they take our lives. When we fall, no one cares about our fate... Damn it, is this what you call loyalty?" Xiao Mu was furious, raising his hand as if giving a speech. Trained in the ways of a Pyramid Scheme gang, he stirred feelings of sorrow among dozens of people, resentment quietly growing.
"Big Gourd, let me ask you something: have I ever betrayed you?" Xiao Mu questioned.
Big Gourd's eyes reddened as he shook his head.
"Then why the hell do you want to live like a dog on your belly? Letting anyone spit on you or hit you whenever they want?" Xiao Mu pressed on, turning to Erhu Lu and asking, "Second Brother, tell me—have I ever taken your money? Have I ever led you into trouble?"
Erhu Lu shook his head vigorously—no, never.
"Are you still planning to stab me with a knife? If I get rich, I'll share with you. If no one cares, I'll take you with me. If there's food, I'll make sure you two eat first. Did you ever think to ask Old Cripple where he was when the police were everywhere arresting people? Where was he when Brothers were homeless and dressed in rags? Golden Dog drives a nice car, lives in a big house, and has a beautiful wife... Damn it, how can we, who don't even have a doghouse, talk about loyalty? I spit!" Xiao Mu shouted angrily.
Hearing this, Erhu Lu was filled with sorrow and tears streamed down his face as he said, "Brother, I was wrong. We misunderstood you."
"Brother, don't say anymore. We'll listen to you," Big Gourd said, tears flowing down his cheeks. The days they had endured together were more convincing than anything else.
The good deeds sown in times of crisis bore fruit. Xiao Mu closed his eyes, suppressing the excitement within him, and declared loudly, "I know Old Cripple wishes he could swallow me whole right now. I also know he must have planted spies among you... No matter who leaked the information, I'm standing here openly saying that from today on, I want to walk out with my Brothers who treat me like a brother, standing tall and proud as men, not as livestock or dogs for that big brother... Even if we have worthless lives, we want to die on our own terms... Trust me and come with me now."
As Xiao Mu raised his hand, the suppressed personalities of the group were stirred up and unleashed without restraint. Big Gourd shouted to move; Erhu Lu joined in; a crowd from Culinary School echoed the call. One led ten, ten led dozens, following behind Xiao Mu as they boldly stepped into the rain.
Shen Lingchen, who had climbed up the building, was stunned by this scene. For some reason, he felt his heart lose its composure. The words that cut like knives resonated deeply within him. He watched a long line of people leaving the construction site area and let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, bang... A gunshot shattered the tranquility of the rainy night.
Shen Lingchen's heart raced as he jumped straight down from the second floor and rushed toward the exit.
Bang... A second gunshot rang out; he pinpointed the direction and dashed out toward where the spark had flashed, firing several shots in quick succession.
Someone fell down; chaos erupted among the crowd as people shouted for their big brother—Wood Master! Wood Master!—and quickly gathered around.
Guo Wei turned on the headlights and steered toward the gunfire's location—a recently demolished wall. A shadow flickered by; Shen Lingchen instinctively ducked as bullets rang out from behind him. He raised his gun to return fire.
Bang… Bang… Bang… The sound of gunfire was relentless.
Xiao Mu felt weak as a tearing pain shot through his abdomen; blood covered his hand when he touched it. Just as he shouted out, he realized there was someone beneath him. He pulled at them as several hands grasped him. Big Gourd gasped in shock and exclaimed, "Erhu... Erhu... Gourd, what are you doing?"
"I... I... I'm in pain," Erhu Lu cried out suddenly.
"He's been shot! Quickly, lay him flat!" Xiao Mu shouted.
"It hurts... it hurts," Erhu Lu said, lying in the rain-soaked mud, his expression one of agony, his voice growing weaker.
Xiao Mu's tears flowed like a river as he gently touched his chubby face, pleading, "Don't fall asleep... talk to me... call 120, get an ambulance... Erhu Lu, Erhu Lu... wake up..."
After a couple of cries, Erhu Lu seemed to have exhausted all his strength and fell silent. Someone shone a phone light on the bullet wounds in his abdomen and chest, blood flowing steadily. The rain washed over his face, which was visibly paling from blood loss. Xiao Mu couldn't help but cry out in despair, futilely trying to cover the bullet hole on Erhu Lu's chest with his hands, repeatedly calling out his name in heart-wrenching anguish. But he could no longer summon back the life that was slipping away like blood...
The sounds of gunfire, rain, shouting, and crying echoed painfully.
Two kilometers away, the hidden Undercover team moved at Guo Wei's command to encircle the area.
Shen Lingchen chased while fighting; the shooter aimed at Xiao Mu, desperate to silence him.
At that moment, something even more terrifying happened. He heard Xiao Mu's heart-wrenching roar demanding revenge. Turning around, he saw a chaotic mob picking up bricks and cement as weapons, surging forward like a dark tide in the night—like wind, like waves, like arrows—charging toward the fleeing shooter.
Bang... A gunshot rang out, and the first shadow fell.
A howl erupted as those people rushed forward, instantly overwhelming the shooter...
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