Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 662 Bitter Fruit of One's Own Making
It must be admitted that people are more cautious now than before. It seems that, to some extent, it has become standard practice for people who do bad things to avoid cameras as soon as possible.

But they may not know that there is an idiom called 'covering one's ears while stealing a bell'.

The behavior of ordinary people walking under a camera and those who are wary of it under the lens is not exactly drastically different, but there are still obvious differences.

To avoid being caught on camera, the first step is to find the camera. Even if you know where the camera is beforehand, it's still difficult to behave normally and naturally when you have a strong aversion to it.

These details were laid bare to the police.

After discovering Xu Sanhe's location, Lin Ge found no police surveillance cameras at the scene, but he did find two surveillance posts not far away on both sides of the road.

Zhang Yong, who was following Lin Ge, immediately understood his meaning and then called Li Yiduo.

By the time he brought Lin Ge back to the police station, Li Yiduo had already retrieved the footage from both surveillance cameras.

Furthermore, considering the timing of Xu Sanhe and Yan Yun's incident and the time of the fire, all pedestrians appearing in the footage during this period were categorized and screened.

Children were naturally ruled out immediately. Even when that little bastard gave the middle finger to the camera or mouthed insults, the police just smiled and kept the kid in mind.

Those who were older and showed no unusual behavior were also ruled out. In addition, those walking in groups, and those who walked normally past the camera without looking up to check for it, were also eliminated. In the end, besides four people who appeared suspicious and unconsciously glanced at the camera, twelve pedestrians and three vehicles traveling at abnormal speeds and making inexplicable braking movements were also considered suspects.

One of the vehicles parked in front of the camera, an Audi sedan that had stopped in front of several nearby cameras, was considered the prime suspect.

The high-definition camera footage revealed that the driver of the car was a middle-aged woman who appeared to be around forty years old. She was clearly observing the surveillance footage, making eye contact with the camera and then reflexively looking away, indicating that she was very nervous.

"Driving a luxury car and wearing professional attire; how did someone with that background manage to get in touch with Xu Sanhe?"

Sun Chang asked, puzzled.

"It's hard to say how she got in touch with Xu Sanhe, but there's definitely a reason why she's targeting Yan Yun. Her name is Shen Hui, and she owns a beauty center in Zhang City. Coincidentally, Yan Yun worked at her shop last year. Judging from Yan Yun's social security information, the beauty center only paid her insurance for two months, which most likely means Yan Yun chose to resign afterward. But it seems... it's not as simple as just resigning!"

Li Yiduo retrieved Shen Hui and Yan Yun's information on another computer; many things could be clearly seen from the social security records.

Previously, the police had to ask the bank to retrieve similar information, but with the mandatory constraints on companies paying social security for their employees in China, the retrieval of much data has become convenient, timely, and accurate.

Nowadays, almost every formal job involves social security contributions. Therefore, for the police, it's easy to see where a suspect has been and where they've worked.

Is there a problem with Shen Hui's marriage?

Zhang Yong proposed a possibility.

Sun Chang and Li Siyu glanced at him but didn't argue. Some things don't need to be said too obviously. If Shen Hui is really the person behind it all, then there are only a few reasons why she would take action against Yan Yun.

"Summon Shen Hui? If it's not her, summon other suspects?"

Zhang Yong looked down at Lin Ge again.

Lin Ge nodded, understanding Zhang Yong's meaning. He meant for him to smell Shen Hui's scent to see if she was the one who contacted Xu Sanhe in that blind spot of the surveillance cameras.

For him, this was a very simple matter.

For the police station, as long as Mimi confirms that Shen Hui is the person who has been in contact with Xu Sanhe, the truth of the case will become very simple.

Shen Hui is not Xu Sanhe; she has neither prior criminal record nor experience dealing with the police. Extracting the truth from her would not be difficult for the Zhanghe Police Station. And once Shen Hui speaks, Xu Sanhe's resistance will be meaningless.

Sometimes solving cases is that simple; the trouble is never finding evidence, but rather identifying the suspect.

Since Mimi joined the Zhanghe Police Station, things have become much easier for them in this regard. This is why the Zhanghe Police Station has been able to handle so many cases quickly, saving a lot of time in the preliminary investigation alone.

Soon, Shen Hui arrived at the police station.

Although she didn't waste any time and rushed over immediately after receiving the call, this didn't prove her innocence. Since she came in, she had become nervous and uneasy, and anyone could tell that something was wrong with her.

This woman was ultimately not a cunning and skilled criminal.

When Lin Ge approached Shen Hui's feet, she was already pale and trembling like a leaf. She probably never imagined that the police would find her and bring her to the police station in less than 24 hours.
Therefore, when Lin Ge turned around and nodded to Zhang Yong, indicating that Shen Hui had indeed appeared at the place where Xu Sanhe had stopped, and Zhang Yong politely invited her into the mediation room, Shen Hui immediately spilled the beans and told the whole truth.

Shen Hui attacked Yan Yun because her husband had been abducted by Yan Yun.

This woman had been working at her beauty center for three and a half months when she seduced Shen Hui's husband, Jin Qingshan, and made him spend a lot of money on her.

Even after Shen Hui discovered this and fired Yan Yun, the woman continued to secretly contact Jin Qingshan, causing serious problems in Shen Hui's marriage. When Shen Hui discovered that Jin Qingshan was considering divorce, she became completely enraged.

"When I went out the day before yesterday morning, I found a small card stuck on my car window."

Shen Hui's eyes were red and she had been crying for quite some time.

But now, as she recounts the incident, she still grits her teeth and says, "I never believed in these things before, but when I was about to throw the card away, I found it said detective services: investigating, tracking, finding people, catching adulterers, taking photos—we do everything! This immediately reminded me of that bitch's affair, so I called to ask if they could catch the mistress, and they said yes. They even offered to help me intimidate the mistress and drive her away, saying they'd do anything I paid for!"

Zhang Yong, Sun Chang, and Lin Ge looked at each other in bewilderment in the mediation room.

No one expected that Xu Sanhe... after being released from prison, in addition to running a food delivery business, would also be working part-time as a 'detective'.

Does a guy who's just been released from prison even deserve to be a detective? Putting aside the fact that such a profession that infringes on privacy is not allowed in China, just look at Xu Sanhe's character—does he even deserve to be a detective?

"Could this guy really be a die-hard fan of Detective Conan?"

Sun Chang twitched the corner of his mouth.

"..."

Lin Ge twitched his ear speechlessly.

Another point is that although everyone guessed that Shen Hui paid Xu Sanhe to take action against Yan Yun, it was probably because of relationship issues; however, no one expected that the way she contacted Xu Sanhe was so simple.

Little cards!

This is a way of doing business from so many years ago.
Since Zhangzhou City cracked down on prostitution and honey traps, this practice of stuffing small cards everywhere has almost disappeared in Zhangzhou. Even if it still happens, it only appears in places like bar parking lots.

Who would have thought that after Xu Sanhe got out of prison, he not only started a 'detective' business, but also most likely took advantage of the gaps in his delivery work and the convenience of traveling around to secretly slip small cards into his pockets?

Shen Hui not only took the information on the card seriously, but she actually found a 'detective' to help her.

"Heh... I hesitated a bit back then and didn't dare to agree, but I didn't expect to find out yesterday... Jin Qingshan bought that bitch an LV bag!"

Shen Hui wiped away her tears, not caring that her makeup was already ruined. She suddenly raised her head, gritting her teeth, and said, "I've been married to him for over ten years, and he's never bought me a gift worth more than twenty yuan! And yet he bought that bitch an LV bag? Ha... How can I tolerate this? So yesterday I called that detective again and asked if he could teach that bitch a lesson, and he said he could!"

"So you paid Xu Sanhe to set fire to Yan Yun's car, just to let Yan Yun know how powerful you are?"

Zhang Yong interrupted Shen Hui.

"I..." Shen Hui hesitated for a moment, her voice becoming much softer.

“I didn’t ask him what to do, and I didn’t dare to get too involved. I just gave him three thousand yuan and told him to do whatever he wanted, as long as Yan Yun learned a lesson and knew that he couldn’t break up other people’s families again.”

"So, were you aware of the arson incident that happened yesterday? And did you know that it was related to Yan Yun and the detective you hired?"

Zhang Yong continued to ask questions.

“I…I guessed. But it has nothing to do with me! I didn’t ask that person to make such a big deal out of it! I thought he would just find Yan Yun’s house and splash some paint, or write things like ‘mistress’ on the car. I never expected him to do something so terrible! To be honest, when I found out that the bitch’s car was burned and even caused a fire, I was shocked too! This has nothing to do with me, I didn’t ask him to do it!”

Shen Hui's flustered explanations frightened her as she spoke.

Perhaps, as she said, she really didn't intend to make such a big deal out of it, but by chance, the fire still started because of her, Xu Sanhe, and another suspect.

Regardless of the fact that the actual losses caused by the fire have exceeded one million, just considering the heinous nature of the incident and the great impact on public safety, Shen Hui cannot escape the punishment she deserves.

In a sense, Shen Hui's actions constitute instigation of a crime. Under criminal law, this would not only be punished as joint criminal activity, but the instigator would also be considered a principal offender in the joint crime, receiving a more severe punishment due to subjective malice and social harm. In other words, although Xu Sanhe was the one who committed the crime, Shen Hui's actions were more egregious and she was more unfortunate, and her sentence might be heavier than Xu Sanhe's.

Although she claimed that she did not ask Xu Sanhe to make such a big deal out of it, the deed has already been done and cannot be forgiven simply because it was "not intentional".

"So, don't get people involved in illegal things unless you have to! What you think and what the other person actually does might be two different things. And you'll be primarily responsible for the cases they cause."

Zhang Yong sighed.

This is one of the reasons why the profession of "detective" is not allowed in China. If this scoundrel is unreliable, who knows how many people he will harm.

"Are there any audio recordings or written promises or other evidence to prove your exchanges and transactions with Xu Sanhe and the demands you made?"

Zhang Yong still hoped to give the woman a chance, partly to prevent Xu Sanhe from successfully escaping punishment. If he insisted that Shen Hui was the mastermind, the police wouldn't be able to treat him as the main culprit for the time being.

The sentences for principal offenders and accomplices are also completely different.

Shen Hui was also flustered, but could only shake her head stupidly, indicating that she was so nervous and angry at the time that she hadn't thought that much about it.

Moreover, she knew that being a detective was illegal, and leaving evidence would only cause her trouble. So, apart from giving Xu Sanhe a photo of Yan Yun, she didn't keep any records, and even the payment was in cash.

"You really are..."

Sun Chang was at a loss for words. This woman was not cautious when she should have been, and overly cautious when she shouldn't have been.

Even Lin Ge looked at Shen Hui speechlessly, unable to imagine how she could prove she hadn't intended to set the fire if Xu Sanhe shifted all the blame onto her.

"After you showed the photos to Xu Sanhe, did he show any unusual expression?"

Zhang Yong then thought of another problem.

"He seemed... to pause for a moment?"

As if grasping at a last straw, Shen Hui racked her brains and quickly defended herself, saying, "I didn't think too much about it at the time, I just thought Yan Yun was prettier or something. But now it seems that maybe this detective had a grudge against Yan Yun, so he deliberately set the fire, right? Officer, that must be it! So this arson case has nothing to do with me. Whether I look for him or not, he will still target Yan Yun, right? He is the murderer!"

The two people and the cat in the mediation room twitched their lips but did not respond to Shen Hui's sophistry.

What's the point of talking about this now?
From the moment you paid Xu Sanhe to retaliate against Yan Yun, you've been unable to shake off your crime! Even if your words were used as evidence, they would only turn Xu Sanhe from an accomplice into a co-conspirator, and would not benefit you in any way.

"So, hiring someone to kill someone is something you really shouldn't do! You might hire someone just to teach the other person a lesson, but the killer might just stab them in the back!"

Lin Ge was speechless; Shen Hui was too stupid.

Regardless of what Yan Yun had done in the past, or whether he had ruined her marriage, she chose the worst possible way to respond. Honestly, even if she had gone to confront Yan Yun herself, things wouldn't have escalated to this point!

"If Mimi hadn't discovered the hidden story behind this case, no one would have imagined that there was a third suspect in an arson case. In fact, the crimes of the three were more serious than the previous ones, and in the end, they even hired someone to commit the crime."

After completing the procedures for taking Shen Hui into custody, Sun Chang was filled with emotion.

Lin Ge shook his head speechlessly.

The initial suspect could be classified as vandalism, as the alcohol alone did not constitute premeditated arson. However, Xu Sanhe's use of gasoline and a delayed ignition device would allow him to be charged with premeditated arson. Later, Xu Sanhe implicated Shen Hui, leading to a charge of hiring someone to commit arson. Ultimately, Shen Hui had to bear the full weight of both charges, a truly tragic situation.

Of course, they don't deserve any sympathy.

"With Shen Hui's confession, things will be much easier to handle with Xu Sanhe. No matter how he tries to deny it or even if he doesn't speak, he can't escape punishment for this arson. Even though his original intention wasn't to commit such a serious crime, the facts are what they are, and he can go back to prison."

Zhang Yong sighed, at a loss for words regarding this case.

A series of coincidences, unforeseen events, impulsive actions, and a lack of composure resulted in a serious fire that sparked widespread discussion throughout the city, drew criticism online, and severely damaged public perception of Zhangzhou.

"Detectives... How could such a thing be allowed to exist in this country?"

He sneered.

Zhang Ke and Zhu Jun were busy in the office. Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Have you been watching too much Detective Conan? Do you think the police in China are as incompetent as they are in the anime? Do you think that so-called detectives can really be above the police and do whatever they want, even ignore the law? Aren't you just asking for trouble? The protection of citizens under our country's laws is not the same as in Japan. Xu Sanhe spent two and a half years in prison. What exactly did he reform?"

"Why don't you call and ask?"

Zhang Ke turned around and looked at him teasingly.

"Pooh!"

Zhu Jun rolled his eyes.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Now that the case is solved, the atmosphere at the police station has returned to normal and is bustling again. Everyone has lived up to Nie Guoqiang's expectations and proven that they could safeguard the security of the jurisdiction before his return, which is undoubtedly something to be happy about.

"Ah wu..."

Lin Ge couldn't help but yawn again.

To be honest, as a cat, I can never get enough sleep. Although the case today was complicated, it was resolved easily without much trouble for him. But he still had to travel back and forth to many places with Zheng Mingxing and Zhang Yong, which was quite tiring.

Now that all the suspects have been apprehended without exception, Lin Ge breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that the police station wouldn't need him for the time being, Lin Ge stretched and tried to cheer himself up, deciding to go see Luo Jue first, and then come back to the cat shelter to rest properly.

I won't feel at ease if I don't check!

Can Luo Jue, this stubborn guy, really get along well with Ai Yun's parents?
(End of this chapter)