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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 124: Cross-Border Pursuit 8
Since eleven o'clock, police cars had been continuously gathering at the City Armed Police Hospital. From the operating room to the lobby, armed SWAT teams had set up four checkpoints. The hospital had designated specific rooms and operating theaters for the situation, and several orthopedic surgeons were summoned, rushing directly to the operating room as they got out of the police cars.
After a while, another police car arrived, bringing in a new patient.
When Lin Qizhao and Guan Yiqing arrived at the hospital, it was already half past eleven. The on-site commander from the Fifth Squad had only managed to capture a blurry scene on his phone, and the gruesome sight left the task force in stunned silence; it had been years since they had encountered such a horrific scene.
They headed straight for the operating room, where Shen Lingchen and Guo Wei were already waiting. Both bore signs of the earlier chaos; Shen Lingchen had multiple bandages on his head and arms, while Guo Wei was uninjured but his shirt was nearly torn apart. They both looked as if they had just rolled in mud, their clothes still damp.
Without exchanging pleasantries, Lin Qizhao asked directly, "What’s the situation?"
"They're all in surgery. Nie Qifeng is in serious condition; he has been found to have eleven fractures. One person died—Li Xiaoyong, nicknamed Erhu Lu—and another was shot, Liu Yang; both were small-time thugs," Shen Lingchen replied.
"What about Xiao Mu?" Lin Qizhao asked anxiously.
"Nie Qifeng was preparing to assassinate Xiao Mu. A bullet grazed Xiao Mu's left side and hit Li Xiaoyong instead. Xiao Mu has a gaping wound under his ribcage and has lost a lot of blood. We didn’t discover it in time... He lost blood on the way here and is currently undergoing surgery for debridement," Shen Lingchen explained.
Lin Qizhao paused for a moment, not expecting such an outcome. The task force's plan had identified Nie Qifeng as the highest threat due to his history of violent crimes, but he hadn’t anticipated this resolution. He took a breath and said, "The Coastal Patrol Team has been mobilized; they have twenty boats available and can deploy fourteen of them. Once a target is found, each boat can launch four high-speed assault crafts... But right now, we have no direction; it's too dark and the weather is terrible."
Shen Lingchen glanced out the window; the dreary rain showed no signs of letting up. Operating in such weather would undoubtedly increase the difficulty exponentially. A dozen boats patrolling hundreds of kilometers of coastline would be like a drop in the bucket.
After pondering for a moment, Shen Lingchen said, "Perhaps there will be a miracle."
"That's why I'm here—what about his people?" Lin Qizhao pointed toward the operating room.
"Yes, his people—no one can control them," Shen Lingchen replied. It seemed that no one could command that group of thugs, and now they didn’t even know where they were located.
The two fell into silence. Lin Qizhao paced anxiously, even attempting to rush into the operating room several times, only to stop himself. He felt a bit ashamed for having such high expectations of an informant, but he was also terrified of letting such an important suspect slip through their fingers.
"Are you... okay?" Guan Yiqing asked softly.
Guo Wei, still shaken, nodded and replied, "I'm fine."
There were no accusations or complaints, yet Guo Wei felt a twinge of shame as he said, "I'm just a useless scholar. I couldn't help him at all... We were supposed to protect him, but it turned out the other way around. If he hadn't charged in with that group, we might not have even caught Nie Qifeng in time."
He Shi had gathered his subordinates, not realizing they had been turned by Xiao Mu. Meanwhile, they had not anticipated that Old Cripple was a double insurance; it seemed he had lured them in to eliminate them directly. He was also familiar with Xiao Mu and the feelings of those involved.
Guan Yiqing remained silent for a while until Guo Wei asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing much. I was just thinking about our first meeting with him. If I had known it would lead to this scene today, I would have preferred not to meet him," Guan Yiqing said strangely.
"You... can tell that you like him?" Guo Wei teased, unexpectedly making a joke.
To his surprise, Guan Yiqing didn't treat it as a joke and nodded slightly. "A little."
Guo Wei chuckled and then sincerely added, "He’s worth it. I’ve never understood his willfulness, his despair, or his roguishness. But today I think I finally understand—he's willful because that's his true nature; he's despairing because he cares too deeply; he's roguish because he doesn't want to be harsh... Have you noticed? He leads that group of street thugs in finding ways to survive, but there's more to it than that."
"Is there?" Guan Yiqing asked.
"Of course there is. He doesn’t want to be bullied or to bully others anymore. They charge fees and extort using those dark undercurrents; it may not seem like a good thing, but the truth is he has given these people a dignified way to live instead of being subservient like before... He has planted a seed of kindness in everyone's hearts, allowing them not to go completely astray when faced with right and wrong. Tsk... Master always said he was a person of great wisdom. I never believed it until today. Those bad seeds that even the police can't handle are willing to follow him and die for him," Guo Wei said, his eyes moistening as he turned his face away.
Guan Yiqing also felt a lump in her throat. As memories of their few interactions flashed before her eyes, she too felt an impulse to rush into the operating room and see what had become of him. She even wanted to reach out and pull him back, fearing he might not make it through this ordeal.
The sound of a chime echoed as the operating room lights flickered on. A doctor removed his mask, and a crowd gathered around. Shen Lingchen anxiously asked, "Is he awake?"
"Just woke up. He lost a lot of blood, but he's not in any danger," the doctor replied. Noticing the group of police officers, he curiously inquired, "Is he a police officer?"
"Yes," Lin Qizhao answered directly.
"How strange, even police officers have tattoos?" the doctor muttered to himself.
However, no one paid him any mind. As the nurse wheeled the patient out, the officers quickly took over. Guan Yiqing and Guo Wei pushed the gurney, revealing Xiao Mu, who was bare from the waist up and wrapped in bandages from the chest down. On his right arm was a striking tattoo from A Group. Guan Yiqing's gaze was drawn to it; it depicted the tail feathers of a phoenix blooming like a flower. When her eyes met Xiao Mu's, she smiled slightly, and he weakly returned the gesture.
"Mu, can you talk now?" Shen Lingchen asked softly.
"You can speak," Xiao Mu replied quietly.
"Li Derli is on the run. According to the timeline at the scene, it's been over half an hour with no news. Several police units are currently surrounding him... By the way, He Shi committed suicide by gunshot," Shen Lingchen stated directly.
"Oh, he's a sensible one—knows he's doomed and seeks a quick end," Xiao Mu commented lightly.
"The Sea's defenses have been set up. It takes over half an hour to drive from Cangji to the dock. We've established several checkpoints along the way, but we haven't found any trace of Li Derli yet. However, we discovered a call on He Shi's phone just before his death. According to the base station's location, it was near Cangji Village, and it wasn't from Nie Qifeng," Lin Qizhao explained.
"It's him; there's no mistake. This person has been hiding deep and might be even more important than Nie Qifeng. He's been lurking in the accounting position at Golden Cauldron Company and likely knows about the disposal of stolen goods and money," Xiao Mu said, recalling this overlooked individual.
"We're currently conducting a citywide manhunt, but such large-scale searches may not yield significant results. How will you contact those people you let go?" Lin Qizhao asked.
"They won't reach out to you; their grudges run too deep to dissolve easily," Xiao Mu replied, extending his hand. "Give me the phone."
Guo Wei handed the phone he had been holding to Xiao Mu, who dialed the familiar number. The voice of Big Gourd came through, "Bro, how are you doing?"
"Not much, just wanted to hang out with Erhu Lu, but he kicked me back... Where are you?" Xiao Mu asked.
"We're at the seaside now. We found the big sea cucumber, Old Knife Fish, Fat Sea Ginseng, Little Wave... and Gull. They haven't taken any jobs; they all say they won't go out in this rain," Big Gourd replied, his words laced with slang and a string of nicknames that would be incomprehensible to outsiders.
"Ask them where their usual spots are. In this weather, there won't be any Caviar smuggling boats going out. If they see one setting off, just light it up; someone will help them on their way," Xiao Mu said weakly.
"I got it, bro... Will you come back?" Big Gourd asked, veering off-topic.
"Why do you ask that?" Xiao Mu responded.
"Everyone says you're definitely a cop... that you won't come back," Big Gourd said.
"You're wrong; I'm not a cop, and I won't leave. If I turn into a turtle hiding in its shell, you all would look down on me, and so would Erhu Lu," Xiao Mu replied. As he finished speaking, there was a sob from the other end of the line before it hung up. Lying down, Xiao Mu's eyes trembled as tears filled them and silently streamed down, soaking the white pillowcase.
At 11:50 PM, the search radius was expanding from the city center to the docks, with checkpoints increasing to eight...
…………………………
…………………………
In the Criminal Investigation Division Five, lights blazed and sentries stood guard. The case situation had reached a critical point; a gunman attempting to silence witnesses forced the entire task force to take this group seriously.
On the screen, Golden Treasure was still being interrogated. According to his confession, most of the stolen goods from Suzhou and Hangzhou had passed through him on their way to Binhai, and his contact was Li Derli. He also mentioned Brother Five as being connected to this person.
On another screen, remote interrogation was taking place. The interrogation team in Binhai was questioning Pan Shuanglong. Photos of Nie Qifeng's injuries, the scene where Golden Treasure was captured, Xue Xiaohong's arrest, and He Shi's suicide site were displayed, along with the confiscated items from the Toy Store. After more than a month of unyielding resistance, Pan Shuanglong finally began to crack. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he gasped for breath, struggling to swallow, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the evidence presented by the Preliminary Examiner.
This time, there was no need for words; the evidence alone was enough to shatter his psychological defenses.
After a long ten minutes, the Preliminary Examiner simply said, "Take him away."
"Wait..." Pan Shuanglong couldn't hold back any longer. For the first time, he began to take his situation seriously. Hesitantly, he said, "I... I confess."
"With everyone almost caught, what else do you have to confess?" the Preliminary Examiner asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in apparent boredom.
"I know who Brother Five is," Pan Shuanglong replied.
"Isn't it this Li Derli? I can tell you that information is wrong. You Bisheng believes Nie Qifeng is Brother Five; while you and Golden Treasure think Li Derli is Brother Five. Among you Four Little Dragons, He Shi probably knows the most, but even he might not know who Brother Five really is," the Preliminary Examiner explained methodically.
The intention was to undermine his confidence, but unexpectedly, Pan Shuanglong didn't mind and insisted, "I know Li Derli is an alias; I know there’s someone else."
"What?" The Preliminary Examiner was taken aback. A few others exchanged glances, and one reminded him, "Be clear; it could earn you some credit."
"I don't care about earning credit; just don’t destroy my family outside," Pan Shuanglong said in fear. The most devastating blow to him was likely Nie Qifeng's injuries.
Surprised by this breakthrough, the Preliminary Examiner pressed on: "Then you should tell us who it is."
"I don't know who it is, but I do know that Brother Five saved You Bisheng," Pan Shuanglong stated.
"Saved You Bisheng?" The Preliminary Examiner was startled; that was someone marked for death.
It seems that Pan Shuanglong was determined to speak out. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "We were also saved by someone. Back then, You Bisheng killed He Shi, our elder brother, and drove us into a corner. It was at that time that a master appeared and resolved the situation, directly capturing You Bisheng and taking him onto a ship. Later, it was said that Brother Five intervened on his behalf, which is why You Bisheng was released... I’m not clear on the specifics, but after that, our elder brother He Shi took us all to Suzhou and Hangzhou."
"Are you still unable to provide any useful information?" The Preliminary Examiner sensed something was amiss.
Pan Shuanglong seemed a bit agitated. "Then you need to give me some incentives; does this count as meritorious service?"
"What you just mentioned doesn’t count," the examiner reminded him.
"But I know about several murders; do you think that counts?" Pan Shuanglong said earnestly.
The Preliminary Examiner felt a chill run down his spine and swallowed hard before responding, "That... yes, that counts. Go ahead."
...
At the command center in Suzhou and Hangzhou, Director Zheng Kegong, Supervisor Chen Dingli, and Deputy Director Yan from the City Bureau listened with growing disinterest. Director Zheng remarked, "At this point, he must be worried about being exposed."
Organized crime often works this way; when an organization is dismantled, its members rush to betray one another, each wanting to avoid greater charges. This is different from individual criminals who cling tightly to their silence. For instance, now Pan Shuanglong wanted to take credit for his actions by revealing murders involving You Bisheng and his connections. The method he described was indeed shocking—locking people in boxes and paying smugglers to dispose of them at sea.
"That's truly ruthless; it even extends beyond our jurisdiction," Deputy Director Yan said sternly.
"Let them interrogate him slowly... The urgent matter is to capture Li Derli. Nie Qifeng cannot be interrogated for now; all leads currently point to him alone," Zheng Kegong stated.
"There's also the issue of whether we can take action over at Binhai," Chen Dingli reminded them.
Director Zheng glanced at Deputy Director Yan as if seeking his opinion. Rong Wu's surveillance had significant connections to this case; unfortunately, despite knowing this, there was still no direct evidence pointing to him. After hesitating for a moment, Director Zheng said, "We can't wait any longer; we need to act before he slips away again."
Nie Qifeng was tasked with eliminating the informant, while Li Derli made his escape. It seemed that the news could no longer be concealed. Director Zheng picked up the phone to notify Dibinhai’s Action Team: “Initiate the capture… I repeat, initiate the capture…”
On the video feed, Rong Wu was surrounded as he entered the Zhongtian Building. The undercover agents split into groups and headed straight for an office on the nineteenth floor. His phone’s Signal had been active there, and technical analysis indicated that the call leading to Su Hang Cang Ji Village originated from this location.
The screen showed a loud crash as they broke down the door. Armed SWAT officers stormed into the room but halted in their tracks. On the desk sat a laptop connected to several mobile phones, yet the room was completely empty.
“It’s a relay point… a voice separation relay point that can bypass GPS tracking,” Technical Investigation deduced from the footage.
Meanwhile, in Suzhou and Hangzhou, Director Zheng Kegong slammed his hand on the table in frustration. They were already one step too late, perhaps even more than that. Rong Wu must have left much earlier. He began calling A Group to check points along the coast.
“A Group reports no sighting of the suspect.”
“Second Group reports no sighting of the suspect for now; it’s raining heavily, and there are very few vehicles…”
“Fourth Group reports no findings…”
The updates from A Group made the situation increasingly difficult, much like the dreary weather that made it hard to clear one’s mind.
The suspect involved in manipulating the Coastal Major Theft Case, Rong Wu, remained missing. As midnight approached, there was still no news…
……………………
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A tricycle, motorcycles, electric tricycles, a dilapidated van, and even a long electric vehicle for sightseeing—any inexpensive mode of transportation imaginable was utilized by those at the bottom of society. As midnight drew near, Big Gourd had already dispatched several groups of people. Another group arrived in a van, consisting of individuals who had once worked with Liu Yang at a tourist site, scamming money and receiving plenty of favors. The driver pulled over by the roadside and leaned out his head to ask, “Gourd Brother, I’m here.”
“Crooked Toad, you’re late,” Big Gourd cursed, handing over a watch as payment.
“What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?” Crooked Toad refused to accept it.
“It’s late at night, and I can’t just let you go without giving you something. I’ve spent all my money for today, and this is all I have left,” Big Gourd explained.
Crooked Toad, the black taxi driver, chuckled and said, “When have you ever had money? This watch might as well be stolen from someone else… Now tell me, why do you want me to haul a truckload of gasoline? We can’t just stand by while you and Erhu Lu help the Brothers.”
Upon hearing this, Big Gourd was distraught. The people in the car were surprised and asked what was wrong. It was over; Erhu Lu was dead, and Liu Yang had been shot. Damn it, the killer hadn’t even been found yet. Filled with righteous indignation, he pounded his chest and declared that they hadn’t done enough. “Just wait! As soon as I know anything, I’ll let you know.”
Another group sped away. Along the coastal road, a net had already been cast to search for any boats that might appear on the sea. But at such a time, how could there be any boats?
Big Gourd gazed at the furious waves crashing like thunder against the shore. Unable to contain his sorrow, he sat in the rain, howling as he wiped his face with tears and snot diluted by the downpour. A feeling of loneliness washed over him like never before, leaving his heart feeling empty.
At that moment, the phone rang…
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