Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 610 Being a policeman isn't easy
The police car quickly arrived at the entrance of Zhanghe Scenic Area.

The water police officers on duty, who had been notified in advance, were already waiting at the door. They smiled and took the initiative to approach Zhang Ke.

"Hey! Long time no see!"

"I'm sorry to trouble you again. I'll treat you to a meal next time. But let's get down to business. How's the situation on your end? From 4:30 this afternoon until now, have any suspicious vehicles entered the scenic area or headed towards the nearby national or rural roads?"

Zhang Ke didn't exchange many pleasantries, only bumping fists with the other party.

However, after hearing his question, the other party only gave an awkward smile.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you! We're just a place that manages water, how could we possibly have the capacity and equipment to monitor so many national and rural roads around here? Besides, there are dozens of villages surrounding the Zhanghe Reservoir, how could I possibly monitor them all? But don't worry, after receiving your notification, our entire water police squadron has already mobilized. Except for me, who was left here to wait for you to arrive, everyone else has gone to various key points to help you investigate."

The policeman's name was Bai Hongyu. He was slightly younger than Zhang Ke, and his face was tanned dark by the sun.

His dark complexion and rough skin made him look more like a boatman than a policeman, and he even looked like he was in his thirties or forties. Only his talkative personality and flippant tone of voice proved that he was actually a young man.

"Shall we go inside and sit in our office booth first?"

Bai Hongyu smiled and patted Zhang Ke on the back before pushing him into the scenic area.

The old man guarding the gate naturally didn't dare to stop them, and obediently turned on all the surrounding lights.

"What exactly is going on? I only heard the boss say it was serious. Could it be that some serious criminal has escaped to our Zhanghe Reservoir? They've only been behaving themselves for a short time, and they're really causing us trouble."

Bai Hongyu asked as he walked.

"Who's causing trouble for whom?"

Zhang Ke turned around and exchanged a glance with Zhao Zhigang, then shook his head and chuckled together.

In terms of closeness, the relationship between Zhanghe Police Station and the Zhanghe Reservoir Water Police Department is actually closer than that between Baimiao Police Station and Longquan Police Station. After all, the Zhanghe Reservoir is within the jurisdiction of Zhanghe Police Station; the police station manages the land, while the water police manage the water, and they cooperate sincerely. Especially during the peak tourist season each year, when Zhanghe Police Station cannot allocate enough police officers, the water police department will readily provide its own personnel to help.

Therefore, both sides spoke quite casually, and Zhang Ke and Zhao Zhigang did not consider whether they needed to give face.

However, the two men's questions left Bai Hongyu completely bewildered.

"To be honest, it wasn't you who helped me this time. To be precise, we discovered that criminals were hiding and committing crimes in your jurisdiction, which even involved the police station's jurisdiction, so we rushed to warn you."

Zhang Ke smiled and patted Bai Hongyu on the shoulder.

If that guy named Meng Kai really is running a gambling den somewhere near the Zhanghe Reservoir, then the water police department will be held accountable. So forget about showing mercy and helping us out; they'd better cooperate and clean up the mess!
"Another idiot hiding on the island?"

Bai Hongyu raised an eyebrow and immediately thought of what happened last year.

Especially when he looked down and saw the cat following Zhang Ke's feet, Bai Hongyu's expression became somewhat helpless.

Last year's incident caused quite a stir, especially the thought of the corpse pool on Xiangju Island that still makes him want to vomit, and the cat corpses that those unlucky guys painstakingly dug out; even though a long time has passed, Bai Hongyu still feels nauseous. But when he thought about what his boss had mentioned recently—that most of the group had been sentenced to death, and a few henchmen had received sentences of ten years or more—his mood eased slightly.

but……

After the incident finally passed, the marine police department returned to normal life. Every day, they only need to promote water safety, catch and stop fishermen, and recently, with the hot weather, they have to start advising against swimming in the wild and children swimming without permission.

Why did another troublesome thing suddenly appear?
"It's highly likely that another large-scale outdoor casino has appeared on some island. You should have noticed something like this, such as an unusual increase in boat traffic on reservoirs or frequent boat trips to places that were previously deserted."

Zhang Ke looked at Bai Hongyu. Logically speaking, the Zhanghe River Police should not be so lax.

"But in fact, we did not find anything unusual."

Bai Hongyu shrugged, then explained helplessly, "Don't blame us for being incompetent, we've just been incredibly busy lately. I'm sure you know what July and August are like. Hehe... We've been doing swimming promotions every day, advising parents who bring their kids to play in the water to keep a close eye on them, and chasing after those reckless little brats who are always taking risks, wishing we could spank them until their butts were swollen."

With a fierce wave of his hand, Bai Hongyu continued to pour out his grievances to Zhang Ke.

“There are drowning incidents at Zhanghe Reservoir every two years. Why are these adults and children so oblivious? Swimming isn’t wrong. To meet their needs, we’ve already found a flat area in the scenic area to provide a swimming venue and installed safety nets. But I just don’t understand why some people insist on going into the wild. Why do they like to go where the wind and waves are strong and there are many undercurrents?”

Bai Hongyu became increasingly annoyed. Their water police squadron only had two boats and a dozen or so people. During peak swimming season, they were so busy that they couldn't even breathe properly. They would also face various questions because of drowning incidents. How could they have the energy to care about anything else?
"So, you've been focusing your attention lately on things like students drowning while swimming in the wild after school breaks?"

Zhang Ke raised an eyebrow.

"Are there priorities or urgency in things?"

Bai Hongyu sneered shamelessly, "Once this busy period is over, we'll teach those troublemaking bastards a lesson. It's just a pity that you plague gods suddenly showed up, it'll be hard for us to have any peace and quiet."

"After such a huge incident, you still want to relax?"

Zhao Zhigang sneered disdainfully from behind. Zhang Ke turned around and nudged him before ending his casual conversation with Bai Hongyu.

Although he spoke of impatience, Bai Hongyu didn't abandon the task when faced with such a serious matter. While inquiring about the progress from Zhang Ke, he contacted trustworthy fishermen and cage aquaculture farmers in the surrounding area to ask if any suspicious clues had been discovered recently.

This 'primitive' method of handling cases left Lin Ge and Zhao Zhigang speechless.

However, due to communication difficulties and complex terrain, the marine police squadron does indeed need to focus heavily on police-community cooperation. With only two boats, even if they patrolled the waters all day, it's impossible to monitor every single island in the reservoir. Furthermore, the surveillance equipment is limited by power and signal issues; a single marine police squadron simply doesn't have the funds to purchase solar-powered wireless systems and deploy them throughout the entire reservoir.

Therefore, to a large extent, fishermen and the trustworthy indigenous people in the surrounding area are the eyes and warning devices of the marine police.

Like casual conversation, these people were happy to share recent events that had occurred in the area with the marine police. Although most of it was of little use, it was indeed an important source of intelligence for the marine police.

Then, relying on his professional judgment, Bai Hongyu indeed noticed something unusual.

There is a Guanyin Island located a little off the coast of Zhanghe Reservoir.

On that island lived a man named Tang Bai who farmed freshwater shellfish and shrimp. It seems his business recently failed. But what's strange is that Tang Bai doesn't seem worried about his failed business. He spends his days laughing and idly, as if he can make money without working. He spends all his time playing mahjong in the teahouse, not caring how much he loses. Occasionally, he'll take a boat to Guanyin Island and stay for several days, but no one knows exactly what he's doing there.

"He must have been hit by a windfall! This guy probably handed over his contracted island to someone else, and he's just holding the title while he sits around making money."

Bai Hongyu guessed a possibility and looked up at Zhang Ke, saying, "This person is very suspicious. I guess those gambling addicts you mentioned are hiding on Guanyin Island. However, Guanyin Island is quite large, and there are four or five aquaculture farmers like Tang Bai on it. I don't know if they are involved. In addition, the movement of boats at night is quite noisy, and it would be troublesome if we went there rashly and alerted them. So, what do you think? How about we wait until tomorrow during the day, borrow a fisherman's boat, sneak in and take a look? After we find evidence of their crimes, we can gather a large force and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Anyway, it's an island; if we blockade it, they can't escape."

"The casino matter isn't important, we can wait and see. But they've kidnapped three victims, and who knows what will happen after this night!"

Zhang Ke turned to look at the water's surface, which reflected fish-scale ripples in the darkness, and felt a little uneasy.

But he also knew very well that sailing was not the same as sailing on land, and there were indeed risks involved late at night. In addition, the Zhanghe Reservoir was a natural place to destroy evidence of crimes. If the other party threw evidence of gambling and kidnapping into the water, who would be able to find it in a short time?
"Is Guanyin Island far? Why don't you lend me a rowboat and take us to a nearby location? We can row over there with oars and do some preliminary investigation under the cover of night?"

Zhang Ke was still worried about Yuan Xiaoai and the other two, and decided to investigate the situation first. Even if he couldn't rescue them, he needed to find out if Yuan Xiaoai and the others had definitely been kidnapped to that island.

Zhang Ke, Zhao Zhigang, and the other two discussed it and then consulted Zheng Mingxing by phone. They learned that support troops were right behind them and could help handle any unexpected situations. Only then did they truly decide to go to Guanyin Island under the cover of night to investigate. "Mimi, is everything alright?"

Zhang Ke did not forget to ask Lin Ge for his opinion.

"I hate water!"

Lin Ge glared at Zhang Ke with displeasure.

But considering that human life was at stake, he could only sigh and follow behind Zhang Ke.

“Our water police squadron has a kind of inflatable boat that can seat four people. So this time, only three of you can come up with me to investigate, and we can also add a cat. Don’t worry, the waves on the Zhanghe River are very small, so even if we don’t turn on the lights at night, there won’t be any problems.”

Bai Hongyu did not continue to oppose Zhang Ke's request, but instead actively sought ways to cooperate in completing the task.

With this professional marine police officer present, everyone felt much more at ease. To be honest, not many people would go boating in the middle of the night these days, and Bai Hongyu probably had similar experience. Without his help, everyone really wouldn't feel at ease.

Bai Hongyu left in a hurry, leaving the four of them waiting at the dock, exchanging knowing smiles.

"Old Huo, you stay here and wait for the rest of the station. Zhao Zhigang, Feng Yi, and I will take Mimi and head out first. Keep in touch at all times; tonight, this clandestine investigation might turn into a surprise rescue."

Zhang Ke left the oldest man, Huo Guangping, at the dock, giving him some minor instructions. No one knew what lay ahead, and caution was paramount; no one dared to be careless.

About ten minutes later, a faint motor sound came from the water, and soon a rubber boat appeared in front of everyone on the dock.

The so-called assault boats are simply rubber boats with external gasoline engines. Bai Hongyu skillfully and precisely docked the assault boat at the pier, and Zhang Ke was the first to climb down and find a seat.

Bai Hongyu tossed him a life jacket, and Zhang Ke put it on with a smile without refusing.

"be careful."

Huo Guangping watched as the three of them boarded the boat and quickly put on their life jackets, and couldn't help but give them a word of advice.

"Don't worry, this little thing is no problem for me."

Zhang Ke smiled and put Lin Ge in his arms to prevent it from accidentally falling into the water. After everyone else was ready, Bai Hongyu instructed them to sit down, and then, taking advantage of the darkness, quickly moved towards the dark islands in the distance, whose outlines could only be seen in the darkness.

The journey was calm and peaceful, and it was indeed not as dangerous as I had imagined.

The water splashed up by the speedboat brought a refreshing coolness, and the small water droplets hitting his face made Lin Ge shiver from the cold.

"It's so dark we don't dare turn on the lights. If there's a hidden reef or something underwater, we're definitely doomed! Feng Yi, aren't you scared?"

Zhao Zhigang suddenly made a jinx-like statement, threatening Feng Yi and even deliberately baring his teeth at him.

Unfortunately, Feng Yi glanced at him and then turned away, staring intently at the vast, dark river surface, where no lights could be seen and only a faint glimmer of light could be seen through the reflection of the moon in the sky. He remained silent for a long time.

It's clear that this kid is very nervous.

Lin Ge peeked out from Zhang Ke's shoulder and saw that everyone except Zhao Zhigang had a serious expression. Even Bai Hongyu, who was focused on steering at the back, had a very solemn expression.

Zhao Zhigang, however, seemed completely unaware of fear. He even had the leisure to place his hand on the water's surface, enjoying the sensation of the waves crashing against his palm.

Fortunately... nothing unexpected happened along the way, and Zhao Zhigang's jinx didn't work.

Lin Ge secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

About half an hour later, Bai Hongyu reduced the speed of the speedboat and indicated that the dark island ahead was Guanyin Island.

Everyone looked up and saw that Guanyin Island was only a vague outline in the night sky, completely dark with almost no lights. The black island resembled a dark behemoth floating on the water, giving off a very dangerous and oppressive feeling.

Lingo also kept a close watch, looking for any signs of human activity.

The darkness was an obstacle for Zhang Ke and Bai Hongyu, but it was still crystal clear in Lin Ge's sight.

He noticed traces of lights deep within the island, but their location didn't seem to be near the fishermen's settlement; rather, it appeared to be deeper in the woods. The lights were very dim, like a few twinkling stars near the hilltop. At least, Zhang Ke and Bai Hongyu were completely unaware of this. The two were even jokingly remarking on their good fortune—the islanders were all asleep, completely oblivious to the lively activities taking place there at night.

"hiss……"

The cold air on the river was still quite chilly at night, and Lin Ge couldn't help but shiver.

"We're well prepared today; I even brought a night vision goggles. Lao Bai, you stay on the shore and watch the boat while I go ashore with the others to check. Just follow my signals and call for help immediately if there's any trouble."

Zhang Ke was preparing for the worst and had even considered forcibly rescuing the person.

He didn't treat the people on the island as ordinary gamblers, nor did he dare to be careless in the slightest. The fact that they dared to kidnap Yuan Xiaoai and her two companions showed that their criminal audacity was not to be underestimated; no amount of caution was excessive.

"Let me go with you. I'm more familiar with this area. More people means more help. If you only send a few of you up to investigate, it'll probably be dawn before you even figure out the situation on the whole island."

Bai Hongyu rejected Zhang Ke's suggestion and snatched the night vision goggles that Zhang Ke had been showing off.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Zhang Ke didn't say anything more.

"Then we'll split into two groups. You and Zhao Zhigang will take Mimi with you and go ashore from the left. Feng Yi and I will go from the shore to the dock to check the situation. We'll find a suitable place to meet up then and investigate Guanyin Village together. You can rest assured that Mimi is safe and sound; as long as the enemy doesn't have a gun, Mimi's combat ability surpasses anyone's. But if you're discovered, don't engage them head-on; retreat as soon as you have a chance."

Zhang Ke patiently gave him instructions, knowing that Bai Hongyu didn't actually have much experience dealing with criminals.

"Tsk!"

Bai Hongyu smiled and did not object.

Zhao Zhigang grinned with satisfaction when he saw that he could actually have Mimi's protection.

Feng Yi was quite satisfied to be paired with Zhang Ke.

The rubber boat soon came to a stop on a beach. The four men waded ashore and towed the boat to the side. After carefully observing their surroundings and finding nothing amiss, Bai Hongyu smiled and nodded to Zhang Ke, then quickly set off with Zhao Zhigang.

Seeing him fumbling around and fiddling with the night vision goggles as he walked, Zhang Ke couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Is this guy any good?"

(End of this chapter)