Chapter 133 Finding Someone: The Target Has Been Taken Under Control
The dull, hurried footsteps broke the quiet morning at Chenxi Garden.
The property manager stared dumbfounded at the group of police officers who had come out like tigers released from their cages. He then looked at the useless register in his hand and muttered, "Unpaid water and electricity bills? This, this is how they found it?" For the first time, he directly felt that the methods used to solve cases had far exceeded his limited imagination.
Lei Xiao sat in the command vehicle, his gaze shifting from the access control screen. He snorted heavily, "That kid knows how to pick a spot! A godforsaken place, a bare-bones apartment—perfect for a rat like him who can't stand the light of day!" He then spoke into the walkie-talkie, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority: "All groups, final confirmation of positions! Sniper group, points A and B?"
"Point A in position, clear view, unobstructed view of the target balcony," came the calm reply through the headset.
"Point B is in position and can cover the windows of the master bedroom and living room."
"A special task force?"
"Stand by the corner of the fifth floor stairwell, the breaching hammer is ready."
"Assault Team Two?"
"The concealment point below the rear window is in place, and the climbing rigging check is complete."
"Technical eavesdropping?"
"The equipment has been debugged and has captured a faint indoor sound source. It is currently enhancing the filtering of noise... Report! There is a conversation!" The technician's voice suddenly rose. "Male voice, emotional, speaking fast, repeating 'useless' and 'you are nothing without me'; female voice, crying, very faint."
Even after noise reduction, the monitoring audio was still somewhat blurry, but Zhou Mingyuan's derogatory, insulting, and controlling voice, as well as Sun Wei's suppressed and broken sobs, still penetrated the ears of everyone in the command vehicle.
“Your parents don’t love you at all, your teachers only care about your grades, your classmates are all jealous of you, only I am truly looking out for you.”
“They’re definitely looking for you now, so let’s hide here for a couple of days. Once things calm down, I’ll take you back to my hometown. It’s a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains. We’ll live together there, and you’ll breathe air of freedom you’ve never experienced before.”
"You've already broken ties with your family and given up on the college entrance exam; there's no turning back. I'm your only support. You have to listen to me! Stop crying! If you cry again, I'll punish you!"
...
Fan Wei's brows furrowed into a knot.
Lei Xiao slammed his fist on the control panel, making a dull thud, his teeth grinding together: "Beast!"
“Team Leader Zhao, Team Leader Lei,” Zheng Yu’s voice was soft, but it was filled with anxiety and worry, “Zhou Mingyuan is putting psychological pressure on Sun Wei, but at the same time, he is relatively vigilant. We must wait for the window of opportunity when he relaxes his guard.”
Lei Xiao looked at the rapidly rising policewoman: "Then tell me, when would be a convenient time to make a move?"
Zheng Yu's gaze swept across the monitor screen. The door to 601 remained motionless, and there was no trash at the entrance: "He needs to live, he needs to maintain his daily needs. Drinking water, eating, sleeping... these daily activities are our opportunity."
Lei Xiao hummed in agreement, closed his eyes, and said, "Then let's wait!"
Time crawled slowly in the suffocating silence.
Inside the command vehicle, only the soft hum of the equipment and the suppressed breathing of the three men could be heard. Lei Xiao's temple throbbed slightly, Fan Wei's fingers tapped unconsciously on his knees, and Zheng Yu strained his ears to listen for the monitoring signals.
Sudden!
In the monitoring channel, Zhou Mingyuan's voice paused briefly, followed by a deliberately slowed tone with a condescending undertone: "Forget it, I won't argue with you. Go, get me a glass of water, and I'll get you some biscuits to tide you over."
After a brief silence, Sun Wei responded almost inaudibly, her voice thick with a nasal tone: "Mm."
Then came the sound of rustling footsteps.
"Report! The targets have spread out. The female target went into the bathroom, and the male target is in the south bedroom. No weapons were found." The sniper's report then reached everyone's ears.
Lei Xiao, Zhao Tiezhu, and Zheng Yu exchanged glances. Without a word, they all understood the same message in each other's eyes—opportunity!
This was the first time the two had been physically separated since the operation began.
Zhou Mingyuan's position was exposed in the south bedroom area, while Sun Wei was in the relatively enclosed but safe bathroom. The two were separated by a spacious living room. As long as they were fast enough, Zhou Mingyuan would not be able to kidnap Sun Wei.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime, fleeting window of opportunity!
A terrifying light flashed in Lei Xiao's eyes. He lunged at the command console, grabbed the handset, and his voice was hoarse from extreme tension and decisiveness.
"Attention everyone! Disperse to the target area, proceed!"
"Lightning raid! Repeat, lightning raid! Assault team one, breach the door and prioritize taking control of the male targets near the south bedroom entrance. Assault team two, rush the bathroom to protect the female targets. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!!!"
"Action!" came the suppressed yet excited response from the assault team leader over the walkie-talkie!
Almost at the same time as Lei Xiao's roar!
"boom--!!!"
A deafening roar, more violent and decisive than ever before, suddenly exploded out!
The SWAT team members, who had been poised and ready, poured all their strength into the heavy battering ram, and with thunderous force, struck the weakest part of the door lock with perfect precision!
This time, not only did the lock fly off, but dust also fell from the walls around the door frame! The entire iron door, as if hit by a cannonball, was torn apart from the door frame and violently flung open by a violent force, accompanied by a tooth-grinding metallic twisting sound!
"Police! Don't move!!"
"Get down!!"
The black figure surged in through the open doorway like a burst dam, carrying an invincible momentum and a sharp killing intent!
The scene in the living room instantly came into view of the assault team members.
Zhou Mingyuan stood at the doorway of the south-facing master bedroom, facing the main entrance, holding a freshly torn bag of cheap cookies with cartoon prints. He seemed to have heard the terrifying loud noise behind him, his body instinctively trying to turn around, a trace of annoyance and bewilderment still lingering on his face. He hadn't even had time to see who had rushed in, let alone make any move to resist or threaten them.
"Target control!!" A furious roar exploded in Zhou Mingyuan's ears.
Two assault team members approached like ghosts, one of them slamming into Zhou Mingyuan's ribs from the side and rear like an iron tower. The enormous impact caused him to lose his balance instantly, and the bag of biscuits flew out of his hand, scattering the creamy yellow biscuits all over the ground.
Another teammate's iron arm, like a steel hoop, tightened around his neck with lightning speed, while his knee slammed into the back of his knee.
Before Zhou Mingyuan could even utter a proper cry of surprise, he was slammed to the ground by the violent force! His cheek slammed heavily onto the cold floor tiles, his teeth grinding together and tasting blood. Then, a cold gun barrel was pressed against the back of his head, and his wrist was roughly twisted behind his back.
With a "click," the handcuffs were fastened.
Zhou Mingyuan was like a fish thrown ashore, writhing futilely on the ground, only his throat emitting hissing sounds filled with astonishment and humiliation.
at the same time.
Another group of assault team members, like arrows released from a bow, rushed straight to the cramped bathroom without any hesitation. The bathroom had no door, only a curtain that was drawn as a symbolic gesture.
"Whoosh!" A team member raised his hand and pulled down the curtain.
Sun Wei, dressed in her school uniform and fully clothed, stood blankly in front of the tap, holding a pink plastic water cup. She had just filled the cup and was about to give it to Zhou Mingyuan when she was startled by the loud crash of the door being broken down and the ensuing roar. She was jolted awake from the dazed state she had been in since running away from home, only to be plunged into an even deeper sense of confusion and emptiness.
She stood there stiffly, like a fragile little porcelain doll frozen in place. Her pale face was expressionless, except for her large, empty eyes, which held an almost childlike bewilderment as they stared blankly at the fully armed black figure that had suddenly burst into the doorway.
"Safe!" The team members who rushed into the bathroom quickly scanned the small space, confirmed there was no threat, and immediately lowered their guns, deliberately softening their voices, but still carrying the rapid breathing of someone recovering from the operation. "Sun Wei? Don't be afraid! We're the police! We're here to get you out of here."
Sun Wei's eyelashes trembled very slightly, and her fingers holding the water glass tightened unconsciously. However, her gaze remained blank, completely unaware of what was happening before her eyes.
Zheng Yu led the team in and rushed to Sun Wei immediately. After looking her up and down, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked gently, "How are you? Are you alright?"
A woman's unique gentleness finally pulled the bewildered Sun Wei back to reality. She looked at Zheng Yu and shook her head.
Zheng Yu gently put her arm around her shoulder, her voice full of relief: "It's alright, it's alright. We're the police, you're safe now!"
In Zheng Yu's eyes, there was both worry for the 18-year-old girl's safety and health, and the relief of finally finding her. For some reason, meeting Zheng Yu's gaze, endless grievances welled up in Sun Wei's heart, and she suddenly threw herself into Zheng Yu's arms and burst into tears.
Tears quickly soaked Zheng Yu's shoulder.
Zheng Yu did not dodge, but gently stroked Sun Wei's back with one hand, continuing to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'll take you home."
Upon hearing the word "home," Sun Wei's crying suddenly stopped.
She shook her head and pleaded, "I'm afraid to go home. If my dad finds out I ran away, he'll beat me to death! Officer, I... please help me!"
Zheng Yu felt that things were getting a bit tricky.
What to do if the rescued hostages don't want to go home?
The suffocating image of Sun Wei's family flashed through Zheng Yu's mind. She sighed deeply and was about to speak when she was interrupted by a terrifying laugh from the side.
The laughter came from Zhou Mingyuan, who was completely under police control.
With his arms tied behind his back, he was being escorted towards the door by two criminal police officers. When he heard Sun Wei refuse to go home, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and his face, still covered in scratches and dust, instantly radiated a twisted, extremely excited, and triumphant light, as if he had heard the most beautiful hymn in the world.
"Did you hear that? She said she doesn't want to go home! Why are you police arresting me? I haven't broken any laws, I just want to help her. I want to help her escape that violent and oppressive family, to let her feel the breath of freedom. She'll suffer a bit with me for now, but I will take care of her and love her. Going back to her home would just be pushing her back into hell!"
Sun Wei's face turned deathly pale, and she began to tremble like a leaf.
For some reason, Zheng Yu suddenly saw the scar on Sun Guodong's right wrist. Perhaps Sun Wei's family was still hiding many secrets. But what was more important now was to make Sun Wei see the true face of Zhou Mingyuan, this beast.
Zheng Yu's face instantly darkened, and she took two steps to stand in front of Zhou Mingyuan, her gaze cold and hard.
"Zhou Mingyuan! Stop with your disgusting act! Do you think we can't see through your filthy thoughts?"
Her voice suddenly rose: "Sun Wei is taking the college entrance exam in just two months. She's in a top class, has excellent grades, and is a promising candidate for Tsinghua or Peking University. She's a smart, well-behaved, and hardworking student in the eyes of her teachers. The college entrance exam is the most crucial moment for her, determining her future. You keep bothering her with your words, enticing her to leave home, and coaxing her to give up the exam. Is this for her own good? You don't sympathize with her at all, and you're not thinking about her at all! You're just using Sun Wei, taking advantage of her vulnerability, and exploiting the oppression and despair she felt in that home!"
Sun Wei's eyes flickered, her expression shifting between light and shadow.
Having been brainwashed by Zhou Mingyuan for so long, her mind was filled only with anger and resentment, completely unable to think rationally. But now, facing the SWAT team breaking down the door and countless police officers rushing in just to save her, her mind was clearer than ever before.
What Zheng Yu was talking about was the college entrance exam, which had always been her biggest concern. Sun Wei listened attentively. In that instant, she thought of her teachers who had always placed high hopes on her, her deskmate who had helped her solve difficult problems and compare answers, and her mother who, after finishing her night shift, would fight off sleep to make her breakfast…
Zhou Mingyuan is wrong. This world is not just about hatred; she has met many people who care about her and love her throughout her life.
Sensing Sun Wei's attitude, Zhou Mingyuan shouted desperately, "No! No! You're talking nonsense. Everything I did was to save her."
"What you did to her wasn't saving her at all!" Zheng Yu's gaze was sharp as a knife. Just thinking about Zhou Mingyuan's conversation with Sun Wei on OICQ made her so angry that she wanted to peel off his mask, burn it, and scatter it to ashes.
"You lured her away from home, brought her to your rented apartment, and then quickly moved her to such a desolate place. What was your real purpose? To help her? To save her? You're kidding me! You knew she was going to take the college entrance exam, and you knew that with her grades, getting into a good university wouldn't be a problem. Her future was bright and promising. Why did you take her away two months before the exam? You're clearly ruining her future!"
Zhou Mingyuan remained silent.
"You constantly belittle and deny her, telling her she's worthless and that no one will accept her except you. You relentlessly amplify her fear of family and cut off any other support or hope she might have. Why do you do this? You approach her under the guise of understanding her, with only one purpose! To leave her isolated and helpless, clinging to you as her only, false support, like a lifeline, so that you can more easily and thoroughly control and enslave her, satisfying your filthy, perverse desire for control!"
Zheng Yu's voice was filled with contempt and anger: "Don't brag about how great you are, Zhou Mingyuan! To put it bluntly, you're nothing but a despicable and shameless criminal who uses other people's pain to kidnap their lives! You dragged her from one predicament into another, into an even deeper and darker situation, and then you're smug about it. You're the one who really pushed her into the fire!"
These words, like a violent storm, instantly shattered Zhou Mingyuan's inflated ego!
Zhou Mingyuan's smugness froze instantly, replaced by the embarrassment and anger of being exposed. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but under Zheng Yu's piercing gaze, he couldn't utter a single word, only heavy breathing remained.
Zheng Yu stopped looking at him, as if even glancing at him would be considered disgusting. She quickly turned back to face Sun Wei, whose body was trembling involuntarily.
She gently grasped Sun Wei's cold hand, looking at her sincerely: "Sun Wei, look at me. Don't listen to his nonsense! Remember, it's not you who's wrong, it's the person who hurt you, whoever it may be! You're safe now, and no one can force you to do anything you don't want to do!"
Zheng Yu raised her voice slightly, making it clear: "You are over 18 years old and an adult with full civil capacity. You have the right to make your own decisions and choose the life you want. The police respect your wishes and will absolutely not force you to go back to any place you don't want to go back to. If you don't want to go home for the time being, that's perfectly fine! We can arrange for you to rest in a safe place, such as a hospital, or a temporary shelter provided by our police, okay? Everything will be based on your feelings and wishes."
Upon hearing the words "adult," "has the right to decide," "respects your wishes," and "will not force," Sun Wei stopped trembling, looked at Zheng Yu with teary eyes, and then at the other police officers around her—their gazes towards her were full of protection and sympathy, without the slightest hint of coercion.
This feeling of being respected and given the right to choose was as foreign and unbelievable to her.
After a long period of contemplation, a small flame rose in Sun Wei's eyes—a flame of hope for life and a vision for the future.
She nodded emphatically: "Okay!"
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