Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 198 Important Person
As Lin Ge recalled Nie Guoqiang's assessment of the case, another possibility suddenly occurred to him.

Was the first victim's remains really thrown into the grave?
Was this all a misunderstanding from beginning to end?
For example, the body wasn't thrown in by someone, but rather found and carried back by the female lynx somewhere? One of the tombs destroyed by grave robbers might have been used as a hiding place by the female lynx, while the other, having been used as a granary because a human head was thrown in, could also be a possibility.

Or perhaps the order could be reversed: the mother lynx and the tomb raider both coveted the tomb. The mother lynx made the first move, and the tomb raider, upon discovering the mutilated remains inside, abandoned his plan to rob the tomb and instead cleverly threw in the corpse's head to pass it off as the real thing?

This possibility cannot be ruled out.

"You mean, the tomb raiders' original target was indeed that ancient tomb. That makes sense, since it's possible that Wu Laosan's gang discovered something suspicious about a series of interconnected tombs and attacked it again."

Nie Guoqiang pondered for a moment, then followed Lin Ge's train of thought, saying, "It was just an accident. After the group of people entered the tomb, they discovered the victim's remains inside and were forced to abandon their tomb-robbing operation. Then, for some reason, they got into a fight and one of them was killed... Hmm, no! There were no bloodstains or signs of struggle at the scene, so the area near the tomb shouldn't be the primary murder scene. But following this line of thought, the primary murder scene should not be far from the tomb. It's just that after we discovered the tomb and the remains, we subconsciously ignored the area around our feet and didn't conduct a further search of the surrounding area. Hmm... it was indeed an oversight, since we had always assumed the murder scene was where the first body was discarded."

Lin Ge nodded, completely unaware that the communication device on his collar did not have a camera function, and Nie Guoqiang could not see his movements.

As for the claim of negligence, Lin Ge didn't refute it. Because even he had been negligent, only considering the previous search as an attempt to find the remaining parts of the body, and never once considering the possibility that there might be another murder scene nearby.

When a second body was discovered, the two cases were simply treated as a series of murders. The similar dismemberment also logically led everyone to overlook the possibility that the killer might not be the same person.

After all, it was indeed too much of a coincidence.

"In short, after an internal conflict or some other reason, one of them was killed. The killer then thought of a way to cover it up by putting the victim's head in the grave as well, hoping to mislead the police and disrupt their investigation if they discovered the body later. The reason they didn't put the body parts in was because the length of the limbs would be an easy clue, so they chose another place to bury the body. Hmm... the logic is sound, but there are some differences in the details. However, considering that the killer was in a hurry and didn't have time to think carefully, it's understandable that their thinking wasn't very cautious. Mimi, I'll have Sun Chang contact the Zhuzhou police and investigate in this direction."

"Ow!"

Lin Ge called out in response.

"Hehe... I've unknowingly caused Sun Chang a lot of trouble!"

Nie Guoqiang laughed and said with emotion, "I originally thought she was just taking care of Beibei, but I never expected that she would inexplicably become your nanny. Even now, when you discover a clue, you still need her to help negotiate with the Zhuzhou authorities."

Neither the person nor the cat mentioned Qian Wei; he had long been excluded from the ranks of cat owners. He hadn't accompanied them during the second mountain search, instead cooperating with the Zhuzhou police in other areas.

You say he's lazy? He works very efficiently, and people in Zhuzhou City rave about him. You say he's conscientious and responsible? As a cat owner, he's never around his feline overlord—what kind of caretaker is that?
"Yes, we also need to inform Qian Wei. Sun Chang's identity is still a bit troublesome, so we need to keep an eye on her and make sure no one bullies her."

After thinking it over, Nie Guoqiang decided to find something for Qian Wei to do.

After finishing his conversation with Lin Ge, he looked down at his phone, smiled, and deleted the text message Lin Ge had sent using Sun Chang's phone.

He had no idea how funny Sun Chang's utterly bewildered expression would be when Lin Ge ended the call and saw her again. All he knew was that since Mimi had chosen Sun Chang, they absolutely couldn't let this girl who knew the secret leave Zhanghe Police Station.

In the entire Zhanghe Police Station, only three people knew Lin Ge's secret: him, Zhang Yong, and Sun Chang.

Sun Chang's importance is self-evident.

"Hey, Lao Liu, are you asleep yet?"

Nie Guoqiang made a phone call to Liu Shengyou.

"Speak your mind, or shut up. I'm exhausted and don't have time to waste on you. Oh, by the way, I heard your wife threatened to divorce you? Good job! Your wife is decisive. I told you long ago that you shouldn't have a wife. You should spend your life with cases."

Although he said he didn't want to chat, Liu Shengyou couldn't help but take the opportunity to tease Nie Guoqiang.

"Hehe, I'm not here to gossip with you."

Nie Guoqiang wasn't angry. He just smiled and said, "Here's the thing, Lao Liu, how about giving Sun Chang to me? Anyway, your Baimiao Police Station isn't short of people. I quite like this girl. How about transferring her to my Zhanghe Police Station?"

"Sure! As long as she agrees, I have no objection. You can have the person and the dog, but what compensation will you offer me?"

Liu Shengyou yawned, and was surprisingly easy to talk to.

This fickle bastard was still obsessed with Sun Chang a while ago, trying every means to bring her to his territory. Who would have thought that just a few days later, he'd turn on her and abandon her? What Nie Guoqiang didn't know was that Liu Shengyou was truly having a splitting headache lately. Leaving aside Xie Lili's troubles, just thinking about it calmly, the annual expenses for one police dog and two handlers were a huge headache. Police dogs aren't like other police officers; their specialization and job restrictions are too great, making them difficult to move around as easily as bricks. In a typical police station, unless there's a criminal case, where would police dogs get a chance to be deployed? And if they have no work to do, isn't that just a waste of money? After the head of the police station's logistics department laid out all the expenses for building the dog kennel, the annual fixed salary and benefits, etc., for Liu Shengyou, he deeply regretted his impulsive actions.

If you need police dogs, why not just borrow one from the municipal bureau? Owning one yourself would cost six figures a year, which would be fatal for a small police station.

Aside from large police stations, those in key areas, high-risk areas, and areas where high-level government agencies are located, how many police stations across the country keep their own police dogs? It's just that crazy guy, Nie Guoqiang, who has a special fondness for animals.

So when Nie Guoqiang proposed taking Sun Chang and Bei Bei, Liu Shengyou acted like a customer who had just pulled up his pants, instantly turning his back on them and selling them out without hesitation.

“If you want Sun Chang, you can take Bei Bei and Xie Lili with you. I won’t hold it against you for wasting money building the dog kennel. You can even take everything that can be dismantled from the dog kennel if you don’t mind.”

Liu Shengyou took on everything, displaying great generosity.

"no problem!"

Nie Guoqiang readily agreed, not caring about Xie Lili, who was a burden.

Since there's already Qian Wei, what difference would it make if there were another Xie Lili? Besides, even a piece of shit has its uses. No matter how useless Xie Lili is, Nie Guoqiang is confident he can find a place for her.

"Heh... You'll regret this someday!"

Liu Shengyou smiled smugly.

Idiot! Sun Chang is just an intern. She'll be transferred to another place for internships sooner or later. How many days can she stay at your Zhanghe Police Station?
I, Liu Shengyou, have regretted taking on this hot potato for an intern so many times I've slapped myself in the face. Now the trouble is yours, and you won't have to spend over ten thousand yuan a year anymore. I'm relaxed while you're worrying! Haha... Nie Guoqiang, you're such a good person!

Liu Shengyou didn't give Nie Guoqiang a chance to back out and hung up the phone without hesitation.

"regret?"

Nie Guoqiang looked at his phone screen and smiled faintly.

As long as Mimi can continue to play her special and unique role, adding as many nannies as needed will be absolutely worthwhile. It's only a few hundred thousand yuan, with the bulk of the cost covered by the government; what is there for him to regret?
Nie Guoqiang then dialed another number, and the call was quickly connected.

"Hey Lao Lu, still busy?"

"Nonsense! This stupid case has been a mess. I've been working overtime non-stop since the day you came to Yexian, and I haven't been home once."

Lu Zhengqi was exhausted, but he still mustered his spirits and said to Nie Guoqiang, "Old Nie, you have to help me with this case! I'm under too much pressure right now. If we can't solve the case quickly, the whole Yexian Police Station will suffer."

Nie Guoqiang ignored the man's subtext and simply said calmly, "Hehe... Don't worry! Didn't I leave the experts with you? How about it, Mimi's skills are pretty good, aren't they?"

Lu Zhengqi grunted, whether pleased or frustrated, he gritted his teeth and said, "Heh... I lost two Passats in two raids. Old Nie, you're really ruthless with your price! Tell me, what did you want from me this time you called? Like I said, as long as you can solve the case quickly, you can take anything from my station! Let me make it clear first, no money or people! And you probably don't want anything else, right?"

Nie Guoqiang chuckled, revealing his fangs decisively: "If I remember correctly, you seem to have a police communications vehicle that's about 50% new?"

Lu Zhengqi was immediately enraged.

"Nie Guoqiang, you've gone too far! What do you mean '50% new'? I just bought that last year! It's brand new! Brand new! How could I possibly give it to you? You bastard, you're asking for way too much! If you're so capable, try negotiating with me at the price of a new car. I'll just pick you up for a couple more times, and that won't do you any harm, you bastard!"

Lu Zhengqi's spittle seemed to be spraying onto Nie Guoqiang's face through the phone.

But Nie Guoqiang remained unmoved, patiently waiting for Lu Zhengqi to finish his rant before slowly saying, "Aren't you, Lu Zhengqi, about to get promoted? Why bother with those little things at the police station? Half-price registration for new cars—that's a hard and fast rule in the used car market. Give me another discount on the transfer, and I'll do my best to finish this case for you, ensuring your promotion is flawless. Isn't that a win-win situation, Lao Lu? Don't hesitate any longer, or I'll turn on you!"

"You dare to turn your back on me! I knew you had a dog's face all along. I sent you to Yexian once, and you managed to take everything from my police station."

Lu Zhengqi spoke through gritted teeth, but he really didn't have the courage to refuse Nie Guoqiang's deal.

(End of this chapter)