Working as a police officer in Mexico.

Chapter 708 Victor is a tiger!

In the meeting room at the Belize Police Headquarters, which served as a makeshift office for the special task force, Li Wenbin's eyes were bloodshot.

Zheng Chuyao placed a freshly brewed cup of steaming instant coffee next to Li Wenbin. Looking at his eyes, which were almost glued to the documents, she couldn't help but advise, "Li sir, you haven't slept for almost three days. This can't go on, or your health will collapse. Go take a nap for two hours on the cot over there. I'll keep an eye on things here."

Li Wenbin rubbed his face vigorously, trying to dispel the heaviness that almost glued his eyelids together. He shook his head, his voice hoarse: "It's okay, I can still hold on. Schultz is using his European connections to dig deep into the details of the matchmaker's meeting with Chen Yaoxing. We also need to coordinate with Chile. I can't sleep even if I lie down now."

He had just picked up the scalding cup of coffee, trying to force himself to stay awake with its heat and bitterness, when the satellite phone on the cluttered table suddenly rang.

Li Wenbin glanced at the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar international long-distance number. He frowned, but still pressed the answer button.

"Hello? Who is it?"

A familiar, slightly excited voice immediately came from the other end of the phone, speaking Cantonese: "Hey! Man-Bin! It's me, Kwok-Ming! How's it going? Is it hot in Belize? Are you still hanging out with those foreigners?"

Taken aback by the sudden, enthusiastic greeting, Li Wenbin's tired brain processed it for a moment before he chuckled and replied in Cantonese, "Hey, Mr. Ma, what brings you to think of me? You sound so smug, did you win the lottery and are planning to treat the whole police force to a world tour?"

"Traveling around the world? Hehe, that's even better than winning the lottery!" Ma Guoming's voice on the other end of the phone was so smug it was almost flying. "Let me tell you, this time I really struck gold, I've hit the jackpot! But..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, keeping everyone in suspense, "Due to current policies and confidentiality regulations, I can't tell you directly who it is, hehe."

Li Wenbin knows Ma Guoming too well. This guy likes to create mystery and wait for others to ask questions. He enjoys the thrill of uncovering secrets.

Li Wenbin wasn't about to let him have his way. He slowly took a sip of coffee, and although curiosity was starting to creep into his heart, his tone remained calm and composed: "So impressive? It's normal for your Master Ma to catch a notorious thief when he personally takes action. If you want to talk, you will; if you want to say it, you will. Do you expect me to pry your mouth open?"

Sure enough, Li Wenbin's unresponsive attitude made Ma Guoming a little anxious. He said "Hello" twice on the other end of the phone: "No way, Wenbin, aren't you curious? It's really a big deal! It's on an international level!"

Li Wenbin could almost picture Ma Guoming scratching his head in frustration. He suppressed a laugh and continued calmly, "I'm curious, but you, Chief Inspector Ma, have to follow the rules, I understand. We'll talk about it when it's convenient for you, I have a lot to do here."

"Damn you, Li Wenbin! You're incredibly boring!" Ma Guoming finally managed to curse, but his overwhelming desire to share ultimately overcame the pleasure of keeping him in suspense. He lowered his voice a little, but couldn't hide his smug satisfaction. "You win! I'll tell you, that fish is Xie Zhixiong!"

“Xie Zhixiong?” Li Wenbin repeated the name subconsciously. His brows furrowed habitually at first, but then, as if a lightning bolt had cleaved through the fog in his mind, his eyes widened suddenly, and he sat up straight instantly, all his fatigue vanishing.

“Bingo! It’s him! Tse Chi Lok’s younger brother!” Ma Guoming’s voice carried a sense of satisfaction, as if to say, “You finally realized it.” Then, before Li Wenbin could ask any questions, he rattled off a series of events, from how he had been staking out “Wing Kee” downstairs at Chungking Mansions, how he had accidentally bumped into them during a prostitution raid, how the other party had been so stupid as to try to bribe a young police officer with $50, to how the police station’s technical department had finally matched his photo with the wanted poster through facial recognition. He recounted the whole story vividly, with added embellishments.

"Isn't it true that justice will prevail? We CIB have been watching for so long, but this bastard delivered himself to our doorstep, and it was all because of prostitution and bribery! Isn't that hilarious?" Ma Guoming laughed so hard he could barely breathe on the other end of the phone.

Li Wenbin held the phone, his expression shifting from shock to disbelief, and finally breaking into a huge smile.

He slapped his thigh hard and yelled into the phone, "Damn! Kenneth Ma, you've really hit the jackpot this time! You've really shown off your power this time!"

"Hehe, luck is unpredictable. So, Li Sir, is this big gift enough for you to show off in Belize?"

"Enough! Absolutely enough!" Li Wenbin stood up excitedly and paced back and forth in the office. "With Xie Zhixiong arrested, even if he's stubborn, we can still dig up countless clues! At least we can get a glimpse into the core operating model of the Xie Zhile Group, some of its funding channels, and even the smuggling routes they might be using! This will be of great help to us in tracing the meeting between 'Wan Chai Tiger' Chen Yaoxing and that European intermediary, as well as uncovering their network in Mexico and even throughout the Americas!"

"I informed you of the firsthand news immediately. Interpol and the Organized Crime Division have taken over the case, and the subsequent joint interrogation and intelligence sharing will likely be transferred to you through official channels soon."

"Understood! Old Ma, thank you so much! I'm truly grateful!" Li Wenbin said sincerely.

"Don't be so polite, we're brothers. Be careful out there, you can't trust those Mexicans and foreigners. Just say the word if you need anything!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Wenbin was still immersed in great excitement. He turned around and saw Zheng Chuyao looking at him with a questioning gaze.

"Superintendent Zheng, great news! Fantastic news!"

Li Wenbin clenched his fist, the gloom on his face vanishing in an instant. "Over in Hong Kong, Ma Guoming and his men stumbled upon Xie Zhile's younger brother, Xie Zhixiong, by sheer luck!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chuyao's eyes lit up: "Xie Zhixiong?! This is incredibly lucky! This is amazing for us..."

“That’s right!” Li Wenbin chimed in, his eyes sharp as knives, refocusing on the photos of “Tiger of Wanchai” and Ivan Petrenko on the whiteboard. “Xie Zhixiong is a key! Even if we can’t directly unlock the lock on Xie Zhile’s hiding place, we can at least pry open a piece of their group’s ironclad structure! It seems we’re getting closer and closer to the boss hiding behind the scenes!”

He took a deep breath, feeling all his fatigue dispelled by this unexpected good news.

"Damn it, looks like God is on our side after all! Notify everyone, we're having a meeting in half an hour! We need to readjust our investigation strategy based on this new situation!"

……

Kenneth Ma personally presided over the trial, with a senior inspector from the NB and a police officer responsible for taking notes sitting next to him. CIB personnel closely monitored Tse Chi-hung's every micro-expression from behind one-way glass.

“Xie Zhixiong, or what do you prefer to be called? Brother Xiong?” Ma Guoming leaned forward, elbows on the table, his gaze sharp as a knife. “Stop making excuses. The Interpol Red Notice, your photo, fingerprints, and identity information all match. Now, let’s talk about your brother Xie Zhile, and your business.”

Xie Zhixiong leaned back in his chair, a hint of panic in his eyes as he realized he'd been exposed, but his face quickly contorted into an arrogant and unruly expression. He chuckled and tilted his head to look at Ma Guoming: "Officer, I'm just an honest guy who runs a small business. You've arrested the wrong person. That $50 just now? I was just bragging, trying to scare that newbie. Is that not allowed?"

"An honest man?" The super-duty inspector slammed his fist on the table. "An honest man worth an Interpol Red Notice? An honest man carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to buy his freedom? Xie Zhixiong, be smart! We know everything about you!" "If we know, then sue me!"

Xie Zhixiong spread his hands, looking like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water. "Where's the evidence? I'll admit to being accused of soliciting prostitution. Fines or detention, we'll do it the way it is. As for anything else? Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. I need to see a lawyer. I won't say anything until my lawyer arrives."

No matter how much pressure Ma Guoming and others exerted, changed their strategies, or even threw out some peripheral information they already had about their gang's activities in Southeast Asia, Xie Zhixiong just gritted his teeth and remained silent, or used excuses like "I don't know" or "I need to see a lawyer."

His attitude was extremely tough, even provocative.

When Ma Guoming, enraged by Xie Zhixiong's stubbornness, suddenly stood up, grabbed him by the collar, and nearly lifted him off his chair, Xie Zhixiong showed no fear. Instead, his eyes widened, a near-maniacal smile spreading across his face as he growled at Ma Guoming:

"Hit me! Hit me hard! Kill me! Hit me here!" He deliberately headbutted Ma Guoming, "Let's see if I die first, or if you and your family die with me!"

His sinister gaze swept over every policeman in the interrogation room. "My life is worthless, but if you lay a finger on me today, your whole family! Every single one of you, the men will be sold into slavery, the women into prostitution, young and old, none of you will escape! Sir, if you don't think about yourself, think about your family, huh?"

This blatant threat to their family members caused the young police officers' expressions to change slightly, and they subconsciously avoided Xie Zhixiong's crazed and resentful gaze.

Even the experienced NB inspector frowned deeply. These desperate criminals, especially large-scale drug cartels like this, were known for their ruthless methods of retaliation.

For a moment, there was a brief silence in the interrogation room, with only Xie Zhixiong's heavy breathing.

He looked smugly at the seemingly intimidated police officers before him, leaned back, even crossing his legs, and spoke in a languid and seductive tone:
"Why bother? Officers, it's just a job, you're only making a little money, why risk your life?"

He held up three fingers and waved them. "3000 million US dollars. I can arrange it right now. The money will be transferred directly to any overseas account you designate. Let me go, and everyone will be happy. You can keep the money and live a carefree life for the rest of your days. Why waste your time here with me and live in fear?"

"boom!"

Ma Guoming slammed his foot hard on the interrogation table, the loud noise making Xie Zhixiong's raised leg tremble.

"Tse Chi-hung! Do you think the Hong Kong Police Force is a garbage dump?! 3000 million? You couldn't buy your way through the rules here even with 3 million!" Ma Kwok-ming stood with his hands on his hips, his chest heaving with anger. He pointed at Tse Chi-hung's nose, "Let me tell you, you and your brother, and your drug network, this time it's over!"

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the interrogation room door. A subordinate pushed the door open and came in, holding a piece of paper in his hand. He quickly walked to Ma Guoming's side, leaned down and whispered a few words, and handed him the paper.

When Ma Guoming heard his subordinate's report, he was slightly taken aback at first, but soon his expression turned decisive.

He glanced down at the paper, then looked up at Xie Zhixiong, who was slightly annoyed at being interrupted.

"Mexico wants to extradite him?" Ma Guoming's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet interrogation room. He repeated it as if to confirm.

"Mexico?" The word seemed to possess a magical power. Xie Zhixiong, who had been arrogant and domineering just moments before, suddenly sat up straight, and for the first time, his eyes revealed a genuine and undisguised fear!

"No! I won't go to Mexico! Hong Kong law won't allow it! I'm going to appeal! I'm going to..."

“It’s not up to you!” Ma Guoming interrupted him sharply, waving the paper in his hand with a businesslike tone. “The Mexican police have formally submitted an extradition request through Interpol, on the grounds that your gang is suspected of large-scale drug trafficking into Mexico, colluding with local drug lords, and murdering law enforcement officers. The evidence is conclusive and the procedures are in compliance.”

He walked up to Xie Zhixiong, looking down at him condescendingly. "Xie Zhixiong, in Hong Kong, you could still talk your way out of things, threaten your family, and stall for time with your money and legal team, but once you're in Mexico..."

Ma Guoming paused deliberately, "Do you know how Victor deals with drug dealers? They don't talk to you about human rights or lawyers. They have plenty of ways to make you talk. And they're not afraid of your brother's threats at all. In Mexico, your brother's name is nothing. Once you get there, whether you're torn to pieces or buried alive to be fed to the dogs, it's not up to you."

"If I get ruthless, I'll even chop up your lawyer!"

"No! I'm not going!"

Xie Zhixiong panicked completely. He no longer cared about his arrogance and gripped the edge of the table tightly with both hands. "What do you want to know? I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything! Just don't send me to Mexico!"

Ma Guoming stared at him for a few seconds, as if assessing the sincerity of his surrender. Then, he slowly folded the paper, stuffed it into his pocket, and waved to his equally astonished subordinate beside him: "Go, prepare to take notes. Mr. Xie is now willing to have a proper chat with us."

The subordinate immediately responded and went out to prepare.

The subordinate who had just handed over the paper twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth as he turned to leave the interrogation room. Only he knew that the so-called "extradition application" that Ma Guoming had stuffed into his pocket was actually just a blank A4 sheet of paper used for printing reports, without a single word on it.

This is just to scare people.

What is Victor like? When you were a child, your parents would tell you when you were being noisy, "If you keep making noise, the tiger will come and eat you."

For drug traffickers…

Victor is a tiger!

……

(End of this chapter)