Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 391 Angry Lingo

"This old man wasn't telling the truth."

After saying goodbye to the elderly man and returning to the police car, Zhu Jun's expression changed rapidly after closing the door.

He sneered and turned to Jiang Yiyi in the passenger seat, saying, "If a seasoned old fox who's been around all over the place were really this honest, he would have been taken advantage of long ago. The scenic area also said that this old man is a heavy drinker and has pretended to be crazy many times at night. He even stayed at the visitor center sleeping on the floor and refused to leave. How can he be acting so honest now? And do you really believe that this old man is illiterate? He's just pretending to be crazy and putting on a pitiful act. Do you really think he doesn't know about this 'adoption' scam?"

Jiang Yiyi nodded. She was certainly not a naive woman who was easily moved by others.

She first looked down to check the records Zhu Jun had made, then looked up and said, "But no matter what, it's a fact that the monkey isn't with him. Whether it's adoption or sale, we need to find the monkey first. To be honest, I'm really worried that the monkey has already been killed, which would change the nature of the whole thing. As for the problem between the old man and the buyer, let them deal with it! If you know it's illegal, you have to be prepared to pay the price."

Zhu Jun nodded.

Lin Ge also breathed a sigh of relief in the back seat.

"I thought I'd need to remind you, but it seems I don't. Speaking of which, why do I feel like this old man's rhetoric and actions aren't new? Could he be taking advantage of the police's sympathy to pull off a real scheme?"

Lingo flicked his tail, somewhat puzzled.

"It's just a pity! Those monkeys are innocent! No matter what tricks the old man has up his sleeve, those monkeys will ultimately have to bear the risk."

Jiang Yiyi sighed, still worried about the missing monkeys.

Moreover, Jiang Yiyi could also see that no matter how bad the old man's personality was, no matter how many lies he told, it was a fact that he and several monkeys depended on each other for survival.

The male monkey, Laicai; the female monkey, Guihua; and the baby monkeys, Yuanbao and Taohua, are all family members who have always lived with him. Perhaps the four monkeys are scolded or even beaten during training, but ultimately the old man hasn't been harsh on them; they're always fed. And frankly, these traditional monkey trainers treat their animals with the same affection as anyone else. Often, these animals are closer to them than family.

On the other hand, the fact that the old man resorted to using monkeys for tricks is also related to the fact that the art of monkey performance has indeed declined.

"Where do you think these four monkeys will be taken? Especially the sick Osmanthus, how will they be treated?"

Even disregarding the old man's thoughts, Jiang Yiyi was still worried about the fate of the four monkeys. If they had encountered a kind person, it would have been fine, but her biggest fear was that the monkeys had already met with misfortune, and it would be too late to find them.

"Let's look around first! Monkeys aren't like other animals, they're not easy to hide. The old man made his deal over at Swan Square, let's start looking from there."

Zhu Jun felt sorry for Jiang Yiyi, who was worrying a lot, so he could only work harder himself.

"By the way, Director Nie arranged for Yuan Meijuan to work with you, why did you refuse?"

Jiang Yiyi suddenly changed the subject.

"What do you say?"

Zhu Jun's face darkened.

"Hehe, how would I know?"

Jiang Yiyi stared at Zhu Jun knowingly, but the corners of her mouth were already slightly upturned.

"Because there can only be one woman by my side, is that reason enough? By the way, Yiyi, when can I visit Auntie again? I think Auntie is really kind, and I can't wait to call her Mom."

Zhu Jun took the initiative, leaving Jiang Yiyi speechless with just one sentence, and also making Lin Ge, who was leaning on the back seat, chuckle to himself.

"You... you're not allowed to call me that without my permission!"

Jiang Yiyi was both ashamed and angry, her face turning bright red.

The two returned to the police station laughing and joking, while the police had already received some good news. The guy who bought four monkeys from the old man had foolishly gone to the pet hospital to buy medicine for the mother monkey, and the police had caught up with him and taken him into custody.

But before the police arrived, the man, sensing something was wrong, unlocked the cage holding the monkeys, and all four monkeys escaped.

"That guy is the owner of a dog meat hot pot restaurant on a provincial highway in the suburbs."

Nie Guoqiang's expression was serious, and he even snorted coldly, saying, "This guy's intention in buying monkeys is crystal clear. Heh... According to the records from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, he was punished last year for illegally capturing and cooking wild cats! I can't believe that he's still unrepentant after a year, and this time he's actually setting his sights on monkeys. Li Yiduo has already recovered his browsing history from his phone, and keywords such as 'monkey brain making' and 'secret recipe for monkey paws' have been searched multiple times."

"brute!"

Jiang Yiyi shouted sharply, her eyebrows furrowed and her face cold.

"Boss, has that guy confessed?"

Seeing Nie Guoqiang's resolute tone, Zhu Jun knew that there shouldn't be any unexpected situations. In other words, the dog meat shop owner was indeed suspected of a crime, and might even be convicted of a serious offense punishable by imprisonment.

Nie Guoqiang shook his head and said, "He naturally won't confess, but it doesn't matter. I've already sent Hu Lijun and Hu Zhengping to his shop to look for evidence. As it stands, he shouldn't be lying anymore; the monkey has definitely escaped. After all, 'ingredients' are rare, and he wouldn't want to waste them. Plus, Xie Hua and Feng Yi arrived in time, not giving him more time to act. It's just that the place is on the edge of the city, next to a provincial highway, so finding the monkey won't be easy."

Lin Ge breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a surge of anger. What was wrong with these people? There was so much food and drink available these days, wasn't that enough for them to wreak havoc? Why did they have to set their sights on things they shouldn't eat? It was already disgusting enough that there were people who ate wild animals and weren't afraid of parasites, but why did they have to eat monkey brains and cat meat? What did these unfortunate animals do to deserve being eaten?
Or are these bastards immortal because they ate things they shouldn't have?
Lin Ge stormed off to the interrogation rooms, convinced that the damned dog meat shop owner was in one of them. The police wouldn't let him go until they'd gotten all the details of what kind of underwear he wore every day.

"Mimi?"

Qian Wei, who was walking out of an interrogation room with a satisfied smile on his face, was stunned for a moment when he saw the cat glaring angrily at him.

Looking around and not seeing anyone else, Qian Wei wondered if he had offended it, so he quickly stepped aside.

"What are you looking at!"

Lin Ge glanced at Qian Wei, whose raised tail resembled a flagpole or a sharp spear.

"Mimi, don't you dare run away!"

At this moment, Nie Guoqiang's voice came from behind, "Don't mess around. The interrogation room is not a place for you to act recklessly. No matter what mistake he made, he should be punished by law, not allowed to vent his anger in a way that violates the rules!"

"What rules do I need to follow? That guy eats cat meat! He uses cats as cooking ingredients, why can't I make trouble for him?"

Lin Ge turned and glared at Nie Guoqiang angrily; he had never been so angry before. Or rather, even if he had heard of the practice of eating cat meat in the South, it was ultimately completely different in meaning and feeling compared to something actually happening around him.

"Come here!"

Nie Guoqiang strode over, bent down, and grabbed Lin Ge by the waist.

"I'll put up with you today."

Lin Ge squinted, hanging motionless in mid-air.

"Pfft!"

Qian Wei, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh.

"Fuck you!"

Lin Ge glared at Qian Wei.

Did this guy think he was really afraid of Nie Guoqiang? Not at all! He had simply become more like a police cat, no longer so willful, and even when he was angry, he had to try to be patient, that's all!

"Director Nie, this cat has been trained by you."

Qian Wei, oblivious to the danger, still gave Nie Guoqiang a thumbs up.

"Awooo! You're asking for it, you surnamed Qian! I'm too soft-hearted to beat up criminals, but do you think I wouldn't dare to beat you up?"

Lin Ge angrily broke free from Nie Guoqiang's grasp and lunged at Qian Wei, causing the two to instantly erupt into a brawl.

"I'm so angry!"

After venting his frustrations on Qian Wei, Lin Ge finally felt much better. Qian Wei, with his hair in a mess and covered in disheveled clothes, was really going all out to appease the cat.

After all... it's not good to really upset your own cat.

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

Nie Guoqiang was pleased that Qian Wei had fully integrated into the police station, but he was still troubled by Qian Wei's reckless behavior. Qian Wei waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing, just caught a dishonest boss. He was stealing half a pound of seafood from every pound he sold, it's utterly despicable."

"Isn't this a matter for the Administration for Industry and Commerce?"

Nie Guoqiang stared speechlessly at the meddlesome guy.

“The amount is huge, so isn’t that a criminal offense? This shop has been open for two and a half years, and the amount of seafood he stole has definitely reached my threshold for punishment.”

Qian Wei remained vehemently convinced.

"This guy is hopeless."

Lin Ge sighed silently.

However, all of this guy's actions, strictly speaking, were indeed within the bounds of the law. As the most basic law enforcement agency, the police station can indeed handle all disputes and illegal activities within its jurisdiction. Under these circumstances, the police station is many times more flexible than the public security bureau, which explains why Qian Wei, who was universally hated at the municipal bureau, could live so leisurely here.

Of course, this is also related to the indulgence of Nie Guoqiang and Yu Zhengwei.

"Don't go too far."

Nie Guoqiang sighed and dragged Lin Ge away once again.

Lin Ge was too lazy to struggle. Fine, let them carry me then. I'm not going anywhere.

Lin Ge completely ignored the stares of the police officers and onlookers in the unit. It wasn't until Nie Guoqiang dragged him to the information office that he broke free and jumped to the ground.

What are you doing here?

Looking around inside, Lin Ge felt that the Zhanghe Police Station's information room resembled an ancient, makeshift internet cafe. Four computers sat back-to-back, a jumble of black electrical wires lay on the floor, and the office was incredibly cramped. It was in a completely different league from the luxurious, large, and modern information center he'd seen at the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

It means there's an internal network here; otherwise, working here would be worse than working in an internet cafe. At least the computers in an internet cafe are definitely much better than here.

"What are you complaining about!"

Seeing Lin Ge's disdainful look, Nie Guoqiang couldn't help but laugh and curse.

Ignoring Lin Ge, Nie Guoqiang turned to Li Yiduo, who was sitting in front of the only large-screen computer, and asked, "Yiduo, what's the situation? Has the Skynet system found any trace of the monkey, or perhaps the car that captured it?"

Li Yiduo shook his head and said, "Based on the time you provided, I reviewed all the surveillance footage around the Zhangsha Provincial Highway. However, I didn't find any trace of the monkeys, nor did I see anything particularly suspicious. The four monkeys are most likely hiding. If they weren't hiding, they might have been put in a car and taken away. I also marked the passing vehicles, especially the pickup trucks and trucks that are the main suspects. Next, I'll investigate them one by one. After all, as you know, there are just too many large trucks on the provincial highway! These people are also incredibly audacious. With a few people working together, catching a few monkeys isn't too difficult."

“This is a huge workload, especially considering that the trucks have already left.”

Nie Guoqiang sighed; he had expected this outcome. Furthermore, investigating all possibilities was a common practice in police investigations, so it wasn't exactly unexpected.

"Give the information to the traffic police and see what they say. Are there any vehicle owners whose information happens to be related to slaughterhouses, restaurants, or farmers' markets? Also, cooperate with the traffic police to highlight drivers with prior convictions."

"Speaking of prior convictions, there is indeed one."

Li Yiduo looked up and smiled.

“Feng Guohua, do you remember this person, Chief Nie? Five years ago, you personally arrested him for fraud and illegal fundraising, and he was sentenced to six years and four months in prison. However, he was released last month because of good behavior and his sentence was reduced. After that, he worked as a security guard at a logistics company run by a relative, and he just happened to appear in the video surveillance in this area. As of now, he is the only person with a criminal record in the vicinity.”

"Feng Guohua? You mean that guy who used to run a China Unicom branch, then secretly applied for credit cards using photocopies of customers' ID cards, painstakingly maintained the cards for four years, and then cashed out over a million yuan in one go?"

Nie Guoqiang paused for a moment, then quickly found a relevant impression of this person in his memory.

"That's right! It's him!"

Li Yiduo nodded and said, "The surveillance footage shows that about twenty minutes after the incident, this person drove an unregistered pickup truck away from that area. There were two large boxes in the truck bed, covered with a tarpaulin, which makes him look very suspicious."

"He probably doesn't have a driver's license, right? Let's investigate him first!"

Nie Guoqiang made the decision decisively.

Lin Ge blinked, surprised by Nie Guoqiang's decisiveness. That person had only committed one crime; did that mean he was already untrustworthy in the eyes of the police? Whenever something happens, he's always the first to be identified as the last possible suspect.

Of course, Lin Ge wasn't standing up for Feng Guohua; the guy's past misdeeds didn't deserve his sympathy. He used other people's ID cards and credit reports to apply for credit cards, then cashed out and ran off, leaving the victims with all the debt, overdue payments, and credit problems. How despicable could a guy be!
Lin Ge simply lamented that these days, it's good to do anything but commit a crime. Not only is it difficult to find a job after being released, but people also dislike and shun you. Just the fact that you have a criminal record that can't be erased in the eyes of the police is enough to make them target those with prior convictions first during every investigation.

Lin Ge had no interest in going to see Feng Guohua. There wasn't much he could do to help with the monkey's matter. Besides, Lin Ge was thoroughly fed up with running errands lately.

After the distillery incident, Lin Ge had worked tirelessly with the team for five whole days, his legs nearly giving out. He finally had a chance to catch his breath and rest; why would he take on extra work for himself?

Besides, he has other things to do!

After resting at the police station for a while, Lin Ge quickly decided to set off again to continue searching for Old Man Chen Zhe at Baimiao.

They said they'd be back in a few months, but the year is already over.

When Lin Ge arrived at Baimiao Middle School again, he suddenly felt a sense of realization.

It seems like the last time something happened here was just yesterday. And what's become of that bullied girl? I heard Zhang Ke and Sun Chang have come to visit her several times. With them backing her up, no one should dare bully her anymore.

Thinking about what happened that day, Lin Ge didn't go directly to Chen Zhe's neighborhood, but instead found a fence and strolled into the school.

It was still during class time, and the campus was deserted. A class was having a physical education lesson on the playground. Lin Ge glanced at it briefly, then turned and walked towards that oddly shaped dormitory building.

"Yeah! Sure enough, there are still some brats sneaking around smoking here. The school's management hasn't improved at all!"

Lin Ge quickly spotted some cigarette butts on the ground, as well as signs of a fight and urination.

With a moment of silence for the ordinary children attending this school and a sigh of helplessness regarding the district-based school enrollment system, Lin Ge, regretting that he was a police cat instead of a teacher cat, lightly leaped onto the wall.

Even though the weather is still very cold, there are still a few elderly people who have nothing to do busy themselves in the reclaimed fields across the courtyard wall. They are indeed usually idle, and at this moment, the old ladies are tidying up the garden and picking vegetables, chatting about everyday matters from a distance, and they seem to be in a pretty good mood.

"Hey! Look, there's a cat squatting over there!"

An old lady with good eyesight turned her head and saw Lin Ge squatting on the wall. She pointed at him curiously.

"It escaped from the school? It looks like it's been well cared for. Is it not a stray cat? Did it escape from someone's home? Does anyone have a phone? Ask in the group chat."

The other elderly people also joined in the conversation, discussing Ling Ge.

Ignoring them, Lin Ge jumped down from the wall, looked around but found no trace of Chen Zhe, and slowly walked across the wet mud and puddles towards the main road.

"Oh! It's that cat! Sigh, that cat, Old Chen hasn't come back yet! You won't find him even if you go over there now!"

An old woman recognized Lin Ge and called out from afar.

"Mr. Chen's pet cat?"

"Sir, how long has it been since you came back? I was so disappointed when the community had its get-together last time. I was hoping to dance with Mr. Chen!"

"Dream on! You think you're good enough for Mr. Chen?"

"Pah! I'll tear your mouth off!"

The elderly people quickly changed the subject, and even started arguing with each other.

Lin Ge had to admit that these old ladies, though old in years, were still quite young at heart, and they all seemed to be eyeing Chen Zhe quite a bit. But then again, when the old man got serious, he was like a British gentleman—wealthy and charming; he must have had many women in his youth.

However, since the old man wasn't there, Lin Ge lost interest in continuing. Slightly disappointed, he turned and walked towards a shopping mall in the distance.

I need to find a restroom to pee.

(End of this chapter)