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

Chapter 1354 Immediate Action, Success

Property management records show that Zhao Mei's electricity consumption suddenly increased starting October 25th. Previously, daily electricity consumption was only a few kilowatt-hours, but now it exceeds twenty kilowatt-hours daily, and water consumption has also increased significantly. "This means there's an extra person in the house, most likely Zhao Gang," Xiao Wang analyzed. "He's definitely on high alert now. We can't alert him; we must first develop a meticulous arrest plan, confirm his exact location and condition inside the house, and prevent him from resorting to desperate measures and harming the hostage."

Xiao Wang and the head of the Beizhou police held an emergency meeting in the community property office to formulate an arrest plan. "First, we need to confirm whether Zhao Gang is inside the house, and whether there are any other people inside," Xiao Wang said, pointing to the community's floor plan. "The buildings in Huimin Community are very close together, so we can arrange for snipers to hide on the roof of the opposite building and observe the situation inside the house through binoculars; at the same time, we can have technicians use thermal imaging to detect the distribution of people in room 501 to determine Zhao Gang's exact location."

"Secondly, we need to detain Zhao Mei and understand the situation inside the house," Captain Zhang of the Beizhou police added. "Zhao Mei gets off work at 4:30 pm. We can stop her on her way home and question her to obtain key information such as the layout of the house and whether Zhao Gang has a weapon."

"Finally, the arrest operation must be swift and decisive." Xiao Wang tapped his finger heavily on the floor plan. "If we confirm that Zhao Gang is inside the house and is not carrying heavy weapons, we will split into two groups. One group will break in through the front door, and the other group will enter through the balcony window, forming a pincer movement to ensure that we subdue him in the shortest possible time."

After the meeting, each group immediately sprang into action. The sniper, equipped with gear, quietly infiltrated the rooftop of Building 6 across the street, set up his rifle, and observed the situation in Room 501 through his scope. "Report, there's a gap in the curtains; we can see a man sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding a cell phone. No weapon has been found," the sniper's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "He keeps glancing towards the door; he's very alert."

Technicians, equipped with thermal imaging cameras, conducted inspections in the hallways of Building 3. "Room 501 has two heat sources, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The heat source in the living room is larger and is likely Zhao Gang; the heat source in the bedroom is smaller and is probably Zhao Mei's child," the technicians reported. "No other heat sources were found, so there should only be two people in the room."

At 4:30 p.m., Zhao Mei arrived at the entrance of the residential area on time on an electric scooter. She was wearing a blue textile factory uniform, her hair was a little messy, and the basket on her scooter contained freshly bought vegetables. The officers who were already waiting nearby immediately stepped forward, showed their identification, and led her to the police car next to them. "My brother... what happened to him?" Zhao Mei's voice trembled, and her hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes.

“Zhao Gang is suspected of intentional homicide, and the police are currently investigating.” Xiao Wang sat opposite Zhao Mei, his tone serious but gentle. “We know he is at your house, and we hope you can cooperate with us and tell us about the situation inside, including whether he was carrying a weapon, the layout of the house, and whether there were any other people inside.”

Zhao Mei remained silent for a long time, then tears suddenly streamed down her face. "He's my brother, I can't abandon him." She wiped away her tears. "He came to me a week ago, saying he had gambling debts and needed to hide at my house for a few days. He didn't mention the murder, only that he was afraid of being hunted down. There's a sofa in my living room and a bed in the bedroom. He usually stays in the living room, and he has a fruit knife in his hand, saying he uses it to peel fruit. My son is a senior in high school this year and only comes home at night, so he's the only one in the house right now."

"What does the fruit knife look like? Where is it kept?" Xiao Wang pressed. "It's a black folding knife with a patterned handle. He usually keeps it under the sofa cushions," Zhao Mei added. "Our door is an old-fashioned security door without a deadbolt; it can be opened with a key. The balcony window is an old-fashioned sliding window, and the lock isn't very sturdy."

After obtaining crucial information, Xiao Wang immediately adjusted the arrest plan. "The snipers will remain concealed on the opposite rooftop. If Zhao Gang shows any signs of resistance, fire warning shots immediately. The assault team will split into two groups. One group, led by Officer Li, will use the key to open the door and storm the living room from the front. Their objective is to subdue Zhao Gang's upper body and seize the weapon from him. The other group, led by me, will rappel down from the rooftop and enter through a broken window on the balcony to support the frontal assault." Xiao Wang issued the orders over the walkie-talkie. "The operation will be scheduled for 5 PM. At that time, the residents in the community will be cooking, creating noise that will be advantageous for our operation."

At 5:00 sharp, the signal for action was given. Officer Li led the frontal assault team, gently inserting the key and turning the lock. With a soft "click," the security door opened smoothly. The team members filed in in tactical formation. Zhao Gang, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room playing on his phone, suddenly looked up upon hearing the noise and immediately reached under the sofa cushions. "Don't move! Police!" Officer Li shouted, and the team members instantly pounced on him, pinning Zhao Gang's arm firmly to the sofa.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wang's rappelling team slid down from the opposite rooftop, landing on the balcony of apartment 501. Xiao Wang kicked open the sliding window and led his team into the bedroom. After confirming no one else was inside, they immediately rushed to the living room to provide support. At this point, Zhao Gang was already pinned to the ground by his team, shouting, "I didn't kill anyone! He took my land first!"

The team members found the black folding knife under the sofa cushions. The pattern on the handle was clearly visible, and there were some minor rust marks on the blade, perfectly matching the characteristics of the folding knife found at the scene. Xiao Wang walked up to Zhao Gang, squatted down, and said, "There's your skin tissue under Liu Qiang's fingernails, and the footprints at the scene match your body type perfectly. What else do you have to say?"

Zhao Gang's body went limp instantly, his head drooping to the ground, his voice trembling with sobs: "He deserved it! He occupied my land for three years. While I was in jail, he paid my utility bills and then took my land for himself. When I asked him for it back, he beat me, saying I was a convict and didn't deserve to own land." He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "On the night of October 15th, I found him in the cornfield and tried to discuss getting my land back. He not only disagreed but also called me useless. We argued, and he hit me first. In a fit of anger, I stabbed him with a knife..."

"Why did you bury him in the cornfield?" Xiao Wang pressed. "I panicked. I saw a pit nearby, so I buried him in it, thinking no one would find out," Zhao Gang's voice trailed off. "I was afraid of being caught by the police, so I took the train back to Hebei and hid in the mountains. Later, when I ran out of money, I went to find my sister. I knew I would be caught sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to be so soon."