The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 848 Special Deployment: The Hunt for Zhao Wengang

Li Ming stared intently at Zhang Jun and pressed, "What kind of deal? Explain in detail."

Zhang Jun's voice trembled slightly: "Zhao Wengang is an important supplier of raw materials for our factory. In order to cooperate in the long term and obtain higher profits, he secretly gave me a large sum of money. That time, we were discussing the details of the subsequent cooperation and financial transactions in a coffee shop, and unexpectedly, Liu Hua happened to be there as well. He saw Zhao Wengang give me the money. He left without saying anything, but Zhao Wengang and I were both very scared, worried that he would expose this matter."

"So you decided to kill him?" Li Ming's eyes were piercing. Zhang Jun hurriedly waved his hands: "I... I didn't intend to kill him at first. I just told Zhao Wengang to see if I could find a way to shut him up and prevent him from spreading this. But later Zhao Wengang said he had a way and asked me to give him some money. I was out of my mind at the time, so I gave it to him. I really didn't expect him to actually kill someone."

"So how exactly did you plan this?" Li Ming pressed. Zhang Jun recalled, "Zhao Wengang said he would find an opportunity to approach Liu Hua, lure him to a secluded place, scare him, and tell him not to meddle. I gave him some information about Liu Hua, such as his routine. But I really don't know how things developed into murder. Zhao Wengang didn't tell me the specific plan."

"What were you doing on the night of the incident?" Li Ming asked. Zhang Jun replied, "As Zhao Wengang instructed, I arranged for Chen Weihua to let a white van through the factory, saying that Zhao Wengang would drive in to deal with the matter with Liu Hua. I was very scared at the time, but I also had a glimmer of hope that maybe nothing serious would happen. Later, Zhao Wengang said that the matter had been resolved, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't expect that you would still find out."

Li Ming meticulously recorded Zhang Jun's confession and then said sternly again, "Zhang Jun, we will verify everything you've confessed. You will bear legal responsibility for your actions." Zhang Jun lowered his head, his face full of remorse, "I know I was wrong. I'm sorry to Liu Hua, and I'm sorry to my family."

Meanwhile, the manhunt for Zhao Wengang continued intensively. Based on new clues provided by Zhang Jun, the police further clarified Zhao Wengang's motives and modus operandi. Through in-depth investigation of Zhao Wengang's social connections and continuous searches throughout the city, the police intensified their efforts to locate Zhao Wengang's possible hiding places. They set up checkpoints at major transportation hubs such as train stations, docks, and highway intersections, conducting strict checks on passersby; they visited and investigated relatives and friends Zhao Wengang might seek refuge with; and they analyzed Zhao Wengang's movements using surveillance video, attempting to find any clues.

The manhunt for Zhao Wengang was like a tightly woven net, covering the entire city and even the surrounding areas. Li Ming volunteered to lead an elite pursuit team, throwing himself wholeheartedly into this arduous operation. They first focused on Zhao Wengang's complex interpersonal relationships, attempting to find clues to his possible whereabouts. Through in-depth investigation of Zhao Wengang's past social activities, they discovered he had connections, both near and far, in multiple cities, making these places key targets for the pursuit team.

Li Ming led his pursuit team to the first city without stopping. According to intelligence, Zhao Wengang had been in frequent contact with an old acquaintance there. Upon arrival, they quickly contacted the local police and began cooperating. They meticulously searched the old acquaintance's residence, workplace, and frequently visited places, but to no avail. Undeterred, the pursuit team obtained a new lead during their investigation—Zhao Wengang had called this old acquaintance a week earlier, inquiring about a remote town nearby.

Immediately afterward, the pursuit team rushed to the remote town. There, they went door-to-door, showing residents Zhao Wengang's photo and asking if they had seen him. After two days and two nights of arduous searching, a grocery store owner finally recalled that a few days earlier, a person with a build similar to Zhao Wengang had come to the store to buy some daily necessities, and seemed very wary, leaving quickly after making their purchase. However, when the pursuit team followed the direction the owner indicated, Zhao Wengang had already vanished without a trace.

Despite repeated failed attempts, Li Ming and his pursuit team remained highly motivated. They continued to follow Zhao Wengang's network of connections, heading to the next city. Over the next few days, they traveled to three more cities, conducting searches at seven different locations. At each location, they investigated with all their might, leaving no detail overlooked that might be connected to Zhao Wengang. However, Zhao Wengang, like a cunning fox, always slipped away before they arrived, leaving the pursuit team with only vague clues.

Ten days passed, and the manhunt seemed to have reached a stalemate. But Qin Chuan had no intention of backing down. He knew that at such a critical moment, calmness and wisdom were even more needed. So, he personally organized a manhunt analysis meeting, bringing together all the core members involved in the manhunt.

The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy and oppressive. Qin Chuan stood in front of the projector, his expression resolute: "Comrades, although we haven't successfully captured Zhao Wengang yet, everyone's efforts and dedication over the past ten days are evident. We have gathered many clues, and now it's time to comprehensively review these clues and re-analyze Zhao Wengang's possible whereabouts."

Following this, the members of the pursuit team spoke one after another, reporting in detail on the clues they had obtained and the situations they had encountered during the pursuit. Li Ming said, "Based on our investigation over the past few days, Zhao Wengang seems to have been using his connections to constantly change his hiding place. He is very cautious each time, leaving almost no obvious traces, but judging from the places he asks and the things he buys, he should still be near the area we are investigating, just cleverly avoiding our search."

An officer in charge of technical investigation added, "Through analysis of Zhao Wengang's communication records, we found that he had brief contact with several numbers after the incident. Although these numbers were purchased temporarily, tracing them revealed that the signal sources frequently appeared in several specific areas, which may help us determine his whereabouts."

Qin Chuan listened attentively to each member's report, occasionally jotting down key information in his notebook. After summarizing everyone's opinions, he pointed to the map on the projector and said, "Based on the clues we have so far, we can focus on these areas. Zhao Wengang is very likely to have hidden hideouts in these places. We will dispatch seven pursuit teams to conduct in-depth investigations in these areas. Each team must develop a detailed search plan, leaving no corner unchecked. At the same time, we must strengthen cooperation with the local police to form a tight pursuit network."