ocean-life Chapter 71 The Hunter...has already drawn his bow to its fullest extent.
Chapter 71 The Hunter...has already drawn his bow to its fullest extent.
Liu Li! Hanged ghost!
These two words were like two bombs thrown into calm water.
The plainclothes police officer next to the black sedan, the driver inside, and Chen Ming and Cheng Jing, who had just stood up, all paused for a moment, their gazes involuntarily following the direction Cheng Tan was pointing, turning towards the dimly lit and chaotic alley.
What Cheng Tan wanted was that moment of distraction and a shift in attention!
After shouting, he turned around and rushed into the depths of the alley without hesitation.
And almost at the same moment he rushed into the alley—
A sudden change has occurred!
Four or five dark figures suddenly leaped out from behind the piles of old wooden crates and discarded furniture on both sides of the alley, and from the roof of a low house across the street!
These men were swift and well-trained, dressed in ordinary dark civilian clothes, and all wore black ski masks, revealing only their eyes! They did not carry any obvious guns, but their fingers gleamed with a cold light, seemingly specially made brass knuckles or short knives!
Their target was crystal clear—it was Cheng Tan, who had rushed into the alley!
Two men blocked the alley entrance, while the other three pounced on Cheng Tan from both sides and the front like cheetahs, forming an encirclement!
There was an ambush as expected! And not just one! The other side had anticipated the possible unforeseen events and had deployed men downstairs!
Cheng Tan's heart sank to the bottom! The other party reacted too quickly!
The number of people and their positions in the ambush exceeded his worst expectations!
His "bait" plan could very well turn into him walking into a trap!
……
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in an elegant teahouse.
On the tablet screen, the live feed from the camera was being displayed—the scene downstairs at the apartment building where Cheng Tan "escaped," the police were stunned, and a dark figure lunged out!
"Such petty tricks, do you think you can escape the Buddha's palm!" The slightly chubby man looked at the screen and sneered, as if he were watching a play whose ending he already knew.
The woman beside him, a slender stick of sandalwood between her fingers, smiled slightly: "A disobedient little guinea pig, then we'll just have to catch him and 'study' him properly... to see what else he knows."
Her words were relaxed and comfortable, as if she had everything under control.
However, the white-haired old man sitting in the main seat, whose eyes had been calm and unwavering, suddenly turned sharp as an eagle the moment those dark figures pounced out on the screen! He stared intently at the movements of those figures, their coordination, and the undisguised, ruthless aura they exuded as they lunged at Cheng Tan…
wrong!
This wasn't someone they sent!
The people he placed nearby downstairs were tasked with "observation" and "guidance if necessary," and there was absolutely no order for them to directly take action to subdue or even kill him! Moreover, the skill level, the way they cooperated, and the demeanor they exuded...
"Oh no!" The white-haired old man suddenly stood up from the rosewood chair, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "crash" and shattered! The warm tea splashed onto the hem of his silk shirt and trousers, but he was completely unaware.
For the first time, shock and anger appeared on his face!
"Hurry up!" he shouted at the two men, his voice trembling. "Get your men out of here immediately! Now! This isn't a play! It's a trap! That kid... he's using himself as bait to lure not our people, but another group! And our people are right here!"
Fangjie and the slightly overweight man were stunned by the old man's sudden and intense reaction.
"You mean..." Sister Fang's face turned pale.
"Another group? Who?" The slightly overweight man panicked as well.
"Stop asking! Notify them to evacuate immediately! It'll be too late if we wait any longer!" The old man almost roared, staring intently at the screen.
As if to confirm his terrible premonition—
On the screen, without warning, shrill and piercing police sirens suddenly blared from the street corners and intersections surrounding the apartment building!
Not just one or two!
At least five or six, or even more!
The sound of sirens rang out simultaneously from all directions, growing louder as they approached, instantly shattering the tranquility of the community that morning!
Immediately afterwards, several blue and white police cars sped out from various intersections as if they had crawled out of the ground, their tires screeching as they rubbed against the ground, instantly blocking all the exits and alleyways in that area!
A group of fully armed SWAT officers, dressed in black combat uniforms, helmets and masks, leaped out of the vehicle and used it as cover, pointing their guns at the alley and the dark figures that had just pounced out at the alley entrance!
"Police! Drop your weapons! Surrender immediately!"
"Hands behind your head! Lie face down on the ground!"
A stern warning blared from the loudspeaker, echoing through the streets.
The situation was completely reversed in just a few seconds!
Originally, it was Cheng Tan who "escaped," and the shadowy figures who "captured" him.
In the blink of an eye, the police force had "counter-encircled" them, and the shadowy figures were trapped like turtles in a jar!
The tea room was deathly silent.
The agarwood in Fang Jie's hand fell to the ground, and the slightly fat man opened his mouth wide, his face turning ashen.
The white-haired old man slowly sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and his facial muscles twitched slightly, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"We..." he murmured, his voice filled with exhaustion and a barely perceptible hint of...fear? "We've been tricked...tricked by that kid, and that policewoman...they teamed up to trick us..."
He snapped his eyes open, a chilling glint in them: "No...it's not just them. There's another force. Another force...that has been lurking deeper, waiting for us, or rather, waiting for everyone to reveal their weaknesses..."
He looked at the dark figures surrounded by SWAT officers on the screen, caught in a dilemma, then at Cheng Tan, who had disappeared into the depths of the alley, and finally at the edge of the screen, at Cheng Jing, the female criminal police officer who was calmly directing operations with a stern expression.
"What a clever move... the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," the old man said hoarsely. "No... it's the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, while the hunter... has already drawn his bow to its fullest extent."
……
Scene at the apartment building.
Cheng Jing stood beside a police car, her back to the alleyway, seemingly giving tense orders. Through the walkie-talkie, she issued commands: "Group One, block off the east entrance! Group Two, control the west end of the alley! Snipers, take position! Note: the suspect may be armed. Prioritize the safety of the hostage… no, prioritize the safety of the target, Cheng Tan! Repeat, the primary task is to find and protect Cheng Tan!"
Her tone was anxious, exactly like a field commander reacting to an emergency.
But her eyes were unusually calm.
With her left hand, using her body and the car door as cover, she quickly typed on her phone screen and sent a pre-edited message:
"The fish is in the net. Type A. Quantity five. Target T (Cheng Tan) has escaped as planned and is currently safe. Team B (the original ambush team) has not moved, possibly due to being startled and lying in wait. Execute the second plan: clear out Type A, track the signal source, and reverse-lock. Note that there may be 'observers' present; maintain deterrence and do not make contact for now."
The message was sent to a number whose name was not saved.
After sending the message, she immediately deleted the record.
Then she turned to face the alley, picked up the megaphone, and shouted again, "Listen up, you inside! You are surrounded! Give up resistance and release the hostages—that's your only way out!"
She shouted with great enthusiasm.
But in his mind, he was silently calculating the time.
Cheng Tan, you should have escaped by now by the time you get through that seemingly dead-end alleyway, through that broken ventilation shaft leading to the underground parking garage of the neighboring community, which was covered by debris.