Chapter Eight: A Successful Capture

Everyone, including the two human traffickers, was dragged out by the police. No one knew what was going on, but orders from the commanding officer had to be obeyed.

At that moment, both Liang Deyou and Shi Hong, having heard the commotion, hurried over. Liang Deyou was feeling a bit disappointed and was about to expand the search area when he learned that Ning Zhiheng had made progress. He quickly asked, "Zhiheng, did you find anything here?"

Ning Zhiheng couldn't speak plainly; it would be impossible to explain how he knew—how could he claim to possess supernatural abilities to foresee the future? He could only force himself to reply, "I heard some noises just now, but I couldn't be sure. To be safe, I thought we should search here more thoroughly. It should be here."

His words were vague, but Liang Deyou didn't mind. Any lead was better than none. He immediately ordered Shi Hong to lead the action team into the courtyard to search.

Ning Zhiheng wanted to follow them in, but Liang Deyou stopped him. "Let Shi Hong lead the team. He has more experience than you."

Although Liang Deyou thought Ning Zhiheng was calm and quick-witted, he didn't trust his physical abilities. After all, he was a recent military academy graduate and likely lacked combat experience. Liang Deyou didn't dare risk Ning Zhiheng's safety; if anything happened, he couldn't justify it.

Shi Hong and the action team members were seasoned. They advanced cautiously, weapons drawn, searching for cover at every step.

They had just about finished searching all the rooms in the courtyard and were approaching a firewood rack in a corner when, suddenly, an object the size of a fist flew out from behind it.

The team was highly alert and tense. At the slightest movement, they reacted instantly. One sharp-eyed member shouted, "Grenade!"

Some dropped flat, others ducked behind whatever cover was close. In an instant, a violent explosion sounded, and shrapnel and debris flew everywhere.

Outside the courtyard, Ning Zhiheng and the other officers heard the explosion. Liang Deyou couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, another American grenade!" These Japanese spies seemed to have a particular fondness for these small, lethal weapons.

Ning Zhiheng could no longer restrain himself. He dashed into the courtyard. Seeing he couldn't stop him, Liang Deyou hurried after.

Now, Ning Zhiheng was no longer the weak, middle-aged office worker of his previous life. This body was just twenty years old—healthy, energetic, and in the prime of youth. He had two years of military academy training, making him naturally agile, and his physical condition had recently improved even more.

He was now quite capable, which gave him the confidence to charge into the courtyard.

The explosion had just subsided when a figure darted toward the courtyard wall, moving as swiftly and nimbly as a cat. Clearly, the man had also spotted an action team member waiting on the rooftop above and, with a swift turn on the wall, vaulted over the roof in the blink of an eye, trying to escape the area.

Ning Zhiheng didn't hesitate. His eyesight far surpassed ordinary people's, and in that urgent moment, he could instantly judge the target's movement. He raised his Browning pistol and fired twice. The figure staggered and fell heavily to the ground.

Ning Zhiheng's aim was impeccable—both shots hit their mark: one in the right shoulder, one in the left thigh. He had deliberately avoided fatal areas; this Fu Cheng was too important. Bringing him back alive was invaluable.

The team members gathered round, astonished by Ning Zhiheng's marksmanship. They hadn't expected their new deputy captain to be so skilled—firing instinctively from over twenty meters away and hitting the shoulder and thigh, immediately neutralizing the target without killing him. Even the seasoned veterans who prided themselves on their abilities couldn't have handled it so cleanly.

This was also the first time Ning Zhiheng had ever shot a real person. He looked down at his gun; it felt quite different from shooting at targets on the training ground—more exhilarating, more satisfying. He felt a previously dormant nerve awaken within him, a strange and inexplicable excitement. The feeling was wonderful—truly wonderful!

"Zhiheng, well done! You're the hero of this operation!" Liang Deyou was ecstatic, clapping Ning Zhiheng on the shoulder.

He had thought they would return in defeat and face punishment, but the outcome had taken a dramatic turn—the fugitive had been captured alive.

Fu Cheng tried to stand, but Ning Zhiheng quickly pressed him down and handcuffed him.

Fu Cheng struggled fiercely but to no avail. He glared at Ning Zhiheng with venomous eyes and spat through gritted teeth, "I really shouldn't have hesitated just now. If I hadn't missed my chance, I would have blown you up with me!"

Ning Zhiheng felt a chill—no wonder he'd sensed danger earlier. This desperate man had truly considered throwing the grenade at him. He must have been thrown off by Ning Zhiheng's sudden retreat and lost his nerve, missing the opportunity.

Afterward, the team was on alert, so the grenade had little effect. In the end, Fu Cheng fell into Ning Zhiheng's hands, and now he was filled with regret.

Liang Deyou bent down to examine the man's face, which matched the photo. He immediately sent a team member to inform Huang Taoguang from the Intelligence Division to confirm the identification. There should be no mistake this time.

He checked the man's jaw and mouth, then stripped off his shirt. From experience dealing with Japanese spies, Liang Deyou knew these men were stubborn and often carried means for suicide. He couldn't afford to be careless.

A team member quickly bandaged Fu Cheng's wounds to prevent him from bleeding to death. Soon, Huang Taoguang arrived in a hurry and confirmed the captive was indeed Fu Cheng. The operation was a narrow success. Although several team members had been lost, the target was captured, so they could answer to their superiors.

Fu Cheng had completely lost the will to resist, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be handled silently. He may even have fainted.

At that moment, Wang Shucheng approached Liang Deyou and reported, "Captain, two more brothers were injured in the explosion—one is in serious condition and needs to be taken to the hospital immediately!"

Despite the team's quick reactions, the limited space in the courtyard meant two members were hit by shrapnel, one in the neck, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

Liang Deyou felt a headache coming on. Too many casualties—nearly a quarter of the team had been lost.

"Send the wounded and Fu Cheng to the military hospital. Shi Hong and Shucheng, you both stay with them—don’t leave for a moment. Not until the Intelligence Division takes over. No more accidents!" Liang Deyou ordered.

He turned to Ning Zhiheng and said warmly, "Zhiheng, let's head back. This time, you’ll have to put in a good word for us with the section chief, otherwise it'll be hard to explain!"

Ning Zhiheng nodded. He would indeed have to report to Wei Liangbi. Given their close relationship as fellow disciples, he should be able to smooth things over, despite the heavy casualties.

With the action team's affairs settled, the martial law on Beihua Street was lifted, and everything returned to normal.

At this point, a police officer approached with a forced smile. Seeing that only Liang Deyou and Ning Zhiheng remained, and noting Liang Deyou’s stern face, he didn’t dare approach him. Instead, he sidled up to Ning Zhiheng and said obsequiously, "Sir, what should we do with the two human traffickers and the young girl?"

Ning Zhiheng asked in surprise, "How do you usually handle such cases?" He had no experience in this area; typically, these minor criminal cases wouldn't involve the Military Intelligence Division.

The officer replied with a fawning smile, "We’d usually detain the traffickers, unless you have other instructions, sir. As for the little girl, you’ll need to give us guidance before we can proceed."

Suddenly it dawned on Ning Zhiheng—thank goodness his previous life had made him a worldly government official; otherwise, as a fresh graduate, he might have missed the officer's implication entirely.

The meaning was clear: If the police had caught the traffickers themselves, they'd follow their usual practice—if the traffickers had connections, they'd be squeezed for every penny and then released; if they had no backing, they'd be thrown in jail and left to their fate. But with the Military Intelligence Division involved, things were different. The first step was to see what the officers wanted—to pursue the case or turn it over to the police.

If the police took bribes to release the traffickers and the Military Intelligence Division later asked for them, what then? To a small local precinct, special departments like this were terrifying. The way the obese police chief had collapsed to the floor upon simply hearing the words "Military Intelligence Division" made that clear. These officers could crush them with a finger.

If the case was pursued, the traffickers were as good as dead. If handed over to the police, any benefits squeezed from the traffickers would mostly have to be shared with these high-ranking officers—the unspoken rule that every passing goose leaves a feather behind.

And if you didn’t show the proper respect, who knew what future trouble you might invite?

Ning Zhiheng had spent years navigating the tangled web of government offices and knew exactly how such minor officials thought. Their guiding principle was to avoid blame above all else, never to offend those who shouldn’t be offended.

The officer was clearly a wily old hand, well-versed in these subtleties and adept at dealing with all sides.

Ning Zhiheng smiled amiably and asked, "Officer, what is your name?"

The officer was a bit flattered and quickly replied, "I'm just a small patrol leader at the station, not really an officer. My name is Liu Datong—big as in 'Big and Small Alike,' Datong. My colleagues call me 'Big Head.' If you need anything, sir, just let me know!"

Liu Datong looked to be in his thirties and kept a smiling face throughout. As the saying goes, 'three parts smile for everyone, and always look out for yourself.'

Ning Zhiheng considered for a moment and said, "As for the traffickers, the case must be pursued to the end, especially to find out where that little girl was abducted from. You can do whatever you want for your cut, but in the end, they must be severely punished—don’t let them go!"

Liu Datong understood immediately: the traffickers were doomed. As for the bit about him not caring how much they pocketed, he knew better than to take that literally. No one would dare fail to pay their respects; that was just a figure of speech. Of course, a token of appreciation would be made.

"And the little girl, sir—what should we do with her?" Liu Datong asked again.

"How do you usually handle such cases?" Ning Zhiheng inquired.

"These are always troublesome. Children like her, abducted and sold, are usually sent straight to the orphanage. There aren’t enough police officers to track down the parents. But now, both orphanages in Nanjing are full to bursting and haven’t accepted children like this in ages. We really don’t know what to do," Liu Datong complained, baring his teeth in dismay.

He couldn’t help it—these children didn’t bring any profit, so no one wanted to deal with them. The idea of finding the parents was a joke. With wartime chaos everywhere, parentless children abounded on the streets. How could they possibly manage them all?