"What?!"
Inside the command vehicle, the two technical officers who had been focused on the monitoring screens were stunned.
One of them reacted instantly. He snatched the communicator, keyed the mic, and called out urgently, "Periter, be advised! Periter, be advised! A suspicious individual is fleeing the target area! I repeat, a suspicious individual is fleeing!"
The other officer imdiately leaned over and threw open the vehicle’s door, shouting, "Advisor Yang! Get in, quick!"
Without a mont’s hesitation, Yang Qi dashed into the command vehicle in just a few steps. The door slamd shut behind him with a BANG, muffling most of the outside noise.
"Advisor Yang, what’s the suspect’s position?"
The officer holding the communicator imdiately pressed Yang Qi, his voice urgent.
"To the rear-left of our vehicle, about the ten o’clock position. He’s in the fields over a hundred ters out, running northwest."
Yang Qi reported the position quickly and clearly.
The officer imdiately relayed the information into the communicator, "Suspect is to the rear-left of the command vehicle, approximately the ten o’clock position! Over a hundred ters out, fleeing into the fields to the northwest! All periter units, intercept imdiately!"
"I repeat..."
The ssage was transmitted instantly.
Within ten-odd seconds of the transmission ending, several officers who had been securing the factory periter, along with a K-9 handler and his dog, shot off like cheetahs from different directions, converging on the location Yang Qi had indicated.
Beams of light from several tactical flashlights cut through the darkness of the fields, crisscrossing as they swept the area.
"Found him! He’s over there!"
"Stop! Police!"
"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
A cacophony of shouts, hurried footsteps, and the intimidating barks of the police dog suddenly shattered the silence of the fields.
Yang Qi remained inside the relative safety of the command vehicle, watching the scene unfold through the window.
The two technical officers had also drawn their sidearms, their fingers resting on the outside of the trigger guards as they stood on high alert.
Suddenly—
"BANG! BANG!"
A few sharp, sudden gunshots rang out.
The reports were especially jarring in the night sky, and muzzle flashes flickered briefly at the far edge of the fields.
The atmosphere inside the command vehicle instantly froze.
The two technical officers’ expressions turned grim. They tightened their grips on their guns, their eyes locked on the direction of the shots.
Thankfully, the gunfire stopped as abruptly as it had started after just a few shots.
Imdiately after, a few muffled shouts and the sounds of what seed to be a struggle and a takedown could be heard.
After another agonizing few dozen seconds, the radio crackled with static, followed by the voice of a periter team mber.
"Target is secure! Target is secure! No injuries on our side. I repeat, no injuries on our side!"
"Whew—"
Only then did the two technical officers let out a long sigh of relief. Their tense bodies relaxed as they lowered their weapons and engaged the safeties.
Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps and familiar voices approached the command vehicle.
The door was pulled open, and Xiao Jun climbed in, bringing with him the scent of night dew and gunpowder. His face was a mixture of excitent and lingering fear. He grabbed Yang Qi’s hand and shook it vigorously.
"Advisor Yang, thank you so much! If you hadn’t spotted him in ti, we almost would’ve let the big fish get away!"
"You’re too kind, Captain Xiao. I just did my part. How is it? Was the man who ran a drug dealer?" Yang Qi asked quickly.
"He’s a dealer."
Xiao Jun nodded emphatically, his eyes flashing with an excitent he couldn’t hide. "And not just any dealer. He’s one of the main leaders of this drug manufacturing ring—a key figure in charge of technical guidance and raw material procurent."
"The guy’s cunning as hell. He rigged up an extrely well-hidden trapdoor in a corner of the factory that connects to an abandoned drainage pipe leading out to the fields. If you hadn’t spotted him, he really would have slipped away clean!"
"That’s good. The most important thing is that he didn’t get away," Yang Qi said, also breathing a sigh of relief.
"Yeah."
Xiao Jun nodded in agreent, his expression a mix of excitent and emotion.
If he had escaped, the success of tonight’s operation would have been severely diminished.
A few monts later, Wang ngguo finished up with the initial matters inside the factory and hurried over.
The scar on his forehead looked a little red under the vehicle’s lights, clearly a result of his excitent during the raid.
As soon as he ca in, he gripped Yang Qi’s hand firmly and thanked him repeatedly.
"Advisor Yang, Xiaojiu was the primary hero of tonight’s operation, but your tily discovery and assistance in capturing the one that got away was also a major contribution."
"On behalf of the entire Anti-Drug Detachnt, thank you again!"
"Once the case is closed, we’ll make sure to apply for all the comndations and rewards you deserve."
Wang ngguo was also well aware of the importance of the drug dealer Yang Qi had found.
"Wang Detachnt, you’re being too serious. I was just doing what I should. I’m glad I could help." Yang Qi remained humble, then asked with concern, "By the way, were any of our comrades injured?"
Wang ngguo didn’t hide anything. He smiled and said, "Aside from a young team mber who was so focused on the chase that he didn’t watch his step and twisted his ankle on a field ridge, everyone else is perfectly fine."
"Those gunshots were from when the escaping dealer tried to draw his gun to resist. Our periter team decisively opened fire, wounding and suppressing him. They successfully subdued him before he could get a shot off."
Hearing this, Yang Qi relaxed.
Then, he was struck speechless for a mont.
A twisted ankle...
That was probably the only minor hiccup and "combat casualty" of the entire operation tonight. A blessing in disguise, all things considered.
After waiting for about another half hour, a series of excited barks announced the return of Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard, who trotted back energetically, each led by their temporary handler.
Amusingly, Xiaojiu was perched majestically on Leopard’s broad, steady back. Its erald eyes glittered with pride in the darkness, looking for all the world like a victorious general returning from battle.
As they passed, police officers and SWAT team mbers alike kept giving the cat a thumbs-up.
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