After waiting about five or six minutes, Wei Chang'an's Tuotu sedan pulled up in front of the dormitory building. Pushing open the passenger door, he called out to Chen Chuan, who was waiting on the steps, "Come on, Junior, hop in."
Chen Chuan wasted no words. He hurried down the steps and climbed straight inside.
Wei Chang'an waited until he had buckled his seatbelt before starting the car, saying, "After we brought the guy in yesterday, the interrogation got him to spill quickly. Scarface is holed up in Shouguan District."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "That place is crowded and chaotic."
Shouguan District lay to the southwest of the city. Several surrounding counties, towns, and villages—and even travelers entering Yangzhi from other cities—generally passed through this area, making the flow of people exceptionally complicated. Escaping the city from there was also easy.
Wei Chang'an said, "The constabulary searched citywide earlier, but they focused on the Blood Mark Gang's sphere of influence, which is why they never found him."
Chen Chuan said, "Shouguan District is close to the Iron Chain Gang's territory. Could this be related to them?"
Wei Chang'an replied, "Hard to say. Scarface isn't Chou Huzi. He's an outsider who has only been in Yangzhi for about a year, unlike Chou Huzi, who has connections everywhere. That said, the Iron Chain Gang often clashes with the Blood Mark Gang. If it causes trouble for the Blood Mark Gang, they're willing to do anything. But it could also have nothing to do with either of them, and someone else is helping them instead.
"None of that is what we need to worry about, though. What matters now is that we have Scarface's whereabouts. When Chou Huzi was supplying drugs to Fang Dawei and his crew, Scarface was always the one sent to make contact. It looks like that line hasn't been severed yet. So as long as we catch Scarface, we can use him to pin down Fang Dawei's gang!"
Chen Chuan asked, "Has the arrest not started yet?"
Wei Chang'an said, "If the constabulary deployed forces for a massive manhunt, the commotion would be too loud and word would easily leak. Besides, we need Scarface alive, and the constabulary isn't suited for that kind of operation. So the bureau issued a commission.
"Given that we picked up this lead first and caught that 'Brother Tian' to locate Scarface, the constabulary decided to hand the commission over to us."
Chen Chuan asked, "Brother Wei, is the constabulary that confident in us?"
Wei Chang'an chuckled. "We've been trailing this from the start; without us, they wouldn't have found a single lead. And besides... Junior, both you and I are sons of constabulary families. If they don't trust us, who else would they trust?"
Understanding dawned on Chen Chuan. That was simply how things worked in this world. Social circles were clearly divided and intensely suspicious of outsiders, to say nothing of the constabulary's tight-knit internal culture, where sons and relatives frequently succeeded their elders. Even though he and Wei Chang'an were Wuyi students, coming from constabulary households with family elders currently serving meant they were viewed as their own people.
After a brief thought, he asked, "Brother Wei, you work under a commission company, right?"
Wei Chang'an nodded. "Although the specific assignment depends on the company, the client's wishes carry a lot of weight. Don't worry—at least when it comes to Scarface, it's definitely ours. The real question now is how to bag him."
Chen Chuan asked, "Do you have specific intelligence?"
Wei Chang'an replied, "That's what I was about to tell you. According to Brother Tian's confession, Scarface has several men with him." He pulled out a few documents. "Take a look, Junior."
Chen Chuan took them and flipped through the pages one by one. After considering the details, he asked, "How did that Brother Tian know all this? Isn't he just a minor gang leader?"
Wei Chang'an said, "Look at the back. Right, that page. He's a fellow townsman and distant relative of 'Fleetfoot' Tian Yaozu, one of Scarface's subordinates. Both of them are Yangzhi locals. With that connection, he was trusted enough to handle the exchange.
"Brother Tian was supposed to report back to them this morning after concluding the deal yesterday. To avoid raising suspicion, the constabulary staged a street-sealing sweep yesterday and had Brother Tian send over a letter explaining that he would find time to drop by before noon. According to current surveillance, Scarface and his crew are indeed still there, and their suspicions have been temporarily kept at bay.
"That buys us a window of time, but only from this morning until noon. We have to capture Scarface and his entire crew within that window!"
Chen Chuan said, "Judging from the dossier, aside from his two capable lieutenants, Scarface has recruited several other men. The two of us won't be enough. Have you arranged for additional hands, Brother Wei?"
Wei Chang'an smiled and said, "Since the company entrusted this assignment to me, I can naturally draw on some resources. People will be assigned to support us when the time comes. However..."
His tone grew somewhat solemn. "Unexpected variables can always crop up during an operation; nothing is ever foolproof. And since this is the first time I'm leading an assignment like this, oversights are inevitable. So, Junior, I'll position you toward the rear later. Don't worry, though—you won't be cheated out of your share of the primary credit."
Chen Chuan did not mind this at all. This was his first time participating in a mission to apprehend a high-profile fugitive, and he approached it primarily to learn and gain experience rather than to stick his neck out for glory.
The car drove southwest for half an hour before entering Shouguan District.
Chen Chuan glanced out the window. The place was roughly similar to Xigang District, with a chaotic layout of buildings, but the crowd was far denser. As far as the eye could see, the streets were packed with people, and tricycles and pedestrians darted out at sharp angles every now and then.
The sedan slowed to a crawl as they pushed deeper, and Wei Chang'an tapped the horn repeatedly.
After stop-and-go crawling for over twenty minutes, they finally stopped before a department store. Wei Chang'an parked the car, waved for Chen Chuan to get out, and led him into a narrow alleyway.
After several twists and turns, they arrived before a small red-brick building. They climbed the narrow stairwell to the top floor, where Wei Chang'an knocked on a door and called, "Lao Si, open up."
The door pulled inward from inside to reveal a long-haired young man. He greeted Wei Chang'an first, then looked at Chen Chuan with a smile. "This must be Junior Chen?"
Wei Chang'an introduced him to Chen Chuan. "Cai Si. Also from Wuyi."
Chen Chuan greeted him. "Senior Cai."
Cai Si waved his hands repeatedly. "No, don't. Makes me sound like an amateur. Just call me Fourth Brother."
Wei Chang'an said, "Let's talk inside."
Cai Si ushered them both in, peered outside to make sure there was no movement, and closed the door.
Once inside, Wei Chang'an went straight to the window, looked out, and asked, "How does it look?"
Cai Si stepped up beside him. "No movement. Even if they suspect something is off with the letter, they won't relocate without finding their next safe house first. Besides, Old Wu and the others are keeping watch on that side."
Wei Chang'an gave an acknowledging grunt, turned, and pointed out the window toward a structure. "Look, Junior, that's the building."
Chen Chuan peered out. Their current building stood five stories tall, towering over most surrounding structures. Yet on the other side of the street, about two hundred meters away, stood a four-story, north-south oriented tenement-style building. Both faces were lined with weathered windows, with no balconies in sight.
Wei Chang'an said, "According to Brother Tian, Scarface and his crew are staying in three connected rooms on the eastern end of the fourth floor. The east and west flanks are residential units. To the northeast, right behind the building, is a lane leading to an open-air bazaar several dozen meters away. To the south lies an open lot."
Cai Si added an explanation for Chen Chuan: "Storming the place to make the arrest isn't hard as long as we have enough hands. But we have to consider that, unless Scarface is an idiot, he would post a lookout in one of the homes near the street entrance. If too many unfamiliar faces approach, he might be alerted, and that would complicate everything."
Wei Chang'an said, "Fortunately, the only tall buildings nearby are that one and ours, and they're staying on the top floor. Our plan is to send our people across in small groups, scale the structure from a concealed spot, and assemble on the rooftop.
"Less than two hundred meters from here is a boxing club. When the time comes, I'll have them set off firecrackers in the open lot to the south to create a commotion and draw Scarface's crew's attention. While they're distracted, we'll breach through the north-facing windows and execute the arrest. Even if they manage to break out, the boxing club's men will be waiting below to intercept them. That should give us a solid chance of success."
Chen Chuan asked, "A boxing club? Is a local boxing club willing to cooperate on something like this?"
Wei Chang'an smiled. "The constabulary is hunting a wanted fugitive operating practically on their doorstep. Afterward, the authorities could easily use that as an excuse to sweep the place, and whether the gym could stay open would be anyone's guess. Asking for their help actually gives them a chance to clear their name. They won't refuse."
Chen Chuan turned it over in his mind and understood. The boxing club was a local power in its own right, an influential faction here. To have a gang of wanted criminals operating right under their noses meant the constabulary could give them trouble whether they were involved or not, so they wouldn't dare refuse to cooperate.
He asked, "What do you need me to do, Brother Wei?"
Wei Chang'an replied, "The commission company assigned quite a few people to support me, and they're all professionals, so you won't need to join the direct breach. Junior, your job is to stay with Lao Si and the others to hold the northeastern intersection leading toward the bazaar, making sure no one slips through the net."
Chapter 72