Chapter 253: Time to Show Our Hand! Breaking Into Ghost’s Apartment—So What If K Finds Out?

The clues and details surrounding Ghost were piling up fast.

The deeper they dug, the more pieces started falling into place, even explaining many of the earlier mysteries.

Especially now…

They had just uncovered that Ghost had gone to prison to escape a hit on his life. That revelation was both shocking and deeply unsettling.

And then there was the fact that he had once studied magic in the United States. Could that be tied to another special case? Perhaps even linked to a major criminal organization?

The more they investigated, the more it became clear—Ghost was far from ordinary.

At the same time, the threat level of the Drug trafficking organization led by K, and the criminal group assisting him in the United States, skyrocketed.

After all, if Ghost had to go to prison just to stay alive, and K still dared to bring him into the Drug trafficking organization, there had to be something more going on. No way that was just a casual decision.

…

At that moment,

After hearing what Chen Sheng had just reported,

Su Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, then tapped the table and said,

“Officer Chen.”

“I think the importance of Ghost just went up another level.”

“Judging from the overall clues, Ghost is likely far more important than Demon Witch, maybe even more so than Qiang Wei.”

“Because I’m starting to believe Ghost not only holds the key evidence Lan Cai’er mentioned, but also knows the identity of the US-based criminal organization working with K.”

“If we can capture Ghost, we could potentially unravel the entire high-purity drug trafficking network and cut off the problem at its source.”

“At the same time, we could release the critical evidence Lan Cai’er uncovered, creating massive trouble for that criminal group in the United States and forcing them to deal with internal chaos.”

“And once that happens, K will lose a major ally.”

“Just from that chain reaction alone, in my view…”

“Ghost’s importance might even surpass Qiang Wei, who knows the faces of every member in the Drug trafficking organization.”

“But the real question now is—where is Ghost hiding?”

Su Ming’s question made Xu Changsheng furrow his brow. He sighed helplessly and said,

“Exactly.”

“Finding Ghost’s current hideout is the most crucial task right now.”

“But the problem is…”

“The last known surveillance footage of Ghost was from five days ago. It’s clear he went into hiding after getting tipped off.”

“Even if we go to the house he bought with his wife, we probably won’t find anything useful.”

“Given the criminal intelligence of these Drug trafficking organization members, there’s no way he’d stay somewhere that could be compromised.”

“Especially since Ghost hasn’t changed his identity and is still maintaining that ‘devoted lover’ persona.”

Chen Sheng played the photos sent over by the Criminal Investigation Technology Section a few times, then continued,

“It’s definitely tough.”

“Ghost has kept up his affectionate persona ever since getting out of prison. Even if we tried to trace his daily habits, it’d be hard to figure out where he’s hiding now.”

“In fact, I think under these circumstances, it might not even be worth going to his old place.”

“Because just like when Chief Lin was tracking Demon Witch—once we show up at Ghost’s former residence, Ghost and K will immediately know…”

“That we’re onto him, and we’ve uncovered his identity.”

After listening to Xu Changsheng and Chen Sheng’s analysis,

Su Ming didn’t respond right away. He simply rubbed his fingers together, clearly deep in thought, weighing their next move and how to flush Ghost out.

After a few seconds of serious contemplation,

Su Ming stared at Ghost’s photo projected on the screen. His gaze sharpened, voice firm.

“We’re going to Ghost’s old apartment.”

“Even if that tips off Ghost and K, we still have to go. Especially now, when we don’t have enough leads to find him any other way.”

“He lived there for a long time. No matter how thoroughly he cleaned up, there’s bound to be something left behind.”

“Unless I’m wrong, Ghost probably didn’t have time to do a full sweep. He likely left in a hurry to avoid getting caught at home.”

“Besides, whether we go or not, whatever message it sends to them doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“From Qiang Wei to Poison, and then to Butcher, it’s already clear this Drug trafficking organization is riddled with leaks. The other members have gone into hiding early.”

“So let Ghost know.”

“Maybe the pressure will make him slip up, and we can use that to dig him out.”

“But we need to lock down the highways and all major exit routes from the city. We must trap Ghost inside Jiahe City and not give him any chance to escape!”

…

Once the plan was set,

Chen Sheng moved fast. In less than five minutes, several police cars rolled out from the Yangliu Criminal Investigation Brigade’s parking lot, heading straight for the residential complex where Ghost had lived for a long time.

Although Ghost had worked at a circus in the neighboring district, he and his wife had bought a home in Yangliu District, the most bustling part of the city.

As the police cars set out,

All major traffic checkpoints in Jiahe City received lockdown orders, initiating a temporary policy of loose entry and tight exit.

It was clear—

They had to ensure Ghost couldn’t leave Jiahe City during this critical window.

…

Several dozen minutes later,

The convoy of police cars arrived at Yulong Community in Yangliu District—the complex where Ghost had bought his apartment.

This time, knowing full well that they were likely exposing themselves, Su Ming, Chen Sheng, and the others didn’t bother with plainclothes. They arrived in full uniform and headed straight to Ghost’s unit.

There was no hesitation.

Once at the front door, Chen Sheng motioned with his hand. Two officers stepped forward with hydraulic cutters and immediately broke through the locked door.

Then—

With urgency in his movements, Chen Sheng grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.

But the moment the door swung wide, before they even stepped inside, A thick, acrid stench of burning chemicals hit them full in the face…