The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi arrived at the conference room at 12:30.

The attendees included the captain and deputy captain of the Public Security Management Brigade, the captain and deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, and the directors and deputy directors of various police stations.

The seats were assigned, and Chen Shi arrived ten minutes before Wang Jianming did.

Wang Jianming's seat was next to Chen Shi's.

"Chief Chen, you're here early?"

"It's an emergency meeting, so let's get here early."

"Why don't you go to the sauna?"

"Section Chief Xu from the Political Work Section is an old classmate of mine. He invited me to dinner, but I didn't have time to wash up."

The Political Work Section is a key department of the Public Security Bureau, and its head is, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a candidate for deputy director.

He knew Xu Ping'an, the deputy head of the Political Work Section. Xu Ping'an's uncle was a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and had a very strong background.

Wang Jianming suddenly remembered that Xu Ping'an was also a graduate of Donghai Public Security University. He didn't expect that Xu Ping'an was actually Chen Shi's old classmate. With this kind of luck, it would be hard for him not to get promoted.

I had previously considered plotting against Chen Shi, but I immediately abandoned that idea. I need to manage my relationship with Chen Shi well; we can only be friends, not enemies.

With a broad smile, he said, "Chief Chen, I've inquired around, and today's meeting is about the pursuit of fugitive Zhang Dong."

Zhang Dong was from Chunyang County, specifically Longtougou Village in Fushan Town. He committed burglary in Yizhou, killing a family of five before fleeing the city.

Chen Shi looked at Wang Jianming and thought, "You old fox, why have you changed your mind again and aren't going to trick me?"

Everyone in the Public Security Bureau knows that Xu Ping'an is the candidate for the future deputy director.

Mentioning his name really works; even Wang Jianming has to give him face.

"Chief Wang, the police station will be very busy from now on."

"These vicious criminals are smart; they wouldn't be foolish enough to run home to hide, as that would be tantamount to walking into a trap."

Chen Shi understood Wang Jianming's meaning: just go through the motions. But he didn't think so; the most dangerous place was the safest.

Some criminals do the opposite, playing dirty tricks.

At the start of the meeting, Director Zhang Xiangdong, Executive Deputy Director Lei Heng, Deputy Director Song Youming, and Deputy Director Zhu Jianming walked in.

The meeting focused on deploying resources to apprehend fugitive Zhang Dong. The Public Security Management Brigade was responsible for the deployment in the county town, while each police station was responsible for the deployment within its jurisdiction.

The Criminal Investigation Brigade is responsible for surveillance and arrests throughout the county. Any clues must be reported to the Criminal Investigation Brigade immediately.

After Lei Heng finished setting up the surveillance, he looked at Wang Jianming and said, "Fushan Town is the hometown of the criminals and is the core of the surveillance operation. Deputy Director Chen, tell me your specific arrangements."

Chen Shi was taken aback. "Weren't you looking at Wang Jianming? He's the director, the person in charge. You're a checkers expert." He changed the subject and asked himself how to arrange things.

When Chen Shi's name was called, he had to stand up; he was the youngest person present.

Everyone turned to look at Chen Shi.

Chen Shilang said loudly, "Director Lei, I'd like to report to you on the arrangements for Fushan Town."

The criminal was from Longtougou Village, Fushan Town. Longtougou Village borders Yixing County, Yunnan Province, and is surrounded by mountains, making transportation inconvenient.

The entire Donghai Province is under control, and the Public Security Bureau has issued an A-level arrest warrant. The criminal will find it extremely difficult to move an inch in Donghai Province. It is highly likely that he will try to circumvent the controls, bypass Donghai Province's control measures, enter Nanxi Province, and hide deep in the mountains of Yixing County, possibly in the mountains near Longtougou Village…”

Lei Heng interrupted Chen Shi: "You said that the entire Donghai Province is under control, making it impossible for criminals to move an inch. How can they enter Nanxi Province? Isn't that a contradiction?"

Chen Shi realized that Lei Heng, that old scoundrel, was deliberately picking a fight and trying to embarrass him in front of everyone.

"Director Lei, according to the escape route of the criminal released by the Public Security Bureau, he has now escaped from Yizhou. Minfu County of Yizhou borders Guiyuan County of Nanxi Province. It is very likely that the criminal will escape to Guiyuan County in a very short time."

Before the Public Security Bureau could even deploy a province-wide manhunt, the criminal was no longer in Donghai, but in Nanxi.

"According to your line of thinking, the criminal is no longer in Donghai, but in Nanxi. He will eventually escape into the deep mountains of Longtougou. The mountains of Longtougou stretch for dozens of miles and are intertwined with Yixing County. How many police forces would it take to catch the criminal in such a long stretch of mountains?"

"The mountains in Longtougou are too big. Even if several thousand police officers are deployed there, they may not be able to find any trace of the criminals."

The criminal is hiding deep in the mountains. In summer and autumn, he can find food, but in spring and winter, when food becomes scarce, he will come to Longtougou Village in search of food. If we mobilize the villagers of Longtougou Village to report any trace of the criminal to the police immediately, a reward of 100,000 yuan will be given to anyone who reports him. The criminal will then be caught.

"If you say that, when will we ever catch the criminal?"

"One year is enough time"

Lei Heng snorted coldly: "The Public Security Bureau ordered the criminal to be caught within a month, you said a year. When the leaders of the Public Security Bureau ask, you'll be the one to answer."

What the hell? I'm just a lowly deputy director, only assisting with the surveillance. How come it's like the Public Security Bureau directly assigned me this important task of catching criminals?

Zhang Xiangdong coughed lightly, and Lei Heng, who was about to say something, shut up. Seeing Lei Heng deliberately making things difficult for Chen Shi, Zhang Xiangdong noted that the Public Security Bureau had issued a directive urging local public security bureaus to apprehend the criminals within a month.

There is no specific person in charge. The public security bureaus throughout the province are just cooperating with the deployment. The burglary occurred in Yizhou, so the primary person responsible is naturally the Yizhou Public Security Bureau. This order was given to the Yizhou Public Security Bureau. What does it have to do with my Chunyang County Public Security Bureau?

Zhang Xiangdong slowly said, "This is just Deputy Director Chen's guess. We can follow this line of thought. The Public Security Bureau's announcement that criminals must be caught within a month is issued to all public security bureaus in the province, not to any one individual."

Everyone could tell that they were clearly supporting Chen Shi and standing up for him.

Lei Heng continued, "Director Zhang, Fushan Town is the criminal's hometown. If the criminal escapes back to Fushan Town and hides there, we cannot bear that responsibility."

Zhang Xiangdong said in a low voice, "Director Lei, how about we send you to Fushan Town to take command and prevent criminals from escaping there?"

Lei Heng knew that if he dared to contradict Zhang Xiangdong again, Zhang Xiangdong might really send him to the remote town of Fushan.

The criminals wouldn't be so stupid as to run back to Longtougou Village. Even if they escaped to Longtougou Village, it wouldn't concern them.

"Director Zhang, I'm just worried. Deputy Director Chen's approach is good; let's follow his lead."

Lei Heng learned that Chen Shi was promoted by Zhang Xiangdong, and that the two were not in the same camp. Zhang Xiangdong was a man of County Magistrate Liu Youguang, while Lei Heng was a man of County Party Secretary Hu Hai.

He made things difficult for Chen Shi simply because he didn't like him.

Zhang Xiangdong concluded by saying, "Each person is responsible for the control of their own jurisdiction. If a criminal appears in that jurisdiction and escapes easily, the person in charge will bear full responsibility."

Wang Jianming broke out in a cold sweat. If the criminal really escaped back to Longtougou Village, he would probably lose his position as the director of the police station.