Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 417 The Face-Changing Dog

The phrase "police cat expert" made a group of police officers burst into laughter.

The case has found a new lead, a crucial one that could identify the suspect. This good news instantly dispelled the tension in everyone's hearts.

Although I didn't accomplish the task myself, I'm happy enough as long as it's good news. Few police officers expect to save the world; if there are fewer reports of crimes in their jurisdiction and difficult cases are resolved faster, that's enough to make them say "thank you."

Of course, this doesn't mean everyone can retire with the good news. The murderer hasn't been caught yet, and the clues and evidence are still incomplete; the search continues. The only difference is that the psychological pressure has lessened considerably, nothing more.

However, Lingge can relax a bit now, because it has done something that no one else has done: it has not brought shame to Zhanghe Police Station. Now no one can say that this police cat is incompetent.

Although the case is still unsolved, he has already secured a share of the credit.

Therefore, after completing the task, Lin Ge was no longer under pressure and quickly returned to a relaxed state. He strolled around the scene leisurely, not disappointed when he found no more clues, and then turned to the awning to tease the four poor dogs.

"Wang Wang!"

The fierce German Shepherd barked menacingly at Lingo, baring its teeth and claws as if about to attack.

However, there was always a three-centimeter gap between it and Ringo, and no matter how hard it stood up and stretched its paws, it couldn't reach him. That tiny, seemingly insurmountable distance made it believe time and again that it could reach him with just a little more effort. But even with the collar digging into its flesh, it still couldn't reach a single hair on Ringo's head.

"Wow woof! woof woof!"

The poor little guy's eyes turned red with worry.

"Tsk tsk, this is the first time I've seen a police dog attack me!"

Lin Ge listened with a nonchalant air of amazement, but the almost impossibly close distance made Li Siyu's palms sweat. However, the German Shepherd was too fierce for her to approach and pull Mimi back; she could only whisper instructions from behind.

"Wang Wang!"

"Mimi! Mimi! Don't go there, come back quickly."

Hearing the police dog's barks, Li Siyu realized for the first time how fierce it could be. But looking at the other three German Shepherds, each with its tongue lolling out and tail wagging like a windmill, why was this dog's attitude so different?
"Could it be that because you're a dog from Sichuan Province, you're so petty and don't know who your cat master is?"

Lin Ge was also very curious.

He tried to communicate with the dog in Sichuan dialect, but what does a Sichuan cat call again? After a few attempts, he realized it wasn't quite right, so Lin Ge flicked his tail and obediently gave up. Feeling a bit bored, he turned and walked away.

"Wow~"

As soon as Ringo left, the black-backed dog became aggrieved. It stopped struggling and barking, and instead sat pitifully on the ground, even its pointed ears drooping.

"What are you doing!"

Now it was Lin Ge's turn to be speechless, and he turned around to look at it helplessly.

"Wang!"

Seeing that Lingo was looking over, the guy became happy again.

It flicked its tail twice and lunged at Lingo again, eager to get closer. Even after being pulled over by the rope, it still wouldn't give up and tried to get close to Lingo.

But as soon as Lin Ge gets close, the little rascal immediately changes his expression, glares at him, and opens his mouth to bite.

This shameless act perfectly embodies the Sichuan face-changing art.

Unfortunately, this little trick was ultimately not enough to fool Lin Ge.

Lin Ge teased it a couple of times with some interest, but after a while he got bored and turned to greet the other three dogs, leaving the little rascal all alone over there.

"Woo~"

The three German Shepherds over there were much more obedient, letting Lingo come over without opening their mouths. Except for one mischievous one that liked to secretly lick Lingo, the other two were as well-behaved as could be.

Annoyed by the licking creature's sneak attacks, Lingo jumped onto its back and started yanking its head. He kept pulling until all the tufts of fur on its head stood on end before finally letting it go, fuming.

But even though Lin Ge was messing around like this, the three German Shepherds didn't get angry at all.

"Awooo~~ Awooo~~"

The abandoned German Shepherd, seeing its companions having fun, felt even more aggrieved. It tilted its head back and started barking wildly, its cries filled with such sorrow that even a human could understand them, and its pitiful appearance was truly heartbreaking.

It seemed like the dog was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Really... I'm scared of you."

Lin Ge sighed.

He felt a little awkward mainly because of the stares he received from the police officers still working over there, drawn by the noise. Everyone was working hard, and he was just causing trouble; it seemed a little inappropriate.

So Lin Ge went back to the damn dog and glared at it fiercely: "I can play with you, but if you dare to talk back again, don't blame me for beating you to death, understand?"

"Wang Woo!"

The little rascal responded with a bouncy laugh, his aggrieved expression quickly disappearing.

"You're such a master of disguise!"

Lin Ge sighed, realizing he had fallen for the little rascal's trick.

Then, in the next second, Lin Ge was caught off guard and was pounced on by the black-backed dog. The little guy opened its blood-red mouth and bit down hard on Lin Ge.

"ah!"

Li Siyu exclaimed in surprise from not far away.

"..."

Lin Ge remained motionless, his eyes and face cold, silently watching the dog open its mouth wide and swallow his entire head. It was only because the dog hadn't actually used its full strength that Lin Ge managed to retaliate.

In truth, Lin Ge was quite nervous, and all four claws were already extended. If he hadn't sensed no obvious malice from the dog, it would have been dead the moment the little rascal opened its mouth.

"Woo~"

The little rascal gently shook its head, puzzled as to why the cat in its mouth wasn't struggling. Before, when they played like this, the other cats would go crazy in fear; why was this one different?
"Try moving again?"

Lin Ge was getting impatient from being shaken, and the unpleasant smell from the dog's mouth was also making his patience run out.

"Ouch?"

The little rascal opened its mouth wide, took a step back, and released Lin Ge. The cat hair in its mouth made it grit its teeth uncomfortably, but its expression towards Lin Ge carried an innocent question mark.

"What the hell!"

Lin Ge laughed in anger, extending a sharp claw from his right hand and jabbing it hard into the little rascal's cheek.

"Ouch~~"

The little guy let out a scream and jumped up.

"Mimi!"

Li Siyu was truly terrified by this audacious dog. Seeing it start to go berserk again, she rushed over, hugged Lin Ge tightly, and then quickly backed away.

"It's okay, it's okay, it was just a joke, don't be nervous."

Lin Ge felt a little uncomfortable being hugged by Li Siyu, so he quickly patted her arm to comfort her.

To be honest, Lin Ge was quite moved that this girl, despite being terrified, still mustered the courage to rush over. Just like when they first met, she truly was a kind and brave girl.

It has to be said that Li Yiduo's ability to win over Li Siyu as his girlfriend is akin to being born into privilege; it's a testament to God's favor.

"This dog scared me to death!"

Upon discovering that Lin Ge was unharmed, Li Siyu finally realized what had happened and felt both amused and annoyed. Looking at the bastard dog still groaning, feigning innocence, pitifulness, and grievance, she truly wanted nothing more than to kick it hard.

Look what it's done! Mimi's whole head is soaking wet. "110, what are you doing!"

A policeman in the crowd saw what was happening and rushed over.

On the surface, the police officers seem to be just loafing around in that tiny area, but in reality, they have to examine everything meticulously, leaving no stone unturned, because there might be tiny clues or traces left on them.

This job is actually quite strenuous, as you have to maintain a squatting position from beginning to end, and you must be very careful not to trample on areas that haven't been inspected much. Sneezing and running noses are strictly prohibited. Even while wearing masks, everyone tries to avoid talking unnecessarily to prevent contamination of the site.

This wasn't actually the job of a police dog handler, but seeing his colleagues working so hard, he volunteered. However, in the blink of an eye, that unruly little brat locked in the awning caused trouble again.

You blind, stupid dog! Is this the same stray cat you usually tease? Those stray cats eat your dog food, so of course you can do whatever you want with them! But this one is different! This cat is an expert from another province! If you hurt it, even selling yourself wouldn't be enough to compensate it for a single hair.

While inwardly grumbling, the trainer hurriedly apologized to Li Siyu.

"Ouch!"

The German Shepherd was glaring angrily at its owner. "Human, this time it's the dog that's bullied me!"

"Scream!"

How could the trainer dare to pamper it in front of outsiders? Without hesitation, he slapped the black dog on the head, then turned around and continued to ask Li Siyu if she was injured.

He repeatedly emphasized that 110 was just a little mischievous and would never hurt anyone. It was used to playing around with the stray cats at the police dog base and only acted impolitely on a whim.

This guy, in the end, still protects that stupid dog.

"Does this little guy have some husky blood?"

Lin Getuan, nestled in Li Siyu's arms, was also quite puzzled. Adding to the unpleasantness was the dog's bad breath on his head, so he accepted the trainer's apology while vigorously shaking his head to try and dispel the odor.

However... considering that this guy used its dog food to help a lot of stray cats, I'll forgive it for this today.

Lin Ge felt he was quite magnanimous.

As for the fact that the stupid dog got poked by him? You can't just make things up without evidence; he's the victim!
The police officer who trained the dog apologized repeatedly and eventually gained Li Siyu's forgiveness. However, neither Li Siyu nor Lin Ge wanted to play with this mischievous German Shepherd for the time being; the dog was just too troublesome.

At this moment, the technical center staff, who had been notified, finally drove over.

They quickly erected something like a dust cover at the location where Ringo discovered the problem, and then four or five people busied themselves working inside.

It was completely dark by then, and lights shone from inside the white dust covers. Everyone else had finished their work and were resting, but they continued working. A group of people ate and drank in the tent area set up a little further away, quietly watching the technicians continue their work.

Lin Ge mingled in the crowd, curiously watching the people coming and going under the lights, occasionally letting out a gasp. It sounded as if he had discovered something extraordinary, filling the technicians with righteous indignation.

"Da Niu said no valid semen samples were collected at the scene. However... the victim's blood structure was found. In other words... the victim is still a virgin... that damned beast!"

An older member of the task force clenched his fist and slammed it hard against a tree trunk next to the tent.

A companion nearby offered quiet words of comfort, the voice gradually growing lower.

However, this scene occurred in the dark, and no one else saw or heard it except Ringo. Ringo didn't know how old the policeman was, but roughly speaking, the victim was probably about the same age as his daughter, which explained why he felt so deeply for him.

Yet this innocent young girl died tragically and helplessly.

No one knows how much pain she was in at that time, or how desperate her cries and pleas were. That beast deserves to die!

Lin Ge, also in a bad mood, vented his frustration by scratching the bark and trunk with his claws before letting out a muffled groan and returning to his tent.

The incandescent light stayed on all night. When Lin Ge woke up in the middle of the night to pee, the other side was still busy.

Later that night, another professional vehicle arrived at the scene. Several technicians with dark circles under their eyes and wearing dustproof suits were carefully loading the collected evidence samples into the vehicle.

And this moving took until the next day.

When Lin Ge woke up again, the white dust cover had been removed, leaving a rather large crater at the scene.

The technicians even dug up the surrounding grass and leaves, taking everything they could. Now, all they can do is patiently wait for the technical analysis results and hope for a breakthrough.

A nearby restaurant delivered breakfast, but unfortunately, even though it was nearby, it was quite far away, and most of the steamed buns, mantou, and soy milk had already gone cold. Even so, the police officers hurriedly gulped down their food, finished their soy milk, and went back to work.

Seeing that Li Siyu had also joined the team and started working, while Li Yiduo launched his drone to search for clues in the surrounding area, Lin Ge went to wander around on his own, hoping to find more useful information.

As he walked, he looked around and gradually came to the vicinity of a dilapidated house next to the reservoir road.

The house with the collapsed roof had also been searched and investigated by the police, but nothing of value was found inside. Even though there were signs of someone staying there, the cyclist was later identified as an innocent suspect.

Cycling seems to have become a commercial activity with the development of social media. Initially, cyclists may have been driven by a love for and a desire to challenge nature, but the rise of short video platforms and live streaming has drawn in more people. The truth is often mixed with fiction, all in an effort to attract traffic. By filming their own hardships and the occasional beautiful roadside scenery, they can attract a large audience.

The scenic landscape outside the city, stretching nearly 100 kilometers like the Dahongshan Reservoir, is of interest to many people who rarely travel. Ji Wenjie mentioned that there are some people cycling or livestreaming here, though certainly not as many as the self-media personalities cycling through Tibet and Xinjiang. Moreover, most of the cyclists here are using mountain bikes, rather than electric bikes or motorcycles.

"Ok?"

Just as they were talking about motorcycles, a tire track on the ground that was noticeably thicker than that of a regular mountain bike tire came into view.

Although the ground is concrete, there are always clumps or balls of mud that are accidentally spilled onto the road in the mountains. This tire track was left by flattening a lump of black mud, leaving a clear pattern on the mud.

The tire pattern was still relatively fresh, and the mud squeezed to both sides had only just dried. In addition, the past few days had been mostly cloudy, with the leaves overhead providing shade. Based on Lin Ge's experience, his initial estimate was that it was probably five or six days ago.

"But with such obvious tire tracks, the Nishige City police couldn't have missed them, right? And there's still that stupid dog's scent nearby, so it seems like it's been ruled out."

Lin Ge was somewhat disappointed; as expected, there was no chance of finding evidence from the sky again. He had thought he could identify the suspect through tire tracks, but it turned out he was overthinking it.

Lingo flicked his tail and continued strolling forward, getting quite far away. Then, after rounding a corner, he saw the slightly thicker, distinctive tire track again.

This time, however, Lin Ge sensed something was amiss.

Why does it feel a little different?

Lingo moved closer, puzzled, and stared intently at the wheel track for a long time. Even though the wheel pattern it left on the mud was exactly the same as the previous one, Lingo still felt there was definitely a difference. Mainly, the dried mud that had been pushed to the sides seemed to have a very subtle difference in freshness compared to the previous one.

"Cyclists are unlikely to ride the same place twice a day, right? Maybe it's not the same bike, or maybe it just happens to be returning? No, the tread pattern should change when returning!"

Upon noticing the anomaly, Ling Ge's expression turned serious.

Thinking about it, Lin Ge knew he couldn't let this opportunity pass, so he immediately dialed Li Yiduo's number and yelled at him to bring people over to take a look, preferably technical personnel.

For the first time, Lin Ge discovered that there was room for improvement in his collaboration with the surveying technicians. And the combined effect of the two might be even more powerful than any high-tech search instrument.

"Mimi, have you found something again?"

Not long after, Li Yiduo rushed over.

Besides him, there were six or seven other people behind him, two of whom were members of the special task force, who were in charge of this area.

Having learned from the previous discovery in the urine, no one dared to underestimate Lin Ge this time. The moment Li Yiduo received Lin Ge's call, the person in charge immediately took it seriously and rushed over with people and equipment.

"Wheel tracks?"

Everyone saw the thing at Lingo's feet, and in an instant, everyone's thoughts were the same: Could it have been left by the suspect?

“That’s not right! The tire tracks were already spotted at the front, and the specific vehicle was identified through investigation. But that person has complete documentation, and there are witnesses who testified that he was with him before and after the incident.”

A police officer at the technical center quickly reminded that there was no need to waste manpower and resources to check things again after they had already been checked.

"We've checked the tire tracks ahead, what about this one?"

Before Lin Ge could refute, Ji Wenjie had already found the loophole in the policeman's statement. Or rather, this person was negligent and careless in his work.

The expressions of the staff at the technical center froze.

"Sigh, I praised you guys last night, and you've let me down today!"

Lin Ge sighed.

(End of this chapter)