Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 608 Kidnapping
"So, you just let them get away like that?"

The police officers from Zhanghe Police Station who rushed over were speechless as they looked at the cat sitting on a seat in the coffee shop, scrolling through its phone.

Because Lin Ge was wearing a police vest, and the commotion at the entrance had been clearly seen by the cafe staff, no one dared to chase away the cat that was brazenly sitting on the seat.

"What can I do? The victim has already run away. Who can I ask to testify that they actually carried out the kidnapping?"

Lin Ge muttered something without turning his head.

Of course, Lin Ge knew perfectly well that this was just a lie. The coffee shop had security cameras and staff and customers present; the illegal activities of Lü Wei's father and his group were undeniable. However, as long as no arrests were made on the spot, there was still room for maneuver. Whether it was kidnapping or a hit-and-run, at least the eight people brought by Lü Wei's father had a chance to receive lenient treatment. Or, to put it another way, if they quickly turned themselves in at the police station, they might get a chance to be accused of voluntary surrender.

But if they fail to live up to Lingo's good intentions, then there's nothing that can be done!
They'll be arrested one by one, and those who dare to escape will be punished even more severely.

Ultimately, it depends on their own choices.

Furthermore, given that Lin Ge had no good feelings towards Yuan Xiaoai and the other two women, he would never consider doing anything that would cause trouble for himself.

"You're really good at causing us trouble!"

Zhang Ke guessed what Lin Ge was thinking, so he helplessly rubbed the cat's head hard and then confiscated the phone from Lin Ge.

"Tch, who cares?"

Lin Ge yawned, not caring that his phone had been confiscated.

This thing was originally designed for humans; neither the controls nor the content are particularly interesting for cats. Letting Lin Ge use his furry paws to operate a phone and play games just doesn't seem very appealing. Could those games possibly be more thrilling and exciting than real-life police chases and the events Lin Ge has experienced? He's so busy at work that he barely has time to nap, let alone play on his phone!

"I'm convinced by you."

Zhang Ke couldn't do anything about Lin Ge; that stinky cat was stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason! But today, we really owed it to him!
If it weren't for her timely intervention at the photo studio, the situation wouldn't have been brought under control so quickly. The same thing happened at the coffee shop; if Mimi hadn't stopped Lu Wei's father from taking Yuan Xiaoai and her two daughters away, who knows how heartbreakingly this kidnapping case would have escalated.

Many heinous crimes begin as simple kidnapping or hostage situations. However, due to a lack of control or the victim's misbehavior, the perpetrators become emboldened and enraged, escalating threats and intimidation into serious acts of rape or even murder. In this case, if Mimi hadn't protected Yuan Xiaoai and her two companions, given their foul mouths and flawed morals, who knows what kind of situation they could have created for Lü Wei's father? If something had actually happened, no one—victims, perpetrators, or even the police—would have fared well; it would have become a terrible possibility that everyone could only regret.

So overall, Mimi did make a contribution, and Zhang Ke cannot question that.

But it always likes to act recklessly or according to its own ideas. Now that both the victims and the perpetrators have escaped, the police have to contact each one to make arrests, which takes a lot more effort.

"Those three stupid women, it wasn't me who let them go. I didn't expect them to be this stupid. Since they don't trust me, why should I stick around and be their slave?"

How could a dignified feline master become a servant to someone?

Lin Ge glanced at Zhang Ke, then snorted disdainfully.

“Yuan Xiaoai’s phone is unreachable; the phone number she left at the police station is fake.”

Feng Yi came over and reported some bad news.

"Are all three phone numbers fake?"

Zhang Ke's eyes widened. What the hell is this?
“I went there to ask Wang Dajun for Yuan Xiaoai’s other number, but when I dialed it, the call was disconnected, and when I dialed it again, it showed that no one answered. It must have been blacklisted.”

Feng Yi gave a helpless wry smile, completely baffled by the three women's erratic behavior. Having been kidnapped, yet distrusting the police—were they afraid of suffering the same fate again?

Zhang Ke was speechless. He asked Feng Yi for the three women's real phone numbers, and when he called, he found that all of them were indeed switched off. This was undoubtedly strange; the reason why all three of them chose to turn off their phones at the same time seemed suspicious.

"It's impossible that those guys Mimi let go have kidnapped them again, right?"

Zhang Ke considered a bad possibility.

"Isn't it?"

Lin Ge also looked up in surprise.

When Lü Wei's father left, his emotions had stabilized considerably. Even if he still had some ulterior motives, how could his men continue to risk committing crimes with him once they knew they were being watched by the police?

How much do they pay you a month for working so hard?

"It shouldn't be that exaggerated."

Zhang Ke shook his head, just like Lin Ge, ruling out the possibility that Lü Wei's father, Lü Zhiquan, was a repeat offender.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Yuan Xiaoai has fallen ill again and is causing such a mess. The thoughts of a woman with a screw loose are not easy to guess.

After leading Feng Yi and Yuan Meijuan to the coffee shop to complete the bystander interview and copy the relevant surveillance video, the group had no choice but to call it a day. They would first go back to the police station to investigate Yuan Xiaoai's true information, and then hurry off to find her.

We have no choice but to search! Since it has been determined that these three women may have been victimized, and their safety cannot be confirmed by phone, the police have no choice but to work hard until they find them or confirm their disappearance.

"Zhang Ke, a man named Lü Zhiquan has come to the police station to turn himself in!"

At this moment, Sun Chang called, but it was Lu Wei's father, Lu Zhiquan, who had personally come to Zhanghe Police Station to report the crime and turn himself in.

He didn't bring his eight henchmen with him, instead claiming all the blame lay with his orders, and that his men were only forced to work for him by threatening to withhold their wages. Of course, Lü Zhiquan wasn't stupid; he confessed that his actions constituted a fight, not kidnapping. He stated that the coffee shop was crowded, so he pulled them outside to talk, to avoid disturbing those inside. His explanation was reasonable and well-founded; since no crime had been committed, kidnapping couldn't be definitively accused.

In short, he is indeed a smart person. Of course, it is also possible that after being released by Ling Ge, he specifically sought help from professionals and had them choose the lightest and best outcome for him.

Zhang Ke couldn't comment, but he did rule out the possibility that Lü Zhiquan had kidnapped Yuan Xiaoai.

"So here's the question: where is Yuan Xiaoai? Where has she gone?"

Zheng Mingxing was somewhat dissatisfied with the result brought back by Zhang Ke. The victim had not been found and no statement had been taken, so how could the case be closed?

"How the hell am I supposed to know what these lunatics are thinking?"

Zhang Ke grumbled inwardly.

He then turned back and glared at Lin Ge with a wronged expression, saying, "It's all because you, you stupid cat, couldn't keep an eye on people properly, that things have turned into this troublesome situation."

"What's it to me! I only have one cat, how can I keep an eye on three people?"

Lin Ge felt innocent and refused to accept the responsibility that Zhang Ke had shifted to him.

Besides, these three lunatics not only didn't thank me for saving them, but they even ran away. What kind of behavior is that? And then there's the fact that they left a fake phone number and a fake address at the police station—only their ID numbers were real, everything else was fake. What kind of behavior is that? Refusing to cooperate with the police, even treating them like fools—how are the police supposed to find them after something happens? By fortune-telling?
The man and the cat watched Zheng Mingxing calmly, both refusing to accept the blame he was trying to shift onto them.

Police officers are not babysitters; there are limits to what they can do. When faced with a woman who is uncooperative or even disruptive, whatever she does or is about to do that will backfire on her, no one can blame the police.

"Instructor Zheng, we've found the surveillance footage."

Zhang Yong knocked and entered, glanced at Lin Ge and Zhang Ke who were standing as punishment, then said to Zheng Mingxing with a serious expression, "Shortly after leaving the coffee shop, the surveillance footage outside showed the three of them getting into a taxi. We contacted the driver through the license plate number and learned that Yuan Xiaoai and the other two got out at the Outlet Plaza, but didn't enter the mall. Investigating the roadside surveillance footage revealed that the three entered a small path along the Sangan Canal through a side road next to the mall. There are many small hotels, barbershops, and massage parlors there; in short, the environment and the flow of people are quite complex. Of course, that place has always been on our surveillance, and so far we haven't found any prostitution or solicitation. Of course, vegetarians inevitably... hehe..."

At this point, Zhang Yong couldn't help but shake his head, and continued, "There are also surveillance cameras set up by the police station along the river. Although they are far away, they can still provide basic coverage. Then, through the surveillance video from the other side of the river, Li Yiduo discovered the last trace of the three women. They had an argument with a man at the bridgehead by the river, accompanied by some tearing. Then, a van and several people quickly arrived, took the three of them away, and they disappeared from the surveillance range."

"Or were they kidnapped?"

Zhang Ke raised an eyebrow, not expecting that these three women would ultimately not escape the fate of being taken away.

If only they had trusted the police and Mimi back then, wouldn't things have been so complicated?

Furthermore, how many sins have these three women committed? Besides Lu Wei's family, there are other people who have conflicts with them and even resort to criminal means against them?

"The surveillance footage didn't capture the suspect's face or the van's license plate number?"

Zheng Mingxing pondered for a moment and guessed that since Zhang Yong had explained the matter in such detail but had not gotten to the point, the case must be more difficult to solve than he had imagined.

“Yes! The surveillance cameras on the riverbank are old-fashioned, with low resolution, limited clarity, and limited range. In addition, the victim and the suspect seem to have deliberately avoided the surveillance, so it is very coincidental and lucky that we can see a blurry situation through the surveillance cameras on the other side of the river. Li Yiduo enlarged the surveillance video and restored the mosaic, but he still could not identify the faces and license plate numbers. Current technology cannot achieve this level.”

Zhang Yong looked helpless.

Police stations aren't exactly wealthy places, with limited extra funding each year. Even with Nie Guoqiang and his men going out to work and earn extra money, replacing all the surveillance cameras in the jurisdiction was still an impossible task.

Moreover, in places with such complex population flow, there are instances of people deliberately damaging cameras or using paintballs to contaminate them.

These kinds of incidents are more or less related to ulterior motives and illegal activities. There was even a case where an elderly woman was caught vandalizing a security camera; her motive was that the camera captured her front door, which she felt was unlucky. She believed the camera reflected ghosts, evil spirits, and other ominous things into her home, so she used a ladder and bricks to completely smash the lens. Others are planning to engage in shady dealings and also need to obstruct police surveillance…

In short, no matter how much the police station takes these kinds of situations and individuals seriously, it cannot solve the problem of incomplete or ineffective surveillance in its jurisdiction once and for all. Even if the annual repair and maintenance costs exceed five figures, it can only ensure the completeness of surveillance in a broad sense.

"So... another vicious kidnapping has occurred, and right under our noses! Heh... it seems the Zhanghe Police Station's record over the past year isn't enough to deter certain snakes and insects, huh? Here we go again?"

Lin Ge looked at Zhang Yong speechlessly. He hadn't expected that he would encounter another serious crime so soon after returning from Baiyan City, less than a month later.

Of course, he also knew that a world with only a bright side and no dark side does not exist. Just as the Zhanghe Police Station, no matter how powerful, could not completely eliminate illegal and criminal activities in its jurisdiction, some things are simply unavoidable.

"Now that it's confirmed to be a possible kidnapping, things have become simpler. My only worry is that if we launch a large-scale operation, the victim might just be sitting at home having tea, making our operation a joke. As for the inability to identify the suspect and the vehicle, that's not a big problem! Not to mention that our police were able to solve cases even without surveillance cameras back then, we still have Mimi around, and finding people is her forte."

Upon discovering that the incident had already occurred, Zheng Mingxing actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked up and smiled at Lin Ge, only to see Lin Ge glaring at him with fierce eyes as if he had expected it, and he couldn't help but laugh.

Really?
See, even a cat knows what to do in this kind of situation! It's just a kidnapping case. As long as the police handle it promptly and quickly find the perpetrator and the victim, it's actually easier to resolve than dealing with an uncooperative, foolish person who calls the police.

"Yes! Anyway, I do all the troublesome things, so you guys are happy to have it easy."

Lin Ge glared at Zheng Mingxing speechlessly, but had to admit he was right. Police officers are never afraid of cases; what they fear most are uncooperative idiots.

Just like in this case, Lin Ge still doesn't understand why Yuan Xiaoai left fake contact information and a fake address at the police station. Was she afraid that the police would call and harass her, or was she afraid that the police would find out that she had done something wrong?
Anyway, she was the one causing trouble for the police from beginning to end. Otherwise, if it were just a simple kidnapping, it would be easy to pinpoint the source of the cell phone signal if it was discovered in time.

While complaining, Lin Ge waited for Zhang Yong to gather the men.

In the event of a serious criminal case, no one in the entire police station can get off work and rest; even those on their days off must obediently come back.

As one of the first to depart, Lin Ge could officially set off once Zhang Ke and Zhao Zhigang had their equipment ready and gathered the auxiliary police officers.

Before that, he could patiently play with the seven little ones for a while.

As the seven little ones grew, they began to boldly explore the world. The steps to the office were too high for them to climb, so the service area with accessible pathways became their favorite place to explore. Of course, the seven little ones were still timid; they only dared to run to the front when no one was around to look around. If they spotted any unfamiliar scents, they would quickly tuck their tails between their legs and run back to their mother's arms or tell Lin Ge.

But when they encounter familiar scents and people, they are not afraid at all.

Even the timidest of the three, Xiaomi and Xiaoxi, wouldn't refuse the touch of people dressed as police officers. They could clearly hear the police calling their names, except for the third one, who would occasionally mistake their identity when they called Xiaomi. At this time, Xiaomi's initiative would make the bastards laugh loudly and even wink at Lin Ge in a very malicious way, until Lin Ge arrogantly retaliated and left a mark on him, only then would they behave themselves.

Of course, for this reason, the third little one, Xiaomi, became the most popular junior member of the police station, and was always fed the most snacks, making the other six little ones very envious.

Lin Ge could probably rest for another five or six minutes, and the little ones swarmed over to him, fawning over him and even playing hide-and-seek and roughhousing. Lin Ge patiently played with them for a while until the sensible little hawksbill turtle swished its tail and chased all the little nieces away.

"Meow~"

Knowing that Lin Ge was going on a mission, the little hawksbill turtle called out to him worriedly.

Before it could finish speaking, Lingo pressed a paw down on the little hawksbill turtle's head, completely suppressing its worried expression.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. They're just a bunch of low-level kidnappers."

"Meow~"

But the little hawksbill turtle was still a little worried.

Although it didn't know what had happened, it knew that every time the police station got tense and launched a large-scale operation, its father would have a hard time, and sometimes he would come back with the smell of blood on him that worried it.

"Don't worry, I'm the most powerful police cat! This little punk isn't a threat to me!"

Lin Ge patted the little tortoiseshell's head again, and when he looked up, he saw Feng Yi and Huo Guangping hurriedly putting on their clothes and running this way. It seemed that these two were the auxiliary police partners that Zhang Ke had chosen. One was calm and composed, and the other was good at driving. They were indeed good helpers in finding people.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhigang also ran over, cursing and swearing. He had a lot of equipment to pack, including bulletproof vests, stun guns, batons, and riot shields.

Criminal cases are different from ordinary ones. Someone who dares to commit kidnapping in the city might be a vicious criminal. Anyone who dares to do this has something to hide, so the police certainly can't afford to be careless.

Looking over there at Zhang Ke, he even brought over a box containing night vision goggles.

Yes, that's right, it's almost dark!
Lin Ge glanced at the sky, then nudged the little hawksbill turtle again, as if it was time for it to go back. Only then did he run towards the waiting police car to greet Zhang Ke.

(End of this chapter)