Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 683 Arrest
"This guy... is lying!"

Lin Ge's eyes lit up, and he immediately noticed the flaw in the man's words.

Zhang Ke immediately noticed something was wrong. He gestured to Chen Haisheng with his eyes, and Chen Haisheng immediately raised the gun he had lowered.

"Where is the designated location?"

Signaling Chen Haisheng to calm down, Zhang Ke pretended to be unaware and continued questioning, hoping to extract more information from the man. Since this guy claimed Wang Jiasong was the mastermind, he definitely needed to provide some evidence, right?

"At...at a bridgehead behind Green Willow Town."

"If you parked your car over there, how did you get back here? On foot?"

“I…I prepared a motorcycle beforehand.”

"Why did you prepare the motorcycle in advance? Did you already know that Director Wang would make you abandon the vehicle?"

"..."

Huang Gang suddenly fell silent.

This guy probably never imagined that the police had already seen through the numerous flaws in his lies.

He had no idea that Ling Ge had been following him closely, meticulously tracing his footsteps. Therefore, the brothers who had been coordinating his switching of vehicles had already been discovered and arrested.

This guy probably only thought that his face had been discovered or that he had given himself away, which led the police to come straight to his house. Little did he know that everything he had done along the way was crystal clear to Lingo's keen sense of smell.

If saying that parking the car in the designated spot is the end of it, then what about his communication with the brothers who have faced many hardships?
That kind of initiative is something that an uninformed person wouldn't dare to do.

Even if the brothers in the troubled situation lied, it's obvious that this guy wasn't telling the truth either.

So this guy... isn't being honest!
Lingo became more vigilant.

Faced with Zhang Ke's further questioning, Huang Gang remained silent for a long time before explaining, "Because I guessed that what Director Wang asked me to do must be illegal. So... so I definitely had to be careful! If he wanted to use me as a scapegoat, I would just run away."

"And then you ran home?"

Zhang Ke smiled and stopped pressing for details, saying directly, "Alright! We can talk about the rest later at the station. Now, put your hands up and walk out without making any other moves. I'm warning you, don't betray our goodwill, understand? Quietly surrender and give up resistance; that's your only way out. Of course, you can choose to continue running away, but you'll have to bear the consequences yourself then."

"..."

The person inside remained silent, seemingly aware that his lies wouldn't fool anyone. But ultimately, the police threat was real, and he had no other choice.

After a while, footsteps came from inside the house. A man who looked disheveled, with dirty and long hair, and who didn't look like he was twenty at all, slowly moved from the yard to the living room with his hands half-raised, his face pale.

"Huang Gang!"

The middle-aged father had overheard the entire conversation, and now, seeing his son with his own eyes, he let out a desperate and furious roar.

"Wang!"

The big yellow dog wagged its tail and came close to Huang Gang's feet to act cute, but he pushed it away forcefully with his foot.

"Walk over slowly, do not resist, do not refuse arrest."

Zhang Ke's mood gradually became tense. While ordering Huang Gang to give up resisting, he cautiously approached him, reaching his right hand to his lower back to quickly retrieve the handcuffs.

Chen Haisheng held the pistol firmly in both hands, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.

As a cat, Lingo was not on Huang Gang's guard at all; he quietly squatted in the corner of the living room next to the food bag, ready to catch him.

"How long will I be sentenced to?"

Huang Gang hadn't taken two steps when he suddenly stopped at the door.

He glanced at Chen Haisheng, who was holding a gun at the door, then stared intently at Zhang Ke and the handcuffs in Zhang Ke's hands, gritting his teeth as he said, "You just said that I am suspected of stealing state secrets, which is a very serious crime, right? Even if I turn myself in, will I still be sentenced to death?"

Zhang Ke paused for a moment, sensing the atmosphere suddenly become heavy. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Generally speaking, unless the nature of the crime is extremely heinous, the death penalty is not warranted. As for the specific punishment, it depends on how deeply you were involved. In short, you should bear the responsibility for your own mistakes; that's the price you have to pay for wrongdoing, isn't it? Of course, if you were only acting under Wang Jiasong's instructions, as long as you're not the mastermind and actively surrender yourself, the punishment won't be very high."

"But he'll still have to go to jail?"

Huang Gang took a step back as he spoke.

This retreat immediately made the atmosphere on the scene even more tense.

Zhang Ke raised an eyebrow. Lin Ge tried to take a detour to intercept him, while Chen Haisheng raised his gun without hesitation and aimed it at Huang Gang, his eyes and the muzzle of the gun fixed on this guy who didn't seem to have any intention of staying put.

"I don't want to go to jail! I'm still young. If I spend a few years or even a decade in jail, my life will be ruined!"

Huang Gang shook his head and took another step back.

His hair was long and messy, obscuring most of his eyes. Even with a gun pointed at him, he didn't seem particularly afraid.

The main problem is that Chen Haisheng's gun is too small, so frankly, its deterrent effect is somewhat lacking.

"This……"

Huang Gang's father never expected such a turn of events. He looked at his son, then at Chen Haisheng with his gun, and then at Zhang Ke, who looked like he was about to make a violent arrest. For a moment, he hesitated.

The father and son exchanged a glance, their unspoken emotions communicating silently in each other's eyes.

The next second, Huang Gang turned around and ran away.

"stop!"

Zhang Ke shouted and gave chase, but Huang Gang casually pulled over the washbasin stand next to him, causing the metal stand and four or five washbasins to crash to the ground, drastically reducing Zhang Ke's speed. At the same time, the big yellow dog at Huang Gang's feet also assumed a protective stance and opened its mouth to bite Zhang Ke.

Lin Ge could only rush out and slap the big yellow dog across the face, making it stagger.

But when Zhang Ke kicked the iron frame away, he still increased the distance between himself and Huang Gang.

"Don't shoot!"

Huang Gang's father ran over and blocked Chen Haisheng's way while shouting. He even tried to grab the gun in Chen Haisheng's hand, but Chen Haisheng kicked him hard to the ground.

At that moment, without hesitation, Chen Haisheng pulled the trigger without any politeness.

'Boom! '

A crisp gunshot rang out, hitting a cement pillar right next to Huang Gang at the entrance of the courtyard.

A loud crack as shards of metal flew through the air, causing Huang Gang to pause in his tracks. His body, with his back to the crowd, stiffened abruptly. Huang Gang seemed completely unprepared for the police to actually fire, nor did he realize the bullet's power was greater than he had imagined.

This hesitation allowed Zhang Ke and Lin Ge to catch up at the same time.

Zhang Ke suddenly pounced and knocked Huang Gang to the ground. Lin Ge didn't hesitate to raise his claws and stab, his sharp nails digging into Huang Gang's exposed ankle.

"what!"

The guy screamed in agony.

His chest and face ached from the blows, and his legs twitched as he struggled to get up. But Zhang Ke slammed him to the ground again with an elbow strike from behind.

Immediately afterward, still dazed and confused, Zhang Ke grabbed her arm and twisted it backward, the handcuffs snapping shut and locking themselves. Then the same thing was done on the other side.

In the blink of an eye, the guy who tried to escape again was swiftly killed.

"let me go!"

Huang Gang, whose nose and mouth were covered in blood, was still struggling desperately.

"Be honest!"

Zhang Ke pressed hard on the back of Huang Gang's head to prevent him from getting up.

With his hands cuffed from behind, the guy couldn't get up using only his waist and legs. Meanwhile, Lin Ge was also watching him intently from behind, ready to pounce with a vicious claw should Huang Gang stick his butt out even slightly.

After being scratched two or three times, Huang Gang finally calmed down.

"call……"

Sweating profusely, Zhang Ke finally let out a long sigh of relief. Chen Haisheng also broke free from the middle-aged man's entanglement and came into the courtyard, pressing the slightly hot muzzle of his gun against Huang Gang's forehead.

"Resist arrest? What the hell are you thinking? We've caught up with you and you still want to run? Aren't you afraid of dying? Run again! If you run again, the next shot won't be a warning!"

"..."

Huang Gang remained silent.

"Where's the stuff?" Zhang Ke quickly searched Huang Gang's body but found nothing resembling a storage device. Although this guy claimed Wang Jiasong was the mastermind, the stolen data was the most important thing; the case wouldn't be closed until it was found.

"I...I don't know...what are you talking about!"

Huang Gang responded through gritted teeth, but his body became docile and stopped struggling.

"Mimi?"

Zhang Ke turned to look at Lin Ge.

"roll!"

Lin Ge roared at the big yellow dog that kept barking in the living room, scaring the stupid thing that still seemed to want to protect its owner so much that it tucked its tail between its legs and ran behind Huang Gang's father.

Giving a fierce glare to the stupid dog that had almost gotten in the way, Lin Ge began searching the yard following Huang Gang's scent.

It's currently unclear whether the item is in Huang Gang's, Wang Jiasong's, or even the Kanke Brothers' possession. There's a possibility that these individuals are deliberately misleading the police. Although they have been apprehended, no one can guarantee that there aren't other accomplices behind the scenes.

Of course, given enough time to investigate, the truth will come out.

However, the longer the delay, the higher the probability that the data will be leaked. At that point, arresting more people would be pointless, so it is essential to find the stolen data as quickly as possible and bring it back into police control.

After that, it's not too late to deal with this group of people slowly.

However, after searching the yard thoroughly, looking everywhere that had been exposed to Huang Gang's scent, Lin Ge found nothing that resembled a storage device.

"Could it be that that thing really isn't in his possession?"

Lin Ge was somewhat suspicious, but he also lacked trust in Huang Gang's testimony. This guy was a serial liar; he just didn't know what benefit he was after in all this.

'Waaaaah~'

The sound of police sirens finally rang out outside, and Zhai Xiaojun and his group finally arrived, albeit late. The terrain around here was incredibly complex; they had driven in a huge circle, and even the map navigation was wrong, causing them considerable delays.

"Is everything okay?"

Knowing beforehand that Chen Haisheng had fired a gun, Zhai Xiaojun patted him on the shoulder.

"It's nothing, I just have to write a report when I get back. I've also collected the bullets and casings, I'll hand them in when I get back. And to be honest... this is much more exciting than shooting at the shooting range. It's a rare opportunity to fire a gun outdoors!"

Chen Haisheng grinned.

"If the political commissar hears you say that, he might make sure you never touch a gun again for the rest of your life."

Zhai Xiaojun glared fiercely at the idiot.

The two didn't chat much, while the others quickly began a thorough search of the house, inside and out. Although Lin Ge indicated that the memory chip was most likely not there, Zhai Xiaojun wouldn't let any possibility slip by and insisted on investigating the entire place in detail.

“I already told you, I’ve searched every single place Huang Gang has been to.”

Lin Ge grunted in annoyance. Zhai Xiaojun was not as straightforward as Shao Yongkang, and he still lacked a bit of trust in him.

But seeing this guy directing his men to ransack the place, catch chickens and chase dogs, even leaving no chicken coop or chicken droppings untouched, Lin Ge had to admit how meticulous this guy was. It was just a pity that the police officers who followed him were really unlucky.

"Captain, the technology center simply can't spare any more manpower. The research institute has too much work to do."

A policeman covered in straw adjusted his cap and complained to Zhai Xiaojun with a headache.

"Then let's do it ourselves! Search every inch of this place! And how's the interrogation of Huang Gang going? Has the kid confessed anything, or is he still lying?"

Zhai Xiaojun has no intention of giving up.

"He simply doesn't understand that the more he lies, the more suspicious he becomes! The more dishonest he is, the higher the chance the data is hidden here! Even if Wang Jiasong is his accomplice or even the mastermind, that guy hasn't left the research institute since before the incident! Hiding the data in the research institute is tantamount to handing it back to us! Since he went to such lengths to create Huang Gang to divert the police's attention, why would he take the memory device and walk right into our trap? So the most likely scenario is that the memory device was taken away and hidden somewhere by this kid surnamed Huang. Keep searching! If we don't have enough manpower, find someone to help, and bring over a few more police dogs!"

Zhai Xiaojun calmly issued the order, using a logical and flawless explanation to soothe the anxious and distressed emotions of the police officers.

Since the leader has said so, what's there to complain about? Just keep going!

The group of police officers dispersed with sullen expressions and went about their own business.

"Hehe... I already said, it's not here! Even if the memory is really on Huang Gang, he must have hidden it somewhere along the way, or it might even be in the hands of the Kanke Brothers."

Lin Ge stared at Zhai Xiaojun with a cold smile.

"team leader!"

A few minutes later, a policeman who looked somewhat familiar to Lin Ge ran over with a conflicted expression on his face.

"found it?"

Zhai Xiaojun adjusted his glasses.

"that……"

The policeman's expression darkened further as he stopped in front of Zhai Xiaojun.

"We did find some traces, and based on experience, they should be Huang Gang's footprints. But... it's still up to you, Captain, to come and take a look. This is something we need to decide. After all... to be honest, if we're wrong, we probably won't be able to eat for half a month."

"Hmm... what could be more important than finding the memory?"

Zhai Xiaojun stroked his chin and followed the policeman.

Lin Ge, who was listening nearby, was equally curious and wanted to know what this person had discovered, so he followed him into the house.

then……

After circling around the entrance to the outside of the courtyard, Lin Ge saw a large crowd gathered in a rather unpleasant spot ahead. He abruptly stopped, unwilling to take another step forward.

Damn it!
Why is it a latrine? And a dry toilet at that!

Lin Ge finally understood why that man had said he hadn't been able to eat for half a month. If the thing really was hidden in the cesspool, then wouldn't the next task be... to search for something in excrement and urine?

"vomit!"

With a dry heave, Lin Ge turned and left without hesitation.

Damn it, let someone else do this kind of thing; he declined to participate.

No wonder he couldn't find any trace of the storage device earlier. It was buried in the sewage and completely covered by the stench. How could he possibly smell anything other than the stench of excrement?
Lin Ge knew that his abilities had limitations.

He's almost certain of finding something by following its scent. But if the scent is masked by a stronger or even repelling odor, he's at a disadvantage.

Another important point is that he had been following Huang Gang's scent all along the way. But if Huang Gang had hidden something along the way, or had taken over something with someone in a place Lin Ge hadn't noticed, Lin Ge felt he wouldn't be able to investigate such a thing.

Of course, he wasn't alone, and solving cases can't be done by just one police cat. What Mimi can't do, the police officers will fill in and work harder; there's absolutely no way to put all the burden on one cat.

Therefore, Lin Ge felt no shame whatsoever for refusing the request to search for excrement.

"Captain, what do we do?"

A policeman looked at Zhai Xiaojun with a pained expression, hoping that he could offer a choice that would make everyone... less hopeless.

"What should we do? It's just a dry toilet, there's no way it could be flushed away! Go and dig out everything inside, spread it out around the toilet and search little by little, that way you'll be able to find out if anything is hidden inside!"

Zhai Xiaojun waved his hand.

"..."

Everyone wanted to die, but no one wanted to poop.

But given the seriousness and gravity of the case, no one could object or refuse. So, since the boss had said so, what else could they do but dig? They could be thankful they didn't have to use their hands to scoop it up!
"Old Bai, go buy a box of plastic gloves and give them to everyone! Oh! And masks too! Once we've scooped out everything except the water, everyone should participate in sorting!"

Zhai Xiaojun's next words made everyone's faces turn even darker.

Grass!
Everyone cursed inwardly.

So not only do you have to scoop poop, but you also have to literally flip it over with your bare hands? Is this something a human being could say, something so cold-blooded?

That damn Zhai Xiaojun!

Doing this in the middle of the day... who's going to be able to eat later? And what about those hands? Will they even be able to keep them?

If I don't wash myself a thousand times, I'll be too embarrassed to touch my wife and kids when I get home!

(End of this chapter)