Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street.
Although it was currently 1 PM, the number of tourists was still high, with several tour groups present, significantly increasing the difficulty of the arrest operation.
Xu Changsheng parked the car but didn't immediately get out. He handed two mini earpieces to Su Ming and Wang Hu, saying, "Hide these well and put them on. During the operation, all communication will happen in real-time on this channel to prevent any accidents."
"By the way," he continued, "we're currently parked right in the middle of the intersection. Can you two see how many of our people are around?"
"Since you haven't met them yet, let me see how qualified you are in reconnaissance."
As he spoke, Su Ming gazed down the street, carefully observing the stalls, shops, and even the tourists in the tour groups. Wang Hu leaned forward as well, scrutinizing the scene. After a few seconds, he scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Brother Sheng, I can't see any issues. Are there really any of our people on this street?"
Xu Changsheng smiled at this response and shook his head as he explained, "Of course there are. However, they are well hidden. You're still interns, so it's normal that you didn't notice them. After all, if you could spot them that easily, the fish would be scared away, right?"
Before Xu Changsheng could finish his sentence, Su Ming pulled his gaze back and confidently said, "There are four."
"On this main street, there are a total of four of our people!"
Xu Changsheng was momentarily stunned, staring at Su Ming in disbelief. The number he just mentioned was exactly the number of undercover officers he had arranged for this street.
After a brief silence, Xu Changsheng turned to Su Ming and asked earnestly, "Xiao Ming, you're not just guessing, are you? Four? Can you tell me who they are?"
As an experienced detective, Xu Changsheng found it hard to believe that a newcomer could so easily identify hidden officers before the operation even began. It must be a guess!
But Su Ming's unwavering response shattered that notion. "The first one is the fruit vendor in the center of the street. The vendor under the sunshade, who doesn't promote his products when customers arrive, but instead looks around too conspicuously."
"The second is a customer in the convenience store. Although he bought some oden and beer to cover up, he only took a bite of the oden and didn't drink the beer, which is very obvious."
"The third is the tour guide at the farthest point. Although he's holding a guide flag and leading tourists into the store, it's abnormal for him to step outside just to take a breather when he should be encouraging tourists to spend money."
"The fourth is the hardest to spot, but not flawless. It's the security guard closest to us, who's stopping vehicles from entering the pedestrian street. Although he looks and acts normal, his demeanor gives him away."
At this point, Su Ming suddenly turned to Xu Changsheng and pointedly added, "Brother Sheng, do you know what a real security guard at an intersection looks like? They should be impatient and irritable, not wanting to say even half a word, unlike him, who is patiently directing those cars to the parking lot."
"Of course, one could argue that it's his first day on the job and he hasn't been worn down by the monotony of work yet, being full of curiosity. But he doesn't show any signs of nervousness or awkwardness either."
"These various details combined are enough to prove his identity!"
"Am I right, Brother Sheng?"
In both reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, Su Ming could be considered a master, far exceeding the average detective and criminal.
After hearing this analysis, Xu Changsheng looked at Su Ming as if he were a rare specimen, studying him closely. Then he quickly pressed the mini earpiece and shouted, "Old Chen, focus on selling fruits! Don't ignore the customers when they come!"
"Xiao Xu, throw away the beer on your table and replace it with cola. You should take a sip every now and then!"
"And Ah Qi, when you're guiding tourists, make sure to provide some explanations instead of just standing at the store entrance looking conspicuous!"
"Lastly, Old Lin, you need to be more impatient as a security guard. You shouldn't be so patient—what kind of security guard answers questions for the drivers? You're scaring away the fish with your disguise!"
As Xu Changsheng's roar concluded, the four undercover officers visibly flinched and began to adjust their postures and expressions. They had never considered that their seemingly well-hidden behaviors contained so many flaws.
What was going on? Was Xu Changsheng's observation skill really that strong? How could he detect their shortcomings?
Three seconds later, the four of them noticeably blended in better with their surroundings! At the very least, if one didn't observe carefully, it would be impossible to spot any issues!
Hearing Xu Changsheng's roar, Wang Hu, sitting in the back seat, had his mouth wide open, filled with shock and confusion.
"Brother Ming, how did you see that?" he asked. "Why is it that when I look over, I don't see any problems? Those little actions are things normal people might do, right? Does that mean I'm not cut out to be a detective...?"
Su Ming remained calm, putting on his mini earpiece, seemingly unfazed. "Observe more, analyze more, learn more, and look more. It won't be long before you can spot the tricks as well."
After his outburst, Xu Changsheng also adjusted his earpiece and took the opportunity to continue, "Tiger, stop doubting yourself. It's not that you're unsuited to be a detective; it's just that Su Ming is too suited for it!"
"When Director Lin took me on my first mission, he also asked me to identify how many undercover officers were disguised among the crowd. I was a bit better than others— I managed to spot one out of three, while the other two couldn't tell at all."
"Now I finally understand why Su Ming has consistently scored full marks on the police recruitment assessments over the years."
"Alright, let's get out of the car. According to the transaction schedule, the two 'fish' will arrive in about an hour. You two will follow my lead."
"Also, during this transaction, the seller is a middle-aged male of average height. There are no other distinguishing features. Keep a close eye and don't miss any suspicious individuals!"