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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 162: Unpredictable Dangers 2
The driver behind took advantage of the moment and struck, wielding a short stick as thick as a bowl.
"Geez, monk, you sure are quick," Xu Boss scolded, surprised by the swift action. He hadn't even given the order yet. Chuckling, he added, "This person means no harm. If he did, our little nest would have been raided long ago."
The driver, looking as if he had seen a ghost, exclaimed, "Brother Lei, I know him... He even knows my surname and what I'm called. I can't let him see me."
"You know him? What does he do?" Xu Tonglei asked, puzzled.
"He's with a Pyramid Scheme. Damn it, a bunch of con artists! A couple of years ago in Shaanxi Province, they made me lose my pants... This guy is a leader. We gathered quite a few people back then to confront our upline, but this bastard came out and scared us all off with his tricks," the driver explained. It was none other than Wang Lishong from Tagou Martial Arts School, the fallen brute.
Ha ha... Xu Tonglei laughed heartily upon hearing the story. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the brute to take Xiao Mu outside and toss him into a wooden crate that had been prepared for packing. Soon after, two cargo vans sealed up their doors and rumbled out of the courtyard, heading onto the highway.
After a while, a sedan leisurely followed behind.
At this moment, Big Gourd, hiding at a distance and observing the situation, repeatedly dialed the number Xiao Mu had left behind. The agreement was that if the car left and the person hadn’t come out yet, he should call this number to report what was happening.
Stunned, he found no one answering...
After waiting for a moment longer, not only was he stunned but also dumbfounded; that car had vanished without a trace...
The phone fell silent in his pocket, blinking intermittently, while Shen Lingchen remained unaware. He was seated in Lin Qizhao's command room, observing the progress of the case situation through big data analysis.
"Car number ten, accelerate to the designated area."
"T3 station, open the checkpoint, focus on inspecting the closed cargo van and a blue sedan. The license plate has been sent to your phones."
"Zero Team Zero Team, target Maple Town, accelerate forward. Your support is already on the way."
"All checkpoints, please note: inspect the closed cargo van and a blue sedan. Suspect Xu Tonglei can be temporarily detained. Repeat, suspect Xu Tonglei, can be temporarily detained upon discovery."
"…"
Inside the room, officers were busy coordinating with the Police Force, facilitating communication and cooperation among various teams. The entire police jurisdiction map was marked from highways to country roads, indicating all possible routes for escape based on big data analysis. The final netting point was at Golden Lake near the provincial border of Suzhou and Hangzhou, where only three exits remained: highway, Expressway, and provincial road.
After a failed bait operation, they quickly transitioned to pursuit. Once the pursuit ended, they swiftly moved into a gathering for encirclement. Within this room, over 500 personnel from the criminal Police Force, local police stations, and public security Police Force had been mobilized. Shen Lingchen suddenly understood; Lin Qizhao was playing a larger game, calculating everything behind the scenes. The adjustment of Aeming to release Fang Dingjun was just a small part of it.
In a moment of pause, Lin Qizhao glanced at his mentor. Shen Lingchen smiled and asked, "Is this to shake the tree and scare the tiger, to draw out the snake?"
"Exactly," Lin Qizhao couldn't hide his excitement as he reported to his mentor. "This Counterfeit Money case is a crossover case; the printing of r7 differs from that of U.S. Bills. One uses lithography while the other uses intaglio. With two versions, there are differences in technology and equipment... The r7 version of Counterfeit Money we intercepted likely came from Anhui Province, but where did the small amount of U.S. Bills from Anhui Province come from?"
"So you mean there could be such a hideout within our jurisdiction?" Shen Lingchen inquired.
"Absolutely possible. When we analyzed import-export data, we discovered that seven months ago customs seized a batch of smuggled goods—fiber paper—which was treated as ordinary smuggling goods at that time. The pickup person was a man named Sun Yong. Following this lead, we've been investigating." Lin Qizhao explained that the vehicle transporting the Counterfeit Money was registered under Sun Yong's wife. Sun Yong had connections to Xu Tonglei, who were related by family ties, but they had yet to find any links between Binhai and Anhui Province. It wasn't until Fang Dingjun was captured that they connected cases from both regions.
"Then it’s very likely that Xu Tonglei is a raw material supplier?" Shen Lingchen suggested.
"Completely possible. The materials needed for printing money—fiber paper, security ink, hot stamping equipment—cannot be prepared by just one or two companies. Our country uses cotton pulp paper for currency production; this is controlled material. Other types of paper will bleed ink after printing; only fiber paper can barely achieve the hardness and toughness of cotton pulp paper—it’s one of the essentials." Lin Qizhao stated.
"Oh, so preparations have already been made—either for on-site capture or to stir things up and make them come out themselves?" Shen Lingchen said with a smile that carried an approving tone.
Lin Qizhao also smiled and replied, "Forgive me for keeping you in suspense; I’ve already found out about Xu Tonglei. Although he is foreign-born, he has lived here for many years. This person is very low-key and operates under clothing cover in a factory located twelve kilometers from Maple Town. We suspect this place is one of the most important transit points for counterfeiting."
Shen Lingchen let out a sigh of relief as he watched the police cars flashing across the screen like a revolving lantern, feeling a bit of a thrill. He asked uncertainly, "Is there any result?"
"Of course there is..." Lin Qizhao pulled out his phone and held it up in front of Shen Lingchen, showing several hastily taken photos: two cargo vans and a sedan. Shen Lingchen exclaimed in surprise, "This is... did they get startled? They didn't notice, right?"
"Heh, there was an observation post set up over there. We've been keeping an eye on them for a few days," Lin Qizhao said, putting his phone away with a dismissive smile.
Pride—this young man's inherent arrogance would never change, Shen Lingchen thought to himself. Despite the entire plan being intricately connected, he still felt that something was off. That unsettling feeling gnawed at him, and he couldn't shake it off; even now, his eyelids were twitching incessantly...
...
"Fourth Group has arrived at the designated area."
"T7 station has begun inspection; no findings."
"Zero Team, where are you?"
"..."
The radio in the vehicle continued to blare. Aeming, unfamiliar with the route, was anxious. They had lost people on this trip; they were supposed to lure the suspect but ended up losing even the bait money. He glanced at the suspect Fang Dingjun handcuffed in the car and found himself unable to pinpoint where things had gone wrong.
"Commander, Commander, this is Zero Team requesting communication," he asked nervously.
"This is Commander. What’s going on?" Lin Qizhao's voice came through.
This was a public channel; cursing was not acceptable. Aeming suppressed his anger and replied, "What’s the next mission? Our baiting attempt has failed."
"It’s fine; if the fish didn’t bite, just go directly to find their nest," Lin Qizhao said.
"What on earth is going on? Commander..."
"Follow the orders."
As the call ended, Aeming dared not ask further. It was an unspoken rule that outsiders must obey local commands.
After forty minutes of driving, they approached the designated area, which was already surrounded. Checkpoints were set up at the intersections, and vehicles blocked the village entrance and roads. The order received was to seal off the Maple Grove Garment Factory. The police were instructed to surround it; when no one answered the door, they jumped over the wall and entered, sealing off the now-empty factory, waiting for Technical Investigation and Investigate to arrive.
This place was a front for illicit activities. Seeing the littered papers made Aeming's heart race, but a search quickly doused his excitement—most of the machinery had already been moved out, leaving only scraps of paper and garbage behind. Just as they finished here, chaos erupted over the radio; it seemed someone had been apprehended at the village entrance. Aeming hurriedly led his team toward the commotion.
Anxious and restless, he felt pent-up energy with nowhere to release it. They had all been cooped up for too long. Not far from the factory, he spotted a chubby man darting through a rice field, surrounded by a dozen people. A few were trying to herd him back into the field, but the man was quick on all fours, evading the officers who stumbled after him.
"Wait? Why does this guy look familiar?"
Aeming paused mid-run as he recognized him. Several officers had managed to corner the man and were pinning him down. He rushed over and grabbed a local officer, asking, "What's going on?"
"This guy was acting suspiciously. When we called out to him, he ran even faster. So we brought him in first," replied the officer.
"He's long gone now; do you really think you can catch anyone?" Aeming retorted angrily.
He approached the detained man, who was still shouting incoherently, "Let go! You bastards! You're on my Territory! You mess with me... Don't try to scare me; do you know who I am? Su Hang's Eighteen Routes Chief Pimp! I used to do work for you cops back in the day..."
Indeed, it was Big Gourd. As Aeming got closer, he saw that this guy was half-soaked and covered in mud. "Let him go; he's one of us."
"Did you hear that? He's one of us," shouted Big Gourd.
The officers were skeptical at first, but when Aeming angrily pulled out his phone to call Lin Qizhao, they finally released him. Once free, Aeming grabbed him and asked, "How did you end up here?"
"This is just a Landmine hideout, isn't it? We always get intel before you guys do," replied Big Gourd.
"How did you get here? I know it's a hideout," Aeming asked.
"My brother is coming, so we inquired along the way... Damn it, I can't believe you guys took so long to arrive. Ugh, it's broken..." He pulled out his phone, only to find it soaked and the screen black. Gourd Brother was dumbfounded.
"Where's Xiao Mu?" Aeming asked directly, uncertain if Xiao Mu had become Lin Qizhao's informant again.
"I don't know... He said if he didn't come out when the car left, I should call that old man... Ah, damn it, what's the phone number? I can't believe this... It's all your fault for not answering the phone and pushing me down..." Big Gourd panicked, unable to recall the number.
After pressing him for details, Aeming learned it was Shen Lingchen's phone number. He dialed it, but no one answered. Then he called Lin Qizhao's phone and finally understood the situation. Holding the phone in one hand, he asked Big Gourd about the entry and exit times and what had happened in between. The more he asked, the more alarmed he became; Xiao Mu had entered at one o'clock in the afternoon, right when the operation was taking place, and the car had left an hour and a half later. Given the current circumstances, it was likely that Xiao Mu had been taken away.
"Quick, we need to chase them... Something's going to happen." He said in panic as he ran a short distance before turning back to pull Big Gourd along. Several people squeezed into a police car, racing with sirens blaring along the direction given by the command center on the provincial road...
……………………
……………………
At that moment, Shen Lingchen was smacking his forehead in regret. There were seven or eight missed calls on his phone, all from Xiao Mu's number. The isolated environment of their operation had caused them to miss the best opportunity.
When another call came in, he nervously snatched Lin Qizhao's phone from his hand and urgently asked, "Party Instructor, give me Gourd's number; I need to ask him a few things."
"Gourd, tell me slowly what happened."
"What do you mean what happened?"
"Tell me everything—how you saw Xiao Mu and what you did. One thing at a time."
"Uh... Well, last night we gave some bonuses to the foremen and went to a hotel to find some girls... Early this morning, I don't know how he found me; he just asked me about Landmine... My brother Crooked Toad died, right? He was driving after drinking and crashed into a big truck... He said that if someone died, it shouldn't be for nothing; we should seek compensation from the main party. Then I asked Starfish and Fathead Fish; they said they were around Golden Lake and Maple Forest... So we came here..."
Big Gourd mixed up his words as Shen Lingchen listened carefully. It was clear that Xiao Mu had something planned that he probably wouldn't share with Big Gourd. Big Gourd explained how they entered; Xiao Mu had said he would check things out and if the car left without him coming out, he would call Shen Lingchen to intercept along the way.
After the call ended, Shen Lingchen's eyes widened, and his expression stiffened. Yet, he couldn't fathom when Xiao Mu had developed such noble principles to risk himself like this. Even the police would think twice before assigning someone to such a task, but Xiao Mu had gone straight into it.
"If Xiao Mu is in the car, that would be a good plan. We could pin a kidnapping charge on him with witnesses to hold Xu Tonglei accountable," Lin Qizhao suggested, immediately thinking of the best outcome.
"The bad guys aren't that foolish, and Xiao Mu isn't that naive," Shen Lingchen softly countered, his tone serious. "What if he intentionally walked into this? He had Guan Yiqing relay a message to us, but we didn't take it seriously, and then..."
Then he took matters into his own hands and ventured into the lion's den?
"Master, that doesn't make sense. Is he really that kind of person?" Lin Qizhao replied, unable to see it that way. The last time, Xiao Mu had been pushed to the brink and fought back desperately. To expect such an unconventional person to work for the organization was like forcing a duck onto a perch or driving a rabbit into a river.
"Stop overthinking it. Right now, our priority is to find Xiao Mu and prevent any accidents... Hurry, don't wait for the inspection; intercept as soon as you spot the target."
Shen Lingchen exclaimed. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. From the moment they faced setbacks that day, everything had progressed too smoothly and too quickly for him to believe it was real.
Were those two cars transporting cash?
It seemed too easy; they couldn't be so foolish. The midday trap for escape didn't add up.
"Commander, the target is heading towards Binhai."
A Technical Investigator shouted. Four kilometers from the T7 checkpoint, they spotted two vehicles that hadn't passed through the checkpoint but instead took a detour towards Binhai, effectively bypassing the inspection—checking was done on exit, not entry.
"Intercept!"
Lin Qizhao shouted, his voice trembling slightly. He felt inexplicably nervous, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
The power of Skynet was evident in its command over communications.
The Expressway Entrance was closed as two Cargo Vans collided with the buffer zone, and several highway patrol cars were ordered to block both incoming and outgoing traffic. The drivers who jumped out of their vehicles argued with their necks craned, but the officers ignored them. Soon, a large number of police cars arrived, controlling the drivers and opening the Cargo Vans.
The sound was crisp, not like a full load, and the driver squatting to the side glanced over with a smug expression.
When the last speeding police car arrived, Aeming hurried to the scene, parting the noisy crowd. He jumped into one of the vehicles and took a careful look around; his face darkened. The van was completely empty, as if it had never carried anything at all. Jumping out of the car, he scrutinized the license plate of the Cargo Van, his expression turning sour.
The plate had just been replaced; there were still marks on the screws. He turned back to glare at the detained driver, wishing he could drag him aside and give him a good beating. At a loss for what to do, he grabbed a patrolling officer and asked, "What about the sedan? Wasn't it following closely?"
"Over there... we stopped it. The driver is a woman," the officer pointed out.
Nearby, the Mazda that had been under surveillance was being checked; its trunk and doors were opened. A flamboyantly dressed woman was throwing a tantrum, spewing curses at the officers inspecting her vehicle.
It was as if everything had suddenly changed. Aeming rushed back to his car and pulled Big Gourd inside, asking, "Take a look at these people. Do you recognize them?"
"Never seen them before," Big Gourd replied, puzzled. He glanced at Aeming's phone photos and then back at the scene, biting his finger in confusion. "The sedan's drivers were two men; one of them was about your height. How did it turn into a woman?"
"It's over... today Head Lin made a fool of himself."
Aeming said this in frustration as he reversed and sped away along their original route, calling the command center several times to inquire about directions. Eventually, he stopped at a fork in the road where a group from Anhui Province had also been involved in cases like this. They abandoned their vehicles and walked on the sandy ground until they found deep tire tracks.
A six-axle Cargo Van had carried something heavy; soft soil had been pressed down several centimeters deep by its tracks. As they continued to investigate, the command center couldn't locate this exit. Even Big Gourd wasn't as clever as he thought; he remarked that this was a smuggling route—if they blocked one path, it wouldn't be long before they found another through fields, forests, or even villages.
"Damn it, chase them!"
Aeming gritted his teeth in disbelief; two Cargo Vans carrying loads couldn't possibly fly away.
They followed the tire tracks, just as Big Gourd had said—not in fields but by a pond or even through villages. The distance between two houses was just enough for a large vehicle to pass through. As they continued chasing, many began to realize something was off. Big Gourd blurted out, "Wait a minute; doesn't this seem like we're going back?"
Aimin drove out of the village, taking a road that led to the highway. He sped along for a short distance before slamming on the brakes. The sign ahead read: Maple Town, 11 kilometers. Vehicles passed by, including the recently disbanded Police Force. What was he supposed to do now?
He pounded the steering wheel in frustration, feeling utterly helpless.
Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it out to see it was a call from Sun Qinghua. Mr. Sun hadn’t informed him about the lodging arrangements at the small inn before taking action. Aimin felt a wave of disappointment wash over him as he answered, “Mr. Sun, we’ll be back shortly. Stay put and don’t go anywhere… What? West Garden Police Station? What’s going on? The owner got into a fight and claimed he was with the Anhui Provincial Criminal Police Team… Oh, I see. I’ll send someone over. Thanks for letting me know; it’s a bit complicated, but we’ll handle it when we get there…”
“What happened, Instructor?” the officers asked in alarm.
“Damn it, the Ruhua are getting bolder! They went to Suzhou and Hangzhou to pick a fight and ended up injuring someone,” Aimin replied, feeling dejected. These two brothers had always had incredible luck, but it seemed their streak had finally run out.
The car spun around; instead of heading back to Binhai, they rushed toward Suzhou and Hangzhou.
…………………………
Nothing could disrupt normal order—be it economic, political, or traffic-related—even a criminal case. After missing their target, the checkpoints set up at various traffic intersections began to dismantle one by one. The investigation into the Cargo Van ultimately led to two trucks filled with problematic pork, but nothing else was uncovered. By 7 PM, most teams had wrapped up their operations. The crackdown on Counterfeit Money operations, dubbed “Thunder,” ended in complete failure, and team leaders began warning their officers to keep quiet.
It was frustrating but not embarrassing; many large operations meant that participating officers often never got the chance to apprehend suspects or even see them.
Not long after the checkpoints were cleared away, a black Volkswagen slowly pulled up at the Expressway Entrance. The car parked on schedule; the co-driver started the engine and lit a cigarette while the driver reminded him, “They’ve cleared out.”
“Let’s go,” Xu Tonglei said.
“Got it,” replied the driver.
Shortly after making a call, two ordinary trucks with tarpaulins covering their loads boldly passed through the toll station and entered section T7—the most tense part of their journey. For twenty minutes, they drove in silence until the driver received another call and excitedly reported back, “We’re on the Jingzhu Expressway.”
“Great! Let’s go; take your time following behind,” Xu Tonglei said.
The driver slowly passed through the toll booth, took the ticket, and as he rolled up the window, he asked, "Brother Lei, that was close. If we had gone that way, they would have definitely confiscated all our belongings."
His words were filled with lingering fear, while his actions were frantic. The cargo truck had turned back, and two vehicles had been sent out to switch plates. It was meant to be a test, but unexpectedly, the police had actually stopped them. Xu Tonglei was drenched in sweat, unable to pinpoint when they had been targeted.
"That idiot really startled me. He changed his mind at the last minute. To be honest, he saved our lives," Xu Tonglei said with a hint of fear. It was just a narrow escape; if it weren't for their familiarity with the terrain, they might have fallen into a trap today.
"Oh right... what about that guy? He's still locked in the box," the driver suddenly remembered.
"Just keep him there. If I let him go and something happens, Boss will definitely tear me apart," Xu Tonglei replied. He felt an unease creeping in but couldn't think of a better solution at the moment.
Meanwhile, curled up inside a packaging box, Xiao Mu had already woken up. His mouth was taped shut, his hands were bound, and the sound of the road echoed around him. All he could see was darkness, much like his fate. From the moment he made that wrong judgment call, he had stepped into an unpredictable unknown...
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