Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 130 Accomplices (Seeking monthly votes at the end of the month)

Even the cleanest and tidiest hotels often have unsatisfactory hygiene in their non-business areas.

Before Lin Ge arrived at Zhanghe Police Station, during the time he was wandering around, he had been to quite a few hotels and seen all sorts of hotel back rooms.

Cockroaches and rats are very common things.

The dimly lit and damp corridor was filled with the pungent smell of chemicals and strong detergents. Various wet cleaning tools were haphazardly piled up all around, and next to it was a filthy employee break area, littered with trash and cigarette butts, making it difficult for Lin Ge to even step inside.

In the opposite workshop, there were many cardboard boxes of various sizes, almost reaching the ceiling.

Two young men were sitting inside, taking various disposable tools from different cardboard boxes and arranging them into sets. Lin Ge could see disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste, paper cups, slippers, toilet seat covers, etc., all stuffed into a disposable bag for easy delivery into the room. Beside them was a slightly older man playing a mobile game, smoking and playing while supervising the young men as they worked.

On a stainless steel cabinet next to the room were disposable bowls and chopsticks that hadn't been cleaned up after the meal. In the trash can on the floor, many bamboo skewers for barbecue were sticking up into the air.

This environment made Lin Ge frown.

On the other side of the staff break room, a man was fast asleep. Next door in the cleanroom area, two middle-aged women were operating the washer-dryer. They would take the sheets and blankets from the guests' beds after they left, bring them here, wash and dry them, and then take them to the rooftop to air dry.

They were chatting and sorting the sheets and blankets when they suddenly saw two strange women walk in with a cat. They paused for a moment and quickly stopped them.

"Hello, outsiders are not allowed to enter here."

"police!"

Jiang Yan showed her police ID card with a blank expression.

Jiang Yiyi tilted her head and smiled sweetly.

Her smile made the two middle-aged women shudder inexplicably, and they quickly moved aside as if afraid of getting infected with something.

Jiang Yan called out to one of them: "Are these the only male employees in your hotel? Are there any other men available, for example, for tasks that require physical labor?"

"No! No! We all do things together; we don't assign anyone a fixed position."

The older woman shook her head repeatedly, then realized she wasn't the target. She crept closer and whispered, "Big Chen is the supervisor; he's usually at the front and doesn't come over. That red-haired Tang over there is a good kid, obedient and sensible. But... officer, please keep an eye on Ren at the very back and Zhang who's sleeping! Zhang's always slacking off; he's definitely up to no good! Ren only arrived a few days ago; I don't even know his background yet..."

As expected of an older woman, she quickly revealed all the details about her colleagues and the degree of suspicion to Jiang Yan.

But what she didn't know was that the police officer in front of her was a forensic pathologist! Behind the forensic pathologist was a police cat with an excellent sense of smell. Neither of them relied on reasoning to solve cases, but rather on undeniable facts and irrefutable evidence to identify the criminals.

So even though Chu Siqi claimed she didn't know what the other person looked like, Jiang Yan quickly locked onto her target.

Even faster than her was Lingo.

Smell is something that cannot be hidden. For all this time, apart from that old man named Chen Zhe, no one has been able to fool Lin Ge's nose.

He instantly spotted the red-haired boy, Tang, whom the aunt had described as a good kid.

"The footprints left at the stairwell were only size 38, which means it's a small boy with unusual feet! With such special characteristics, and frequently spending time on oily floors where shoes easily get dirty, how can someone like this commit crimes? Does he look down on us police officers?"

Jiang Yan walked towards Xiao Tang with a cold smile.

She wasn't wearing a police uniform, but anyone who saw her would not treat her like an ordinary person.

None of the people in the room dared to stop Jiang Yan, or even utter a word. They watched as she walked up to Xiao Tang, looking down at the young man sitting on a small stool, meticulously arranging disposable toothpaste and toothbrushes.

"Tell me, what's your friend's name?"

Jiang Yan was the first to launch an attack.

"..."

Xiao Tang remained silent and even deliberately feigned a puzzled expression.

However, he didn't understand that this kind of performative expression, learned from TV dramas, was actually just self-deception to the police, and was clear evidence that something was definitely wrong.

Jiang Yan sneered, "Do you really think that just because he fooled the receptionist with a fake ID, he can fool the police as well? You don't think that if he gets caught, you, as an accomplice, will get away with it, do you?"

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

Xiao Tang turned his head and continued rummaging through the cardboard box for toothbrushes, stubbornly continuing to argue.

"Do you really want to go to jail?" Jiang Yiyi couldn't help but stand up and angrily rebuked Xiao Tang, "We clearly gave you a chance to confess and be lenient, but you didn't want such a precious opportunity to make a contribution. You just insisted on being handcuffed, didn't you?" Xiao Tang still refused to say a word.

Lin Ge yawned and stood at the door of the workshop without coming in.

Without shoes, it would be difficult for it to adapt to such damp floor conditions. The greasy floor that accumulates over time, which even strong alkali can't clean, is a nightmare for any animal that seeks a clean and simple smell.

"Old Nie! Come on, bring the suspect to the station for a thorough interrogation!"

Jiang Yan had no sympathy for young people. Seeing that he was unrepentant, she turned around and called Nie Guoqiang to order him to increase the intensity of the exercise.

Xiao Tang shuddered slightly, her lips moved, but she remained stubborn.

"Loyalty?"

Jiang Yiyi stared wide-eyed, vaguely hearing a few words.

"Heh... What a loyal friend!"

Jiang Yan gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.

She even hoped that Xiao Tang would run away right now, which would save her a lot of trouble. Turning around, she saw Nie Guoqiang, followed by two police officers who had just come over. However, the reproach in Nie Guoqiang's eyes instantly annoyed her.

“I work in criminal investigation, I’ve seen more corpses than you’ve solved cases! You’re just a lowly police officer who talks about discipline and education, but to me, all criminals deserve to die!”

Jiang Yan stomped her foot, shoved Nie Guoqiang hard on the shoulder, and stormed out angrily.

The couple finally managed to meet during the day, and this heartless bastard dared to give her the cold shoulder? Jiang Yan ignored Nie Guoqiang's calls and went straight back to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The arrival of the uniform, along with Jiang Yan's final outburst, finally broke down Xiao Tang's last line of defense.

Not long after Jiang Yan took Jiang Yiyi away, Xiao Tang obediently confessed what he had done: receiving a message from a friend, secretly going to the second floor to let him in, and then secretly sending him out afterwards.

"What is your relationship with him? What is his real name?"

Nie Guoqiang's face was grim.

During the day I have to handle cases, and at night I have to appease my wife. How come I never have a moment of free time?

Lin Ge watched with schadenfreude.

The two policemen behind him wanted to laugh but dared not, and were having a very hard time holding it in.

Fortunately, the case wasn't too difficult. After Xiao Tang's psychological defenses were broken, he confessed everything very clearly, including the other party's identity and address.

Nie Guoqiang immediately ordered his men to arrest the man.

Then he took Lin Ge back to room 317 on the third floor, where Chu Siqi was being comforted by Zheng Mingxing and her emotions had stabilized a lot.

This guy is definitely a political worker; he's got a sharp tongue.

Chu Siqi was depressed and drinking alone because of her breakup, which led to today's incident. Now, with Zheng Mingxing's comfort, she has recovered from her emotional distress, but she is still rambling on and on about all the bad things men do.

Zheng Mingxing listened patiently, without the slightest hint of impatience. Lin Ge felt he could give him a plaque that read "Friend of Women," so he could hang it on his office wall and look at it all day long.

Looking up and seeing Nie Guoqiang and Lin Ge enter, Zheng Mingxing didn't interrupt Chu Siqi's outburst. He simply gestured for Nie Guoqiang to calm down, and then with a few simple words, he made Chu Siqi stop crying and start laughing, her mood improving considerably.

"Please call me anytime if you need my testimony. Officer Zheng, thank you so much for your help today!"

Chu Siqi bowed respectfully to Zheng Mingxing.

"Go to the hospital for a check-up later, take some medicine, and get some rest when you get home. Be more careful in everything you do in the future. As a girl, you must always remember to protect yourself."

Zheng Mingxing smiled and waved his hand.

Chu Siqi bowed again to express her gratitude.

She thanked Nie Guoqiang again, then took a deep breath and walked out of the room, led away from the hotel by Zheng Mingxing.

(End of this chapter)