“The number you have dialed is currently busy…”
The call was cut off after just one ring.
Just as the three of them were trying to figure out what was going on—
Ding! A text message alert sounded.
[The fact that you’re still alive right now doesn’t mean you’re tough, nor does it mean you have people looking out for you. It means I’m giving you a chance.]
[And don’t you worry—not even Jesus himself could save you now. I said what I said.]
Staring at those two texts, Zhou Ran and Liu Changshan’s eyes shot wide open.
Arrogant!
Downright arrogant!
This young man named Jiang Chuan had completely surpassed anything Zhou Ran and Liu Changshan could have imagined.
Neither of them had expected this young man to be so brazen.
He was just a small-time arms dealer—the kind who had to get his stock from the big fish upstream before he could turn around and sell it—and yet he actually thought he was some kind of major weapon trafficker?
Come on, even real arms dealers wouldn’t dare act so recklessly in front of the police. This was a complete disregard for the law, sheer, unbridled arrogance!
Zhou Ran never imagined Jiang Chuan would go this far. If they couldn’t bring him to justice, then the authority of the police would become an absolute joke.
“Chief, we have to move now. We have to bring Jiang Chuan in!” Liu Changshan said gravely.
Based on his analysis, Jiang Chuan was definitely a dangerous arms dealer. Maybe he didn’t have a massive operation, but he absolutely had guns—otherwise, he wouldn’t have so casually mailed a Desert Eagle to a scammer.
Zhou Ran nodded. “Notify the SWAT team. Have them coordinate with us to raid Jiang Chuan’s residence and make the arrest!”
“Hurry! Don’t waste any time. We have to catch him before he runs!”
“Yes, Chief!” Liu Changshan acknowledged the order and turned to stride out of the interrogation room.
Meanwhile, Zhang Songyang, still sitting inside the interrogation room, watched the decisive Zhou Ran in action and nearly wept with joy, gasping for air.
He wanted to shout out loud, to vent all the frustration building up inside him.
Yes! The police are mobilizing! As long as they catch Jiang Chuan, I’ll be safe—even if I have to go to prison!
Jiang Chuan casually tossed his phone aside and let out a yawn.
To be honest, he was exhausted. But earlier, he’d forced himself to stay awake just to scare that scammer.
Now that the scammer had hung up after realizing he couldn’t fool Jiang Chuan, there was no point in calling back.
Besides, he wasn’t worried about the scammer tracking him down for revenge. He’d already stationed bodyguards outside to keep an eye on the neighborhood. If anyone suspicious showed up, they’d be on high alert, and if things got dicey, they’d forcibly relocate him to keep him safe.
He glanced at the time—1:42 AM.
Yawning again, Jiang Chuan flopped onto the bed, and soon enough, his steady snoring filled the room.
——-
Outside the apartment complex.
Liu Changshan, dressed in plain clothes, was personally leading the operation.
“Chief, we’re at the complex now. But the target’s apartment is dark—we can’t confirm if he’s home.”
Liu Changshan pressed the Bluetooth earpiece in his ear and looked up at the darkened building.
According to their intel, Jiang Chuan had rented a place here, and not long ago at that.
“Secure the entire building first. Deploy personnel at every key point, move up slowly, and get help from the property management staff,” Zhou Ran instructed.
Liu Changshan acknowledged and fell silent.
In his mind, this operation wasn’t particularly difficult—relatively straightforward, especially with SWAT support. The regular officers might not even have to do much.
The only real challenges were that the suspect was armed and likely had good counter-surveillance skills.
After all, this young man Jiang Chuan had managed to stay under their radar for this long—he was definitely no ordinary guy.
But no matter how crafty he was, tonight he was going down. With this many officers and SWAT teams surrounding the whole complex, there was no way he could escape—even if he grew wings!
At that moment, Liu Changshan was in the thick of coordinating the operation.
“Everyone stay sharp. Don’t rush. Make sure he doesn’t notice we’re setting up,” Liu Changshan ordered from his concealed position.
It was the dead of night—2 AM.
Most people were sound asleep. There was hardly anyone around, not even on the streets. And the quieter it was, the more careful they had to be.
Otherwise, they’d tip him off—and once that happened, the whole operation would fall apart.
“Report—we’ve found the property staff on duty.”
A voice came through his Bluetooth earpiece.
Liu Changshan thought for a moment. “Wait there. I’m coming over.”
Following the planned route, he made his way to the bottom of the building and met the property staff member, who was dressed in a black suit.
“Hello, Officer. How can I help you?” the staff member asked.
Liu Changshan laid out the plan: “Here’s the deal—in a bit, you’ll come up with me to the 9th floor, Room 9302. Tell them their plumbing is leaking and water is spilling everywhere—say it needs to be fixed right away. Got it?”
“Got it, Officer,” the property staff nodded.
Liu Changshan turned to the plainclothes officers nearby. “You all wait here for orders. If you spot anyone suspicious, go up and question them. Whatever you do, don’t let Jiang Chuan slip away. Understood?”
“Got it, Liu.”
With that, Liu Changshan led the property staff into the building and took the elevator straight to the 9th floor.
Standing outside Room 9302, the staff member knocked. “Hello—this is property management. Is anyone home? Hello?”
Liu Changshan stood beside him, putting on a stern, intimidating look.
But as the knocking went on, there was absolutely no sound from inside.
“Hello? Please open the door—this is property management. There’s a problem with your plumbing and we need your help right now—”
Before the staff member could finish—
Creak.
The door to the neighboring unit suddenly swung open.
A burly man in pajamas stood there, eyes wide, glaring furiously at the property staff member. “What the hell! It’s the middle of the night—can’t you let people sleep?!”
If Zhang Songyang had been there, he would’ve recognized this man immediately—it was the same burly guy who’d delivered the Desert Eagle to him. Dastan.
“Sorry about that, buddy. Didn’t mean to bother you. I’m from downstairs—the plumbing in his unit is leaking and water’s coming into my place. Just came up to check on it,” Liu Changshan explained.
Upon hearing this, the man’s face lit up with understanding. He waved a hand dismissively. “Ah, save your knocks. That kid went out this afternoon—sneaked off all suspicious-like. No idea where he went, but he hasn’t come back yet.”
“Wait—he’s, he’s not home?” Liu Changshan exclaimed.
The man nodded firmly. “Nope. Definitely not. I haven’t heard anyone come back either.”
Then, curious, he squinted at Liu Changshan, studying him closely—and suddenly let out a surprised shout: “Hey! Officer Liu! No wonder you looked familiar when I first saw you—it really is you!”
