Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 51 A Thief Who Keeps Up with the Times

A man with a non-local accent was secretly reporting the situation to his superiors.

He had no idea that right above him, a cat was staring intently at him, having overheard his entire phone conversation.

Lin Ge hadn't expected that this gang of thieves was even more powerful than he had imagined.

Generally speaking, petty theft is characterized by the word "petty." Thieves typically engage in low-level, unethical activities, stealing small items to earn a little pocket money to make ends meet, and that's it. They don't commit major crimes or make a big fuss; they steal whatever they can, which is both offensive and difficult to punish severely.

But this group was different; they were actually 'professional'.

From theft and transfer of stolen goods to the sale of stolen goods, an entire industry chain has been formed.

The upstream suppliers recruit thieves from all over the country, purchasing and altering their loot before reselling it through various online platforms. For phones and electronic products in good condition, they even repackage them to pass them off as brand new.

The cost of doing this job is very low.

The barrier to entry for online sales is also very low.

A city only needs one or two 'agents' and a province needs two or three 'general agents' to handle the nationwide business of selling stolen goods.

Just like a pyramid scheme, the local thieves are responsible for the risks, and the agents sent to various places only need to find people, collect goods, and transfer them.

The man currently standing below Lin Ge is one of the agents sent by the 'group' to Zhang City. He and his boss have taken on the stolen goods business in Zhang City and hope to expand and strengthen it...

"Boss, have all the goods been packed up and sent away?"

The man was still asking questions.

"Except for the batch that was discovered, the rest have all been put on the road through official channels. Don't worry, they won't trace it back to us. However, this phone number is definitely unusable now, so remember to use your backup contact method later."

The voice on the other end of the phone was arrogant, or rather, completely unconcerned. Lin Ge guessed that there was something wrong with the deliveryman's contact address, but hoped it wouldn't affect the police station's investigation.

The people under the tree were relieved and even chatted leisurely, saying, "Hehe... Don't underestimate Zhang City just because it's small; there are quite a few rich people there. Boss, how many of the latest pears did we get this time? How much have we made in just one month?"

"Bullshit! The local workers and the higher-ups take the lion's share, we only get the scraps. But since we didn't invest any money or do any work, earning five figures a month is enough. Anyway, the cops seem to be here..."

The voice on the other end of the phone was still loud, and the sound of sirens could be faintly heard.

"Hmph! As if I'm the one sunbathing."

After hanging up the phone, the man pursed his lips, stuffed his phone into his pocket, looked around, and walked towards the food street next to him.

After Lin Ge and the other men disappeared into the alley, he secretly climbed down from the tree.

Looking at the food street, his expression was somewhat uncertain.

To follow or not to follow?
To be honest, it's just a bunch of thieves stealing things. At most, they might steal a phone or some cigarettes and alcohol; it won't cause any major harm. After all, as they said on the phone, they only earn around ten thousand yuan a month through hard work. The only unlucky one is the idiot who lost his phone.

But if we don't cooperate... and let them continue, the number of victims will only increase. Cell phones are essential daily necessities, and frankly, a cell phone isn't cheap. Who wouldn't feel heartbroken if they lost one?
Based on their conversations, the number of mobile phones or electronic products they received each month exceeded three digits, meaning the number of victims had already surpassed one hundred. The fact that they continued this practice is quite frightening to think about.

Most importantly, this group has integrated scattered thieves from various cities, and they will only grow stronger. Allowing them to continue their rampant activities would be a huge threat to the stability of any city.

Moreover... once the team expands, who can guarantee they won't have other ideas?
The difference between stealing and robbing is often just a matter of a single thought. Once anything forms a gang, the consequences become increasingly serious and difficult to control.

"I'm... now a member of the police station! I'm a police cat, after all; I can't just turn a blind eye to crime, can I?"

Lin Ge wanted to slack off, but he couldn't help but walk towards the food street.

"Mimi?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

Lin Ge was still in a daze and didn't notice someone coming from behind him. It wasn't until someone hooked his arm and pulled him into an embrace that he jumped up in fright.

"oops!"

Zhang Yining was also startled by Lin Ge, and watched helplessly as the cat darted out of her arms.

"I was so scared! It was you little devils!"

It was only then that Lin Ge came to his senses and realized that standing opposite him were five little devils: Zhang Yining, Nie Zhuangzhuang, Hu Miao, Zheng Jiacheng, and Xie Zaiqi.

Judging from their appearance, they had probably finished school, but I don't know why they came to the pedestrian street.

"Mimi, what are you doing here?" Hu Miao squatted down and waved to Lin Ge. "When I saw you standing there in a daze, I thought I had mistaken you for a cat. But Zhang Yining said it must be you, so we came over to check. I didn't expect her to guess right."

"You troublesome brat, what are you doing wandering around outside after school instead of going home?"

Lin Ge glared at the five little devils. He still had to catch the thief, how could he let himself be bothered by a few kids here?

A cat going to a food street is already eye-catching, but if it's followed by five little devils, wouldn't it be even more attention-grabbing? How can you follow it in that situation? It'll be discovered in an instant, okay?

Lin Ge was a little annoyed, but he didn't know how to get rid of the kids.

Nie Zhuangzhuang held a hamburger in his hand, eating while watching Hu Miao and Lin Ge interact. Noticing Lin Ge's unusual behavior, Nie Zhuangzhuang guessed, "Is Mimi working on a case? Look how anxious it is, did we disturb it?"

"Handling a case?"

The kids' eyes lit up instantly. That's right, Mimi is the police cat at the police station!
Zheng Jiacheng's eyes lit up, and he quickly came over and said, "Mimi, tell me quickly, are you catching a criminal? We can help you. You may not know, but we've formed a real-life junior detective team and are planning to do some big things."

"Detective my foot! Do you believe your dad will break your legs?"

Lin Ge rolled his eyes speechlessly.

Zheng Jiacheng's father was also a member of the Zhanghe Police Station, a patrol officer like Zhu Jun. However, he usually operated in the Second Brigade and was not under Zhang Yong's command, so Lin Ge didn't see him often.

Lin Ge really didn't want to deal with these kids, but judging from their expressions, it seemed like they were determined to stay and not leave today.

Not wanting to let the thief escape, Lin Ge had no choice but to compromise.

"I just hope these kids don't cause any trouble. I'll follow them from a distance without telling them who the suspects are. They should get bored and go home after a couple of laps."

Thinking this, Lingo flicked his tail and headed towards the food street.

"Hey?"

The kids were stunned. Why did Mimi leave?

"Hurry up and keep up! Nie Zhuangzhuang might be right, Mimi does have a mission! Otherwise, according to my dad, she's usually so lazy, she would never go out on the street."

After a brief analysis, Zhang Yining's tone became excited.

"Lazy... Is that how you describe me at home? Zhang Yong, you just wait!"

Lin Ge thought to himself speechlessly, then squeezed his paws and entered the food street.

The little devils quickly and furtively followed.

The street was crowded with people, and both sides were lined with small food stalls selling grilled skewers, clams, oysters, ice jelly, cold drinks, milk tea, spicy hot pot, and the like. It was very crowded and lively.

Lingo didn't actually like this kind of place because it was easy for people to step on it.

Even if it doesn't get stepped on, walking between the legs of passersby isn't a pleasant experience for a cat.

It's still hot, and the smell of feet is really disgusting.

Add to that the various barbecued foods, seasonings, and the smell of fish and swill, and it's very difficult for a cat to tolerate.

However, in order not to lose sight of his target, Lin Ge could only try to walk around the more open areas as much as possible, while keeping a close eye on the scent that was still moving.

The person kept walking forward, and it was unclear where they were going.

Where is Mimi going?

Xie Zaiqi was starting to have second thoughts; he didn't like such noisy and bustling places.

"Just keep up!"

Without turning his head, Zhang Yining's eyes gleamed with excitement: "Following Mimi, who knows, we might actually catch some bad guys! I'll show my dad then that I, Zhang Yining, can be a policeman too, and that he can't look down on me!"

"Ok!"

Hu Miao somehow managed to get a handful of bamboo skewers and used them as weapons, giving two skewers to each of the children.

(End of this chapter)