The assassination was led by Ah Bao, so Yang Jian had to follow his lead. The three of them waited in the restaurant's parking lot.
"Brother Jian, this place is so bustling. How do you think Brother Bao will make his move? They can't just start shooting in broad daylight, can they?" Jun Jun asked curiously from the driver's seat. They had also chopped people on the street before, but that was in relatively secluded areas or when they had the numerical advantage. The foot traffic here was too heavy. Any disturbance would quickly attract patrolling cops or auxiliary police, making a safe escape not easy.
"I don't know. Maybe they won't use firearms."
Yang Jian also felt that using guns in this location would cause too much trouble. This wasn't like dealing with Shen Hua at Xiao Sha River; that was a rural area. No matter how big the commotion, it would take at least ten minutes for the police to arrive, giving them ample time to escape.
"No firearms? Then it might be difficult for the four of them to deal with Hong Xing. Hong Xing's men are surely numerous, and he has professional bodyguards. Forget about killing Hong Xing; winning the fight itself might be a problem."
"Let's wait and see. Brother Bao and his crew are professionals with extensive experience. Their methods are beyond our speculation. Since he took this job, he must be confident and wouldn't put himself in harm's way."
"Then we have a lot to learn."
As Jun Jun spoke, he craned his neck to look upstairs. He noticed Ah Bao standing by a second-floor window, presumably waiting for Hong Xing and his group to arrive.
Around 11:50, four cars entered the restaurant's parking lot one after another.
When Luo Peng got out of the BMW and opened the door, Yang Jian knew Hong Xing had arrived. He quickly sent a message to Ah Bao.
At that moment, Ah Bao had already locked onto the BMW. He recognized Luo Peng.
As expected, Hong Xing emerged from the back seat of the BMW. He had no idea someone would target him so soon after arriving in Nanhai, so he wasn't particularly on guard, especially with the number of people accompanying him.
Besides four bodyguards, Hong Xing was also accompanied by core members of his company, including Zhang Qiming. Including the driver, there were eighteen people in total.
Such a large group exuded an imposing presence, and their entry into the restaurant drew the attention of many diners.
After watching them enter private room 208, Ah Bao nonchalantly returned to their own room, 205.
"Ah Long, are you guys done eating? The prey has appeared. Prepare to work."
Ah Bao locked the private room door, picked up a military green canvas bag from a stool, and took out four sets of police uniforms and matching equipment.
Ah Long and the others didn't say much. They put down their chopsticks in tacit understanding and began changing their clothes.
Private room 208 was a suite with two tables. The drivers and bodyguards sat at one, while Hong Xing and the company's management sat at the other.
As the food had been pre-ordered, the waiters began serving as soon as they entered.
"Mr. Hong, since you've disbanded the forces in Chengguan, you should focus your development here. There are more opportunities and a larger market here. My idea is for us to enter the real estate market."
Zhang Qiming had been in Nanhai for many years and naturally hoped Hong Xing would shift his focus here. The economic development in their hometown was too slow. Hong Xing had brought a large sum of capital from home this time, but they hadn't found any good projects yet.
Hong Xing shook his head. "Real estate development? Too troublesome. It's not as good as loan sharking."
"Not development, we'll speculate in real estate. How hot is the real estate market now? We don't need to build houses; we just need to flip them."
Just as Zhang Qiming was about to continue, he heard a knock on the door. Without thinking, he said, "Come in."
Four fully armed police officers filed in, stunning everyone in the private room.
"We are from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Nanhai City Police Bureau. This is my police ID."
Ah Long flashed his police ID in front of Zhang Qiming.
Zhang Qiming was bewildered. "Officers, what brings you here? We are law-abiding businessmen; we haven't done anything wrong."
"Based on public tip-offs, the Xinhe Chamber of Commerce is suspected of organizing large-scale gambling activities, and its president, Hong Xing, is suspected of organizing a criminal syndicate to monopolize the brick kilns in Dali Town. You need to come back with us to assist with the investigation."
As Ah Long spoke, Ah Bao and the other two began to approach Hong Xing.
"Impossible. I haven't been here for over two months. I haven't done anything."
Hong Xing stood up abruptly, instinctively moving closer to his bodyguards.
The four bodyguards, displaying professional integrity, all stepped in front of him.
Ah Bao directly pulled out a handgun. "Hong Xing, are you planning to resist arrest or assault an officer? I warn you, I have surveillance here, and the entire process of handling the case is being recorded. You will come with us immediately, or we have the right to shoot anyone who assaults an officer on the spot."
The other two police officers also drew their handguns and pointed them at the foreheads of two bodyguards.
The four bodyguards immediately caved. They obediently moved aside. Although their duty was to protect their employer with their lives, they dared not act against the police.
"This is impossible. I know Captain Gao from the Criminal Investigation Detachment. I want to call him."
Hong Xing didn't doubt their identities; he simply believed there might be some misunderstanding here.
"No need to make any calls. Come back to the police station with us. Captain Gao will personally receive you."
Ah Bao gave a signal, and two of his companions stepped forward, handcuffed Hong Xing, and pushed him out.
Zhang Qiming and the others were in a state of shock. It wasn't until Hong Xing was escorted out of the room that they snapped back to reality. Their boss had been arrested, and chaos ensued.
Shen Bing quickly called her maternal uncle.
Zhang Qiming contacted the local police station. His connections within the police force only extended to the precinct level; higher-level relationships were maintained by Hong Xing.
Only Luo Peng knew for sure that Hong Xing was doomed today. He silently praised Ah Bao and his team, thinking their operation was brilliant, taking Hong Xing away without any risk.
He knew that those four bodyguards were also armed. If they had resorted to force, it would have been a mutually destructive situation, and it wasn't even certain they could have taken down Hong Xing.
"What did you say? Xing was arrested by the police? Didn't he just get off the plane?"
Hong Yushu's furious voice came from Shen Bing's phone.
"Uncle, after we got off the plane, we had a meeting at the company, and then we came here for dinner. Before we could even start, the cops came in. They said Brother Xing was suspected of organizing a criminal syndicate and gambling activities, and they took him away after a few words."
"Suspected of organizing a criminal syndicate? They only arrested him?"
"Yes, there were only four of them, and they only took Brother Xing."
"That's not right. The police wouldn't just arrest him alone when cracking down on a criminal syndicate. According to protocol, people around him and the chamber of commerce management would all be taken in for investigation."
"Does Uncle mean those cops are fake?"
Shen Bing also felt something was amiss.
"I'm not sure, Bingbing. Hurry and take your people to stop them, then call 110 to report it. I'll immediately call leaders in Nanhai City to understand the situation."
When Hong Yushu was the director of the Bureau of Commerce, he had established good personal relationships with several leaders in Nanhai City, and he was now leveraging those connections.
Shen Bing hung up the phone and shouted, "Everyone, follow me! Let's snatch Brother Xing back!"