Film and Television: My Cheat Code is AI

The next day, in the office of the Major Crimes Unit 6.

Last night's operation wasn't entirely successful—Liu Yi withdrew, but the scene of Wu Jun and Huang Si'er meeting was captured on film. Ding Jian had worked through the night to organize the videos and photos from the scene, which were now spread out on the conference table. The tapes, the developed photos, and a handwritten operation report looked exceptionally clear in the morning light.

Zheng Yimin, the head of the Sixth Major Crimes Unit, leaned against the table with his arms crossed, looking at Ding Jian and Ji Jie, and suddenly said, "Do you know where I was when I called you yesterday?"

Ding Jian looked up: "Where is it?"

"From the bureau." Old Zheng paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men's faces. "Several bureau chiefs are around me."

Ji Jie frowned slightly. For several bureau chiefs to be simultaneously overseeing a single case, it was clearly not a simple matter. She thought for a moment and said, "But based on the information we have, this Liu Yi doesn't seem like the type to cause such a stir. Why would a henchman warrant such a bureau-wide investigation?"

Old Zheng shook his head: "This Liu Yi hasn't made much of a fuss. But the key is—the person who made contact with Liu Yi."

Ji Jie and Ding Jian exchanged a glance. Ji Jie tentatively asked, "The same people we photographed yesterday?"

Old Zheng nodded, lowering his voice slightly: "Do you know who they are?"

Both of them shook their heads at the same time.

Just as Lao Zheng was about to continue, the landline on the table rang. He answered the phone, listened for a few moments, his expression slightly serious, and he replied with two "Okay"s before hanging up. Then he stood up, picked up his coat from the back of his chair, and said to the two men, "Change into casual clothes; we're going out to meet someone."

Ding Jian drove his gray Santana, following the route Lao Zheng had indicated, through most of the city, and finally turned into a semi-rural area. Low-rise houses lined both sides of the road, some with the word "demolish" painted on their walls, the white lime powder starkly contrasting against the gray surfaces. In the distance, several elderly people were playing chess under the shade of trees, and a yellow dog lay lazily by the roadside. Hearing the car, it lifted its eyelids slightly, then lay back down.

Old Zheng patted Ding Jian on the shoulder: "Ding Jian, you stay here and keep watch. Ji Jie, let's go inside and wait."

Ding Jian backed the car into a narrow alley, turned off the engine, took a crumpled newspaper from the glove compartment, opened the car door, and squatted down by the roadside. He unfolded the newspaper, but his gaze wasn't on the words; instead, he slowly scanned the activity at both ends of the alley. The sunlight shone on the asphalt, creating a wave of heat, and the air in the distance seemed to distort slightly.

Ji Jie followed Lao Zheng around the houses, through a rusty iron gate, and suddenly the view opened up before them. It was an abandoned swimming pool, the tiles at the bottom covered with a thick layer of dust, a few weeds sprouting from the cracks, swaying slightly in the wind. The surrounding parasols were faded, their frames rusted, and the plastic tables and chairs were askew. Only the sound of the wind whistling through the tin roof could be heard.

Ji Jie looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Where is this?"

Old Zheng chuckled, his tone deliberately cryptic: "This is an abandoned farmhouse inn. There's someone I want you to meet."

"So mysterious?"

"This person will be here soon, let's wait a bit."

The two stood in the shade by the pool for about ten minutes. Old Zheng lit a cigarette, the smoke slowly dissipating in the still air. Ji Jie leaned against the wall, rhythmically tapping her fingers on her arm, her gaze fixed on the direction of the iron gate.

The sound of a car came from outside the door—a red Xiali taxi stopped by the roadside, the door opened, and a person got out.

The man wore sunglasses, had a lean build, and walked with a steady, unhurried pace. He glanced around, and when he saw Old Zheng, a slight smile appeared on his lips. He took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of calm eyes.

Ji Jie looked at him and felt that he looked familiar.

The person walked up to Ji Jie and smiled, "Do you still recognize me? We met at the disco."

Ji Jie's mind raced for a moment, then she remembered—the disco, that one in the corner… She nodded.

Before she could speak, Yang Zhen continued, "Besides that young man in the police uniform, you have five other people lying in ambush."

Ji Jie's expression changed slightly. He even knew this.

Old Zheng then spoke, his tone becoming more formal: "Let me introduce you. This is Yang Zhen, an investigator from the Third Brigade of the Municipal Public Security Bureau." He then turned to Yang Zhen, "This is Ji Jie, from the Sixth Major Crimes Unit."

"Hello there."

"Hello there."

The two shook hands. Yang Zhen's hand was dry and strong; he released it quickly and decisively.

Old Zheng got down to business: "Our next step is to cooperate with Comrade Yang Zhen in the next stage of the investigation."

He turned to Yang Zhen, his tone tinged with concern: "Hey, I heard from the bureau chief that you've already infiltrated Wu Jun'er's inner circle?"

Yang Zhen nodded and sat down on the edge of the pool. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear and forceful: "Wu Jun is just a small gang under this criminal group. The headquarters of this group is Haida Trading Company, and there are six gangs like this under it."

Ji Jie frowned: "Wu Jun'er?"

Yang Zhen looked at her and explained, "Wu Jun'er is the man in the jacket and sunglasses you saw yesterday. The Liu Yi you're looking for is the one you need to meet with."

He paused, then continued, "Yesterday, Wu Jun'er wanted to take me to meet people from another gang. The leader of this gang is called Huang Si'er, and he's looking for a backer."

Ji Jie and Lao Zheng looked up at the same time.

Yang Zhen's voice deepened: "I heard that this guy's backer graduated from the police academy in '85, but he was kicked out after only a few days. I also heard that he's quite powerful; even Huang Si'er has to call him 'Big Brother.'"

Old Zheng's expression turned serious: "Who is it?"

Yang Zhen paused for two seconds, then said, "I don't know yet." He raised his head, his gaze sweeping between Lao Zheng and Ji Jie, his tone unusually cautious. "But this person is from the police academy's class of '85, he should know me. If he recognizes me, our operation will be a complete waste."

Upon hearing this, Ji Jie suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. Yang Zhen was an undercover agent, and to his fellow police academy students, his face was practically a wanted poster. And the "big brother" who had been dragged into this mess by Huang Si'er happened to be from the class of '85—meaning he could recognize Yang Zhen at any moment.

This is a ticking time bomb.

Old Zheng clearly realized this as well. He thought for a moment, then asked from a different angle, "So, including Liu Yi, there were a total of three groups meeting?"

"Yes." Yang Zhen nodded. "Wu Jun, Huang Si'er, and Liu Yi, three groups of people, are all at the Firebird Disco. So I sent a new face to cause trouble."

He smiled and looked at Ji Jie: "Hey, that guy from yesterday was quite the actor."

Ji Jie shook her head, a hint of helpless laughter in her voice: "It's not acting, it's real."

New police officer Chang Baole, when he received the assignment to raid the nightclub yesterday, had no idea that he had become a key pawn in the Major Crimes Unit's protection of Yang Zhen. He diligently checked the girls' ID cards and diligently maintained order in the nightclub, so diligently that everyone thought it was just a routine security check—and it was precisely this diligence that disrupted the plans of Liu Yi, Wu Jun, and Huang Si'er's three groups.

Yang Zhen's smile faded as he looked at Lao Zheng: "That guy will have to meet me sooner or later. He's Wu Jun's security chief now, and I need the cooperation of the Major Crimes Unit Six—to find out his background as soon as possible. Otherwise, our entire operation will be ruined by him."

Without any hesitation, Lao Zheng said, "Okay, we'll make the arrangements."

"Alright, I'll be going now."

Yang Zhen put on his sunglasses and turned to leave. His footsteps echoed a few times on the tiled floor of the abandoned swimming pool before being swallowed up by the creaking of the iron gate.

Back at the station, the members of Major Crimes Unit Six gathered in the conference room and began to watch the video they had filmed the day before, frame by frame.

The videotape spun slowly in the player, and an overhead shot of the entrance to the Firebird Disco appeared on the television screen. In the night, neon lights illuminated the entrance, creating a flickering effect. Wu Jun's car was parked on the roadside, and Liu Yi was smoking outside. Then Huang Si'er's car arrived.

In the video, a black sedan slowly pulls up in front of the disco. The window rolls down, but only halfway.

Ji Jie stared at the screen, her voice tinged with regret: "We spotted him yesterday. He was already at the disco entrance, but he didn't get out of the car."

In the footage, the car window rolled down, revealing a person inside. However, the lighting was too dim and the angle was poor, so only a blurry profile could be seen. The person seemed to be observing something, their gaze sweeping across the disco entrance before the window rolled back up and the car slowly drove away.

The whole process took less than thirty seconds.

Old Zheng instructed the technician to freeze and zoom in on the image. Even in the grainy image, the blurry silhouette remained unrecognizable. He slammed his teacup heavily on the table with a dull thud: "Everyone, be careful, this person is not simple. He has very strong counter-surveillance capabilities."

Ji Jie stared at the blurry outline on the screen and murmured, "Who could it be?"

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

Haida Trading Company is located on the top floor of a five-story commercial building in the east of the city. Its facade is quite respectable—glass curtain walls, a marble reception desk, and employees in suits coming and going. If you didn't know its background, anyone would think it was just a legitimate import and export trading company.

Zhang Yang arrived at the company on time today, just like any other day.

He was wearing a dark gray jacket, the collar slightly open, looking no different from yesterday or the day before. As he entered the company, the receptionist smiled and nodded at him as usual, and he smiled back as usual, then walked down the corridor toward Zhao Fei's office.

The corridor lights were a cold white, reflecting an unreal cleanliness onto the floor. Zhang Yang's leather shoes clicked rhythmically on the tiles. He was preoccupied with yesterday's rendezvous at the beef noodle shop—Wu Jun and Huang Si'er's meeting had failed, the city's Third Brigade was now close to Wu Jun, and the policeman Huang Si'er had dragged into the mess hadn't been found yet.

These thoughts, like beads, rolled around in his mind, not yet strung together into a line.

As he approached Zhao Fei's office, the door opened by itself just as he was about to knock.

Zhao Fei stood at the door, a smug smile on his face that I had never seen before—not his usual lazy, slightly roguish smile, but a genuine, heartfelt…excitement?

"Come, come, come." Zhao Fei put his arm around Zhang Yang's shoulder. "Let me introduce you to someone."

Zhang Yang felt a slight tightening in his chest, but didn't show it on his face: "Brother Fei, who is it?"

Zhao Fei didn't answer, and led him straight to the conference room. The corridor wasn't long, but Zhao Fei walked quickly, as if he was eager to show off something.

Pushing open the conference room door, Zhang Yang saw someone sitting inside.

The man was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with short hair, a square face, and slightly prominent cheekbones. His eyes were deep and stagnant, like still water. He wore a well-tailored dark blue suit with silver buttons on the cuffs that gleamed coldly under the fluorescent lights. A watch was visible on his left wrist—his arrogant gaze swept over it; the silver case and dark dial were understated but definitely not cheap. He sat at one end of the conference table, his posture casual, yet he exuded a natural sense of oppression, as if he was used to having the final say in everything.

Zhao Fei clapped his hands, beaming, "This guy is a real prodigy. He used to work in the police force and is now the head of our company's security department."

Then he turned to the man, his tone clearly praising him: "Gu Yang, this is my brother Zhang Yang. He studied abroad; you can train with him if you have the chance."

Zhao Fei's only hobby was watching combat sports, so he frequently encouraged his men to participate in combat sports—a fact known throughout the entire Haida Trading Company. Zhang Yang looked at Gu Yang, a perfectly timed smile playing on his lips, and extended his hand: "Zhang Yang."

Gu Yang did not shake his hand. He simply raised his head slightly, his gaze slowly moving from Zhang Yang's face to his shoulders and arms, finally settling back into his eyes.

"Have you trained before?"

Zhang Yang's hand hovered in mid-air before he naturally withdrew it, his tone flat: "Blackwater, the US company. I trained for two months."

Gu Yang simply nodded without saying anything.

Just then, Zhang Yang felt a slight jolt in his mind. It was an indescribable feeling—not a sound, not a picture, but rather as if some kind of "switch" deep within his consciousness had been flipped. Doubao woke up.

In Zhang Yang's mind, lines of clear words began to emerge:

[Analysis Target: Guyang]

[Police background: steady gait, low center of gravity, and shoulder posture typical of police combat training—not an ordinary police officer, but likely from criminal investigation or special police units.]

[Appearance Analysis: The suit is custom-made, made of cashmere fabric, and estimated to cost approximately 12,000 yuan.]

[Watch: Silver case, dark dial, leather strap, suspected to be an Omega Constellation series, market price approximately 35,000 yuan.]

[Anomaly: Graduated from the police academy in 1985, formerly an investigator in the city's criminal investigation division, with the reason for leaving listed as "personal reasons," but specific details in the personnel file are unknown.]

[Comprehensive assessment: This person's identity highly matches the information obtained from yesterday's meeting—a graduate of the police academy in 1985, a retired police officer, and currently a key member of a criminal gang.]

Zhang Yang met Gu Yang's gaze calmly, his face expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil.

Yesterday, when the contact at the beef noodle shop met, the person the contact asked him to investigate—the policeman who was dragged into Huang Si'er's schemes, the one who graduated from the police academy in 1985 and became Huang Si'er's "big brother" after being dismissed—was sitting right in front of him.

Gu Yang. Minister of Security.

The most dangerous knife in Zhao Fei's hand.

and--

[Doubao's Reminder: This person's gaze remains fixed on your hands while speaking. Analysis—He's judging your grip on the gun and the location of your calluses.]

Zhang Yang's breathing remained unchanged. He even maintained that faint smile on his lips.

But he knew that Gu Yang was watching him. Not at him as a person, but at his weaknesses.

Zhao Fei seemed oblivious to the brief eye contact between the two, and waved his hand, saying, "Yangzi, go to your office for a bit, we'll talk."

Zhang Yang nodded: "Okay, Fei-ge, I'll wait for you in the office."

"Go."

Zhang Yang turned and walked out of the conference room, his steps steady and unhurried, exactly as he had entered. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

Only Zhao Fei and Gu Yang remained in the conference room. Zhao Fei walked to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of whiskey, unscrewed the cap, and poured half a glass into each of two glasses.

Gu Yang's voice wasn't loud, but his tone was flat: "Are you sure this person is clean?"

Zhao Fei walked over with a wine glass in hand, his expression unchanged, and pushed one of the glasses in front of Gu Yang: "This man killed a policeman."

Gu Yang took the wine glass without saying a word.

"Qin Feng." Zhao Fei sat down opposite Gu Yang, took a sip of whiskey, and said, "You should know him too, right?"

Gu Yang's fingers paused slightly, then he nodded. His voice deepened: "The class of '85. I know them well."

Zhao Fei said, "He did it."

Gu Yang remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly picked up his wine glass.

Qin Feng—a graduate of the 1985 police academy, a criminal investigator in the city's Criminal Investigation Division—had been monitoring Zhao Fei for a long time. Then he died. The cause of death was being shot in the street; the killer is still at large. This news circulated within the police force for a while, then gradually faded into obscurity. No one knew Qin Feng's true whereabouts, no one knew he was still alive, and even fewer knew—that the "shooting" was all a staged event from beginning to end.

The truth behind Qin Feng's death remains unknown even to his family. Currently, aside from a few people in the ministry, only the city police chief, Lao Ma, Zhang Yang himself, the police academy director, and Qin Feng himself know.

Gu Yang put down his wine glass, his expression shifting slightly. He didn't press Zhang Yang further.

"Wu Jun'er has Lei Zi by his side." Gu Yang changed the subject, his voice as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. "I already know who it is."

Zhao Fei leaned back in his chair, swirling a whiskey glass in his hand, the amber liquid forming delicate arcs on the glass. He tilted his head, looked at Gu Yang, and said, "Then let him disappear."

Gu Yang nodded, his tone flat and even: "Okay, leave this to me."

Zhao Fei picked up his wine glass and raised it towards Gu Yang.

Two glasses clinked gently against each other under the cold fluorescent lights of the conference room, producing a crisp sound.

The office door was closed.

Zhang Yang sat on the sofa in Zhao Fei's office, his back nestled in the soft leather, his posture seemingly no different from usual. He reached for a magazine on the coffee table, casually flipped through it, his gaze falling on the pages, but he didn't read a single word.

All his attention was focused on his mind.

Zhang Yang's breathing was even, and his heartbeat was not fast, but in his mind, his "conversation" with Doubao was going on.

[Doubao: Further analysis complete.]

[Gu Yang, a graduate of the police academy in 1985, was a former detective in the city's criminal investigation division. He was dismissed in 1998 for some reason. His whereabouts became a mystery after leaving the police force. He is currently the head of the security department at Haida Trading Company. His characteristics closely match those of the "mysterious figure" at yesterday's meeting between Wu Jun and Huang Si'er—a graduate of the police academy in 1985, a former police officer, and now a key member of a criminal gang.]

[Gait analysis: The person's center of gravity is low, and the shoulder swing is minimal when walking, typical of police combat training. There is a callus on the outside of the right index finger – formed from long-term trigger-pulling.]

[Value Assessment: Gu Yang is a key link between Huang Si'er's gang and Haida Trading Company. His presence confirms the existence of a profit chain among the three criminal gangs. Simultaneously, he is the greatest source of risk capable of identifying Yang Zhen.]

Zhang Yang's gaze lingered on a line in the magazine, his fingers unconsciously turning the page.

Yesterday I was still investigating who that person was, and today he's sitting right across from me.

Gu Yang. Class of '85. Same year as Yang Zhen.

Zhang Yang asked himself, "What are the chances that he knows Yang Zhen?"

[Doubao: There are approximately 200 to 300 graduates from the same police academy class. Gu Yang and Yang Zhen were both in the criminal investigation track, graduated in the same year, and the probability that they trained and lived together during their time at the academy is approximately 78% to 85%.]

[Conclusion: Gu Yang most likely knew Yang Zhen.]

[Risk Warning: If Gu Yang sees Yang Zhen near Wu Jun, Yang Zhen's undercover identity will be directly exposed.]

Zhang Yang's finger stopped at the corner of the magazine page, his fingertip applying slight pressure.

He had seen Yang Zhen at the disco yesterday—though they hadn't spoken, he knew the man in the jacket and sunglasses was the undercover agent infiltrating Wu Jun's inner circle. And now, Gu Yang was the head of security at Haida Trading Company, one of Zhao Fei's most trusted men. This meant Gu Yang could appear beside Wu Jun at any time, could see Yang Zhen at any time, and could recognize that face that belonged to his police academy classmate.

Once Gu Yang recognizes Yang Zhen, Yang Zhen's undercover identity will be completely exposed. And once Yang Zhen is exposed, the entire operation against the Haida criminal group will fail—including Zhang Yang's undercover mission.

Zhang Yang said in his mind, "Doubao, record this person's information. Every detail—appearance, gait, watch, tailored suit, speaking habits. Write it all down."

[Doubao: Recorded. Guyang file established.]

[The character relationship chart has been updated. Currently known connections: Gu Yang – Zhao Fei (direct superior-subordinate); Gu Yang – Huang Si'er (inferred from Huang Si'er's behavior of seeking a powerful backer, a direct connection is possible); Gu Yang – Wu Jun (indirect connection through the structure of Haida Trading Company); Gu Yang – Yang Zhen (classmate from the same police academy, identification risk exists).]

Zhang Yang's breathing remained steady. He looked at the words in the magazine, his fingertips lightly tracing the paper as if he were reading. But in his mind, the map of relationships that Doubao had constructed was slowly unfolding—Zhao Fei, Gu Yang, Wu Jun, Huang Si'er, Yang Zhen, Liu Yi… six people, three lines, a vast criminal network.

Of these six people, two were undercover agents.

Yang Zhen infiltrated Wu Jun's inner circle. Zhang Yang infiltrated Zhao Fei's inner circle. Both men were operating under the enormous shadow of Haida Trading Company, unaware of each other's identities or objectives.

Zhang Yang flipped to the last page of the magazine, then closed it and put it back on the coffee table.

Zhao Fei and Gu Yang were still in the conference room. Zhang Yang didn't know what they were talking about. But Doubao offered a deduction.

[Doubao Case Analysis: Gu Yang knows there's an undercover agent within Wu Jun's ranks. If he informs Zhao Fei, Zhao Fei will undoubtedly order his elimination. Yang Zhen faces a high level of danger.]

Zhang Yang's fingers tightened slightly.

Gu Yang already knows there's a mole within Wu Jun's ranks. What will he do next? Will he tell Zhao Fei, and then Zhao Fei will order that person to "disappear"? Or will Gu Yang take action himself?

Either way, Yang Zhen is in danger.

Zhang Yang asked in his mind, "Doubao, what might Zhao Fei and Gu Yang be discussing in the conference room? Based on known information."

[Doubao: The deduction results are as follows—]

[Possibility 1 (approximately 45% probability): Gu Yang reports to Zhao Fei about the mole within Wu Jun's inner circle, and Zhao Fei orders its elimination.]

[Possibility Two (approximately 30% probability): Gu Yang and Zhao Fei discuss Huang Si'er seeking a powerful patron, with Gu Yang acting as the mediator.]

[Possibility 3 (approximately 15%): Gu Yang reports on Haida Trading Company's security arrangements.]

[Other (probability approximately 10%).]

[Signals to watch: If Zhao Fei summons Wu Jun after the meeting, or if Gu Yang frequently enters and exits Wu Jun's activity area, the probability of possibility one will increase significantly.]

Zhang Yang suppressed this deduction deep within his consciousness.

He needed to get this message out. Gu Yang had become the most dangerous time bomb around Yang Zhen, and Yang Zhen himself might not even know it.

But before that, he had to wait. Wait for Zhao Fei and Gu Yang to finish their conversation, wait for him to leave the building, wait for him to ride his bicycle through the alleys without streetlights, wait for him to sit down in Old Ma's Beef Noodle Restaurant with his back to the contact.

Only then could he speak.

Now, there's only one thing he can do—stay quiet, stay normal, and remain the "Zhang Yang next to Zhao Fei."

The magazine cover on the coffee table reflected the cold light of the fluorescent lamp. Zhang Yang picked it up again, turned to the previous page, and read it word by word, as if he were truly reading.