"What?! Let me see that!!"
Xu Changsheng's eyes widened in disbelief as he quickly grabbed Wang Hu's phone. In the next second, the detailed wanted information for this burly man appeared.
[A-Level Fugitive]
[Name: Luo Zhen
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Characteristics: Longish hair, muscular build, missing pinky on left hand
Case Summary: Fifteen days ago, in Chuncheng, Jilin Province, he and two others robbed a drug transaction point on the outskirts, resulting in three murders and one serious injury, and looted over 100,000 yuan. After the incident, all three fled south.]
Compared to the version of the wanted notice shared with the public, the internal police file was much more detailed.
After reading, Xu Changsheng looked at the burly man still smoking nearby. His previously cheerful expression disappeared, replaced by a cold gaze. "Well, well. We just thought we'd catch a junkie, but instead, we've hooked a big fish!"
"It looks like…" he continued, "this A-Level fugitive, Luo Zhen, wasn't just buying drugs. He planned to use this transaction as a setup… for another black-on-black ambush!"
Xu Changsheng pressed his earpiece, issuing a command in a firm tone. "The situation has changed. Aqi, Old Lin, this man is an A-Level fugitive from Jilin with an accomplice in hiding. Don't spook him just yet. Tail him, but don't reveal your positions. When he reunites with the other fugitives, we'll capture all three in one go!"
"And," he added, "Old Chen, Xiao Xu, go ahead and take down the other 'fish' on our line. Make sure he isn't on the phone when you move in—I'm concerned this fugitive just called him, using the trust to lure him out for another ambush!"
Having issued the orders, Xu Changsheng exhaled, a hint of relief on his face. If they had acted immediately to arrest the burly man, they would have likely tipped off the other two fugitives lying low. If that had happened, those cornered fugitives—knowing they were found out and with no way out—might have resorted to desperate, reckless violence.
Xu Changsheng cast a complex glance at Su Ming, who stood by, and said in admiration, "Su Ming, I'm truly impressed. That was incredibly perceptive, noticing something off so quickly. If we catch all three fugitives today, this will be a huge achievement for you."
"But I'm curious…" Xu Changsheng continued, "What led you to suspect that this burly man was a high-profile fugitive from Northeast China?"
From the back seat, Wang Hu also leaned forward eagerly. "Yeah, Ming-ge, tell us! How did you spot that fugitive? Share some tips—I want to score a big one too!"
Looking at the two curious faces, Su Ming raised an eyebrow, not planning to go into his deductive process. Explaining it would be too complicated and would only lead to more questions. He shrugged casually and said, "No special tricks. Just make a habit of checking the internal platform's wanted list from time to time, and you'll be able to do this too."
"I just thought…" he added, "that this guy looked familiar but wasn't sure, so I mentioned it. Probably didn't recognize him clearly because he shaved his long hair into a crew cut."
The explanation was entirely reasonable. Many detectives did indeed have a habit of reviewing fugitive lists.
Xu Changsheng nodded, still impressed. "Regardless of whether it was intuition or a habit of checking fugitive lists, Xiao Ming, this is a major contribution. You might even get an early promotion for this. Now, let's just wait and see when this fugitive reunites with his companions!"
…
While they quietly waited, Old Chen and Xiao Xu, two other detectives, discreetly arrested the dealer. The dealer, known as Skinny Dog, was visibly shaking, knowing he was likely facing his third prison sentence. Given the weight of the drugs he'd been dealing, he'd be looking at years behind bars, if not the death penalty.
With Skinny Dog in custody, the entire team now focused their attention on the fugitive.
However, to everyone's confusion…
Ten minutes passed, and Luo Zhen, the A-level fugitive, continued wandering aimlessly around the pedestrian street with no clear intention of meeting anyone. He even had time to stop by a store and buy new pants, changing out of his beach shorts. Occasionally, though, he would take out his phone and check it, as if he were waiting for some kind of instruction.
Xu Changsheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a sharp look in his eyes as he spoke into his earpiece.
"Aqi, Old Lin, did you guys somehow give yourselves away and alert our big fish here? Is that why he's stalling on the pedestrian street instead of meeting up with the other two…"
Before he could finish, he shook his head, dismissing his own theory.
"No, that doesn't make sense. If he knew he'd been exposed, a fugitive of his kind would likely be making unpredictable moves. Why would he still have the mind to shop for pants?"
"Could it be that… the issue lies with Skinny Dog, the dealer we just caught? These three fugitives planned to double-cross, but because the other two haven't been able to contact Skinny Dog, they might suspect that Skinny Dog and Luo Zhen have been compromised. That would explain why Luo Zhen hasn't left yet and keeps checking his phone!"
With years of experience as a detective, Xu Changsheng's reasoning was sharp, and he immediately pinpointed the root of the issue. He quickly relayed his orders.
"Old Chen, Xiao Xu, check Skinny Dog's phone that we confiscated. Are there any missed calls or text messages? I suspect those two fugitives are trying to contact him!"
Seconds later, a response came through the earpiece.
"Old Xu, there are indeed two missed calls, the most recent one was two minutes ago. Since Xiao Xu and I didn't yet know the current situation, we intentionally didn't answer the call. I reckon they'll probably try again soon!"
"But the real issue is… Skinny Dog is too shaken to speak properly, and if we answer, it'll immediately give away our cover."
"I figure the two missed calls might already have the other fugitives on edge. They won't wait for Skinny Dog to calm down."
The situation was dire. If they missed the next call, the other two fugitives, hidden somewhere, would realize the operation was compromised and would flee immediately. At that point, even if they got information about the other fugitives from Luo Zhen, it would likely be impossible to track them down.
As time grew short, Su Ming pressed his earpiece and spoke in a calm, confident tone.
"Brother Chen, can you bring Skinny Dog and his phone here as quickly as possible? I can impersonate Skinny Dog's voice to answer the call. Those two fugitives probably won't notice the difference!"
"If they're planning a double-cross, we can use this to draw them out ourselves!"