Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 685 A battle of wits and courage
Lin Ge carefully memorized the location of that thing, then quickly leaped down from the tree.

Cats find climbing trees easy but getting down difficult; the way they climb down always makes it seem like they'll fall if they don't hold on tight. In the last few meters, Lin Ge simply leaped into Li Siyu's arms, bumping her hard and making her stumble.

"This girl! She seems to have gotten a little bigger again."

With his face covered in something soft, Lin Ge felt no pleasure, but rather a sharp pain as if his face had been bounced. Shaking his head to clear his mind of the nonsensical thoughts, he hurriedly ran into the courtyard and quickly climbed onto the roof.

Climbing motorcycles, climbing trees, climbing rooftops—the whole day was spent climbing up and down.

"Is Mimi... bored, so she's started doing parkour?"

Zhang Ke raised an eyebrow when he saw Lin Ge darting around.

Lin Ge glared at him fiercely.

Once on the roof, he quickly arrived at the spot he had seen from the tree earlier.

The nearby tiles were very dirty, and the gaps were filled with pine needles; in addition, all the tiles were exactly the same, so it took him a while to determine which tile the unusual spot he had seen earlier was.

Once he identified his target, Lin Ge didn't hesitate to use his claws to forcefully lift the tile. Then, he saw a cell phone lying in the interlayer. The phone was even wrapped in a small plastic bag, waterproof and dustproof, but it still couldn't escape Lin Ge's eyes.

What surprised Lin Ge even more was that a set of numbers was written on the small bag with a ballpoint pen, just like a mobile phone unlock password.

"Mimi, what's up there?"

Lin Ge's unusual movements alerted all the police officers around him. Seeing that Mimi was staring at one spot without turning her head, two of the officers quickly looked around for a ladder to climb up.

Actually, the roof had been checked before, and Huang Gang's father testified that he didn't hear any noise inside the house, so this place was less suspicious. Zhai Xiaojun originally planned to investigate other places before removing the tiles.

Mimi discovered the problem in advance, which saved her some trouble, but she was secretly annoyed, wishing she had checked the roof twice more.

"Captain, it's a cell phone! Tsk! Those guys, they dug that latrine for nothing!"

When the police officers who came over saw the cell phone at Lin Ge's feet, they were first surprised and gloating, and then they quickly reported to Zhai Xiaojun below.

"Take it down!"

Zhai Xiaojun was overjoyed.

While not the most important objective, if the phone belongs to Huang Gang, there's a chance to find more clues inside. For example, his accomplices, his communications with Wang Jiasong, whether he has other secrets, etc.—perhaps these can all be uncovered from this phone.

As for the possibility that the phone might not belong to Huang Gang... hehe, wouldn't it be suspicious to hide a phone in this place?
It would be a good thing if we solved another case then.

After getting the phone, Zhai Xiaojun instructed the two policemen on the roof to check it carefully again before looking down at the somewhat old smartphone in his hand.

The phone looks like it's been used for a long time; the screen is cracked but they're reluctant to replace it. The transparent protective case is yellowed, and a lot of the paint on the sides and back cover is chipped off.

If this is Huang Gang's, doesn't it mean he's so frugal that he uses the same phone for seven or eight years without replacing or repairing it, yet he's willing to invest huge sums of money in games? That's insane!

Looking at his hair, which is so long he hasn't cut it, and his clothes, which all look old, it's safe to say that this guy's addiction to the game is way too extreme.

"951, 753?"

Upon seeing the numbers on the bag, Zhai Xiaojun quickly realized what was happening. He pressed and held the power button on his phone, entered the six-digit number, and successfully unlocked it.

After informing his superiors of this, Zhai Xiaojun carefully checked his phone again.

Everything inside, including contacts and WeChat records, had been completely deleted. However, aside from a bunch of debt collection messages and game ads that suddenly popped up when the phone was turned on, I found only one text message left.

It is a Thai address and a string of English characters: Metal Etemon 007.

Although I can't understand it, I can guess it's somewhere in Thailand. It's just that string of English at the end...

The first word should mean metal, but the second one was unclear. Zhai Xiaojun took out his phone to search and found out it was a strange thing called "Ape Beast." Putting it all together, it meant... Metal Ape Beast 007?

Zhai Xiaojun thought about it for a moment but still didn't understand, so he simply sent the text message with no recipient to the case group.

"This is the mailing address and recipient, right? In other words, the suspect was in contact with this Iron Gorilla 007 and orchestrated this theft?"

Soon, Li Yiduo from Zhanghe Police Station was the first to respond.

"Metal Gorillamon? Metal Apemon? What kind of nonsense is this?"

Zhai Xiaojun doesn't quite understand the things young people are into these days.

"I searched for this account on UTB and found nothing unusual. However, I then found an ID called MetalGorillamon007 on the Digimon international server game forum. Wait a minute... this person's IP address... is Japan?"

While operating the system, Li Yiduo intermittently sent messages in the group chat.

When the word 'Japan' was typed, the group fell silent. Those who had occasionally replied all fell silent.

"The delivery address is in Thailand, and the recipient is in Japan. Are you sure?"

After a while, Yang Ye sent a message in the group.

"I used AI to scan the internet, and there aren't many people with the username Metal Etemon 007. This Japanese IP address has repeatedly made anti-China remarks on forums; and if Metal Etemon 007 is replaced with Japanese, the corresponding UTB account is also a Japanese IP address. This account has a lot of content criticizing my country's current affairs on UTB, as well as videos inciting Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries. In short, if these two accounts belong to the same person, then he is very likely to be involved in espionage."

Li Yiduo worked on the computer while replying to people in between conversations. His actions even drew the attention of the people at the research institute, who were surprised that he could find so much information all by himself.

It's a waste to have this ability working in a small police station.

Those around him shook their heads and then focused their attention on what Li Yiduo was saying.

According to Li Yiduo's investigation, this person is indeed very likely the mastermind who instigated Huang Gang and Wang Jiasong to steal the research institute's secrets and even intended to transfer them abroad.

Judging from his online statements and deliberately crafted videos, he can hardly be considered a law-abiding citizen, and his attitude towards our country is quite hostile. This guy's motives for profiting on UTB in this way are impure, and he certainly possesses... the potential to commit a crime.

"Leave this matter to our National Security Bureau."

Seeing that the matter involved foreign personnel, a man in a white shirt stepped forward to stop Li Yiduo from continuing the investigation and took over the relevant information.

Judging from his expression, Li Yiduo roughly guessed that the National Security Department seemed to have uncovered some other information but didn't intend to share it with others. The entire investigation was primarily led by the National Security Department, with support from the Municipal Public Security Bureau and local police stations only used for errands and arrests. There might be other clues involved, and the entire theft case seemed more complex than it appeared, but Li Yiduo knew this was definitely not something he should be concerned with.

As a police officer, I should just do what a police officer is supposed to do.

Time passed slowly. With the institute's preliminary investigation largely complete, the institute was officially taken over by the National Security Bureau. All police officers and institute personnel were ordered to leave the scene. Of course, their mission wasn't over yet; they still had to continue the arduous search for the stolen data. Until that data was found, the police were unlikely to be completely extricated from this task.

Then... before the group of police officers came out of the research institute, the police officer surnamed Bai announced an important message.

The big yellow dog that was taken from Huang Gang's home and rushed to the technical center had a metal object found in its stomach! After anesthesia and dissection by technicians, a thin piece, half the size of a little fingernail, was removed from the dog's stomach.

This news has everyone very excited.

At that moment, no one had time to care about the life or death of this dog; everyone was just excited that it was such a rare find!

Moreover, from the time of the incident until now, it has been less than twenty hours! The police in Zhangzhou City deserve all the credit for being able to arrest all the relevant suspects and recover important information so quickly!

"Haha... Mimi really is our lucky star!"

Yang Ye, who knew the details of the matter, was overjoyed. The Zhangzhou police had done a great job in closing the case so efficiently. For an international case involving a leak of secrets to be stopped so promptly, they were likely to receive a collective third-class merit or even a second-class merit. Furthermore, since the case did not cause any serious harm, it deserved an even greater reward.

"You found it now?"

On the village side, the group of police officers, who had barely managed to wash themselves clean but whose stench still lingered, stared speechlessly at the messages on their phones.

"So what exactly have we been working so hard for?"

Some people looked despairingly at the large, dried-up mess next to them.

"At least we found the items Huang Gang was wearing when he committed the crime. Next, combined with the street surveillance footage, we can convict him. Otherwise, if only one item was found in his house, he still has the possibility of making excuses."

This was the only way Zhai Xiaojun could comfort his men.

He never imagined that the dog would actually swallow this stuff. What dog would be so bored as to eat that? Did it perhaps swallow it while licking it? Didn't that idiot Huang Gang consider this possibility beforehand?

Zhai Xiaojun was both angry and furious, and the resentful looks from his subordinates made him feel even more embarrassed.

Having managed to find an excuse to appease these guys, Zhai Xiaojun announced the end of the operation. In any case, the scene had already been thoroughly searched, and all available evidence had been secured; the remaining minor matters could be left to the town police station.

"Mimi, let's go!"

Seeing Lin Ge still standing at the door in a daze, Zhang Ke started his motorcycle.

"Would I be considered to have harmed that unfortunate dog? In essence, it could be said that it protected that important storage device, but in the end, it also lost its own life."

Lin Ge was somewhat stunned as he thought about it, feeling as if he had sent that innocent dog to its death, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

Zhang Ke urged them a couple more times, and Li Siyu, sensing something was wrong, nervously walked towards Lin Ge. Lin Ge, unwilling to let such trivial matters affect them, quickly shook his head to cheer himself up and temporarily put his worries aside.

Regardless, memory is more important. Some sacrifices are inevitable for it.

So... don't overthink it!
But... is this case really over?
Although the case was extremely serious, Lin Ge still felt a sense of unreality at how quickly it was resolved, the suspect arrested, and the stolen data recovered. He had a feeling that the enemy's methods were far more crude than he had imagined—like someone who had gone through countless hardships to rob a bank, only to turn around and deposit the money back into the bank at the counter. If the other side was that stupid, how could they have come up with the capability to do something like that?

The abilities Huang Gang and Wang Jiasong displayed when stealing information, and the methods they used to evade police pursuit afterwards, made them seem like they were not the same person.

"I have a feeling... there's some secret we haven't discovered yet. For example, both of them are just decoys."

At the research institute, Nie Guoqiang rubbed his chin, also sensing something amiss.

"A cover story?"

Yang Ye paused, instinctively stopping his men from dispersing.

"Yes! Better safe than sorry. Shall we put in a little extra effort?"

Nie Guoqiang glanced at him.

"However, the entire research institute has been scanned by the National Security Bureau with professional equipment, and there are no traces of hiding. The surveillance footage shows that only the two of them entered and left the research institute at night, and there is no third suspect."

Yang Ye felt that this matter was not easy to handle.

"Check it twice more."

Nie Guoqiang decided to be more cautious.

Without further hesitation, the two immediately began arranging for officers from the Zhanghe Police Station and the Municipal Public Security Bureau to conduct a further investigation of the area surrounding the research institute. This time, they reviewed all nearby surveillance footage and interviewed local residents, hoping to find something unexpected.

Despite their complaints, the police officers gritted their teeth and persevered.

They didn't even have time for lunch, because at that moment any negligence could lead to the suspect escaping with important documents.

The most important thing now is to continue the complete blockade of the area surrounding the research institute and all major traffic arteries in Zhangzhou City.

"So why do I have to work too?"

Lin Ge, who had just returned to the research institute, stared speechlessly at Nie Guoqiang.

That bastard is still the same as before, treating his subordinates like dirt. Even after spending so much time in the hospital, he still hasn't corrected his bad habits.

“Beibei went to help set up a checkpoint on the national highway, and the police dogs from the city bureau also have their own tasks. You can come with me.”

Nie Guoqiang grabbed Lin Ge by the back of the neck, lifted him up, and placed him on his shoulder.

Lin Ge didn't dare let Nie Guoqiang struggle, so he jumped down after a brief struggle. Heaven knows if his old legs could still bear the weight of those dozen or so kilograms; it wouldn't be good if he got hurt because of this trivial matter.

So, let's just get to work!

Hey!
Lin Ge felt that being a police cat was really boring after a while.

It's always the same annoying thing: finding things or people. I never get to experience the imposing feeling of being a police officer. At first, I was proud of being a police cat, but now I think it's just a tiring job!
But... we're already on this sinking ship, so what can we do now?

Around 7 p.m., near the security guard dormitory where Huang Gang lived, Lin Ge found an unusually smelly express delivery box in a pile of cardboard boxes in the alley outside the house of an elderly woman who collects recyclables.

The delivery sticker on the box has been damaged, and it's impossible to read what was originally written on it.

However, by contacting various courier companies and courier stations around the research institute, and by accessing the surveillance videos connected to the courier companies' network, the police were still able to successfully reconstruct the courier tracking number.

This is an international express delivery from Japan!
When scanning at the express sorting center, they found two small boxes that looked like powder puff boxes inside.

In addition, the faint scent of Huang Gang lingered on the cardboard box. All these factors combined made the origin and suspicion of this box extremely important!
Further investigation revealed that the phone number left on the box was not Huang Gang or Wang Jiasong, but a fake number.

It's the kind of phone number that isn't actually used by the person in question, but rather registered under the name of an elderly person from another city—a tainted number.

The identity of the number user is currently unknown.

Based on this clue, it's highly likely that this person is the mastermind behind the case. However, the detail of the two small boxes still alerted the police. Everyone started to worry... was there still a memory card missing? If the memory card inside the big yellow dog's stomach was just a prop used to divert the police's attention, then perhaps this memory card still hidden in the shadows is the real key.

We have to find this thing right away!

And this case, we must crack it thoroughly and decisively! We even need to teach that bastard who sent this package from abroad a lesson he deserves!

Otherwise, if such bastards continue to target those with low patriotism in the country, who knows if similar incidents will continue to occur.

To be honest, people like Huang Gang are indeed stupid, incredibly stupid!
The other party only made some contact online and sent over a high-tech storage device, yet they managed to create a leak crisis that almost escalated into a major disaster.

This cost is too low!
Moreover, almost all the risks are borne by the thieves, which is a blessing for people abroad. If they fail, it doesn't matter. It's really a win-win situation without any cost.

Just like bribing traitors, thousands of years of history have proven that this tactic is really effective.

These guys who were bribed by the enemy deserve to die!
And they might not even be the masterminds behind this case; they might just be scapegoats thrown out!

The real culprit is still hiding in the shadows.

Of course, that person couldn't hide for long. He probably underestimated the police's capabilities; since they didn't destroy the delivery box in time, he had no idea how many clues and intelligence the police could find inside.

(End of this chapter)