Xiang Yan immediately decided that all actions should be carried out according to Ning Zhiheng's analysis. It could be said that at this point in the case, all progress had once again been controlled by Ning Zhiheng, and even Xiang Yan was unconsciously arranging her work according to his rhythm.

Shao Wenguang felt this particularly deeply, and he sighed inwardly that there are some people in this world who are born to control the rhythm. They can make the people around them move involuntarily to their melody. Ning Zhiheng and Wei Liangbi are undoubtedly such people!

When I first met Wei Liangbi, I was able to give him some guidance and experience. But soon Wei Liangbi naturally became the decision-maker between the two of us. That feeling is even more obvious now in my interactions with Ning Zhiheng!

The next morning, Guo Xueyi and Kang Shundong called to report that Tian Liqun had not yet shown any unusual behavior.

Xiang Yan and Ning Zhiheng finally confirmed that the column edited by Tian Liqun was indeed the one he had signaled to be launched.

Xiang Yan picked up the phone and called the police station under Xicangqiao, ordering the secret mobilization and selection of six patrol officers and household registration officers who were most familiar with the population of the area. They were to be dressed in plainclothes and on standby at any time, ready to be dispatched.

The police chief received Xiang Yan's call and didn't dare to delay for a moment. He immediately selected six candidates according to Xiang Yan's instructions and awaited Xiang Yan's orders!

Then the group quickly returned to Erma Lane, Xicangqiao Street.

To avoid alerting their target, Xiang Yan ordered all personnel to stay away from Er Ma Lane. Since the exact location of the mailbox was unknown, they simply abandoned surveillance inside the lane and instead deployed personnel at the two entrances and exits.

He and Ning Zhiheng split into two groups, each leading a group of people and three patrol officers and household registration officers to monitor the two entrances and exits of Erma Lane.

Ning Zhiheng patrolled the area near the exit several times before finally selecting an excellent surveillance point. There was a house about ten meters away from the entrance of Er Ma Lane.

Shao Wenguang negotiated with the landlord and rented a street-facing room for a high price of two yuan per day.

Through the window, one can clearly observe the faces of people coming and going at the alley entrance.

Ning Zhiheng instructed the three plainclothes police officers, "Do you see that alleyway?"

The three plainclothes officers quickly nodded. Early that morning, the director had called them into a room alone and specifically instructed them that if there were any special missions, they must obey the command of the officer in charge of the Military Intelligence Investigation Department and must not slack off in the slightest.

Now, seeing the young officer in front of them, the three of them were all feeling uneasy, wondering what kind of task he had been assigned!

"Your task is simple: the three of you must keep your eyes glued to every pedestrian entering and leaving Er Ma Lane. Then, identify the pedestrians I select, especially literate locals you know. Do you understand?"

The three plainclothes officers exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

By this time, people had begun to move about on the street. Soon, the clear, crisp cry of a newsboy selling newspapers could be heard not far away.

The flow of people on the street began to increase. As time passed, people finally began to enter the entrance of Er Ma Lane. Ning Zhiheng and the others began to pay attention and carefully distinguish each person entering and leaving.

"Is this man in the long robe a resident of the neighborhood? No, let him pass!"

"Do you know that short, balding guy? Yes! Write him down, his name, address, and everything else you can remember!"

"This woman in the cheongsam? I recognize her. Good, I'll write her down!"

~~~

Ning Zhiheng used his keen eyesight to identify each potential target, and then questioned the three plainclothes officers. He made a note of any residents in the area that they remembered. Fortunately, there weren't many pedestrians in Er Ma Lane, and most of them didn't meet Ning Zhiheng's criteria, so the number of people who were screened out was not large.

As time passed, the number of people recorded in the notebook increased, and the whole day slowly passed. Ning Zhiheng waited until it was late at night. He checked the time and it was already eight o'clock in the evening. There were no pedestrians in Er Ma Alley anymore. He breathed a sigh of relief. The three plainclothes officers next to him were also exhausted.

He then turned to Shao Wenguang and said, "It should be about time. You lead the team and keep an eye on things here. If anyone enters Er Ma Lane this late at night, arrest them immediately. Better to arrest the innocent than let the guilty go free!"

After speaking, he picked up his notebook, opened it, and counted the records. There were fifty-three people in total. They were all local residents, and their appearance, skin color, behavior, and clothing all matched the criteria for suspicious individuals.

Ning Zhiheng took his notebook and went out, quickly entering Er Ma Lane. The lane was deserted. He looked around, then crossed the lane and exited through another exit, where he saw Chu Guang waiting at the door of a house.

The two nodded to each other, and Ning Zhiheng pushed open the door and entered the room, which was the surveillance point set up by Xiang Yan.

Xiang Yan looked tired, as if he had been holding on all day. When he saw Ning Zhiheng come in, a smile finally appeared on his face. He said, "I was just about to inform you, and here you are! How did it go? Have you recorded all the suspicious persons?"

Ning Zhiheng held up his notebook and said with a smile, "I've written them all down. There are quite a few people. Today's workload is a bit heavy."

“Mine is the same here, let’s check it!” Xiang Yan also picked up the notebook on the table, which was also filled with a lot of information.

The two then began to check the data. Xiang Yan also recorded fifty-seven people, which was not much different from the number recorded by Ning Zhiheng.

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