At seven o'clock, the chime of the wall - mounted clock rang out leisurely, like a sigh in the silence.
Some team members' stomachs had already started to growl, and the sound was particularly jarring in the quiet environment. If they were like this, the situation for those already lying in wait in Pingning County and Shuangming County must be even worse. They were probably already thirsty and hungry.
Thinking of this, Mark Ma couldn't help but become irritable, as if a tangle of hemp was churning in his heart.
Just then, Ethan sat up straight again like a zombie, startling those around him.
"They're here! Everyone on high alert." Ethan's voice was calm and decisive.
"You..." Seeing Ethan like this again, these people were stunned and couldn't help but curse inwardly: How the hell is this possible?
"Are you sure you're not having a delusion?" Someone couldn't help but mutter in a low voice. He thought that if Ethan had checked his mobile phone or had some form of communication to get the news that these people were coming, it would be understandable, after all, there were channels for getting information. But this kid had been sleeping right under their noses, hadn't touched his mobile phone, and didn't even have an earpiece in his ear. How did he get this news? Could it be... that this kid was just guessing blindly?
"Check again!" Mark Ma said to Ethan once more. He now felt as if he had boarded a pirate ship and was full of remorse. The only reason he hadn't given up was that he still held on to a last glimmer of hope. However, Ethan's performance just now was like a gust of wind, blowing out this last glimmer of hope.
"I'm sure!" Ethan said firmly, his eyes as calm as a deep, bottomless lake, without a single ripple.
But now, facing this look again, Mark Ma had completely lost his patience and was about to curse out loud: You're sure of nothing!
Suddenly, the walkie - talkie rang again.
"Report to Captain Mark Ma! There are boats rowing over on Reedwood Lake in Shuangming County!"
"Report to Captain Mark Ma! Outside the Clayville in Peace County in Pingning County, there are tractors approaching!"
Just at this moment, the persons in charge of the two counties suddenly reported to Mark Ma.
Hearing this, the people in the office were first startled, and then couldn't restrain their ecstasy.
They're here? Really?
Everyone was excited and eager to act, just waiting for Mark Ma to give the order so they could go and arrest these people.
However, Ethan's voice rang out again like thunder: "Don't move! They are scouts!"
Mark Ma was instantly jolted awake, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe. Then, he looked at Ethan again and finally followed his advice.
"Do not act! Stay put!"
"Captain Mark Ma, they've left again!" A voice came from the walkie - talkie.
Hearing this, Mark Ma looked at Ethan, still feeling a lingering fear. Just a moment ago, they had almost wasted all their previous efforts.
After these people left.
"There are off - road vehicles approaching from both the east and west directions." The person in Pingning County reported.
"There are also two bamboo rafts approaching on Reedwood Lake."
Hearing these two pieces of news, the people in the office were extremely excited, as if victory was within reach.
"Wait! Wait for them to get closer! Then we'll catch them all in one go!" Mark Ma ordered.
But as soon as he said this, Ethan's furious voice was heard: "Wait for what? If we wait any longer, they'll run away again! Close the net now! Block all the roads! There are two people five hundred meters southeast of the Clayville in Peace County in Pingning County. Take them down! There are two people night - swimming in the center of Reedwood Lake. Don't let them escape!"
"What?" Mark Ma was stunned. What was all this?
"Why are you standing there? Hurry up and give the order! Otherwise, they'll get away!" Ethan reprimanded Mark Ma.
Mark Ma immediately snapped out of it and quickly issued orders according to what Ethan had said.
"Captain Mark Ma, we've found them! We've caught them!"
"Captain Mark Ma, these people are in the water! Caught red - handed!"
Ten minutes later, excited voices came from the walkie - talkie.
"So cunning! Finally caught them!"
"Captain Mark Ma, amazing! Truly amazing!"
"We're convinced! We are completely convinced!" Constant words of admiration came from the other side of the walkie - talkie.
"These people are so cunning! There were so many distractions, but you saw through them all one by one! Just as the saying goes, no matter how cunning a fox is, it can't escape the hunter's gun!"
"Yes! If there had been a single mistake in any of these steps, all our previous efforts would have been in vain! Captain Mark Ma really has great self - control!"
Mark Ma and the others were all stunned at this moment. The victory had come so suddenly that it was a little unbelievable.
"Caught them? They were actually caught!" Even Mark Ma was in a daze, feeling that all of this was a bit unreal.
"How is this possible? How could this be?"
"How did he know?"
"Wasn't he sleeping all this time?"
After the initial ecstasy, the people in the office looked at Ethan as if they had seen a ghost.
This... This is really spooky!
These people were so cunning. Only two hours before the start of the deal did they disclose the specific trading location. But even after having the trading location, the main players wouldn't go directly to the deal. Instead, they would first send scouts and only then conduct the deal. With such an operation, even those involved in the internal trading might not know what the next step was. Ethan was here, with nothing... How did he know?
Weird! So weird!
"They praise me as amazing, but little do they know that the real amazing person is here?" Mark Ma said with a bitter smile.
"Yes! This is... the real amazing person!"
"Previously, when reading 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', it said that Zhuge Wolong knew one - third of the world without leaving his home! I thought it was just a novel, a false rumor! Now I know that there really are such amazing people in this world!" Henry Glory said with a shocked expression.
"This great victory was achieved thanks to the help of this amazing person!" Mark Ma said half - jokingly and half - seriously.
"Thanks to the help of this amazing person!" The other team members also followed Mark Ma, jokingly imitating ancient etiquette, and thanked Ethan.
"This is the amazing person? Is this considered a great victory?"
"No wonder you guys have always been led by the nose! Now, you haven't even caught the mastermind behind this, and you dare to relax! You really deserve to be toyed with all the time!" Ethan couldn't help but shake his head.
Now, hearing Ethan's scolding, Mark Ma and the others immediately blushed.
"Now that we've caught these people, can't we catch the others by following the clues?" Someone retorted.
"Didn't you guys also keep an eye on Beard Wang last time? But in the end? They managed to kill him right under your noses. Did you find out anything?" Ethan sneered.
"This..." Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed.
"Amazing person, are you saying... you can still catch this mastermind here?" Henry Glory fawned on Ethan.
"Do you still need to ask me?" Ethan said unhappily.
"You are the all - knowing amazing person. If not you, who else should we ask?" Henry Glory said shamelessly.
Beside them, Mark Ma's expression changed drastically.
"You... At the very beginning... At the very beginning, you asked us to send four people over. Was it to catch that mastermind?" Mark Ma finally realized and said to Ethan in shock.
"You're not completely stupid after all!" Ethan said to him.
"..." Mark Ma was speechless and didn't know how to respond to this.
In the entire Qingzhou City, and even in the entire Qingshen, he was somewhat famous. When mentioning Qingzhou's detective Mark Ma, who wouldn't give a thumbs - up? But now, he was being pointed at by Ethan, who hadn't even graduated from high school, and being told that he wasn't completely stupid.
"Let them close the net! That mastermind has already been caught!" Ethan said coldly.