Chapter 127 Success: Preventing Crime, Taking the First Step Towards Success
March 11, 1999, 2:35 PM.
The back alley of the Chengbei Credit Cooperative.
Sunlight shines on the wall covered with ivy, and a few forsythia branches stretch out their leaves on the top of the wall, with pale yellow flowers dotting the surface, exuding an indescribable languor and elegance.
Inside the command vehicle that had been waiting near the credit cooperative, no one noticed the beautiful early spring scenery; their expressions were all solemn.
Lei Xiao stared intently at the several small screens in front of him, one of which displayed live footage from a hidden corner of the back alley—images transmitted from a miniature camera disguised as an "abandoned junkyard." His palms were slightly sweaty, and his knuckles were white from the pressure. Zhao Tiezhu beside him was equally focused, his eyes sharp.
Zhang Qiang, Li Meng, and Wang Bing were all under surveillance. The night before last, Wang Bing suddenly lost contact and then returned home. The three of them met at the arcade and decided to take action today.
"Target spotted! Target spotted!" A group of plainclothes detectives' voices came through the walkie-talkie, barely audible and urgent. "Observation point number three reports! Two unlicensed Jialing JH70 motorcycles, one after the other, turned into the back alley from the west entrance. The riders are wearing helmets and cannot be directly identified, but the rear passenger's appearance matches the description of Wang Bing, who is wearing a dark blue jacket."
Almost simultaneously, another voice came in: "Second Group Report! The target vehicle is parked in the shadows on the side of the abandoned power distribution room in the middle of the back alley. The location is concealed and there is a blind spot."
Lei Xiao and Zhao Tiezhu's hearts jumped into their throats.
It's here!
Jiang Ling's deduction was correct; the three people did indeed appear just as the armored truck left.
On the screen, two riders turned off their engines and dismounted, their movements revealing their vigilance. They didn't immediately remove their helmets, but instead quickly scanned both ends of the back alley to confirm it was safe before taking them off.
It was Zhang Qiang and Li Meng.
Wang Bing jumped off the back seat, his dark blue jacket with the cuffs rolled up, revealing a white twill lining, stood out conspicuously in the sunlight.
"Target confirmed: Zhang Qiang, Li Meng, and Wang Bing, all three are present." Lei Xiao's voice was deep and tense as he ordered into the walkie-talkie, "All teams, attention! Target has entered the designated area. Absolute silence! Repeat, silence! Await further orders!"
Inside the data center, the atmosphere was equally tense.
The computer screen displayed real-time footage from the command vehicle. On the wall were photos of Zhang Qiang, Li Meng, and Wang Bing, feature enhancement maps completed by Su Xinwan and Zhuang Jianbai, and a marked map of the northern part of the city.
Jiang Ling stood ramrod straight in front of the computer screen. Behind her, Li Zhenliang, Su Xinwan, Zhuang Jianbai, and others gathered around her, their breathing unconsciously becoming softer. Li Bin stood guard at the communications console, his fingers hovering over the buttons to ensure the lines were working.
In the footage, the three did not act immediately.
Zhang Qiang paced restlessly, his square face furrowed, his shoulders swaying habitually, and he seemed to be cursing something. Li Meng, on the other hand, appeared somewhat neurotic, his small eyes constantly scanning the alleyway entrance, his obese body trembling slightly.
The most composed of them all was Wang Bing. He leaned against the cold wall, his tall, thin figure hidden in the shadows. His fingers habitually held an unlit cigarette, and his eyes, like those of a venomous snake, scanned the iron gate of the bank's employee passageway not far away.
"What are they waiting for?" Li Zhenliang asked in a low voice, his voice filled with doubt.
Jiang Ling's voice was icy, forcibly suppressing her inner anger: "Be prepared, or... confirm the final safety." The scene of the bloodbath in her past life churned in her mind, the figures of the two young security guards falling overlapping with the three demons in front of her, making her fingertips feel cold.
Just then, Wang Bing made a move.
He tossed away his cigarette butt, walked over to the two motorcycles, and patted the back seats. Zhang Qiang and Li Meng immediately gathered around. Wang Bing began gesturing with his hands, his movements clear and forceful.
He first pointed to the iron gate of the employee passage and made a "scissors" motion;
—Then, he pointed towards the inside of the bank and made a "rush" gesture;
He finally pointed to the motorcycle and waved his hand sharply.
He broke down the door, stormed in, robbed the money, and escaped! He even simulated the posture of holding a gun and firing!
"They're simulating the operation!" Su Xinwan couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, a chill of fear creeping over her.
"You son of a bitch! You're really daring and ambitious!" Zhou Wei cursed through gritted teeth behind Jiang Ling.
As the simulation ended, Wang Bing seemed dissatisfied with the performance of his two accomplices and whispered a few more instructions. Zhang Qiang nodded impatiently, while Li Meng wiped the sweat from his brow.
The three men gave their backpacks a final check. The backpacks were bulging, clearly containing the "tools" they were preparing to use.
They're about to make their move!
Opportunities are fleeting!
Inside the command vehicle, the instant the three finished checking their backpacks, Lei Xiao and Zhao Tiezhu simultaneously growled into the walkie-talkie:
"Move! Close the net!"
"Action! Arrest them!"
The command, like a thunderclap, resounded through the invisible communication network!
"Police! Don't move!"
"Get down! Put your hands behind your head!"
At both ends of the back alley, what appeared to be piles of junk and discarded door panels were suddenly ripped open!
Fully armed SWAT team members burst forth from their pre-arranged assault point like black lightning. Plainclothes detectives in front of them dropped their disguises, flashed their weapons and identification, and barked orders as they surrounded them.
Things changed too fast!
Zhang Qiang, Li Meng, and Wang Bing, who were still immersed in their "get-rich-quick dreams" a moment ago, froze on the spot. Their arrogance and ruthlessness were frozen on their faces, replaced by astonishment, confusion, and disbelief.
"Hold!"
Zhang Qiang only had time to utter a short curse before a towering SWAT officer tackled him to the ground from the side. His helmet slammed against the concrete with a dull thud, and his hands were twisted behind his back, the cold handcuffs locking instantly. He struggled desperately, like a trapped beast, his throat emitting hoarse growls, his eyes filled with the fury and fear of his dream being abruptly shattered.
Li Meng was terrified out of his wits. The fat on his round face trembled violently, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud. His hands instinctively rose above his head, and a dark stain quickly spread from his crotch, filling the air with a strong stench of urine. He unconsciously uttered cries of "Don't kill me...don't kill me..." His face was covered in snot and tears, a far cry from the arrogant figure he usually was, who used to bully others on the streets because of his father.
Wang Bing was the quickest to react.
The moment the SWAT officers pounced, a desperate glint flashed in his eyes, and his right hand shot towards his waist. There, bulging, was where he had hidden his gun!
He moved quickly, but the SWAT officers were even faster! One of the SWAT officers delivered a precise shot with the butt of his rifle, slamming it into his outstretched right wrist.
"Crack!" A sickeningly clear sound of bone breaking rang out!
"ah--!"
Wang Bing let out a piercing scream, his body arching in agony. Another SWAT officer's iron arm had already tightened around his neck like a steel hoop, pressing him firmly against the cold wall, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against his temple. His left hand scratched futilely at the wall, his eyes filled with resentment, bitterness, and a hint of despair.
In the blink of an eye, the three were completely subdued.
Clean and efficient. Not a single shot was fired, giving the opponent no chance to react or retaliate.
"Report! All three targets have been apprehended, with no casualties on our side." The calm report from the on-site commander came through the walkie-talkie.
Meanwhile, other officers rushed toward the two motorcycles, prying open the makeshift seat boxes and backpacks strapped to the back seats.
"We've found the weapon used in the crime!"
Inside the seat box, three large hydraulic shears gleaming coldly, three pairs of work gloves, and three black hoods were clearly visible.
The backpack was suddenly pulled open—
Weapon detected!
Inside was a crude gun barrel made of two thick steel pipes welded together and wrapped in layers of old newspapers. Scattered around it were rough black powder, steel balls, and homemade primers wrapped in waxed paper. This was a typical homemade gunpowder gun with enough power to be deadly!
"A large quantity of ammunition was found!"
The backpack's inner compartment was stuffed with homemade gunpowder packets rolled into tubes from kraft paper and bags of steel balls!
Caught red-handed! The evidence is irrefutable!
Inside the command vehicle, Lei Xiao and Zhao Tiezhu's tense nerves suddenly relaxed. They both let out a long, almost silent breath, only then realizing that their police uniforms were soaked with cold sweat. They gave each other a hard high five, their eyes filled with immense relief as if they had survived a disaster and excitement at solving a major case.
"Good! Well done!" Lei Xiao's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of excitement and lingering fear.
"Take them back to the station immediately! Interrogate them separately!" Zhao Tiezhu said decisively.
Inside the data center, when the clear report, "Target under control! Weapons and ammunition detected!" blared from the loudspeaker, the silence lasted only half a second.
"It's done!!" Li Zhenliang's face flushed red, and he was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. He suddenly swung his fist and slammed it hard on the table next to him, making a loud "bang".
"We caught them! A gun, there really is a gun!" Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei jumped up at the same time, punching each other hard on the shoulder, their faces showing a mixture of elation and lingering fear.
Su Xinwan covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening with the excitement of releasing pressure. Zhuang Jianbai let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.
Li Bin leaned back heavily in his chair, took off his glasses, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and a relieved smile finally appeared on his tired face. He said only two words into the microphone: "Received!"
A tremendous sense of relief and comfort, almost overwhelming Jiang Ling, surged through her. She stood there, her body swaying almost imperceptibly, and her tightly clenched fists slowly loosened.
The youthful, blurry faces of the two security guards from his past life flashed through his mind. Thank goodness! The robbery didn't happen; they wouldn't bleed to death protecting state property.
It was a success!
The data center was a success! The early warning system was a success!
Jiang Ling picked up the hotline leading to the command vehicle, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hoarseness and immense calm: "Team Leader Zhao, Team Leader Lei, thank you for your hard work."
"Jiang Ling, you've done a great job this time! The data center wasn't built in vain!" Zhao Tiezhu's voice was filled with excitement. He was incredibly grateful for his insistence at the meeting. Without the data center's early warning system, those three armed bastards might have committed a bloody crime!
Lei Xiao leaned closer to the microphone and shouted, "Xiao Jiang! You've really done a great job as director. The three have been caught, just as you predicted. We made our move this afternoon after the armored truck left. Wang Bing was armed, so we subdued him, and the gang members all behaved themselves. That Li Meng is a coward; he was scared out of his wits."
--
The scene of the surprise interrogation.
Faced with overwhelming evidence and the police's well-prepared action plan, Zhang Qiang, Li Meng, and Wang Bing's psychological defenses crumbled in a very short time.
Zhang Qiang initially tried to argue that he "found" the motorcycle and that the hydraulic shears were "used to help people with their work," but after the police presented him with purchase records from the secondhand market, he could only remain silent.
He originally thought that since he hadn't actually done anything, he could escape punishment as long as he kept quiet. Little did he expect that the police had been monitoring the three of them for some time, and even had recordings of their plot!
With irrefutable evidence, further denial was pointless. Zhang Qiang, who had always prided himself on his meticulous planning and exceptional intelligence, completely broke down. He buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down his face: "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! It was all Wang Bing's doing. He said we should pull off one big heist, and that would be enough for a lifetime. The gun... he got the gun too. I just acted impulsively and went to the bank with him. We just wanted to make some money; we never intended to actually kill anyone!"
He repeatedly emphasized that he "didn't really intend to kill anyone," but the surveillance footage he had been scouting the back alley of the credit union had already recorded his role and status in the team, and it was no use blaming everything on Wang Bing.
Li Meng was a complete coward. He hadn't even changed his wet pants, and he was trembling like a leaf. Before the interrogator could even ask him many questions, he spilled the beans: "Zhang Qiang and Wang Bing recruited me, really, you have to believe me. I... I owed Brother Gao from the arcade a lot of money, and they said one job would pay it all off, and we'd even have plenty left over to live a carefree life. I... I was actually really scared, that gun looked terrifying. But Wang Bing said it was okay, he just waved it around, and the security guards didn't dare move..."
His core motivations, as he confessed, were debt and cowardice. He was tempted by "quick money" but lacked the courage to bear the consequences. He was a typical spoiled, irresponsible adult child.
Wang Bing was the last to speak.
His face was deathly pale, and his right wrist was in a simple splint. The pain distorted his expression, but his eyes were unusually gloomy.
He remained silent for a long time before admitting the entire plan in an almost numb tone: reconnaissance, division of labor, objectives, timing, escape route... the details were shockingly clear.
When asked about the gun and his motive, he looked up, a flash of anger at his exposed pretense and an almost obsessive resentment in his eyes: "A gun? It took me a lot of effort to get that! How can I keep things under control without weapons? Those security guards and tellers, they all look down on us. Why do they get to sit in their offices and count money while we work ourselves to the bone and are looked down upon? What's wrong with making some money to spend? If they dare to stop me..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the fierce glint in his eyes said it all.
His motives were a mixture of dissatisfaction with society, a distorted sense of "self-esteem," and an extreme desire for something for nothing. He was a typical example of an antisocial personality that had been fostered by his family and society over a long period of time.
The three testimonies corroborated each other, piecing together a meticulously planned and ruthless bank robbery. Their choice of time, place, and method was strikingly consistent with Jiang Ling's warnings and the profiling team's predictions!
Had the police not acted promptly, a bloody tragedy would have unfolded this afternoon.
There were no deafening gunshots, no flowing blood, no panicked citizens, and no weeping relatives. The Chengbei Credit Cooperative closed on time as usual; the security guards were still discussing what to have for dinner during their shift change, and the tellers were easily tidying up the accounts. The golden rays of the setting sun serenely shone on the streets of Yancheng, as if nothing had happened.
But within the Yancheng Public Security Bureau, the news spread like wildfire to every corner.
Relying on the newly built data center early warning system, a major criminal gang armed with deadly weapons and plotting to rob a bank was apprehended before it could carry out its plan, with the criminals and stolen goods caught in the act, without firing a single shot!
This was a war without gunfire, yet it was a thrilling one, a great victory that nipped evil in the bud and saved innocent lives!
Inside the data center, when the news of the final confirmed interrogation results and the list of seized items arrived, cheers erupted uncontrollably.
Li Zhenliang, Liu Haoran, and Zhou Wei embraced each other excitedly, while Su Xinwan and Zhuang Jianbai high-fived in celebration. Li Bin took off his glasses, leaned back in his chair, and let out a relieved, hearty laugh. The intense pressure, exhaustion, and anxieties about the unknown that had plagued them for days transformed into a tremendous sense of accomplishment and indescribable excitement at that moment.
Standing amidst the cheering crowd, Jiang Ling finally broke into a genuine, relieved smile. She picked up the internal phone and dialed the familiar number for Star Shield Company.
The call was connected almost instantly.
"Sister Ling, how is it?" Liang Jiushan's voice came through, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension and anticipation.
“Jiu Shan,” Jiang Ling’s voice was gentle yet firm, clearly penetrating the microphone and reaching Liang Jiu Shan’s ears, as well as the gradually quieting data center, “we succeeded. The early warning system… made a great contribution.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.
Immediately following was Liang Jiushan's long, heavy sigh, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, followed by his clear voice, filled with barely suppressed joy: "That's great, Sister Ling, this feels even better than arresting people after solving a case..."
He said what Jiang Ling wanted to say most: prevention is far more valuable than fixing things after they've been done.
Holding the microphone, Jiang Ling looked at her cheering comrades around her, a warm feeling filling her chest. How wonderful! A successful first step has been taken in crime prevention.
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