456: Chapter 456: One Killed, One Arrested, Case Solved Within 36 Hours

The two men were very cautious.

Hiding in the forest, they peered through the leaves for a long time before quickly choosing the most secluded farmhouse. Seeing no one around, they crept over.

What they did not know was that a palm-sized drone was hovering at an altitude of over a hundred meters in the sky, monitoring everything below.

They were even less aware that the area had been completely cordoned off, with not only the Criminal Investigation Bureau team brought by Cheng Yuan but also two squads of Special Police present.

"Attention all units, the suspects have appeared!"

"Identity confirmed. My gunshot will be the signal. Once the shot rings out, open fire immediately and kill them!"

That is right, kill them!

Do not capture them alive!

This was the requirement of Secretary Qin Chuan.

To rewind two or three hours earlier, at the Dongjiang City Public Security Bureau, Qin Chuan had proposed that since these two wanted criminals were heinous and extremely fierce, attempting to capture them alive might result in injuries or even casualties.

This was what Qin Chuan least wanted to see; they were all someone's son, husband, or father. Whoever sacrificed their life would inevitably affect their family, leaving a father without a son or a son without a father.

With this instruction from Secretary Qin, everyone, including Secretary Zhang Dong, felt a weight lifted from their hearts.

Killing and capturing are two completely different concepts.

The former is much less difficult, while capturing is not only difficult but also highly risky. Naturally, Secretary Zhang Dong did not want to see his own men injured or killed.

Liu Biao and Gao Dalong emerged from the forest, sneaking around. Confirming that no one noticed them, they dashed towards the farmhouse.

Having spent the whole night on the mountain feeding mosquitoes and getting no rest, they were exhausted and tired, just wanting to find a place to eat their fill and get some rest.

Finally, they arrived in front of the house.

Suddenly, both of them felt an extreme sense of unease.

Quiet, it was too quiet!

This silence was somewhat abnormal; years of experience told them both that something was wrong, something very wrong!

"Run!"

The two men were in perfect sync; they turned and ran back into the forest, even pulling out their pistols and chambering rounds.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out.

Cheng Yuan fired, but to his surprise, his supposedly foolproof shot missed. The two men were as slippery as loaches.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Rat-tat-tat..."

Other criminal police and Special Police opened fire in succession. There were sounds of pistols, submachine guns, and even the 95-style assault rifles.

No wonder Liu Biao and Gao Dalong had survived until now without being caught; they really had some skills, and their reactions were exceptionally fast.

Not only did they dodge the first wave of gunfire, but they also found cover and were able to fire back from behind it, initiating a firefight between the two sides.

However, in the end, two fists are no match for four hands.

With so many Special Police officers—who were not to be trifled with—and a drone in the sky, they had nowhere to hide. Within a minute or two, both of them were shot.

Cheng Yuan signaled everyone to cease fire. Then, using a large tree for cover, he picked up a loudspeaker and began shouting.

"Liu Biao, Gao Dalong, you are surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender!"

"You have ten seconds to consider. If you do not drop your weapons and come out to surrender, we will kill you both."

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

The entire scene went quiet, to the point where even breathing could be heard. Only the sound of Cheng Yuan counting remained, and the ten seconds passed quickly.

But there was no response from the other side.

Cheng Yuan said, "Drone, descend to a lower altitude and check if these two guys are dead or alive."

In mid-air, a drone quickly descended. High-definition footage was transmitted back: behind a large rock, Liu Biao had been shot multiple times and was covered in blood, lying motionless on the ground. He was likely already dead.

Not far away, just over a dozen meters away, behind a low brick wall, Gao Dalong was leaning against it. He had also been shot multiple times but was not yet dead. With a ferocious look on his face, he gripped his pistol tightly.

"Gao Dalong, drop your weapon and surrender!"

"Gao Dalong, your resistance is futile; it will only lead to your death!"

After shouting a few times and seeing that the suspect was unresponsive, Cheng Yuan repeatedly confirmed via the drone feed that the suspect only had one pistol and had been hit by at least three bullets. His combat capability had dropped significantly, making it possible to take him alive.

Although killing him was the safest option, as a criminal police officer, since the conditions allowed for capturing him alive, he was prepared to take the risk.

A single pistol did not pose much of a threat.

Soon, a team of fully armed Special Police quietly crept over, all wearing bulletproof vests, helmets, and carrying ballistic shields.

Leading with ballistic shields, several Special Police approached, pointing their guns at Gao Dalong and shouting, "Drop your weapon and surrender!"

Seeing several gun barrels pointed at him, Gao Dalong knew he was finished. He felt a pang of regret; he should not have returned to the country this time. Sure enough, it was a one-way trip.

He smiled bitterly and raised his gun to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head, but the lead Special Police officer reacted faster, kicking the pistol out of his hand. The other Special Police officers swarmed forward, pinning Gao Dalong firmly to the ground so he could not move, and with a "click," put handcuffs on him.

Dongjiang City Public Security Bureau, Command Center.

On the big screen, seeing this scene, everyone cheered.

Someone even excitedly waved their fist: "Beautiful! That was done beautifully!"

No one was injured, one was killed, and one was arrested; this result was much better than imagined.

Secretary Zhang Dong felt even more relieved and picked up the phone to report to Qin Chuan.

"Secretary Qin, I am reporting to you..."

At this moment, Qin Chuan had just returned to his office after a meeting. Judging by the time, he felt there should be a result.

Sure enough, Secretary Zhang Dong's call came through immediately. After hearing his report, Qin Chuan instructed, "Issue a notice immediately to inform everyone: the two fierce bandits are one dead and one injured, and the Zhushan Village massacre case has been successfully solved!"

This matter was huge and was still trending on social media.

Many netizens were hotly debating when those two Grade-A wanted criminals would be caught. Even Interpol had called the Criminal Investigation Bureau to inquire.

Once the Municipal Public Security Bureau's notice was issued, it quickly shot to the top of the trending list.

Seeing this announcement, many people cheered and gave a thumbs up.

"Dongjiang City is awesome! Less than 36 hours and the case is solved. One fierce bandit killed, one captured alive, and no police officers injured. Done beautifully!"

Qin Chuan's phone rang again.

Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng, Minister Xu of the Ministry of Public Security, and others all called one after another.

Provincial Party Secretary Qin Zhendong even called to praise Qin Chuan for his excellent work, commending him highly.

A few days later, the heat surrounding this incident finally began to subside.

Life in Dongjiang City returned to normal, with only some people chatting about these events over tea after meals.

Today, Qin Chuan did not have many tasks and planned to go down to the grassroots level for a visit.