25: Chapter 25: Covert Tracking - My Bonus Isn't Getting Away

The grilled kidneys were just served, sizzling with fragrant oil. Xu San had already started devouring two skewers, Jin Er was sipping his drink, and Zhang Shitou was slowly picking at the eggplant meat.

Lin Ning held a skewer in his hand, but his gaze drifted. He pricked up his ears, feeling like there should be some movement in the distance—a siren? Footsteps? Or perhaps just a shout?

Nothing at all.

The night at Juma Bridge was still the same, noisy and full of the scent of life.

"Lin Zi," Jin Er poked him with a skewer, "Has your soul flown away? Is the meat not tasty anymore?"

Lin Ning snapped back to reality and grinned: "It's tasty! Why wouldn't it be!" He took a fierce bite of the kidney, chewing vigorously, though his thoughts were still tethered to the old building.

Twenty minutes had long passed.

Officer Li Feng hadn't sent another message. His phone was as quiet as a brick.

Something wrong? It was too right, which made people nervous. He made an excuse about needing to pee and got up, walking toward the dark alley behind the barbecue stall. Old Yang had set up a makeshift urinal there; it smelled strong, but it was secluded.

While relieving himself, he pulled out his phone, hesitating whether to send Officer Li Feng a message to ask. Before he could finish typing, his ears suddenly caught a different kind of movement—in the messier, narrower alley behind him, the small side path leading to the shanty town.

Footsteps, very light, very fast, along with the swish-swish sound of clothing or paper scraping against the wall.

An image instantly flashed in Lin Ning's mind—something or someone was moving quickly along the shadows at the base of the wall.

The hair on Lin Ning's body stood up with a "swish." He zipped up his pants, shoved his phone back into his pocket, and shrank into the deeper darkness of the wall corner, revealing only one eye.

A silhouette flashed out from the side path, the dim yellow light of the street lamp occasionally sweeping across the person's profile.

Zhang He!

Lin Ning's heart leaped into his throat.

He had come out! And he was walking in the direction away from the old building, toward the messier shanty town!

Where were the police? Wasn't Officer Li Feng and his team monitoring the old building? How did he slip out?!

Lin Ning's mind was in chaos. 'Damn it, what is this? Is this a runner? I already gave the reward to those three guys, Jin Er and the others! I'd even figured out how to spend the rest of the money!'

Instinctively, Lin Ning wanted to find a brick right there; he couldn't let Zhang He run into the shanty town! That place was a maze with hardly any cameras; it would be hard to find him once he slipped in.

Glancing at Zhang He's sturdy build and his swift, wind-like pace, Lin Ning immediately sobered up. With his small frame and half-disabled arm, he wouldn't last a single elbow strike from the man.

He quickly retracted his head, back pressed against the cold brick wall, and pulled out his phone. His fingers were a bit stiff; it took two swipes to unlock it, and he pressed Officer Li Feng's speed dial.

"Beep... beep..."

Pick up! Pick up!

"Lin Ning?" Officer Li Feng's voice was very low, with some noisy static in the background, "We just arrived downstairs at the old building, we are preparing to..."

"The target is outside!" Lin Ning interrupted him, hand cupped over his mouth, his voice squeezed through his teeth, low and urgent, "Zhang He! He's not in the building! He came out, he's walking south along the main street, almost at the entrance of 'Xingwang Supermarket'! Wearing a dark gray jacket, carrying a black bag!"

There was a pause in breath on the other end, followed immediately by Officer Li Feng's urgent command: "...Target is outside! Repeat, target has left the old building! Heading south along the main street! All teams pay attention..." Then his voice became clearer, "Lin Ning! Where is your position? Are you safe?"

"I'm in the alley behind Old Yang's barbecue stall, he didn't see me." Lin Ning spoke rapidly, "You guys hurry! He's about to slip into the shanty town!"

"Keep watching! Tell me his direction at any time! Stay safe! We are coming to surround him from the side!" Officer Li Feng hung up the phone.

Lin Ning took a deep breath, the cold air making his windpipe ache.

He carefully poked his head out again.

Zhang He had already passed Xingwang Supermarket, his pace even faster, even starting to jog. He was clearly aware of the danger, looking left and right, appearing to search for a suitable side street.

Lin Ning's heart pounded. He couldn't stay where he was anymore; the main street was bright, and if Zhang He turned back, he might see him at the alley entrance.

He crouched down, using the few broken electric scooters and tricycles parked on the side of the road as cover, and slipped out from the other end of the alley. Tens of thousands in bonuses were running away in front of him! He absolutely couldn't let this bastard slip into the shanty town! This side led to a small area of bungalows waiting to be demolished, full of garbage piles everywhere; the road was bad, but there were many side roads and exits, which was convenient for Lin Ning to observe.

He took a small detour, emerging from behind a pile of old furniture, just in time to see Zhang He's back on the main street at an angle.

The distance had widened, but he could still see him clearly.

His phone vibrated, a WeChat from Officer Li Feng: "We are divided into three groups. Two cars will block from the intersection ahead, one group of plainclothes officers will follow from behind. Where is his specific location now?"

Lin Ning typed rapidly: "Just passed 'Laosi Auto Repair Shop', still within the main street range, but he keeps looking to the right, probably wanting to find a road to turn into the shanty town."

After sending it, he continued to follow.

He didn't dare to follow too closely, having to use every piece of cover—garbage piles, utility poles, broken walls... It was like playing a real-life stealth game.

Sweat ran down his temples. The soreness from the afternoon training all came back now, his muscles twitching.

Zhang He suddenly stopped at a fork in the road and turned his head sharply!

Lin Ning instantly shrank behind a low wall, holding his breath.

A few seconds felt as long as a few hours.

No footsteps approached.

He slowly poked out half an eye. Zhang He didn't seem to have discovered anything, but he was clearly more anxious. He stopped walking along the main street and suddenly turned into a narrow alley on the right filled with construction waste.

"He turned! He entered the alley next to 'Liu's Hardware Store' on the right side of the main street! That road leads to the back street and the scrap yard!" Lin Ning sent a quick voice message to Officer Li Feng.

"Received! Our people will be in position in thirty seconds! You pull back!"

Lin Ning didn't pull back. Guided by some strange instinct, he cut across along a narrower path filled with household garbage that ran parallel.

This small path could lead to the rear side of that scrap yard, providing a high vantage point.

He climbed up a pile of flattened cardboard boxes using both hands and feet, and his view suddenly opened up.

Not far below was the exit of that alley filled with construction materials, connecting to a small patch of open ground left by demolition.

Zhang He was rushing out of the alley, his footsteps stumbling. Almost simultaneously, at the other end of the open ground, two bright headlights shone over, directly trapping him in the beam of light!

"Police! Don't move! Hands on your head!" The loudspeaker exploded in the night sky.

Zhang He squinted, blinded by the light, but didn't stop.

Like a trapped beast, he turned sharply, trying to dive into the scrap yard.

"Bang!" A dull thud—not a gunshot, but like the impact of flesh. A plainclothes officer who had lunged from the shadows was already wrestling with him.

Zhang He had immense strength; struggling, he pushed the policeman away halfway and reached into his chest!

Danger! A buzzing sound filled Lin Ning's head.