At ten o’clock in the evening, Gao Dong, the Deputy Director of the Provincial Public Security Department, sat in his home study flipping through documents when suddenly his private phone rang. Seeing it displayed “Director Guo from the Ministry of Public Security,” he quickly answered. The phone transmitted the other party’s hearty laughter: “Old Gao, that disciple of yours has really made a major achievement this time.”
Gao Dong looked completely confused: “Who are you talking about?”
“Who else could it be? Zhang Yi’ang! You don’t know yet, do you? Don’t worry, first thing tomorrow morning the good news will reach your department. I got the information one step ahead through Li Qian.”
“What… what good news?”
“The San Jiang Kou Public Security Bureau just apprehended Li Feng!”
“Li Feng? That name sounds somewhat familiar.”
“Class A wanted criminal. The Ministry has issued him as a key target for arrest for three consecutive years. According to reports from various locations, he’s committed over a dozen robberies, including nine murders and one attempted murder, involving five provinces. Cumulatively, tens of thousands of police forces have been deployed. Several times we were just about to catch him, but he escaped at the last moment. According to his own preliminary confession, he has fifteen lives on his hands. I really couldn’t imagine that Zhang Yi’ang, this young fellow, has only been in the local area for a few days and has already captured such a figure. Moreover, from what I understand, Li Feng was about to flee again, but it was all thanks to Zhang Yi’ang making a decisive judgment, insisting against everyone’s objections on mobilizing the entire city’s police force. He personally deployed the citywide arrest plan, determined to intercept the person in San Jiang Kou tonight, which is how Li Feng was captured.”
After he reminded him, Gao Dong remembered, and couldn’t help confirming once more: “You mean the Li Feng who fled with his wife, never contacted his hometown, whose whereabouts were always unknown, that desperate criminal?”
“Yes, who else could it be besides him? San Jiang Kou has already compared fingerprints, confirmed without a doubt!”
“Holy shit!” Gao Dong stood up directly in excitement.
“Your disciple is really quite accomplished. This time he’s definitely made a major achievement. But Old Gao, you’re really not being fair. Didn’t you say your disciple couldn’t handle cases, that Li Qian would learn nothing following him, and after a while when she lost interest you’d send her back to arrange work? Your disciple is so formidable—what if our Li Qian gets addicted to being a criminal investigator? I’ll have to settle accounts with you!”
Gao Dong laughed and deflected, but after hanging up the phone, he stood there stunned, still unable to believe it in his heart. It couldn’t be, right? Zhang Yi’ang, that character—what medicine did he take to actually capture Li Feng, whom even the Ministry of Public Security leadership couldn’t forget about!
Night had deepened. The entire San Jiang Kou Public Security Bureau building was brightly lit. All leaders from the entire unit rushed over from home. Even the municipal party secretary and mayor from the government ran out from home in the middle of the night to personally commend all the public security police officers who participated in tonight’s arrest operation.
After seeing off the government leaders, Qi Zhenxing still found it difficult to shake off his shock. He looked at Director Zhao before him incredulously and said: “Zhang Yi’ang’s abilities are really too great, aren’t they? He’s only been here one week and already caught Li Feng?”
Director Zhao thought for a moment and analyzed: “I’m afraid it’s not his personal ability.”
“Then what is it?”
Director Zhao pointed his finger upward: “The person behind him.”
“You mean Director Gao had already grasped Li Feng’s movements and deliberately arranged for his disciple to come arrest the person and claim the credit?”
Director Zhao nodded: “Otherwise? Everyone else in the unit is saying that Zhang Yi’ang had long known the identities of Li Feng and his wife, and had long since secretly sent people to investigate them. Li Feng and his wife were hiding in our San Jiang Kou, opened a grocery store, and his wife usually delivered takeout to supplement their household income. Last night the delivery platform dispatched an order to his wife’s phone, having her deliver food to Zhang Yi’ang’s home, which allowed him to confirm in person. We don’t have the authority to command the delivery platform—it must be the Provincial Department operating behind the scenes.”
“I see.” Qi Zhenxing nodded. “No wonder when the Criminal Investigation Division called the bureau after work saying Zhang Yi’ang requested mobilizing police forces for a citywide manhunt, everyone felt baffled, and Zhang Yi’ang didn’t mention Li Feng at all. That’s right—he was afraid that if he revealed it was Li Feng and then failed to catch him, that would be a major responsibility.”
“Not just that, right? If he had mentioned Li Feng, you would definitely have commanded the arrest, and as a result, tonight’s spoils would have gone entirely to him alone.”
Qi Zhenxing said sourly: “Director Gao must have instructed him to do this. Of course he’s delivering fruit to his disciple—how could it be our turn?”
Director Zhao smiled: “That’s also natural. However, catching Li Feng is also an honor for our unit. Our bureau will definitely receive heavy commendation, and you’ll have glory on your face too.”
Qi Zhenxing thought about it and felt relieved. Director Gao also concurrently serves as director of the Provincial Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, so naturally information flows in all directions. Finding Li Feng isn’t strange. Of course, capturing Li Feng, this kind of credit, can only be considered icing on the cake for Director Gao, but the effect for his disciple is different. This achievement will naturally go to his disciple, so there’s nothing for him to regret. After all, it was the San Jiang Kou Public Security Bureau that caught the person, so he, the bureau director, also benefits—the result is still good.
After a moment, Qi Zhenxing frowned again: “However, I still can’t get too close to Zhang Yi’ang. This time Director Gao uncharacteristically arranged for him to come replace Lu Zheng. You know, supposedly Lu Zheng was investigating Zhou Rong at the time, then suddenly disappeared. I’ve thought it over—Zhang Yi’ang’s purpose in coming here must be aimed at Zhou Rong, but Zhou Rong is Director Zhou’s nephew!”
Director Zhao advised: “If Bureau Chief Lu was really harmed by Zhou Rong and his people, I actually think we should proactively help Zhang Yi’ang!”
Qi Zhenxing hesitated for a while, then shook his head: “Let’s wait and see. Everyone says Zhou Weidong will be the next department director. Let’s observe first.”
It was already past midnight, and people in the Public Security Bureau still hadn’t dispersed. In these past few short hours, Zhang Yi’ang had become a star in the unit.
Capturing Li Feng, who even ranked among the Ministry of Public Security’s supervised cases, was simply the biggest case San Jiang Kou, this small place, had ever solved in its history.
All personnel in the Criminal Police Division refreshed their understanding of the new leader. Originally, most people took him for Director Gao’s trusted subordinate sent down for temporary assignment to gain experience—such people were just bureaucrats without much professional capability. Who knew that with one move he’d crack such a huge case? Especially today when he disregarded everyone’s objections, pried open the store door, and conducted a citywide manhunt for a couple running a grocery store—it was simply executed in one breath. Only afterward did everyone learn this was due to confidentiality requirements.
According to Bureau Chief Zhang’s own later explanation, this case had a very high confidentiality level. The reason he didn’t previously reveal they were catching Li Feng was first, he didn’t understand the unit’s personnel well enough and feared leaking information that would let Li Feng escape again; second, he worried that during the operation everyone would be eager for achievement and act independently, ruining the big matter. So he kept waiting until the person was caught and fingerprints compared, confirmed beyond doubt, before revealing the truth.
So that’s how it was!
To gain respect in a unit requires either seniority or ability. Criminal investigators who have long worked the operational lines most admire leaders with strong case-solving abilities. After this campaign, the Criminal Police Division’s morale all tilted toward Bureau Chief Zhang. The several old criminal investigators who had been cold and indifferent to him just days ago felt even more ashamed. The leader had no personal relationship with them, yet right from the start gave everyone this collective achievement. Going forward, everyone’s various rewards and commendations would naturally be assured. The several officers who personally caught Li Feng that night could sit in the police station and boast about this until retirement.
The commotion continued until late into the night. The Criminal Review Division was still working day and night interrogating Li Feng. Zhang Yi’ang dispersed everyone, telling them to go home and rest early, saying that Li Feng was caught, so he was caught—the Ye Jian case was still the current work priority. Tomorrow they should get enough rest and continue fighting.
This statement made everyone feel even more that this leader was someone who did real work. Although Wang Ruijun and Song Xing had been won over by him earliest, it was only organizational obedience. After tonight passed, they were convinced from the bottom of their hearts. Although they still had some doubts about the entire process, since their direct superior was giving everyone major achievements, how would they be so tactless as to stand up and criticize? Whether by luck or by strength, in any case, this super major case was solved. Going forward, the main event would of course return to the case of Criminal Investigation Division Chief Ye Jian being killed.
Who exactly killed Ye Jian, and why did he write down Zhang Yi’ang’s name?
The two robbers were hiding here and there, even disguising themselves as cross-dressing men. Their goal was to rob one of San Jiang Kou’s major corrupt officials.