I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

Five o'clock in the morning, in the courtyard of the county public security bureau.

Two black SUVs were parked side by side in the yard, their engines already running.

Zhao Gang stood next to the first car, wearing a dark jacket and holding a walkie-talkie.

He wasn't wearing his police uniform today—because wearing it to arrest people in Liuhe Town would cause too much of a commotion.

The key to making arrests is suddenness, catching the other party off guard.

Ma Jun stood next to the second vehicle, checking the equipment—handcuffs, body camera, walkie-talkie, and identification.

"Ma Jun".

Zhao Gang spoke up.

"You take men to arrest Wang Lei. Remember the address of the rented apartment?"

"I've got it."

"Once you arrive, don't alert them. Make sure they're inside before taking any action."

"clear."

Although Ma Jun was an experienced driver, Zhao Gang still habitually gave him a few more instructions.

He then looked at the other people—

They were all veterans of the criminal investigation team, having followed him on countless missions.

"Keep in touch via walkie-talkie. Whichever side catches the enemy first, notify the other side immediately."

Several people nodded.

Zhao Gang opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

"Set off."

Two SUVs drove out of the compound one after the other.

Half an hour later, we passed through a mountain road.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker, and visibility was very low.

Zhao Gang stared ahead and picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Ma Jun, the fog is a bit thick. Safety first. Don't rush, the person can't escape."

"Received, received!"

After turning off the walkie-talkie, Zhao Gang leaned back in his seat and looked out the window.

He was thinking about a question—

Are Liu Jun and Wang Lei still around?

The information provided by Su Wanqing is from two days ago. Could it have changed?

If they've already heard rumors, if Fang Zhiwen has already told them to flee, then their trip today has been in vain.

When it comes to making arrests, the worst thing isn't resistance, but the fact that the other party isn't there.

Resistance can be subdued.

If it's not there, you can't capture it.

But he felt that Fang Zhiwen wouldn't let them escape.

Because if they run away, it's tantamount to admitting guilt, like telling the audit team, "I did it, I arranged the people, and now they've run away, you can't catch them."

So Liu Jun and Wang Lei should still be around.

Zhao Gang closed his eyes and went over the arrest plan in his mind.

Liu Jun, Liuhe Town Bath Center.

That bathhouse was located on the old street of Liuhe Town. It was run by a petty hoodlum, and Liu Jun often spent the night there.

He didn't have a proper job. He slept during the day and played cards, drank, and took baths at night, living like a nocturnal animal.

It was five in the morning, and he should still be asleep.

Wang Lei, rented room.

He rented a bungalow on Xinjie Street in Liuhe Town and lived there alone.

He has no wife or children, no stable job, and occasionally does odd jobs, spending most of his time idly wandering around town.

Last time they beat up Chen Dapeng, Fang Zhiwen gave each of them 20,000 yuan.

As they approached Liuhe Town, Zhao Gang picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Ma Jun, once you catch him, take him straight back to the county town. Don't stop along the way."

"clear."

……

At 5:40 a.m., on the old street of Liuhe Town.

It was still dark, and the streets were deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight.

The bathhouse is located in the middle of the old street. It is a three-story building with a small storefront and a sign that reads "Dazhong Bathhouse".

Zhao Gang's car was parked opposite the bathhouse, with the lights off but the engine running.

He glanced at his watch—5:41.

"Wait two more minutes. Act simultaneously on both sides to prevent Liu Jun from being arrested while Wang Lei hears the news and runs away."

He lowered his voice and reminded his teammates.

5:43.

"get off."

Zhao Gang opened the car door, and the three people followed him out of the car.

The four of them walked lightly and quickly across the street to the entrance of the bathhouse.

The door was closed, and a sign that read "Open for Business" hung on the glass door.

Zhao Gang pushed the door open—it wasn't locked.

He glanced back at the three people behind him and nodded.

The four people filed in.

The bathhouse was small; upon entering, there was a small hall with a few plastic chairs, and a business license hung in a frame on the wall.

The hall was filled with a damp smell.

There was no one at the front desk.

On the cashier's counter were a calculator, several packs of cigarettes, and a lighter.

There were several rows of toiletries on the cabinet behind.

The staircase is on one side, leading to the second floor.

Zhao Gang walked at the front, his steps light and controlled with every step.

The second floor is a rest area with several small private rooms, each with a number posted on the door.

201, 202, 203.

According to the information he had, Liu Jun frequently went to room 203.

Zhao Gang walked to the door of room 203 and stopped.

He listened intently—someone inside was snoring, the sound was deep and the rhythm was even.

He's here, and he's sleeping soundly.

Zhao Gang reached out and grasped the doorknob.

He twisted it—it wasn't locked.

He glanced back at the people behind him; all three were ready.

The body camera was on, the handcuffs were in hand, and the positions were already set up.

Two were on either side of the doorway, and one was behind him, ensuring that he could rush in as soon as the door opened, leaving no gaps.

Zhao Gang suddenly pushed the door open.

The four of them rushed in.

The private room was small, with a single bed, a bedside table, and a chair.

The curtains were drawn, making the room dark, and the air was filled with an unpleasant smell of alcohol and sweat.

The blankets on the bed were bulging, and a person was curled up inside, with only half of their head showing.

Liu Jun was startled awake by the noise and sat up abruptly.

His eyes were not fully open, and his face was full of confusion.

"Don't move! Police!"

Zhao Gang's voice was very powerful.

It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over Liu Jun's head.

Liu Jun was stunned for a moment, then instinctively shrank back.

But it was too late.

Two policemen pounced on him, pinning him down from the left and right.

His face was pressed against the pillow, his arms were twisted behind his back, and he made "ooh" sounds as if he was shouting something, but the pillow muffled his voice.

"Don't move! If you move again, you'll regret it!"

Liu Jun stopped moving.

Zhao Gang walked over, took out his ID from his pocket, and held it up in front of Liu Jun.

"Liu Jun, you are suspected of involvement in a case of intentional injury, and you are now under criminal detention in accordance with the law. This is the detention warrant."

Liu Jun's face was buried in the pillow, so his expression was not visible.

But his body was trembling.

He knew what he had done, and he knew what being caught meant, so he was afraid.

"You... what right do you have to arrest me...?"

His voice was muffled and unclear, muffled by the pillow.

"Why should I? You know the answer in your heart."

Zhao Gang glanced at the policeman who was holding Liu Jun down.

The two policemen understood each other, pulled Liu Jun out of bed, and made him sit on the edge of the bed.

Only then did Liu Jun see the people inside the room clearly—

The four policemen were all in plainclothes, but their aura was undeniable. Their eyes, their posture, and their imposing presence were something that ordinary people couldn't fake.

His face was as white as paper, and his lips were trembling.

He was wearing a T-shirt with a loose collar and holes from cigarette burns.

The T-shirt was tucked into the waistband of the pants, which were cheap sweatpants with pilling at the knees.

"Liu Jun."

Zhao Gang squatted down and looked him straight in the eye.

"You know why we're here to see you. Cooperate, it'll be good for you. Don't cooperate—"

He didn't finish speaking, but Liu Jun understood.

Liu Jun's Adam's apple bobbed, his lips trembled twice, but he ultimately couldn't utter a word.

"take away."

……

Meanwhile, in Liuhe Town, Xinjie.

Ma Jun led his men to the bungalow that Wang Lei had rented.

The door was closed, and the curtains on the windows were drawn tightly, making it pitch black inside.

Ma Jun listened intently through the door, but there was no sound inside.

He reached out and knocked on the door.

Instead of kicking the door down, to avoid alerting the other party.

Knock on the door, someone answers, which means someone is home.

The moment the door opened, they caught him off guard and swiftly subdued him.

I knocked three times, but there was no response.

Ma Jun knocked three more times.

This time, a rustling sound came from inside, like someone putting on clothes or rummaging through something.

Ma Jun's heart tightened—

This guy is a repeat offender, very alert, and probably wants to resist or escape.

Then he heard a sound—the window was pushed open.

"He's going to jump out the window! Stop him!"

The four split up and acted separately.

Ma Jun led one person around the house and ran to the back, blocking his escape route.

The other two broke down the door.

Behind the rental house is a narrow alleyway piled with broken bricks, tiles, and discarded building materials.

The ground was uneven and puddled with water; each step sent up a splash of water.

Wang Lei was climbing out of the window.

One leg had already stepped out, and he was wearing a wrinkled cotton-padded jacket.

She was only wearing one shoe; she probably hadn't had time to put on the other one yet.

"Wang Lei! Stop right there!"

Hearing the shout, Wang Lei turned around and saw Ma Jun and the other man rushing towards him. He was so frightened that he trembled.

The leg that had already stepped out the window retracted, wanting to retreat and run back through the front door.

But there were two policemen on the other side of the door.

He was stuck in the window, unable to move forward or backward.

There were dead ends both in front and behind; there was nowhere to escape.

"Stop running! You can't escape!"

Ma Jun rushed up to him, grabbed his leg, and pulled him down from the window.

Wang Lei fell to the ground, his knee hitting a broken brick, causing him to grimace in pain and let out a muffled groan.

He was pinned to the ground, his face pressed against the earth.

"What...what are you doing...?"

"Wang Lei, you are suspected of participating in a case of intentional injury, and you are now being detained in accordance with the law."

Ma Jun took out his ID from his pocket, flashed it in front of him, and then put it away.

"You know perfectly well what you've done."

Wang Lei's face was pressed against the ground, so his expression was not visible.

But his body was trembling.

He knew what he had done and what being arrested meant.

He did the assault, and he took the money.

Twenty thousand yuan, Fang Zhiwen had it delivered by someone.

He and Liu Jun each received 20,000 yuan.

"take away."

Ma Jun stood up.

Wang Lei was pulled up and handcuffed.

He stood there, head down, one foot in a shoe, the other bare.

The cotton-padded jacket was covered in mud and pebbles, and the cuff was torn, revealing the cotton inside.

Ma Jun glanced at him and said to the policeman inside the house:

"Find him a shoe."

A policeman pulled a cloth shoe from under the bed, threw it out the window, and it landed at Wang Lei's feet.

Wang Lei glanced down and saw that he wasn't wearing any.

The policeman next to him kicked his foot.

"Put them on."

Wang Lei bent down and struggled to put the shoes on with his handcuffed hands.

Ma Jun picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Team Leader Zhao, Wang Lei has been caught. We're getting ready to head back."

Zhao Gang's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Okay. Back to base."

Ma Jun put away the walkie-talkie and took Wang Lei away.

Wang Lei was shoved into the back seat of the car, with a policeman sitting on each side.

He huddled in the seat, head down, hands cuffed behind his back, body slightly hunched, motionless, even his breathing was very light.

Ma Jun sat in the passenger seat and glanced at the rearview mirror.

Wang Lei's face in the rearview mirror was pale, haggard, with blue lips and unfocused eyes.

There was fear and confusion in his eyes.

There is also a kind of despair, which is like resignation.

……

More than an hour later.

Two SUVs drove into the county public security bureau compound one after the other.

Zhao Gang got out of the first car and stretched his stiff neck.

The rear door was opened, and Liu Jun was taken out.

He kept his head down, unwilling to look at anyone.

Wang Lei was taken off the second car.

He walked very slowly, not because he didn't want to walk, but because he was being supported by two policemen.

His legs were going weak, as if he couldn't support his body anymore, and every step he took felt like he was going to kneel down.

The two were taken to separate interrogation rooms.

Zhao Gang stood in the corridor, watching Liu Jun being pushed through the left door and Wang Lei being pushed through the right door.

Ma Jun walked over and stood next to him.

"Captain Zhao, which one should we interrogate first?"

Zhao Gang thought about it.

"Interrogate Liu Jun first. He's timid; take him down first."

Where is Wang Lei?

"Let it sit for now. Let him figure it out himself."

Ma Jun nodded.

Zhao Gang turned around and pushed open the door on the left.

The interrogation began...