Death Notice 2 Destiny

Chapter 12

"Once you get on the bus, take a seat near the door and don't hang up the phone," Han Hao instructed on the other end of the line.

"Okay." Liu Wei replied, pulling Dongdong forward to secure a better spot to get on the bus.

The officers at the scene immediately reported this movement to Luo Fei: "The target seems to be getting into the car, please give instructions."

Luo Fei thought for about a second and then ordered, "002, 003, 004, and 005, stay at the platform. The rest of you, follow the target."

The plainclothes officers were given their orders. Apart from the four who stayed behind, the others dispersed to various boarding gates, with two of them queuing behind Liu Wei and her son.

The train slowly pulled into the station and opened its doors after stopping at the platform. This time, it welcomed not only a rushing, crowded flow of passengers, but also many pairs of watchful eyes. Liu Wei and her son followed the flow of people into the carriage. Unlike other passengers who pushed their way to the back, she stopped near the door. Plainclothes officers also boarded the train, while someone reported the situation to the control room.

"The target has boarded the train and is leaning against the door. No suspicious persons were seen in the carriage—Liu Wei's phone was always to her ear, and she seemed to be on a call."

Luo Fei frowned and immediately revised his orders accordingly: "006 and 007, get off the train and reinforce the police force at the platform. The rest of you, continue to follow the target."

At this moment, Liu Wei finally put down the phone. She seemed somewhat uneasy, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily. The two plainclothes officers in the same carriage quickly turned around and squeezed into the back of the carriage like ordinary passengers. At the same time, in a neighboring carriage, other police officers were moving closer to this carriage.

The train had run out of time to stop, and after a few beeps, the electric doors slowly closed towards the center. But just as the doors were about to close, Liu Wei suddenly stretched out her left arm and inserted it into the door gap, which was now less than half a foot wide. As soon as the edge of the door touched her body, the safety sensor activated immediately, and both doors simultaneously sprang open half a meter to the side.

As the train doors opened, Liu Wei grabbed Han Dongdong and quickly stepped off the train. Two plainclothes officers in the same carriage reacted immediately, but by the time they tried to follow, the doors had already closed again. They could only watch helplessly as their target was left outside the carriage. The plainclothes officers in the other carriages were, needless to say, all left behind on the train.

"The target suddenly got off the train, and we couldn't keep up. Please advise!" The plainclothes officer on the subway train hurriedly reported the situation to command. Luo Fei let out a heavy breath, his expression grave. In fact, he had anticipated this change, which was why he had increased the police presence on the platform during his last order. The others now understood the artistry of Luo Fei's command. While secretly admiring him, they couldn't help but feel a lingering fear at Han Hao's targeted and strategic arrangement.

The crisscrossing subway tunnels now resembled a giant chessboard. Luo Fei and Han Hao—two successive captains of the provincial capital's criminal investigation team—were engaged in a fierce intellectual contest on this chessboard, while the plainclothes police officers and Liu Wei and her son became the pieces they each controlled.

"The officers on the train will return immediately after reaching the next stop, while those on the platform continue to keep a close watch on the target." Luo Fei responded to Han Hao's move, simultaneously directing his team and keeping a close eye on the monitor. The red dot on the monitor indicated Liu Wei's current location. No matter what tricks Han Hao played, his ultimate goal was to see his wife and children. As long as the police kept a close watch on Liu Wei, they would be invincible.

Meanwhile, on the platform, Han Hao and his wife continued their phone call.

"I'm getting off the bus," Liu Wei finally said, having already listened to the other person talk for a long time.

"Now go to the other side of the platform and take the train going in the opposite direction. Get off after two stops," Han Hao instructed.

"Are we getting off like that again?"

The "that way" that Liu Wei was referring to was the method her husband had taught her on the phone not long ago: reach in just as the train door is about to close, and the door will bounce outward briefly. Use this opportunity to get off the train, and it will be difficult for people on the train to follow you off.

"No, get out as soon as the car door opens this time. Call me after you get out." Han Hao hung up after saying this.

Regarding this phone call between the two, the police could only overhear Liu Wei's words. And of those words, only one sentence was meaningful.

"Are we getting off like that again?"

Just one sentence was enough to make Luo Fei break out in a sweat, because he understood: Han Hao was going to use the same trick again. And this trick, used only once, had already shaken off most of the police force. As the commander, how should he deal with this?

The situation on the ground didn't give Luo Fei much time to think. Soon, the train heading south pulled into the station. Liu Wei and her son boarded the train again with the flow of people. Again, they remained near the train doors.

"The target is on the train again, please give instructions!" Plainclothes officers 002 to 007 anxiously awaited Luo Fei's orders. If they boarded the train, there was a risk that Liu Wei and her son would shake them off using the same method; if they didn't board, they would obviously have to worry about the target actually taking this subway train away.

"002 stay behind, everyone else board the train!" Luo Fei made the best decision in the shortest amount of time. He couldn't tell whether Liu Wei and her son intended to stay or leave, but the plainclothes officers who had gone out were all rushing back, and the personnel on the platform would soon be replenished. Under these circumstances, he chose to prioritize ensuring the safety of the surveillance personnel on the train.

This time, Liu Wei and her son did not get off the train. The subway train closed its doors and started moving, taking away the police's surveillance target and the remaining five plainclothes officers. The train will soon arrive at the next station; what will the police do then?

Everyone knows that Liu Wei and her son will definitely get off the train again. The question is, at which stop will they get off?

Without this answer, the police would face the same dilemma every time a train stopped at a station: how to allocate surveillance personnel on the platform and on the train—because Liu Wei and her son could choose whether to stay or leave before the train doors closed, and the police could not keep up with the target's choice, so they could only prepare for both possibilities in advance.

Given this situation, Luo Fei had no choice but to issue an emergency response plan: "Officers 003 to 007, from now on, leave one person at each station to move in the opposite direction of the target, while the others follow the target."

Zeng Rihua and the others standing nearby couldn't help but shake their heads. This plan, at best, could only cover five stops. After five stops, Liu Wei and her son would be out of police control. Moreover, even within those five stops, it was really not very reliable to deal with Han Hao with just one police officer.

Luo Fei clearly realized the unfavorable situation. He slammed his hand on the back of the driver's seat and shouted, "Drive! Follow them!"

"What?" Yin Jian, in the driver's seat, was not quite sure what was going on and turned around to ask in a daze.

"Drive along the subway line and follow it!" Luo Fei emphasized again, and everyone finally understood: Luo Fei wanted to use the van to follow the speeding subway. Since there was a signal receiver on the van, if all the plainclothes police officers were left behind, the commanders in the van could act as a second team to follow. If they suddenly appeared when Han Hao thought he was safe, it might be able to turn the tide of the battle.

Yin Jian took a deep breath, stepped on the gas, and the car quickly drove onto the main road. Having worked in the provincial capital for many years, Yin Jian was very familiar with the roads and immediately headed towards the next subway station along the subway line.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Luo Fei continued to arrange the pieces he controlled.

"Attention all personnel! The target has departed Guangyuanmiao Metro Station on a train traveling from north to south. Those who have lost sight of the target, please immediately board a train traveling in the same direction to give chase!"

Luo Fei received very few responses this time; many plainclothes officers seemed not to have received his orders. He frowned, while Zeng Rihua, who was beside him, had already realized something and clicked his tongue, saying, "Damn it... no signal in the subway tunnel!"

As soon as Zeng Rihua finished speaking, the red dot on the tracking screen disappeared. Everyone's hearts sank: indeed, the tunnel was blocking the signal. At this moment, not only was communication within the police force disrupted, but the tracking of the target was also forced into a temporary blind spot.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Han Hao chose a subway station as the location for the confrontation. He could remotely control the situation when Liu Wei and her son arrived at the platform, while the police's delayed response instructions would not be effectively transmitted as the train entered the tunnel. Under such circumstances, the police's situation would undoubtedly become increasingly passive.

Luo Fei couldn't think of a better way, so he could only repeat his instructions over and over again, hoping that the officers who had been shaken off could re-establish contact with command as soon as possible. Two or three minutes later, communication was restored, and soon after, the lost tracking signal reappeared on the screen—clearly, the train carrying Liu Wei and her son had arrived at the first station.

As instructed by Luo Fei, Officer 003 disembarked as soon as the train stopped at the station, while Liu Wei and her son remained on board, leaving only four police officers inside the carriage. Meanwhile, at Guangyuanmiao Station, the withdrawn officers received further instructions from Luo Fei and anxiously awaited the next train traveling from north to south.

The train carrying Liu Wei and her daughter soon started moving again. When the train entered the second station, as instructed by Han Hao, Liu Wei immediately got off the train with Han Dongdong and dialed Han Hao's number again.

Upon receiving the report from the scene, Luo Fei immediately ordered Officer 004 to get off the train and follow, while Officers 005 through 007 remained inside the carriage. Meanwhile, some of the officers who had been abandoned and were able to receive signals also got the news and were on their way to the platform from the following trains.

However, Liu Wei's actions this time were completely opposite to those at Guangyuanmiao Station. Just as the train doors were about to close, she suddenly returned to the carriage. As a result, Officer 004 was also left behind, and with reinforcements yet to arrive, only Officers 005 to 007 remained to directly monitor the target.

Luo Fei was well aware of the gravity of the situation. If things continued this way, the police would have to assign one person to guard each station, and the backup forces couldn't keep up. In that case, Liu Wei and her son would soon be able to shake off all the monitors.

The others in the command vehicle made the same judgment. Mu Jianyun shook his head slightly and said, "Should we not send more people to guard the platform? Liu Wei and her son won't get off the train. They won't dare to stay on the platform—because Han Hao will know that the officers who were shaken off will catch up soon."

"What if they get off the train and leave the station directly, or take another train in the opposite direction?" Luo Fei asked in a calm voice.

Mu Jianyun pouted, at a loss for words. In fact, her tone when offering her suggestion earlier had sounded very unsure of herself.

The situation underground was tense, and the situation on the surface was no better. It was rush hour, and traffic was severely congested on the city's main roads. Even with its hazard lights on, the van couldn't pick up any speed. Although the subway train had only traveled two stops, the van had already fallen far behind.

The subway train soon arrived at its third stop. Officer 005 reported the situation: "Target, get off the train. Requesting instructions!"

"005, get off and follow. 006 and 007, stay in the carriage." Luo Fei maintained his previous strategy. He needed to maintain the advantage of having more people in the carriage, if possible. The likelihood of Liu Wei and her child continuing on the train was far greater than the possibility of them getting off and staying.

But this time, Han Hao seemed to have anticipated Luo Fei's thoughts. Under Han Hao's remote control, Liu Wei and her son did not board the train. After the subway train departed, the red signal dot remained on the screen in front of Luo Fei. Meanwhile, 005's immediate report came through: "Train has departed, target did not board, please provide instructions!"

Luo Fei felt relieved: Liu Wei and her son had gotten off at this stop. This meant that as long as he relayed the information, reinforcements would arrive quickly, greatly alleviating the police's predicament.

However, the red dot on the screen did not stay still, but moved slowly.

"Keep following! Is the target preparing to exit the station?" Luo Fei asked, judging from the movement of the red dot. He wasn't worried about the target exiting the station, because once they left the subway station, police communication and mobilization would be much smoother.

However, 005's reply was far beyond Luo Fei's expectations: "No, the target has not left the station; the target is rapidly heading towards the transfer entrance on the second basement level."

"What? The transfer station?" Luo Fei asked in surprise, his optimism vanishing in an instant.

“Guangyuan Temple – Zhenghan Street – Shita Road – Yangkou Road –” Yin Jian, who was driving in the front seat, counted the stops one by one, and then shouted, “That’s right, this stop is Yangkou Road, which is the transfer station for the loop line and the east-west line!”

The provincial capital's subway system has two lines: the Loop Line and the East-West Line and North-South Line. The Loop Line, as its name suggests, is a square ring of tracks encircling the city center; while the East-West Line runs east-west through the city in a large "I" shape, with the Loop Line's square ring nested within this "I". Guangyuanmiao Station, where Liu Wei and her son departed, is located in the northwest corner of the Loop Line. Three stops south from there is Yangkou Road Station, the interchange point between the Loop Line and the East-West Line. From the interchange in the middle of the platform, descending to the second underground level, one can transfer from the Loop Line platform to the East-West Line platform.

005 followed Liu Wei and her son to the second floor, east-west line, where a train traveling from east to west happened to stop. Liu Wei boarded the train with Han Dongdong, and 005 had no other choice but to follow them. Worried that his target might suddenly get off before departure, 005 gritted his teeth and squeezed next to Liu Wei. He was the last surveillance officer; he couldn't afford to be left behind.

Liu Wei hung up the phone. Her gaze swept around her before settling on 005. Then she suddenly smiled, a smile that held a hint of relief and irony.

005 was extremely embarrassed; he had never encountered such an awkward situation in his entire detective career. At that moment, Luo Fei's voice came through the earpiece: "005, 005, 001 calling, please respond."

The tracking operation had now completely failed. Even with 005's exceptional composure, it was impossible for him to contact the commander while under the target's gaze. He coughed awkwardly, turned away a few steps, and whispered into the invisible microphone on his collar, "This is 005. Please give instructions."

"What is the status of the target?"

Just as Luo Fei was asking his question, the train doors slowly closed. Liu Wei, using the same trick again, got off the train with her son the instant the doors closed. Hearing the doors close, 005 quickly turned around, but could only helplessly watch himself being trapped inside the carriage.

“Target get off the train—I’m on the train.” 005’s frustrated voice came through the radio to the command vehicle. “We have completely lost control of the target. Everyone has been left behind.”

Luo Fei gritted his teeth, a deep groove forming at the corner of his mouth. Han Hao had already played the "checkmate" move; what decisive move would he make to counter it?

The red dot on the monitor started moving again and then quickly disappeared.

"He got on the train, the one going in the opposite direction!" Luo Fei immediately deduced. At that moment, reinforcements arrived at Yangkou Road subway station. They received Luo Fei's orders: wait for the next train traveling from west to east to catch up with the target mother and child.

Meanwhile, Luo Fei's command vehicle was still scrambling along the congested road. Luo Fei couldn't sit still any longer. He tapped Yin Jian's chair back: "Too slow, we can't keep wasting time like this. Take the back roads, the bike lanes, even if it's illegal or going against traffic, just get the car moving faster!"

“There are shortcuts,” Yin Jian said urgently, his voice booming like a shout, “but that would mean deviating from the main subway line. I can’t keep feeling my way along every single exit. You have to tell me a final destination, and I’ll just take a shortcut!”

"Destination? Where is Han Hao's destination?" Luo Fei's eyes widened as he surveyed the car. Zeng Rihua, Mu Jianyun, and Liu Song remained silent. The subway line had nearly dozens of stations; who knew which station Han Hao would have his wife and children get off at?

Veins bulged on Luo Fei's forehead, a sign of excessive blood rushing to his head. His mind was also at its peak at that moment, and suddenly he shouted, "Where's the other transfer station?"

Yin Jian, who was most familiar with the provincial capital's transportation, immediately replied, "Zhongyangmen!"

"Quick, to the Central Gate!" Luo Fei gave the order first, then briefly explained, "If I were Han Hao, I would definitely meet my wife and children there, because that's where subway trains stop and start most frequently!"

Yes, the others now understood Luo Fei's thinking: regardless of the circumstances, Han Hao would face considerable risks meeting his wife and children, so he would definitely choose the most convenient escape route as the meeting place. At the subway transfer station, four trains would stop there. Based on a peak-hour interval of four minutes between trains on a single line, a train would depart every minute. This meant that Han Hao would have a chance to escape with the subway train every minute.

The East-West Line and the Loop Line intersect at two transfer stations, and Yangkou Road has become a gathering place for a large number of police officers. Han Hao's only transfer station to choose from is Zhongyangmen.

Based on the above two points, Luo Fei deduced that Liu Wei and her son's final destination would be the Central Gate subway station. Although this deduction was not 100% certain, it still brought new hope for a last-ditch effort in the face of a completely passive situation.

In a few seconds, Yin Jianhua mentally planned the best route to the Central Gate subway station. Then he abruptly turned the steering wheel, and the van swerved out of the congested traffic, plunging into a narrow road where motor vehicles were restricted. The wailing sirens caused bicycles and pedestrians on the road to swerve and dodge, and the van was finally able to speed along smoothly.

The signal on the display screen appeared and disappeared intermittently, but its general direction was towards the Central Gate subway station, which gave Luo Fei and his group some renewed confidence. Yin Jian also performed admirably; after weaving through several turns, the signal, which had initially receded, gradually showed signs of closing in again. Luo Fei and his group were slightly pleased—it seemed they still had a chance to intercept Liu Wei and her child!

About twenty minutes later, the signal dot reappeared on the display screen, indicating that it was very close to the command vehicle. After a brief pause, the signal dot slowly began to move. Luo Fei and the others exchanged glances. Although they didn't speak, they all understood: Liu Wei and her son had gotten out of the vehicle, because the movement of the signal now matched the pattern of walking!

Sure enough, Han Dongdong's excited shout, "Dad!" came through the bug. But his voice suddenly stopped, as if someone had covered his mouth. A moment later, static came through the radio waves, and then all the signals suddenly disappeared.

"He destroyed the bugging device!" Everyone knew that the "he" Luo Fei was referring to was Han Hao, whom the police had been searching for!

At this moment, Yin Jian drove his minivan back onto the main road. Taking advantage of the traffic waiting at the intersection for the red light, he sped up onto the bike lane, then drove against traffic and made a turn. When he had nowhere else to go, he stopped and pointed ahead, saying, "That's the Central Gate subway entrance!"

Without further hesitation, Luo Fei and the others opened the car doors and jumped out one after another, rushing straight towards the subway entrance.

At this sprint, the differences in physical abilities among the participants became apparent. Liu Song, with his background as a special police officer and his deep-seated hatred for Han Hao, took the lead and rushed to the front. Although Yin Jian was young, his speed was only comparable to Luo Fei's, and the two were about ten meters behind Liu Song. Mu Jianyun, being a woman, naturally lagged behind. Zeng Rihua, whether intentionally or unintentionally, also ran very slowly and frequently turned his head to look back at Mu Jianyun behind him.

The group sprinted into the station, inevitably bumping into the bustling crowd. Some people, confused, started shouting, drawing the attention of other passengers and causing quite a commotion.

Shouts and commotion reached inside the station. A man exiting the station hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned and ran. A woman and a child not far from him also paled; these three were none other than Han Hao and Liu Wei, mother and son!

Han Dongdong called out "Dad!" and took two steps forward, seemingly trying to catch up with Han Hao. Liu Wei quickly pulled her son back and hugged him tightly. Soon, the police officers chasing after them passed by one by one. Han Dongdong was so frightened that he started to cry, while Liu Wei's eyes were also wet with tears, her face filled with worry and helplessness.

Han Hao sprinted back to the platform entrance with all his might, just in time to see a loop train parked on the platform. He didn't have time to descend the steps; instead, he leaped from the ticket gate onto the platform four or five meters below. Due to the force of the movement, he landed sideways, clearly twisting his right ankle.

Liu Song, taking the lead, also reached the ticket gate and saw Han Hao limping towards the train door. He gritted his teeth, ready to jump off as well. Just then, the ticket inspector reacted and rushed forward to hug Liu Song: "Hey, what's going on? Did you buy your tickets?"

Liu Song was both anxious and angry, but he couldn't bring himself to use force against this woman in her forties. All he could do was struggle and shout, "Let go! I'm a policeman!"

At this moment, Luo Fei and Yin Jian also arrived. They saw that the train doors on the platform were about to close, and Han Hao, dragging his injured leg, finally squeezed into the carriage.

"We're police!" Luo Fei solemnly repeated Liu Song's words, his expression finally intimidating the ticket inspector. Confused, she released her grip, and the three of them jumped off the platform, but they were too late; the train doors closed in front of them.

Liu Song let out a low growl and rushed over to try to pry open the car door, but he was clearly in vain.

Han Hao stood behind the car door, still breathing heavily. He stood on tiptoe and grimaced, indicating that his injuries were quite serious.

Luo Fei and Yin Jian watched Han Hao helplessly through the car door. Han Hao shook his head slightly and smiled bitterly, his expression extremely complex. It contained both the concern and reluctance to leave his family, the embarrassment and apology to his former colleagues, the pain and embarrassment of being on the run, and the relief and even pride of successfully escaping.

The train slowly departed, ending the largely meaningless standoff between the two sides. Luo Fei sighed softly—the afternoon's battle of wits and strength had finally come to an end. Although he had given his all and was incredibly close to victory, he ultimately fell short.

The Fate of the Death Sentence (08)