Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 297 Blind Date

The white cat family and the old dog settled down in the Little Garden.

Lin Ge would occasionally come over and found that the cats and dogs were living quite well; at least, living quietly shouldn't be a problem.

The only problem is that there are seven cats and dogs in total, and the amount of food they need to eat every day is not small. In addition, since the park is not a residential area, there is not much abandoned food, which brings new troubles to the white cat.

In the past, the white cat was not picky and could always find food, but now that there is a dog and five kittens that need to be carefully cared for, it has to lead them to the neighboring community a few hundred meters away to find food.

As a result, the white cat and old dog had a conflict with the original cat gang in the community, and it was only through Lin Ge's mediation that a compromise was finally reached.

The cats in the neighborhood didn't want to fight a big dog, since any injury could be fatal for a stray cat. Plus, with the real boss, Lin Ge, getting involved, they reluctantly handed over the innermost building to the white cat and the old dog, leaving the rest of the area to their own territory.

A seven-story building with fifty or sixty households doesn't actually provide the white cat with much in terms of usable living supplies. But for the white cat, it was already quite content. Before, when it was all alone, it didn't have this kind of fixed territory.

The sight of a cat and a dog wandering together was quite unusual for the residents of the neighborhood. Some elderly people couldn't resist giving them leftovers, which was a pleasant surprise for the white cat and the old dog.

As the white cat became more familiar with the old dog, their life together became smoother and smoother.

Before you know it, the twelfth lunar month is coming to an end.

By the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, all primary and secondary schools in the oil city were on holiday.

After the grueling and brutal final exams, the kids, who had been feeling stifled for over a month, started to let loose like birds released from their cages.

Lin Jia spent the day at the police station with Lin Ge. Tomorrow she will be going to Chu City with her parents to spend the Spring Festival with her grandparents. She was especially reluctant to part with Lin Ge, as she hadn't seen him for many days.

Then, before Lin Ge could even relax for half a day, he encountered the most troublesome group of five elementary school students.

"Mimi, wake up!"

Early in the morning, Zheng Jiacheng began frantically banging on the cattery door.

Beibei, in the kennel next door, quickly turned around, facing outwards, buried its head under its paws, and continued to sleep soundly.

Lin Ge ignored the little rascal outside, curling up into a ball and hiding in the cat bed. He now deeply missed the white cat's living conditions; the warmth was truly wonderful. Unlike here at the cat shelter, even with the heater running at full blast, it was still bone-chillingly cold.

The reason is that it snowed last night, and it drizzled all night.

Although it wasn't quite to the point where the snow was so thick it covered the ground, it was precisely because the snow wasn't thick enough that the damp air felt even colder and more unbearable.

Lin Ge glanced enviously at the four cats of different sizes huddled together, lamenting that he couldn't find anyone to keep warm. He then looked down at the lame cat by the door, who had been woken up by the little rascal. This guy didn't seem to be afraid of the cold at all, and even had the mood to lick his poop with his leg up.

"Move aside, I've found the key!"

Hu Miao's loud voice grew louder as it approached, and soon the cat shelter door was forcefully pushed open by several rascals, letting in a blast of cold air.

"Holy crap, close the door, you bastard!"

Lin Ge was shivering from the cold, so he quickly stood up and glared at the mischievous kids.

"Meow!"

The lame man let out a scream and fled into the next room when Zhang Yining reached into his stomach with his icy hands.

"Hehehehe..."

The little rascals didn't seem to feel cold at all, but Lin Ge was quite envious of how they were all bundled up. Seeing Nie Zhuangzhuang eagerly reaching out his hand, Lin Ge quickly widened his eyes and bared his teeth to scare him away.

Sleeping was out of the question, and hibernating in the winter was a luxury. Lin Ge could only stretch and crawl out of his warm cat bed, glaring at the little rascals.

"Why are you bothering me during your precious winter break instead of watching anime and playing games?"

"Mimi, let's go out and play!"

Zhang Yining chuckled as she hugged the little hawksbill turtle, feeling its warm and cozy body. She didn't mind being covered in fur, and while stroking the turtle's head, she said, "There's a comic convention at Wanda Plaza tomorrow, why don't you come with us to check out the venue?"

"Going to another comic convention? Haven't you learned your lesson from last time?"

Lin Ge glanced sideways at Zhang Yining.

"Hehe... This time it's a proper comic convention. It's been held in Zhangzhou for many years, and there are a lot of people who come to play together."

Hu Miao was holding a snowclaw tiger-striped tortoiseshell in her arms, but the little guy wasn't as well-behaved as the tortoiseshell tortoise, and kept struggling in Hu Miao's arms. But Hu Miao was also stubborn, and she held the snowclaw tiger-striped tortoiseshell by the neck, refusing to let it get off her.

"I really don't want to go to crowded places, especially inside shopping malls!"

Lin Ge found it troublesome and really wanted to refuse. With the mall and the Lunar New Year celebrations, one could imagine how lively and crowded it would be. Wouldn't a cat like him going to such a place be suicide? It was much more comfortable to hibernate at the police station.

Also, two girls want to go to the anime convention, why are you three guys getting involved?
Lin Ge turned to look at Nie Zhuangzhuang and his two companions who were playing with Little Tiger. These three were just as mischievous and ignorant as Little Tiger, and they were having a great time playing together.

"There's nothing I can do, I was drafted!"

Nie Zhuangzhuang spread his hands and said speechlessly to Lin Ge, "They went to the comic convention and made the three of us do all the hard work. I was in charge of carrying the luggage, Xie Zaiqi was in charge of taking photos and videos, and Zheng Jiacheng was in charge of being their lackey."

The other two boys nodded in unison, their expressions helpless.

Gee...

Lin Ge stared speechlessly at the three good-for-nothings being bullied by the girls.

However, no matter what, there's definitely no chance of resting today. Whether I go to the mall or not, with these five guys bothering me, how can I possibly sleep in? Didn't you see the mother hawksbill turtle is already up, stretching and planning to go for a walk?

So, coaxed by Zhang Yining and Hu Miao, Lin Ge had no choice but to reluctantly agree to go on an inspection tour of Wanda Plaza with them today.

"Hey, Mimi, are you going out?"

Just as he was about to leave, Zhang Ke barged in.

"Is something wrong?"

Lin Ge still remembered the case Zhang Ke and Zhao Zhigang handled; it seemed the range hood cleaner had ultimately gotten away. Although they had caught his three female accomplices, the questioning of the entire fraud ring hadn't been very effective.

These three women were migrant workers from the neighboring southern province. Even though they knew they were involved in a scam, they were only at the lowest level, responsible for investigating targets, and were unaware of the inner workings of the group.

"Southern Province!"

Lin Ge thought back to his resounding youth and couldn't help but feel nostalgic. However, Zhang Ke's visit usually meant trouble.

"They've set up a matchmaking plaza at Wanda Plaza, targeting migrant workers returning home for the Spring Festival. I reckon those people won't let this opportunity pass them by, since migrant workers have some money saved up after a year of hard work. Do you want to come with me and take a look?"

Zhang Ke extended an invitation directly to Lin Ge, and surprisingly, his target was also Wanda.

Just then, Lin Ge was about to be dragged away by Zhang Yining and the others, so he didn't refuse.

"Fuck!"

As soon as he stepped outside, a gust of cold wind made Lin Ge's hair stand on end. He quickly climbed into the Ford Focus that Zhang Ke had driven, and the warmth of the car's air conditioning finally made him feel much better.

Once Zhang Yining and the others squeezed in, the Ford Focus's cramped space became a bit too small. Nie Zhuangzhuang occupied the passenger seat, while Lin Ge was dragged by Zhang Yining to lie on the back seat, forming the dividing line between the boys and girls. Dissatisfied with the cramped space, Lin Ge gesticulated wildly at Xie Zaiqi, leaving the two boys with only a tiny space to cling tightly together.

"Hehe! Well done, Mimi!"

Zhang Yining and Hu Miao chuckled smugly.

The car soon arrived at Wanda Plaza, where Zhao Zhigang had been waiting for a long time.

Zhao Zhigang was extremely annoyed that this case had wasted so much time, and that the suspect had even managed to slip away in the crowd last time. Now, seeing that Zhang Ke had brought Mimi to help, he finally showed a satisfied and excited expression.

Who in the police station didn't know about Lin Ge's abilities?

If any suspect dares to cause trouble at this matchmaking event, they will definitely not escape the eyes and nose of this cat.

"Mimi, go and have some fun with them first. I'll call you when the matchmaking event starts."

Before the matchmaking event even started, Zhang Ke didn't immediately grab Lin Ge to do chores. With Zhang Yining and Hu Miao's coaxing, he unhesitatingly handed Lin Ge over to the five elementary school students.

Left with no other choice, Lin Ge could only follow Zhang Yining to the comic convention venue the next day.

To be honest, the venue wasn't very big, and there weren't any of the usual facilities or photo walls set up. However, just by looking at the few promotional boards hanging on the ground, you could tell that tomorrow's comic convention was going to be quite formal, with guests even invited for autograph sessions, making it a rather grand affair.

Moreover, since this anime convention was held in a public place, admission was free. This was great news for the elementary school students who already didn't have enough pocket money.

"I'm going out tomorrow..."

"Well, then I..."

Zhang Yining and Hu Miao's eyes were shining, and they whispered excitedly to each other. Nie Zhuangzhuang and his two friends, on the other hand, spotted an indoor rock climbing wall not far away and abandoned the two girls, rushing over to buy tickets and have some fun.

The way the chubby boy climbed the rock was quite funny. But considering it was just a simple indoor facility, he still managed to reach the top successfully.

Lin Ge waited for a while, feeling a little bored.

To be honest, although the mall was warm, the air felt stuffy due to the large number of people. Some passersby would unconsciously look at the cats, which made Lin Ge, even though he was used to such gazes, feel a little uncomfortable.

At that moment, a slightly familiar scent suddenly entered Lingo's nostrils.

Lin Ge was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned around, only to see a figure gradually walking away. That person had appeared at the matchmaking booth, but had quickly chosen to leave. But even this brief encounter told Lin Ge that Zhang Ke had guessed correctly.

Criminals who use matchmaking to commit fraud will certainly not let this rare opportunity pass them by. How many migrant workers have girlfriends? And how many have factories with plenty of young women? Generally, these men go there alone and return alone, so it's not surprising that they might find a woman locally to marry. Since they are away from Zhangzhou for extended periods and have even less opportunity to interact with young women, matchmaking events may become their only option.

"To put it bluntly, most men don't know where else to find a suitable partner besides young girls on the street. If they had the ability to go to places like bars and KTVs, they wouldn't be single."

Zhang Ke didn't think he was wrong. Dating events, which are a mixed bag, have always been the most frequent locations for dating scams, so it wasn't surprising that the suspect would be there.

Zhao Zhigang nodded in agreement.

As a fellow bachelor, Zhao Zhigang occasionally worries about finding a girlfriend. With a very limited social circle, he also doesn't know where to look for his soulmate. Aside from the streets, he doesn't even know where there are lots of girls.

There should be plenty of eligible men and women in the city, so where do all those girls work? Why do I rarely see them?

"Let's tell Chief Nie what happened. We might need backup later. If it's just the two of us, we might lose track of the suspect again, just like last time."

Zhang Ke patiently assisted Zhao Zhigang.

Although he was only an auxiliary police officer, Zhang Ke was much more reliable than Zhao Zhigang in his work. If Zhao Zhigang hadn't messed up last time, and the two of them had truly worked well together, how could they have lost track of a target?

"I'll make the call right now."

Zhao Zhigang didn't disregard Zhang Ke's advice just because he now held a higher position. Or perhaps, for him, having someone else to offer advice was a hundred times easier than racking his brains himself?
The two quickly separated to work. Zhao Zhigang went to the third floor to keep watch, while Zhang Ke, with Lin Ge, quietly watched as the matchmaking event booths began to prepare. One by one, young or middle-aged men, deliberately dressed up, appeared, but there were very few women.

"Any smart woman would know that those waiting here are the women who are genuinely interested in blind dates. The ones who will all appear later are, if not all, at least the vast majority, hired by the organizers. Many of these women make a living this way. After all, dating isn't marriage. Getting men to treat them to meals and entertainment, plus a few red envelopes, earns them more than they would from working hard. And frankly, it's not even illegal. It's just a matter of how many fools will fall for it."

Zhang Ke leaned against the wall and chatted with Lin Ge, while secretly memorizing the faces of all the women present.

Lin Ge suddenly felt a little fortunate that he was a cat and didn't have to worry about finding a girlfriend.

"Mimi, do you see that girl in the red dress over there?"

Zhang Ke suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Following Zhang Ke's suggestion, Lin Ge looked over and indeed saw a young woman with exquisite makeup and a slender figure chatting and laughing with one of the organizers' staff members.

With her appearance, all the anxiously waiting male guests turned their attention to her. Seeing such a high-quality woman at the blind date was a pleasant surprise for them; who wouldn't have a glimmer of hope?

“If my memory serves me right, she seems to have appeared in the previous matchmaking scams as well. However, our investigation of her did not find anything wrong; at least on the surface, she did appear to be an ordinary woman with no source of income who wanted to get married.”

Zhang Ke spoke seriously, glancing at the woman out of the corner of his eye, then whispered to Lin Ge, "Better safe than sorry. Remember her scent. If any weirdos or monsters pop up at this matchmaking event, check if you've interacted with her. Hehe... I believe with your hearing, overhearing their conversation should be a piece of cake, right? And these people won't be wary of a cat. Hopefully, this will give you some clues."

Lin Ge nodded.

To be honest, at this point, the initial casual attitude has completely disappeared. Scams, especially matchmaking scams, are the most despicable. Because they steal not only money, but also feelings!
People who work away from home don't earn money easily, so wanting to find a suitable woman to marry is a natural need. But being scammed like this, losing money and emotionally damaged, ending up with nothing—that's just too tragic, isn't it?
This is even different from arresting prostitutes or similar cases; the victims are completely innocent.

Appreciating beauty is not wrong, nor is being seduced by a beautiful woman necessarily their fault. Therefore, for police officers and their officers, catching these scoundrels who violate social morality and public order is actually more important than solving other cases.

Soon another pretty young girl was led to a seat in the venue by the organizers, but Zhang Ke just pursed his lips at this woman and didn't remind Lin Ge of anything.

Lin Ge immediately realized that this woman was a plant hired by the organizers. Morally, she was full of malice, but legally, there was really nothing that could be done against them. After all, dating is a subjective matter; who could find real or false evidence?
As the start of the matchmaking event drew closer, the number of people at the venue increased.

Whether they were men and women in need or just curious onlookers, the venue was packed to the brim. In addition, representatives from various matchmaking agencies were also distributing flyers and other items among the crowd, making the scene even more lively.

But to Lin Ge's surprise, the man he had smelled earlier did not reappear.

There was nothing else unusual at the scene for the time being. Lin Ge wanted to go outside and look for it, but it was really inconvenient for a cat to be alone in such a crowded place.

"Mimi?"

Zhang Yining and Hu Miao suddenly squeezed over, looking at Lin Ge with some curiosity as he seemed eager to slip away.

"You two take it out for a walk, the environment here really isn't very good. Oh, Yining, you brought your smartwatch, right? I'll call you later and you can bring Mimi back."

Zhang Ke was quite understanding and assumed Lin Ge was just tired. Expecting police cats and dogs to work eleven or twelve hours a day like police officers is indeed asking too much of them.

Lin Ge was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as Zhang Yining carried him around the mall. The two young girls carrying a cat didn't stand out much, and they chatted and laughed as they explored the entire Wanda Plaza.

Under these circumstances, Lin Ge finally spotted his target again at the entrance of a decoration shop on the second floor.

Unlike his disheveled appearance in the dilapidated rented room last time, the man changed into normal clothes this time, sitting there like a lazy husband waiting for his wife to return from shopping.

His eyes darted around aimlessly, and he didn't seem to care about the passersby.

What's so strange about a man looking around at the pretty women?

But only Lin Ge could see that this guy's main focus was still on the matchmaking corner downstairs. Clearly, his accomplices had infiltrated there, and this guy's job was simply to be on guard and deal with any unexpected situations.

(End of this chapter)