201: Chapter 201 The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

Linjiang City, Jianshe Road, at the intersection.

Lin Zhengchu gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, driving the car slowly.

Thirty meters behind, a Jetta sedan with a defaced license plate followed.

Gazi bit down on an unlit cigarette, his hands resting on the steering wheel.

His gaze pierced through the windshield, locked firmly onto the rear of the black Honda ahead.

He was already well-versed in such dirty work—taking money to silence people.

"Get the gear ready," Gazi said, tilting his head to the right. "In a moment, I'll cut in from the left blind spot and flip that Honda over directly."

The two men in the back seat bent down, pulling out modified steel pipes and triangular scrapers from under the floor mats.

Gazi continued to explain the next steps.

"Once the car flips, you two get out and approach it, pretending to be rescuers."

"Be quick about it, and check if anyone in the car is still breathing. If there is, deliver a finishing blow to their vital points. Do you understand the rules?"

The two underlings nodded in agreement.

"After it's done, run separately. Meet at the usual place. I've already arranged the waterway; I'll send you out to sea tonight."

After Gazi finished his instructions, he floored the accelerator.

The gray Jetta let out a hiss, its tires screeching harshly against the asphalt.

The car suddenly changed lanes, charging at high speed toward the driver's side of the Honda.

Pedestrians over a hundred meters away stopped in their tracks.

Just as the Jetta's front was two meters away from the Honda's side door,

from the side, a black Ford SUV defied normal traffic flow, cutting out forcefully from the right turn lane.

The Ford was moving extremely fast, its front end striking the Jetta's right front fender with pinpoint precision.

Metal scraped violently, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Hit by this powerful lateral impact, the Jetta lost its chassis grip, its rear swinging out in an exaggerated fan shape across the road, while its front end slammed heavily into the curb of the green belt.

The hood sprang high, the radiator burst, and white smoke billowed out.

Gazi, a veteran of many battles, had already covered his head and protected his neck with his hands in the tenth of a second before the collision.

As soon as the car came to a stop, he kicked open the deformed driver's door and rolled on the ground to dissipate his momentum.

"It's a trap! There's an ambush!" Gazi roared at the top of his lungs.

The doors of the SUV opened in unison.

The captain of the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau Special Operations Brigade, leading three special police officers armed with Type 95 submachine guns, charged toward the Jetta from four directions.

The two men in the back seat climbed out of the car with their weapons, only to be met by the gaping muzzles of guns.

"Don't worry about us, Boss, get out of here!" one of them shouted, raising his blade to fight like a cornered beast.

The special police captain closed in, dodging the blade, and smashed his gun butt precisely onto the man's ulnar bone at the wrist.

Taking advantage of his cry of pain, he executed a back throw, pinning him firmly to the ground.

The three team members moved efficiently, pulling out standard-issue zip ties, binding the two men's hands behind their backs tightly, and detaining them on the spot.

Taking advantage of the chaos at the intersection, Gazi blended into the panicked crowd, sprinting along the back alleys and quickly vanishing into the deepening twilight.

The Special Operations Brigade did not order a pursuit.

Their primary mission for this trip was to ensure the witness remained safe and sound.

In the middle of the intersection, the Honda remained where it had stopped.

Lin Zhengchu still had his hands on the steering wheel, cold sweat soaking the shirt on his back.

The life-or-death collision just moments ago had left him in a state of extreme shock, completely unable to form words.

The captain walked over to the driver's side and knocked on the window with his fingers.

Lin Zhengchu mechanically rolled down the window.

The captain stepped back half a pace, stood at attention, and gave a standard salute.

"Mr. Lin. The Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau Special Operations Brigade, acting on orders from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, is here to protect the lives and safety of your family of three."

The captain spoke concisely, "This vehicle is no longer safe to drive. Please come with us."

Lin Zhengchu opened his mouth, but no sound came from his dry throat.

After a long while, he nodded numbly.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and shielded his wife and the still-trembling Lin Wan behind him.

Two special police officers remained at the scene to guard the prisoners.

The captain led the Lin family of three into the Ford SUV, and as the windows rolled up, the clamor of the outside world was shut out.

Turning back time half a day.

Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau, Director's Office.

Police Chief Li Jianguo hung up the direct line from Director Qi Shan at the Provincial Public Security Department and paced the room with his hands behind his back.

The Provincial Public Security Department had issued an order: find and escort the Lin Wan family.

This matter had far-reaching implications; the dark hand from Jingjiang City had very likely already infiltrated Linjiang.

The enemy was in the shadows while they were in the light. Blindly deploying police forces to search would easily leak information, leading to the witness meeting with misfortune.

Police Chief Li Jianguo stopped, picked up the phone on his desk, and dialed Zhu Wenhao's mobile number.

"Zhu Wenhao. There's a tricky matter I'd like to hear your opinion on."

Zhu Wenhao was sitting in his office as the Deputy Party Secretary of the town, reviewing documents.

He picked up the phone, listened to Police Chief Li Jianguo's brief summary, and set down his pen.

"Director Li, this is an excellent opportunity delivered to our doorstep," Zhu Wenhao said, holding the receiver.

"Explain."

"The art of war is nothing more than luring the snake out of its hole."

Zhu Wenhao said slowly, "Last time the Municipal Public Security Bureau raided the Taiyao Gang, it was a massive operation. Yet, aside from catching an peripheral figure, Li Kai, and that young child who doesn't remember anything, Wang Lili and her core group, along with elite members like Huzi, all vanished into thin air. The wanted notices have been out for so long, yet there's been no news. What does this mean?"

Police Chief Li Jianguo listened quietly on the other end of the phone.

"It means there is still a mole within the Municipal Public Security Bureau, or even in the higher ranks of the special investigation team."

Zhu Wenhao pierced through the mystery, "Those people had already arranged their escape routes before the net closed; it's very likely they have already fled outside the village."

"You mean to use this opportunity of finding someone to pull out this nail?"

"Exactly."

Zhu Wenhao offered his strategy: "The Art of War states, 'He who can cause the enemy to come to him does so by offering him a benefit.' Since we need to investigate the mole, rather than investigating the entire police bureau, it's better to only investigate a few people. Define a very small circle, find a few specific individuals suspected of involvement, and issue them a fake order."

"Just say that the Municipal Public Security Bureau has already grasped the exact whereabouts of Lin Wan and is about to send the Second Criminal Investigation Brigade to rescue her. Let this news circulate only within this small circle."

Zhu Wenhao's tone remained calm: "On the other side, you secretly deploy a special police squad that is completely free from interference, cut off their communications, and keep a close eye on the Lin family's car. As soon as the mole hears the news, they will definitely report it to their superiors. To protect themselves, the mastermind will definitely send killers to silence them before the Second Criminal Investigation Brigade arrives."

"At that moment, the special police squad will be the oriole behind the mantis. You will be able to protect the witness and capture the killers on the street."

"By reverse deduction, whoever had contact with this false intelligence this afternoon is the mole lying in wait. Investigating a small handful of people is far less troublesome than investigating a large group."

"Even if, taking a step back, the mastermind does not dare to act rashly, the Lin family can still be safely handed over to Director Qi at the Provincial Public Security Department by the special police squad. This is a foolproof plan; it's a great achievement either way."

After listening to this deduction, Police Chief Li Jianguo was suddenly enlightened.

"Zhu Wenhao, have you really not considered transferring to our public security system with that brain of yours?"

On the other end of the phone, Zhu Wenhao chuckled.

"Director Li, solving cases and catching people is your specialty. I still prefer holding the pen and feeling like I'm writing history."

"You sharp kid, listen to that mouth."

Police Chief Li Jianguo hung up the phone, immediately pressed the intercom, and began to issue orders to close the net and set the bait.

Cutting back to the Jianshe Road intersection.

The Ford SUV started up, bypassed the chaotic accident scene, and sped away.

According to Police Chief Li Jianguo's prior deployment, the Special Operations Brigade did not take the conventional route. For absolute secrecy, Police Chief Li Jianguo maintained only a single-line connection with this special police squad.

The convoy headed directly to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city.

There, the elite forces from the Provincial Public Security Department led by Captain Xiao Zhan had been waiting for a long time.

The handover process required no tedious paperwork; the safety of the witness was the highest directive.

The special police officers left at the intersection kept the two killers firmly detained.

In the distance, police sirens wailed.

The vehicles of the Second Criminal Investigation Brigade arrived late.

Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau, Command Center.

On the circular large screen, surveillance footage along the street transmitted everything that happened at the intersection back to the center.

When they saw the Ford SUV successfully intercept, the special police cleanly and efficiently capture the criminals, and the Lin family of three board the car and evacuate safely,

the hall, which had been holding its breath, erupted in thunderous cheers.

Applause intertwined.

Police Chief Li Jianguo stood before the monitoring console with his hands behind his back.

He glanced at a deputy director beside him, and then at a certain brigade instructor standing on the other side.

The fish had already taken the bait.

The remaining work was to close the door to beat the dog and settle scores with the traitor at home.

He turned around and whispered to the information brigade captain beside him: "Go investigate. Between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM today, of the few people who participated in that small-scale case briefing, who left their office, and who used external communication devices."

A more tightly woven net of justice was quietly spreading within the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau.