Wei Chang'an grunted softly. Was that a trick lifted straight from an adventure novel? One couldn't say the plan was entirely unfeasible, but coordinating it would be complicated, with far too many uncertain factors.
Besides, the Maka delegation weren't fools. If you claimed you had it, they would certainly want to verify it. When you refused to produce it, they would know immediately that something was wrong.
Still, he didn't want to dampen Feng Xiaoqi's enthusiasm. He used to be the same way—always thinking his own ideas were brilliant, only to find the actual execution utterly grueling. So he offered tactfully, "It's worth considering as a reference."
Chen Chuan treated everyone equally. Seeing that Feng Xiaoqi had offered an idea, he asked for the others' opinions. Luo Kaiyuan admitted he had no good ideas of his own.
Wu Han's idea was simple and brutal: kidnap a member of the delegation and beat the location of the hiding Maka students out of him.
Truth be told, if all else failed and one cast aside unnecessary qualms, it really did have some chance of success.
As for Wei Dong, he made it clear he didn't understand what they were discussing; he only needed to know who to fight and where they were.
When it came to Wei Chang'an, he rubbed his chin, staring at the map. "Along this stretch of the National Boulevard leading to the port, there are three major checkpoints in total. The first is under Yangzhi City's control and will definitely conduct strict inspections, so if I were part of the delegation, I certainly wouldn't arrange the handover along that stretch.
"The final checkpoint is set up by Yuanwang Port. While its inspections might not be as strict as Yangzhi City's, security around the perimeter is very tight to crack down on smugglers, making it difficult for ordinary people to get close.
"So the most likely place for the handover is the middle section. If push comes to shove, we can take radios and split into teams. One team can lie in wait near the checkpoint, while the others patrol the road before the delegation departs, or simply trail them from a distance. We might just pick up their trail."
Chen Chuan pondered it. Though somewhat rigid, this approach required no complicated maneuvering, which gave it a realistic chance of success. However, it ran a very high risk of sparking a conflict with the delegation.
Bureau Director Lei's suggestion to observe closely at the checkpoints had been grounded in good reason, and it had also hinted at a way to handle the situation.
For an object of such importance, the Maka delegation's mental state before and after receiving it would undoubtedly be different. Through careful observation, one could draw fairly solid conclusions.
Once at the checkpoint, the delegation would have to stop and step out of their vehicles for inspection, and they wouldn't be carrying firearms then. They could station themselves there in advance under the name of the Municipal Administration. If they noticed anything amiss, they could immediately move in for a thorough search. Even if the delegation resisted, being unarmed would make them far easier to handle.
Yet doing so was a gamble. If they found nothing, it could trigger diplomatic repercussions, and further searches would become out of the question.
While he was considering this, a sudden knock came at the door.
He walked over and opened it. Sure enough, Ren Xiaotian stood outside, accompanied by the lively Lin Xiaodi. The latter waved at him. "Hello, Big Brother Chen!"
Chen Chuan nodded with a smile and said to Ren Xiaotian, "Senior Brother Ren, I've been waiting for you. Please come in."
Ren Xiaotian followed him inside. Catching sight of so many people in the living room, his footsteps faltered slightly, and his posture stiffened.
Chen Chuan introduced everyone to one another first before returning to his seat. "Senior Brother Ren, you've arrived at just the right time. We were discussing our plan and would like to hear your thoughts." He summarized what they had just discussed, then asked, "Senior Brother Ren, what do you think?"
Though Ren Xiaotian sat down, his diminutive frame remained ramrod straight, and he never once took off his sunglasses. "If you want to find those escaped Maka students, there's a target worth paying attention to. Take a look." With that, he took out a notebook that looked very familiar to Chen Chuan and handed it across. "Here."
Chen Chuan took it and flipped through the pages, his expression shifting slightly.
The notebook Ren Xiaotian handed him contained notes on the wilderness between the city and the port, where a large number of armed groups operated, mostly engaging in smuggling and human trafficking.
The more powerful among them smuggled illicit foreign drugs, human tissues, weapons, and even experimental biological implants into the country.
Regardless of size, these groups generally dealt in trafficking humans and contraband, or did dirty work for the rich and powerful.
Over the past year or two, however, a new outfit had emerged. Its upper echelon was composed entirely of Maka or Maka mixed-bloods. Because they favored wearing green armbands and had bronze skin, outsiders called them the Copper Rust Gang, a name they eventually embraced.
Since many of their weapons were manufactured by Maka, it was certain that even if this outfit wasn't officially backed by the Maka government, it was tied to them by a web of connections.
After reading through it, Chen Chuan formed an assessment. Looking up at Ren Xiaotian, he said, "So if those Maka escaped Yangzhi City with the item, the most likely place for them to go is the Copper Rust Gang—a group that can bypass the main boulevard, knows the wilderness inside out, and has an established stronghold?"
Ren Xiaotian nodded.
Chen Chuan considered further and added, "It might be more than that. This outfit only cropped up in the last year or two. Could they have been planted in advance by Maka specifically to facilitate the extraction of the oak leaf?"
Given how much the Maka valued this relic, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He hadn't expected Ren Xiaotian to bring him such a welcome surprise; inviting this senior brother on the commission had truly been the right choice.
As for whether this was really the case, they could easily launch a preemptive raid on the group, without needing to wait until the delegation set out.
The others were still in the dark, so Chen Chuan explained the situation to them. After thinking it over, everyone agreed it was very likely.
Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Brother Ren, do you know where these people are located?"
Ren Xiaotian nodded. "Yes."
Lin Xiaodi chimed in, "For this very matter, Martial Uncle made a trip into the wilderness in person to scout out the Copper Rust Gang's position before coming to your place, Big Brother Chen."
Chen Chuan looked at Ren Xiaotian and said solemnly, "Senior Brother Ren, I'm truly grateful to you this time."
Ren Xiaotian shook his head. "There's no result yet. No need to jump to conclusions."
Chen Chuan replied, "Right. Senior Brother, do you know how many people are in this Copper Rust Gang? What is their equipment like?"
Ren Xiaotian walked over and first pointed out the approximate location of the Copper Rust Gang on the map.
It was at a stronghold about a hundred and fifty kilometers to the southeast, close to the Huo River, giving them convenient access to water. It had originally been a local gang's base until this group seized it.
Then he gave the details: the Copper Rust Gang had about forty to fifty members. Roughly a quarter carried Maka-manufactured firearms or old-fashioned homemade guns, though a sizable number were armed with bows and crossbows. They possessed around nine vehicles, two of which were modified armed vehicles.
The good news, however, was that the Maka revere nature deeply—an ideology ingrained to the bone—so not a single one among them had biological implants.
Ren Xiaotian concluded with a cautious warning: "If the Maka government arranged this, there might be expert fighters among them."
Chen Chuan fully agreed. Last time against Douma, he had been bare-handed and forced to trade blows head-on, but this time he intended to be armed.
No matter how skilled an expert was, even wearing a protective suit, as long as they couldn't withstand a blade strike, they would still be cleaved in two. Even so, proper precautions were essential; he resolved to obtain a few high-powered fortification-piercing rifles through Cheng Zitong's channels just in case.
He stated decisively, "We don't have much time. Since there is a high probability that the Copper Rust Gang is harboring the fugitives, we should strike as soon as possible." He looked up at the group. "Even if they aren't there, it doesn't matter. We'll simply treat it as wiping out an armed smuggling ring."
Wu Han—
Wei Chang'an smiled, thinking to himself, *Actually, even if they aren't on the wanted list, it doesn't matter. Once they're dead, we can just have the constabulary draw up a warrant after the fact.*
Luo Kaiyuan asked cautiously, "Student Chen, do we have enough manpower?"
Wei Chang'an spoke up, "I can bring my team along as well. About six people, all completely reliable."
Besides old friends from Wuyi College, his team included close acquaintances who were almost all children of constabulary families. With mutual relatives, friends, and elders knowing one another, they were entirely trustworthy.
Feng Xiaoqi said, "We also need enough firearms and vehicles."
No one objected. Once out in the wilderness, even if some didn't have weapons licenses, who would know who fired which gun? As long as someone in the group held a weapons license, it was fine.
Wei Chang'an said, "That's easy. I'll find a way to get a batch of firearms and borrow some stab-resistant vests to increase our odds." Although stab-resistant vests offered little protection against gunfire, they were still somewhat effective against melee weapons and crossbow bolts.
Chen Chuan asked, "Brother Wei, will that be a problem?"
Wei Chang'an shot him a reassuring look. "Junior Brother, don't worry. Your Brother Wei has a weapons license. Getting a batch of decommissioned firearms from the constabulary isn't hard at all."
A thought occurred to Chen Chuan. "Brother Wei, can you get smoke grenades?"
Seeing the smoke grenades the resistance organization had thrown in the plaza that day, he had found them very practical. For a team like theirs, which lacked coordinated teamwork but possessed high individual combat ability, such items were particularly suitable.
Wei Chang'an said, "I'll try. Shouldn't be an issue. Even if that doesn't pan out, I can find someone at the station to make some homemade ones."
Chen Chuan said, "Great. Just let me know how much it costs later, Brother Wei."
Wei Chang'an agreed crisply, "Deal!" Actually, he wouldn't mind fronting the money himself—he owed Chen Chuan a favor, after all. Still, he understood that within a team, it was best to keep financial matters clearly settled upfront.
Lin Xiaodi walked over to Chen Chuan, tugged at his sleeve, and whispered, "Big Brother Chen, there's something I need to tell you."
Chen Chuan excused himself to the others and stepped aside with her. "What is it?"
Lin Xiaodi handed him a slip of paper and whispered, "Teacher told me to give this to you. She said you might need it for your commission."
Chen Chuan took it and looked.
It was a vehicle fleet rental agreement with the payment already made in advance. Whenever they needed it, a single phone call beforehand would suffice.
He understood that this was Senior Sister He returning a favor to him, acting on Bureau Director Lei's behalf. After a brief thought, he did not refuse.
In truth, he had already devised channels for firearms and vehicles and coordinated in advance, but he hadn't expected that he wouldn't need to worry about the transport at all.
"Thank Senior Sister for me," he said.
"Will do, Big Brother Chen!" Lin Xiaodi raised a hand and said playfully, "I'll be sure to pass it along!"
Chen Chuan returned to the group and conferred with them a bit further. Once they confirmed there were no objections, he said, "Then the time is set for the day after tomorrow. Everyone get ready tomorrow. We set out at one o'clock the day after tomorrow, and we'll try to wrap this up within a single day!"
Chapter 129