novellhall Chapter 136 The Positions of the Prey and the Hunter
Chapter 136 The Positions of the Prey and the Hunter
The red pen tip stopped at an apartment in Chaoyang District.
Draw the second red cross.
An abandoned quarry on the outskirts of Beijing.
Chen Yan stood under the broken concrete bridge pier.
The viewfinder is attached to the right eye.
The camera pans across a gray, gravelly slope.
Lin Qingqiu was wearing a black windbreaker.
She stood at the top of the slope.
He held a rusty threaded steel bar in his hand.
The wind blew her short hair.
"Take three steps back to the left."
Chen Yan spoke.
Lin Qingqiu stepped back.
Military boots tread on gravel.
Gravel rolled down the slope.
The stone hit the bottom of the bridge pier.
It made a dry, clanging sound.
"Lift up the steel bars."
Chen Yan said.
Lin Qingqiu raised her right arm.
The sharp ends of the steel bars point towards the sky.
Chen Yan rotated the focus ring of the viewfinder.
The image became clear.
Wu Gang emerged from the shadows beneath the bridge.
He stopped two meters behind Chen Yan.
"Two unlicensed SUVs."
Wu Gang said.
Chen Yan put down the viewfinder.
He turned around.
"Location."
Chen Yan asked.
"The woods to the east, about one kilometer away."
Wu Gang raised his right hand.
The index finger points to the poplar grove in the distance.
"How long have you been following them?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Followed us from the Fourth Ring Road to here."
Wu Gang answered.
Chen Yan raised the viewfinder again.
He pointed the camera at the woods to the east.
The leaves obstructed the view.
All that could be seen was the gray tree trunk.
"Did you bring a gun?"
Chen Yan asked.
"He brought people with him."
Wu Gang said.
"The other party is a professional."
Wu Gang added.
Chen Yan handed the viewfinder to Wu Gang.
"The view here is expansive."
Chen Yan said.
"Not leaving?"
Wu Gang asked.
"Film crews are professionals too."
Chen Yan took out his phone.
He pressed the keys on the keyboard.
Dial Zhang Yuan's number.
"Bring your equipment over."
Chen Yan said.
"How many?"
Zhang Yuan asked over the phone.
"all."
Chen Yan said.
"The venue has no electricity."
Zhang Yuan said.
"Set up three industrial generators."
Chen Yan said.
"clear."
Zhang Yuan hung up the phone.
Chen Yan looked at Lin Qingqiu on the slope.
"knock off."
Chen Yan said.
Lin Qingqiu walked down the slope.
She threw the steel bars on the ground.
Metal strikes rock.
It made a clanging sound.
She walked toward the nanny van parked fifty meters away.
I opened the car door and got in.
The car door closed.
It blocked out the sound of the outside wind.
Western Hills Villa, Beijing.
Flames engulfed the paper.
Black ash drifted towards the ceiling.
Gu Changchuan stood in front of the brass brazier.
He threw a blue-covered ledger into the brazier.
Paper curling.
The numbers and names above are blacked out.
Flames rose.
Lawyer Wang Cheng stood beside the leather sofa.
He was holding a brown paper document bag in his hand.
"Li Dong is with the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau."
Wang Cheng said.
"Tell him to take the blame."
Gu Changchuan said.
"He wants a resettlement allowance."
Wang Cheng said.
"Transfer two million to his wife's overseas account."
Gu Changchuan said.
Gu Changchuan picked up the pliers next to him.
He stirred the ashes in the brazier.
Red sparks flew.
It fell onto the Persian carpet.
It burned a black scorch hole.
"The police are checking files from 1995."
Wang Cheng said.
"They can't trace it back to me."
Gu Changchuan put down the iron clamps.
He walked to the mahogany desk.
Pull open the bottom drawer.
He took out a dark green passport.
The passport cover is printed with Thai script.
"Have you booked your plane tickets?"
Gu Changchuan asked.
"Tianjin Port, cargo ship."
Wang Cheng said.
"What time is it?"
Gu Changchuan asked.
"Three o'clock in the morning."
Wang Cheng replied.
Gu Changchuan stuffed his passport into his trench coat pocket.
He opened the metal cigar box on the table.
He took out a stack of US dollars.
Put it into a black handbag.
He took out his phone.
Remove the SIM card from the back.
Pick up the scissors on the table.
Cut the chip.
Throw the scraps into the trash can.
He put on black leather gloves.
"I'll leave this to you."
Gu Changchuan said.
"What should we do about Chen Yan?"
Wang Cheng asked.
"Someone will deal with him."
Gu Changchuan walked towards the villa gate.
A black Mercedes-Benz was parked outside.
The driver opened the rear door.
Gu Changchuan got into the back seat.
The car door closed.
The car drove out of the villa area.
The taillights disappeared into the night.
Abandoned quarry.
Five heavy trucks drove into the site.
The tires crushed the gravel.
Yellow dust rose up.
The truck was parked under the broken bridge.
Zhang Yuan pushed open the car door and jumped out.
He was wearing white canvas gloves.
"discharge!"
Zhang Yuan shouted.
Thirty site workers in black vests climbed onto the train carriage.
Untie the nylon straps securing the equipment.
The metal brackets were unloaded from the vehicle.
It made a dull thud.
Chen Yan walked to the first truck.
Zhang Yuan handed over a printing list.
"Twelve 18K dysprosium lamps."
Zhang Yuan said.
"Erected on both sides of the bridge piers."
Chen Yan pointed to the cement pillar.
"Two sets of 100-meter wire sliding tracks."
Zhang Yuan said.
"Pull it at the edge of the woods."
Chen Yan said.
"Four high-pressure pneumatic devices."
Zhang Yuan said.
"Buried under the slope."
Chen Yan said.
Site workers began moving equipment.
Thick black cables covered the ground.
The site workers carried sandbags weighing fifty kilograms each.
It is pressed onto the base of the C-shaped lamp holder.
The black sunshade was opened.
Adjust the angle.
The steel wire passes through the pulley system.
Apply lubricant.
The high-pressure hose of the pneumatic device is connected to the air storage tank.
Wu Gang stood to the side.
He watched the workers assemble the slide rails.
"Are you using this place as a film set?"
Wu Gang asked.
"This is the film set."
Chen Yan said.
Chen Yan walked towards the generator set.
Three yellow industrial generators were parked side by side.
Red diesel drums were piled up to the side.
"Connect the main power supply."
Chen Yan gave the order.
Electricians connect thick cables.
Press the start button.
The diesel engine is started.
Black smoke was emitted from the exhaust pipe.
A tremendous noise drowned out the sound of the wind.
Twelve 18K dysprosium lamps were powered on.
The light bulb emitted a low-frequency electrical hum.
Zhang Yuan ran over.
"The slide rails have been laid."
Zhang Yuan said.
"Hang up the reflector."
Chen Yan said.
"How big should it be?"
Zhang Yuan asked.
"Twelve by twelve meters".
Chen Yan said.
Four huge silver reflectors were mounted on the sliding rails.
The steel wire rope is taut.
The wind blows across the reflector.
It made a rustling sound.
Lin Qingqiu sat in the nanny van.
She looked out the window at the busy crowd.
Chen Yan walked to the car window.
He knocked on the glass.
The car window rolled down.
"We don't film at night."
Chen Yan said.
"I want to stay here."
Lin Qingqiu said.
"Close the car door."
Chen Yan said.
The car window rolled up.
Chen Yan turned to look at the woods to the east.
The sun is near the horizon.
The light dimmed.
Wu Gang walked up to Chen Yan.
"They made no move."
Wu Gang said.
"They're waiting for it to get dark."
Chen Yan said.
Chen Yan glanced at the mechanical watch on his wrist.
The pointer is pointing to six o'clock.
"Check the pneumatic valves."
Chen Yan said to Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan ran towards the slope.
He squatted down.
Turn on the black valve.
Compressed air is ejected.
The fallen leaves on the ground were blown away.
The pressure gauge needle is jumping.
Pointing to the red danger zone.
Zhang Yuan closed the valve.
"Stress level is normal."
Zhang Yuan shouted.
Chen Yan walked toward the director's tent.
There were two monitors inside the tent.
The cable connects four cameras distributed across the site.
Chen Yan pulled out a folding chair and sat down.
The screen displays images from four different angles.
Scene 1: Bottom of the broken bridge.
Scene 2: Slope.
Scene 3: Generator set.
Scene 4: The edge of the woods on the east side.
Chen Yan stared at screen four.
The woods were dark.
Vehicles are not visible.
Wu Gang pulled out another chair and sat down.
"What are you planning to do?"
Wu Gang asked.
"Light up their rooms."
Chen Yan said.
Chen Yan picked up the black walkie-talkie on the table.
He pressed the call button.
"All lighting units are in place."
Chen Yan said.
A reply came through the walkie-talkie.
"receive."
Zhang Yuan's voice came through.
Chen Yan put down the walkie-talkie.
The sky grew completely dark.
The abandoned quarry was plunged into darkness.
Only the monitor screen emitted blue light.
Illuminating Chen Yan's jawline.
Deep in the woods to the east.
Two black SUVs were parked under the poplar trees.
The vehicle had no license plate.
The engine stalled.
Songpa opened the car door.
He was wearing a black tactical vest.
He was carrying a long, rectangular canvas bag.
He walked toward the edge of the woods.
Military boots stepped on dry tree branches.
It made a cracking sound.
Three men followed behind him.
He was holding a miniature submachine gun equipped with a silencer.
Songpa stopped behind a sturdy poplar tree.
He put down his canvas bag.
Unzip the zipper.
He took out a Remington 700 sniper rifle.
He connected the barrel to the bolt.
Tighten the fixing screws.
Install the optical sight.
Songpa lay on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
He unfolded the bipod under the butt of his rifle.
Pull the bolt.
The brass bullet was pushed into the chamber.
He took out a small anemometer.
It was held in the air.
The screen displays numbers.
He turned the knob on the scope.
Adjust the air deflection.
Adjust the elevation angle.
The gun barrel pierced through the gaps in the bushes.
He closed his left eye.
The right eye is close to the scope.
The crosshairs move within the lens.
The camera pans across the broken bridge pier.
Sweep across the black cable.
The camera swept over the parked trucks.
The crosshairs were positioned in front of the director's tent.
Chen Yan stood outside the tent.
He had his back to the woods.
He was holding a walkie-talkie.
Songpa's finger rested on the trigger.
He adjusted his breathing.
The crosshairs were aimed at Chen Yan's back.