Chapter 39: The Surveillance Plan (3)

The following day, under the organization and arrangement of Director Shang, a meeting was held attended by Zhang Heng, the Provincial Public Security Department Chief, Officer Yang from the City Narcotics Brigade, Wu Cong, and others.

At the meeting, Director Shang reiterated the situation based on the report Zhang Heng had provided during the video conference with superiors in Beijing the previous day. Following the Director’s briefing, some attendees expressed strong support for Zhang Heng’s plan, while others raised objections.

Those in favor praised Zhang Heng’s strategy, calling it the most effective and low-cost method to infiltrate the drug trafficking ring and dismantle it from within. Conversely, those opposed remained skeptical of Zhang Heng’s status. They argued that while he was a criminal investigator with a track record of successful cases, he was not a local officer. Furthermore, given that the drugs had surfaced locally, they advised against entrusting such a formidable and honorable task to him.

With both sides presenting seemingly reasonable arguments, the matter was left to the Department Chief to decide. Considering that Zhang Heng had already reported his plan to the leadership in Beijing, the Chief decided to trust him, albeit with a stern warning: success was mandatory, and failure was not an option. If he succeeded, he would be duly rewarded. If he attempted to flee or genuinely defected to the drug ring, he would be placed on a city-wide wanted list.

Zhang Heng stood before everyone and pledged, "I will not let you down; I guarantee the completion of this mission." With that, the meeting concluded.

Following the meeting, at Zhang Heng's request, the City Public Security Bureau quietly escorted him back to the Narcotics Brigade’s detention center and immediately scheduled a press conference. More than a dozen media outlets attended, including the provincial satellite news channel, the city television station, and several national media platforms.

Director Shang took the stage and addressed the reporters: "Respected members of the press, I am here to report on a case from two days ago. Following an anonymous tip, we discovered that drugs were being concealed at the Shuxin Hotel. It was further alleged that the individual hiding the drugs was a criminal investigator. Upon receiving this report, our bureau immediately dispatched officers to coordinate with the local precinct and apprehend the suspect. We successfully took the individual into custody. Our on-site investigation revealed 11.5 kilograms of a new, high-purity narcotic with a street value exceeding 2.2 million yuan. This is a major drug trafficking case, and the suspect is currently being detained.

"We have verified the identity of the suspect, surnamed Zhang, and confirmed he was indeed a criminal investigator. However, upon learning of his involvement in this drug concealment, his unit immediately terminated his employment, provided all his information to our bureau, and publicly denounced his actions as a cautionary example."

Director Shang continued, "Through our interrogation and investigation, we have determined that Zhang is likely not a primary perpetrator in this case. Since his arrest, he has actively confessed to being deceived and manipulated. He also disclosed that he had been coerced by the traffickers into delivering a package to an address in the suburbs. Given his cooperative attitude, our bureau has decided to grant him leniency. He has been fined 2,000 yuan and sentenced to three days of administrative detention. Thank you all."

The press conference ended. That evening, the news was broadcast, and the following day, the story appeared in newspapers across the city. As planned, Zhang Heng spent three days in the detention center.

On the third day, the day of his release, Director Shang and Officer Yang from the Narcotics Brigade met him at the gates of the detention center. Zhang Heng stepped out wearing new clothes. After leaving, he checked into a hotel, purchased a new mobile phone, and inserted his old SIM card into it.

Upon powering on the device, he discovered a text message received the previous night from an unfamiliar number: "Zhang Heng, now that you are no longer a police officer and have no path back, how about we work together? You have the investigative instincts, and we have a reliable business. We welcome you. It’s a win-win."

Seeing this, he knew it was exactly the message he had been waiting for. He typed: "Sounds good, I’m willing to join. Let’s make some real money together." He hit send and stared intently at the screen. Two minutes later, the same number replied: "Good, brother. I’ve been waiting for those words. Where are you? I’ll have my men drive over to pick you up."

He replied with the address of his hotel. Immediately after sending, he encrypted and hid all the contact information on his phone. A minute later, another message arrived: "Got it. Wait for us at the hotel; we’ll be there in about an hour." He typed back, "Understood, brother."

After replying, he prepared to report to Director Shang and Officer Li that he had successfully grabbed the traffickers' attention and was about to infiltrate their ranks, intending to tell them he would be out of contact for a week. However, his instincts stopped him. He deleted the draft, left the hotel, and went to a nearby mobile service center to purchase a new SIM card.

Back in his room, he quickly inserted the new card and sent a message to Director Shang, the superior in Beijing who had assigned him to the Liang Lahua case, and Officer Li. He explained that he had successfully gained the traffickers' attention and was about to infiltrate them. He stated he would no longer use his old number to avoid exposing his cover and instructed them not to reply.

After sending the message, he removed the new SIM card, reinserted his original one, and hid the new card inside his clothing. As soon as his original card was active, a strange, local number he had never seen before began to ring.