Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 25

They had only found one packet so far, barely five hundred grams. Still a long way off from the expected ten kilos.

Wang Maosheng ordered the repairmen to cut open the other rectangular weld seams.

Before long, he and Lu Cheng dug out ten wax-paper packages hidden inside various compartments.

Each package contained a pound of the white powder.

“That’s it?”

“Captain Wang, it’s not enough.”

Wang Maosheng immediately had the mechanics call over two more helpers, then told them to pry up the entire steel plate at the bottom of the carriage.

Meanwhile, he and Lu Cheng cuffed the four suspects.

Problem was, they only had two pairs of handcuffs.

“Captain Wang, we can use zip ties,” Lu Cheng suggested. “Repair shops are full of them.”

“Zip ties?” Wang Maosheng raised a brow, then chuckled. “Kid, you’ve got a head on your shoulders.”

Lu Cheng quickly fetched a bundle of zip ties and bound the other two suspects’ hands behind their backs.

“Squat down and behave. Don’t even think about running. No matter how fast you are, can you outrun a bullet?”

The threat made the four men glance nervously at the pistol holstered on Wang Maosheng’s belt. Throats bobbing, they obediently squatted down. Even if they felt wronged, none dared to protest anymore.

With everyone working together, they managed to flip the entire floorboard—but there was no trace of the remaining five kilos.

Fine. If it wasn’t here, then they’d tear the entire truck apart.

Tires, fuel tank, roof of the cab, seat compartments, exhaust pipe, battery box, tool kit, fire extinguisher—anything that could be dismantled, cut, or pried open, they dismantled, cut, and pried open.

In the end, the ground was littered with truck parts, but there was still no sign of the missing five kilos.

The truck driver squatted in the distance, staring in despair at his vehicle reduced to scrap. His heart bled, but he didn’t dare show a hint of anger. After all, he wasn’t just a driver—he was a drug mule. Whether he’d even survive this was still up in the air.

“Only five kilos? Could the intel have been wrong?”

Wang Maosheng stroked his chin, pulled out his cigarettes, handed a few to the mechanics, and lit one for himself.

“Lu Cheng, what do you think?”

The question came naturally, as if he were speaking to a seasoned partner, not a rookie trainee.

“Maybe there were two trucks,” Lu Cheng speculated. “They wouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. If these four are just pawns, maybe there were more pawns elsewhere.”

Wang Maosheng’s eyes lit up. “Two trucks? That’s possible?”

“Why don’t we just ask them?” Lu Cheng pointed at the four suspects.

“Ha! Kid, sharp thinking. I almost forgot that!”

Wang Maosheng’s expression hardened, his demeanor shifting instantly into that of a stern interrogator. His voice dropped cold:

“Alright, start talking. Who sent you on this little ‘potato delivery’? Where did you start, where did you go, every detail—you’d better spit it all out.”

The four men tried to plead their innocence but quickly gave in and began confessing.

The truck had set off from Longxiu Township in Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border—a notorious hotspot for the white powder trade.

Their boss, a bald man, had been generous. For a 2,000-kilometer haul, he offered thirty thousand yuan, double the usual freight.

Only a fool would turn that down, so these fools eagerly agreed.

That very night, the bald boss treated them to a banquet. After drinking themselves stupid, they’d passed out in the staff dormitory.

The next day, they sobered up around four in the afternoon and finally hit the road.

The driver explained that another truck had been there too—a red dump truck, model Ruiyu K68D.

That night, both trucks had been parked outside the bald boss’s warehouse.

The other three suspects were the driver’s fellow villagers, each paid five hundred yuan to help load the so-called “potatoes.”

Only later did they realize the potatoes were just a front. The real job was hauling drugs.

Falling from the sky, free money? Bullshit. It had been a trap all along.

Now the driver bitterly regretted it. But transporting drugs was a fact. There was no “I didn’t know” defense.

All he could do now was confess and pray for leniency.

Wang Maosheng and Lu Cheng exchanged a glance. The pieces had fallen into place.

That bald boss was the drug kingpin. The trucks had spent the night at his warehouse, giving him ample time to stash the goods.

The next day, the pawns set out.

There had been two trucks. That’s why only five kilos had been found here.

And according to the driver, the other truck had left an hour earlier.

Which meant, by now, it was probably already inside Jianghai City.

With the whole chain of events clear, Wang Maosheng hurriedly reached for his phone to report.

But just then, the call came in from the command center first.

He blinked in surprise and answered.

Command Center.

Qi Shuliang gestured for the officer beside him to hand over the phone.

His tone carried a hint of irritation. “Hello, this is Qi Shuliang from City Bureau.”

“Director Qi—it’s you! Please, let me explain—”

Qi cut him off sternly. “Answer me first. At that checkpoint you’re responsible for, are there only officers from two precincts right now?”

The surrounding officers stiffened. This sounded bad. Was Director Qi about to hold someone accountable on the spot?

This mission was of utmost importance. If someone had abandoned their post, the consequences would be severe.

But as everyone nervously studied Qi Shuliang’s face, they watched his expression change—anger gave way to shock, then excitement, and finally… praise.

“Good!”

“Wang Maosheng! Well done!”

Qi hung up, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face. At the same time, he let out a long breath of relief.

The others were baffled. Wasn’t he about to reprimand someone? Why did he suddenly look like he’d just won the lottery?

“Well done?”

Could it be… had Officer Wang intercepted the drug truck?

The thought sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Then Qi Shuliang gave his order loud and clear:

“Attention, everyone! The checkpoint team at Zhengyang Branch Road on Provincial Route 212 has intercepted a Yunnan-registered dump truck. Five kilos of drugs have been seized!”

The room erupted.

They had it!

After nearly sixteen grueling hours, there was finally a result!

But wait—five kilos? Wasn’t the intel supposed to be ten?

Qi continued: “According to the captured driver’s statement, another dump truck is carrying the remaining five kilos. That truck left an hour earlier and has likely already entered Jianghai.”

“Effective immediately, all units are to be on the lookout for a red Ruiyu K68D dump truck—front four, rear ten, length 8.6 meters. It’s running empty, and the drugs are most likely hidden in the reinforced beams under the floor.”

The reinforced floor beams?!

What a hiding spot. How had the 212-checkpoint team managed to uncover that?

Still, with the truck’s make, model, and color all identified—even without a license plate number—the scope of the search had narrowed drastically.

All other checkpoints were to continue their current operations. If the second truck had indeed entered Jianghai, the city’s surveillance network would catch it.

At Qi’s command, every squad was electrified.

The 212 team had already taken the first bite of meat.

Whoever caught the second truck would earn just as much glory.