Interception

The edges of the metal handcuffs pressed against the wrist bones, carrying the coolness of the morning air and the undeniable hardness of an industrial product.

Lin Feng slightly adjusted the position of his hands to prevent the cold, rounded surface from hurting him too much. He sat in the middle of the back seat of the gray sedan, his body swaying gently with the movement of the vehicle. Two plainclothes officers flanked him, like two silent walls of flesh. In the front passenger seat, the square-faced man— Captain Wang —kept his eyes fixed ahead, only occasionally glancing at Lin Feng through the rearview mirror, his gaze sharp and cautious.

Outside the car window, the city's morning light was fragmented by the rapidly passing buildings. The flow of cars heading to work, parents riding electric bikes to take their children to school, breakfast stalls steaming on the roadside... ordinary morning scenes flashed by one after another. The car was driving smoothly along the main road towards the outskirts of the city, with a clear direction—to the entrance to the intercity expressway.

The car was quiet. The only sounds were the low hum of the engine, the even airflow from the air conditioning vents, and the regular "clunk" of the tires rolling over road seams. No one spoke. This silence carried a businesslike, oppressive tension, like a taut bowstring.

Lin Feng closed his eyes.

This wasn't escapism or exhaustion. With his vision shut off, his other senses and inner attention were amplified. He could feel the slight vibrations of the car seat beneath him more clearly, discern the slightly different breathing rhythms of the two plainclothes officers on his left and right, and notice the pattern of Captain Wang glancing at him through the rearview mirror every forty seconds or so.

Wei Guanglin's reaction speed was expected. As a powerful figure who had been deeply involved in S City for many years, he had a solid grasp on the city's police force. This control came not only from his position, but also from the network of contacts, prestige, and deep understanding of the system's internal rules that he had cultivated over the years.

The car passed through another intersection, and the view ahead suddenly opened up. The tall buildings were now sparse, replaced by vast expanses of undeveloped land and the silhouettes of distant mountains. The blue and white highway signs were clearly visible in the morning light, with arrows pointing to the right.

We're getting closer to the exit ramp.

The plainclothes officer sitting to Lin Feng's left seemed to notice that he had been keeping his eyes closed and silent for a long time. He turned his body slightly to the side and swept his face with a probing look.

Lin Feng "woke up" at just the right moment. His eyelids fluttered a few times before he slowly opened them, revealing a perfect amount of drowsiness and confusion caused by waking up early and being disturbed. He gently turned his handcuffed wrists, making the metal make a slight scraping sound again, and then cast his slightly unfocused gaze at the scenery rushing past outside the window.

His behavior perfectly embodies that of an ordinary young man who is suddenly taken away by the police in the early morning, not fully understanding the situation, and who may be filled with anxiety but is trying to remain calm.

Captain Wang glanced at him again in the rearview mirror, this time his gaze lingered for a second or two longer before turning back to the front. His face remained expressionless, but his fingers, resting on his knees, tapped almost imperceptibly.

The car began to slow down, preparing to merge into the rightmost lane and head towards the highway toll station.

Just then, Lin Feng caught a glimpse of something unusual about the road ahead out of the corner of his eye.

About 200 meters from the toll plaza, four blue and white police cars were neatly parked on the emergency lane. The police lights were not flashing, but seven or eight police officers in summer uniforms and full police equipment stood beside the cars. They were not blocking the road, but rather standing seemingly casually beside the cars, but their positions subtly controlled the entrance to the auxiliary road leading to the toll plaza ramp.

One of the middle-aged police officers, whose shoulder insignia indicated he was a third-level police inspector, was looking up at his watch before glancing in their direction. His gaze locked onto the three unlicensed vehicles.

The driver of the gray sedan clearly noticed this as well, and his speed decreased slightly, with a hint of hesitation.

"Captain Wang, up ahead..." the driver whispered.

Captain Wang naturally saw it too. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his voice remained steady. "Just drive past as normal. It's probably a routine check or some other mission; it's none of our business."

Even so, he leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the police cars and the officers beside them, as if quickly assessing the situation.

The convoy continued forward, getting closer and closer to the police cars. One hundred meters, fifty meters...

The third-level police inspector raised his hand, not to signal them to stop, but to beckon them in a small but clear gesture, while stepping to the middle of the entrance to the auxiliary road, blocking half of the lane.

This stance is clear enough.

The gray sedan came to a complete stop, and the two SUVs behind it also braked.

Captain Wang's face darkened. He pushed open the car door and got out. His movements were unhurried, with a businesslike composure. The third-level police inspector also came forward, and the two stopped a few meters in front of the car.

Lin Feng sat in the car, his position allowing him to see the two men's silhouettes through the windshield. He couldn't hear the specific conversation, but he could see Captain Wang take out his identification and hand it over. The Level 3 Police Inspector took it, examined it carefully, and then glanced at Captain Wang's face to compare it.

Then, Captain Wang produced the arrest warrant. The third-level police inspector took it, examined it more carefully, and even flipped it over to look at the seal.

The two exchanged a few words. The third-level police inspector shook his head, said something, and gestured to the police car and his colleagues behind him. Captain Wang's body language became noticeably more forceful; he raised his hand, as if to emphasize something.

The negotiations appeared to have reached a brief stalemate.

The plainclothes officer sitting to Lin Feng's left shifted uncomfortably, his right hand instinctively reaching for his lower back again. Lin Feng could feel the man on his right also tensing his muscles slightly.

A few words could be faintly heard from outside the car. "... inter-provincial... procedures... our municipal bureau..."

At this moment, a third-level police inspector walked over. He ignored the driver's seat and the passenger seat, and went straight to the rear window on Lin Feng's side, knocking on the glass.

The plainclothes officer controlling Lin Feng's left-side car door glanced at Captain Wang, Captain Wang nodded slightly from a short distance away.

The car window rolled down.

The third-level police inspector's gaze bypassed the plainclothes officer, landing on Lin Feng's face, then quickly sweeping over the handcuffs on his wrists, before finally looking back into his eyes. His tone was formulaic but undeniable. "Lin Feng?"

Lin Feng nodded.

"I'm from the S City Public Security Bureau xx Branch. My surname is Zhang." The third-level police inspector stated succinctly, "You are involved in another case in our city, and we need your cooperation in the investigation. Now, please get out of the car."

Upon hearing this, the air inside the car seemed to freeze for a moment.

The plainclothes officer on the left immediately spoke up, his tone forceful. "Comrade, we are from the Economic Crime Investigation Division of the XX City Public Security Bureau in N Province, and we are on official duty! This is our criminal suspect, and we have proper arrest warrants!"

Police Inspector Zhang's expression remained unchanged; he didn't even glance at the plainclothes officer, his gaze still fixed on Lin Feng. He simply raised his voice, ensuring Captain Wang outside the car could hear clearly. "I said, he's involved in a case in our city and needs to cooperate with the investigation. You can send a letter of assistance according to procedure. Right now, he can't be taken away."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a deep-rooted, unyielding confidence rooted in his local community.

Captain Wang strode back, his face completely grim. "Officer Zhang, what do you mean by this? Our paperwork is complete, and we applied for cooperation according to regulations for cross-provincial investigations! Your obstruction is obstructing official business!"

Police Inspector Zhang then turned to face Captain Wang, his expression remaining calm, even somewhat formally polite, but his words carried no weight. "Captain Wang, I understand your needs in handling the case. But we also have our cases. Your paperwork is complete, but taking someone out of our city also requires compliance with our procedures. Now, please cooperate with our work."

"What case are you handling? When was it filed? What are the details of the case?" Captain Wang fired off a barrage of questions, his tone aggressive.

"I can't disclose specific details of the case," Police Inspector Zhang replied deftly. "But I can assure you that the paperwork is complete and the situation is urgent. Captain Wang, we're all doing our jobs; I hope we can understand each other."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Feng in the car again. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. "Today, you can't take this person away for the time being."

As soon as he finished speaking, the seven or eight policemen behind him silently moved forward a few steps, their positions subtly forming a semi-encirclement. Although no one brandished their weapons, their synchronized movements and the oppressive silence conveyed their stance.

A silent standoff suddenly took place at the highway entrance.

Lin Feng remained quietly seated in the car, his hands folded on his knees, the handcuffs on his wrists reflecting a cold light in the morning sun. He watched the two sides arguing outside the car window, watched Captain Wang's face slightly flushed with anger, and watched Police Inspector Zhang Zhang's unwavering composure.

He didn't say anything.

Only in that deep, tranquil pool of consciousness, which only he could perceive, did he clearly "see" Wei Guanglin receiving the information, picking up the internal communicator, and calmly issuing instructions.

Contingency Plan Three has been activated.

The sounds of arguing could be faintly heard outside the window, filled with anger and a stubborn insistence on not giving in.

His task is to remain seated here and wait for this game, played according to the rules, to reach its due outcome.