Old Mai was already very worried about Su Xuan's safety.
However, upon rushing into the coffee shop, he realized that neither Su Xuan nor the suspect was inside anymore.
Upon inquiry, he found out that the two men and two women had headed towards a nearby small park. Old Mai's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately led his team into action.
After all, in an open space like this, with few people around, it was highly possible for the suspect to strike. Especially since Su Xuan was just an ordinary civilian!
However, when Old Mai and Lin Can entered the small garden with their team, they discovered a bizarre scene inside!
A person resembling a suspect was being firmly subdued by Su Xuan on the ground. Su Xuan was half-kneeling, chatting with the two women as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
There was no sign of a battle of wits with a criminal, no imminent danger!
Unaware of the context, it might seem as if he were playing some kind of hero-rescuing-damsel trick opportunistically!
Shengyi and her friend were taken aback when a large group of people rushed in, the person at the front even wielding a gun!
In no time, police officers in uniform arrived, drawing a crowd's attention. Shengyi and her friend stood still, holding their breaths.
They dared not say a word.
Old Mai surveyed his surroundings and eventually approached the scene. His nerves were still taut, his gaze swept over the person pinned to the ground by Su Xuan—still struggling to break free—the two women by his side, and he asked in puzzlement:
"Weren't you the one who said he's a suspected serial killer?"
"You claimed you couldn't handle him alone and that he might be extremely dangerous."
"The situation was urgent."
"And now you're showing me... this?"
Old Mai was nearly rendered speechless.
Facing his gaze, Su Xuan calmly pressed his knee against the suspect's shoulder blade, causing the latter to wail and temporarily lose the strength to escape.
"This is the suspected serial killer."
"When I noticed him, his gaze was fixated on these two hostages."
"He had just taken one hostage, and it took considerable effort to rescue the victim."
"Furthermore, his mental state seems unstable, but you'll need to investigate further."
"He's only temporarily incapacitated. Be cautious when transporting him."
Su Xuan spoke up, and immediately, members of the detective team stepped forward to apprehend the suspect.
They examined his face carefully.
Finally, they confirmed that this man's name wasn't on any wanted list, suggesting he might only be a conjectured serial killer.
Old Mai was left flabbergasted.
"You didn't even confirm if he was a serial killer and sent this message in the work group!?"
"Do you realize that if this person isn't a serial killer, the police force deployment you squandered today would be enough to feed you demerits for a year!"
"Even I can't protect you."
Old Mai genuinely had high regard for Su Xuan, but that wasn't his justification, "Su Xuan, take a moment to think about how you should report this incident!"
Saying so, Old Mai was about to step forward and apologize to the detectives and special police officers who had arrived.
However, at that very moment, Su Xuan retrieved a cellphone from his pocket.
"This is the evidence I obtained from the suspect."
"The cellphone contains evidence of the suspect's crimes."
"Director, you need to trust me."
Upon hearing this, Old Mai's movement stalled.
He was also internally struggling with his feelings!
Getting hold of an off-the-radar criminal wasn't so simple. Unless they were certain of the suspect's guilt, mobilizing a joint force came with consequences!
If it turned out in the end that the suspect wasn't really a criminal but just the prime suspect they had speculated about, and there was no concrete evidence of a crime...
The manpower expended this time couldn't even be compensated by Su Xuan's resignation!
Such audacity, even Old Mai, the director of the police station, didn't possess!
Even if he was confident in his conjecture, the actual execution was far from straightforward...
But unexpectedly, Su Xuan, a mere police officer, exhibited such courage!
Thinking of this, Old Mai's gaze at Su Xuan became somewhat strange...
Especially when Su Xuan actually mentioned there were criminal records of the suspect on the phone, Old Mai suddenly felt a shiver down his spine...
Could this lad have been coveting his position as station chief for a while now!?
"You little..."
Old Mai was about to say something, but several other leaders of the joint task force had already arrived and entered the scene, their expressions stern.
"Old Mai, what exactly happened? Was the person caught?"
"We've already sealed off the streets nearby and eliminated the passers-by. Only the suspect remains"
"As long as he dares to run, we'll move out immediately! e'll have him apprehended within three minutes..."
Before he could finish speaking, the others saw Teacher Zhou being arrested.
Everyone's expression changed.
"This is the one you were talking about? He was suspected to be a serial killer who had killed many people!?"
"He's so young, and you're saying that he's a serial killer? Old Mai…"
"As a police station chief, you should be aware of the consequences if this goes wrong, right?"
"Is this person really the alleged serial killer you mentioned?"
The two team leaders were in disbelief after seeing Teacher Zhou.
After examining Teacher Zhou, the two captains with contrasting beliefs found it hard to believe their eyes. While they had encountered suspects and even criminals who hadn't been caught right after committing a crime, the probability of such events was extremely low – they might not encounter a murder or arson case throughout an entire year.
On top of that, this joint operation had been triggered solely by a message Su Xuan sent in the work group chat, prompting not only the entire police station's mobilization, but also connections to their Criminal Investigation Unit and Special Police Team.
The scale of this operation was so grand, yet the outcome was merely a young man!
Even if the person in question stood tall and exuded a commanding aura, they found it hard to believe that such a young man could be the perpetrator of a series of murders.
Faced with everyone's inquiries, Chief Old Mai took a deep breath and handed over his phone.
"Here's the evidence we obtained from the suspect. There should be proof of his involvement in the murders inside."
"Are we going to keep chit-chatting, or just open it up and find out for ourselves?"
The crowd: ...??
"To be honest, did you realize your mistake and so he just played dumb?"
The captain of the Special Police Team and Chief Old Mai had been good friends for many years. Now, somewhat reluctantly, the captain donned a pair of gloves, took the phone, and started swiping and tapping.
"What's so special about this damn phone..."
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is all this?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, the captain's shocked exclamation echoed.
The others quickly followed his gaze, their eyes landing on the screen. Their expressions changed in an instant.