Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 306 Science Changes Humanity
If the intelligence relayed back by Zhao Zhigao and Mimi is accurate, then the problem must lie in the fact that this investigation was not thorough enough.

Wu Chengrong once again ordered his men to work overtime, even buying back several hundred e-cigarettes to verify on-site whether they contained prohibited ingredients.

The verification results came back quickly, but to Wu Chengrong's surprise once again, these e-cigarettes were indeed completely problem-free. Even the nicotine content labeled on the cigarettes was accurate and compliant with standards, surpassing other cheaper e-cigarettes on the market.

This puzzled Wu Chengrong. He really couldn't understand how that woman named Li Xiang could do such a thing.

"Li Xiang, female, 27 years old. Sales Manager of Aowei International Holdings Limited, responsible for the sales and brand operation of Aowei brand e-cigarettes in China. Aowei International is a legitimate international e-cigarette R&D, manufacturing, and sales company. It was registered in the Cayman Islands four years ago and successfully listed in Hong Kong three years ago. E-cigarettes are almost the company's only main business, and it once held nearly 40% of the domestic e-cigarette market."

However, following the enactment of relevant national regulations two years ago, including a comprehensive cleanup of online e-cigarette information, a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes on social media platforms, and thorough inspections of physical stores and vending machines, Aowei International's e-cigarette business suffered a severe blow in China. Meanwhile, overseas, more well-known e-cigarette brands like Smoore and RELX held a larger market share, leading to a rapid decline in Aowei International's market share, sales volume, and profits. Looking at Aowei International's financial statements last year alone, its operating profit dropped by 70%, and its production plants also experienced large-scale layoffs…

In the conference room, a civilian police officer reported on the investigation data regarding Li Xiang and the Aowei International Electronic Cigarette Group behind her.

Based on the information available, although it sells tobacco products, it is still a perfectly legitimate e-cigarette company and has not done anything illegal.

But when he finished speaking, Lei Hanqin sneered: "If you can't do legitimate business, you start doing illegal things? To be honest, this company is suspected of being involved in drug trafficking and has the capability to do so. I suggest that we report this to our superiors for a thorough investigation."

"Checchali? And there's evidence?"

Wu Chengrong gestured for Lei Hanqin to calm down, then looked at the civilian police officer and asked, "What are the results of the lab's inspection of those e-cigarettes? Are there any prohibited substances hidden in the e-liquid?"

"Currently, only nicotine salts, propylene glycol, glycerin, and various synthetic flavorings have been detected; no prohibited ingredients have been found. Oh, and some flavorings are certainly harmful to people if taken for a long time, but this does not fall under the category of drug-related prohibited substances."

The policeman gave Wu Chengrong some disappointing news.

Nie Guoqiang, who was invited to the meeting, interjected: "Didn't you find anything unusual about either the main body of the e-cigarette or the e-liquid accessories purchased afterward? Could it be that the poison wasn't hidden in the legitimate e-cigarette, but rather in the various flavored e-liquids that need to be purchased separately?"

The civilian police officer shook his head.

They weren't fools, and naturally they had their suspicions. Unfortunately, the test results were cold and hard; no contraband found meant no contraband was found.

Everyone in the conference room fell silent.

This is news no one wanted to hear. Right now, the only options are to suspect that the intelligence Zhao Zhigao provided was flawed, or that the other side has even more sophisticated methods. Add to that the fact that the other side is a listed company, and this is undoubtedly going to be a tough battle.

The matter reached a stalemate, and for a time no one could come up with any new ideas.

But first of all, no one on the scene doubted Zhao Zhigao's loyalty! So even if there was a problem on Zhao Zhigao's side, it must be that Zhao Zhigao and the Yangs were all fooled into giving him this false information.

Moreover, this was not Zhao Zhigao's mistake. The correct procedure for Zhao Zhigao's undercover work was to safely transmit every piece of intelligence he learned back, and then have it judged and dealt with accordingly.

Providing assistance to Zhao Zhigao was originally the job of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Narcotics Control Detachment.

So, how do we break this deadlock?
'Squeak! '

The door was suddenly opened gently, and even if the person pushing it was very careful, the slower the push, the louder the creaking sound. The group, who were at a loss for what to do, impatiently turned to look, only to see Zhang Yong's embarrassed face, as if he wanted to turn around and bang his head against the wall.

What a terrible municipal bureau! The door latch is so rusted up, why don't they replace it?
Zhang Yong complained inwardly, but still, under the gaze of all the big shots, he came up behind Nie Guoqiang and leaned down to say a few words.

Nie Guoqiang narrowed his eyes for a moment, and after Zhang Yong stood up, he looked at the group of waiting colleagues and said, "Professor Liu Junshu of Zhangzhou University instructed her student to bring us some news. It seems... to be related to this case."

"What a coincidence?"

One of the quick-tongued detectives couldn't help but speak up, saying, "There's no such thing as getting exactly what you need."

Nie Guoqiang wasn't angry. He just said in a deep voice, "Drug-tainted e-cigarettes... have already entered universities. Professor Liu is a professional in this field. She just smelled the cigarettes from the students who had smoked them and discovered the problem."

Everyone was shocked.

E-cigarettes containing drugs have entered schools? Are you kidding me!
Everyone's mood became anxious, and Wu Chengrong quickly said, "Why don't we invite that student in right away! Why didn't we think of that? Zhangshi University is nearby, and there are so many experts inside. It would be good to consult them."

"Hehe... I just didn't expect that our own lab wouldn't be able to detect the problem."

The police officers could only manage a forced laugh, not daring to agree.

Soon, under the expectant gaze of a group of police officers, Zhang Yong led a young female student with black-rimmed braided pigtails and a somewhat old-fashioned look into the conference room.

The menacing presence of the group of menacing-looking men in the meeting room, along with the thick, choking smell of smoke, made Li Ping feel uncomfortable. But given the seriousness of the matter, the school's safety, and Teacher Liu's instructions, she mustered her courage and went in.

"Hello everyone, I am Li Ping, a postgraduate student in botany from the Department of Biology at Zhangzhou University. My teacher is Professor Liu Junshu, and she is the one who discovered this problem."

As soon as Li Ping arrived, she quickly introduced herself.

"botany?"

Everyone was stunned.

Aren't e-cigarettes all chemical products? How can they be related to botany?
"Li, please have a seat. Xiao Zhang, pour this girl a cup of hot water. It's freezing cold, it must be hard for her to make this trip."

Wu Chengrong spoke with a smile, which quickly calmed Li Ping down.

She sat down in the empty seat Wu Chengrong pointed to, looking around and suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. Then, glancing at the whiteboard in front of her covered with things she dared not guess, she quickly stood up and said, “No…no need! I still have experiments to do. Let me finish explaining to the police officers now. It's like this: last night, when Teacher Liu and I were walking on the school playground, we found two boys hiding in a corner smoking. Actually, these kinds of things are usually turned a blind eye at school, but Teacher Liu just got close and smelled something strange about their cigarettes. We confiscated their e-cigarettes and checked them in the lab, and that's when we discovered the problem.”

"E-cigarettes are indeed problematic!"

Wu Chengrong, Lei Hanqin, Nie Guoqiang and the others exchanged glances, and the suppressed and restless emotions in their hearts finally settled down.

With a broad smile, Wu Chengrong looked at Li Ping with increasing satisfaction, and said kindly, "Li, please speak slowly. What exactly is the problem? To be honest, you and Professor Liu have been a great help to us. If the news you brought is true..."

"How could it be fake? Professor Liu's botanical expertise is renowned throughout the country, okay? Even she doesn't believe it, so who else do you want to believe?"

Li Ping retorted instinctively, only realizing after speaking that she was in a police station. Her heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead.

"Haha... Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. I misspoke. Li, please speak freely. From now on, we roughnecks will not speak and will listen to your guidance."

Wu Chengrong wasn't angry at all; in fact, he took the initiative to comfort Li Ping.

This finally relieved Li Ping. She wasn't nervous anymore when the topic turned to her major. Taking a document from her bag, she pointed with one hand and said, "In the flavor cartridges of the Aowei brand e-cigarettes that the two college students received, we found four plant extracts harmful to the human body. This e-liquid called 'Blue Charm Mint' contains a plant-based ingredient that has a mild hallucinogenic effect. Of course, its content is very low, and it's not listed on the ingredient list. But… there's another flavor cartridge called 'A Date with a Beauty,' which contains an ether-based nerve signal amplifying ingredient. Using the two e-cigarettes together can amplify that hallucinogenic effect ten thousand times, reaching levels comparable to illegal hallucinogenic drugs. And there's another flavor cartridge called 'Waterfall of Oblivion,' which is quite irritating. It's generally used as the strongest tobacco substitute, but when mixed with the first two…"

When discussing her profession, Li Ping spoke fluently and confidently without any hesitation. However, as she explained, the expressions on everyone's faces grew increasingly grim. They never imagined that the truth would be so simple. Individual e-liquids might not show any contraband, but simply mixing and inhaling them…

This is similar to the on-site synthesis of chemical drugs; each of its raw materials may not be directly related to drugs, but once they undergo a reaction...

It will become a huge source of poison that harms society.

According to Li Ping's account, everyone learned the truth about the e-cigarettes sold by Aowei International. The four flavoring cartridges that Li Ping discovered each contained very low levels of harmful ingredients. However, according to previous investigations into Aowei International, they sold over thirty types of e-liquid! Certainly not every single one of these was problematic, but even just one or two more potentially toxic ingredients would be enough to create more than ten possible combinations of toxins!
This is a terrifying number! It's also a terrifying method of drug trafficking! No matter how many anti-narcotics police there are, it's impossible to thoroughly test every e-cigarette flavor. Unless the sale and use of e-cigarettes are completely banned nationwide, as long as there are unscrupulous individuals and as long as people continue to use this method to manufacture mixed e-cigarette drugs, it will be very difficult for the police to effectively crack down on and control drug users.

There's no doubt that the city bureau's laboratory tests show that a single e-cigarette is compliant and harmless. Unless the drug user is apprehended on-site and a blood test is conducted, you cannot arrest them even if they are in possession of an e-cigarette.

This creates huge problems for the police's anti-drug work.

"That's it... Teacher Liu and I confiscated a total of three e-cigarettes and eight flavoring boxes. Three of them have been verified to be problematic, while the rest are normal formulations, meaning they are still harmful if smoked for a long time... Well... that's all I have to say."

Seeing everyone staring at her with murderous intent, even the boldest Li Ping couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

She swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Um... can I go now? By the way... I need to talk to Director Nie about something. Um... where has Xiao Guai been all this time? It hasn't visited Teacher Liu for many days, and we're quite worried about it."

"Mimi..."

Nie Guoqiang rubbed his chin. He definitely couldn't tell this girl that Mimi was undercover. So he looked up with a serious expression and waved his hand, saying, "Mimi is away on a business trip, helping the police in another city with a case. When she comes back, I'll have her visit Professor Liu."

"Even cats go on business trips?"

Li Ping didn't want to believe it, but thinking about the gift that the cat brought back for Professor Liu from the Southern Province last time, she had to admit that Xiao Guai was indeed becoming more and more special.

And since the police have already said that, what can a weak girl like her do?

Aside from nodding to indicate that she understood, Li Ping didn't dare say another word.

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the conference room became so cold that it terrified her. The menacing looks of the police officers made Li Ping feel the urge to use the restroom, so she quickly excused herself and left.

As soon as the conference room door closed again, everyone burst into laughter.

"Captain Wu, this matter can't be left like this! Holy crap, they've even come up with a semi-poison! These people have some tricks up their sleeves! If we let them keep playing like this, we'll be left behind and still not be able to catch up with their synthesis speed."

"Yeah! Different raw materials can produce different toxic fumes. How the hell are we supposed to investigate that? They even mix and sell legitimate and illegal e-liquids together as a cover. How can we possibly investigate them all on our own?"

"The lab is so stupid, how come they didn't find that fungal component? By the way, is this thing even fungus? Where did they get so many raw materials?"

"Is it imported? What can you do with some imported things? Who the hell knows!"

"Chief Wu, this matter is beyond the capacity of our municipal branch to handle. We need to report this to our superiors. We must suppress all illegal e-cigarettes before this trend takes hold!"

"If you ask me, we should just ban e-cigarettes altogether! They're not exactly good stuff anyway, they're just a nuisance!"

"Old Huang, do you think this is possible? You're a smoker too, how come you haven't seen the government ban cigarettes? Everyone knows the relevant details here, let's just stick to the facts."

"But damn it, e-cigarettes don't pay military contributions!"

The meeting room suddenly became noisy, with people saying all sorts of things. Wu Chengrong was annoyed by the noise, but seeing everyone staring at him, even while arguing, he couldn't help but twitch his lips and felt his head throb even more.

"Silence!"

He could only slam his hand on the table to quiet everyone down.

The conference room fell silent instantly, everyone watching Wu Chengrong, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Whether or not to ban e-cigarettes is not something we can decide. But e-cigarettes are involved in drug use, so we must deal with it promptly. I will call the provincial department after this meeting. We must act swiftly and decisively to prevent the harm from spreading. Heh... They've already entered schools. They really know how to take advantage of the proliferation of e-cigarettes among young people. In short, now that we know the truth about e-cigarettes, we just need to act accordingly!"

Wu Chengrong quickly made a decision, turning to Lei Hanqin: "Old Lei, seize all Aowei brand e-cigarettes on the market. Seek the cooperation of the market supervision department, and make sure to bring back all unsold and sold Aowei brand e-cigarettes!"

"Well... it's fine for the ones in the shop, but for the ones that have already been sold... Captain, I don't think they'll register every single customer."

Lei Hanqin felt a toothache and said helplessly, "But this matter can't be made public. How can you expect me and my few men to investigate who bought Aowei electronic cigarettes? It's simply impossible."

"Do it even if you can't!"

Wu Chengrong didn't give Lei Hanqin a chance to defend himself, only saying in a deep voice: "Every new type of drug that emerges poses a huge threat to our anti-drug police and society. Especially this time, with drugs and cigarettes mixed together, the impact and consequences are even more serious. Although it's unclear how Aowei Group informed smokers about mixing e-cigarettes, there's no doubt that every step from top to bottom must be strictly controlled. Old Lei, I only care about the results, not the process!"

"..."

Lei Hanqin sat down, feeling uncomfortable, but knowing there was no room for refusal in this situation.

Wu Chengrong then instructed Han Xiao of the Third Detachment to infiltrate Zhangzhou University and various high schools and vocational schools to cooperate with the schools in cracking down on all e-cigarettes. Students already addicted were to be secretly brought back to the Municipal Public Security Bureau for further processing.

Undoubtedly, this is another complex and difficult task.

Even the parents of these students involved in drug use present a huge problem for the police and schools to deal with. It's absolutely impossible to expect parents to understand the police and schools when their children become addicted to drugs without their knowledge.

"Wu Zhi, what about us?"

Wen Xiaosong, the captain of the first brigade of the anti-drug squad, raised his hand, not understanding why Wu Chengrong would deliberately ignore them.

“Continue your investigation into the Qin Suya case, which is related to the illegal smuggling of drugs. Although we don’t yet know if it’s also connected to the Aowei Group, we must understand that this is also targeting the student population and is destroying the future of our country.”

Wu Chengrong has not forgotten about the 'smart drug'.

Even when e-cigarettes also entered the lives of young people, he already put the two cases together in his mind and began to think about the 'future'.

Who is planning to harm the next generation of our country?
In this recent case, quite a few words were deleted; almost every chapter was cut.

Just letting you know.

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(End of this chapter)