154: Chapter 154 A Million Blessed Land

Lin Ning had broken a sweat and was feeling a bit mentally exhausted, so he wanted to find a sauna and bath center to properly relax.

However, Lin Ning was still feeling lingering fear regarding his bizarre luck today, fearing he might run into something while bathing, so he found a small-to-medium-sized bath center near the municipal bureau and went inside.

After Lin Ning had enjoyed a comfortable bath, a thorough steam, and a full set of salt-milk scrubs and massages, he was sitting in the buffet fruit hall devouring fruit when the night along the Erenhot border fence was suddenly torn apart by gunfire.

Flashes of light erupted at the gap in the barbed wire fence as the Armed Police, who had been lying in ambush, charged in like a sharp blade; shouts, warnings, and dull thuds mingled together.

In just a few short minutes, those who put up a desperate fight were subdued on the spot, while those attempting to flee were pinned down on the Gobi Desert, the crisp sound of handcuffs locking tight.

Two vicious drug trafficking groups—one from across the border and the other providing support domestically—were wiped out in one fell swoop.

This included the subsequent cleanup of the battlefield and the on-site verification of personnel, especially the four other individuals Lin Ning had provided who were not on the wanted list.

Zhao Jianguo was trembling with excitement; he had never fought such a smooth and successful battle. Setting aside the merits earned, the key was how satisfying it was.

He thought once again of that mysterious anonymous caller. This wasn't just an informant; this was a walking military medal manufacturing machine!

He realized he hadn't asked him to leave a reward collection code; he had been a bit too impatient and not steady enough. Should he use this as a reason to contact him?

However, the instructions he had received originally were that he was not allowed to proactively investigate the other party, nor was he allowed to initiate contact. This put him in a very passive position.

What kind of incredible person was this? A human detection machine?

If the other party could cooperate with them in Erenhot long-term... Such a wonderful thing—Zhao Jianguo felt like he was dreaming just thinking about it, because in dreams, you have everything: merits, medals, rewards, promotions, and pay raises...

What kind of person was he, really? His voice sounded very young; could he be a special talent or weapon secretly cultivated by the country?

In just two short days, they had already secured four wanted criminals and two major criminal syndicates. He wondered if the other party would contact him again. They probably would, since the reward code for the final part hadn't been given to him yet.

Should he draft a speech, a talking point outline, to recruit him... No, to poach him... No, to convince him to work together for the stability of the border society?

...

Although Erenhot itself didn't produce fruit, it was basically the import and supply base for 80% of Mongolia's fruit and vegetables. Various fruits from all over the country gathered here, so the prices weren't expensive, and the variety was rich.

Even in this small-to-medium-sized bath center, Lin Ning ate to his heart's content. By the end, Lin Ning even felt that the cost of his ticket could be completely offset by the fruit, essentially getting the bath, sauna, and massage for free.

After sweating, getting a comfortable massage, and eating well, Lin Ning's mood finally returned to calm.

Whether it was the entanglement between emotion and law, or the immense pressure of the danger brought upon him by Huang Ze's group, it had all vanished like smoke.

Lin Ning returned to the hotel in a good mood.

He chatted affectionately with Jiang Yu on a video call for a while. Hearing her softly urge him to stay safe, Lin Ning's tightly coiled nerves finally relaxed. He hung up after a few simple sentences, not wasting any more time.

He opened the study materials he had collected and started working hard on them.

It's better to have skills oneself than to rely on others. He still had many shortcomings, especially since he often had to come into contact with a world full of darkness and danger. Every extra minute of study now might just allow him to save his life more calmly in the future and catch more criminals.

He thought of Chen Zhi and the resources of the Ministry of State Security. He had put in the work, even without drawing a salary from them; surely he could use their resources to learn?

He decided that after he went back, he would find Chen Zhi. Besides firearms and combat techniques, he would look for things that were difficult to self-study, such as lip-reading, evasion, disguise, and wiretapping...

As the night deepened, bright light shone through the window of the small hotel on the street in Erenhot. But tonight, there were no rhythmic DJ beats or sounds of wilderness logging; instead, faint, obscure, and difficult-to-understand professional terminology drifted out.

Over the next two days, Lin Ning continued to scour the old town and the small hotel district.

The harvest was average.

First day: one Class B thief, 50,000; one Class B dangerous driving and fleeing suspect, 50,000.

Second day: one Class B small-time scammer, 80,000; one Class B wanted criminal for running a gambling den, 100,000.

Lin Ning claimed it was dull, like having been with Dilraba, Nazha, or Mi—all other beauties were just "so-so."

But his body and the corners of his mouth were very honest; every day, he went out early and returned late, as if pumped full of adrenaline.

Returning to the hotel at night, he looked at the RMB symbols following every six-digit password string.

Lin Ning couldn't stop grinning. He tallied up the total.

Liu Zongxiang: 200,000.

Ma Xuan: 80,000.

Two drug traffickers: 500,000 + 300,000 = 800,000.

Four small cases: 50,000 + 50,000 + 80,000 + 100,000 = 280,000.

Even assuming the reward for only providing partial clues was 70%.

Total income from wanted criminals: 200,000 + 80,000 + 800,000 + 280,000 = 1,360,000 * 70% = 952,000.

Plus the 230,000 from the meteorite.

1,182,000.

Lin Ning stared at the number, motionless for a long time. In just three or four days, nearly a million had safely landed in his pocket.

Then he lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, and smiled.

As he laughed, he suddenly sat up.

A small China-Mongolia border crossing had yielded such a huge harvest.

What about the Nanyun border? Or the border crossings with Russia?

He opened his phone and started looking up the local customs of cities on the Nanyun border.

Ruili, Hekou, Mohan... Traveling while making money, that seemed nice?

It would be best to go with Jiang Yu.

He happily browsed the webpages, his mind already starting to plan the itinerary.

His phone rang—Chen Zhi.

Lin Ning picked it up, his tone cheerful: "Brother Chen, did you miss me?"

There was silence on the other end for a second.

"Come back; something has come up."

Lin Ning paused for a moment, the smile on his face vanishing, and replied without hesitation: "Okay."

The call ended, and Lin Ning booked the next available flight on his phone.

Time was tight, so Lin Ning packed his things directly and drove straight to the airport.

"Hong'er, I have something urgent and need to return to Beijing immediately. I'll leave the car at Erenhot Airport; could you help me pick it up and take it to my sister? Yes, I got it... Okay!"

"Mom, there's company business I need to handle personally, so I'm going back to Beijing first. I'll come back to see you in a while... I know, don't worry... Alright, you take care of yourself too!"

"Sister, I'm in a rush to get back to Beijing to discuss business. I've asked Hao Hong to bring the car to you... Okay, I got it... Don't cry, Weiwei. Uncle will come back in a while and buy you a bigger doll and something yummy, okay? Sister, hurry up and comfort the child; she'll get sick if she keeps crying... Yeah, you take care too!"

The plane took off. Outside the window, the land gradually receded. The night made it impossible for Lin Ning to see the grasslands and Gobi of his hometown clearly.

Only under the moonlight, vast and open, it felt as if the sound of the horse-head fiddle was drifting in the air...