Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 225 Respected
Xie Changjun led two auxiliary police officers to continue investigating the case, while Zhang Ke and Lin Ge stayed behind.

He started searching for nearby pet hospitals on his phone and carefully checked the reviews. Meanwhile, Lingo remained squatting in the same spot, enjoying the old cat's affection before joining it in searching for the last bit of sunshine in the chilly November wind.

The woman who owned the scrap yard next door was talking to the old lady, while the man who owned the scrap yard started working hard after the police left.

To be honest, the scrap metal business is all hard-earned money. Those small scraps that only earn a few cents per kilogram are dirty and messy. They have to be sorted and even disassembled from small appliances before they can be sold to different places.

It's not uncommon to encounter cunning and shameless individuals who wet the cardboard boxes they sell and stuff stones and cement into small appliances.

Honest business owners can't argue with them, so they can only lower the price slightly. After that, the goods need to be processed and dried, and checked for glass shards or chemical solvents. Getting injured is inevitable in the meantime.

"Why didn't you say you'd bring the child over? It's so much better to study in the city, where parents can stay with them."

The old lady was quite familiar with the couple. Holding a cup of hot tea, she kindly advised the woman, "People's feelings fade when they're separated by distance. Even if it's a child from your womb, how could they possibly miss you if we don't see each other for years?"

"I want it too."

The woman nodded and smiled bitterly, "But look at our environment here. The houses are full of junk. Where can the children sleep? Besides, this industry doesn't have a good reputation, and the children are easily discriminated against. It's better for them to stay in the countryside."

The old lady nodded in agreement, but still insisted on persuading, "The children won't mind if they live in cramped conditions or have a hard time. Don't always make decisions for them; ask for their own opinions. Maybe they haven't even considered what you're thinking. After all, they definitely miss their parents... Besides, what's so great about a profession? If you take good care of them, keep them clean, and dress them nicely, who will gossip? Children are sensible; they know how hard their parents work. Moreover, these small setbacks aren't necessarily bad for them. They say children from poor families mature early; poverty is a form of training, and becoming a capable person means developing a mature and understanding mindset."

The hostess nodded again, agreeing that it made sense.

After a moment's hesitation, the woman said tentatively, "Madam, please forgive my lack of manners. Where are your children? You're so old, why are you still working so hard? Why don't you let your children take care of you? What if you get sick..."

Hearing this topic, Lin Ge turned his head. He was also curious about how the old man had fallen to such a difficult situation at his advanced age.

"My son has sacrificed himself!"

The old lady laughed, not feeling embarrassed at all, and even proudly said, "When we were fighting in Vietnam, he went and never came back. Let me tell you, I still have his military medals at home, they're really nice! Put them next to my husband's, and his are a whole size bigger!"

Lin Ge was stunned.

The couple who ran the scrap yard were also stunned.

Zhang Ke, who was on the phone next to him, was also stunned.

The old lady in front of me is actually a heroic mother?
Judging from her tone, her husband... is also a soldier?
The woman's cheeks twitched, her eyes filled with admiration and worship as she looked at the old woman. She never imagined that such an ordinary-looking old woman, who seemed to have had a difficult life, would have such a respectable past.

"The old man died in the north, and he didn't even bring his ashes back."

The old woman held her water glass steadily, a proud smile on her face: "But no matter what, we won, that's good! Then, when my son grew up, I had him join the army too. He was assigned to Yunnan Province, and later became a squad leader! It's just a pity that I had just written to my son telling him to do his best to defend our country when the war broke out. The Vietnamese devils were bullying people, they were asking for death! My son went with his unit and never came back. But thankfully, thankfully! In 2000, I went to Malipo to see him, and he was sleeping peacefully. His comrades were all there, and the place was bright and safe, so I was relieved. I didn't have to worry about him being all alone down there with no one to keep him company..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in the old woman's eyes. But she continued to smile, a proud and self-satisfied smile that seemed to radiate light.

The old cat slowly stood up, seemingly very familiar with the old woman's state. It held its tail high like a flag and slowly rubbed against her legs. The old woman didn't lower her head; instead, she lowered her hand and stroked the cat's head gently.

The scene looked serene, and it seemed like this wasn't the first time they'd done this. An old man and an old cat looked incredibly harmonious, which was very touching.

Several people watched this scene in silence, unsure whether they should comfort the old man.

Does she need sympathy and comfort from others?

Throughout the entire process, the old lady showed no trace of regret or grievance on her face.

Pride beyond words! Two heroes from one family, her slightly hunched back looked straighter than anyone else's, and her aura inspired only respect.

"Grandma, your family is full of loyal martyrs!"

The man couldn't help but give the old lady a thumbs up. He hesitated for a moment, then felt a little offended and didn't dare to say anything.

The old lady didn't respond, but just squinted and scratched the old cat's head with her fingers, making the old cat tilt its head comfortably against her leg and purr contentedly.

Zhang Ke stood to one side, wanting to ask this heroic mother why the community hadn't taken good care of her. But then he thought about the old woman's integrity; perhaps it was possible she simply refused to be pitied.

So he kept this thought to himself, intending to investigate it further later.

The woman, now completely reliant on the old lady, remembered what she had just said and immediately decided to follow her advice: she would bring her child over for winter break and do everything she could to ensure he could study there. Zhang Ke's phone rang. He went to answer it and quickly returned, saying, "Grandma, the car's here. Let's go. I'll find a really reliable hospital so we can get our cat checked out and be able to stay with you a little longer."

"It's alright, birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of the natural order."

The old lady waved her hand, but still slowly stood up, showing that she wasn't truly carefree and was still reluctant to part with the old cat.

The ride-hailing car struggled to enter the secluded and narrow alley, and the driver was having a headache about turning around later. He was about to mutter a few words to the passenger when he suddenly saw Zhang Ke in his police uniform, and all the words he wanted to say were swallowed back down.

Seeing Zhang Ke open the back door and help an old lady into the car, the ride-hailing driver saw Zhang Ke open the back door and help an old lady into the car. Then, the scoundrel policeman carried a tabby cat into the car, and a white man jumped into the car by himself. The ride-hailing driver wanted to explode, but he managed to hold back.

Once Zhang Ke was seated in the passenger seat, he quickly put on a smile and said, "Passenger, please fasten your seatbelt. The place you requested isn't far, so I'll drive slowly to avoid the elderly person getting carsick."

"Um, thank you."

Zhang Ke nodded, glanced back at the cats lying on either side of the old lady, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

If I had chosen to join the army instead of becoming a policeman, would my parents be as proud as this old lady?
No, they'll kill me.

With a sigh, Zhang Ke shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He simply nodded to the couple who were seeing him off at the door and said a sincere goodbye to them.

Meanwhile, Xie Changjun, accompanied by two auxiliary police officers, arrived at the residential area the old lady had mentioned.

This residential area is located on the outskirts of the old city. Across the street are rows of three- or two-story self-built houses that look a bit old.

The high-rise buildings, some over thirty stories tall, block some of the natural light from the self-built houses in this area. The two alleys closest to the road, in particular, receive significantly less sunlight than their neighbors. The shadows cast by the tall buildings make the houses appear somewhat dark.

The two auxiliary police officers parked their police car at the entrance of the residential compound, looking at the large cluster of high-rise buildings with some concern. Although the suspect's residence had been narrowed down to one compound, which was roughly estimated to have two or three thousand households, how long would it take for them to investigate?

"Officer Xie, should we ask the station for some support?"

One of the auxiliary police officers glanced at Xie Changjun tentatively, only to find that Xie Changjun's attention was on the houses across the street.

"Look at that family over there, isn't it a family of honor with a plaque?"

Xie Changjun pointed to the only single-story house across the street. The walls were freshly painted, but the wooden doors and windows were old-fashioned and worn. Of course, that wasn't the point. The point was the metal plaque on the door that read "Family of Honor," which no policeman would mistake.

Knowing how many honorary plaques exist in one's jurisdiction, who they belong to, and what kind of honor they represent are key matters that all community police officers and even local police officers must remember.

Even every year around August 1st, the local police station, along with city and district leaders and the veterans affairs department, would visit and offer their condolences to these honorable military families. Xie Changjun had participated many times, so he was very familiar with the plaque.

"It seems to be true."

A police auxiliary officer shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked around, then suddenly asked in confusion, "Why is there so much trash drying in front of this family's door? Isn't it a bit disrespectful to leave their honorary plaque leaning against these cardboard boxes?"

"Shut up!"

Xie Changjun had a guess in mind and immediately glared at the auxiliary police officer. Although he didn't know if his guess was right, the man hadn't committed any crimes or insulted the honor plaque, so why was Xie making such a big deal out of it?
The auxiliary police officer who was being reprimanded raised an eyebrow, but ultimately did not dare to retaliate.

Seeing the mocking look in his colleague's eyes, he rolled his eyes and asked again, "Officer Xie, about what we were talking about earlier? The city bureau has manpower now, and this case seems to be quite large. Should we request some more support?"

Xie Changjun shook his head and ignored him.

As someone on official business in another city, why am I being so fussy? The Zhuzhou Municipal Bureau has already cooperated in everything it was supposed to, and all the necessary personnel have been dispatched. If they keep pushing their luck, they're just asking for trouble.

When handling cases, one can be capricious, make demands, and act unreasonably—all for the sake of solving the case. But to choose to slack off on something one can handle oneself—does one really think the Zhuzhou Public Security Bureau is made of clay?

Besides, this bastard was clearly implying something and deliberately trying to cause trouble!
Xie Changjun glanced at the cunning auxiliary police officer and knew that this guy was destined to be an auxiliary police officer for life. You can't become a policeman by being cunning and deceitful, and you can't gain true recognition by treating police duties merely as a job.

Compared to him, the one next to him is slightly better; at least he can help with the work.

Without saying a word, Xie Changjun walked straight to the property management office of the residential community.

It's just finding someone, it's not as complicated as this bastard makes it out to be.

Putting aside the fact that the other party is a criminal and there must be some unusual circumstances, after conducting routine screening of the residents in the community, there are actually not that many targets to investigate. Three or four people are enough to solve this problem!
(End of this chapter)