Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 40 Hell
Back on the 27th floor, Zhu Wentao opened the glass door and went in, pulling the fluttering curtains in and closing the window before entering a room inside.

Lin Ge peeked half his head out from under the sofa at the front desk, listened intently for several minutes, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn, that's terrifying!"

Lying listlessly on the ground, Lin Ge felt utterly powerless.

He couldn't imagine what would happen if he were a step too slow to jump out of the exhaust window and was discovered by Zhu Wentao.

He dared not think about how difficult and unlucky it would have been if he hadn't climbed in by grabbing the curtains without stopping, and Zhu Wentao had closed the window. He would have had to climb down the wire to the first floor.

He seized that one or two-minute gap. A moment earlier or later would have caused problems; the victim would have either fallen to their death or been disposed of without hesitation by Zhu Wentao. Lin Ge had no doubt about that.

Anyway, he managed to turn the tide and get into Zhu Wentao's laboratory.

As for how to get out, there are many ways. Putting aside everything else, the mezzanine space of the apartment's central air conditioning unit is the perfect passageway that would allow him to move around freely.

After resting for a few minutes, Lingo regained his strength.

After checking left and right and finding no cameras or similar devices, he carefully crawled out from under the sofa.

Lin Ge sneaked to the door of the room Zhu Wentao had entered and listened intently. The soundproofing was so good that he couldn't hear anything. However, the good soundproofing also ensured that Lin Ge would definitely hear Zhu Wentao if he opened the door. Moreover, even if Lin Ge made any unusual noises outside, it wouldn't alert Zhu Wentao and make him run out.

Lin Ge began to wander freely in the hall.

From the outside, the lobby, which is disguised as an internet company, appears to be normal.

To Lin Ge's surprise, this wasn't just Zhu Wentao in disguise, but a legitimate online company. Lin Ge had already detected the presence of at least a dozen different people, and he also saw live-streaming equipment and products left behind by advertisers in the adjacent glass room.

There was a rest area ahead, and a half-finished cup of coffee. Taking a quick sniff, Lin Ge was certain the coffee was no more than five hours old.

In other words, this company was still operating normally this afternoon. It's just that because it's a live-streaming business, they weren't making a big fuss about it.

"Why would Zhu Wentao choose a place like this as a cover? He puts his equipment for doing bad things in a live-streaming company. What if he accidentally gets on camera or something happens? Do the people here even know what Zhu Wentao is doing?"

Lingo pondered deeply, then continued walking until he came to an office area with a string of English words written on the door.

As he walked, his feet suddenly stopped.

In Lingo's view, a cat lay forlornly dead in a specially constructed setting. Artificial trees, walls, corridors, paths, filthy ground, and the cat, seemingly crushed to death…

An expensive-looking camera was pointed directly at the cat. Although it was switched off, its purpose was obvious.

In one corner of the artificial outdoor set, there was a table with two laptops. On the table was a stack of documents, which detailed Chinese people abusing cats, as well as plans for which overseas platforms to distribute the content and how to incite comments.

Lin Ge instantly understood who this room was for.

Many platforms and individuals abroad deliberately create confrontational or critical videos or articles about China to gain traffic. Some platforms in certain countries even intentionally support this behavior, inciting viewers to be hostile towards China.

Even worse, some women of Asian descent deliberately film themselves engaging in extramarital affairs or even BDSM-themed "self-reflection" videos to earn money, further lowering foreign perceptions of China...

The vast majority of them identify as "mainlanders," and the vast majority are able to make a lot of money through the platform's support.

Lin Ge had previously bypassed the Great Firewall and seen similar content. Back then, there was nothing he could do; any rebuttal comments were instantly deleted. And now… he never imagined this scene would appear so abruptly before his eyes. If he had a cell phone, Lin Ge would absolutely risk exposure to contact Nie Guoqiang immediately.

But now, he has no choice but to endure it.

"The cat didn't have any strange smell, not even an odor, so it was undoubtedly related to the medicine Zhu Wentao had. And that makes sense... how could a stinking dead cat just be left lying around in an indoor place like this?"

Calmly analyzing the situation, Lin Ge left the room without leaving a trace.

He finally understood why Zhu Wentao hadn't doubted the cat hair he'd left behind: because this company... had a lot of cats! But none of them were alive...

The adjacent room features a similar interior and exterior setting. The main character is also a cat, but it's a emaciated, starving cat. Coupled with the messy, filthy, and obviously impoverished makeshift shack, the theme of this video is self-evident.

Lin Ge had no idea where Zhu Wentao or the company's boss had found this kind of actor. He finally understood why Zhu Wentao had stolen the cat.

I always thought this guy was a biochemical fanatic or something involved in illegal drugs. But now Lin Ge suddenly realized that he wasn't actually that sophisticated.

He's just a walking 500,000-strong group using cats to smear China!

Of course, Zhu Wentao may indeed be doing some research, but this company might be his real 'career' right now.

The apartment building spans an entire floor and is quite spacious.

Apart from the first few live streams and filming locations which are geared towards domestic audiences, almost all of the later ones are geared towards international platforms.

Most of it involves cat abuse or using cats to showcase poverty in China, while a smaller portion contains the 18+ content that Lin Ge had previously speculated about. Of course, it doesn't reach the level of making a movie, as that would be easily exposed. However, borderline content, nudity, displays or self-narrations without underwear, and sexually suggestive topics—similar plans can be found on the walls almost everywhere. The biggest advantage of this kind of thing is that it's easy to clean up and hide; even a routine inspection would hardly uncover any flaws.

Lin Ge didn't know how much money a company capable of recording multiple 'works' simultaneously could make with foreign support. But he did know that Zhu Wentao was indeed a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He even suspected that Zhu Wentao was probably hiding in his room right now, either manipulating foreign content or contacting foreign entities.
After all, judging from the time, 8 PM in China is exactly 8 AM on the American summer solstice. Although Lin Ge doesn't know the exact time, after being busy for so long, it must be above 9 AM now, when Americans are at work.

Lin Ge's disgust for Zhu Wentao deepened.

Lin Ge was curious as to why Zhu Wentao would personally steal the cat. Was it because he didn't trust anyone else? Or was it because he didn't want anyone else to handle some kind of potion he possessed?
Filled with doubt and disgust, Lin Ge continued his search in the room, which only had emergency exit indicator lights.

Further down the path, the rooms were mostly filled with miscellaneous items and landscaping materials. Next door was a staff break room, filthy and seemingly untouched for days. He even saw a condom in the trash can, which made him want to vomit.

As he continued walking, Lin Ge suddenly stopped.

Ahead was a kitchen, equally dirty and messy. But Lin Ge's gaze wasn't on anything else in the kitchen; it was firmly drawn to a rough iron stove in one corner that resembled an incinerator.

The area around the tin stove was filled with countless cat scents!

Normal smells, the smell of death, the smell of burning, and a strange smell that sent chills down his spine...

Lin Ge finally understood how Zhu Wentao disposed of all those cats he caught. A natural gas incinerator, which shouldn't be in an urban apartment building, would easily handle small animals, wouldn't it?
Even Zhu Wentao himself was unwilling to come to this place, so the smell of cats around the incinerator was completely left untreated.

The nauseating smell made Lin Ge want to vomit, but no matter how unhappy he felt, he still turned around and left without hesitation.

Lin Ge has made up his mind! He's not leaving today!
No matter what commotion he causes, no matter how much damage or impact it has, he will make Zhu Wentao pay the price! Let the fires of hell burn this bastard to death!

(End of this chapter)