Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 380 Race against time

There were only three policemen at the scene: Nie Guoqiang, Zhao Zhigang, and Feng Yi, with two traffic policemen standing nearby. But for some reason, Lin Ge seemed to see an exaggerated scene of a massive army charging forward.

No one knows whether Nie Guoqiang's worries are real or not, but with each of his phone calls, the entire city of Zhangzhou was in an uproar on this dark evening.

Since the incident likely occurred in the Baimiao area, Nie Guoqiang could do nothing more than wait where he was.

Xie Hua brought news from the hospital: facial recognition had confirmed the victim's identity. His name is Li Maogen, and he is indeed a resident of Baimiao, also living there. The traffic police brigade also provided surveillance footage of the Tasken new energy vehicle, showing its route had just passed through the Baimiao area. In other words, based on the identity of this potentially first victim, the initial location of the incident has undoubtedly been confirmed as the Baimiao area.

This made Lin Ge secretly breathe a sigh of relief. While worrying about the progress of things along with Nie Guoqiang, he secretly mocked Liu Shengyou for his bad luck.

The joy lasted only a few minutes before new news came from the hospital: another patient suffering from industrial alcohol poisoning had been rushed to Zhangzhou People's Hospital. This patient had the incident at home; he lived in… Longquan district!
The second victim had no clear contact with the first victim, and their identities did not overlap, meaning there was no possibility that they drank together.

In other words, the quantity of counterfeit alcohol is no longer singular, and the spread of the counterfeit alcohol is now undeniable. This case has been confirmed not as a targeted individual crime, but rather as a large-scale counterfeit alcohol outbreak that could potentially affect the entire Zhangzhou city!

At the order of the municipal bureau leaders, all the police officers on standby in Zhangzhou City immediately sprang into action.

"The good news is that the brand of the counterfeit liquor has been identified. The Baimiao and Longquan police stations have successfully obtained the residue and bottles of the toxic liquor. They are all Zhanghe Daqu, a local liquor brand in Zhangzhou! Under these circumstances, the vehicles transporting the liquor can be contacted, which greatly reduces the possibility of the counterfeit liquor spreading to other places. At the same time, the identities and locations of the distributors at all levels are also clearer, making the blockade simpler than we were worried about."

Nie Guoqiang received a group message and breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly frowned again: "But the bad news is that the Zhanghe Daqu they drank were different in both alcohol content and price! Liu Maogen drank a high-end liquor that cost 200 yuan a bottle, while Yang drank a regular liquor that cost 28 yuan a bottle. In other words, the type of counterfeit liquor is not limited to a single model; all the Zhanghe Daqu currently in Zhangzhou City may be counterfeit! Damn it, this is already a large-scale counterfeiting operation, and there will definitely be many victims! Zhao Zhigang, Feng Yi, you two stay here and wait for the investigators to arrive. Only return to the station to receive further instructions after confirming that there are absolutely no abnormalities! Mimi, come with me!"

Nie Guoqiang made a quick decision, speaking as he walked towards the police car, and then dragged Lin Ge inside as well.

Lin Ge knew this wasn't the time to be impulsive, nor did he resist Nie Guoqiang's rude behavior. Just as he had said, the number of victims would only increase over time, and now everyone had to go all out to bring the situation under control as quickly as possible.

"By the way, why not just send a mass message throughout Zhangzhou City to inform all residents not to touch Zhanghe Daqu liquor?"

Lin Ge squatted in the passenger seat, looking at Nie Guoqiang with curiosity.

Nie Guoqiang remained silent, seemingly unaware of Lin Ge's thoughts. He simply drove expressionlessly, occasionally checking his phone's group messages while waiting at traffic lights, offering a brief reply, but mostly remaining silent.

While Nie Guoqiang was focused on driving, Lin Ge secretly glanced at his phone, which was placed on the middle storage compartment.

The phone still showed the same group chat, and the messages were refreshing rapidly. Just as Lin Ge had guessed, someone was proposing a city-wide warning.

However, to Lin Ge's surprise, some people in the group agreed while others disagreed, and the argument continued.

"This is clearly a very serious matter, so why are there still people who oppose it? You know, if we had given an earlier warning, people might have been able to avoid being harmed!"

Lin Ge stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Zhanghe Daqu is a traditional enterprise in Zhangzhou City, with the name itself having a history of over two hundred years. Of course, that's not the important point. What's important is that Zhanghe Daqu Distillery employs thousands of people and is also involved in a considerable agricultural area responsible for planting raw materials. Once this matter escalates, the collapse of Zhanghe Daqu will be inevitable! At that time, not to mention anything else, just the sheer number of workers and the farmers who depend on it for their livelihood will be an insurmountable problem. To put it bluntly, a wave of returns is also inevitable, and a mere distillery simply cannot afford to pay the losses! In addition, if this scandal escalates, the entire economic system of Zhangzhou City might be in trouble."

Nie Guoqiang's words silenced Lin Ge.

He had to admit that Nie Guoqiang's words made sense; a city with a tarnished reputation could never pursue investment or profits. If industry, agriculture, and even commerce were to collapse simultaneously, Zhangzhou City could very well never recover.

"So, this group isn't a police group after all! Speaking of which, how did Nie Guoqiang manage to infiltrate the leadership group?"

Lin Ge didn't want to think too much, so he simply let his thoughts wander.

Nie Guoqiang, having finally found someone he could talk to with peace of mind, continued on his own, regardless of whether Lin Ge wanted to listen or not: "Before, due to the raw material leak at Baike Pharmaceutical Factory, it was ordered to close down. Many workers lost their jobs as a result."

"..."

Lin Ge didn't know how to answer that question.

As a police cat, he didn't need to consider these messy things. But he had to admit that what Nie Guoqiang said was true and indeed belonged to the complex factors that the higher-ups had to take into account.

To ruin Zhangzhou's reputation and an innocent old winery with a single sentence, especially given the possibility of potential poisoning incidents, is a decision that most leaders wouldn't dare to make.

"So... now the pressure is all on our police force."

Nie Guoqiang's expression was serious. Taking advantage of a parking gap, he couldn't resist taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He opened the car window to let in some cold air, exhaling a puff of smoke as he said, "The key issues now are twofold. First, who are the perpetrators, and how large is the gang? The size of the gang determines the quantity of counterfeit liquor produced, as well as the speed of its transportation and the number of victims. As long as the suspects are apprehended in time, controlling the case and the number of victims shouldn't be too difficult. The second key issue is whether this case is truly unrelated to the Zhanghe Daqu Distillery. If it's a problem within the distillery itself, then there's nothing more to say! Its closure is inevitable. Given its production capacity, a city-wide or even province-wide crackdown is necessary. At this point, we don't need to consider any impact issues. Even if the higher-ups worry a lot, the warning text messages still have to be sent..."

Lin Ge suddenly didn't know which scenario he should hope for.

Sending the text message would significantly reduce the pressure on the police, but it would inevitably damage Zhangzhou's economy. However, if it truly had nothing to do with Zhanghe Daqu Winery, then all the pressure would fall on the police, who would have to solve the case as quickly as possible.

The light turned green, and Nie Guoqiang stepped on the gas and continued driving forward.

However, only a few minutes later, the number of police cars on the road increased dramatically. Police cars with sirens blaring appeared from all directions and then hurriedly drove away, adding to the tense atmosphere throughout Zhangzhou City.

Even ordinary people who didn't know what had happened were starting to have doubts. With so many police officers deployed, something big must have occurred, right?
'Ding-a-ling~'

Nie Guoqiang's phone rang, and he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and threw it away. He picked up the phone, driving with one hand and answering Liu Shengyou's call with the other.

"Hey! Old Nie, lend me Mimi!"

On the other end of the phone, Liu Shengyou sounded a bit off. He didn't mince words, saying bluntly, "I've already applied to the city bureau for all the police dogs, but after thinking it over, Mimi is still the most reliable. Where are you right now? Send someone to bring Mimi to me. I'm at the entrance of the Zhanghe Daqu Distillery, conducting a thorough search of the entire distillery. But it's too slow! You understand? The difference between methanol and ethanol is too subtle; there's simply no time to slowly analyze them!"

"Yes, Mimi is in my car. I'll bring her over right now."

Without hesitation or asking Lin Ge, Nie Guoqiang immediately agreed. After thinking for a moment, he didn't hang up and continued, "Old Liu, do you think this case was handled by Zhanghe Daqu Distillery? I just checked a bit, and the price of methanol on the market isn't much lower than that of ethanol. In other words, in terms of profit, counterfeiters don't need to risk harming people by using methanol. From this perspective, the distillery itself is more likely to be the culprit."

Liu Shengyou said irritably, "I understand that too, which is why I called here specifically. These old factories in Zhangzhou have huge oversights in management and procurement! When I arrived, the person in charge of the factory actually knew nothing about it. Is this the time for him to evade responsibility? I just hope that the winery itself is not the problem, otherwise, given their production and shipment volume, I'm worried that my entire Zhangzhou will be on CCTV's legal channel!"

"So... there's still one question I can't figure out! Whether it's a problem with the distillery or counterfeit alcohol being made privately, using methanol instead of ethanol, what's the point?"

Nie Guoqiang frowned, knowing full well that without resolving this crucial issue, it would be difficult to say whether the case could be solved smoothly. "Unless they say their methanol is free."

He quickly guessed at one possibility.

"The Municipal Bureau couldn't possibly have overlooked this. Didn't you see the messages in the group just now? Director Yang has already sent people to investigate the methanol issue. But I still believe that the sales network is the key to the investigation. Is the suspect selling through the Zhanghe Daqu Distillery's channels, or is he secretly dumping it at a low price? These two different sales methods are enough to determine where the problem lies."

Liu Shengyou always felt that Zhanghe Daqu Winery was highly suspicious, and that it was definitely involved in this matter.

"The results of it?"

Nie Guoqiang asked calmly.

"This is one of the reasons why I came to Zhanghe Daqu Distillery!"

Liu Shengyou sighed, "Both victims purchased their liquor from reputable supermarkets. Currently, many police officers are investigating whether supermarket employees have engaged in misconduct, whether they secretly swapped counterfeit liquor for genuine liquor, or whether purchasing staff bought counterfeit liquor of unknown origin. However, these matters won't yield results quickly, and we also need to track all recent sales of Zhanghe Daqu liquor from both supermarkets, so we're a bit short-handed."

"Yes! If there's a problem with the wine in both supermarkets, then all the wine sold must be recalled. Haha... What a huge project! Finding the people through the transaction information is also a troublesome matter. I just hope everything is still in time."

Lin Ge, tired of listening intently, sighed beside him.

"Old Liu, do you think it's possible that we're overcomplicating things?"

Suddenly remembering something, Nie Guoqiang said in a deep voice, "Since the profit from replacing ethanol with methanol in brewing is not high, we still need to consider the suspect's costs and profits. So, do you think this was never a matter of counterfeiting from the beginning?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The two people and the cat were all stunned.

Nie Guoqiang floored the accelerator, driving at breakneck speed, his words flowing rapidly: "Old Liu, are there any other chemical plants near the Zhanghe Daqu Distillery that need methanol? My understanding of brewing techniques is still the traditional kind. The Zhanghe Daqu Distillery is in your jurisdiction, but I've never been inside. Does its production require methanol? In my opinion, the distillery is the most likely culprit in this matter. Is there something fishy about the ethanol they're buying?"

“Zhanghe Daqu Distillery is a grain-based liquor, so it shouldn’t need to purchase ethanol, right? It certainly doesn’t need methanol either; it’s just an old factory with decades-old equipment.”

Liu Shengyou thought Nie Guoqiang's idea was a bit far-fetched.

"Does Zhanghe Daqu Distillery not produce blended liquor products?"

Nie Guoqiang became increasingly convinced that his judgment was correct, mainly because incidents of methanol being used to make alcohol hadn't occurred for many years. The price difference between methanol and ethanol in the market wasn't significant, and even criminals wouldn't bother to find a more serious charge to serve a longer prison sentence. Therefore, this matter was most likely not about counterfeit alcohol; it was more likely that ethanol had simply been secretly replaced by methanol. It was even possible that the cause of the case was absurd, but not impossible.

"Let me check this over carefully! Hehe... What you're saying is quite outrageous, but to be honest, we've seen some really outrageous cases over the years. By the way, have you arrived yet? I'd forgotten, the reason I called you here in the first place was to check for methanol."

Liu Shengyou ultimately decided to accept the possibility that Nie Guoqiang mentioned, or rather, he absolutely could not let go of any possibility now.

Right now, all the police officers in the city are busy. Whether they are on duty, off duty, or on leave, they have all returned to their posts and are running around.

Before the case was fully investigated, all we could do was use the most primitive methods possible, checking each store one by one and tracing each bottle of wine one by one. The difficulty and workload were appalling.

Only if this case is solved as soon as possible, and the approximate quantity and spread of the counterfeit alcohol are determined, will the police's work be a little easier.

Only in this way can the scattered police force be concentrated to find the innocent people who bought counterfeit alcohol more quickly.

"I've always felt that someone might have gotten hold of free methanol, or even a large quantity of unlicensed methanol! Direct sales of this stuff require a license, but he managed to colluded with the distillery to consume it directly from within."

As Nie Guoqiang sped along, he muttered to himself. It seemed he was talking to Lin Ge, or perhaps trying to convince himself.

"Even a truckload of methanol would only cost tens of thousands of yuan. Why would that person and the distillery he colluded with cause so many people to get into trouble and end up in jail?"

Lin Ge was somewhat skeptical.

Soon they arrived at their destination, Zhanghe Daqu Distillery. Nie Guoqiang swerved to park the car among a group of police cars at the entrance, then quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out.

Liu Shengyou wasn't waiting at the door; he couldn't afford to be leisurely right now. Or rather, none of the police officers in Zhangzhou were at ease at this moment; everyone was rushing around, busy trying to save every possible victim.

"Chief Nie, Chief Liu asked me to take you inside!"

A police auxiliary officer was waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing Nie Guoqiang, he hurriedly ran over.

"how is the situation?"

Nie Guoqiang asked casually, looking down at his phone as he walked.

In the short ten-minute drive to the Zhanghe Daqu Distillery, the hospital admitted two more patients with methanol poisoning. The one with milder symptoms was out of danger after induced vomiting and gastric lavage, but the other, a heavy drinker, ended up in the ICU due to excessive alcohol consumption. Both of these individuals lived in different residential areas within the jurisdiction of the Baimiao Police Station. Perhaps coincidentally, none of the four victims reported so far resided within the jurisdiction of the Zhanghe Police Station.

"The situation is not good. We did find an unverified and unlicensed blending workshop in the distillery. We are currently using instruments in the distillery to test the solvent in several ethanol tanks to see if it is methanol."

The auxiliary police officer knew some things, and the answer he gave Nie Guoqiang was not good news.

"Is the winery operating illegally?"

Nie Guoqiang was stunned. Did Zhanghe Daqu Distillery really have such audacity?
"No! This workshop has all the proper permits, but it's still undergoing pre-production verification and hasn't officially started production. In other words, the blended liquor from Zhanghe Daqu Distillery hasn't obtained a license number and hasn't been put on the market yet."

Upon entering the distillery, Liu Shengyou finally came to greet us.

It's rare for me to bring my girl out, I almost forgot...
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(End of this chapter)