Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 650 Tired

Sun Chang and Zhang Ke followed out of curiosity.

"This person..."

Like Lin Ge, the two immediately felt a sense of familiarity.

However, neither of them could recognize the person in the photo who looked familiar to them.

But this is enough.

Mimi's unusual behavior was enough to alert Chen Song, and Zhang Ke and Sun Chang's questioning of the photo drew the attention of the other police officers in Zhuzhou.

Furthermore, the two people and the cat had something in common: they had happened to visit Zhuzhou City a few months prior. In other words, the two people in the photo were likely people they had seen or even interacted with during their previous investigation, which would explain their strong impression. Zhuzhou City authorities quickly notified their technical department to conduct facial recognition and identity searches on the other six people in the photo, while Zhang Yong guided Sun Chang and Zhang Ke to continue recalling their memories.

Seeing that this was too slow, Lin Ge jumped into Li Siyu's arms and snatched the phone from her hand.

After getting Li Siyu's help to unlock it, he quickly found Qian Wei's contact information and called him directly to ask him in person.

Speaking of Qian Wei, everyone in the Zhanghe Police Station has to admit that this guy has an exceptional ability to remember faces. He will never easily forget anyone who has ever appeared in his sight.

This keen eye, honed through years of catching thieves, is a unique skill that no one else possesses. Sometimes, Qian Wei can simply glance into a crowd and instantly recall which person he had robbed and when.

"Siyu, what's wrong?"

Qian Wei's voice came from the other end of the phone, and he sounded to be in a good mood. The background sound was of the long-distance bus station in Zhangzhou City, and Lin Ge could also hear the announcement that a bus was about to depart.

Lin Ge looked at Li Siyu, who immediately understood and quickly responded.

"Brother Qian, check your WeChat. I'll send you a photo right away. See if you recognize any of those people."

"Tsk! What big fish have you found this time? Okay, send it to me now!"

Qian Wei clicked his tongue enviously on the other end of the phone, but he wasn't particularly regretful about not being selected for the business trip. With summer vacation approaching, more and more young people, lacking money to go out and have fun, were resorting to theft. Some of them were even vocational school students, neglected by teachers and parents; wanting to live a carefree life but lacking the financial means, they didn't need anyone's encouragement to turn to stealing.

In just a few days while Zhang Yong was away on a business trip with Li Siyu and Mimi, Qian Wei had already caught three groups of young thieves who were stealing or even prying open roller shutters.

He wasn't going to let these people off the hook just because they were young and used their ignorance as an excuse. They'd already started breaking into stores; if he didn't stop and punish them, wouldn't they become even more arrogant in the future? So, without thinking twice, Qian Wei gave each of them a short-term meal ticket.

At the beginning of summer vacation each year, students go on all sorts of trips and have fun. Long-distance bus stations are full of children waiting for their buses, and these children, carelessly engrossed in their phones, are often the favorite targets of thieves.

While keeping an eye on the crowded waiting hall, Qian Wei switched to WeChat and saw the photos sent by Li Siyu.

"Ok?"

Startled, Qian Wei stopped joking with Mimi, somewhat puzzled. He didn't even bother to look at the scene anymore; he frowned and stared intently at the photo for a long time before finally gasping for breath.

"Siyu, what case are you working on? How did you get involved with this group?"

"Brother Qian, you recognized them? I also felt they looked familiar, but I just couldn't remember where I had run into them before!"

Li Siyu's eyes lit up; her feeling was right after all.

Upon hearing this, not only Zhang Ke and Zhang Yong, but even the police from Zhuzhou City gathered around. If they could identify these people so easily, the subsequent work of finding and arresting Li Wei would be much simpler.

"Isn't one of these people the thief I caught at the highway rest area when we came back from Zhuzhou? Although he's gotten much fatter than in the photo, his eyebrows, eyes, and the mole on his face are exactly the same!"

Qian Wei clicked his tongue as he spoke, observing the other people in the photo. After a while, he continued, "I remember that guy had a mountainous accent from near Shaanxi province. He clearly heard what I said but pretended to be stupid, and then he even dared to threaten me! That's what happened, right? Heh... If I hadn't seen this photo, I would have completely forgotten about him. I've caught so many thieves that this guy is practically invisible among them. Hmm..."

Qian Wei suddenly stopped speaking halfway through his sentence.

The people listening to the phone exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what had happened to Qian Wei. A moment later, they heard Qian Wei let out a long sigh and then resume his cursing.

"Damn it, he's been hunting geese all day, but the geese have pecked his eyes out! Siyu, you said you saw two familiar faces, right? Heh... it's about that thief! When he was arrested, one of the people in this photo was in the crowd! This... damn it, so there were accomplices of that bastard at the scene! If I had seen this photo before then, neither of those bastards would have gotten away with it!"

"Brother Qian, so you're saying you're sure the two people in the photo are you and Mimi, and Lao Nie, Zhang Ke, and Sun Chang, whom you saw on the way back from Zhuzhou last time, right?"

Zhang Yong interrupted Qian Wei as he continued to hurl increasingly offensive insults.

"Yes! The Huangshi Expressway rest area, I remember it clearly! This guy targeted a sleeping truck driver, but I still caught him red-handed! What? This group isn't just petty thieves?"

Qian Wei made a judgment without hesitation, and then asked curiously.

"They've gotten involved with a group of human traffickers, and these people might be more complicated than we thought."

Zhang Yong said a few words and ended the contact with Qian Wei. After all, he wasn't a police officer involved in the case, so there was no need to tell him too many details.

"Last year, in the latter half of the year, a robbery occurred at the Huangshi Expressway parking area. The suspect was arrested by Qian Wei, a police officer from the Zhanghe Police Station in Zhangzhou City. With this lead, finding the arrested person will be easy. Following the trail further, we might even be able to pinpoint Li Wei's location. Tsk! Of the seven people in the photo, at least two are in Huangshi; although we don't know how many are in Zhuzhou, it at least proves that Huangshi is also within this group's sphere of influence. If we can't find any more clues about Li Wei in Zhuzhou, then we'll have to go to Huangshi. Well done! The case is getting bigger and bigger, and more and more people are being caught. How many bullets will it take to satisfy them?"

Chen Song gave a cold, murderous laugh.

There is still a group of human traffickers in Nan Province who are engaged in human trafficking, which is a disgrace to all the police in Nan Province! This time, even if we have to give half the credit to the Huang City police, we must bring this group to justice!
After informing Lü Caotang of this news, Lü Caotang immediately contacted the Huangshi authorities. With his presence, the Huangshi authorities retrieved the person's information without hesitation and handed it over to the Zhushi authorities.

"Li Hu, male, 47 years old! A native of Huangshi City, Nan Province, whose ancestral home is a poor county in Shaanxi Province near Inner Mongolia. He has multiple prior convictions for theft. Last time he was caught by Qian Wei, he was severely punished and sentenced to two years and four months, suspended for two years."

Li Yiduo received the documents from Huangshi and looked up at everyone, saying, "This guy is always arrested for theft, and according to the information, he really is just a thief. But judging from the photos, he does know Li Wei and they have a good relationship. They even share the same surname, so they might be related. In that case, did Li Hu know about Li Wei's human trafficking crimes? Or, to put it more seriously, was he an accomplice? This person has a criminal record, and he's the kind who never reforms. It's hard to say whether a two-year suspended sentence will be binding on him. I think this person is highly suspected of involvement in the crime!"

"The good news is that Li Hu's file is very detailed; he also has a probation period, so it's basically impossible for him to leave Huangshi. It will be easy for us to find and arrest him, unlike before when we had no clues at all."

Zhang Yong nodded and encouraged everyone, saying, "Although we don't know how the investigation in other areas is going, we've at least found a major lead. While we're not certain that Li Wei is the smuggler who bought Ai Yun and sold her to Sister Mei, we've at least proven that Li Wei is an insider in this case and has deep connections. Let's hurry up and find him; he might be the key to the whole case!"

"Hehe... This is all thanks to your help, and also thanks to Mimi! I knew that as long as Mimi was there, these cases would be no problem for her!"

Chen Song responded with a smile, his gaze towards Lin Ge becoming even more ardent. This wasn't the first time he had benefited from Lin Ge; a few months ago, he had made a great contribution because of Mimi, and this time he had taken the lead in the project.

The other police officers from Zhuzhou City nodded repeatedly, expressing their excitement that such a significant lead had been found so quickly in this case. Their eyes, filled with deep gratitude, looked at the people from Zhangzhou City.

Li Wei wasn't home, so there was no point in staying any longer. After sealing the gate and reminding the property management, security guards, and neighbors, the group finished work and returned to the city bureau.

This time, Lü Caotang personally stood at the gate of the Municipal Bureau to welcome the heroes, but apart from their group, no one else had obtained any useful clues.

Of course, this was also due to the short timeframe; after all, it was only the first day of the official investigation. It was understandable that they weren't as lucky as Lin Ge and his group. Even on their side, if Lin Ge hadn't happened to smell Ai Yun's faint scent on the replica green Submariner, they too would have overlooked this crucial clue and returned empty-handed. Investigating cases is never easy, especially cold cases from over a decade ago.

"Comrades, well done this time!"

Lu Caotang spoke excitedly, and looking at the cat that was slowly moving over from the dog's head, he felt that it was extremely cute and had delicate features.

What a good cat!
It's a shame it's someone else's cat! I wish I could have it at home!

"hiss……"

Lu Caotang's strange yet greedy gaze sent a chill down Lin Ge's spine. He had no idea what was wrong with this guy, or what was with that look that seemed to want to devour him whole?
"lead!"

A police officer from Zhuzhou stepped forward and explained to Lü Caotang the results of his work over the past half day, as well as the general situation of the newly emerged suspects, Li Wei and Li Hu.

"We'll discuss the specifics in detail in the meeting room later. Let's take a short break now; everyone's had a long day. The other teams will be back soon, and then we'll discuss it further."

With a wave of his hand, Lü Caotang generously granted everyone a short break.

To be honest, during large-scale operations, a break of one or two hours in the middle is almost impossible. Usually, even after returning to the office, it's all about discussion, analysis, and brainstorming; it's nowhere near as relaxed as it is now.

It was the incredible progress in the case brought about by the Zhangzhou police and this police cat that relieved everyone; otherwise, how could anyone get a proper rest under such pressure?
The Zhuzhou police officers who rushed back looked at Lin Ge as if he were a priceless treasure.

"..."

Lin Ge ignored them and was instead pestered by Chen Song's tofu.

This guy had wanted to get close to Ling Ge for a while, but seeing that his boss and the familiar police officers were all busy with important matters, he could only wait pitifully by himself.

Now that the boss was finally free and there were no other sycophants around, Doufu immediately came over and clung to Lin Ge, refusing to let him leave no matter what.

This guy is clearly a Kunming dog, but his personality is like that of a Siberian Husky. He even inexplicably took his food bowl from the kennel, barked at Chen Song to ask him to add more food, and then pushed the full bowl in front of Lin Ge.

"You eat it yourself! I'm a cat, I don't eat dog food!"

Lin Ge glared at Doufu speechlessly.

Even so, Lin Ge reluctantly tried it. Hmm! It was fishier and coarser than cat food, and the texture was also worse.

After the cat and dog played for a while, the police officers from various departments of the task force also gathered. The group went to the conference room to resume the meeting. Lin Ge finally managed to get rid of Doufu's entanglement, but was stopped by Chen Song again.

"Mimi, come to my house tonight? My wife and Nini miss you a lot and would like to thank you in person."

"A guest?"

Lin Ge was stunned for a moment. Apart from Lin Jia, Luo Jue, and the five little ones, he had never been a guest at anyone else's house before!
The main issue is that for a cat, visiting humans is always a troublesome affair. Most people find it hard to accept letting a cat sit at the table, but having to lie on the floor to eat when visiting is also very awkward for Lin Ge.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Lin Ge is reluctant to visit other people's homes. It would be awkward for him and them, and not good for anyone.

However, no matter how much Lin Ge shook his head, Chen Song persisted. He even called his wife in front of Lin Ge and took it upon himself to announce that the police cat Mimi was coming to visit, receiving her welcome and support over the phone.

At this point, Lin Ge couldn't refuse any longer. He reluctantly nodded and entered the conference room.

The smoke-filled conference room was bustling with activity, as police officers expressed their opinions and questioned and opposed each other, creating a lively atmosphere that seemed ready to erupt into a fight at any moment.

Sitting at the head of the table, Lü Caotang smiled without saying a word, not intervening in the somewhat chaotic scene. He understood a principle very well: an individual's thinking ability is limited, and many opportunities to solve cases lie in a spark of inspiration during an argument.

Lü Caotang neither liked nor supported meetings where everyone sat properly and listened to reports.

After Lin Ge came in, he found an empty spot next to Li Siyu, jumped up, and lay down to doze off. He didn't care what the police officers around him were saying; he had his own methods of investigation, and the targets he was keeping a close eye on would never escape.

Then, despite the noise in the room, Lin Ge actually closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"Mimi?"

When Li Siyu woke him up, the meeting was already over. He didn't know what was discussed or how it was arranged. Lin Ge yawned, then stood up and stretched; he believed that with Zhang Yong and the others around, they wouldn't let him suffer any losses.

"Mimi, did you not sleep well last night? Or have you been working too hard lately? If you feel tired, just tell me, and we can rest first before getting back to work."

Li Siyu tenderly picked up Lin Ge and gently combed his fur.

"Probably... I've been really busy lately, with one case after another. I feel like I've had very little time to sleep in at the cattery lately, and I've even neglected the little tortoiseshell and the seven kittens."

After reflecting on his work, Lin Ge realized that he had indeed been working too hard lately.

Police dogs work two or three hours a day, four hours at most. But what about me? I'm often working non-stop with Sun Chang or Li Siyu, and it's always those exciting big cases. My rest time is definitely much more pitiful than the dogs'.

Moreover, during this period, the journey from Zhangzhou to Yongzhou and from Yongzhou to Zhuzhou was non-stop.

Although he didn't need help driving, he still couldn't get a good rest in the car! On top of that, he had to worry about Ai Yun, Luo Jue, the human trafficking network and the number of criminals. With these things constantly on his mind, how could he get a good rest?
To be honest, a cat has to worry about more than a police station chief. How can it not be tired?
Moreover, I really didn't sleep well last night.

"Ah woo~"

Lin Ge yawned, then curled up in Li Siyu's arms, resting its head on her chest, and began to doze off. As for what happened tonight, Chen Song had already come over and told Li Siyu that he would take Lin Ge home and personally bring it back later that evening.

I've caught a cold and have a slight fever. I'm a bit dazed while typing; writing 10,000 words is my limit, please forgive me for the rest.

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(End of this chapter)