Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 682 Hide and Seek

"Heh... There's that fat pig's smell in the car! They're in cahoots! This car might even have been prepared for him by that fat pig. They've turned this into a spy movie just to steal the data!"

While continuing to track the thief's scent, Lingo cursed involuntarily, gritting his teeth.

Ordinary cases have never been this complicated, with one link leading to another. Who would have thought there were such hidden secrets? What was originally thought to be just an 'ordinary' theft case now seems to be a case of collusion between insiders and outsiders?
That fat pig would rather expose his improper relationship with his subordinates than let himself be implicated; who would believe there wasn't something bigger going on?
He even participated in the preparation of the thieves' escape tools. This behavior is not simply a matter of being 'bought off,' but most likely he was an accomplice in the theft!
"Now it all depends on whether Nie Guoqiang can notify the police officers at the research institute in time. We must not let that fat pig escape. We even have to pray that he left some evidence, otherwise, based on my judgment alone, we will not be able to convict him."

Lin Ge even suspected at this point that the stolen research data might still be hidden on that administrative cadre. And the person they were tracking might just be acting as a smokescreen to cover for his comrades.

If the police find nothing, then everything will be fine and both parties can escape. If the police do find clues, this person will divert their attention.

In this way, he could safely hide the documents and find a way to take them out once things calmed down.

If it weren't for Lingo's incredible ability to spot him in the crowd, which led to his hasty excuse still attracting police attention, he might have already succeeded.

Although he is still under police surveillance, his diversionary tactic has shifted their attention to the escaped individual. In this situation, he only needs to wait out the current circumstances before he can utilize other methods or his accomplices…

In short, there are too many methods to use; Lin Ge could easily think of several.

Unless the police raise his case to the highest level, he will succeed sooner or later. But if they can't confirm his serious involvement, how can they have the time to investigate someone who has already been cleared of suspicion?
"Thanks to me, I raised the suspicion level against this guy again in time. As long as the research institute is notified in time, this guy won't be able to pull any more tricks."

Lin Ge thought to himself smugly.

Of course, the devil is always one step ahead, and no one can guarantee that this fat pig doesn't have a third strategy to clear his name. That's where the police and national security departments will have to rely on; Lin Ge is far away outside the research institute, and they can't reach him right now.

"Mimi, how much longer do we have to walk?"

Zhang Ke glanced down at the motorcycle's odometer and realized that they had already traveled another five or six kilometers since leaving the stone bridge. Even if the suspect was driving an unlicensed motorcycle, there was no need for them to keep going like this.

Since he was going to travel a long distance, why didn't he just drive even further and then switch to another mode of transportation?
"It should be around here, right?"

Lin Ge sensed that the suspect's scent had become slightly stronger, meaning the suspect was slowing down. While this could be due to the rugged terrain, it was also possible that the suspect was indeed hiding nearby.

The terrain is rugged and the location is remote, with few vehicles and people passing by, making it a safer place to hide.

Therefore, Lin Ge became more vigilant, carefully observed the surroundings, and then focused on indicating the correct direction to prevent Zhang Ke from driving into the side road.

In rural areas, there's a fork in the road every few steps. You might think you can find your way back by taking a fork in the road, but there might just be a field in between, making it impossible for vehicles to pass.

After driving for another five or six minutes, Lin Ge finally spotted the target had stopped.

He quickly looked around and soon found a cluster of graves behind a field ridge to the side. Lin Ge got out of the car and walked a little further, and soon found the motorcycle hidden in the weeds behind one of the tombstones.

"Did the suspect abandon the car?"

Following Lin Ge's instructions, Zhang Yong and Chen Haisheng, who were following behind, both spotted the motorcycle's wheels sticking out from the edge of the bushes.

"be careful!"

Chen Haisheng rushed ahead of Zhang Ke, pulled out his pistol, cocked it, and looked warily at the large, dense cornfield around them.

It was the corn tasseling season, and the towering corn stalks completely blocked the view. If someone were hiding inside, it would be difficult to spot them quickly. Or, if someone were aiming a gun from inside, it would be extremely difficult to detect them. During the War of Resistance against Japan, cornfields and sorghum fields were such guerrilla treasures! No matter how many invaders there were, they would never discover the guerrillas hiding in the green cornfields.

Now that their roles have been reversed, Chen Haisheng, who has received instructions from Zhai Xiaojun, has a very serious expression.

"I should apply for a gun too!"

Zhang Ke looked around, the dazzling green corn leaves under the blazing sun making him dizzy. He looked so closely his eyes were blurry; how could he possibly spot someone hiding inside?

"Sniff!"

Lin Ge tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and sniffed the air, confirming that the target had indeed left from this cornfield.

Contrary to Zhang Ke and Chen Haisheng's concerns, the other party did not choose to ambush them in the cornfield. After all, he was alone. Even if he wounded or killed two policemen with a gun, what difference would it make? Once the gunshots rang out, how could he escape the furious pursuit of even more police officers?
Running away? What kind of counterattack are you trying to pull off!

Judging that the person had indeed left, Lin Ge tugged at Zhang Ke's trouser leg, signaling him to relax a little.

Now that he judged the target to be either an underling of the administrative official or an unsuspecting bribed person, Lin Ge's wariness of this man lessened considerably. If things were as he suspected, this man probably wouldn't even have the courage to resist after being cornered by the police.

He led the two men through the large cornfield, and as expected, they were not attacked.

A short distance further on, a solitary rural house with a courtyard came into view.

The tiled house was surrounded by trees, with a dense bamboo grove near the entrance and a fishpond to the side. Beyond these were rows of paddy fields, and there were no other neighbors around. The tiled house was hidden in this lush greenery.

To be honest, it feels quite like living in seclusion.

Of course, it's discreet enough and also very useful for hiding.

If we hadn't specifically traced the route, who would have thought there was a family living here? Even if we specifically asked the village chief or nearby neighbors, how could we possibly ask every single one of the dozen or so villages we've passed through?
This person was even more cunning; instead of taking the main road, he crossed the cornfield, which provided cover, and quietly returned to the house.

There are no surveillance cameras nearby, so if he says he hasn't left the house, the police can't find any evidence to refute it.

"Hey! Is anyone there?"

Zhang Ke understood Lin Ge's meaning and gestured for Chen Haisheng to stand guard against the wall, while he himself stood in front of the gate and knocked on the door.

"Wang!"

The sound of a dog barking came from inside.

Soon, Lin Ge heard the sound of shoes scraping on the ground, and then the door was opened; a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a coat and dragging his shoes with the backs of his cloth shoes tucked under his heels, and looking dejected, appeared before them.

"You are……"

Upon seeing Zhang Ke's police uniform, the man paused for a moment, then seemed much more sober.

Especially when he saw Chen Haisheng holding the gun with both hands and the muzzle pointing upwards at a 45-degree angle, the man's eyes widened and he quickly raised his hands, causing the coat draped over his shoulders to slip to the ground.

"police!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Ke's eyes; he sensed this man's behavior didn't seem like that of a murderer. Nevertheless, he flashed the man his police ID, then dragged him out and ordered him to stand against the wall.

Lin Ge sniffed the man, ruling out the possibility that he was a suspect.

There was no smell of the suspect in the living room.

Are you living alone at home?

Zhang Ke did a quick body search, glanced at Lin Ge's attitude, breathed a slight sigh of relief, and began to question him.

"It's...it's just me! My wife ran off with someone years ago, and my son works in the city and rarely comes home. There's no one else at home. So...so, officer, is there something you need?"

The man calmed down a little and looked at Chen Haisheng cautiously.

"You're not hiding anyone at home, are you? Tell the truth and don't lie! Also, from last night until now, have you noticed anything unusual or strange? Has anyone been coming or going from this side?"

Zhang Ke peeked into the room but didn't rush in to search.

The man shook his head.

"I...I married into the family here, so I don't have any relatives here. I don't get along well with the neighbors either. I live alone here, and nobody comes over. And...and...I haven't heard anything!"

The man seemed to have guessed something, and his face turned extremely grim. The police making such a commotion, even carrying guns—could it be that some fugitive had arrived? "Woof!"

A large yellow dog stood in the passageway between the living room and the kitchen, barking incessantly at the group. Even Lin Ge's friendly demeanor didn't lower its guard this time; it barked and snarled, seemingly trying to rescue its master.

Are there no Tibetans?

Zhang Ke glanced at the dog. If there were a stranger hiding inside the house, the dog would definitely bark at him.

Since the dog didn't bark when we came over, maybe no strangers have ever been here.

"Unless, the person who came is not a stranger!"

Lin Ge squinted, but had a different opinion.

Although the man did not have the scent of a suspect, the large yellow dog that took two steps closer, barked twice, then took two steps back, whimpered twice, and then tried to approach again did have the scent of a suspect.

The scent wasn't strong, but it wasn't weak either; it might have been left behind when the baby rubbed against the other side while being affectionate.

In other words... the dog and the suspect are very familiar with each other!
The man's wife ran off with someone else, and his son happens to be working in Zhangzhou City; if there is no third suspect, then the suspect's identity can be confirmed.

Zhang Ke quickly guessed this as well.

Based on past experience, it's quite likely that those being pursued will escape directly home. In their hearts filled with anxiety, home is undoubtedly a place that can provide them with a sense of security.

Where in Zhangzhou does your son work?

"It seems...it seems like I'm working as a security guard at an aircraft research institute, but I don't know the specifics. Officer...has something happened?"

The man guessed what Zhang Ke meant, and his expression changed again.

"Don't speak yet, just stand here quietly and don't interfere with our work."

Upon hearing that the man was a security guard at the research institute, Zhang Ke immediately increased the suspicion on the man's son. He gestured for the man to stand still outside the door, then exchanged a glance with Chen Haisheng, who remained on alert.

Even though they were 80% certain that the person they were looking for was the son of this family, the two did not rush in to search. Instead, Zhang Ke took two steps back to continue monitoring the middle-aged man, while Chen Haisheng went out and led Lin Ge to walk around the outer perimeter of the house first.

After quickly completing the lap, Lin Ge, standing next to the outhouse in the backyard, smelled the stench of the suspect as he rolled over from that side.

Although we don't know what's inside the yard, the fact that the suspect chose to climb over the wall means he had some knowledge of the area. Otherwise, if there were things piled up on the other side, wouldn't the noise he made when he came down alert the homeowner?

An 80% probability becomes a 95% probability.

After confirming this, Lin Ge and Chen Haisheng returned to the main entrance and met up with Zhang Ke.

Seeing Lin Ge nod, Zhang Ke understood. They still wouldn't barge in; neither of them even bothered to patrol outside the house. Zhang Ke simply spoke up.

“Listen up, you can’t escape now! The police are on their way. Even if you keep running, you won’t get out of their clutches! The fact that we’ve come after you means we know who you are! Do you understand? Where can you run to in this situation? Lay down your weapon and come out to surrender. That’s your only and most sensible choice! Only by actively cooperating with the police will you have a chance to get leniency!”

"..."

There was no response from inside the house, but the middle-aged man who understood Zhang Ke's meaning had two anxious and desperate expressions.

The policeman's words were practically an open statement: they were after his son!
Even after confirming that the police weren't joking with guns, the man immediately realized that the only person who could hide in his house without alerting Big Yellow was his own son.

"Huang... Huang Gang!"

The man couldn't help but shout, his voice filled with despair and fear.

"Wang!"

The big yellow dog responded with a wag of its tail.

This action is almost tantamount to an explicit statement.

After a grueling game of hide-and-seek, even with Mimi as a tracking device, we nearly chased the wrong person several times. Various smoke bombs and detours, countless attempts to traverse fields and weeds, finally led us to his house.

"Huang Gang! You can't escape now! Do you understand? Surrendering is your only way out! Even if not for yourself, think about your father! Can you bear to continue resisting and end up causing a parent to bury their child? I can tell you plainly now that this case is extremely serious! If you don't surrender and cooperate actively, even if I kill you right here, you won't die unjustly!"

Zhang Ke shouted again.

This finally moved the person hiding inside. Lin Ge's ears twitched as he heard the sound of something colliding, the thud of a bamboo basket or something falling to the ground, and the flapping of a hen's wings.

That person... is hiding in one of the small houses in the yard!
Not only Lin Ge, but also Zhang Ke, Chen Haisheng, and the middle-aged homeowner heard the slight commotion in the courtyard.

This means the police did not make a mistake; there is definitely someone hiding in the house!
"Huang Gang!"

The middle-aged man couldn't help but shout again, pleading with Chen Haisheng, "Officer, please don't shoot! Let me... let me in and talk to him, okay? My son isn't a bad kid, there must be some misunderstanding here!"

Do you know what the crime of stealing state secrets is?

Zhang Ke wasn't in a hurry. He just stared at the middle-aged man and asked loudly, but his voice was meant for the people inside the room to hear.

"State secrets?"

The middle-aged man's eyes widened suddenly. The most terrifying possibility he could imagine was that his son had accidentally killed someone in a fight.

That was enough to make him despair!
But compared to this theft of state secrets, isn't it still a drop in the ocean?

Is this...is this something we can actually do?
"Huang Gang!"

The middle-aged man called his son's name for the third time, this time with a fierce roar. He could accept his son making mistakes, but he couldn't understand how his son could do something so irrational; when it came to family and country, there was no such thing as protecting his son.

Because even a fool knows... it can't be protected!
With such a big incident, the police are already at your doorstep. Continuing to resist is just courting death. Didn't you hear what the police said? If you don't surrender, they'll just use guns.

That's a gun!

"I...I don't know!"

A muffled voice echoed from inside the room, tinged with hesitation. Clearly, the words "state secret" had startled him as well.

This pot is too heavy.

"You come out first! Hands up, and don't make any unusual movements! I'm warning you, this is your last chance to survive! Don't do anything stupid. Do you know how much trouble you've caused today?"

Zhang Ke first gestured to Chen Haisheng with his eyes, then glanced down at Lin Ge, who was quietly sneaking into the house, before continuing his persuasion.

"I...I didn't do anything!"

The people inside didn't dare to come out. They just angrily shouted at the outside, "I'm just doing what the leader tells me to do! I do whatever he tells me to do. I don't know anything about state secrets or any of this nonsense!"

Which leader?

Zhang Ke's eyes lit up as he pointed the body camera at the doorway, worried that the sound recording wouldn't be clear enough.

The person inside hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Director Wang Jiasong! He told me that as long as I do him a favor—drive around outside for a bit, then park the car in the spot he specifies—I can go home. He said if I do that, he'll promote me to security captain!"

(End of this chapter)