Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 313 The Tracking Game (One million words reached, yay!)
"Where are the Yang brothers from?"

Lin Ge was somewhat curious.

He didn't really know much about accents; he only knew that Da Yang, Xiao Yang, Xinba, and Jian Ge all spoke accents from other places, more like the northern accents, and he knew exactly where they were from.

From the conversation between the three, Lin Ge learned that Brother Yang had a wife and children back in his hometown, and that his wife was completely unaware of his work. This might be a useful breakthrough in the future, and Lin Ge kept it in mind.

In the evening, Zhao Zhigao, imitating the others, came over to curry favor with Lin Ge and took the intelligence card that Lin Ge had brought back.

Lin Ge didn't know what was recorded in the SIM card, only that he noticed Zhao Zhigao's expression wasn't good the next day. He figured it might be because the e-cigarette drug scandal had forced the government to launch a full-scale crackdown without mercy, putting Zhao Zhigao at risk of exposure. But there was nothing that could be done; the safety of one person couldn't be weighed against the harm done to countless others. Zhao Zhigao had to bear the greater risk to protect more innocent people from drug abuse.

As police officers, such things are ultimately unavoidable. Throughout history, countless righteous people have sacrificed their lives for similar reasons, a spirit that is both poignant and worthy of our respect.

The only thing Lin Ge could do was to help and protect Zhao Zhigao as much as possible, given his current high regard for the Yang brothers. No one would suspect that a cat was also an undercover agent, and Lin Ge felt he could still do more.

Just like...

"Huh? This guy actually listened? Ah Gao, how did you do that?"

Brother Yang looked at Lin Ge in disbelief as he obediently squatted at Zhao Zhigao's feet, showing none of the willful and helpless demeanor he had displayed yesterday.

"Hehe... I don't know either. I just played with it for a bit, and then it came over obediently."

Zhao Zhigao smiled憨厚ly, but his face showed a look of wanting to take credit: "Brother Yang, is this enough? I feel that training or anything might make it resentful and stubborn again. How about just being a little obedient like this?"

"Let's wait and see, but with training we'll definitely be stronger and able to get more benefits."

Brother Yang waved his hand, not one to easily soften his stance when faced with such lucrative profits. However, he also knew this cat was difficult to deal with, so he simply smiled and said, "Hehe... Ah Gao, well done! You keep surprising me time and time again! You'll get your share of the benefits you deserve! From today onwards, you'll stay by my side, with the same status as Ah Jian. Don't hesitate to order others around when you need to, and you'll get a share of all the good things I enjoy."

Seeing Zhao Zhigao's delighted expression, Brother Yang's face hardened and he continued, "But Gao, let me make this clear! I value you, so you have to do things right! On the other hand, we're all brothers, so don't go too far when I order you around, understand?"

Zhao Zhigao was stunned for a moment, then nodded hurriedly and said, "Of course, Brother Yang. We're all brothers, how could I dare to look down on them even a little bit? Don't talk about status, I'm just one of your little brothers, just like the others."

"Hehe, it's good that you're sensible."

Brother Yang nodded in satisfaction, pleased with Zhao Zhigao's intelligence. His other underlings were all people he had painstakingly brought from his hometown; how could they possibly be made slaves to some outsider?

Moreover, Brother Yang hadn't forgotten what they discussed yesterday, and he still harbored some suspicion towards Zhao Zhigao. Among the entire gang, this guy was the only outsider. If anything happened, he would definitely be the prime suspect.

Yeah, you won't feel bad about killing them.

Unlike Ah Jian, who repeatedly defied her, she still had to consider their complicated family relationship.

Feeling like he didn't have a single reliable or capable subordinate, Brother Yang sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Go on, make sure you get along well with this cat. At least train it to the point where it does whatever I command, instead of acting recklessly and courting death. Oh, and when you have time, find a professional vet and give this guy a thorough check-up! It used to be a stray cat, who knows what diseases it might have. If it suddenly dies one day, I'll be furious!"

"You're the one who died suddenly!"

Lin Ge glared fiercely at Brother Yang.

Zhao Zhigao naturally wouldn't disobey Brother Yang's orders, and since he did need to go out, he quickly agreed.

"Ah Jian, keep a close eye on him!"

Seeing Zhao Zhigao lead Mimi out, Brother Yang called over Brother Jian. His attitude towards Brother Jian was completely different from his attitude towards Zhao Zhigao; there was none of the warm expression he had shown earlier, and he only issued cold orders.

"Understood! I will send more people; he won't escape my sight."

Jian nodded, his dissatisfaction with Da Yang from yesterday gone.

After all, we're from the same hometown, and our relationship is something outsiders can't compare to. Hearing this, Brother Yang could only sigh helplessly, glaring at Brother Jian and saying, "You go yourself, don't you dare slack off! What's the situation now? Didn't I tell you yesterday?"

"The ones who's unlucky are that bitch and her gang, what does it have to do with us!"

Jian Ge curled his lip, not taking Da Yang's warning to heart. Ever since that idiot Zhao Liang and his gang were arrested, they'd been behaving themselves in Zhang City for several months. What risk could they possibly face? The Zhang City police had done a great job catching Zhao Liang and his gang, and they probably thought they'd restored peace and order to Zhang City. Why would they bother with the hard work of drug enforcement? If they really had any plans, they wouldn't have remained silent for months.

But he still lazily went out the door, smoking a cigarette and slowly following not far from Zhao Zhigao.

"Ow!"

Lin Ge curled up in Zhao Zhigao's arms and let out a soft groan.

Zhao Zhigao didn't look to the side, only chuckled softly, "Don't worry, I saw it. Heh... This level of tracking isn't even as good as those pickpockets. Speaking of which, Brother Yang still doesn't trust me enough, despite saying all those nice things earlier. Hiss..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was scratched by Lin Ge.

The thin down jacket couldn't stop the cat's sharp claws at all, and Lin Ge easily felt the soft touch of Zhao Zhigao's skin through the clothes.

"You bastard, with that swipe, your clothes will be torn and the fur will be showing!"

Zhao Zhigao complained with a hint of heartache, but he still remained vigilant.

Sure enough, as he turned a corner, he saw a middle-aged woman carrying a child following closely behind him. If Mimi hadn't pointed it out, who would have guessed that a mother was also a drug dealer?
Zhao Zhigao still hasn't figured out what's going on with Da Yang, Xiao Yang, and Simba's gang.

"Maybe they were bribed to do the work?"

Zhao Zhigao muttered to himself, feeling a pang of sympathy for the child in the woman's arms. Having a poisonous mother was bad enough, but to be used as a prop in this freezing weather and have to be carried out in the cold wind by her was already unfortunate enough.

"No, it's not Mother!"

Lin Ge's ability to recognize things was better than Zhao Zhigao's, and he could also openly look behind Zhao Zhigao from beside his arm.

Listening intently to the sounds coming from the woman behind him, Lin Ge judged from her breathing that the child in her arms was very young, no more than a year old. The woman herself looked rather old, suggesting she was likely a grandmother.

"Idiot! That woman looks old because of excessive drug use; she's definitely no more than forty. Humph! She only has wrinkles, no age spots, which is a sign of aging caused by physical weakness. I've seen several women like that before—weak-willed and lacking self-control, they're capable of anything when controlled by drugs. These kinds of people are often the best henchmen; as long as you give them money, they'll do anything."

Using a corner mirror at the entrance of a residential complex, Zhao Zhigao was able to better assess the woman's situation. His tone even carried a deep sense of disgust and helplessness, a stark contrast to his usual timid and submissive manner.

This made Lin Ge look up in surprise, seeing for the first time the aura of a narcotics police officer in Zhao Zhigao. This guy was quite good at hiding it; it was only now, in a free environment, that he finally revealed a bit of it.

That makes sense, though. How could the anti-drug squad send out a useless person to go undercover?
It can only be said that Zhao Zhigao is indeed a very good actor; he can even fake his temperament and personality without any flaws.

This left Lin Ge, who considered herself Zhao Zhigao's nanny, feeling somewhat frustrated. She thought that this guy couldn't do anything without her!
"So it seems that Brother Jian's job in Brother Yang's gang is to control these orders and make them do certain things to prevent their own people from being exposed... It should be Brother Simba, right? This guy is hiding very well. The branch was able to find Brother Yang and even sent me to infiltrate, but they couldn't find a trace of Brother Simba." The man and the cat ignored the tails behind them and chatted as they walked, summarizing the current intelligence.

These were things he wouldn't dare do in the thieves' den, fearing that Brother Yang had set up other defenses besides the security cameras. But once outside, with Mimi keeping an eye on him, Zhao Zhigao could finally focus on organizing the intelligence he had.

"Simba is clearly a seasoned drug addict who has been around for many years, so it's normal that he has some skill."

Lin Ge nodded in agreement.

But just as Zhao Zhigao was about to continue speaking, Lin Ge suddenly caught a whiff of Brother Jian's scent on the person walking towards them ten meters away. Without hesitation, he plunged his claw into Zhao Zhigao's arm, silencing him.

Zhao Zhigao winced in pain, finally snapping out of his daze and quickly shut his mouth, brushing past the ordinary-looking middle-aged man without glancing at him.

Neither of them seemed to notice the other, but Lin Ge could see clearly that the middle-aged man was constantly glancing at Zhao Zhigao out of the corner of his eye. Only after the two had walked away did the man stop, lower his head, and smoke, not continuing on his way.

Even when the woman who was following them walked past the middle-aged man, the two couldn't help but greet each other, completely exposing their identities as stalkers.

Even with the cold wind blowing, cold sweat broke out on Zhao Zhigao's forehead.

He hadn't expected Brother Yang to be so cautious, sending more than one person to follow him. If Brother Jian was the overt supervisor, then these two were the covert methods, completely demonstrating Brother Yang's utter lack of trust in Zhao Zhigao.

"A man's words are like a lying devil!"

Zhao Zhigao felt a little disappointed. He hadn't expected that after all this time, he still hadn't completely gained Brother Yang's trust.

"They're in the business of getting their heads chopped off! How could they possibly have nothing? Nie Guoqiang even boasted about how safe the area is."

Lin Ge also complained inwardly, finding Nie Guoqiang's boasting extremely annoying.

However, Lin Ge had to admit that Brother Yang and his gang, as well as the mysterious figure behind them who played "cat fighting," were indeed not easy opponents.

Arresting Big Brother Yang and Little Brother Yang was easy, but wiping out the entire gang, especially the elusive Simba and everyone else, was quite difficult.

What the other party is trying to do, whether their purpose is to make money or harm the country, is completely unclear. It's like a dirty pond full of duckweed; nobody knows just how foul the water beneath the duckweed really is.

The only thing the police can do is passively follow these criminals, arresting them one by one and killing them one by one if they show up. It's not an easy task.

In the cold wind, Zhao Zhigao arrived at the bus stop and waited quietly for the bus.

A short while later, a woman carrying a child also came over and stood not far away without saying a word, also looking like she was patiently waiting for the bus.

The two were not far apart, and Lin Ge could even clearly hear the child's breathing, which was tinged with phlegm, in the woman's arms. Turning his head, he saw that the child's face was abnormally red; the dark red color clearly indicated that the child had a fever.

Zhao Zhigao followed Lin Ge's gaze and also noticed that something was wrong with the child.

Unable to hold back any longer, he coughed and said, "Hello, is your child sick? It's not good to bring her out in this weather. I suggest you take her to the hospital to get checked out as soon as possible."

"Yes, we're on our way to the hospital."

The woman looked slightly surprised, but quickly realized what she meant and nodded. After saying that, she ignored Zhao Zhigao and stared blankly at the other side of the road.

On the contrary, the child in her arms opened his eyes when he heard the noise, his dark eyes staring at Zhao Zhigao, and then he noticed the cat in Zhao Zhigao's arms.

The cat in his arms and the little guy in his arms stared at each other. The little guy's eyes lit up slightly, but then he couldn't help but let out a cute yawn, while Black Grape continued to stare at Lin Ge without blinking.

Lin Ge felt a lump in his throat, but he also thought the child's eyes were so pure and adorable.

For some reason, the child had a faint, unpleasant, poisonous odor about him that made Lin Ge uncomfortable. It was a very faint smell mixed with the smell of milk, and he didn't know if it was from prolonged contact with his poisonous mother.

Honestly, Lingo didn't want to think about it anymore; it was too cruel.

Poison, it really is awful!
Soon, a bus slowly swayed towards them, braving the cold wind. Lin Ge looked up and felt it looked somewhat familiar. But the door opened with a 'bang,' and before he could think any further, Zhao Zhigao carried him inside.

"No animals allowed on buses! Hey, what's this cat?"

The bus was empty; it seemed to be near the starting station. The driver, who seemed to have some free time, rubbed his hands together while the bus stopped, glancing at Zhao Zhigao and the cat in his arms.

Seemingly recognizing Ling Ge, his tone suddenly changed.

Lin Ge recognized the driver; he was one of the drivers he had taken a free ride with while strolling around Zhang City. He just hadn't expected the bus journey to be so long, and it was such a coincidence to run into someone he knew in this remote place.

"Ok?"

Zhao Zhigao was taken aback.

The woman who had already boarded the bus and sat down near the front door also looked up curiously.

"Oh, I mistook it for yours! That cat had a scar on its forehead, unlike yours. But cats all look pretty much the same, it's normal to mistake one for another. Sir, let it go this time! But next time you bring a cat, don't get on the bus and cause me any trouble."

The bus driver didn't recognize Lin Ge, but out of respect for Lin Ge, he didn't kick Zhao Zhigao off the bus.

Zhao Zhigao nodded his thanks and then sat down at the back of the bus. Seeing Lin Ge jump off him and squat on the seat, he didn't stop him, but just kept glancing at the silent woman in front of him out of the corner of his eye, just like Lin Ge.

In the dead of winter, there were far fewer people waiting for the bus. With the cold wind blowing, more people preferred the convenience and speed of taxis and ride-hailing services, so much so that the bus passed several stops without getting on.

Of course, the slightly remote location of the repair shop also played a part. Even if Brother Yang was incredibly daring, he wouldn't dare to set up a drug den in the city center.

Not to mention that the city police patrol more frequently, there are also differences in the intensity of disciplinary control between law enforcement agencies in urban and suburban areas. If this were within the jurisdiction of Zhanghe Police Station, Lin Ge would be willing to take his surname if Brother Yang could become friends with even one of the auxiliary police officers. Furthermore, given the trust residents in the Zhanghe Police Station's jurisdiction have in the police, any misbehavior by Brother Yang in the yard would undoubtedly be reported to the police by the surrounding neighbors.

In short, they just took advantage of a loophole. Who can blame them when there are still too few police officers in the country, and the coverage of police stations, especially township police stations, is still too wide?

Lin Ge thought to himself sullenly, still worried about the woman sitting in front of him and the child in her arms.

Fortunately, this woman wasn't so heartless as to abandon her own child. She followed Zhao Zhigao for a few stops, and after determining that he was alright, she got off the bus and walked straight towards a community clinic.

Well, big hospitals wouldn't dare, since they would need to do a blood test.

(End of this chapter)