The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief and asked Zhang Hu to take the old man back to his office. He needed to think carefully about how to capture Zhang Dong and prevent him from escaping.

The safest course of action is to report to the Public Security Bureau and have them dispatch a large number of police officers to seal off the area where Zhang Dong is located, gradually close in, and eventually find Zhang Dong.

This way, I can capture Zhang Dong without taking any risks, but I won't get any credit. At most, I'll get a few words of praise, which is just my job.

Fortune favors the bold, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Zhang Dong's appearance is both an opportunity and a challenge. Whether I can be promoted to deputy section chief quickly depends on Zhang Dong.

As long as he manages to capture a fugitive that neither the Provincial Public Security Department nor the Yizhou Public Security Bureau can catch, he will receive a first-class merit, and Zhang Xiangdong will have a reason to transfer him back to the Public Security Bureau and promote him to deputy section chief.

The opportunity was presented to Chen Shi, and deciding what to do was a difficult task.

Chen Shi was well aware of his situation. If Liu Youguang was transferred and replaced by a county magistrate who was not one of Wang Mingzhang's men, his chances would be slim.

While Liu Youguang and Zhang Xiangdong are around, I need to quickly rise to the position of deputy section chief, and then find a way to rise to the position of section chief. Only in this way can I have the leverage to make Wang Mingzhang look up to me and acknowledge me as his nephew.

Having figured all this out, Chen Shi decided to go all out.

He recalled what his advisor had told him when he was in college: when facing vicious criminals, remember two things.

First of all, people are made of flesh and blood, and can be killed with a single shot.

Secondly, everyone dies eventually, so protect yourself.

Chen Shi kept these two points firmly in mind, and they came in handy at this moment.

Ma Guoliang couldn't be called upon. He's a married man, and at any time, his survival is paramount; he wouldn't risk his life to capture Zhang Dong.

Only one person can do it, and that is Zhang Hu.

He took out his phone and called Zhang Hu, asking him to come to his office.

Zhang Hu jogged into the office, his face beaming with excitement: "Chief Chen, should we mobilize all the police force in the station to arrest Zhang Dong?"

Chen Shi pointed to the sofa: "Sit."

Zhang Hu sat down, awaiting Chen Shi's final instructions.

"Would you like to be transferred to the county public security bureau?"

Without a second thought, Zhang Hu blurted out, "Yes, I've always had a dream: to join the criminal investigation team, solve extraordinary cases, and make great contributions."

"The opportunity has come. As long as we catch Zhang Dong, I guarantee you'll get into the criminal investigation team."

Zhang Hu asked with a delighted expression, "Chief Chen, are you telling the truth?"

Chen Shi's face darkened: "Do I look like I'm joking with you?"

Zhang Hu suppressed his smile, quickly stood up, and saluted.

"Chief Chen, please give your instructions. I will carry them out strictly."

"The fugitive Zhang Dong is hiding in the back mountain of Longtougou Village. Do not reveal a single word of him."

"Now find four reliable police officers to come with us to arrest fugitive Zhang Dong."

Zhang Hu looked puzzled: "Aren't the six of us too few people to capture the fugitive Zhang Dong?"

"The terrain where Zhang Dong is hiding is complex. The more people we send, the more likely we are to alert him and cause him to move to a different hiding place. Then it will be much harder to catch him. The fewer people the better. Each person should be worth ten, understand?"

Zhang Hu took two steps, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Chief Chen, are these the four police officers? We didn't even tell them we were going to arrest the criminal Zhang Dong."

You're really something, you even know how to ask questions. You didn't listen to a word I said before.

Chen Shi's face darkened: "What do you think?"

Zhang Hu quickly said, "Don't tell them."

"Then hurry up and go."

Chen Shi took the old man in one police car, driven by Zhang Hu, while in another police car, four police officers were sitting.

Everyone carried a gun, and they told others they were going on patrol.

When the car arrived at Longtougou Village, Chen Shi got out and said to the four police officers, "We are going to patrol the mountains today. You need to be vigilant. The criminal Zhang Dong is very likely hiding in the back mountains."

The four police officers nodded in agreement.

The old man led the way, with Chen Shi and the other six following behind. The mountain path was difficult to traverse, but the old man walked as if on flat ground, moving very quickly.

After walking for more than an hour, the old man stopped. The fog was so thick that visibility was only half a meter.

The old man pointed ahead: "There are many caves here. Follow my steps closely and don't wander off. If you fall into a deep cave pit, you'll be crippled if you don't die."

The four police officers exchanged glances, wondering why Chief Chen had brought them to this remote mountain forest.

Could it be that they don't believe the fugitive Zhang Dong is really hiding in these deep mountains, and think Chen Shi is just making a fuss?

The four men dared not speak out in anger; they could only obey their leader's orders.

Chen Shi glanced at them: "Did you all hear that?"

The four responded and followed the old man's steps, traversing mountains and valleys for more than ten minutes.

The old man stopped and squatted down behind a boulder.

Chen Shi and his six men also squatted down. The old man lowered his voice and said, "Chief Chen, Zhang Dong's hiding place is just ahead. You can go there yourselves."

Chen Shi looked at the four police officers behind him and said in a low but stern voice, "Now I can tell you that the fugitive Zhang Dong is hiding in the cave ahead. Zhang Hu and I will go down into the cave to arrest Zhang Dong. You four will split into two groups. This cave has two exits, and you will each go and guard one of the exits."

If Zhang Dong escapes, capture him alive if possible; if not, shoot him dead. Do not let him escape.

Whoever lets the animal escape will not only miss out on the bonus, but will also be punished.

This is your chance. If we catch criminals that even the Provincial Public Security Bureau can't catch, the four of you will have the opportunity to be transferred to the County Public Security Bureau.

The opportunity is right in front of you, seize it. Anyone who's afraid to go, just say so now, and I won't stop you; you can always turn back.

The four were all young police officers. They exchanged a glance, their youthful vigor burning, and decided to fight.

If you're afraid of death, you shouldn't be a policeman. You don't even have the chance to take risks normally. This might be the only chance they have in their lives to change their fate.

They all said in unison, "We will strictly follow Director Chen's orders."

Chen Shi glanced at Zhang Hu. He thought, "Well done. We didn't pick a coward."

Chen Shi then inquired in detail about the situation inside the cave from the old man. The cave was very spacious and could accommodate about ten adults.

The upper exit is a vertical drop, about five or six meters deep, while the lower exit is in a deep pit surrounded by weeds, just big enough for an adult to squeeze out sideways.

After understanding the situation, Chen Shi carefully approached the entrance above the cave, following the location indicated by the old man.

No signs of human activity were found around the entrance.

Chen Shi guessed that there were two possibilities. One possibility was that the old man was lying to him and that Zhang Dong was not hiding in the cave at all.

One possibility is that Zhang Dong has strong counter-surveillance capabilities and has erased his own activity traces.

Based on Zhang Dong's escape route after committing the crime, it can be concluded that he is a criminal with strong counter-surveillance capabilities.

Both possibilities exist, and Chen Shi is unsure. Often, life is a gamble, and the younger you are, the more you can afford to lose. At worst, you can start over.