Film and Television: My Cheat Code is AI

In Lao Zheng's office.

Just a few days ago, Yang Zhen and Ding Jian went to Dingyang Detention Center and obtained a confession from Li Yuansheng, the leader of the Tiexing Gang. Li Yuansheng not only dropped his own mess, but also agreed to set a trap for the Sui brothers. The police set up a trap, with manpower in place and routes blocked. By any measure, they should have been able to catch them.

However, the Sui brothers' counter-surveillance awareness was stronger than expected. They managed to slip through the gaps in the encirclement. In retrospect, it was discovered that the two had scouted out escape routes before arriving at each location. They had thoroughly checked every alley and fire exit of every building around the meeting place. When Yang Zhen returned, he smoked half a pack of cigarettes without saying a word.

These past few days, the team has shifted its focus to Mao Dayong, who is the only contact person for the Sui brothers in the city. Keeping an eye on him is equivalent to keeping an eye on the smugglers. But after a few days of surveillance, Mao Dayong has not done anything productive. He just wanders around between various banks every day, and each time he goes in, he doesn't stay for more than ten minutes before coming out empty-handed. It's as if he's scouting the area or waiting for someone.

Old Zheng stubbed out his cigarette butt in the ashtray, looked at the surveillance report, and said, "The Sui brothers have finally figured things out. Li Yuansheng betrayed them, and they'll never get the money from killing Cui Yongli, so they've set their sights on the bank."

Yang Zhen sat opposite him, his arm draped over the back of the chair, his face expressionless: "So we have to act quickly. We need to send someone to get close to Mao Dayong and find out the situation of these two brothers. It's no use just squatting on the outside like this."

Old Zheng chuckled, a smile that seemed to signal a tacit agreement: "We're on the same page. You had an idea at Fuyuan Karaoke, right? To bring Ji Jie back. If you two go together, I'll feel much more at ease."

Yang Zhen shook his head without much hesitation: "No, let Zhang Yang and Tian Rui handle this."

Old Zheng's brows furrowed immediately: "Zhang Yang is no good. He shot and wounded the Sui brothers. Those two have excellent memories. I reckon they'll recognize him the moment they see him."

Yang Zhen had anticipated this and quickly replied, "Then let Bao Le and Tian Rui go."

"No way, you're kidding, right?" Old Zheng waved his hand, his tone carrying a firm "there's no room for discussion" attitude.

Yang Zhen didn't back down; instead, he leaned forward and said earnestly, "It's most suitable for the two of them to go."

"No, no." Old Zheng walked around the table and sat back down, making the chair creak. "They're both too young and inexperienced. This isn't something to joke about."

"That's exactly what I want—youthfulness." Yang Zhen's tone wasn't one of negotiation, but rather a statement.

Old Zheng looked at him as if he were looking at an old partner who had suddenly started talking nonsense: "Look at you, I was wondering why you're getting more and more unreliable."

Yang Zhen was also getting anxious. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight: "How did those two brothers escape last time? As long as we make eye contact, he'll recognize me within twenty meters. Ordinary people might not recognize what we do, but these desperados are sharp-eyed." He paused, leaned back in his chair, and his tone turned serious. "They can smell the cops across the street."

Old Zheng took out another cigarette from the pack, lit it, took a drag, and the smoke spread in front of his face. He was silent for a while before speaking, his voice very low: "These Sui brothers have more than a dozen lives on their hands. They're capable of anything."

Yang Zhen also lowered his voice, but spoke with certainty: "Don't worry, once they're familiar with the situation, I'll personally train them for two days, no problem."

Old Zheng had a cigarette between his fingers. "When we meet face to face, we'll see who can keep their composure and who can't. If these two kids slip up, we're all doomed."

He changed the subject and pushed a stack of materials in his hand over: "I have prepared the information on the situation in Xiamen and the purchase of cars in the south. Xiamen is Mao Dayong's old territory. Although he was driven out by the southerners, he still knows a lot of people. I have organized all these materials. These two don't need to do anything else these two days, just memorize this."

Old Zheng's fingers, holding the cigarette, hovered in mid-air, not bringing it to his lips for a long time. The clock in the office ticked for several seconds before he finally spoke: "If something happens, how am I supposed to explain it to them?"

"If this case can't be solved, you won't be able to explain yourself." Yang Zhen gave him almost no chance to breathe.

"I mean," Old Zheng's voice suddenly became heavy, as if rising from the depths of his chest, "that we can't face their parents."

Yang Zhen looked at Lao Zheng, and the impatience in his tone suddenly disappeared, becoming very quiet: "Isn't this what we do? Lao Zheng, don't worry, I'll take responsibility for anything."

Old Zheng raised his eyelids and glanced at him, a look filled with worry and helplessness: "Can your shoulders really bear such a heavy burden?"

He stubbed out the remaining half of his cigarette and shoved it into the ashtray, as if making a decision he didn't really want to make: "Fine, we'll share the burden."

The day passed just like that. Zhang Yang didn't need to write reports, so he focused all his energy on cooperating with Yang Zhen to train Chang Baole. The training location was a corner of the team's underground parking garage, which was quiet and undisturbed.

"Baole, remember, stay calm and collected, and absolutely do not rush." ​​Zhang Yang repeated the same phrase he had said countless times, his tone unhurried and calm, as if he were teaching a younger brother to ride a bicycle.

Chang Baole nodded, a fine layer of sweat on his forehead: "I understand."

Zhang Yang glanced at his tense shoulders and smiled. "It's alright, don't be nervous." He then pulled a switchblade from his pocket. It wasn't large; the handle was just big enough to fit a fist. The outer casing was worn, but the blade was newly sharpened. He handed the knife to him. "You can't carry a gun, so take this with you. Tuck it behind your belt on your lower back. Most people can't find that spot during a body search. It'll be useful for self-defense if there's any danger. We're all around."

He explained to Chang Baole in detail how to secure the switchblade to the inside of the belt, the angle at which to draw the knife the fastest, and where to stab someone when their neck is grabbed from the front. These were not the techniques from books, but experiences he had accumulated bit by bit on the streets and at arrest scenes.

Tian Rui wasn't idle either. Ji Jie pulled her into the office and went over all the situations that female undercover agents are most likely to encounter: how to pretend not to be drunk when someone forces you to drink, how to lie more smoothly than tell the truth when questioned, and how to use coquetry and anger to deflect suspicion.

Tian Rui filled the notebook with notes, page after page. As Ji Jie was talking, she suddenly sighed, took the notebook away, and said, "Don't write anymore. Some things, if you write them down, are like leaving a handle on us. You have to keep them in your head."

In the afternoon, Yang Zhen personally took over the training. He laid out a table full of information about Xiamen and the things used for buying cars in the south, and went through it with Chang Baole and Tian Rui one by one. He explained how many districts there were in Xiamen, what the most bustling night markets in each district were called, which national highway was the fastest to travel from Xiamen to Quanzhou, and which city and district the largest car dealerships in the south were located in.

Chang Baole was quick-witted and answered every question. Yang Zhen didn't rush him when he occasionally stumbled over a word; he just waited quietly until he remembered. Yang Zhen said, "Let me tell you, Chang Baole, it's okay if you stumble now, but if you stumble in a karaoke bar, it could be your death."

The results of a day and a night of training were about to be put to the test the following evening.

Chang Baole changed into a suit and slicked his hair back with hair gel, looking like a completely different person. Tian Rui wore a fitted dress and light makeup. When she was standing in the corridor, Ji Jie passed by and almost didn't recognize her, blurting out, "Okay, Fangfang."

The two stood in front of the mirror at the end of the corridor for a few seconds. Chang Baole helped Tian Rui tuck the bugging device into her collar, and Tian Rui stood on tiptoe to help him straighten the brooch-shaped transmitter.

After setting up the equipment, they went into Lao Zheng's office. Lao Zheng was sitting behind his desk with the main unit of the monitoring equipment beside him, surrounded by a ring of green indicator lights. Ji Jie, wearing headphones, sat next to him, checking the volume of each channel.

"Are all the machines set up and working?" Old Zheng asked.

Ji Jie gave an OK sign: "No problem, both channels are clear, and the background noise filter is on."

Yang Zhen picked up two photos from the table and handed them over. The photos were of the Sui brothers, copies of their ID photos. The resolution wasn't very high, but their facial features were very clear. The older brother had a thick beard, high cheekbones, a wide jaw, and a sinister look in his eyes, as if he had already regarded the photographer as a potential threat the moment he looked at the camera.

"Take a good look at this again, make sure you're sure it's the right one."

Chang Baole took the photo and held it up to his eyes, staring at the scar on the corner of his eyebrow for a long time before handing it to Tian Rui. Tian Rui also looked at it carefully twice. When she returned the photo to Yang Zhen, her lips were tightly pursed, and she didn't say anything, but her eyes were no longer as relaxed as when she looked in the mirror earlier.

Just then, Yang Zhen's phone rang. He answered it, listened for a few seconds, and then said after hanging up, "We got a message from Fuyuan Karaoke Bar. Mao Dayong is already waiting inside alone."

Old Zheng stood up, put the listening earpiece on the table, and said, "Let's go."