Ninety-nine: The Extortion Continues

When Wei Hua turned to leave, another police officer seemed about to take action but was stopped by the one who had previously pretended to be a lawyer. After Wei Hua disappeared from sight, the impersonator said to the other officer, “Come on! Let’s go back first! We’ll discuss this once we return. This time, we’re in for quite some trouble. I suspect the other party might have a military background, or at the very least, professional training. Ordinary criminals don’t face their targets so calmly; there’s always some nervousness, which they usually mask with harsh words or threatening looks. But this one was far too composed, and it gives me a bad feeling.”

Long Machi and his scheming advisor left the lowlands, separating from the two officers in charge of the case. Long Machi returned to his estate, where police protection was safer; the two detectives went back to the station. Upon arrival, the officer who had posed as a lawyer sought out his superior to report. After knocking and entering the office, his superior asked directly, “You’ve made contact with the criminal? How did it feel? Any valuable insights? What's your plan for apprehending them? How many are there? Did you see their weapons?”

“Sir! I met the criminal, and he felt like someone with specialized training. As for how many there are, we still don’t know. We only saw one, but we suspect he has accomplices. What’s the bullet analysis say?”

“The bullet report is here: all rounds were fired from the same military silenced pistol. But honestly, that’s highly unlikely. According to the coroner, the victims died around one a.m. Judging by the scene, they had no chance to resist. There are two possibilities: first, the killers were numerous, with clear division of labor, using a surprise attack with no chance for the ambushed to fight back. Second, the shooter was extremely fast. The evidence shows all bullets came from one gun, implying a single shooter. Imagine how fast he must have fired! Even with a silencer, there’s still noise; the people in the ambush would hear it, and at night, muzzle flashes would be visible. Each group had at least two people, yet none could resist. Frankly, I’m worried whether you all can handle such a criminal. I suspect he had night vision equipment,” the superior analyzed.

“It’s possible only one person committed the crime. Someone with professional training could pull off such a stealth attack. Let’s not forget, the victims were rabble. As for muzzle flashes, it’s not hard to conceal them. I also agree they might have night vision. However, from our experience, extortion like this is usually a group crime; it’s impossible for one person, especially when collecting ransom—without accomplices, it’s easy for us to catch them. I believe it’s a gang, at least two people. My reasoning: two guns appeared in the case, a silenced military pistol and a sniper rifle, which forms the simplest tactical pair. So I think we must try to catch them all at once, or else we’ll have trouble if they seek revenge!”

“So what’s your plan? Tracking? Using the ransom exchange as an opportunity? How will you track them? If there’s a sniper, sending someone to follow is likely a death sentence. Radio tracking? They’re professionally trained—I doubt we’ll succeed. And what about Long Machi? Do you know his intention? Is he planning to pay the ransom or not? If he pays, what will you do? If he doesn’t and he’s killed, what then? You need to consider all this carefully. Don’t mess up. This criminal isn’t ordinary; pay attention to your own safety. As your old superior, let me advise you—if you’re not confident, let them take the ransom. There are too many things in this world beyond our control,” the superior spoke earnestly.

“Thank you for your concern, sir! I’ll make sure to handle things as perfectly as possible!” The officer thanked his superior and left the office. He had no good plan yet, so he needed to discuss with his colleagues. Until a plan emerged, he decided to visit Long Machi’s estate to gauge his attitude.

Back home, Long Machi locked himself in his study for a day and night. He knew his fate hung in the balance. He sensed Wei Hua’s words were true: if he refused to pay the ransom, Wei Hua would surely kill him; if he paid, he would have to give up his comfortable life and vengeance for his son. But he was old—could he endure hardship again? No. So he decided not to pay the ransom, but he wouldn’t just wait for Wei Hua to come for him. He used every connection he had, pressuring the police to solve the case quickly and catch the extortionist. For extra safety, Long Machi even hired a squad of Indonesian soldiers from a military officer to guard his estate.

Wei Hua was at ease; the plan had gone smoothly so far. The next stage depended on Long Machi’s choice. Wei Hua had given him ten days to decide. A week later, Wei Hua called Ah Liang, who told him there was no word from Long Machi about needing cash or selling his plantation. Wei Hua deduced Long Machi had chosen not to pay. This pleased Wei Hua even more, because once Long Machi died, his estate would go to his original wife. According to Ah Liang’s information, she was timid, uneducated, and easy to intimidate—much easier to extort than Long Machi.

The police had already intervened, and now Long Machi was refusing to pay. Wei Hua figured they would take action, so he prepared carefully, planning to surprise the Indonesian police. Two days later, at the deadline, Wei Hua called Long Machi, informed him of the ransom location, and then hung up.

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