Chapter 320 Termination of Operation
Deputy Captain Zhong's face was full of reluctance and struggle.
This resolute old detective slammed his fist into the broken wall beside him, tears of pain and anger finally bursting out of his eyes:
"Again... again, they slipped away from right under our noses!"
Xia Lili sighed softly and then connected to the command center: "Commander Zhang, I request to terminate this operation."
"We have confirmed that the criminal gang consists of more than ten people. The risk factor is extremely high. We do not have the conditions to launch a frontal assault."
Commander Zhang responded immediately, his tone tinged with concern: "Application approved! Comrades, thank you for your hard work. Withdraw immediately. Safety first!"
Deputy Captain Zhong, who was standing nearby, could no longer suppress his emotions after hearing the content of the communication. Tears silently rolled down his cheeks, he lowered his head and covered his face, sobbing uncontrollably.
Xia Lili then contacted Team A to inquire about the progress.
Soon, exciting news came from the communicator: "Boss Xiao Xia, Team A's mission is complete. The three criminals have been captured!"
She breathed a sigh of relief and whispered the good news to Deputy Captain Zhong.
Deputy Captain Zhong suddenly raised his head, stopped crying, and asked anxiously, "Among those arrested... is Lü Wanqi?"
Captain Li of Team A quickly replied, "Sorry, Vice Captain Zhong, there is no Lü Wanqi."
The hope that had just ignited in Deputy Captain Zhong's eyes instantly died. He looked dejectedly towards the entrance to the ruins where the shadow had disappeared, and said in a hoarse voice, "...Let's pack up."
Xia Lili comforted him softly, "Deputy Captain Zhong, don't be too discouraged. We still have a chance."
Deputy Captain Zhong thought she was just comforting herself, so he smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said nothing more.
An hour later, all thirteen members of the team, including Xia Lili, returned to the emergency command center in four vehicles.
Xia Lili and Deputy Captain Zhong were riding in the same car. The atmosphere inside the car was depressing and solemn. No one spoke, only the low hum of the engine and the sound of wind blowing outside the window.
Deputy Captain Zhong stared blankly at the ruins flying past outside the window, his eyes empty, as if still lingering in front of the gap where the black shadow disappeared.
The fugitive he had been chasing for thirteen years slipped away from him again. This feeling of unwillingness was like poison ivy entwining his heart.
The young police officer driving the car saw through the rearview mirror that he looked uneasy and whispered, "Captain Zhong, don't blame yourself too much..."
Deputy Captain Zhong slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse and tired: "In this life, everyone will have some regrets."
"I thought... today was a chance God gave me to make up for my regrets."
"But I didn't expect that it would make me even more regretful."
Deputy Captain Zhong murmured the name that had been engraved in his heart for thirteen years: "Lü Wanqi...Lü Wanqi..."
Each syllable seemed to be squeezed out from between the teeth with difficulty.
For the past thirteen years, on countless late nights, every time he closed his eyes, he would see the faces of the victims, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
At this time, Deputy Captain Zhong had a dazed look in his eyes and an almost insane expression, as if he was trapped in a nightmare that lasted for thirteen years and could not wake up.
Xia Lili, on the other hand, focused on holding the tablet and stylus, quickly and smoothly recording the key information from the hallucination on the screen:
"Highway, waterside, high-voltage power towers, blue tin roofs..."
The subtle sound of the pen tip sliding across the screen was particularly clear in the silent car. The police officer driving and Deputy Captain Zhong, who was deeply emotional, couldn't help but look at her.
Deputy Captain Zhong couldn't help but speak, his voice still a little hoarse: "Boss Xia, what are you doing...?"
Xia Lili raised her head, her eyes clear and focused. "In the hallucination just now, I saw one of our team members being taken hostage and taken all the way back to their base."
"I've noted down key environmental features along the way and around my home base."
She turned the tablet slightly towards them and continued explaining, "When I get back, I can work with the technicians to try to combine traffic surveillance with satellite imagery to locate their hiding place."
After a pause, Xia Lili added, "More importantly, I clearly saw the appearance of those criminals after they took off their hoods."
"I can paint their portraits."
——"Ah? What!"
Deputy Captain Zhong, who was still wiping away tears, suddenly choked up and hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve. He said in frustration and anxiety, "Girl, why didn't you say it earlier!"
"You made me cry for so long, in front of so many teammates..."
Thinking of how he had just burst into tears, Deputy Captain Zhong felt his face flush and couldn't help mumbling, "I really am...ah!"
Xia Lili scratched her head a little embarrassedly: "There was no time to explain in detail at that time. We had to evacuate as soon as possible..."
She added quietly, "And didn't I tell you, 'There's still a chance'."
Deputy Captain Zhong was speechless for a moment, and in the end he could only shake his head in a helpless smile: "You...ah, you girl!"
Although he complained, his tone revealed irrepressible joy and hope.
Deputy Captain Zhong, who had been like an eggplant wilted by frost, seemed to have regained his vitality in an instant.
The whole person became energetic like a sunflower facing the sun, and the light in his eyes sparkled again.
The police officer driving the car was immediately excited when he heard that they might be able to raid the enemy's lair directly without having to chase through dangerous ruins. "Really, Mr. Xia?"
"Can we really catch the turtle in the jar and strike first?"
Xia Lili nodded affirmatively: "I already have a general idea. I've used similar methods to locate target dens in previous cases. If nothing goes wrong, we should be able to find it."
Her tone turned serious. "But we must hurry. It would be best if we could act tomorrow."
"These people are carrying a lot of stolen goods and will never stay in the hideout for too long."
She paused and added, "These criminals are experienced, and judging by the surroundings, their transportation is very convenient."
"Whether you take the waterway or the small road, it's very convenient to get to the national highway. Once they move you, it will be difficult to find you again."
After hearing this, the driving police officer and Deputy Captain Zhong looked even more expectant.
Deputy Captain Zhong sighed, "That's great... I thought I was going to have a huge regret in my life, but I didn't expect it was just a temporary halt to allow for a more precise and thorough attack!"
The group returned to the emergency command center, where Commander Zhang was already standing at the door, anxiously waiting.
He was visibly relieved to see all the police officers returned safely.
Seeing the three criminals being escorted back, he stepped forward and solemnly praised them, "Thank you for your hard work!"
"It is a remarkable achievement that we were able to successfully capture these three suspects in such a harsh environment, and that all of them were unharmed!"
The three handcuffed criminals showed no remorse. One of them glared at the surrounding police officers fiercely and hissed, "What are you looking at? We won't say anything! Don't even think about prying a word out of us!"
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