Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 651 Kidnapper
Chen Song's daughter, Nini, is a chubby little girl.

Her little face was round and chubby, her hair was tied into several small buns, and she wore a very loose, knee-length T-shirt slung across her body. She sat cross-legged on the ground, looking at a large picture book in a very serious manner.

When Nini saw her father lead a cat into the house, her eyes lit up instantly. She rolled on the floor, got up, and stumbled towards Lin Ge with such force that Lin Ge quickly dodged.

"Cat! Cat! Cat!"

Not angry that they didn't catch Lin Ge, Nini quickly tugged at Chen Song's trouser leg and asked, "Daddy, did you buy me the cat?"

"Chen Nini! Show some manners! Mimi is a guest visiting our home, not a pet we bought for you! By the way, Mimi is also a police officer, is this how you should treat a police officer?"

Chen Song chuckled as he picked up his daughter and tapped her little nose.

"Police Cat!"

Nini nodded as if she suddenly understood, her eyes fixed on Lin Ge. Seeing the big cat casually stroll into the house and even look at the picture book on the floor, Nini quickly broke free from Chen Song's arms and ran to Lin Ge's side, ready to teach him to read.

"This is a pig, this is a big bad wolf! The pig is good, the big bad wolf is bad! Police cat, beat the big bad wolf!"

"The Three Little Pigs!"

Lin Ge recognized the picture book at a glance; it was a familiar fairy tale. But upon closer inspection, he noticed something different about it.

This picture book didn't have the story drawn out from the beginning; it only had a simple black line drawing. Parents needed to help their children color in the illustrations while telling the story. Crayons were placed next to the book, and the currently opened page was already mostly covered in color. Based on Lin Ge's experience, the illustrations weren't at an adult's level; most likely, the pig, the forest, the house, and the big bad wolf were all colored in by Chen Song's daughter on her own.

Otherwise, the orange wolf and the red pig, the green river and the blue trees, all seem a bit exaggerated.

However, for a three-year-old, to be able to complete and patiently fill in such a relatively complex picture neatly along the lines without any scribbling or alterations is quite commendable in terms of patience and artistic talent. Although the colors of the animals and the forest in the picture book are different from reality, this represents the child's rich imagination and colorful world in her heart, making her childlike innocence and fun even more endearing.

Actually, Lin Ge doesn't really like interacting with children of this age. They're often immature and don't know what's important, and they're always willful and mischievous, throwing tantrums at the slightest provocation. It's no joke that they're like cats at three years old and dogs at four.

But Chen Song's daughter, Nini, is much more sensible in this regard.

She neither bothered Lingo nor grabbed his tail; she simply called him over to draw together. Even though Lingo's paws couldn't hold the crayons properly, and he could only help choose the colors before letting the little girl draw on her own, she still had a lot of fun.

The two of them, a person and a cat, were playing happily together, requiring no parental care whatsoever.

"You actually managed to bring Mimi back!"

Chen Song's wife, who was cooking in the kitchen, came out to greet Lin Ge before hurrying back to her work. With such well-behaved children, things were easy for her; she could manage the household perfectly well on her own.

"After all, she saved my life. Besides, when I was organizing the competition in Chu City, I received a lot of help from Mimi. Hehe... She's a cat, but she's more capable than I am all by myself. And this case is also thanks to Mimi. She found the clues in time, which made the whole case much easier. I was worried that this battle would require me to work overtime for many days, but now it seems that with Mimi's help, I can breathe a sigh of relief and maybe I can rest a few days less."

Chen Song helped his wife while chatting with her.

I can't tell my wife the specifics of the case, but with Mimi's help, it might be resolved quickly so I can get a vacation. I can share this good news with her.

"It really is your lucky star."

Chen Song's wife couldn't help but feel emotional as she thought about what happened last year. If it weren't for this cat, her husband might have been injured even more seriously, and no one could say for sure what would have happened to their family then.

While in Chu City, my husband received care from Mimi. This time, it was Mimi again who helped, allowing him to reduce his workload and spend more time with me and our child.

This cat is unbelievably excessive.

"Amazing!"

With a sigh, Chen Song's wife turned and took out another bag of shrimp balls from the refrigerator. Since they were guests, they had to be treated well.

"Oh, right, I just remembered something. You're from Huangshi, right?"

"what happened?"

"I'll probably be going to Huangshi in the next day or two. If you need anything for my parents, please get it ready as soon as possible. Also, I remember that Grandpa has quite a wide network of connections in Huangshi. Could you call him later and ask if he knows anyone in Huangshi named Li Hu, who has a criminal record? Please ask Grandpa to keep an eye on this. That guy could be a really vicious criminal, and we can't let him harm anyone else!"

"Such a fierce person, aren't you afraid something will happen to my dad when he's trying to gather information for you?"

Chen Song's wife glared at him, but didn't really refuse. She knew that since she chose a policeman as her husband, she couldn't avoid such things in the future.

Besides, the old man is indeed quite idle after retirement. Since he always boasts about his wide circle of friends, it would be good to find him something to do.

Once Chen Song is done with this matter and has some free time, I'll take Nini to visit him.

Chen Song's wife stood by her husband without hesitation.

The naive little girl turned to call her father, while Chen Song cheerfully took over the kitchen duties. He'd learned excellent culinary skills when he retired from the army; preparing a family dinner was a piece of cake for him.

During dinner that evening, Lin Ge and Nini sat together.

Chen Song's family had several tall stools that were almost level with the table, enough for children to sit on. After Lin Ge jumped on one, he found that the height and distance were just right, thus avoiding the awkwardness of squatting on the table to eat.

Little Nini was very happy to see her good friend eating next to her.

She ate with a big spoon, getting rice grains all over her face, yet she still had the nerve to laugh at Lin Ge for not knowing how to use utensils. When she encountered green peppers that she didn't like, she would secretly stuff them into Lin Ge's plate; if her mother saw this and scolded her, she would quickly pretend to be clueless and put on an innocent look.

Lin Ge was very interested in the shrimp balls that Chen Song stir-fried, and the other meat dishes were also quite good, but he declined to eat any vegetables.

All in all... the meal was quite enjoyable.

Lin Ge didn't stay at Chen Song's house for long. After dinner, he declined Chen Song's offer to escort him and also politely declined Xiao Nini's offer to stay. He then leisurely walked downstairs and out of the residential area. He looked around to get his bearings before lazily heading towards his hotel.

The fatigue from the day hadn't completely dissipated yet. Lin Ge hadn't walked far when he felt a bit tired. He looked around and found a square with quite a few people, so he went in, found a quiet spot to sit down, and lazily took a nap to digest his food.

A group of elderly people were dancing in the square, and the area around the exercise equipment was also crowded. Many children were running and playing among the crowd, laughing and shouting happily.

Occasionally, one or two couples would walk by, cuddling and playfully teasing each other, constantly showering onlookers with displays of affection.

Lin Ge vaguely felt that he hadn't seen such a peaceful and beautiful scene in a long time. Moreover, it was only when he saw such a beautiful scene full of life that he could feel that all his hard work was meaningful.

Those guys who ruined this harmony should have died sooner!
Thinking of Huang Guimei, who was detained in Zhangzhou City Public Security Bureau, Shen Bo, who was detained in Zhuzhou City, and Luo Jianlin, who was detained in Yongzhou City; the traffickers, sellers, and buyers have all been arrested, and the entire human trafficking network is now reduced to just the middleman.

Now, even the smuggler has been identified, and it's highly likely a man named Li Wei, who is also connected to Li Hu, the man Qian Wei previously arrested in Huang City. Following this lead, they might soon be able to apprehend this last remaining suspect. At that point, the Ai Yun case will be practically solved, leaving only the question of how to rescue all the other trafficked victims.

This step has little to do with his cat. Searching for someone across the country requires the combined efforts of the nation and its people. No matter how capable an individual is, their search area is limited to what's right under their nose.

"Ok?"

After a short nap, Lin Ge blinked, wondering if he was seeing things. But upon closer inspection, it was indeed Chen Nini with her mother. Quite coincidentally, they usually strolled around this very square, and Lin Ge even saw Chen Nini immediately find several friends after arriving. She greeted her mother briefly and then mingled with her friends, chasing and playing. A short while later, the children disappeared into the crowd from their parents' sight. Surrounded by familiar faces, the parents were reassured, as long as their children didn't wander outside the square.

After instructing Nini not to wander too far, Chen Song's wife found a nearby neighbor and joined her in the square dancing group, chatting idly. Neither of them noticed Lin Ge, each simply enjoying their pleasant evening.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ge decided not to disturb them any further. He took a quick look to make sure Nini hadn't run far away from the small square before quietly standing up to leave.

But just then, a familiar scent that suddenly appeared and lingered in the air caught Lin Ge's attention.

Lin Ge paused, tilted his head back to sniff again, and his expression turned serious.

He abandoned his plan to leave and quietly began to move through the crowd, carefully searching by following the scent.

When they reached almost the deepest part of the square, Lin Ge successfully spotted a middle-aged man walking in the crowd.

He had a very easily overlooked appearance, but his balding head was quite noticeable. He was carrying a suitcase, as if he had just returned from a tiring trip. His eyes kept scanning the crowd, as if searching for something.

"This guy... Wei Gou?"

Lin Ge's eyes widened, and he quickly recognized the man's identity.

He hadn't expected such a coincidence; the person he'd just been talking about suddenly appeared. Had this guy just returned from out of town? The way he was carrying a suitcase meant he hadn't been home yet, right?
Also!

The front door to Wei Gou's house was still sealed off, and there were obvious signs that someone had broken in. If he found out he had become a police target, he certainly wouldn't dare to continue loitering outside so casually.

"So, he just returned from out of town and doesn't know he's become a suspect in the police's case? But if he wanders home a little later, the situation will be different after the police are alerted!"

Lin Ge stared intently at Wei Gou, then quietly hid himself in the flower bed, following him at a distance.

Having identified him by scent, this guy was undoubtedly Wei Gou. But now, Lin Ge really wanted to know what this guy was up to in such a crowded place.

"That's not the case..."

As Lin Ge moved closer, he noticed that Wei Gou's gaze was fixed on the children running around them. His eyes were strange, as if he were selecting merchandise, and the light suitcase in his hand seemed to have other functions as well.

However, Wei Gou did not rush to act, but instead took out his phone and did something first.

As a 'professional' human trafficker, he seemed quite picky. Moreover, with so many goods in the dazzling 'supermarket' before him, he had enough patience to slowly pick out the best choice.

Without a doubt, boys are the most valuable; the younger they are, the more valuable they are, and Wei Gou understands this principle very well.

"Finding a pretty young woman would be fine too. These days, old gangsters don't mind spending a lot of money to buy wives, even more expensive than piglets. It's just that it's not very convenient to take her with you. Once you get her, you'll have to ask them to help you 'train' her."

Wei Gou walked along, a smile playing on his lips, talking to himself as he went.

His voice wasn't actually low, but who would have thought that a stranger passing by would utter such terrifying words? In addition, with the sounds of various square dancing activities rising and falling in the square, his arrogant self-talk would have been noticed long ago.

"brute!"

Lingo moved along the flowerbed expressionlessly, occasionally venturing onto the main road to bypass the people sitting there. He clearly heard Wei Gou's words and was furious at the guy's unrepentant attitude.

The question is whether to go directly to Chen Song's wife and notify the police, or continue to chase after Wei Gou to see what he's up to.
Lin Ge hesitated for a moment, but actually both options were fine.

Cutting the Gordian knot is definitely the most reliable approach, but Lin Ge is worried that while he turns around to look for someone, Wei Gou will get the target and escape.

Although Ringo could guarantee that even so, he could catch up with and stop Wei Gou's crime in the shortest possible time, there was still the question of whether he had accomplices to take over. Just in case, it was best to stop his crime first.

Looking back at Chen Song's wife, who was still dancing in the square, Lin Gesong quickened his pace and caught up with Wei Gou.

At this point, the dog had successfully located its target.

In Wei Gou's view, picking out a valuable item from a dazzling array of goods is a very simple matter. Anything where the parents aren't around can be included in the target range. Then, a quick observation of the surrounding area—whether any parents are watching, whether the child has looked back in the last few minutes, etc.—is enough to determine if the child is accompanied by a parent. Then, he can easily find an excuse to take the child away, without anyone noticing!
Wei Gou has done this many times before, so he's become very skilled and can do it in a minute.

"Little friend, can you do Grandpa a favor?"

Approaching a little boy who looked only four or five years old, Wei Gou wore a kind expression. He pointed to the suitcase in his hand and then said to the boy who had turned around, "Little friend, do you know how to get to Chaoqian Kindergarten? I'm Principal Li's father, and I came all the way here to find her. But I'm not very familiar with this area, and I'm a bit lost. Little friend, you must be a student at the kindergarten, right? Can you take Grandpa there?"

"Director Li's father?"

The little boy blinked, seemingly a bit wary, but not overly so.

After all, the kindergarten principal and teachers are so kind to the children, how could her father be a bad person? This old man knows Principal Li's name, so he's definitely not the kind of bad person the mother described.

"Okay! The kindergarten isn't far away, just down the slope. I'll take you there, Grandpa!"

The teacher had said that a helpful child is a good child, and the little boy quickly made a decision! He told his friends to go play first and not wait for him, and then he took the initiative to grab the handle of the suitcase in Wei Gou's hand, wanting to help his grandfather carry things.

"Dongdong, your grandma said you're not allowed to leave the square!"

Nini happened to be in the group playing with the children when she saw the little boy about to leave the square, so she quickly called out to remind him.

"It's okay, I'll be right back!"

The little boy named Dongdong wasn't scared at all. The kindergarten wasn't far from here; it was just down a slope. What could possibly happen?
"But……"

Nini was still hesitating, but Dongdong had already led Weigou away.

Nini wanted to chase after her, but was suddenly blocked by a furry paw that reached out.

Lin Ge stopped Nini; he didn't want to see this little girl run over there and throw meat buns at the dog, or serve vegetables to the dog.

Looking down, Nini saw it was Lin Ge, and her eyes immediately lit up. She pointed in the direction Dongdong had left, as if she wanted to say something, but Lin Ge nodded knowingly and gestured for Nini to hurry over and find her mother.

Nini nodded understandingly.

"What a good boy! So sensible! I'll ask the principal to praise you properly tomorrow, and I'll give you a big apple as a reward! Your name is Dongdong, right? Do you like big apples?"

Wei Gou said with a chuckle, a disdainful smile on his lips.

It's so easy to fool a child!

Thank you to reader "Dark Night Chanting" for the two 100-coin rewards. I'll try to write the extra chapter I owe you around the end of the month.

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(End of this chapter)