novelinnhs Chapter 140: The No. 1 Wanted Poster and the End of the Road
Chapter 140: The No. 1 Wanted Poster and the End of the Road
"Your ship is stuck."
Chen Yan's voice came through the receiver.
Gu Changchuan held the satellite phone.
The sea breeze blows across the cargo ship's deck.
The hem of his black trench coat fluttered in the wind.
Three white searchlight beams swept across the sea.
The beam of light sliced through the night fog.
It illuminated the rusty waterline of the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier.
Two patrol boats painted with coast guard markings cut through the waves.
The roar of the diesel engine drowned out the sound of the seawater lapping against the hull.
The patrol boat approached the port side of the cargo ship.
Two coast guard officers wearing orange life jackets threw out a cable with an iron hook.
The iron hooks caught on the cargo ship's railing.
Six armed coast guards climbed up the deck using rope ladders.
They drew their pistols.
It rushed toward the cockpit.
The iron door to the cockpit was kicked open.
The coast guard pointed their guns at the foreign captain.
The captain raised his hands.
Leave the steering wheel.
The sound of the loudspeaker echoed across the sea.
"The ship ahead must stop immediately."
"Put down all boarding equipment."
"All crew members, assemble on deck for inspection."
The cargo ship's smokestacks stopped belching black smoke.
The dull engine vibration subsided.
The propeller stopped rotating.
The sea has returned to calm.
Gu Changchuan turned around.
He looked towards the land of the dock on his right.
Eight Iveco riot control vehicles with police livery crashed through the tollbooth barriers at Pier 3.
The wooden railing is broken.
Debris flew everywhere.
The tires rubbed against the rough cement surface.
White rubber smoke rose up.
The riot control vehicles were parked in a semi-circle in front of the cargo ship berth.
Block all exits leading to the main road.
The car door opened.
Tactical boots pounded through the puddles.
Water splashed everywhere.
Thirty fully armed special police officers jumped out of the vehicle.
They raised their black riot shields.
The muzzle of a submachine gun was pointed at the cargo ship.
Two SWAT snipers were carrying rifles equipped with optical sights.
They ran towards the container stacks on the left side of the dock.
They climbed up the iron ladder to the top of the container.
Set up sniper positions.
The black gun barrel pierced through the gap in the shipping container.
The red laser sight pierced the night.
Sweep across the deck.
More than a dozen red dots converged on Gu Changchuan's chest.
Lawyer Wang Cheng took two steps back.
His back slammed into the iron bulkhead.
The briefcase in his hand fell onto the deck.
A black Passat sedan was parked behind the riot control vehicle.
Yan Huaizhong pushed open the passenger door.
He was wearing a dark blue executive jacket.
The jacket zipper was pulled up to the collar.
He stepped toward the cordon.
A police SUV with a Beijing license plate was parked to the right of the Passat.
Wu Gang pushed open the driver's side door and got out of the car.
His left arm was wrapped in a white medical bandage.
Dark red blood seeped from the edges of the bandage.
His right hand hung down at his side.
Chen Yan pushed open the back door of the car.
He was wearing a black woolen overcoat.
Leather shoes stepped on the cement ground.
Chen Yan crossed the special police's line of defense.
He walked toward the iron gangway connecting the cargo ship to the dock.
Gu Changchuan stood at the top of the gangway.
He gripped the rusty iron railing with both hands.
He looked down at Chen Yan.
Wang Cheng bent down and picked up the briefcase.
He ran to the gangway.
He stood in front of Gu Changchuan.
"You have no right to board the ship."
Wang Cheng shouted down.
"This is a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship."
"The ship belongs to foreign territory."
"Your forced boarding of the ship without a search warrant from the International Maritime Organization will trigger a diplomatic incident."
Wang Cheng held up his briefcase.
Waving in the air.
Yan Huaizhong stopped behind the riot shield.
He raised his right hand.
Swing it forward.
The four special police officers put away their submachine guns.
He drew the baton from his waist.
He strode up the gangway.
The SWAT officers' tactical boots stepped on the metal pedals.
It emitted a series of loud, rapid impact sounds.
Two special police officers grabbed Wang Cheng's left and right arms.
Cut backwards.
Wang Cheng's briefcase fell to the ground again.
The zipper burst open.
Stacks of hundred-dollar bills were scattered around.
Several offshore company registration documents bearing the words "Cayman Islands" slid out.
The sea breeze blows.
Several US dollars floated onto the sea.
It fell into the black sea.
Special police officers escorted Wang Cheng off the gangway.
It was pressed onto the hood of the police car.
Metal handcuffs locked his wrists.
Chen Yan walked to the bottom of the gangway.
He stopped in his tracks.
Chen Yan took out a metal-cased voice recorder from his coat pocket.
There was also a black satellite phone with bullet holes.
He pressed the play button on the recorder with his thumb.
Sompa's hoarse Thai and stuttering Chinese came through the loudspeaker.
Played on the empty dock.
"Target: Chen Yan."
"Employer Gu Changchuan."
"A deposit of ten million Thai baht."
"The final payment is 24 million."
"UOB Kuala Lumpur offshore account."
"Request to create an accidental death."
Chen Yan raised his right hand.
A voice recorder and a satellite phone were tossed into the air.
Draw a parabola.
Two items crashed onto the metal steps of the gangway.
The plastic casing is broken.
Batteries and circuit boards are scattered.
The recorder rolled down the inclined pedal.
Bumping and knocking on the steps.
It stopped three centimeters in front of Gu Changchuan's leather shoes.
The loudspeaker was still playing Sompa's confession on repeat.
Gu Changchuan looked down at the recording pen at his feet.
He loosened his grip on the iron railing.
He raised his head.
The muscles in his face twitched.
Gu Changchuan opened his mouth.
He spat out a mouthful of saliva.
Spittle fell onto the iron railing.
Slide down along the rusty sheet metal.
"Little brat."
Gu Changchuan spoke in the dialect of Tianjin's old city.
Hoarseness.
"You think you've won?"
"Back when I was doing manual labor in Nanshi, you were still wearing open-crotch pants."
Gu Changchuan reached his right hand into the inner pocket on the left side of his trench coat.
He gripped a tactical dagger with a blood groove in his fingers.
The handle is covered with non-slip rubber.
He drew his dagger.
Step over the scattered US dollars.
They rushed down the gangway.
Leather shoes stepping on metal pedals.
It emitted a series of impact sounds.
Gu Changchuan raised his right hand.
The tip of the dagger was aimed at Chen Yan's carotid artery.
The blade reflected the white light of the searchlight.
Chen Yan stood still.
Hands in coat pockets.
He watched as Gu Changchuan approached.
Wu Gang took half a step out from Chen Yan's right side.
He raised his right leg.
The military boots kicked Gu Changchuan's right wrist.
The sound of bones breaking rang out.
Gu Changchuan folded his right hand outward at a 90-degree angle.
Spread your fingers.
The tactical dagger was dropped from his hand.
It slammed onto the iron footplate.
The blade broke off.
The shattered metal fragments bounced into the air.
Wu Gang grabbed Gu Changchuan's collar with his left hand.
Pull downwards.
Strike upwards with your right knee.
The knee struck Gu Changchuan in the abdomen.
Gu Changchuan bent down.
A dry gagging sound came from his throat.
Wu Gang released his grip.
Gu Changchuan knelt on the waterlogged cement floor.
He supported his twisted right wrist with his left hand.
The body sways back and forth.
Chen Yan stepped forward.
The leather shoes stopped in front of Gu Changchuan's knees.
He looked down at Gu Changchuan.
November 4, 1995.
Chen Yan spoke.
"Jing-Tong Expressway, Section 3"
"Precast concrete slabs fell."
Chen Yan read the text from the dossier.
Gu Changchuan stopped shaking.
He raised his head.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Sweat streamed down his face.
It dripped into the puddles.
"That was an accident."
Gu Changchuan said, panting.
"The quality inspection report is very clear."
Chen Yan looked at Gu Changchuan.
"You cover up the scene."
Chen Yan continued.
"Bribing the appraisal agency."
"Disguising murder as an engineering accident."
Chen Yan took his hand out of his pocket.
"Chen Jianguo".
"Li Sumei".
"These two names."
Chen Yan paused.
"You've remembered this for twenty years."
Chen Yan's leather shoes stepped on the broken blade of Gu Changchuan's dagger.
Press down hard.
The blade sank into a crack in the concrete floor.
It made a harsh, metallic scraping sound.
Yan Huaizhong walked past Chen Yan.
He stopped in front of Gu Changchuan.
Yan Huaizhong pulled out the handcuffs from his waist.
He took Gu Changchuan's left hand.
The handcuffs were fastened to the wrists.
"Gu Changchuan."
Yan Huaizhong spoke.
"You are suspected of intentional homicide."
The metal gears rotate.
Card and combination.
"Organizing organized crime."
Yan Huaizhong tightened one gear.
Money laundering.
He pulled Gu Changchuan's twisted right hand over.
The other end of the handcuffs is fastened to the forearm.
Tighten the gears again.
Chen Yan looked at Gu Changchuan.
Filming for "Broken Bridge" will begin next week.
Chen Yan said.
"I'll send a copy of the male lead's script to your detention center."
"You can sit in jail and watch yourself get nailed to the screen."
Coast Guard escorted the foreign captain down the gangway.
Special police officers collected scattered documents and cash on the deck.
Place it in a transparent evidence bag.
The police car's red and blue flashing lights illuminated Gu Changchuan's face.
Gu Changchuan lowered his head.
His gaze fell on Chen Yan's leather shoes.