Chapter Sixty-Two: Breaking the Deadlock

When Haifeng arrived at Qiu Zhiyong’s office, Qiu Zhiyong was reviewing a document brought by his secretary. Haifeng seated himself quietly on the sofa, observing Qiu Zhiyong. The once vigorous and dashing senior was now beset with white hair, his youthful aura faded. Yet, the focused intensity he displayed at work was undiminished, the imprint of his former brilliance still apparent.

Qiu Zhiyong glanced at Haifeng from the corner of his eye and signaled for him to wait, continuing his discussion with the secretary about the document. Haifeng sat on the sofa, watching Qiu Zhiyong, and recalled the days when this old alumnus was fierce and decisive, charging ahead in perilous situations. He remembered their first collaboration on a case.

That year, Ming City was terrorized by a notorious crime boss named Zhang Ziqiang, whose evil deeds were boundless. Kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, rape, robbery—there was nothing he wouldn’t do. Of the eight major crimes, only arson and poisoning had escaped his hands; the rest he committed with impunity.

The other so-called crime bosses in Ming City, who once swaggered about, were swept away like fallen leaves by Zhang Ziqiang. One, after offending Zhang Ziqiang in a turf dispute, faced a death warrant from the underworld and, in desperation, surrendered himself to the police, begging to be placed in prison for his own safety.

That year, Zhang Ziqiang’s name was known to every household in Ming City. By rights, his crimes should have landed him behind bars long ago, but he strutted about untouched, his organization growing ever larger, becoming the city's dominant force.

Some police officers attempted to investigate Zhang Ziqiang’s criminal activities, but his syndicate remained unscathed, while those officers suffered violent retaliation—some attacked out of nowhere, others had their families repeatedly threatened, leading to excessive stress and requests for reassignment; some even suffered mental breakdowns and ended up in psychiatric hospitals.

There was a saying in Ming City at the time: if you hadn't been kidnapped by Zhang Ziqiang, you weren’t truly wealthy. Every renowned entrepreneur had been extorted by him. Zhang Ziqiang was true to his word—those willing to pay were released, while those who refused to comply vanished from the world.

His actions turned Ming City into a city of sin, drawing the province’s attention. Qiu Zhiyong was tasked with investigating the Zhang Ziqiang crime syndicate.

Qiu Zhiyong assembled elite officers from across the province and launched a swift investigation into Zhang Ziqiang’s activities. Haifeng was among those handpicked. Qiu Zhiyong’s command was outstanding; he led the team through feints and strategic diversions, and within half a month, they had uncovered Zhang Ziqiang’s crimes and gathered sufficient evidence for his arrest.

Zhang Ziqiang proved formidable, fighting back during the attempted arrest with his men against the police, armed with inexplicable military-grade weapons that outmatched the police firepower.

In the end, Zhang Ziqiang’s men were subdued, but he managed to escape the meticulously laid net, with only Haifeng and Qiu Zhiyong pursuing him.

Haifeng was the first to spot Zhang Ziqiang breaking through the perimeter. He chased relentlessly, finally catching up with him a kilometer outside the cordon. With his gun drawn, Haifeng shouted, "Don’t move! Hands up! I’m a police officer!"

Zhang Ziqiang, now unarmed, raised his hands obediently and stood still. Haifeng prepared to handcuff and arrest this notorious criminal.

But as Haifeng approached, Zhang Ziqiang hissed, "You’d best let me go. I won’t be sentenced to death. If you arrest me now, when I’m out, I’ll slaughter your entire family. Your job may be for the country, but your life is your own. Think carefully."

Haifeng, still somewhat inexperienced, was shaken by the threat. He knew Zhang Ziqiang never made empty promises—he was ruthless and would follow through.

Haifeng hesitated. He didn’t want his family harmed because of him. If he arrested Zhang Ziqiang now, his family would indeed be at risk once the man was released. If he let him go, no one would ever know.

Yet, his conscience as a police officer told him he could not let such a vile criminal escape justice.

Haifeng wasn’t afraid of personal reprisal; since he became an officer, "fear" was no longer in his vocabulary. But the thought of his family was different—he couldn’t always be by their side, and if they suffered because of him, he would never forgive himself.

So Haifeng stood, holding his gun, locked in a standoff with Zhang Ziqiang—neither letting him go nor moving to arrest him.

At that moment, Haifeng felt a strong hand grasp his gun-holding hand. A resolute voice sounded in his ear: "No one can threaten the police!"

That powerful hand pressed down, pulling the trigger. Zhang Ziqiang fell instantly. Haifeng, startled, turned to see Qiu Zhiyong’s determined face. Qiu Zhiyong fired a warning shot skyward, then said, "Remember, as a police officer, when you carry out your duty, you represent the country. No one can threaten the nation. If they try, their life is forfeit."

Haifeng stammered, "But... this violates regulations. If people find out..."

Qiu Zhiyong interrupted him: "The law is not meant to protect criminals. As a police officer, you must learn to use the law to punish evil, not let it become chains that bind you. You fired a warning shot—he refused to surrender and you fired. There’s nothing wrong. You acted correctly."

He patted Haifeng’s shoulder, saying, "To protect the country, you must first protect your family. If you let a vicious criminal like him go, he’ll harm others. If you let him hurt your family, you’ll never forgive yourself. What you did was right. If he’s a devil, send him to hell—there’s no need to agonize!"

The case was resolved brilliantly, and Qiu Zhiyong was promoted for his exemplary leadership.

That incident taught Haifeng that a police officer must not only obey the law, but also wield it to punish evil and promote good, adapting when necessary.

More importantly, Haifeng learned: never bow before a criminal, for you represent the nation; never let criminals have the chance to harm your family, for you will never forgive yourself.

Qiu Zhiyong made it clear: the law is meant to punish the wicked, not restrain the innocent. As an outstanding police officer, one must use the law to combat evil—this is their duty.

"What are you thinking?" Qiu Zhiyong asked.

Haifeng was pulled from his reverie by Qiu Zhiyong’s voice. He replied quickly, "Nothing, just daydreaming."

Qiu Zhiyong asked, "You want to talk about Pan Group, right? Wait a moment, I’ll have the secretary call over Li, the leader of the National Environmental Supervision Team—he’s waiting for your investigation results too." With that, he summoned his secretary to invite the head of the National Environmental Supervision Team, Li Bing.

When Li Bing arrived, Haifeng began: "We’ve completed the investigation. Pan Group is indeed corrupt. It’s not only the largest polluter in Mingnan, but has caused severe environmental damage. To maximize profits, Pan Lun hired thugs to bully businesses and seize coal mines."

"If anyone opposed Pan Group’s actions, Pan Lun used force to suppress them. Many people have been injured by his henchmen, some even died."

Haifeng paused, then continued: "But because he colludes with corrupt officials, they all pretend not to see Pan Group’s crimes."

"Even when the National Environmental Supervision Team arrived in Mingnan, they tried to cover up the truth. People sick from Pan Group’s pollution who tried to appeal were either intercepted by corrupt officials or beaten and threatened by Pan Lun’s thugs. That’s why the Supervision Team couldn’t find evidence against Pan Group during previous visits."

"There are even rumors that Pan Lun is the underground organization minister of Mingnan. Anyone wanting to take office in Mingnan must seek his approval. He’s no longer just a businessman, but the untouchable boss of both sides of the law."

Li Bing listened and said to Qiu Zhiyong, "No wonder there have been so many reports, yet we found nothing before. Now that the investigation was done ahead of time, the results are totally different. It seems Pan Lun’s harm to Mingnan is even worse than we thought!"

Qiu Zhiyong nodded, "Yes, he appears to be a law-abiding entrepreneur, but behind the scenes, he’s become Mingnan’s greatest cancer, spreading evil everywhere, money over morality."

Li Bing agreed, "We can’t let them go unchecked any longer. If we don’t act, the consequences will be unimaginable. Just their environmental damage could take years to reverse."

He continued, "We develop the economy for national prosperity and people’s wellbeing, but these people only care about profit, ignoring everything else. If we don’t stop them, our beautiful homeland will be ruined, and their crimes could lead to national disaster. We’d become villains of history."

Qiu Zhiyong nodded, "A strong nation doesn’t fear external enemies. Our country now has the strength to resist outsiders, thanks to generations of hard work."

He shifted tone: "But strong nations can fall from within—from criminals and parasites. We must remain vigilant against hidden evils and prevent them from destroying our beautiful home."

Li Bing smiled at Qiu Zhiyong, "Your responsibilities are immense. The nation’s safety depends in no small part on you!"

Qiu Zhiyong laughed, "We’re all in this together. Protecting our green hills and clear waters depends on your team!"

Everyone present laughed.

Qiu Zhiyong then turned to Haifeng, "Tell us what you found about Pan Lun’s gambling website."

Haifeng understood Qiu Zhiyong wanted to convince Li Bing to allow his team to feign departure from Ming City, which required a reasonable explanation. Li Bing was quite interested in the gambling website.

Haifeng explained, "The 'Spinach Site' is Pan Lun’s online casino, run from Manchika, targeting domestic customers."

"To attract clients, the site hires recruiters, and is linked to fraud rings, loan sharks, and money laundering, forming a black industry chain."

"Because of this site, many have lost their homes, and countless families have been destroyed. We first noticed it when a teacher embezzled student textbook funds to gamble."

Li Bing said, "Director Qiu told me about this, which is why I had my people pretend to leave Mingnan, giving you a chance to gather evidence. How’s the investigation? Is the net ready?"

Haifeng replied, "We have solid evidence of Pan Lun’s crimes in Manchika, and we’ve mapped out Pan Group’s crimes in Mingnan. The net is ready."

Qiu Zhiyong asked, "What’s your plan?"

Haifeng replied, "We now have the list of 'Spinach Site' members. With the New Year approaching, they’ll surely return home. No need to arrest them in Manchika—it’s inconvenient. We’ll catch them all here."

"As for Mingnan, it’s best to deploy officers from outside. While Pan Lun’s attention is still on the Environmental Supervision Team, we’ll strike and wipe them out."

Qiu Zhiyong asked, "Do we have solid evidence in Mingnan?"

Haifeng said, "We’ve got most of the evidence, but some victims need to be interviewed. Pan Lun is powerful, so few dare to testify, but once we catch them all and remove victims’ fear, people will speak up."

Qiu Zhiyong asked, "Have you investigated his backers?"

Haifeng replied, "Yes, they’ll be handed to the prosecutor when the net closes."

Qiu Zhiyong looked at Li Bing, saw his approval, then turned to Haifeng, "You caught a big fish this time!"

Haifeng smiled, "As you always said, evil must be eradicated. It’s not just me—it’s the White Tiger Team’s collective effort."

Qiu Zhiyong laughed, "See, Li Bing? I didn’t lie. Wasn’t your wait worthwhile?"

Li Bing smiled, "This is called win-win cooperation. Now it’s your show!"

Seeing Li Bing support Haifeng’s plan, Qiu Zhiyong said, "Let’s proceed. You head back, I’ll report to the director and prepare the police force."

Haifeng stood from the sofa and left.

A day later, Haifeng was summoned again. Qiu Zhiyong said, "The director has reported to the province, and approval for the operation has been granted. Let’s get to work!"

Haifeng nodded and departed.

In the following days, the White Tiger Team gathered in Ming City. The Environmental Team and White Tiger Team coordinated for the operation. Haifeng sent the list of 'Spinach Site' members to counterpart units at airports where they might return from Manchika, requesting cooperation for arrests.

Qiu Zhiyong mobilized police from six cities, assembling them near Mingnan. At his command, the arrests began.

Within a day, a tide of police swept into Mingnan, taking control of Pan Group’s factories and mines. By the time Pan Group realized what was happening, they were already under complete control. Many of Pan Lun’s associates fainted upon hearing the news.

Zhang Xuancheng, whose career soared thanks to Pan Lun, was so terrified when arrested he wet his pants. Pan Lun’s henchmen, caught off guard, were all imprisoned. The evil Pan Group was utterly crushed.

The operation in Manchika was also smooth. Wang Zhi, Li Zishen, and others were arrested upon entry, and to reduce their sentences, they summoned the remaining members back to the country. Through police diplomats stationed in Manchika, all evidence of the gambling site’s crimes was brought back.

Pan Lun’s meticulously built gambling empire collapsed overnight; the 'Spinach Site' was erased from history.

Just as everyone was ready to celebrate, Haifeng discovered a serious problem—Pan Lun was missing.

The operation should have been airtight, with police drawn from outside Mingnan to prevent leaks. Yet, after searching all arrested suspects, Haifeng couldn’t find Pan Lun.

Haifeng called Li Weiwei and asked, "Weiwei, can you locate Pan Lun?"

Li Weiwei checked her phone and shook her head, "No. All the trackers we placed on him must have been removed. The location still shows his office, but our people have searched it thoroughly—he’s not there."

Haifeng considered her words and said, "Call everyone back. I’ll contact the backup team—this time, we can’t let him escape."

He began calling the backup team leader. The White Tiger Team assembled around Haifeng. He addressed them, "Pan Lun is on the run. Everyone, start reviewing surveillance footage. We must track him down and not let him get away."

With those words, everyone got to work, scanning through the videos. Haifeng felt no joy in victory—his mood was complex. He couldn’t understand how Pan Lun escaped. Was it luck, or did someone leak the operation? If someone tipped him off, who was it?

While Haifeng’s thoughts raced, elsewhere Pan Lun was ready to board a flight. In one hour, the plane would take off.

Pan Lun sat silently in the airport lounge, preparing to leave for another country.