Chapter 85 Comparison: Amazing, absolutely amazing!
Time seemed to be stretched out by an invisible force.
Everything slept in the deep night, with only a few streetlights casting dim yellow shadows on the empty streets.
However, deep in Osmanthus Alley, behind Chunfang Beauty and Hairdressing, and at several key locations in the surrounding area, the air was tense and filled with a menacing atmosphere.
A command center was established for the task force.
A huge paper city map was pinned to the wall, with key points marked with red and blue pencils and cotton thread: the entrance to Osmanthus Lane, the back gate of the beauty salon, several main roads leading in and out, and the last location of the dark gray Jetta with fake license plates—a parking lot of a cheap hotel in the suburbs.
Holding a walkie-talkie, Zheng Yu stared intently at the map, her brow furrowed, constantly confirming details with the personnel in charge at each location via voice.
"Falcon 1, what's the situation at point A?"
"Falcon 2, what's the situation at point B?"
"Night Owl One, any anomalies at point C?"
Lei Xiao stood before the map like an iron statue, his eyes sharp, his earpiece pressed tightly against his ear, receiving final confirmations from various control points.
"Falcon 1 reports: Point A is now sealed off. Ready for heavy equipment."
"Falcon 2 reporting: B-point assault team in position, breaching equipment check complete."
"Night Owl 1 reports: The plainclothes officers at point C have been brought under control; no abnormalities reported."
Night Owl Team 1 lay in ambush at point C, in the shadows of Osmanthus Alley. After confirming with binoculars or their naked eyes that the target had entered on a motorcycle, they urgently reported over the walkie-talkie in a low voice: "Command Center, target Scarface confirmed! Riding an unlicensed 125cc motorcycle, has entered the backyard! Repeat, target confirmed to have entered!"
Night Owl Team 2, monitoring the area outside the hotel where the Jetta was located at point D, received a report: "The three targets have been confirmed to be in room 206. The lights are off, and they appear to be asleep. The arrest team has completed the encirclement, and infrared cameras have confirmed the three individuals inside."
Each "Report complete" felt like a heavy hammer blow to my taut nerves.
The air seemed to be compressed to its limit, and even breathing became a cautious exercise.
Jiang Ling stood beside Zheng Yu, her hands unconsciously clasped together in front of her, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Ying Songmao, standing beside him, also held his breath, leaning slightly forward like a bow ready to be drawn.
It was 2:03 AM.
"All targets are confirmed to be in their designated locations." Lei Xiao's deep, clear, and unquestionable voice resounded throughout all the action teams.
"Attention all units, the internet cleanup operation has begun!"
boom!
The moment the order was given, a deep, thunderous roar shattered the silence of the night deep within Osmanthus Lane.
The SWAT team used a battering ram to smash the heavy iron gate in the backyard of the beauty salon. With a loud, piercing noise of metal twisting and tearing, the iron gate collapsed inwards!
"Police! Don't move!"
"Put down your weapons!"
Shouts and blinding beams of flashlights surged into the dark backyard at the same time, and SWAT team members, like a black torrent, rushed in instantly in standard tactical formation.
Their movements were swift, precise, and perfectly coordinated.
Almost at the same second.
The door to room 206 of the suburban hotel was also violently kicked open, and the arresting officers pounced on the three figures who had just sat up in fright on the bed like tigers descending a mountain.
Fan Hu reacted the fastest, roared, and tried to lunge at the bedside with his shirt off, but was held down and pinned down by several police officers who were prepared in advance with riot forks and shields!
Meng Jianghao was terrified, screaming and shrinking into a ball, and was subdued in an instant.
Another henchman, Liu San, was also powerless to resist.
Task force office.
Intense fighting, gunshots, and shouts were transmitted back to the command center via walkie-talkies carried by the team members.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Target resisting with a gun... suppressive fire."
"Beep—Target hit... Control... Safe."
"Target Fan Hu resisted arrest, but has been subdued... Meng Jianghao and Liu San are under control... safe."
The raid began, but the signal was intermittent and there was a lot of static.
Zheng Yu, Jiang Ling, and Ying Songmao were all on tenterhooks.
The gunfire ceased, and a clear report came through the communication channel: "Report to command center, Scarface is captured! Shot in the left shoulder, no life-threatening injuries, under control. A handgun, drugs, and drug money were found at the scene. His mistress, Sister Hong, was also captured at the same time, offering no resistance."
Reports also came from the hotel: "Report to the command center, Fan Hu, Meng Jianghao, and Liu San have been apprehended! Fan Hu resisted arrest but was forcibly subdued and sustained minor abrasions; Meng Jianghao and Liu San were unharmed. Two machetes, several small packets of suspected drugs, and tens of thousands of yuan in cash were found at the scene. A large amount of drug packaging materials and trace amounts of residue were found inside the Jetta car."
It was a success!
When the final report, "All targets captured, on-site control secured," rang out in the command center, the taut string finally snapped open.
"Good! Well done!" Lei Xiao slammed his fist on the table, his voice hoarse with excitement, and his eyes blazing with ecstatic joy.
The immense pressure was released instantly, and the command center erupted in long-suppressed cheers and applause!
Jiang Ling's hands, which had been clenched tightly, finally loosened slowly.
A wave of intense dizziness and exhaustion washed over Jiang Ling, who felt as if all her strength had been drained. She took a half-step back and leaned against the cold wall.
The breath that had been trapped in his chest since the start of the operation was finally exhaled long and deep.
This breath seemed to release all the exhaustion of the past few days, the trepidation of drawing the portrait, the grief and indignation over Chen Yan's sacrifice, and the relief of seeing the drug lord brought to justice.
Jiang Ling closed her eyes, and opened them again a few seconds later. Her eyes were clear, filled with an indescribable, heavy sense of comfort.
Chen Yan can finally rest in peace.
The drug network that shrouds Yan City and Yuezhou will be torn open tonight.
Jiang Ling looked up and her gaze met that of Ying Songmao, who was also looking at her with a sense of relief.
Their eyes met in mid-air across the cheering crowd. There were no words, only the immense exhaustion from their shared life-or-death battle, the relief of completing their mission, and an unspoken sense of gratitude.
Ying Songmao nodded slightly to Jiang Ling, a tired yet bright smile playing on his lips. Jiang Ling returned the smile with a faint, genuine one.
Outside the window, the deep night remained unchanged.
The noise in the command center gradually subsided, replaced by the issuance of closing instructions and the arrangement of the suspect's escort.
A thrilling battle has finally come to an end.
Fan Hu and Meng Jianghao were taken into separate interrogation rooms. The heavy doors closed, shutting out Fan Hu's roars and Meng Jianghao's suppressed sobs.
In the corridor, everyone's eyes were focused on the two suspect portraits of Luo Yunchen.
Previously, the task force members had only heard from the workers at the Yonggu New City construction site that the portrait looked very similar to Fan Hu and Meng Jianghao, but they had not seen the real people and did not have a direct impression.
But now, both men have been apprehended, and a comparison between their real appearances and the portraits reveals—
They're exactly the same!
Fan Hu was handcuffed behind his back, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyebrows like two rusty woodcutters, and his bloodshot eyes blazing with furious rage; Meng Jianghao lay limp on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his eyes unfocused and empty.
It's not just a resemblance, nor a similar outline, but a mirror-like imitation!
Luo Yunchen's pen seemed to transcend time and space, directly imprinting Fan Hu's irritability and Meng Jianghao's cowardice and fear onto the paper.
"Hiss—" Someone gasped.
"My God..." Lei Xiao's eyes widened as he repeatedly compared the portrait with the real person.
Zheng Yu looked at the portrait, then at the tightly closed interrogation room door, and finally fixed her gaze on Luo Yunchen, her eyes filled with admiration.
Even the usually calm Ying Songmao showed a rare expression of surprise.
He carefully examined the portrait, secretly pondering to himself that leaving Luo Yunchen in Yan City was a brilliant move by Director Zhong. Yan City's criminal investigation technology was among the best in Hunan Province; Yuezhou couldn't lag behind. Should he send two officers with drawing skills to Kyoto for training, or should he directly ask Luo Yunchen if he had any compatible, highly skilled junior officers willing to work at the grassroots level?
"Team Leader Luo." Zheng Yu's gaze was intense, like a stone collector searching for jade in the vast Gobi Desert who suddenly discovered a beautiful piece of Hetian jade. "How did you do that? Just from those behavioral descriptions and psychological analyses, you were able to draw them so accurately?!"
Zheng Yu's words acted as a trigger, immediately sparking praise from her colleagues in the corridor.
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!"
"Team Leader Luo, have you developed a third eye?"
"This portrait skill is only slightly inferior to your master's; it's second best in the country!"
A wave of amazement, admiration, and disbelief washed over Luo Yunchen.
However, despite being surrounded by an aura of glory, Luo Yunchen himself showed no trace of pride. He stared blankly at the two portraits in his hands, recalling Fan Hu and Meng Jianghao whom he had just met, his eyes filled with confusion.
Only he himself knows best—the soul of these two portraits did not originate from his brush.
He suddenly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the excited crowd, and precisely locked onto Jiang Ling, who was standing a little distance away, quietly watching everything.
Luo Yunchen parted the crowd and strode up to Jiang Ling.
He handed the two portraits to her, his voice low but filled with undisguised confusion and inquiry: "Junior sister, I painted the portraits, but the people in them are the ones you 'see'."
He pointed to Fan Hu's face in the portrait: "Look, square face, broad jaw, drooping eyebrows, small eyes, thick lips. How could someone who has never seen him in person imagine him so accurately based solely on psychological profiles and behavioral characteristics! Tell me, how exactly did you do that?"
Jiang Ling met Luo Yunchen's gaze, then glanced at Zheng Yu and Ying Songmao, who were also waiting for an answer. She didn't panic; instead, a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Jiang Ling did not answer Luo Yunchen's question directly, but instead stretched out her finger and gently touched the eyes of the Fan Hu that Luo Yunchen had drawn.
"Senior brother," Jiang Ling's voice was soft, yet carried a firm strength.
"You've painted so many portraits, you should be very clear about one thing: the environment in which you grow up determines your personality, your personality determines your destiny, and people with different destinies will have different faces. This is what is meant by 'the face reflects the heart,' isn't it? A person's parents, place of origin, family, education, interests, hobbies, the path they've walked, the life they've experienced... everything will leave its mark on their face."
Luo Yunchen recalled Jiang Ling's explanation when he saw the portrait.
He is easily angered and often grits his teeth, which is why he has a square face, a wide jaw, and deep frown lines between his eyebrows.
He smokes, which is why his teeth are yellow;
He was obedient, grew up in a harsh environment, often went hungry, and had underdeveloped chewing muscles, which made his face appear rather long.
He was insecure, so he always wanted to hide something, which is why he grew out his long bangs.
...
I see.
Jiang Ling paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone: "I'm just better at analyzing psychology. Starting from criminal psychology, combined with on-site evidence, I can deduce the criminal's growth trajectory, determine their behavioral characteristics and habits, and finally, connect these with physical characteristics to 'draw' a criminal's face."
After saying that, Jiang Ling turned and left.
Luo Yunchen stood there, clutching the two portraits tightly in his hands, staring in the direction where Jiang Ling had disappeared, lost in deeper thought.
Yes, starting from the past to depict the present; starting from growth trajectory and lifestyle habits to depict physical characteristics—isn't this the future direction of criminal investigation sketching? Isn't this exactly what Master Lin Weidong instructed us to do, to work with Jiang Ling to forge a new path in criminal investigation?
Ying Songmao's gaze was deep.
Jiang Ling's growth rate is truly astonishing.
With a solid theoretical foundation and a willingness to innovate, she has pushed criminal psychological profiling to a new level by focusing on one major case after another.
At this moment, Jiang Ling seemed to be enveloped in a mysterious and beautiful halo, which captivated Ying Songmao.
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