Chapter 20: Capturing the Primary Human Traffickers (4)

“Good.”

At that moment, the director’s heart stirred with a flicker of excitement. He then applauded and said, “Comrade Liang Song from Beijing, in your view, how should we proceed with the plan to apprehend this primary trafficker?”

Liang Song rose from his seat and walked toward the podium. At the same time, Director Liu of the Y City Public Security Bureau stood up in surprise and exclaimed, “Comrade Liang Song, what are you doing? You want to—”

“Old Liu, now’s not the time for you to speak. Just sit down,” interjected the team leader from the Provincial Anti-Crime Office.

Seeing this, Director Liu immediately sat down.

Standing at the podium, Liang Song turned to face everyone, then looked directly at the director and said, “Director, leaders, I have a request. I’m not sure if I should say it.”

“No problem, go ahead,” the director replied.

“Ahem,” Liang Song feigned calmness and cleared his throat twice before continuing, “Director, esteemed leaders, I request that for the upcoming part of this meeting, Director Liu from Y City Public Security Bureau be asked to leave. Thank you. Because the content we’re about to discuss no longer concerns Director Liu or Y City, I suggest that when the meeting continues, he excuse himself.”

“What? Comrade Liang Song, you’re a criminal investigator from Beijing, an outsider to our Sxi Province. On what grounds do you demand I leave and exclude me from this meeting?” Director Liu stood up angrily and shouted at Liang Song on the stage.

“Enough!” The director banged the table loudly, his voice filled with authority.

“Director, leader, no, what I mean is—”

“That’s enough,” the director interrupted before Liu could finish.

Hearing this, Director Liu fell silent and sat down, his face full of grievance as he looked at the director.

“Director, I apologize for my earlier outburst. I reflect on my behavior. What I meant was that since the suspect we are pursuing is involved in a case from Y City, it is only right that I, as Y City’s public security officer, take responsibility instead of being shut out by Comrade Liang Song.”

“Are you finished?” the director asked.

“Yes, I’ve finished,” Liu replied.

“Very well. Now, let us all express our stance. Those who support Director Liu staying in the meeting, please raise your hands. We abide by the majority’s decision.”

“Okay, begin,” said the director.

No one raised their hand; the room fell into silence.

“Ah, you all, you all, Old Zhang, Old Yang... Director,” Liu said.

“That’s enough, our respected Director Liu. Since everyone has made their stance clear, please leave voluntarily, and kindly close the door behind you,” the director said.

Angrily, Director Liu stood, turned, and strode towards the door. As he left, he slammed the door with a loud bang.

Everyone turned to watch the door close. Then the director looked at Liang Song on the stage and said, “Comrade Liang Song, you may begin.”

Liang Song then started speaking as if delivering a speech...

***

The next day.

At dawn, inside the Public Security Corps headquarters in T City, several plainclothes officers, all armed with pistols and handcuffs, stood ready beside an ordinary Jinbei van.

At that moment, another vehicle resembling a sanitation worker’s van approached and stopped before them.

Seated inside this van were none other than the Provincial Public Security Department director and the T City Public Security Bureau chief. Liang Song was driving, and Zhang Heng sat beside him.

The four of them stepped out of the vehicle.

Liang Song took several sanitation workers’ uniforms that had been prepared in advance and handed them out. Everyone changed into the uniforms.

Once changed, they all stood before the group. The Provincial Director then spoke first:

“Comrades, today you will carry out a special arrest mission targeting a highly suspicious criminal suspect. All orders during this mission will be under Comrade Liang Song. The bureau chief and I will wait here for your safe return. Agreed?”

The group responded with enthusiastic applause.

“Prepare yourselves, get in the vehicles, and let’s depart. I wish everyone a victorious return,” said the bureau chief.

Everyone boarded the vehicles, and Liang Song took the driver’s seat.

***

They drove out of the Public Security Bureau at 6:40 a.m.

Following the unanimous suggestion of the plainclothes officers, they stopped at a fairly reputable breakfast shop in the city.

After breakfast, they returned to the van and saw the time was already 8:00 a.m.

Following Liang Song’s previous GPS navigation, they headed toward a remote hospital.

Not long after they began the journey, Liang Song’s phone rang. He pulled over to the roadside and answered.

On the other end, a man immediately said, “Hello, Boss Chen, are you police? Are you coming to arrest me today? Let me tell you, no way. We’ve left Sxi Province already,” and then hung up.

Liang Song immediately instructed Zhang Heng to power up the prearranged GPS tracking device to confirm the suspect’s location.

Zhang Heng quickly accessed the device and found the GPS pinpointed the suspect’s phone at a highway interchange leading to the Jingkun Expressway heading out of the province.

Clearly, the suspect was aware of their moves, indicating there was a mole within their operation.

“Comrade Liang Song, what should we do? Should we pursue?”

“Comrade Liang Song, should we report this to the director and bureau chief immediately?”

The plainclothes officers around the van urged.

Liang Song, a seasoned and practical investigator, calmed himself and addressed the officers:

“Comrades, today’s operation is canceled. You may all return. It is my decision. I will go with Zhang Heng to the remote hospital to investigate.”

He then publicly called the director.

Once connected, Liang Song said, “Leader, there’s a mole in our operation. The suspect has escaped.”

“Where are they now?”

“Leader, our GPS shows they’re heading out of the province, specifically on the Jingkun Expressway toward Hbei Province. I recommend sealing off the expressway exit from Sxi Province and conducting strict vehicle checks.”

“Good. Proceed.”

“I also request that Director Liu from Y City Public Security Bureau be detained.”

Liang Song suspected Liu was deeply involved with the traffickers related to the Liang Lanhua case, a suspicion supported by Liu’s abnormal behavior during the previous night’s meeting.

“Understood. Act immediately.”

“Comrade Liang Song, what are your next plans?”

“Leader, I will send the plainclothes officers back. Zhang Heng and I will visit the remote hospital alone to conduct a survey. No others are needed. Thank you.”

“Very well. Contact us if you need anything.”

“Understood. I’m hanging up now. Time to get to work.”

Liang Song ended the call, turned the vehicle around, and headed back toward the police station.

Once all the plainclothes officers disembarked, Liang Song closed the door and immediately accelerated toward the remote hospital location.

***

After more than two hours of driving, Liang Song and Zhang Heng arrived at the remote hospital.

They were stunned to see the hospital had long ceased operations, its walls and buildings dilapidated and crumbling.

Moreover, the surrounding area was uninhabited, deserted.

At the location, Liang Song turned on the GPS device again to recheck the previous day’s coordinates and confirmed the place was indeed the hospital.

Looking at the rundown hospital and the desolate surroundings, Liang Song fell into deep thought.

At that moment, the director called again.

Upon answering, the director said, “We have completed two tasks as requested: first, detaining Director Liu of Y City Public Security Bureau; second, sealing off and thoroughly checking the expressway exit. What are your next instructions?”

Liang Song replied, “Please wait for my return before making further decisions.”

Then he hung up.

***

Turning to Zhang Heng, Liang Song said, “Brother Zhang, let’s get out and investigate the hospital ourselves.”

“Alright,” Zhang Heng agreed.

They exited the vehicle and prepared to approach the decrepit, abandoned hospital.

The eerie silence around unsettled Liang Song, who, with years of experience, sensed danger in the stillness.

“Brother Zhang, let’s move slowly,” he cautioned.

“Okay,” Zhang Heng replied.

They cautiously advanced step by step toward the hospital.

Suddenly, they heard movement coming from the ruins, growing louder.

“Whew, whew…”

The sound of footsteps approached.

Liang Song quickly whispered to Zhang Heng, “Let’s retreat, back to the car.”

They hurried back to the vehicle.

As they reached it, a “whoosh” sound arose from the hospital ruins.

Turning, they saw several burly men emerge from behind the hospital walls, each wielding a machete, glaring fiercely at them.

Liang Song immediately opened the driver’s door and drew the handgun he had requested from the director and bureau chief before departure.

Facing the armed men, he cocked the pistol and fired a warning shot into the ground beside the nearest thug.

The gunshot startled the machete-wielding men, causing them to freeze in fear.

One younger thug shouted, “This is a real gun! Brothers, retreat! Retreat! Or we’re dead!”

He turned and fled toward an open area, followed by the others in a panicked rush.

Soon, all the machete-bearing men had fled.

Only the initial burly man who approached remained, standing defiant.

He sneered at Liang Song, “If you’ve got guts, shoot again. I bet that’s not a real gun—it’s a toy.”

Liang Song smiled faintly and raised his gun, aiming at the man’s thigh.

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck the man’s thigh, flesh exploding with blood.

“Ah!” the man screamed in agony, collapsing, blood pouring from the wound.

“Mercy! Mercy! Save me!” he begged Liang Song.

“I can save your life or choose not to kill you. But first, you must throw away your machete,” Liang Song said coldly.

“Alright,” the man complied, tossing his weapon aside.

At that moment, a whizzing sound like a thrown dart came from the shadows…