He couldn't manage a smile at the current scene.
It wasn't because Li Chonglou's smile was too genuine, but because of the brutal scene behind it.
Seeing through his thoughts, Li Chonglou took the initiative to say, "Don't be nervous. Your Director Lin and I are old friends, and this is the murderer in the serial murder case that Director Lin handed over to me."
The man glanced again at the pile of minced meat, its gender indistinguishable, and fell into even deeper silence.
Li Chonglou sighed and could only say, "How about this, you call Director Lin first."
As he spoke, he even stepped back voluntarily, and the man's vigilance relaxed a little. He then took out his phone.
There was no other way; anyone in this situation would take the most conservative approach.
About two minutes later, the two walked out of the cave, one after the other.
Li Chonglou walked in front. After receiving confirmation from Lin Qianqian, the man's vigilance turned into admiration, and he followed obediently behind.
At this age, not only did he possess such formidable strength, but he was also one of their own. It was impossible not to be convinced!
After coming out and seeing that all three had already left, Li Chonglou was not surprised. The old man's previous guess was indeed his true thought; this matter was over for him.
However, before leaving, Li Chonglou still inquired about Lin Qianqian's current situation from the man.
To his surprise, the man had no major concerns and directly revealed all the predicaments she was currently facing.
"You mean there are people from the General Bureau watching her position?"
The man nodded seriously. "If it weren't for this, Director Lin wouldn't have had to take such a big risk to come in herself."
Director Lin?
The man's address for Lin Qianqian surprised him, as he was unaware of the specific situation within the police force at that moment.
In Li Chonglou's view, although Lin Qianqian held a high position, she was ultimately just an ordinary person. When had the experts in their circles become so polite to an ordinary person?
However, it was not appropriate to ask more questions in this situation, so he could only inquire about other matters within the General Bureau.
The man answered every question truthfully and frankly. It was only when Li Chonglou asked for details about which department he belonged to that he seemed to realize something.
Wait, wasn't he Director Lin's subordinate? Why didn't he know these things?
"Ahem, senior, didn't Director Lin tell you about these things?"
"She mentioned a little, but not much."
Li Chonglou knew he had realized it, so he didn't ask further. He simply found an excuse and disappeared before his eyes.
The man felt increasingly uneasy, but Lin Qianqian had ordered him to guard the place and not leave, so he could only remain in the cave.
It wasn't until about half an hour later that the gunfire from the workshop gradually subsided. Lin Qianqian had brought elite officers from the police force; under a full offensive, how could a mere camp resist?
Lin Qianqian then walked over quickly with a small team.
"Where is he?"
As she approached, Lin Qianqian looked around. Although she had already guessed that Li Chonglou would not stay long, a flicker of hope remained in her heart.
When she was rescued, her thoughts were still focused on the mission. Lin Qianqian only remembered just now that she hadn't properly thanked Li Chonglou.
The man honestly replied, "He left not long after coming out."
Lin Qianqian sighed immediately. The man couldn't help but ask, "By the way, Director Lin, which department does this senior belong to? Special Forces?"
Lin Qianqian instinctively froze for a moment. "Who told you he's from our department? Although strictly speaking, he's my subordinate."
Saying this, Lin Qianqian suddenly changed the subject. "Wait, why are you suddenly asking? You didn't tell him anything about me, did you?"
It's over!
The man's heart sank.
Meanwhile, after leaving the small town, Li Chonglou headed straight back to the vicinity of Yi'an.
Things had gone more smoothly than expected. He had originally planned to return to the General Bureau tomorrow to settle the bet, but it was only afternoon now. He decided to use this free time to find Hei Dao and understand the progress of the Green Gang.
When he found Hei Dao, the man was still lying in bed, snoring soundly, looking like his old nocturnal self.
He shook the man awake, and upon seeing who it was, Hei Dao jolted awake, becoming instantly alert.
"Brother Li? Why are you here?"
Li Chonglou said calmly, "I came to ask about the current situation and see if you need me to deploy more people."
He had only intended to tease him, as with the current state of Shangjing, all the gangs, except for those who were fearless, had gone into hiding. There were no opportunities to climb up.
Hei Dao was probably the idlest among all his subordinates now. Otherwise, the Sen brothers wouldn't have eagerly wanted to return to the company to work.
However, Hei Dao's answer was beyond his expectations.
"Brother Li, you received the news too? I was planning to tell you tonight."
Hei Dao scratched his head sheepishly, while Li Chonglou was completely stunned.
What was going on?
Hei Dao continued on his own, "I didn't expect the Green Gang to mobilize personnel at a time like this. Some of my old informants told me that there might be a major operation at once!"
Li Chonglou was bewildered. Had he really asked for information?
Upon realizing this, Li Chonglou immediately put on a serious expression and said, "Quick, tell me everything you know!"
Now it was Hei Dao's turn to be confused. Li Chonglou's reaction didn't seem like someone who already knew. He couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, didn't you already know?"
Li Chonglou immediately rolled his eyes. "Who said I knew? If I knew, would I have come to ask you?"
"Ah?"
Li Chonglou tapped Hei Dao's head. "Stop the nonsense and speak quickly."
Only then did Hei Dao recount some of the inside information he had gathered.
It turned out that last night, he had suddenly received intelligence from an old informant stating that the Green Gang had issued a mobilization order, instructing fringe members like them to gather and await orders.
Hei Dao initially thought it was to prevent them from causing trouble and implicating the Green Gang. It was only when he received the order to be on standby that he realized the Green Gang might be planning something big.
"Brother Li, in the past, only when there was a truly major operation would the higher-ups issue such an order. Although I don't know who this one is for, it's estimated to be within the next ten days to half a month."
Hei Dao's expression also became serious. Li Chonglou frowned, "Why didn't you say something so important earlier?"
Hei Dao said sheepishly, "I drank quite a bit last night, and I thought Brother Li would be asleep too, so I planned to tell you after waking up today. I didn't expect the hangover to be so strong..."
As he spoke, he checked the time and realized he had slept for so long.