Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 676 Summer
"You think you can run away from me? If you get away, wouldn't that be a slap in my face?"

Lin Ge gave a disdainful snort.

He didn't know where his competitive spirit suddenly came from, nor did he know who he wanted to compete with. In any case, he was determined not to let this guy escape from under his nose today.

Otherwise, wouldn't that mean we've lost?

Watching the Zhao brothers, Zhao Zhigao and Zhao Zhigang, handcuff Qiao Qiao, Lin Ge smirked with delight, then involuntarily glanced at the direction of the dilapidated building, which was blocked by other houses.

"You bastard, you've done so many despicable things and you still dare to run back to Zhangzhou City, you've got some nerve!"

Zhao Zhigang angrily pulled Qiao Qiao up.

"That's not my problem!"

Qiao Qiao seemed to understand what Zhao Zhigang was talking about. After standing up, she raised her head and said, "Although the houses I, Qiao Qiao, build may not have the necessary permits, in terms of quality alone, they are definitely better than those so-called third- or fourth-tier state-owned enterprises! Go and ask around, ask the people who bought my houses, haven't they had any problems with water leakage or crumbling over the years? My buildings may have poor landscaping, which can be attributed to bad location, but no one has ever complained about the quality of the houses! Those big developers and companies, apart from having a good reputation and good advertising, in other aspects, especially in terms of quality, what can they compare to the houses I build?"

The more he talked, the angrier he got. Even though he was handcuffed, he still twisted his neck and acted extremely arrogantly.

"Heh... Ding Guiyuan's house foundation has collapsed, yet he still claims his house is of good quality. Qiao Qiao, do you have any shame? You're lying through your teeth!"

Zhao Zhigang sneered.

He had seen all sorts of criminal suspects, but regardless of the severity of the crime, it was quite rare to see someone as shameless as Qiao Qiao, who could turn a bad situation into a good one.

"..."

When the building that collapsed was mentioned, Qiaoqiao's face darkened and she fell silent.

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and growled, "I, Qiao Qiao, have spent my whole life working on construction sites, and I admit I've done bad things! But I disdain using deceptive means to trick people into buying garbage houses. Ding Guiyuan's matter has nothing to do with me!"

"You can explain that to the police station later!"

Zhao Zhigao pushed Qiao Qiao from behind.

He had been observing coldly, sensing that there might be something else going on behind the scenes. At least Qiao Qiao dared to assert her professionalism, rather than something else, which was enough to make people speculate about many things.

He may be involved in organized crime or illegal construction, but given his background as a construction worker, he might genuinely disdain building substandard housing.

Zhao Zhigao quietly observed Qiao Qiao. He could indeed see from him that he had once been a laborer toiling under the sun. Dark skin, a muscular, lean upper body, and numerous sunburn scars—scars left from the skin cracking and healing from prolonged sun exposure—were evident. Even after being a successful boss for over a decade, the marks hadn't disappeared. His hands bore thick calluses on his fingertips and palms, along with pits from corn removal. These were the marks left on the hands of someone who had done long hours of manual labor, proof of their hard work. The white patches on his fingers were likely from prolonged contact with cement and other materials that had caused burns.

In conclusion, Qiao Qiao may indeed have been a construction worker.

Yet this construction worker, once looked down upon and considered the lowest rung of society, later rose through the ranks to develop his own real estate. He transformed from a worker into a successful businessman, only to later betray his professional dignity and degenerate, building uninhabitable and dilapidated buildings…

Zhao Zhigao shook his head inexplicably.

The group returned to Qiaoqiao's residence and inspected the entire house again.

Lin Ge noticed that although the house was small, it was not cluttered, and everything was placed neatly and compactly. Qiao Qiao seemed to really treat this place as her home; there was even a family photo of the four of them hanging on the wall behind the sofa.

Qiaoqiao and his wife, along with his son and daughter-in-law.

The four people in the photo are all smiling, but according to reports, Qiao Qiao's wife passed away from cancer two years ago. This is one of the reasons why Qiao Qiao returned to Zhangzhou City; he came back to accompany his wife on her final journey.

Then he started having mistresses...

As for his son and daughter-in-law, it is said that they immigrated to Canada a few years ago, but it is unknown whether this is true or not.

"The dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon himself; the man who toils to build houses for a living ultimately falls victim to real estate. Perhaps this staff dormitory was once your home? Is the reason you still live here because you miss your family, or because you refuse to face the fact that you've become a capitalist? You think that by continuing to live in this kind of place, you can become that honest and hardworking construction worker again. But in reality, even the wine bottles in your home are different now!"

A glance at the box of Moutai liquor placed against the wall next to the refrigerator made Lin Ge feel as if he had witnessed the entire life of this guy named Qiao Qiao.

To be honest, it has a strong sense of story and era.

He once sweated profusely, then indulged in a life of luxury, and finally ended up in jail – that's the end of the story!

perfect!

Lin Ge glanced at Qiao Qiao, a cold smile playing on his lips.

This guy is not innocent at all.

As for the possible hidden circumstances he mentioned, Lin Ge had some guesses, but he wouldn't believe them entirely. To develop so many properties and still live so comfortably, Qiao Qiao certainly wasn't stupid. Where did his money come from to live so comfortably all these years? So even if there were indeed problems behind it, Qiao Qiao had no right to use ignorance as an excuse to absolve himself. As for the specific problems, the Economic Crime Investigation Department would find out.

Whether it's embezzlement, bribery, front work, or other messy things, nothing escapes the eyes of professional economic crime investigators.

Perhaps... we should also call in the disciplinary committee?
Lin Ge tilted his head, lost in thought.

After a search, nothing was found in the house that could be used as evidence, nor were any large sums of cash, antiques, gold, or other valuables found.

Lin Ge found only a stack of contract documents in the bedside table, and a bunch of keys with an unknown address in a pair of slippers under the bed. Zhao Zhigao chose to take all of these things with him.

Then Zhao Zhigang escorted Qiao Qiao out of the stairwell, and carefully locked the door again.

The stairwell and the houses on both sides were dilapidated and dirty, but there were still four or five people living in them. When they saw the police escorting a prisoner out of one of the inner rooms, those who had been peeking out quickly pulled their heads back in, their faces showing little surprise.

One can only say that people who choose to live in places like this are truly all sorts of people from all walks of life!
Lin Ge glanced at the group warily, but for the moment he didn't notice anything amiss. He eavesdropped on their conversation, which consisted mainly of hindsight, mentioning that they had suspected Qiao Qiao of having problems before. Since there was nothing particularly unusual, he let them go for the time being.

As he emerged from the old building, Lin Ge instinctively looked towards the distance.

Things seem to have calmed down over there as well. At least the guy causing trouble on the rooftop and the firefighter hiding on the ninth-floor awning have both disappeared without a trace. In other words, the troublemaker has been brought under control, and the somewhat strange-looking firefighter is actually quite capable. If he really does have some kind of cat-like ability, dealing with this kind of situation and this kind of person would indeed be a piece of cake for him... probably.

Although I was very curious about who that guy was, since I had never seen him in Zhang City before, now was not the time to think about that.

Although Qiao Qiao has been apprehended, it's merely an arrest; the situation for the affected buyers of the problematic properties remains unresolved. The Economic Crime Investigation Department needs to conduct a thorough investigation into Qiao Qiao's finances and hidden assets to determine how much money can be extracted from this unscrupulous real estate developer. A portion will be used to repair the problematic properties, and another portion will be used to compensate the victims. The extent to which the situation can be brought under control will depend on the amount of money involved.

Of course, these things have nothing to do with Lingo.

He's just a police cat; he's confident and skilled at things like searching, arresting, investigating, and tracking. But high-tech stuff, or things that don't need to be done in the real world, isn't his forte.

Back at the municipal bureau, he received a thank you from Xu Xiangjie, but no real benefit whatsoever.

Lin Ge ignored them and followed the Zhao brothers back to the police station.

When I got to the front desk, I found that Yan Ziming and Li Siyu were quite free, and they were huddled together watching the fun on their phones.

Lin Ge followed curiously and saw a firefighter smoothly climb from the fourth floor to the ninth floor, then easily subdue the target after lying in ambush.

The video was likely filmed by a resident of a high-rise building in a nearby community. The angle was excellent, clearly capturing the firefighters' agile movements and nimble actions. The final scene, depicting the firefighter subduing the person attempting suicide, was even enhanced with names of techniques and dazzling animation effects. The animation shows a dark-skinned, mustachioed man with bent arms and crackling lightning, followed by the firefighter elbowing Tian Di to the ground.

Li Siyu was browsing the comments section when she saw many people leaving messages about things like "Third Generation Rai" or "Fourth Generation Rai," which were probably the names of the anime characters. Lin Ge wasn't quite sure.

However, Lin Ge held this firefighter in even higher regard.

This guy is indeed quite capable.

If possible, Lin Ge would like to meet him and see if they could talk about something. Unfortunately, after finishing his business at the police station and heading to the city fire station, he was told that the man named Ye Hao had already returned to Chu City. Since he was gone, there was nothing that could be done.

Lin Ge had no choice but to put the matter aside and return to his daily life.

About a week later, the government finally came up with a solution regarding the dilapidated building. The developer provided partial compensation, and the government subsidized the remaining amount to mitigate the victims' losses, thus bringing the matter to a close.

Getting your money back in full is impossible, and you're almost certain to lose money on renovations. But since you chose to buy an unlicensed property, you have to bear the risk; the government can't clean up your mess.

Moreover, if it weren't for the arrest of Qiao Qiao and the acquisition of the land certificate for the building and other confidential information from him, the government wouldn't have spent the money!
You must bear the consequences of your own actions; expecting the government to foot the bill for everything is absolutely impossible.

Incidentally, Tian Di was detained for fifteen days by the Baimiao Police Station for disturbing public order. So, jumping off a building is something you really need to think about carefully. Even if you die, they won't let you off so easily.

Time passed day by day, and the hottest month quietly arrived.

The sun was getting stronger, and the outdoor temperature was rising higher and higher; whether it was concrete or asphalt, it was scorching hot under the sun. His furry body, exposed to the sun, felt like it was being stuffed into a steamer, and lately, Lin Ge hadn't really wanted to go out.

Even when Zheng Mingxing or Zhang Yong asked him to go out and help with police duties, Lin Ge would try his best to avoid touching the ground and avoid being exposed to the sun.

Anyway, it's only natural for a cat to be affectionate and willful. Some small things are the same whether he's there or not; it just puts a little extra work on the other officers. Why make things difficult for a cat?
"Right?"

Lin Ge yawned lazily.

His attitude naturally displeased Zhang Yong.

But with Nie Guoqiang before, and now Zheng Mingxing doting on him, plus Yang Xiaotong and Zhang Yining speaking well of him at home, Zhang Yong has absolutely no way to deal with Lin Ge.

He also tried replacing Mimi with other cats, but found that whether it was Mimi's own kittens, the Snowclaw Tabby and the Little Tabby, or its little brothers, they were all far inferior to Mimi in terms of ability and obedience.

It's not that their sense of smell is bad or their fighting ability is insufficient; it's just that cats are incredibly unobedient! Before, I thought Mimi's willfulness was excessive, but now, after comparing them, I realize how well-behaved Mimi is.

Zhang Yong's resentment and anger vanished completely in less than a day.

Lin Ge was finally able to relax and enjoy himself, squatting under a tree in the yard and looking around; the police station's large courtyard had become the playground for the seven little ones.

Just like the little tabby and snowclaw tabby back then, the little guys were playing and chasing each other in the yard, having a great time. They even took over the roof of the police car and the seats of electric bikes and motorcycles.

The seven little ones are naturally a hundred times more mischievous than the three little ones back then.

Occasionally, a few beggars would come by to say hello, making the place even more lively.

"Ah woo~"

Lin Ge rummaged through the cat food bag, took out half a bowl of cat food, closed the tab, pushed the cat food bowl under the shade of a tree in the yard, and then lazily yawned.

Now that Li Siyu is also busy, Lin Ge has to take care of his younger brother himself.

Whether it's preparing cat food or changing water, it's not difficult for him; he just finds it troublesome.

Quietly squatting at the entrance of the cat shelter, Lin Ge watched the commotion outside.

The trees in the yard look a bit more lush than last year. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting shadows on the cat crouching below, giving it a new coat that looks like ripples on water.

The mother hawksbill turtle and the money tree lay lazily in the shade, seemingly dozing off, but their attention was always on the seven little ones.

Whenever a little guy is attracted by the passing cats and boldly runs towards the yard gate, the mother tortoiseshell cat will open her eyes with a serious expression. With just that glare, the little guy, who is trying to take the risk but is still sneaking a glance in this direction, will quickly wag its tail and run back.

The mother hawksbill turtle's majesty endures, and her domineering influence on the little ones is unmatched by Ringo.

On the contrary, the money tree has been neglecting the seven little ones lately. This guy seems to be in heat and has started eyeing Lin Ge again; it even rubs against Lin Ge, avoiding the female hawksbill turtle, which scared Lin Ge into quickly hiding in Nie Guoqiang's office.

The air conditioning here is quite cool.

However, the position that originally belonged to Nie Guoqiang is now occupied by a guy named Zhang Yong.

Some things are unavoidable. Even if Nie Guoqiang recovers from all his ailments, his gradual withdrawal from the front lines is inevitable. The responsibilities that originally belonged to him at the police station are gradually being handed over to Zhang Yong, which can be seen as a kind of succession within the station.

It's better than having a deputy director suddenly appear out of nowhere, right, Zheng Mingxing?
rustling... rustling...

"Mimi, be quiet and don't disturb me while I'm writing!"

The sound of Lin Ge sharpening his claws on the sofa disturbed Zhang Yong, who peeked out from behind the monitor and glared fiercely at Lin Ge.

"Am I sharpening my claws?"

Lin Ge, who had been lost in thought, paused for a moment after hearing this. He looked down at his hands and realized that he had been unconsciously fiddling with the sofa. The sound of the leather sofa and his fingernails scraping against it was quite amusing, so much so that Lin Ge himself hadn't even noticed.

After playing for a while, Zhang Yong grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw him out.

"You want to kick me out? No way!"

Lin Ge turned around in mid-air, and in the gap between Zhang Yong letting go and closing the door, he nimbly brushed past Zhang Yong's legs and slipped into the office once again.

"..."

Zhang Yong was at his wits' end with this mischievous cat, so he could only sigh and put a Bluetooth earphone in his ear.

As long as you can't see or hear it, you won't be bothered.

"Ah woo~"

Lin Ge yawned again, suddenly felt sleepy, closed his eyes and lay down cross-legged on the sofa.

He soon fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up again, it was completely dark. Zhang Yong was no longer in the office, the lights were off, and only the air conditioner was still making a slight whirring sound.

Worried that the cat would get cold, Zhang Yong turned the air conditioner to its quietest setting. Although he appeared impatient with the cat, he actually paid attention to every detail.

Lin Ge jumped onto the table, found the remote control, turned off the air conditioner, and then opened the door and went outside.

The temperature difference between the two sides made him shiver. It wasn't that hot, but the humidity in the air still made him feel uncomfortable, having just stepped out of the air-conditioned room.

It took Lin Ge a while to get used to it before he went to the duty room.

Yes, Li Yiduo and Li Siyu are on duty today.

The two of them huddled together scrolling through their phones, behaving even more intimately than usual when no one was around. Unfortunately, these good days wouldn't last long; once Li Siyu's permanent position was filled, these two would probably have to reschedule.

Just like Zhang Ke and Sun Chang, Zhu Jun and Jiang Yiyi, they don't have many opportunities to work the night shift together; it only happens once every one or two weeks.

Therefore, they cherish this rare time spent together in private.

(End of this chapter)