Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 6 The Security Guard
"Jingle Bell!"

The phone rang, and Chen Shu took it out to look at it. It was a call from Zhu Chaoran.

"Brother Shu, bad news. The property management has cut off the power to the video surveillance system because of electrical maintenance in the community these past few days."

After learning the details, Zhu Chaoran, who went to the property management office of Tianjia Garden Community, called immediately.

"Okay, I understand." Chen Shu paused for a moment, then asked with a hint of anticipation, "How's things going with Li Chaoyang?"

"Not long after we left, Xing Da and his men took Zhao Hu away. Sigh!"

You could sense Zhu Chaoran's dejected state over the phone.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, Chen Shu spat inwardly, but then turned to Zhu Chaoran with an air of composure, saying calmly:

"Fatty, it's not a big problem. Go back to the station right away and follow up on the things I told you to do earlier. Keep a close eye on them and try to get the results to me by 10 p.m. tonight."

"Okay, Brother Shu."

Zhu Chaoran seemed to have regained some of his energy.

"That's settled then. Remember to keep in touch, and call me if there's any progress," Chen Shu said calmly on the phone.

"Dudu!"

Actually, arranging for Zhu Chaoran to return to the institute wasn't Chen Shu's special consideration for him. It was simply that no one in the entire institute, from top to bottom, felt that Chen Shu or the Zhongshan Institute should bear this responsibility and pressure.

This was a major criminal case, not under the direct jurisdiction of the police station. In fact, after the criminal investigation team took Zhao Hu away, everyone acted as if the matter had never happened.

Chen Shu was perfectly aware of this.

But as mentioned earlier, Chen Shu is no ordinary person. In the past, especially in cases that occurred in his jurisdiction, whether it was fighting, murder, arson, domestic violence, or neighborhood disputes, he would immerse himself in the situation with remarkable speed.

Perhaps he possesses an extraordinary sense of justice, or perhaps a sense of professional mission? He himself couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shu felt a moment of dejection. Although he had casually brushed aside the fact that the surveillance system had lost power on the phone, he was actually panicking inside.

Since the video surveillance lead has gone cold, we can only go back to the scene and look for any other clues.

Chen Shu turned his head and looked at the gate of Tianjia Garden not far away, then strolled away.

Hello, Master!

Looking at the security guard who was staring at him warily as he walked towards him, Chen Shu smiled and took out his work ID: "I am a police officer from Zhongshan Police Station. This is my work ID."

He casually offered a cigarette, flicked it twice in front of the security guard, and said with a smile, "Want one?"

After checking his work ID, the security guard lowered his guard, took the cigarette, and beamed with joy: "Officer, you're too kind. What can I do for you?"

Seeing the security guard accept the cigarette, Chen Shu immediately took out a lighter from his pocket, lit it with a "click," showing no carelessness, and then flicked it back to light one for himself as well.

He didn't rush to ask questions. Instead, he and the security guard stood together by the gate of the residential area, watching people come and go. They slowly lit up cigarettes together, exhaling a few puffs as smoke swirled around them.

As members of the largest group in the country—smokers—the two, being insiders, reached a consensus and developed a mutual respect, which brought them closer together.

Chen Shu didn't look at the security guard, but leisurely exhaled a puff of smoke and casually asked, "Uncle, how many years have you been working here? Are you a local?"

"Yes, I've been doing this for over two years, and I'm a local."

The security guard, who had already taken Chen Shu in, pointed to the old residential area on the street corner in the distance, coughing as he spoke:
"Ahem! I live there. I'm getting old and can't stay idle at home, so I specifically found a job close to home to pass the time. Ahem!"

"Hey, look at you, with your eyesight, you don't look old at all!"

Chen Shu took out his phone, swiped left and right a few times at the photos of Liu Yan that Li Chaoyang had sent him, and asked, "Do you know this person?"

"Yes, this woman is a resident here."

The security guard glanced at his phone, thought for a moment, and replied, "It's in Building B. I don't know his name. He drives a white Lamborghini."

"Hey, Uncle, that's pretty stylish! You even remember the car's name clearly."

Chen Shu casually offered cheap praise, but in his heart, he was already putting in a lot of effort to investigate the clues.

Yes, it matches the information on the hostages we have. As he spoke, he glanced a few times at the pool on his left.

He stared at the security guard's tone and movements as he answered, silently noting down every detail.

"Hey, I just heard it from the people around me, don't take it seriously."

The security guard smiled, feeling that the officer in front of him was different from the usual officers in peaked caps; he seemed quite approachable.

"Young man, you're getting the hang of it." He raised the cigarette in his hand, becoming more talkative. "Nice cigarette!"

Seeing that the security guard had completely let his guard down, Chen Shu got straight to the point.

"Something happened to this woman, and we can't find her now. Around what time did she leave here yesterday?"

He played a trick, arranging a hat for Liu Yan, and then skipped asking the security guard "Have you seen this person?" or "Has this person been here?" Instead, he lowered his voice and asked directly.

Upon hearing this, the security guard was startled and his eyes darted nervously to the pocket where Chen Shu had his work ID.

Chen Shu remained silent, simply standing to the side continuing to smoke, quietly observing his every move and silently exerting pressure.

"I was on duty last night," the security guard revealed the crucial information.

Chen Shu unconsciously tightened the cigarette in his mouth.

Steady!

(End of this chapter)