After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

"Chen...Chen Mao?!"

"Eight, eight years ago, that family massacre... a Class B wanted notice?!"

Another veteran police officer standing nearby also gasped in shock.

"Is it really Old Cat? He disappeared for eight years, and yet... he got taken down here?"

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted to Gong Yuelong standing to the side, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Old Wang stood up, merely frowned at the young policeman's lapse in composure, and whispered a reprimand:

"Focus on the mission!"

"Carefully collect all items at the scene, especially the short knife, as evidence. Take detailed photos of any signs of a struggle."

His instructions were clear and orderly, as if they had been rehearsed, but only he and Gong Yuelong knew what kind of planning lay behind this order.

He walked up to Gong Yuelong, and their eyes met briefly.

Old Wang maintained a serious, businesslike demeanor.

"Boss Gong, how's your injury? Does it need treatment?"

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious."

Gong Yuelong shook his head. "Captain Wang, you've arrived just in time."

"We received your emergency signal and we're nearby."

Old Wang's words had a double meaning.

He glanced at Gong Yuelong's injuries, then looked around the room. "He handled it all by himself? No other help?"

"I was the only one there. He sneaked in and tried to attack me, so I had no choice but to fight back."

But these words had a different meaning to the unsuspecting police officers around them.

One person? Using pipe wrenches? Toppled a Class B wanted fugitive?

The young police officers no longer looked at Gong Yuelong with surprise, but with a hint of awe.

What kind of skill and courage does that require?

Old Wang nodded, asked no more questions about the details, and turned to give instructions:

"Carefully lift the person onto the ambulance, arrange for someone to guard them, and send them directly to the designated hospital's detention ward."

The bureau's technical team and criminal investigation division were notified that the target suspect, Chen Mao, had been apprehended and that relevant procedures would be initiated.

The instructions were clear and decisive, showing that he had a plan for this situation.

Although the officers were still shaken, they carried out the operation swiftly and efficiently, demonstrating their training.

An ambulance carrying the unconscious old cat drove into the rainy night, escorted by police cars.

After watching the vehicle leave, Old Wang said to Gong Yuelong, "Boss Gong, I'll have to trouble you to come back to the station with me to make a detailed, formal statement. It's procedure."

"Of course, I'll cooperate."

The two got into the same police car.

The car started and drove away from the small courtyard still shrouded in rain.

Inside the car, besides the driver, there were only Lao Wang and Gong Yuelong.

Only then did Old Wang's tense expression relax slightly, and he rubbed his temples.

He glanced at Gong Yuelong sideways and asked, "Are you really alright?"

"It's really nothing. It looks scary, but the cut isn't deep." Gong Yuelong flexed his arm.

"If the person is caught and doesn't escape, then the job is done."

"It's more than just a success." Old Wang leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"Chen Mao... this lead is finally locked down. We can give Director Fu a satisfactory answer now. You've done a great job..."

"But even if you poke a hole in the sky, it's just making it brighter."

"The hole was there all along; I just tore off the tattered cloth covering it."

Gong Yuelong looked at the blurry light and shadows flowing outside the window, "Now, the real test begins."

……

The next day, the sky cleared up.

Gong Yuelong sat at the table in the courtyard, wearing a clean coat with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a small section of white gauze underneath.

He was leisurely sipping his soy milk, holding a fried dough stick in his other hand, eating with great ease.

Apart from being a little paler than usual and having a hint of weariness in her eyes from staying up late, she looked very relaxed, just like when she usually eats breakfast.

Widow Qin came out carrying a basin to pour water, and when she saw him, she almost dropped the basin.

"Brother Gong? You...when did you get back? Last night, the commotion...I heard the police sirens, my heart was pounding in my chest! Are you alright?"

Her eyes swept over Gong Yuelong's body, finally landing on the piece of gauze, her face filled with lingering fear.

Old Niu, who lived in the same courtyard, also came over, shuffling over in his shoes, his face also showing surprise and uncertainty.

"Boss Gong, are you really alright? A lot of thugs came to our yard last night, wow, quite a commotion! Did you get hurt?"

Gong Yuelong swallowed the fried dough stick in his mouth, took a sip of soy milk, and then looked up at the two of them, his tone relaxed:

"It's alright, Sister Qin, Uncle Niu, don't worry. It's just bad luck last night; we got robbed."

"thief?!"

What kind of thief could cause such a commotion?

"ah,"

Gong Yuelong nodded, stuffed the last bite of the fried dough stick into his mouth, and said while chewing,

"He probably saw I've been working on construction sites lately and thought there might be some valuables in the house. He sneaked in in the middle of the night, and I caught him. That guy's pretty ruthless; he was carrying a weapon."

He pointed to the gauze on his arm.

"So, he made a slash. I didn't hold back either, and I grabbed my work tools and swung them back at him a couple of times."

Just then, officers from the police patrol were nearby. They heard the commotion, came over, and subdued the man.

He spoke casually, describing a life-or-death struggle as a simple case of catching a thief and injuring someone.

"You...you just caught a thief?" Old Niu clicked his tongue, somewhat incredulous.

"That scene... I heard the person they carried out had his face covered in blood, it was quite frightening!"

"Hey, it looks scary, but it's nothing serious. That thief just panicked and ran into the wall."

"After questioning him, Captain Wang and his team found out that he was just a petty thief who committed crimes on the move, and he might have other criminal records on his hands, so they investigated him more thoroughly."

Widow Qin, patting her heaving chest, let out a long sigh of relief:

"Thank goodness, everyone's alright! I was so scared! That brat was incredibly audacious!"

She looked at Gong Yuelong's arm with concern, "Is this injury really nothing serious? Should we go to the hospital to get it checked out again?"

"It's nothing serious, just a superficial wound. It'll be fine in a couple of days."

Gong Yuelong waved his hand, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and his tone became more serious.

"But Sister Qin, Uncle Niu, let me remind you of this. Our courtyard is old and has a mixed bunch of people."

Don't keep too much cash at home, and keep valuable small items out of reach.

It's more reassuring to save money in the bank after working so hard to earn it; all you need is a bank card.

"If that thief from last night had actually broken into your house, not only would it have been frightening, but losing some money would have been a huge headache."

Old Niu nodded in deep agreement: "Boss Gong is right! We have to be careful! I'll move that little bit of money I've been saving to another place later."

Widow Qin echoed, "Yes, yes. Ah, what a world..."

Gong Yuelong smiled, said no more, and patted the grease off his hands:

"Alright, you guys keep busy, I need to go check on the construction site. After last night's commotion, there's probably a lot going on today."

He turned and walked toward his old pickup truck.

Widow Qin and Old Niu watched him drive away, feeling a strange, indescribable feeling in their hearts.

I have a feeling that what happened last night wasn't as simple as Brother Gong made it out to be.

But so what?

No one was hurt, the thief was caught, and Brother Gong was still the same kind and capable Brother Gong, even kindly reminding them to be careful.

"Boss Gong is a kind and capable man," Old Niu muttered to himself, then went back into the house with his hands behind his back.

Widow Qin also withdrew her gaze, feeling much more at ease.

Regardless of the truth of last night, at least this morning, the courtyard where the characters were removed has returned to its usual tranquility.