Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 924 One Person or Many (Part 2)

In the past, journalists were known as the uncrowned kings.

They are a special profession in the history of journalism that is both highly controversial and full of social value. They are often happy to break the unspoken rules of society and reveal the truth to the public. As for the aftermath, it is never a consideration for them, because someone will cover for them.

Over the years, Chinese journalists have risked their lives to report on the hardships faced by the underprivileged, from those involved in illegal oil production, child labor in black coal mines, illegal pyramid schemes, and medical fraud targeting the elderly, directly prompting the government to enact relevant laws and take enforcement actions.

The results have been remarkable, and tens of millions of ordinary people have benefited from them.

Even today, journalists are still proud of this.

From their perspective, journalists are using their own flesh and blood to fight against the injustices of reality and to illuminate illegal acts in the corners of society with the light of truth. They have done a lot, and all they ask for is a little.

At the very least, people need to know what's going on.

"Yangyang, Li Xia told me that the telecom fraud company wants you to send the video." Chen Shu looked at the female reporter in front of him, who was once full of vigor but now looked tired and haggard.

Zhang Yang stared intently at the cup in Chen Shu's hand, without saying a word.

Silence fell in the room.

After a moment, Chen Shu continued, "We've already come up with a plan. The target of this operation is the telecom fraud industrial park in the Dalalin area, which is known as the largest and most powerful telecom fraud park in northern Myanmar. Hmm, this is the place where Xiao Zhao is trapped."

This statement is a mixture of truth and falsehood. The so-called objective was merely a conclusion Chen Shu reached half an hour earlier in his hotel suite after listening to Wang Yan, the embassy's police liaison officer, analyze the current situation based on her years of experience working in Myanmar.

They are currently short of police resources, so they can only target a small group of people to carry out their operations. To catch the thieves, they must first catch the ringleader. Therefore, Chen Shu took the opportunity to set his sights on the most powerful telecom fraud zone in northern Myanmar, which was the zone where Xiao Zhao was trapped.

Zhang Yang slowly raised his head, and a spark of light appeared in his eyes.

Seeing that it was working, Chen Shu continued, "The situation in Dalalin is very complicated, involving multiple forces. Our people will need a lot of preparation work to go there. After all, it is a transnational law enforcement operation, unlike in China, where the police can just make a decision and immediately go there to conduct a search."

In practice, search warrants are often just a formality. Within a reasonable range of suspicion, Chinese police can conduct routine checks and searches. In emergency situations, no official documentation is required; documents can be added to the case file afterward, or even a brief explanation can be included without issue.

Chen Shu extended his right hand, explaining one by one on his fingers: "We don't have law enforcement authority in Myanmar. First, we need to coordinate with the local police to cooperate in law enforcement. Then, this area belongs to an autonomous region, and the Myanmar government only has nominal jurisdiction. In reality, we also need to contact the autonomous region government to obtain a search permit. As you know, here, telecom fraud companies are highly likely to be colluding with the autonomous region government, so we also need to gather intelligence and act at the most precise moment."

Chen Shu's explanation echoed in the room. Every word and sentence sounded reasonable, but when put together, it was a real and obvious problem standing in front of us.

That is, time.

Zhang Yang was a smart woman. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed little by little as Chen Shu listed the complicated procedures and real obstacles of cross-border law enforcement, eventually freezing back into a numb, lifeless silence.

She lowered her head slightly, her long hair falling on both sides of her cheeks. The corner of her mouth, half-hidden behind her hair, twitched slightly. The curve was neither like a smile nor a cry, but more like a despair of being cornered.

"Brother Shu, I understand what you mean. You've come to persuade me to take the video down."

Chen Shu fell silent. For days they had talked about everything, but who would have thought this day would come when they had to beat around the bush? This constant back and forth was exhausting. *Sigh* Chen Shu let out a long sigh.

"Officer Chen." Zhang Yang's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against each other. She used a more formal address for Chen Shu, perhaps to show her official attitude in the following conversation.

"Officer Chen, what you've said sounds perfectly correct, and it's a necessary procedural process. Coordination, permission, intelligence, timing... so much preparation, each of which takes time—three days, five days, or a week?"

Zhang Yang's focus began to rise until it met the eyes of the Officer Chen she was talking about: "Hehe, Officer Chen, according to you, if things go on like this, it'll probably take a month before you can even make a move, right?"

Zhang Yang slowly stood up. The chair legs that had been pushed away scraped against the wooden board with a screeching sound. She walked to the window, her back to Chen Shu, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, and her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

"Xiao Zhao, it seems he's been following me for quite a few years."

The sound was very soft and was masked by the noise outside.

Outside the window, the night lights in the courtyard of the neighboring consulate shone a white light into the air. Across the street, the shops were bustling with activity, and the sounds of hawking and noise did not subside at this time of day; on the contrary, they became even more lively.

A few minutes passed, and Zhang Yang gradually calmed down.

"Officer Chen, please excuse my rudeness." Zhang Yang turned around, her expression already back to normal; the independent, insightful, and resolute female reporter had returned to her.

"How ironic. In the past, we went undercover in illegal coal mines, exposed gutter oil, and reported on the trafficking of women and children. We risked our lives to expose these dark sides of society, and then we just waited for the government to use its thunderous power to smash them all down, to smash all that dirty, ugly garbage to pieces."

Zhang Yang spoke quickly, one sentence after another: "We...we just need to light the fire and illuminate the darkness, and the government will naturally step in to clean up the mess, promote change, and save the people."

She walked to the opposite side of Chen Shu and suddenly sat down in the chair quickly and forcefully.

Under the warm yellow light of the room, there were no tears on Zhang Yang's face, only a kind of weariness after being repeatedly beaten by reality and an almost cruel calmness, the calmness that a well-known female reporter should have.

The calm before the storm.

Zhang Yang slammed his fist on the coffee table repeatedly, yelling at the policeman sitting opposite him, "Officer Chen, where is this? This is northern Myanmar! This is a foreign land far from China! Who will protect us? Who will smash these disgusting things? Who can clean up this mess, bring about change, and save the people?"

"Are you hoping that the local police will storm into the telecom fraud zone to uphold justice? Are you hoping that the embassy will routinely send a few strongly worded diplomatic notes to the local government? Or are you hoping for the joint operation you mentioned that requires countless rounds of coordination and preparation?"

“Officer Chen, I’m not a novice reporter who’s been covering the news for the first time. I know better than you how slow the gears of the government system turn! I know better than anyone that those warlords, generals, and telecom fraud bosses only have money in their eyes! You expect them to talk to you about the law and procedures? You expect those local police officers to sincerely cooperate with us to take down their own sugar daddy?”

Slap it.

Zhang Yang slapped her hands on the coffee table, supporting her upper body against Chen Shu's face. The two were so close that their noses were almost touching, and their heavy breaths collided in the air.

She stared with those large eyes, her gaze filled with an intense, unyielding mockery, and asked, word by word:
"Officer, my dear Officer Chen, are you trying to soothe a child?"