Chapter 44: The Tracking Plan (8)

After listening to the accounts of everyone present, the boss felt a mixture of surprise and distress.

What surprised him was that dozens of people in Toyuan had taken the bait like fish and become addicted to his drugs. Once someone got hooked on that kind of narcotic, it meant finding a stable and reliable source of revenue—one that would squeeze every last coin out of the addicts until they died.

What distressed him, however, was that some of the drug peddlers he had coerced, deceived, and tempted into risking their lives for him had been arrested and thrown into prison.

At this moment, the boss sank into deep thought on the podium.

This meeting also thoroughly shocked Zhang Heng. Before infiltrating this drug trafficking ring, he had assumed that drug dealers must be deeply hidden figures, and that those who peddled the drugs would be even more mysterious, lurking in high-consumption, chaotic places like KTVs and bars. Yet through this meeting, Zhang Heng discovered that the criminals pushing drugs were actually all around us—ordinary people holding mundane jobs we took for granted, such as security guards, cleaners, chefs, drivers, and salespersons. Wearing their work uniforms, they quietly seduced the people around them into using and selling drugs, thereby harming society.

Today's meeting also opened Zhang Heng’s eyes to the inner workings of the drug trafficking industry. He resolved that once this drug syndicate was smashed, he would definitely report the whole affair to the news media.

For now, however, he could not afford to be impatient. It would be better to stay undercover for a few more days to gain a deeper understanding of the gang's secrets.

That was what he believed.

Just then, a henchman suddenly burst in, rushed up to the boss, and shouted:

"Boss, boss, it's bad!"

Pulled out of his deep thoughts, the boss snapped back to reality, glared at the newly intruding lackey, and rebuked angrily:

"What is it? Why are you panicking like this?"

"Boss, several police cars are driving toward us! They're less than ten kilometers away from our location right now," the henchman reported.

Hearing this, everyone in the room panicked, especially the newly recruited peddlers, who grew even more frantic.

Seeing the general panic, the boss first struck the podium with his hand.

*Smack.*

The sharp sound startled everyone present, turning all eyes back to him.

"What is there to panic about?"

"Come on, everyone follow me in an orderly fashion into the basement," the boss announced, facing the crowd.

He then pressed a button on the podium. Immediately, the floor in front of the platform seemed to operate by high technology: several square floor panels automatically split into two rectangular sections and slid apart, revealing the entrance to a subterranean staircase.

Seeing this sight, everyone was deeply astonished.

"Alright, now let's all enter the underground level in an orderly fashion," the boss instructed.

Without hesitation, the people actively cooperated, stepping forward and walking down the stairway into the depths below...

...

Before long, most of the people present had filed down into the underground passage.

Just as Zhang Heng was about to walk down, the boss called out to him.

The boss motioned for Zhang Heng to approach him, and Zhang Heng complied, walking over.

"Come on, brother, go with me to deal with those cops. Once we handle them, I'll reward you with two packets of drugs," the boss told him.

By instinctive reflex, the moment Zhang Heng heard the word "drugs," his brain stopped listening to reason, driving him to complete the task just to earn the narcotics.

This was the peril of drug addiction. Once a person was hooked, their brain would only think of ways to obtain the substance, leaving no room to ponder anything else.

"Alright," Zhang Heng nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a wave of confusion washed over him. He hadn't wanted to agree, yet his brain had bypassed his control, forcing him to say yes and even instructing him on how to pull off the task of dealing with the police.

Seeing that practically everyone had gone downstairs, the boss pressed the button on the podium once more. The newly opened stairway entrance rapidly sealed shut, and the floor quickly restored itself to its original appearance.

Zhang Heng and the boss walked out together.

The boss led Zhang Heng to a utility room. Once inside, he took two hunter-style garments from a row of clothes hanging on the wall, handed one to Zhang Heng, and kept the other for himself. While the boss immediately began putting his on, Zhang Heng stood frozen in place.

Seeing this, the boss urged him:

"What are you standing there for? Put it on quickly!"

Noticing that the boss was almost dressed, Zhang Heng started putting on the garment as well.

Two or three minutes later, both of them were fully dressed and stepped outside.

Upon reaching the main hall, Zhang Heng was dumbfounded. He discovered that all the henchmen outside had also changed into hunting clothes, and a large pile of game carcasses—some still stained with fresh blood—had been placed by the doorway.

Clearly, these animals had just been arranged there by the lackeys.

"Boss, everything is prepared," a henchman ran up to report.

"Boss, their police cars are only five kilometers away from us now," another lackey chimed in.

"Good. Get the props ready, let's head outside," the boss replied to the pair.

"Yes," they answered.

"Brother, let's go," the boss said to Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng followed the boss outside.

Once they were out in the open, the boss turned to him and said:

"Brother, since you used to be a police officer, tell me: how should we persuade those cops to turn around and leave? If you help me send them away, I'll reward you with another two packets of drugs."

Hearing the promise of more drugs, his brain once again slipped out of his control, compelling him to accept.

Zhang Heng felt as though he was losing command over his own mind.

Still, his subconscious told him: *Fine, go along with it. Just survive the current crisis first.*

Noticing Zhang Heng hesitating, the boss reached into his pocket, pulled out a small sachet of drugs, and held it right in front of him.

The moment Zhang Heng laid eyes on the narcotics, his brain revolted, driving him to lunge forward and snatch it.

A mocking tone crept into the boss's voice as he watched the scene. Holding the small bag just out of reach, he asked:

"You really want a fix that badly, don't you?"

Seemingly stripped of his free will, Zhang Heng nodded and murmured:

"Mm-hmm."

"Good. Be a good boy, brother. As long as you help me get rid of the cops coming this way, this whole little bag is yours."

"Deal," Zhang Heng answered immediately, his mind entirely hijacked.

"Go on then. Send them packing, and come back to me for it."

Following the boss's instructions, Zhang Heng walked out alone.

Watching him leave, a henchman ran up to the boss and asked:

"Boss, you're just letting him go out there alone? Can he really talk those cops into leaving?"

The boss burst into loud laughter.

"Just watch. That idiot Zhang Heng will definitely chase those cops away. Because he wants my drugs right now, he certainly doesn't want the police to raid our nest and wipe us out. Who knows, he might even talk those cops into never coming back here again. Let's just wait and see."

"So, Boss, you mean we don't need to go out at all?" the lackey asked again.

"Right, why go out? We'll just wait right here in the building. That fool Zhang Heng is bound to send the police away. We'll just sit back and watch the results."

"Understood, Boss. Should I go tell the brothers not to head out?"

"No need. Come on, follow me to the second floor."

"Right away."

With that, the henchman followed the boss up to the second floor.

Reaching a room near the second-floor landing, the two of them pressed against the window to watch the scene unfold below...

...

A few minutes later, sure enough, several police cars drove up to the front of the building and came to a halt.

As soon as the vehicles stopped, numerous police officers carrying shields emerged, some gripping firearms.

They stepped out and immediately formed neat ranks.

At that moment, another police car pulled up and parked directly in front of the formation.

The door opened, revealing a very familiar figure—Chief Shang of the Toyuan Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Meanwhile, Zhang Heng had made his way outside.

Catching sight of Chief Shang, his first impulse was to run over and embrace him, but the thought that the boss was undoubtedly watching from behind made him check his steps.

Chief Shang also spotted Zhang Heng in his hunter's attire. To avoid causing unnecessary complications, the chief chose not to blow his cover in public.

Feigning ignorance, Chief Shang looked toward the hunter-disguised Zhang Heng and said:

"Ah, master hunter—"

Hearing himself addressed this way, Zhang Heng realized that Chief Shang must be deliberately concealing his identity, hence the title.

*Since Chief Shang is playing along to maintain secrecy, I must follow his lead,* Zhang Heng thought.

Looking at the chief, he replied:

"Officer, are you talking to me?"

"Yes, come over here."

"Oh, sure."

Zhang Heng walked briskly up to Chief Shang.

As Zhang Heng approached, Chief Shang cast a sweeping glance around the area and then extended his hand for a handshake.

In that instant, Zhang Heng reasoned that with so many members of the drug ring gathered together, this was prime opportunity for a raid.

*Yes,* he thought. *Even though I currently only know about the peddlers disguised as ordinary workers, stopping them early will save more lives.*

Yet, his brain, ensnared by addiction, fought back, ordering him to secure the drugs first—getting the drugs was all that mattered.

After a brief internal struggle, he extended his hand and shook the chief's.

"Fellow villager, we received a tip that there are drug dealers operating here. Do you know anything about it?" Chief Shang asked, fixing Zhang Heng with a profound look.

...

In Zhang Heng's mind, a plan formed: he needed to make Chief Shang pretend to leave, and more importantly, go summon reinforcements so they could catch the entire gang in one sweep.

Simultaneously, the addiction-driven voice in his brain demanded that he secure his fix first.

Raising his voice, he spoke to Chief Shang:

"Officer, I don't know anything about drug dealers, but this is my home! Is barging in like this not considered trespassing on private property?"

Then, lowering his voice into a whisper, he added:

"Chief Shang, you're right on time. Most of the syndicate members are gathered here right now—there are a lot of them. You should leave for now and call in more police. Today is the perfect opportunity to wipe them all out. Please bring reinforcements."

Chief Shang smiled slightly upon hearing this, then raised his voice again to say:

"Oh, right, this good villager is correct. We shouldn't be trespassing on this elderly man's private property. Come on, let's all pull back."

Releasing Zhang Heng's hand, Chief Shang took a step back, looked at him, and said:

"My friend, I apologize. On behalf of the Public Security Bureau, I'm sorry."

With that, he bowed deeply to Zhang Heng.

"Well then, officer, please be on your way. I won't see you out," Zhang Heng said.

"Alright! Men, move out, let's retreat!" Chief Shang ordered the force.

Complying with the chief's instructions, the officers climbed back into their vehicles and pulled away.

Watching the police cars disappear into the distance, Zhang Heng let out a sigh of relief and turned back toward the building.

Just as he walked into the ground-floor lobby, the boss came descending down the stairs from the second floor.

"Brother Zhang Heng, not bad at all! Just a couple of sentences and you sent several police cars packing. Impressive, very impressive," the boss praised as he walked.

"Boss, could you reward me with one more packet?" Zhang Heng feigned a pathetic, out-of-control plea.

"Hahahahahaha! Sure, no problem."

"Go on, fetch a syringe for Brother Zhang Heng," the boss instructed the henchman.

"Yes, sir."

The lackey dashed off toward a room and returned two minutes later running at a trot, holding a syringe filled with narcotics, which he handed over to the boss.

Taking the syringe, the boss chuckled, planted a kiss on it, and told Zhang Heng:

"Alright, come here, come to me. Here is your reward."

Seemingly paralyzed in mind once more, Zhang Heng scurried over to the boss like a fawning dog begging for scraps.

Without hesitation, the boss plunged the needle straight into Zhang Heng's arm.

The moment the injection took effect, an overwhelming wave of euphoria washed over Zhang Heng, and he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.

The boss tossed the syringe to the nearby henchman and stepped right over Zhang Heng's prone body.

Zhang Heng offered no resistance.

After lying motionlessly on the floor for a minute or two, Zhang Heng pushed himself back up.

By then, the boss had already walked back into the meeting hall.

Seeing this, Zhang Heng scrambled after him and re-entered the hall in his footsteps.

Noticing him follow, the boss turned and said:

"Brother Zhang Heng, you don't need to come in here. Go back up to the third floor and rest on that bed you used earlier."

"Boss," Zhang Heng asked in mock confusion.

"Get out."

"Out—now," the boss ordered.

Zhang Heng had no choice but to turn around and walk out.

*It doesn't matter whether I stay in there or not anyway,* Zhang Heng thought. *That whole bunch is undoubtedly hiding behind the button mechanism of the podium.*

Instead of heading up to the third floor, however, Zhang Heng walked straight out of the building.

He knew that the upcoming raid to smash the drug ring once and for all would require his guidance.