After Zhou Jin arrived at Jingang Wharf with the support team, she received orders from Tan Shiming — stand by in place.
The opposing side had clearly come prepared, having blocked the police’s eyes and ears from the very start, throwing the situation into an extremely passive state.
Tan Shiming had spent many years in criminal investigation and had encountered his share of difficult situations, but being led around by the nose by a group of criminals like this — that was truly a first.
With field command lost in such a short span of time, the responsibility of on-site command naturally fell onto Yao Weihai’s shoulders.
The minutes ticked by one after another. Yao Weihai waited and waited for Jiang Cheng’s signal, but it never came. Under extreme vigilance, wave after wave of suspicions and doubts surged through his mind.
Qi Yan — who had “returned from the dead.” The Old Scorpion — lurking behind the scenes for years. A large-scale drug transaction. Field command, obstructed again and again…
Drawing on years of criminal investigation instincts, Yao Weihai sensed vaguely that this transaction was far from simple — yet that flicker of intuition vanished before he could dwell on it.
He didn’t want to dwell on it either. Five long years of preparation, and now they were just one step away.
Hardships? Ruthless enemies?
Ever since he had taken on the role of lead investigator for the “8·17” task force, every step of the investigation had harbored unfamiliar and enormous dangers. If he had truly wanted to back down, he wouldn’t have waited until today.
In the darkness, the sea wind let out a low, mournful wail.
The cargo ship had already docked at the harbor. About a dozen or so people disembarked — not to unload cargo, but to climb directly into two vans, which then departed from Jingang Wharf one after the other.
The action team reported the situation to the command room.
Tan Shiming said, “Keep your eyes on them. Once they’re out of the port, find a place to cut them off, get them under control, and bring them back for an intensive interrogation.”
“Understood.”
Jiang Hansheng stood before the screen, his expression as calm and deep as still water.
Apprehending and closing the net was the frontline officers’ strong suit. As a criminal investigation consultant, there wasn’t much he could offer on that front.
All he could do was strain to recall every detail of that abandoned warehouse from years ago, to provide whatever additional information he could about this criminal organization.
If Qi Yan was also there — what would his first instinct be upon encountering the police? Run?
No. Shoot.
A gun?
Jiang Hansheng asked, “Has this operation been assigned a sniper?”
Tan Shiming replied, “One.”
Just as Jiang Hansheng was about to say something more, a gunshot suddenly shattered the silence!
At Jingang Wharf, the howling wind and the sound of crashing waves seemed to fall completely quiet in that sudden instant — and in the night sky, only that single gunshot echoed on and on without end.
Zhou Jin’s heart clenched. She tightened her grip on her gun handle, the palm of her hand faintly cold.
Yao Weihai heard the shot ringing out from within the warehouse and knew at once that something had gone wrong.
In that moment, Yao Weihai thought back to the days he had led the team through a sweeping, blanket search — nearly six days and six nights without sleep. He thought of Wang Pengzhe’s most prized student, fallen at his own hands. He thought of Jiang Cheng. He thought of Zhou Chuan and Wang Jingbo, who had died in “8·17″…
And still — still —
Years of grievances and frustration were ignited by that single gunshot. A fierce fire roared to life in his chest. Yao Weihai gave the order in one commanding voice: “Move in!”
In the command room, the technical surveillance team wrested back control of the monitors.
The image on the screen enlarged. Figures moved in clusters — dozens of special police officers crept through the darkness behind their cover, rapidly tightening the encirclement and closing in on the warehouse.
Suddenly, a thunderous rumble of an engine erupted from within the warehouse. A small passenger vehicle slammed through the doors with a resounding crash and barreled straight toward the special police!
The blazing white headlights swept forward, blinding in their intensity. Yao Weihai instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes.
Caught momentarily blind, with a vehicle charging at them from dead ahead, one of the special police officers registered the danger — and fired with a sharp crack.
The bullet struck the vehicle’s body, producing a violent metallic impact, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Inside the car, the steering wheel was wrenched hard. The massive vehicle skidded instantly into a drift, its tail swinging wide, tires screeching against the pavement with an ear-splitting shriek — and in the blink of an eye, the other side had brought the car to a clean, sideways stop.
For a split second, both sides fell into a tense, silent standoff. The atmosphere was like a string drawn tighter and tighter — until, mid-standoff, it suddenly snapped!
Acting almost on pure instinct, Yao Weihai roared, “Take cover!”
Everyone pulled back rapidly. From behind the passenger vehicle, the dark hollow of a gun muzzle emerged — and in an instant, a torrent of bullets poured out.
A full-blown gunfight erupted!
The relentless thunder of gunfire sent numbing shockwaves through the limbs. The moment Zhou Jin’s support team heard the exchange, they rushed toward it at full speed.
Visibility was poor in the night, and Zhou Jin could only make out the silhouettes of the special police gradually retreating behind cover. Then came another terrifying shot.
This shot came from behind — just one shot, instantly fired, instantly arrived.
Beneath the pitch-black night, a figure crumpled to the ground.
Zhou Jin’s pupils contracted. Her first instinct: “There’s a sniper!”
Immediately after, someone among the special police shouted, “Director Yao——!”
The person who had fallen was Yao Weihai. The bullet had not struck a vital point — it had caught him in the leg.
Violent pain exploded from the wound and tore through his entire body in an instant. The agony made his body seize up. He temporarily lost the ability to think, and bit down hard as a low growl pushed through his teeth.
Zhao Ping was the first to see Yao Weihai go down.