Heart Stealer

The rescue boat quickly spotted Xiao Tuobang and Qiu Xue by the light of the bonfire on the island. As the rescue boat slowly approached the island, Xiao Tuobang and Qiu Xue stood up, their faces filled with relieved smiles.

The rescuers quickly took them onto the big boat and briefly asked them about what had happened.

Xiao Tuobang and Qiu Xue expressed their apologies to the rescuers.

Xiao Tuobang shook the rescuer's hand and said gratefully, "I'm really sorry to have caused you trouble. We thought it was just a simple trip to the sea, but we didn't expect something like this to happen."

The rescue boat quickly brought Xiao Tuobang and Qiu Xue back to the dock, and they thanked the rescuers for their help again.

After returning home, Xiao Tuobang immediately launched an investigation into the safety accident.

He first found the owner of the rented boat and asked if there was anything suspicious happening on the day of the incident.

"No one special came that day, and nothing unusual happened," recalled the owner of the rental boat.

Xiao Tuobang frowned, feeling that something was amiss. He began to check the condition of the ship, hoping to find some clues.

On the ship, Xiao Tuobang found some signs that someone had deliberately destroyed the ship's navigation system. He immediately realized that this was not an ordinary accident, but someone had done it deliberately.

Xiao Tuobang was determined to investigate the matter thoroughly and find out the mastermind behind it.

He asked the boat rental boss if he could check the surveillance video near the dock at that time. After all, this was related to the company's reputation. The boat rental boss readily agreed to his request and expressed his willingness to cooperate with his investigation.

Xiao Tuobang sat in front of the computer, his eyes fixed on the screen, playing the video of that period over and over again.

He carefully observed every detail, not missing any clues.

After watching the video repeatedly, Xiao Tuobang found that there was indeed no suspicious stranger in the video. This result made him confused. Could it be that his judgment was wrong?

Just when he was about to give up, suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the picture.

That man is none other than Ah Qiang, a town slacker. He sneaks past the edge of the screen with a strange look on his face, as if he's avoiding something.

Xiao Tuobang immediately stopped what he was doing, pointed at the screen, and pretended not to recognize the boat rental boss and asked, "Who is this person? Is he an employee of your company?"

The boat rental boss came forward, took a closer look at the screen, then shook his head and said, "No, he's not our employee. His name is Aqiang, and he's been idle all day. I don't know how he ended up here."

Xiao Tuobang's eyes sharpened, realizing that this Ah Qiang might be the key to solving the mystery. He decided to investigate this man's background and motives in the hope of uncovering the real cause of the ship's engine damage.

As night falls, the whole world seems to be covered with a mysterious veil.

Xiao Tuobang's figure was hidden in the shadows near Aqiang's residence, like a ghost in the dark night.

He has been waiting here for several days, waiting for Aqiang to show up.

The silence of the night made people feel a little depressed, but Xiao Tuobang had no intention of retreating.

It was not until ten o'clock in the evening that Xiao Tuobang finally could no longer suppress his inner anxiety and prepared to go home.

At this moment, a blurry black shadow quietly approached the door. Xiao Tuobang's heartbeat instantly accelerated. He held the flashlight tightly in his hand and stared at the black shadow intently.

When the man approached, Xiao Tuobang quickly turned on the flashlight, and the strong beam instantly illuminated the dark figure. It was the person he was looking for - A Qiang.

A Qiang was startled by the sudden light and his body trembled violently. Then, he saw Xiao Tuobang, and the expression on A Qiang's face turned pale in an instant, and tears flowed down his face uncontrollably.

"Mr. Xiao, please forgive me! I really know I was wrong!" A Qiang said in a trembling voice, his legs softening and he knelt on the ground. His voice was filled with regret and despair. "As long as you don't send me to the police station, I'm willing to do anything you ask me to do!"

Xiao Tuobang stood there quietly, like an indestructible mountain, his eyes like burning flames, staring straight at the person in front of him.

His voice seemed to come from the depths of the universe, and he demanded sternly, "Qiang, please tell me honestly, why did you destroy our ship? Who told you to do this?"

Aqiang was shaking, his body swaying like a candle in the wind. He pulled out two thick stacks of banknotes from his pocket, each one so new it was astonishing. These bills were neatly stacked together, and they amounted to at least 20,000 yuan.

A Qiang lowered his head and stammered in a tearful voice as he recounted his experience.

It turned out that he was wandering on the street that day when he was suddenly pulled aside by a tall and thin middle-aged man. The man mysteriously gave him 20,000 yuan and told him that he only needed to destroy the engine of Xiao Tuobang's passenger ship.

A Qiang couldn't resist the temptation of two thick stacks of banknotes and agreed without considering the consequences.

Xiao Tuobang took the wad of money from Aqiang's hand and examined it carefully, as if searching for clues hidden within. He raised his head and asked sharply, "What are the characteristics of that man? Can you describe him in detail?"

Aqiang tried hard to recall, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He stumbled over his answer, "He... he was wearing a black baseball cap, and there was a very obvious black mole on his face. I don't remember much else."

Xiao Tuobang fell into deep thought, his brows tightly furrowed, as if he was picturing the appearance of the mysterious man in his mind.

After a while, he looked at Aqiang again and asked in a firm tone, "Aqiang, I can let you off the hook, but you must testify in court and help us find the mastermind. Can you do that?"

A Qiang nodded vigorously, indicating his willingness to cooperate with the police investigation.

Xiao Tuobang knew that although Aqiang was the direct executor, the real mastermind behind the scenes was the one they needed to track down.

He decided to use the clues provided by Aqiang to continue his in-depth investigation and uncover the truth behind it all.