Working as a police officer in Mexico.

Chapter 704 Wan Chai Little Steamed Buns?
Li Wenbin and Zheng Chuyao didn't even have time to go back to their residence to get more luggage. The group set off overnight, escorted by a special car arranged by Deputy Minister Epstein, heading straight for Belize.

The car was a decent off-road vehicle, but the road conditions in Mexico in the 90s, especially on long night trips, were by no means comfortable.

Anyone who's ever taken a long bus ride knows how easy it is to feel nauseous. (I farted once on a long bus ride, and... well, you shouldn't believe every fart.)
We drove in silence, the only sounds being the roar of the engine and the noise of the wheels rolling over the road.

As dawn broke, the SUV finally entered the Belize Police Headquarters compound. The blinding morning light made the task force members, who had been working continuously for more than ten hours, feel dizzy.

Director Schultz was already waiting at the entrance of the office building with several deputy directors.

"Superintendent Li, Superintendent Zheng, you must be tired from your journey."

Schultz stepped forward, gave a brief and firm handshake, and said in a businesslike tone, “The office is ready, and the relevant case files and physical evidence are all inside. I am Lionel Schultz, Chief of Police of Belize, in charge of local coordination.”

"I am ordered to cooperate with you."

“Director Schultz, excuse me.” Li Wenbin was equally concise. He could sense the other party’s instinctive resistance to having their territory invaded, but now was not the time to dwell on that. “The situation is urgent, and we hope to start working immediately.”

The arrival of the special task force is a huge blow to local morale. Doesn't this mean that the higher-ups think the locals are not doing a good job?

This is one of the reasons why we often don't handle cases in different locations; the issues involved are too complex, and it's easy to discourage our colleagues.

"Follow me." Schultz turned and led the way, walking quickly.

The so-called task force office was actually just an empty conference room with a few photos of the scene and a simple relationship diagram on the whiteboard, and thick files piled on several tables.

"These are all the materials we have at the moment."

Schultz pointed to the files, “The statements of Fermín, Arturo, and Diego, the casino search records, and… the preliminary report and photos of the car accident.”

When the car accident was mentioned, his lips twitched, and his tone became noticeably somber.

"Has the identity of the driver who caused the accident been confirmed?" Li Wenbin cut straight to the point.

"I checked, and he's a local long-distance truck driver with a criminal record for petty theft, but his background seems clean. There are no unusual large transactions in his account. His family has also asked him, and they all say he hasn't done anything unusual lately."

Schultz's tone was one of frustration and skepticism. "But I don't believe it. What a coincidence! We're digging deep into everyone he's been in contact with recently."

Zheng Chuyao had already walked to the whiteboard. Her gaze swept over the bloody car accident scene photos and then moved to the wanted poster photo of Ivan Petrenko, whose facial features were clearly visible.

"Chief Schultz, how much background information did you have on Ivan Petrenko before?"

Schultz walked to a filing cabinet and pulled out a relatively thin folder: "Not much. This guy appeared in Belize about half a year ago. He has a Russian passport and uses the identity of an 'importer' as a cover. He mainly operates in the old dock area, making contact with all sorts of shady characters. His main business is collecting protection money. Our informants had been watching him for a while, but we didn't find anything too wrong until this casino case broke out. This is some information we had gathered in bits and pieces before."

Li Wenbin took the folder and looked through it with Zheng Chuyao.

The documents inside were indeed fragmented: a few blurry photos taken from a distance documenting Ivan's meetings with unidentified individuals, several border crossing records, and a brief intelligence summary mentioning that Ivan might be armed and have a military background.

"Military background?" Li Wenbin pointed to that line of text.

“It’s just a rumor.” Schultz shrugged. “An informant said that he boasted when he was drunk that he came from some Red Banner or Guards unit and had participated in the ‘war on the other side of the mountain.’ But we’ve verified that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many unit files were in a mess and difficult to verify. Besides, who knows if he was just exaggerating his abilities?”

Li Wenbin and Zheng Chuyao exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. "The war on the other side of the mountain."

This most likely refers to the war in Afghanistan!
veteran?

“We need more detailed information about his social connections, especially his whereabouts and contacts in the old dock area,” Li Wenbin said. “We also need to immediately re-examine the accident scene.”

“No problem, I’ll send someone to take you there.” Schultz nodded. Although he was a little uncomfortable with the parachuted experts, he dared not disobey Viktor’s direct orders. Moreover, he was eager to find out who was behind it all. “If you need any support, just ask. I only ask one thing: you must notify me immediately of any major progress.”

Over the next few days, the task force worked tirelessly, almost without sleep, like a tightly wound machine.

Li Wenbin and Zheng Chuyao, along with two capable detectives sent by Schultz who were familiar with the local situation, carefully examined the horrific car accident scene again. The wreckage of the vehicle had been cleared away, but the skid marks, scattered parts, and dried bloodstains on the ground were still shocking.

Zheng Chuyao even lay on the ground and used a magnifying glass to examine the twisted metal fractures inch by inch, trying to find any abnormal traces that were not caused by an impact.

Meanwhile, an investigation into Ivan Petrenko's background is also underway.

Through clandestine channels and the thorough search of the old dock area by the Schulz police, pieces of evidence were gradually pieced together:
Ivan Petrenko was no ordinary Russian gangster. Clues pointed to his possible affiliation with an elite reconnaissance unit whose designation was discontinued after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

During the Afghan War, this unit carried out numerous infiltration and sabotage missions behind enemy lines, and was known for its ruthlessness and adaptability. After the war, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, many officers and soldiers of this unit were scattered in all directions, and some used their military skills to become mercenaries or get involved in organized crime.

Intelligence suggests that Ivan briefly appeared in the Eastern European black market for arms in the 80s and early 90s and had contact with some Ukrainian arms dealers.

He smuggled himself into Mexico via the Caribbean about a year ago and eventually settled in Belize. He chose the Old Dock area, a place rife with smuggling and a place where he could hide and trade.

More importantly, through repeated questioning of Fermín and other people involved in the casino case, and combined with the analysis of trace evidence from Ivan's belongings, the task force discovered that Ivan was extremely cautious. He almost never used a landline and his methods of communication were varied, but he seemed to have made several brief calls to a public phone number located in a district of Mexico City.

The number was found to belong to a small, now defunct import/export company with falsified registration information. However, it was located near Mexico City’s famous “Voice of Dolores” wholesale market, an area known for its large concentration of Chinese merchants and high volume of goods.

The office was filled with the mixed smells of coffee, takeout grease, and strong tobacco. Smoke swirled around the room. After working non-stop for several days, everyone looked exhausted, with bloodshot eyes. Empty lunch boxes and crumpled coffee cups were piled on the desks.

Li Wenbin stood in front of the whiteboard, his finger pointing heavily at "Dolores Voice Wholesale Market" and several small Chinese gangs whose names were circled and had indirect contact with Ivan.

"After investigating, it turns out that Ivan's network, especially after reaching Belize, where he came into contact with a variety of people, was most involved in helping him gain a foothold, providing initial cover and channels, with the highest level of involvement from the local Chinese community."

Li Wenbin's voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes were sharp. "This market is a mixed bag; it's a hub of information, but also a breeding ground for filth." A member of the Major Crimes Unit who had come with him stubbed out his cigarette forcefully and said with some impatience, "Superintendent Li, now that the target area has been narrowed down, and that area is a Chinese-populated area, shouldn't we just launch a large-scale raid? Bring back the suspected stall owners and gang leaders, interrogate them separately, and we'll surely get some information out of them! Otherwise, things are too slow like this!"

This suggestion was immediately echoed by several colleagues.

Before Li Wenbin could speak, Zheng Chuyao frowned. She put down the file in her hand and said, "I object. I understand your feelings, but doing this will have endless consequences."

She walked to the whiteboard and glanced at everyone present: "There are indeed many Chinese merchants in the Dolores Voice Market, but the Chinese community in Belize and even throughout Mexico is huge, and the vast majority of them are legally operating businesses. What we are facing is an extremely secretive drug network. They are infiltrating it and using this ordinary business environment as a cover."

She paused, then emphasized, “If we launch a large-scale raid now, mobilize a large force, and arrest a bunch of people, what will the result be? It’s very likely that we’ll alert the real key figures, causing them to flee. More importantly, it will send an extremely wrong signal that the Mexican government is targeting the Chinese community. Belize itself has a complex population and delicate racial relations. Such an action will immediately arouse panic and distrust throughout the Chinese community, and may even trigger wider social conflicts.”

"At that time, not only will we be unable to continue the investigation, but it will also cause a serious diplomatic and public opinion storm. What we want is drug control, not to incite riots."

Li Wenbin gave Zheng Chuyao an approving look and continued, "Superintendent Zheng is right. We are dancing on the edge of a knife. We need to be ruthless and accurate, but also steady. This case involves too many people, and the protective umbrella behind it is quite powerful. Ivan being silenced is proof of this. We must take every step carefully and only take action when we have solid evidence. Otherwise, we will suffer the consequences instead of killing the snake."

He looked around and said in a deep voice, "I know you brothers are all angry, but the more this is the case, the more we need to stay calm. Acting recklessly will play right into the hands of the mastermind. They would love for us to muddy the waters so they can escape unscathed."

The group members fell silent. They understood the logic, but faced with the stalemate, a sense of frustration lingered.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

Before there was a response from inside, the door was pushed open, and Director Schultz appeared in the doorway.

A hint of excitement shone in his eyes.

He held a thin folder in his hand, his gaze fixed directly on Li Wenbin and Zheng Chuyao.

"Superintendent Li, Superintendent Zheng."

He walked a few steps to the table and slammed the folder down in front of Li Wenbin.

“Our people in Europe have never let up on monitoring that Eastern European bastard who introduced Ivan.”

Schultz tapped the folder with his finger as he spoke, “We just received encrypted intelligence. They overheard a crucial phone call. The intermediary recently made contact with someone in Hong Kong, and they arranged a meeting place and time in Valparaiso, Chile. The person who will meet them is nicknamed—the Tiger of Wanchai!”

"The Tiger of Wan Chai?"

Li Wenbin and Zheng Chuyao almost simultaneously repeated the nickname. They exchanged a glance, their pupils shrinking sharply! This name was all too familiar to them, coming from Hong Kong. It pointed to a notorious figure in the Hong Kong underworld—Chen Yaoxing!
This guy is a real tough guy.

Li Wenbin abruptly opened the folder, which contained a brief intelligence summary and a translated copy of the call log.

"How reliable is the intelligence?" Li Wenbin looked up, his eyes fixed intently on Schultz.

Schultz met his gaze without flinching: "The source is a mole we've planted for a long time. We almost got exposed because of this information. I personally judge it to be over 80% credible. Superintendent Li, Superintendent Zheng, now that Ivan is dead, the European intermediary has become the key, and now, this intermediary has lured out the tiger from Hong Kong!"

“Valparaiso, Chile,” Li Wenbin said thoughtfully. “It’s an important port on the west coast of South America, where smuggling is rampant. If they choose to meet there, the items they’re trading are likely related to maritime transport, and most likely drugs.”

He looked at Zheng Chuyao, and they both saw the same determination and solemnity in each other's eyes.

"Director Schultz, thank you for your intelligence, it's crucial!"

Li Wenbin decisively said, "We need to adjust our direction immediately. Please ask your informants in Europe to keep a close eye on things and get as many details as possible about the meeting."

Schultz nodded: "I've already given the order. We have some channels in Chile, but we need higher-level coordination, which requires the involvement of Mr. Victor's office."

“I immediately reported to Undersecretary Eberstein and Secretary Bill.”

The office instantly became busy again, and the previous fatigue and frustration were swept away by this sudden and important clue.

A tense yet exciting atmosphere filled the air.

Zheng Chuyao walked to the window, looked at the lights gradually coming on in Belize, and whispered to Li Wenbin, "Commander Li, it seems that this Triad member has a deep-rooted presence inside. If we catch him, we might even be able to find out exactly where Xie Zhile is hiding."

Upon hearing this, Li Wenbin felt a surge of excitement.

"Damn it, I'm going to catch him!"

Poison King?

I'm here to catch the drug kingpin!

……

Victor in Mexico City, of course, didn't care about such a "trivial matter".

He is the leader, in control of the overall situation.

He is currently cutting the ribbon for a public works project.

American ink wash painting project!

……

(End of this chapter)