At dusk, Wang Changjiang returned to the guesthouse at Jiangcheng Port Authority after a full day of investigation.

This guesthouse is very close to Xia Guan Pier and Yangtze River Bridge, and only six kilometers from Jiangcheng Railway Station. The location is excellent, making travel convenient.

The guesthouse's business isn't performing very well, with few guests and inexpensive prices, which Wang Changjiang sees as a positive for setting up the special task force here for confidentiality. In fact, Director Zeng arranged this through the leadership of the Changhang Jiangcheng Branch.

They rented out an entire floor, no other guests could access.

There are rooms, an office, a telephone, and a fax machine.

The police are dressed in civilian clothes, using local license plate cars for investigations.

Everyone, including the manager of the guesthouse, thought they were guests from the Changhang Jiangcheng Branch, unaware of their true identities or reasons for being in Jiangcheng.

There are reasons for such emphasis on confidentiality work.

The investigation involves a major case with over a billion yuan implicated, involving people with identity, status, and even two previously working in government departments. They are closely linked with staff from Customs, Tax, Industry, and Banks, and it's unknown if any in-service cadre participate.

Over at East Guang, a smuggling syndicate was uncovered, involving people from City Secretary and Customs Director down to Customs officers, many have been detained.

The lessons from past events demand excellent confidentiality to prevent leaks.

Therefore, for the case under investigation by Binjiang Branch, in Jiangcheng, only Chief Xu from Jiangcheng Customs and Vice Director Hu, also Director of Jiangnan Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau, are informed.

Zhang Junyan, Director of Changhang Jiangcheng Branch, only knew they were investigating a case, but not what case specifically or which people were being investigated. Moreover, Changhang Police operate on vertical management, with little local interaction, and not much dealing with Customs.

...

In recent days, Wang Changjiang was both exhausted and excited.

Throughout years of police work, he'd never investigated a case with such a huge amount involved, providing a strong sense of accomplishment.

Whether aiding the Water Anti-Smuggling Department became unimportant, precisely who played the lead or supporting role no longer mattered.

Since the discovery of Su Shun Company's interference with the national treasury, fraudulently gaining over eighty million yuan in national tax funds, this case had become a bureau-level case!

Vice Port Director Ma was personally both the special task force leader, Political Commissioner Zhou, and Vice Director Gu as deputy leaders, with Investigation Department and Water Anti-Smuggling Department, including Office and Legal Affairs Department, all participating.

Wang Changjiang and investigator Qian Tao quickly climbed to the third floor, seeing Zhang Baoqing and others had returned, immediately convened a meeting of all police to summarize today's investigation for phone reporting to bureau leadership later, and also notify veteran Director Jiang.

Twelve people, divided into six groups.

Zhang Baoqing's group firstly reporting today's investigation progress.

Everyone listened attentively, while internal staff Liu Xiaoyan took detailed notes.

After hearing reports from each group, Wang Changjiang handed out a round of cigarettes, glanced around seriously and solemnly emphasizing: "Comrades, this is the first major case our branch has investigated since establishment. This afternoon at three-thirty, Political Commissioner called again.

The Commissioner presented three demands: First, evidence must be conclusive and sufficient, forming an evidence chain, ensuring the case becomes airtight; second, to swiftly ascertain the financial flows of the three companies and implicated individuals, all efforts must be made to recover the defrauded tax funds, attempting all means to mitigate national losses.

Third, to monitor, firmly watch the eight identified individuals involved.

Comrades, these individuals differ from previously encountered suspects, they all received higher education, experienced the larger world. Traveling abroad for them is like visiting relatives, and I even suspect several passports. In short, they must not escape due to guilt!"

Case solving and arresting is just the first step.

Recovering the defrauded tax funds is the ultimate goal.

Zhang Baoqing nodded, but then asked worriedly: "Director Wang, based on current information, they have a shell company in Hong Kong, with two involved individuals' children studying abroad. Money-laundering through underground banks, transferring defrauded tax funds to Hong Kong or abroad isn't difficult for them, if some has already been transferred away, what to do?"

"I've considered this, Political Commissioner Zhou also reminded me by phone this morning, Director Han and I consistently believe that once conditions mature we should immediately move for arrests. With such a large amount involved, it's a death penalty risk, I refuse to believe they'd value money over life!"

"Simultaneous monitoring of eight suspects lacks manpower."

"I'll call bureau leadership for support shortly."

"Any personnel available at the bureau?"

"If none at the bureau, Customs has people, if necessary, transfer some Armed Police. Once reinforcement arrives, we'll redistribute tasks, Old Zhang, you and I will continue investigation, focusing on financial flows. Old Wu, you organize reinforcements to monitor the eight suspects."

If this case is successfully solved, it won't just be our branch's success, it equally represents Binjiang Customs' achievement.

Right now, we're short on people, Director Zeng will definitely send someone to support us, and given the large amount involved, there's no issue in involving the Armed Police for assistance, as Central has emphasized unprecedented importance on combating smuggling.

Just five days ago, Xu Mingyuan, who was transferred to East Guang along with Liu Guan, fired the first shot ever since the formation of the Anti-Smuggling Police team during an enforcement attempt against violent resisting smugglers, which alarmed General L.

Everyone thought it was going to be a big trouble, and all assumed the superiors would hold Xu Mingyuan accountable.

However, the General Administration of Customs and the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau issued a notification, stating that General L instructed, "Excellent shooting, hit them hard, severely crack down on smugglers, and legally execute a group to deter others!"

Zhang Baoqing believes the superiors will dispatch Armed Police for support, but after weighing the situation, he still reminded, "Director Wang, the Armed Police have good military skills, no problem with combat and takedowns, but they're not very professional in tracking and surveillance, it's hard to say if they would alert the target."

"Then what to do? Should we ask the Political Commissioner to borrow people from local police like before?"

"I think it's better to request assistance from local police."

"Asking Binjiang Police Department for assistance is not suitable. They're unfamiliar with Jiangcheng, and being strangers to the area might easily lead to losing track of suspects."

"All suspects have phones, can we ask the technology department for assistance and use technical methods on the suspects?"

"It's easy to say, but not so easy to do. I've worked in the Criminal Police Brigade for several years, and have some understanding of technical investigations, but they aren't really knowledgeable either. Ultimately, we'll have to ask communication companies for help, which involves procedures, layers of approvals, very troublesome, and might even leak information."

The people who can swindle nearly a billion in national taxes are not easy to deal with. Who knows if they have friends in the police system and who can guarantee that someone won't tip them off?

Zhang Baoqing suddenly realized the importance of confidentiality, for a moment, he didn't know how to continue.

Wang Changjiang didn't want to waste time and dialed Political Commissioner Zhou's number right in front of everyone.

Although Vice Director Ma is also the head of the special task force, he isn't very good at handling cases; the investigative work is mainly led by Old Police Officer Zhou Huixin.

Zhou Huixin understood the situation and pondered, "Short on people, right? That's easy to solve."

Wang Changjiang instinctively asked, "How to solve it?"

"I'll call Salted Fish right away, and have him contact Director Zhang for deploying people to assist you."

"Request assistance from Changhang Police?"

"Changhang Police are outsiders, it's just right to ask outsiders for help, and they are very familiar with Jiangcheng." Zhou Huixin smiled and continued, "Considering it's official business, we'll also need to have Director Zeng contact Changhang Police Bureau and give a heads-up to the leaders there."

Wang Changjiang curiously asked, "Director Han is close with Director Zhang?"

"Director Zhang is his senior, how can they not be close?" Zhou Huixin paused, then casually added, "Vice Mayor of Yungang City and Police Chief, Yu Xiangqian, is also Salted Fish's senior, they both came from Bailong Port, their relationship is very strong."

A Vice Mayor and Police Chief of a prefecture-level city, and a standard department-level director of Changhang Navigation Police Branch, both are seniors of Salted Fish, no wonder Salted Fish can dominate in Binjiang!

Wang Changjiang heard this and was secretly startled, taking a while to recover.

...

At 7:18, Zhang Junyan arrived with over ten plainclothes Changhang Police officers.

As Zhang Junyan entered the meeting room, he laughed and said to Wang Changjiang, "Friend Changjiang, your name is Changjiang, our jurisdiction is Changjiang, we are about to work on this case together, it seems we have a lot in common."

"Hello, Director Zhang, thank you for supporting our work."

"I was transferred from Binjiang to Jiangcheng, I'm old friends with your Director Zeng, I've known your Director Zeng for ten years, Salted Fish is also your colleague, it's fair to say we are one family, and a family doesn't split words."

Although it's just helping to keep an eye on a few people, for the branch office it means collaborating in a joint case with the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau.

Zhang Junyan felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky, tightly shaking Wang Changjiang's hand, he then turned and laughed, "What exactly kind of case are you working on? Considering confidentiality I won't ask, I'm here to deliver personnel to you, let me introduce everyone: this is our branch office's Criminal Investigation Team Deputy Division Commander Li Yunsheng.

Yunsheng, this is the newly established Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau Binjiang Branch's Investigation Department Director, Friend Wang Changjiang. From now on, you will lead your comrades to join the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau's special task force, obey Friend Wang Changjiang's orders, and follow his commands."

"Yes!"

"Friend Changjiang, Director Zeng and Salted Fish mentioned on the phone that you need both personnel and vehicles. Considering our branch office only has police vehicles, but your ongoing case requires confidentiality, using police vehicles isn't very convenient. I used Salted Fish's name to help borrow six vehicles from Jiangnan Maritime Bureau, Jiangcheng Maritime Bureau, Jiangcheng Waterway Office, and Yangtze Communication Bureau Jiangcheng Communication Office, they'll be available by eight at the latest."

"Using Director Han's name, Director Zhang, you really like to joke."

"I'm honestly not joking, although Salted Fish rarely comes to Jiangcheng, he has more friends in the Jiangnan Maritime System and Changhang System than I do. Deputy Director Tang of Jiangnan Maritime Bureau and Director Huang of Jiangcheng Maritime Bureau, upon hearing Salted Fish needs vehicles, lent their rides."