Chapter 211: Taking a Bullet

"Quick, quick, quick! Get the motorcycles; we're going in pursuit!" Li Li Xuewu shouted to the several men beside him.

Before departing, he had secured Director Dong Wenxue's approval to bring two motorcycles, which were now perfectly timed for use.

Han Han Yating ran out from the bookstore and reported, "Li Kezhang, good news from Kunminghu: Engineer Han's body has been recovered. It is confirmed to be his; the fatal wound was a blow to the back of the head."

Seeing the motorcycle headlights already on, Li Li Xuewu told Han Han Yating, "Go notify Xu Ning to take men and dogs south, then bring the radio down. We'll tail this bastard's vehicle and direct Xu Ning's team to converge with us to block him."

Without time to reply to Li Li Xuewu, Han Han Yating sprinted upstairs, then raced back down clutching the radio, leaped in one stride onto the motorcycle waiting at the entrance, and gave chase, following closely behind Li Li Xuewu's lead motorcycle.

Two motorcycles led the way, followed by three or four bicycles; whether they could keep up or not, they still constituted a force.

Turning the street corner, they spotted a person lying in the snow, covered entirely in white. Li Li Xuewu ordered the vehicle to stop and took a look; it was the gate guard he had struck earlier. It seemed that old rascal Huhu Zhengquan, seeing the guard near death, had kicked him off and fled on the motorcycle himself.

Li Li Xuewu examined the man: more breath going out than coming in. The final bullet had struck the center of his back, piercing through the heart; blood now gushed from the wound like water from a spring. This man was definitely dead.

Waving his hand, he instructed the biking comrades to watch over the corpse, then jumped back onto the motorcycle to continue the pursuit.

Huhu Zhengquan had fled less than five minutes before Li Li Xuewu, maintaining a lead of only about two li. With the area outside the Second Ring Road currently being wasteland covered in winter snow, a speeding motorcycle was visible from afar; Li Li Xuewu's two motorcycles pressed tightly behind it.

After passing a fork in the road, Huhu Zhengquan turned his vehicle toward the city. Seeing the target enter the urban area, Li Li Xuewu realized he intended to hide within the city, using the massive population to evade capture.

"Open the throttle! Chase faster! We have two vehicles; don't fear overturning. Lock onto him!" After shouting this to the motorcycle driver, he yelled to Han Han Yating on the motorcycle behind: "Order Xu Ning to enter the city and block him ahead!"

Riding behind Li Li Xuewu, Han Han Yating knew that shouting back would only fill her mouth with wind, so she merely waved her hand to acknowledge, hugging the telegraph machine and trying to steady her body while transmitting.

Tonight, the city of Beijing was lively: first came the sound of firecrackers outside the city, and now the harsh "vroom-vroom" of motorcycles twisting their throttles, especially clear in the dark night.

Where Ji Wang Weidong's pursued target had vanished was unknown, but the one Li Li Xuewu was chasing must not be allowed to escape. The case had progressed this far; everything that needed to surface had surfaced. If they didn't catch him, were they supposed to keep him for the New Year?

Three motorcycles—one in front, two behind—charged fiercely into the city. Snow on the road splashed up from the tires; on Li Li Xuewu's sidecar, sharp turns sometimes lifted it off the ground. Fortunately, it was midnight with no pedestrians on the streets; otherwise, a major disaster would have been inevitable.

Li Li Xuewu currently had no idea where Xu Ning was. In the suburbs, the motorcycle noise could dissipate, allowing him to hear Han Han Yating clearly when shouting back. But inside the city, the engine roar was right beside his ears, making it impossible to discern what Han Han Yating was yelling. Unable to stop, he could only wave his hand, leaving Han Han Yating to communicate with Xu Ning on her own.

"Li Kezhang, the target ahead has gone silent; the headlights are out!" the driver shouted to Li Li Xuewu.

Bracing against the wind, Li Li Xuewu stood up, holding the windshield frame to look ahead. In the darkness, distant pinpoints of starlight flickered, illuminating moving silhouettes. "Drive straight ahead," he ordered. "Our security team has arrived."

It turned out Xu Ning's convoy had blocked the main street ahead. Seeing one motorcycle and two large trucks approaching head-on, Huhu Zhengquan's only possible hiding spot was nearby; there was no place on this street for him to turn.

These hutongs were not as spacious as the main streets. On the broad avenues, moonlight reflecting off the snow provided barely enough visibility, but riding into a Jinyu Hutong relying solely on the motorcycle's "candle-light" headlamp would surely cause Huhu Zhengquan to crash.

Both convoys halted at the same spot. This wasn't because either side possessed geniuses capable of calculating the exact meeting point, but because of the abandoned motorcycle by the roadside, with a machine gun still in its sidecar.

This was the landmark signaling the convergence of the two teams. Arrival times at Huhu Zhengquan's discarded motorcycle differed; Xu Ning arrived first, and by the time Li Li Xuewu got there, Xu Ning was already assembling the troops.

"Screech~"

The moment the motorcycle stopped, Li Li Xuewu jumped out of the sidecar, gripping his long rifle and scanning the surroundings. Though it was still dark and difficult to distinguish the buildings, this was undoubtedly a single-story residential district with no tall structures. Huhu Zhengquan had not anticipated Li Li Xuewu ordering Xu Ning to wait ahead; thus, in his panicked flight, he had dashed into this residential zone.

"Li Kezhang, the Security Section and Guard Team are assembled. Including myself, there are 45 personnel and ten police dogs. Awaiting your orders."

Li Li Xuewu frowned, listening carefully, and asked, "Where is this? Why do I hear the sound of a train?"

Xu Ning pointed northwest, saying, "That's the Customs House," then pointed southwest, adding, "And that's the Jingcheng Railway Station. Li Kezhang, it seems this bastard intends to hop a train to escape."

Li Li Xuewu stamped his feet, which had gone numb from the cold, cursing inwardly that this bastard could really run. He had raced along the outer ring road by the city wall, then cut through the route inside the Second Ring wall, running all the way from Beicheng to Nancheng.

The concept of a "Second Ring Road" did not yet exist; roads were simply divided into those inside and outside the city walls. In later generations, the area outside the walls would become the Second Ring.

"Rest assured, he cannot escape. Our dogs are already familiar with his scent; catching him is only a matter of time. However, since it is late night, if we enter the residential housing area, we must mind the impact on the public."

After instructing Xu Ning, Li Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling him to divide the teams.

Xu Ning acted decisively, organizing groups by dog: two police dogs per group, with ten people in each. Li Li Xuewu was also assigned to one of the groups.

Seeing the groups formed, Li Li Xuewu waved his hand. The guards leading the dogs sprinted out first, while the other members followed closely behind, carrying their long rifles.

From spotting Huhu Zhengquan's abandoned vehicle to completing assembly, grouping, and setting out, no more than five minutes had elapsed. Even though Huhu Zhengquan had a head start, he could not have gone far by now.

Huhu Zhengquan dared not run on the main roads. The snow there had not yet been cleared, and a light snowfall had occurred sporadically during the night. Running along the main road now would leave him exposed from end to end, guaranteeing he would take a bullet; thus, he could only dart into the hutongs.

Li Li Xuewu, accompanied by Han Han Yating, took the middle position, following footprints forward. Xu Ning took men onto a vehicle to circle around the outer wall, aiming to set up another blockade ahead. In this formation, four groups pursued from behind, while Xu Ning's single group blocked from the front.

Regarding these dogs, when used at the factory gate to catch workers carrying metal parts, errors did occasionally occur, and future mistakes were unavoidable. Li Li Xuewu had always believed that the use of police dogs at guard posts served more as a deterrent than a practical tool, never demanding high accuracy from them in identifying metal.

Even human inspections inevitably involve errors; advanced machines in later-generation airports still make mistakes, let alone police dogs. However, when it came to pursuing Huhu Zhengquan, for the police dogs, the scent was as familiar as could be.

People in this era typically owned only one winter coat. Since returning, Li Li Xuewu had always worn the cotton uniform issued by the army, and later, after joining the factory, he received the factory-issued cotton jacket. The styles were similar; were it not for the leather jacket gifted by Gu Ning's family, Li Li Xuewu, like everyone else in this era, would have worn just one cotton padded jacket all winter. No one would sew an extra cotton jacket merely for the sake of appearance.

Although Huhu Zhengquan lacked Li Li Xuewu's rich life experiences, his years of accumulation meant he owned three winter coats, rotating them for work. Yet, no matter how often he changed coats, he could not withstand the daily "caressing" by guard team members wearing gloves treated with a special tracking liquid.

Now, the heavy snow had masked the scents of other objects on the road. In the air, the concentration of the "special scent" left by Huhu Zhengquan, to the dogs, was no different than a female dog urinating right in front of their noses.

The eight male dogs never stopped moving; they didn't need to pause and sniff carefully, but kept running with a steady "chug-chug-chug."

After chasing for over twenty minutes, Li Li Xuewu's pursuit team began to fall behind. Two legs simply could not match four. Furthermore, the ground was slippery, and in some places, hidden ditches covered by snow caused non-combat casualties within Li Li Xuewu's ranks.

Sprained ankles, fall injuries, people dropping into ditches, others unable to brake in time and crashing into walls—various types of injuries occurred.

Fortunately, the young men from Hongxing Commune were well-trained. Holding the dog leashes, they kept perfect pace with the dogs. Wearing the same shoes in the snow, they did not slip nor fall.

Li Li Xuewu instructed Han Han Yating, who was panting heavily beside him: "Stop here. Gather those who can't keep up and serve as the second echelon to support us. We cannot reduce our speed."

Han Han Yating knew the Li Kezhang was looking out for her, fearing she would exhaust herself if she tried to keep up. With the mission at a critical stage, she could not afford to show off her strength. She agreed, gradually slowed down until stopping, glanced at the team that had vanished into the distance, then turned back to gather the lagging members.

Leaving Han Han Yating behind, Li Li Xuewu gripped his long rifle and followed behind the team members, maintaining a steady running pace. Whenever he encountered snow pits stepped out by the team, he leaped over them in a single large stride.

Even with utmost caution, the group following the dogs made noise. Sometimes the dogs would bark a couple of times. As Li Li Xuewu's party ran past, lights would occasionally flick on in the civilian houses along the route; some extinguished immediately, while others, after turning on the lights, leaned against the windows to peer outside.

Li Li Xuewu knew that the hutongs of Beijing were like a chaotic chessboard, intricate and interwoven, where turning in one direction led to another exit. Yet, he had not anticipated that chasing someone through these hutongs would be so difficult.

The hutongs of Beijing truly each had their own merits and distinct characteristics: the longest stretched three kilometers, namely Dongjiaominxiang, while the shortest was merely ten-odd meters long, called One-Foot Goldfish Alley.

The widest, Spirit Mirror Goldfish Alley, spanned over thirty meters, whereas the narrowest point of Money Market Goldfish Alley was less than half a meter. Then there was Nine-Turn Goldfish Alley, with the most bends; though less than four hundred meters in total length, it featured thirteen curves.

Although the hutongs Li Li Xuewu and his team were currently pursuing through were not as extreme as Money Market or Nine-Turn Alleys, that old rascal Huhu Zhengquan was deliberately diving into such alleys. Sometimes he even jumped over collapsed walls into courtyards, crossing abandoned yards to leap into another Goldfish Alley and continue running.

siluke.

This old rascal had completely shed his usual refined demeanor and dignified conduct from the Rolling Steel Factory; his running prowess was no inferior to these young men from the mountains, indicating he had exercised frequently in his daily life.

Li Li Xuewu cursed Huhu Zhengquan in his heart, while Huhu Zhengquan was likewise cursing Li Li Xuewu in his.

In his youth, Huhu Zhengquan had undergone special training. While not outstanding in firearms and combat proficiency, he was among the top of his class in subjects like intelligence gathering and lying in wait. This was precisely why Huhu Zhengquan had been assigned to factories around Jingcheng to collect intelligence.

Saying his combat proficiency was not outstanding was relative; the comparison was made against soldiers and police officers who were the best of the best at the time. Among those elites, Huhu Zhengquan might not have been outstanding, but among the common civilians of Jingcheng, he possessed a fine physique.

Ever since his defeat forced him into employment with this organization, Huhu Zhengquan had not spent a single day without thinking of escape, nor a single day without anticipating a situation like today's. To prepare for such an eventuality, Huhu Zhengquan had worked hard to maintain his weight and exercise his body; even in long-distance running, he had not relaxed his efforts for all these years.

Huhu Zhengquan was well aware of the training intensity of the Rolling Steel Factory's Guard Squad and Security Team; while the physical fitness of these guards certainly couldn't match his own, ever since Li Li Xuewu arrived, the Guard Squad and Security Team had undergone earth-shaking changes, transforming from a scattered mob into an integrated force.

Li Li Xuewu looked down on these guards and security personnel who failed to meet training standards, dubbing them the "358th Regiment," but in the eyes of Huhu Zhengquan, a quasi-military training specialist, the quality of the Rolling Steel Factory's Guard Squad and Security Section personnel had already improved significantly, and given time, they would become another powerful force.

What frightened Huhu Zhengquan was not merely this transformation, but also that "mysterious" police dog unit; Li Li Xuewu had kept it under wraps, conducting secret training in the garage, yet this had still been discovered by observant parties—initially, Huhu Zhengquan and the others hadn't taken it seriously, thinking it was just an excuse Li Li Xuewu fabricated to embezzle money.

Today, right here today, Huhu Zhengquan finally understood the prowess of Li Li Xuewu's unit; having witnessed the police dogs' capabilities at the entrance, where they could smell the scent of documents on his body from such a great distance, just how formidable was that!

Furthermore, while chasing him, they could locate him from such a distance; now, although he had been running continuously, the barking of the dogs behind him never ceased, and after running for over twenty minutes, he felt them drawing closer and closer.

Finally, there were those newly arrived personnel whose names could not be traced, a "special forces" unit Li Li Xuewu had summoned from who knows where; their footwork was truly terrifying—while the guards in the residential district certainly wouldn't dare unleash the dogs, if the dogs could keep up with him, then those people definitely could as well.

Damn Li Li Xuewu to hell; I was just making a wire-retrieval device, what is there to suspect, why has he targeted me?

Today, Li Li Xuewu had truly broadened his horizons; with over two million people in this city of Four-Nine, housing was insufficient for every household, and phenomena like his own family, where eight or nine people were squeezed into a single room, were everywhere—living in the city of Four-Nine was simply this crowded.

Yet even now, in this crowded city of Four-Nine, he had already encountered three desolate courtyards; whether they had owners or not was unknown, but with the walls collapsed inside, they were as overgrown as the Hundred-Plant Garden written by Mr. Lu Shuren—if Li Li Xuewu had come here alone in the dead of night, he wouldn't be afraid, but one could never rule out a sudden fright.

Now, all concerns and fear were gone; with dozens of men jumping over walls or taking long detours, after chasing for perhaps over ten minutes, fewer than twenty people remained by Li Li Xuewu's side—those who couldn't keep up with the pace on the road had fallen behind, while those who failed to scale the walls had taken detours and gotten lost.