Chapter 287: Priest Infiltrates Jiahe City, Increasingly Tense Situation

Watching as the traffic police slowly approached, Priest showed no sign of anxiety. He even took the initiative to roll down the car window.

The traffic police officer, looking exhausted, walked up to the car, glanced at Priest, and extended his hand, saying, “Please show me your ID and driver’s license.”

Priest didn’t immediately hand over the documents he had prepared in advance. Instead, he pretended to search for them briefly before handing them to the traffic police through the window. At the same time, he offered a cigarette, speaking in a somewhat awkward manner, “Officer, would you like a smoke?”

“I’m transporting Green Channel vegetables, and I’m almost out of time. Can you speed up this inspection a bit?”

The traffic police officer didn’t take the cigarette. Instead, he glanced at Priest while checking the authenticity of the documents and asked, “Is this your first time transporting for the Green Channel? Is it also your first time driving a truck?”

Priest, appearing slightly embarrassed, retracted the cigarette and quickly replied, “No, I’ve been driving for years.”

“I used to do regular freight. This is my first time with Green Channel.”

“With the market being bad lately, I figured I might as well earn some money instead of sitting idle, so I decided to run Green Channel.”

“But I didn’t expect… the timing is so tight. One slip-up and I might be late and get fined.”

The traffic police officer looked Priest over again, then took a small fingerprint scanner from his pocket and pressed Priest’s ID against it. He then handed it back to Priest, instructing firmly, “Place your right thumb here.”

“We need to verify your fingerprint before you can pass.”

Clearly, this was a more thorough inspection, specifically to catch anyone like Priest who might be trying to sneak in. Even if someone has undergone plastic surgery or is wearing a skin mask, they can’t change their fingerprints.

Priest’s eyes narrowed slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of the security measures in place. But he didn’t hesitate. He leaned forward slightly, extending his right thumb toward the traffic police officer’s fingerprint scanner.

“Beep—beep—beep———”

The fingerprint scanner immediately flashed a red light, indicating a failed scan.

The traffic police officer frowned, clearly growing impatient. “Align it properly and press harder for a bit longer.”

“If you want to leave quickly, cooperate. Otherwise, you’ll waste even more time.”

Hearing this, Priest showed a hint of helplessness. He extended his thumb again, aligning it with the traffic police officer’s scanner, and said sincerely, “Oh, officer.”

“It’s not that I’m uncooperative, but both my thumbs naturally have no fingerprints.”

“You can check; my fingertips are smooth. I don’t know why, but both thumbs are like this.”

“When I got my ID, I had to use my index finger for the fingerprint. Why don’t you try my index finger? My thumbs really don’t have fingerprints.”

At this moment, the traffic police officer frowned, looking at Priest with increased caution. But seeing the honest and simple expression on Priest’s face, he seemed genuine. He glanced at Priest’s open palms.

With just one look, the traffic police officer could see that both thumbs indeed lacked fingerprints and appeared very smooth, not like they had been deliberately altered recently. The skin near the base of the thumbs was rough with calluses, typical of someone who had been holding a steering wheel for years.

Without overthinking it, the traffic police officer raised the portable fingerprint scanner again, growing more impatient. “Alright.”

“Use your index finger to check the fingerprint.”

“Okay, okay,” Priest replied quickly, extending his right index finger and pressing it against the scanner.

After pressing firmly twice, the scanner lit up green.

Seeing this, Priest feigned urgency again, emphasizing the time constraint. “Officer, is everything okay now?”

“I’m really pressed for time. If I’m late, the transport fee, which isn’t much to begin with, won’t even cover the fuel costs.”

The traffic police officer looked at Priest again, confirming with his experience that the truck driver seemed to pose no problem. He waved for him to move forward, instructing, “Proceed to the front for a check on whether you’re carrying Green Channel vegetables and to weigh the load.”

After saying this, the traffic police officer took out his phone, snapped a photo of the truck’s license plate, and noted down various details about the encounter, such as the lack of fingerprints on the thumbs and it being the driver’s first time doing Green Channel transport.

This procedure was part of Su Ming’s earlier analysis. If the long-range sniper Priest were to come to Jiahe City, he would likely choose the highway over the high-speed train or plane, which already had security checks. To prevent traffic police and officers with rigid thinking from accidentally letting Priest slip through, they were required to report any unusual findings to Yang Liu’s Criminal Investigation Brigade every hour. This included details like a transport vehicle having only one driver or a freight vehicle that typically didn’t come to Jiahe City.

Once reported, the Criminal Investigation Brigade would conduct a more detailed screening. Although this process was time-consuming and complicated, it was worth it if it meant catching Priest.

After passing the traffic police’s inspection, the subsequent check by the highway personnel to verify compliance with Green Channel standards was much simpler. They only needed to confirm that the vegetables in the truck were within the Green Channel’s scope and that the load wasn’t over the vehicle’s capacity before allowing it to pass.

This was just as the seasoned truck driver had mentioned earlier. Jiahe City’s economy was thriving, so they were lenient with Green Channel trucks, which were essential for civilian needs, without unnecessary hurdles or demands for bribes. However, it was uncertain whether this leniency was ultimately beneficial. The lack of thorough inspection allowed Priest to easily smuggle weapons hidden beneath the leafy vegetables.

Driving the truck away from the highway toll booth, Priest maintained his previous simple and honest demeanor. Yet, his eyes had turned cold and fierce, a hint of ruthlessness shining through.

He had noticed the traffic police officer recording something on his phone. Although he was confident he hadn’t been exposed yet, he couldn’t guarantee how long it would be before the police caught on, especially with that keen-nosed dog on his trail.

Thinking of this, Priest picked up the phone from the passenger seat and dialed a number he had prepared earlier.

When the call connected, Priest spoke in a gruff voice without hesitation, “I’ve entered Jiahe City.”

“But I can’t guarantee how long it’ll be before those dogs sniff me out…”