"He's fine."
Zhou Yanqing sat down behind his desk, lifted his enamel mug, and took a sip of tea before speaking slowly.
"Things are going fairly smoothly. The key evidence has already been handed over to the Special Task Force. According to our intelligence, the people further up the chain are getting restless. They'll make a move soon. If things move quickly, we could close the net in three to five days."
"We have people watching Shen Wangjing's location around the clock, and he's had basic emergency response training himself. The higher-ups sent their best technical team. We won't let him face those people alone."
Jiang Xun stared at Zhou Yanqing.
Zhou Yanqing hadn't paused or sounded uncertain. Every word had landed solidly.
Afterward, he even took a folder from his drawer and handed it to him. Inside were several photos cleared for disclosure, all taken covertly from a distance. They showed a row of low residential buildings, a few blurry figures, and surveillance positions marked with red circles.
"This is the core area of our surveillance operation. Shen Wangjing is operating within this area. If anything unusual happens, the assault team can be in position within three minutes."
Jiang Xun closed the folder and lightly rubbed his fingertips over its cover.
"You're not lying to me?"
"I'm a police officer. Professional ethics don't allow me to deceive the public."
"Spare me." Jiang Xun handed the folder back and leaned back a little. "I know you're waiting for an opening. If those people stay holed up, you won't catch any fish, no matter how tight your net is."
"I have a way to make them take the bait."
Zhou Yanqing's gaze sharpened. The relaxed curve of his lips vanished, and his voice sank.
"What did you say?"
"Let me be