Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

Liu Zhi's wife was already waiting at the door, carrying a bulging black travel bag.

"Is it all inside?" One of the men took the travel bag. Liu Zhi's wife nodded, her face pale and her lips trembling. She didn't speak, turned and went inside, closing the door behind her. The two men exchanged a glance, then carried the travel bag downstairs.

The car drove out of the residential area, onto the highway, and headed south. They were going to Dongshan Wharf, where a fishing boat was waiting. The travel bags would be taken onto the boat, sailed out to international waters, and transferred overseas. This was Zhou Tianming's arrangement; once the money was out of the country, it would be safe.

What Liu Zhi didn't know was that his overseas account had been locked down by the task force's financial investigation team three days earlier. Although the money in the account wasn't frozen, every transaction was under surveillance. The encrypted email was right—the account was being monitored. Only, it wasn't the bank monitoring it, but the task force itself.

The next morning, Zhou Tianming received a phone call in his office at the Tiansheng Group headquarters. The voice on the other end was urgent and low: "Mr. Zhou, the special task force has made a move. They've brought in people from the province to specifically investigate the flow of funds. Liu Zhi's account may already be under surveillance."

Zhou Tianming's grip on his phone tightened slightly. "Is the information reliable?"

"Reliable. Someone from the provincial department passed it on."

Zhou Mingyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."

He hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. He was thinking about what to do next. The task force had been in Pingjiang for half a month. Sun Decai had been taken away, the account books had been confiscated, and Liu Zhi's account was being monitored. These people weren't just there for show; they were there to take lives.

He opened his eyes, picked up the intercom on the table, and dialed Zhong Zhihao's number. "Zhihao, come over here."

Zhong Zhihao arrived quickly. In his early thirties, lean and wiry with sharp eyes, he was one of Zhou Tianming's most trusted men. Zhou Tianming looked at him, his gaze heavy. "There's news from the special task force. Someone from the provincial department has informed us that they're investigating the flow of funds. Liu Zhi's account may already be under surveillance. Have a few people keep an eye on the task force. See where they go each day, who they meet, and what cases they investigate. Don't alert them; just track their movements."

Zhong Zhihao nodded. "I'll arrange it right away."

Zhou Tianming added, "Also, investigate He Bing's background. Find out his origins, his weaknesses, and whether you can use him against him."

Chung Chih-hao said, "Understood."

He turned to leave, but Zhou Tianming called him back: "Zhihao, this is no small matter. Tell your men that if anyone makes a mistake, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Zhong Zhihao didn't say anything, and went out.

That afternoon, Zhong Zhihao's men began their operation. Three groups of people were assigned to monitor the military district guesthouse, the municipal party committee building, and the temporary office of the special investigation team's investigators. They drove cars with ordinary license plates, dressed plainly, and remained inconspicuous. They didn't speak, didn't take photos, but simply followed from a distance, recording the time, location, and people involved.

One of the investigators in the task force was Zhao Zhiguo, a key member of the Economic Crime Investigation Division of the Provincial Public Security Department, who was responsible for investigating and controlling funds.

That afternoon, he drove from the military district guesthouse to the city's Industrial and Commercial Bank to retrieve an account statement. Shortly after entering the main road, he noticed a gray sedan following him. He changed lanes, and the gray sedan changed lanes too. He slowed down, and the gray sedan slowed down as well. He accelerated, and the gray sedan accelerated as well.

Zhao Zhiguo frowned. He didn't panic, nor did he speed up to shake them off. Instead, he continued driving normally while dialing He Bing's number on his phone. "Director He, I'm being followed."

He Bing's voice was calm. "Are you sure?"

Zhao Zhiguo said, "Confirmed. I followed them as soon as they left the guesthouse, and we've been following them for almost ten kilometers."

He Bing paused for a moment, then said, "Don't shake them off, drive normally. Go to the bank and take care of your business. I'll arrange for someone to meet you here."

Zhao Zhiguo said, "Understood."

He hung up the phone and drove into the parking lot of the city's Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The gray sedan didn't follow; it parked on the side of the road and turned off the engine. Zhao Zhiguo got out of the car, went into the bank, casually took a number, and sat down to wait.

He glanced out the window out of the corner of his eye; the gray sedan was still there, its windows tinted dark, obscuring the people inside.

After finishing his business, he walked out of the bank and got into his car. The gray sedan followed him again. This time it followed even closer, nearly rear-ending him several times. Zhao Zhiguo didn't panic. Following He Bing's instructions, he drove the car onto the road to the military district guesthouse.

As they approached the guesthouse, a black SUV suddenly emerged from a side road and blocked the gray sedan's path. The gray sedan slammed on its brakes, its tires screeching, nearly colliding with the SUV. Two men in plainclothes got out of the SUV, but Zhao Zhiguo recognized them—they were from the Provincial Public Security Bureau's Technical Investigation Division.

Seeing the situation was not good, the gray sedan suddenly reversed and sped away. The technical investigation team did not give chase; they noted the license plate number, took photos, then got in their car and followed Zhao Zhiguo, escorting him back to the guesthouse.

He Bing stood downstairs at the guesthouse and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Zhao Zhiguo's car drive in.

Zhao Zhiguo got out of the car and walked over. His face was calm, but his hands were still trembling slightly. "Director He, I've noted down the license plate number. Gray Volkswagen, last four digits: 627."

He Bing nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work. Go inside."

Zhao Zhiguo went inside the building. He Bing stood downstairs, took out his phone, and dialed the Provincial Public Security Bureau. "Director Xiao, our men are being followed. The perpetrators are very professional, not ordinary thugs. I request backup; we need technical investigation capabilities."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then a voice said, "I'll arrange it. The technical reconnaissance team will go there first thing tomorrow morning. Be careful on your end."

He Bing said, "I understand."

The following morning, six elite officers from the Provincial Public Security Department's Technical Investigation Division arrived in Pingjiang. They were driving civilian-licensed vehicles equipped with the latest tracking and counter-tracking equipment.

He Bing received them in the conference room, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to assigning tasks.

"Comrades, the investigators from the task force were followed yesterday. You can guess who it is without me saying. Your task is to protect the safety of the task force members, and at the same time, to track down those who are following us. I need to know who they are, who they are under, where they go every day, and who they meet."

The head of the technical investigation detachment, surnamed Chen, was in his forties, a man of few words but decisive and efficient. After listening to He Bing's instructions, he simply said, "Understood."