Chapter 33: Raid

Ye Chen hurried toward Xinhai Apartments. When he returned, Feng Zhixiao was sprawled comfortably in his own home, drinking beer and munching peanuts as he watched a variety show. At the sight of Ye Chen, he casually greeted him, “Chen, you’re back?”

Ye Chen quickly shut all the doors and windows, drew the curtains, and scanned both inside and out with wary eyes. Only after confirming there was nothing suspicious did he speak. “How did you find out about this?”

“Didn’t we go out last night to set things up? While we were gathering at Sunlight Amusement City in University Town, I had to pee, so I went looking for a bathroom. Damn it, I just happened to see Blackie leading a group of Zhang Daring’s boys in some secret briefing. I listened in for a while, so that’s how I know!” Feng Zhixiao grinned.

“Was anyone else there apart from you?” Ye Chen pressed anxiously.

“No, just me!” Feng Zhixiao shook his head. “It was only me at the time, no one saw me!”

“That’s good.” Ye Chen nodded quickly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. “You really are reckless. If they’d found you, you’d be dead for sure. People die for money, birds die for food, you know?”

Ye Chen was almost certain that the five million dollars was all of Zhang Daring’s fortune. If this batch was lost, Zhang would be finished. If he learned the information had leaked, he’d stop at nothing to kill Feng Zhixiao.

“Don’t worry, Chen, no one else knows!” Feng Zhixiao nodded earnestly. “Chen, do you have any ideas? That’s five million dollars! If we got our hands on it, we’d be rich!”

Greed is in human nature. Knowing there was a shipment worth five million dollars, even Feng Zhixiao was tempted. But their strength was laughable in comparison; to go up against Zhang Daring’s men would be suicide, too tragic for words.

“Damn it, you’re not afraid to die?” Ye Chen glared at him. “Listen, Zhixiao, if you want to stay alive, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Otherwise, Zhang Daring will do whatever it takes to kill you.”

Feng Zhixiao nodded hurriedly, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. One careless move could bring death.

“Don’t worry, Chen, my lips are sealed!” he vowed.

“Good. Do you know when the deal is happening?” Ye Chen asked urgently.

“They said last night it’s tomorrow night—which means one o’clock in the morning, tonight,” Feng Zhixiao replied after a moment’s thought.

“All right, I’ve got things to do. I’m leaving for now.” Ye Chen nodded, and as he turned to go, he took ten thousand yuan from the cabinet and tossed it to Feng Zhixiao. “Stop working as hired muscle for people, and pickpocketing isn’t a way out either. I’ll find a way to get you your own territory one of these days.”

Feng Zhixiao was about to thank him, clutching the money, but when he heard Ye Chen’s final words, he leapt off the sofa, eyes shining with delight. “Really?”

Ye Chen nodded. “Once Zhang Daring is out of the picture, I’ll get you Jianghuai Hotpot City.”

“Damn, that’s fantastic!” Feng Zhixiao jumped for joy, more excited than he’d ever been just for asking Ye Chen for money—today’s ten thousand yuan felt like nothing compared to this promise.

“All right, I have to go.” With those words, Ye Chen hurried out.

He raced to the police station. This was serious—a chance to take down Zhang Daring might finally have arrived.

“What did you say?!” Zhang Yantong was stunned by the news Ye Chen brought. Disbelief flickered across her face. “How come I didn’t hear about this?”

Ye Chen gave a wry smile. “News like this usually comes from the bottom rung.”

“So, what do you plan to do?” Zhang Yantong’s icy face grew even more serious as she glanced at Ye Chen. “This is a major matter. It must be planned carefully.”

This was a colossal deal—Zhang Daring would never drop his guard. Any slip, and not only would they fail, but they might also let him slip through the net.

“What is there to plan? Mobilize the armed police squad, get all the major crime units, and hit them together!” Ye Chen replied coldly.

“It’s not as simple as you think!” Zhang Yantong glared at him. “What proof do you have that Zhang Daring is trading drugs tonight? Are you relying on the wild guess of someone with no status or identity?”

Smack!

Ye Chen slammed his palm down on her desk, making it tremble. The cartoon mug on top tipped over, spilling water everywhere, rolled to the edge, and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

“If that’s what you think, then I see no need for us to work together,” Ye Chen snapped, turning on his heel to leave.

“Wait!” Zhang Yantong, realizing she might have gone too far, tried to stop him. But it was already too late. Ye Chen had stormed out. In the corridor, several officers peeked in curiously, wondering if the rumors about Zhang Yantong and this man were true.

After Ye Chen left, Fang Qin entered Zhang Yantong’s office.

“Yantong, what happened?” Fang Qin asked, puzzled.

“That man actually dared to slam his hand on my desk!” Zhang Yantong fumed, sitting down in a huff. Her fair face was flushed with anger. Resting her chin in her hands, she looked for all the world like an upset little girl. Fang Qin was stunned—since when did Captain Zhang let a man get to her like this? She had a bad feeling.

“Qin, call all the main members of the force for a secret meeting!” Zhang Yantong stood up abruptly, her tone cold. “Hmph, I don’t believe I can’t handle this without him!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Fang Qin nodded.

In the police conference room, over a hundred officers from Jianghuai City Police Headquarters had gathered.

As the head of the criminal police, Zhang Yantong personally reported the new lead to the deputy director, Zeng Kaiqiang, who authorized her to convene this secret meeting.

“Comrades, we’ve just received a tip: tonight, Zhang Daring is receiving a shipment at Dock One in University Town. The goods are valued at roughly five million dollars!” Her words caused an immediate uproar. That much in drugs—how much white powder would that be? Forget prison, that was a bullet-worthy haul.

“Captain Zhang, is this information reliable?” a middle-aged officer asked.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s reliable or not. When we receive a report from the public, we must act!” Zhang Yantong replied tactfully. She herself wasn’t sure if Ye Chen’s tip was true, but in any case, they had to move tonight.

“Without solid evidence, how can we act?” another officer questioned.

“If we catch them, won’t we have evidence?” Zhang Yantong waved a hand impatiently, her face clouded. These officers were used to easy days; now, at a critical moment, they quibbled about evidence and investigation. Her icy gaze swept the room. “When has any crime been prosecuted before it was caught red-handed?”

Her words silenced everyone.

After the meeting dispersed, the afternoon was a flurry of tense preparation. Zhang Yantong worked tirelessly, mobilizing police from all precincts. Meanwhile, in the police station’s restroom, a young officer covered the phone with his hand, glanced around, and said, “Brother Daring, you better look into who leaked this info!”

“Chen, do a good job and come see me for a hundred thousand later,” Zhang Daring’s voice carried obvious anger.

“Thank you, Brother Daring!” Officer Chen quickly hung up.

In Zhang Daring’s amusement arcade, the place was bustling even in the afternoon, filled with people playing everything from arcade games to slot machines. Youngsters and street punks mingled. Feng Zhixiao was always around with his number three underling.

“Damn it, who leaked the news?” Zhang Daring gathered all those in the know.

“Brother Daring, none of us leaked a thing!” Blackie swore, knowing full well that many were aware, given the number of people needed for security. Still, he was sure it hadn’t come from his men.

“Yeah, I swear too!” the core members echoed.

“If none of you talk, then how did the police get wind of it?” Zhang Daring raged, smashing several Qing dynasty blue-and-white porcelain vases. The underlings winced—each was worth tens of thousands, and Brother Daring was wrecking them in a fit.

“Brother Daring, maybe we should be extra careful,” Blackie advised. “But since the cops know, why don’t we turn the tables? Hell, I’ve had it with them. Time to teach them a lesson.”

“Right, let’s set an ambush ourselves!” the others chimed in.

“What’s your plan?” Zhang Daring’s interest was piqued.

Blackie whispered a few words into his ear.

“Excellent!” Zhang Daring’s eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh. “That’s the plan! Also, tell our contact—the time for the deal has changed.”

“On it!” Blackie nodded, hurrying off with the others.

Midnight.

Dock One was swarming with police. Led by Zhang Yantong, the entire criminal squad was in position, more than a hundred officers forming a triangular formation that sealed off the dock.

“Captain Zhang, why is there still no movement this late?” Fang Qin, weighed down by a bulky bulletproof vest, lay beside her.

“It’s not time yet,” Zhang Yantong replied, glancing at her.

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