Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 315 Goods

When Yang Fan called Nie Guoqiang, there were only thirty minutes left before the train arrived at the station.

By the time Nie Guoqiang found Li Siyu, Li Siyu found Lin Ge, and Lin Ge found Zhao Zhigang, more than twenty minutes had passed.

So when the police car rushed to the train station, Lin Ge had already heard the announcement that the train was about to arrive and the staff were preparing to receive it. Yang Fan and a group of police officers from Longquan Police Station and railway police officers, who were anxiously waiting at the train station entrance, saw the cat that had gotten off the train with Zhao Zhigang. Without any time for pleasantries, they hurriedly led the two men and the cat down to the train platform through the staff passage.

Zhang Ke had already changed his clothes halfway there. He was wearing a bright down jacket, trendy shoes, and stylish black half-rimmed glasses with printed letters, looking like a college student who hadn't yet entered the workforce.

The Longquan Police Station and the railway police also had more than a dozen plainclothes officers scattered among the passengers, ready to board the train.

Naturally, people wouldn't place all their hopes on a cat. But when it comes to a child's life and future, no amount of hard work or trying is too much.

The train has sixteen carriages, and it's impossible to count all the passengers who got on and off along the way. The only certainty is that the children who were taken away haven't disembarked midway, which is the only piece of good news to be thankful for.

"call!"

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ge squinted and squatted on the platform, hiding among Zhang Ke and several plainclothes officers, waiting calmly.

'Woo...'

With a whistle that grew louder as it approached, the train, though delayed by three minutes, finally arrived.

"Mimi, come up to my shoulder."

When Zhang Ke spoke up, Lin Ge didn't refuse and climbed up his shoulder along with the outstretched hand.

As the train slowly pulled into the station, every window was filled with a dense crowd of people, and every carriage seemed to have no gaps at all, which made everyone's expressions become solemn.

Countless migrant workers from Shanghai and other coastal provinces are returning home, passing through Zhangzhou on their way south. Ten minutes isn't even enough time for a single passenger to board, find their seat, and put away their luggage. Yet, in those ten minutes, Lin Ge and his plainclothes police officers had to search every single carriage of the train. Just thinking about it, the difficulty is unimaginable. Even if someone simply wrapped a child in a coat and hid them, it would be very difficult for the police to spot them in the crowd.

Because there are just too many people during the Spring Festival travel rush!
"Sigh! I wonder when high-speed trains will be able to completely replace these old green trains, so that people's travel will no longer be so difficult, and they won't have to stand for a whole day and night just to get home."

A police officer on duty at the train station sighed.

"Everything is prepared! Even if we can't find the target, we absolutely cannot expose our identities and provoke the suspect into desperate measures!"

Yang Fan reiterated the discipline, emphasizing that suspects must never be driven to a corner. Even if all the traffickers were arrested, the lives of the children lost would be irretrievable if things escalated to that point.

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in silence and quickly dispersed to the doors of their respective carriages.

'puff……'

As the train depressurized and came to a stop, the doors of all sixteen carriages opened simultaneously. The train crew, who had already sensed something was amiss, prevented passengers from disembarking. Instead, they allowed plainclothes officers and passengers to board first, and then watched as each passenger disembarked was let off the train.

Fortunately, Zhangzhou was just a small station, and not many people got off the train. There were only about twenty people who crawled out of the train and were quickly led by the police to an indoor area for inspection and registration.

Lin Ge squatted on Zhang Ke's shoulder, entered the carriage, and squinted as he looked around.

Even after arriving in Hubei Province from Shanghai, the train carriage was still crowded. The aisle was packed with people, most of them looking tired and drowsy, while others were eating sunflower seeds and chatting, or looking at their phones. There was still a certain degree of order.

Seeing Zhang Ke squeezing in from the outside, the crowd, though impatient, reluctantly made way for him.

Some people still looked surprised when they saw the cat perched on Zhang Ke's shoulder. Are pets allowed on trains? Nobody knows! What's up with this young man? Whatever!
Seeing that Zhang Ke hadn't brought any luggage, and was just quietly saying "Excuse me" as he squeezed into the back of the carriage, the few bored people glanced at him and then lost interest. The cat on his shoulder, however, was quite interesting; it wasn't afraid of so many people.

Where would Lingo find the time to be afraid?

Even when he was passing by the front row just now, some bored bastard tugged at his tail, but Lin Ge didn't have time to get angry and retaliate.

A total of ten minutes!
Even if we try every possible way to delay, thirteen minutes is the final limit.

Even those unfamiliar with the railway system can guess how busy it is during the Spring Festival travel rush. A single train delay can lead to a series of problems, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded at train stations in the cold winter, unable to board their trains, with extremely serious consequences.

"Mimi, have you noticed anything?"

While squeezing through the crowd with small, quick steps, Zhang Ke helped to observe whether any passengers on either side were acting strangely. Of course, he knew very well that this kind of observation was no longer very meaningful, since the police had already done this at six previous stops.

The only difference between Zhangzhou City and other police stations at other stations is that they have a police cat that can board the train.

Police dogs can't do this; their large size makes it difficult for them to maneuver through crowds and could easily cause panic. Furthermore, they don't have anything that shows the child's scent, so even police dogs are helpless.

The Longquan Police Station asked Ling Ge for help for this reason; they hoped that this amazing police cat could play a magical role.

Lin Ge was also under a lot of pressure.

With over a hundred people in one carriage, and all sorts of unpleasant odors, especially a mixture of foot odor and cigarette smoke, the difficulty of finding a child who might not even exist in that environment is unimaginable.

Of course, there were still children in the carriage, some being held, some curled up in their families' arms. They had gone to work in other places with their parents, and were now enduring the difficult Spring Festival travel rush to return home for the New Year. They all looked listless and lacked energy.

Currently, besides knowing that the abducted child is only a little over one year old, is a boy, and has a rather cute face, there is no other information.

It's not that the police didn't have photos of the children, but in this kind of environment, most children wouldn't be facing outwards; they'd either be looking out the window, have their heads down, or be sleeping. Unless you ask them to look up one by one, how can you tell them apart?

Furthermore, the train police had patrolled the area several times and had largely ruled out the possibility of children being children in the public eye.

They even proactively greeted children of similar age with caring inquiries to assess their relationship with their parents, thus ruling out many less suspicious cases.

In other words, the simple targets have been largely eliminated, leaving only the more troublesome ones.

For example... the child was hidden.

"A snakeskin bag, a suitcase, a large quilt... This person's coat is quite bulging, but he doesn't look like a Tibetan..."

As Zhang Ke walked forward, he looked around, quickly drawing murmurs of dissatisfaction from standing passengers. Everyone was annoyed that this young man was just walking around aimlessly; there were no seats available, he should just find an empty spot and stand!
"Have you found anything, Mimi?"

Walking from one end of the carriage to the other, Zhang Ke was soon drenched in sweat from the crowd. He glanced at his watch and realized over two minutes had already passed; Zhang Ke grew increasingly anxious.

On his shoulder, Lingo shook his head, also feeling a bit dizzy.

The carriage was too crowded, and the air circulation was poor. Although it was an air-conditioned carriage, it still felt very stuffy. In addition, the persistent smell of smoke and some strongly scented snacks made Lin Ge, who was straining his sense of smell, feel really uncomfortable.

"Anyone who eats snail rice noodles on a train is a complete idiot!"

Lin Ge muttered something unpleasantly, shook his head, and answered Zhang Ke's question.

Zhang Ke nodded without giving up, silently squeezing through the even more crowded connecting corridor and entering the second carriage.

It was still packed with people, and there was even a group of four people drinking and playing cards on one side of the seats. The noisy atmosphere attracted a few more bored passengers to gather around and completely block the aisle.

"Damn it! Why are they selling beer on trains?!"

Zhang Ke cursed angrily, but there was nothing he could do about the situation. Without revealing his identity, he could only squeeze through the crowd of idlers with even greater effort. He even accidentally stepped on one of their feet, and a glare from the man nearly sparked a fight.

This ink stain meant there must have been some oversight in observing the carriage. Zhang Ke felt uneasy, but seeing that Lin Ge still didn't react, he could only sigh and continue walking forward.

"Mommy, the cat!"

Wow, what an adorable cat!

In the third carriage, several children standing on their seats were bored. When they saw Zhang Ke approaching with a cat perched on his shoulder, they immediately became excited and started shouting. The one standing on the far end was a boy of about seven or eight years old, who was very bold and impolite. Without hesitation, he reached out to grab Lin Ge's beard. When Lin Ge dodged him, he was not discouraged. He grabbed Zhang Ke's arm and wouldn't let him leave, insisting on playing with the cat.

"Excuse me, could you please keep an eye on your child?"

Zhang Ke didn't dare to use force, so he could only helplessly ask the middle-aged woman who was dozing off in her seat for help. Unexpectedly, the woman opened her eyes briefly, then closed them again as if she hadn't heard him.

The mother's indulgence emboldened the children, who climbed barefoot off their seats to stop Zhang Ke, insisting on playing with the cat.

The children were making a ruckus, leaving Zhang Ke helpless.

"Ow!"

Lin Ge could no longer hold back and roared angrily with wide eyes.

The piercing and strange sound instantly silenced the entire carriage, startling the few children who quickly retreated timidly to their relatives, muttering to themselves as they continued to scrutinize Lin Ge.

"What a fierce cat!"

Many people in the carriage were looking this way, staring at Lin Ge with curiosity.

"Excuse me, please let me go."

Zhang Ke could only force a smile and continue walking forward. At this moment, the departure announcement sounded in the carriage, meaning there were less than five minutes left before departure.

The phone in his pocket had no notifications, indicating that the other plainclothes officers hadn't found anything either. Zhang Ke was now beginning to suspect that the child might have been moved through other means; otherwise, how could there be no clues at all?

"Are you crazy? Where did you come from? Why are you all squeezing your balls like that!"

Just then, a commotion arose from ahead. It was an argument between an undercover officer on a mission and a troublesome individual. Perhaps he was in a bad mood from standing on the train for too long, and then the impatient undercover officer bumped into him from behind, so he immediately grabbed the officer and started arguing with him.

However, the plainclothes officer had no time to waste with him. After apologizing, he tried to push forward, but was surrounded by the man and his fellow villagers, who insisted on arguing it out.

To put it bluntly, it's about losing money!

Not only did the plainclothes officers and Zhang Ke understand this, but the other passengers in the same carriage also knew. However, seeing that the group of people seemed to be in cahoots and didn't look like they were going to be messed with, they could only turn their heads away and pretend that nothing had happened.

"I only bumped into you, how much do you want in compensation? Name your price!"

The plainclothes officers didn't have time to waste with these bastards.

"Two thousand yuan! My brand new clothes and shoes for the New Year, and you've gotten them all dirty!"

Since they had nothing better to do, these people immediately started making outrageous demands.

The young plainclothes officer's eyes widened: "I just touched you. Are your clothes made of gold? Trying to extort me, huh? You think I won't call the police and make sure you spend the whole Chinese New Year in the police station?"

"Oh ho? You think you're so tough?"

The group laughed, and their superior numbers made them even more arrogant.

Seeing that this wouldn't work—time was more important than two thousand yuan—Zhang Ke quickly squeezed forward: "Hey! Brother Wang, don't bother with them. You go find a seat, I'll handle this!"

When the plainclothes officer surnamed Wang saw Zhang Ke and the cat on his shoulder, he immediately came to his senses.

However, he knew he couldn't leave right now, so he could only sigh and make way for Zhang Ke: "Go ahead and help me look for it. I'll handle things here myself, so I won't take up your precious time."

Zhang Ke still wanted to be stubborn, but Lin Ge punched him on the head, so he could only nod helplessly and squeeze past his colleague.

"Coward!"

The jeers from the guys behind him filled Zhang Ke with rage, but now was not the time to deal with them.
The longer we wait to find that child, the more dangerous the child will be!

The stops after Zhangzhou City are all small, open-air stations at the township level, with only a fence separating the train station from the outside world. Given the cunning of human traffickers, it would be incredibly easy for them to smuggle children past the checkpoints.

"Ow!"

Just as Zhang Ke was about to continue to the fourth carriage, Lin Ge suddenly grabbed his hair. The force was considerable, causing Zhang Ke's head to snap back in pain.

This is……

Zhang Ke felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

The plainclothes officer surnamed Wang had been watching the cat on Zhang Ke's shoulder expectantly. The cat's sudden movement startled him, and he could no longer hear the curses and extortions of these bastards; his eyes were fixed on the direction the cat was looking.

Lin Ge actually had some doubts about his own judgment.

It was a woman in her fifties or sixties sitting with her back to the end of the carriage, wearing a simple cotton-padded coat, her hands tucked into her sleeves, dozing off.

But she would occasionally open her eyes, glance around at the surroundings, look at the noise over there, then look into the suitcase above her head before lowering her head to continue dozing off.

Next to the woman sat a young girl wearing headphones, from which Lin Ge could hear English words. However, the girl seemed quite uncomfortable with the two passengers sitting so close to her, her posture stiff and her expression conflicted.

The person furthest inside by the window was a chubby man in his thirties or forties with a dark complexion. He appeared to be facing the window, but his right hand, which was resting against the girl, was placed on his leg with the palm facing outwards, pressed tightly against the girl's plump thigh clad in jeans, his fingertips even slightly twitching.

This is why the girl felt uncomfortable, but in such an environment and such a crowded carriage, the girl had no other choice.

Being told whether you're getting a good deal or not is much better than standing all the way home.

"Huh? Just a pervert?"

Zhang Ke was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"idiot!"

Lin Ge then plucked another clump from Zhang Ke's head.

Is he such a clueless cat? It's obvious the woman sitting on the outermost edge is suspicious, isn't it? Why is she constantly looking at the suitcase above her head? Why is there a faint, indistinct noise coming from inside the suitcase? In fact, Lin Ge even perceived that the suitcase moved slightly at one point! No one else would hear or notice any of this, but for a cat, dynamic vision is fundamental, and he saw the suitcase move perfectly clearly!
There must be something alive or moving inside! Considering this in relation to the mission we came here for today, it's undoubtedly the most suspicious item that we absolutely must check!
Following Lin Ge's gaze, Zhang Ke understood.

Although he didn't quite believe that a child could fit in a suitcase, Zhang Ke took a deep breath and pressed the alarm button on his phone in his pocket.

'This...'

A few seconds later, the train, which was about to start, suddenly let out a deflationary sound and came to a stop again.

Most passengers didn't understand what this meant, but the police, both inside the train and outside, immediately realized that there were plainclothes officers inside who had found the suspect!
When there's no certainty, we certainly can't disrupt the railway system, especially during the Spring Festival travel rush. But if there's any suspicion, human lives are more important than anything else, even if it means a trainload of people are stranded in Zhangzhou!

"Go away!"

The plainclothes officer, surnamed Wang and named Wang Zeping, suddenly erupted and knocked the still aggressive guy to the ground with a single punch.

Before anyone, including the man's accomplice, could react, Wang Zeping rushed to Zhang Ke's side. Blocking the woman's escape route, he unhesitatingly pulled out his police ID.

"Police! Everyone stay still! Those who are supposed to sit, sit down, and those who are standing, don't run around! Anyone who dares to interfere with the police investigation will be spending their New Year's Eve dinner in a cell at the Longquan Police Station this year!"

Their menacing demeanor immediately startled everyone in the carriage.

(End of this chapter)