Now it was a matter of seeing what moves both sides would make. The Yunnan narcotics police were also keeping a close watch on their informants and suspects. Many of their investigation methods were confidential and couldn’t be disclosed. The Hunan side could only wait for whatever information they passed along.

Having mostly sorted out the basic personnel relationships, Xu Mengshan stared at the photos of the Xing father and son, muttering, “Such refined people, why turn to crime? This Xing Jifu looks familiar – haven’t I seen him in the news?”

Jing Ping asked, “What do you all think?”

You Mingxu said, “Let’s wait. Luo Yu is very shrewd; it’ll be hard to dig anything up directly from him. We can only wait for Yunnan to contact them again. Stay still to control the moving.”

Jing Ping looked toward Yin Feng.

Yin Feng said, “I agree with Axu. Only patient hunters can catch rabbits.” He delivered that last line with a particular meaning, making Jing Ping smile and say, “I think so too.”

You Mingxu found something odd about their exchange and shot Yin Feng a glance, muttering, “Why so many unnecessary words?”

Yin Feng replied, “Want to seal my lips yourself?”

You Mingxu ignored him.

Just then, Jing Ping received a phone call. As he listened, his brow gradually furrowed, though a slight smile soon appeared.

After hanging up, he said, “Yunnan’s side is making a move.”

At Xiangcheng Airport.

A flight from Guiyang was slowly descending onto the runway.

Several plainclothes officers were scattered outside the passenger corridor for this flight. As soon as passengers disembarked, they were led down this separate, secluded passageway.

Jing Ping, You Mingxu, Xu Mengshan, and Yin Feng stood behind a one-way glass panel beside the corridor, scrutinizing every passenger as they approached from afar.

The urgent news from Yunnan only indicated that the drug courier was female and experienced – what narcotics officers called a “drug mule.” The mule they were looking for today was around 30 years old, from Yunnan, and likely carrying drugs internally. However, they didn’t know her name or appearance.

The reason for this arrest was that Yunnan had sent a new contact person to Hunan, and this woman was a downstream connection of that contact. She likely possessed intelligence about the contact person.

An elderly couple walked past excitedly, followed by a composed family of three, then a female youth with a climbing rope who kept her head down, and various young couples chattering loudly about their travels… But Jing Ping’s gaze settled on someone specific in the crowd.

She was a woman around thirty-two or thirty-three, wearing a black jacket and jeans with a cap, keeping her head down constantly. She walked on the inside edge of the crowd, quite inconspicuous.

But Jing Ping’s eyes, which had caught countless drug dealers, spotted her almost instantly. Upon careful observation, one could see she was very nervous, her face pale. Despite the comfortable temperature in the plane, fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and she seemed unwell. These were all typical characteristics of someone carrying drugs internally.

“The one in black,” Jing Ping said.

Yin Feng, having no expertise in drug trafficking, looked at the woman and then back at Jing Ping. Such an unremarkable woman… his eyes were truly poisonous.

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan caught on immediately. Jing Ping made a gesture, and the three of them exited through the side door while Yin Feng remained in place, watching.

The three slowly merged into the crowd, approaching the woman. Since leaving the plane, she had been avoiding getting too close to others, gradually becoming isolated.

But under the overhead lights, more than one shadow was cast on the ground.

The woman, already suffering from stomach pain and extremely tense, suddenly noticed the shadows on the ground and heard the light footsteps behind her. Her heart jumped.

Too late.

“Don’t move!”

Jing Ping twisted the woman’s arm and pinned her against the wall. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan guarded the sides as scattered passengers who witnessed this fled in alarm. You Mingxu turned to see Jing Ping’s fierce expression – he showed no leniency, even with a female suspect.

She was immediately taken back to that room.

There stood an X-ray machine.

From the moment of her capture, the woman had gone completely limp, offering no resistance or argument. This only convinced everyone more that she was their target.

Jing Ping glanced at the X-ray machine. “Get up there.”

The woman slowly climbed up.

Jing Ping barked coldly, “Faster.”

The woman quickened her pace and stood under the X-rays.

The screen displayed a full body scan.

Jing Ping suddenly froze.