Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 405 Dancing with Snakes (Seeking monthly votes and subscriptions)

Wu Yan was ultimately not a professional thief.

Therefore, when Nie Guoqiang threatened to conduct a full gold detection in the entire mall, she quickly compromised and confessed to stealing an 80-gram gold bracelet using a pig-nosed snake.

"I've been catching thieves for so many years, but this time I've really learned something new."

Qian Wei circled Wu Yan twice, muttering to himself as he did so. His smile made Wu Yan's face grow darker and darker, her heart filled with regret, and she trembled with rage, wishing she could beat this despicable man to a pulp.

But this was Zhanghe Police Station, and she was already in dire straits herself, so how could she dare to do anything else?

However, Qian Wei did feel that he had broadened his horizons.

He had seen thieves hide stolen goods in their mouths before, and even swallowed them whole when caught. People who would rather die than spend their money are not uncommon in society. But someone like Wu Yan, who specifically trains a snake to steal things, was someone Qian Wei had never seen before.

Of course, Ma Dongzhi is an exception; there's still a big difference between a monkey and a snake. At least with a monkey's abilities, it's not capable of swallowing gold whole.

With such skills, why not do something else instead of becoming a thief?
Qian Wei shook his head, completely baffled.

"Is your injury healed?"

Nie Guoqiang watched helplessly as Qian Wei caused a ruckus in the service hall, but there was nothing he could do about this shameless fellow.

The main issue was that no matter how shameless Qian Wei was, he was still an injured soldier. Nie Guoqiang felt it was somewhat humiliating to bully or even punish an injured soldier.

"It's not healed yet! It's only just scabbed over, and I can't do any strenuous activity. Heh... Thinking about it now, it's a bit scary. It's just that that damn thing is old and frail, otherwise I might have really died with it."

At this point, Qian Wei sighed.

Even now, after calming down and reflecting on it, I realize I was quite impulsive. Why be so reckless? That old man was clearly trapped with no way to escape. Just watching him face legal consequences and get shot would have been enough. Why did I have to impulsively engage in hand-to-hand combat with him, risking my own life?
At this moment, Qian Wei would never admit, even if his life depended on it, how much hatred he harbored back then, or how obsessed he was with revenge. Now that his reason had returned, he was determined to save face. He would insist that what happened that day was all official business, and that he had absolutely no personal motives for seeking revenge. He was a policeman, not a revenger!
You're talking nonsense!

Nie Guoqiang glared at Qian Wei, too lazy to argue with him any further. The main thing was that the man's eyes had lost much of their former ferocity, which was a welcome change.

Of course, even if this guy's hatred has dissipated, he's still a destabilizing factor for the police station. Given his unreliable personality, Nie Guoqiang feels that if he gets involved with him too much, he'll definitely lose several years of his life.

"Boss, can I handle this one? I can't go on field missions right now, but interrogating this kind of thieving woman is no problem at all. And to be honest, I'm quite curious where she learned this skill, and whether it's possible that it's spread?"

Qian Wei's words made Nie Guoqiang's expression turn serious.

That's right!

Wu Yan's identity has been confirmed; she's just an ordinary urban woman. Because of her good looks, she was pampered from a young age and later married a good husband, enjoying a comfortable and financially secure life for the past few years. There's no reason for her to specifically learn how to control snakes for theft.

In other words, she started doing this after her divorce and subsequent financial difficulties. Specifically, in just over six months, she managed to successfully direct a snake to steal things and control it to swallow such long and hard objects.

To be honest, this is quite an exaggerated thing, and even if most people had this idea, they would find it difficult to replicate successfully.

But Wu Yan managed to do it, and she succeeded three times!
Aside from the third time when she was reported to the police for stealing something too valuable due to her audacity, she was not suspected on the first two occasions because of her demeanor and status.

Of course, it was precisely the success of the previous two times that whetted her appetite, leading her to pull off a big heist that landed her in the police station.

"I'll leave this matter to you."

Nie Guoqiang nodded, handing over this potentially troublesome matter to Qian Wei. Qian Wei was practically Zhang City's anti-thief special forces; he believed it was only a matter of time before she, a mere brainless woman, would talk.

Just as Nie Guoqiang turned his head, he saw on the other side that Mimi was staring at the snake in the fish tank.

The cat sat there, eyes wide, staring at the terrified orange hognose snake in the fish tank. Neither moved, as if playing a game where whoever moved would lose. It was only because the snake couldn't cry that Nie Guoqiang felt it was about to weep from fear and grievance.

"Mimi, don't harm it!"

Nie Guoqiang had no intention of letting Lin Ge kill the snake.

To be honest, this snake was exceptionally clever and capable, and also had a docile temperament. After the successful theft, Wu Yan hid it in the pocket of a mannequin in a men's clothing store, and it actually remained completely still from head to toe.

If Wu Yan hadn't taken the initiative to bring people over, who would have thought that this mannequin standing at the entrance of the suit store, brushing past countless people, would have a snake and a large gold bracelet hidden in its clothes?

Oh! The gold bracelet has been stretched into gold bars, which is completely ruined from a craftsmanship perspective.

Before leaving, Boss Gu flew into a rage, demanding compensation from Wu Yan. Nie Guoqiang simply told him to take legal action and ended the conversation. As for the gold bracelet, as evidence, it certainly couldn't be returned to Boss Gu until the case was closed; he would have to wait a few more days.

Meanwhile, Wan Ying decided to resign.

A boss who only cares about money and doesn't value his employees is destined to never gain their trust. Besides Wan Ying, the three other people who worked with her were also angry because Boss Gu intended for them to share the losses, and they all chose to leave together.

With Wan Ying and her policeman husband around, Boss Gu certainly wouldn't dare delay paying the resignation wages. But if he waits until this matter is over before resigning, it's hard to say whether he'll receive the money on time.

Everyone is smart in these kinds of situations.

The store was suddenly empty of all its staff, and the theft caused concern among customers, affecting business. Enraged, Boss Gu smashed his phone on the spot.

Of course, this has nothing to do with Lingo.

Playing with snakes through glass was a bit boring, and Lin Ge actually quite enjoyed teasing this timid guy. Besides, with a cat's reaction speed, how could it possibly get bitten by a snake? So, when Nie Guoqiang wasn't looking, Lin Ge quietly moved the book "Chinese Criminal Law" that was pressing down on the fish tank.

Having gotten a chance to catch its breath, the hognose snake quickly tried to escape. But how could Ringo let it have its way? With a quick, stealthy poke of its paw, the hognose snake fell back to the bottom of the fish tank.

The unfortunate, clumsy snake persisted in climbing higher, but Lingo waited until it was halfway up before intervening, repeatedly stuffing it back into the fish tank.

Lin Ge was having so much fun that he didn't even notice that Nie Guoqiang had quietly walked up behind him.

"You guy!"

Nie Guoqiang watched helplessly as Lin Ge acted up. Seeing that he was going too far, he picked up the thick "Chinese Criminal Law" and pressed it on Lin Ge's head.

"Don't make trouble!"

Lin Ge's ears were flattened. He broke free from the thick book, then turned around and glared at Nie Guoqiang.

He never expected that as he turned around, his raised tail would brush right in front of the hognose snake.

Upon seeing this thing, the hognose snake, already furious, could no longer restrain itself. Seeing the tail still swaying, it stretched out its body without hesitation and bit down hard.

"Ow!"

Lin Ge screamed and jumped up.

It wasn't that I was bitten in pain, but rather that I was startled.

Whether it's a person or a cat, who wouldn't panic after being bitten by a snake? Lin Ge frantically started running around the service hall, but the hognose snake was stubborn, stubbornly biting Lin Ge's tail and refusing to let go. No matter how much Lin Ge dragged it around, it just stared at Lin Ge's tail with its teeth firmly biting down.

From a distance, Lingo's tail appeared to have been lengthened considerably, though its vibrant orange color remained. As Lingo ran and his tail swung, this extended section swayed back and forth...

Everyone in the hall was stunned.

Several elderly people who were using the air conditioning quickly got up and moved away from Lin Ge, fearing that the snake might harm them.

"I knew this would happen."

Nie Guoqiang rubbed his temples speechlessly. But seeing Lin Ge's terrified expression, he took advantage of the moment Lin Ge ran over and scooped him up, snake and all, into his arms.

The long snake tail hanging in mid-air looked even more comical.

"You're always causing me trouble."

Nie Guoqiang sighed, grabbed the hognose snake by its vital spot to rescue Lin Ge, and then put the equally frightened hognose snake back into the fish tank.

"This thing, is it poisonous?"

Lingo was terrified and quickly turned to check his tail. Finding no teeth marks, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, the fur on the tip of his tail, where the snake had swallowed him, was still a bit tangled and difficult to smooth out.

Lin Ge was both shocked and furious. He turned around and glared fiercely at the pig-nosed snake, which was curled up in fear and hiding its head.

"Pet snakes should be non-venomous, right?"

Nie Guoqiang was also worried that something had happened to Mimi, so he quickly checked his phone. Upon seeing what he saw, he frowned.

Lin Ge felt a chill run down his spine.

"I'm sorry, Mimi, hognose snakes are poisonous."

Nie Guoqiang's words made Lin Ge's vision go black.

What's going on? This thing is a venomous snake? Are people these days crazy? How can they keep venomous snakes as pets? And what's wrong with the police station and the forestry bureau? Knowing that hognose snakes are venomous, how can they allow them to be sold as pets?
At this moment, Lin Ge wished he could beat Nie Guoqiang to a pulp, and lamented his own ill fate, that he would die at the hands of a seemingly harmless little snake.

"Don't worry! Hognose snakes are mildly venomous; their venom won't kill a person. At most, it can paralyze a mouse or a toad. For you... it'll just hurt for a moment?"

Nie Guoqiang continued teasing Lin Ge into the phone, then couldn't help but scold him, "Who told you to be so impulsive as to provoke it? Hognose snakes are timid; they'll only play dead when in danger, not attack. If you hadn't kept provoking it, why would it have bitten you?"

"Okay, I know! It's my fault! I'm not feeling well right now, I need to rest, don't bother me."

As Lin Ge listened, he felt increasingly unwell, as if the poison had taken effect. He just wanted to go back to the cat shelter, lie down, and tough it out.

So, with his tail drooping and his head down, Lingo turned and walked away.

Seeing him like this, Nie Guoqiang felt sorry for him. Worried that Lin Ge was scaring himself, he quickly added, "Don't overthink it. Hognose snakes have fangs in the back, and the fangs are located in the throat. She only bit you with her front fangs just now, and it's not even certain if she broke your skin! Besides, hognose snake venom is hemolytic, so there won't be any problems at all if there's no bleeding."

"..."

Lingo stopped and looked back at his tail.

"Dude, are you in pain? Are you bleeding?"

It wags its tail, refusing to answer the silly question posed by the main body.

Lin Ge suddenly realized he'd made a foolish mistake; after all, a tail can't talk. Wait a minute! Doesn't it hurt? Do you think I don't know? Aside from feeling a bite, I didn't feel any other pain at all!
"So, I wasn't poisoned? Haha!"

Lin Ge finally felt relieved, his heart calming down. To be honest, he was really scared, his heart pounding, and he almost thought he was going to die. The main problem was that snakes were so unpredictable; no one, human or cat, is immune to these creepy creatures.

With his life restored, Lingo regained his arrogance. Seeing the hognose snake put back into the fish tank, he slowly walked over and gently tapped the glass of the tank with his claws.

"You little punk, you dare to scare me? You scared me so badly I got hurt, how are you going to compensate me for emotional distress? How about snake soup? I remember the fat chef at the police station makes it, right?"

"Fizz!"

The hognose snake didn't understand what Ringo was talking about; it only felt threatened by the terrifying creature. Seeing that Ringo didn't seem afraid of its cries, the snake simply rolled over and lay on its back in the fish tank, pretending to be dead. No matter how much Ringo knocked on the glass, it didn't react.

"Isn't this boring?"

Ringo gestured for the hognose snake to get up and have some fun, but the guy ignored him. After a few tries, Ringo lost interest, sighed, and decided to go find somewhere else to have some fun.

"Xiao Yu, go find a safe place for this guy, just in case it accidentally bites someone. It'll be fine for a normal person, but it would be troublesome if someone is allergic to its venom."

Nie Guoqiang knew that hognose snakes were venomous, so he didn't dare leave it in the service hall. There were quite a few elderly people coming and going this time; what if he encountered a mischievous and curious old man like Mimi?
Just then, auxiliary police officer Xiao Yu, who had just arrived, passed by and saw that Nie Guoqiang seemed to be looking for help, so he quickly came over.

"Director Nie, leave this to me! Just tell me where to put it, and I'll move it for you right away."

Xiao Yu originally had work to do and was holding a document, unsure of who to give it to. But as soon as he saw Nie Guoqiang, he quickly put the document down on the table and then carefully picked up the fish tank.

Nie Guoqiang remained silent, only pointing to an empty mediation room next door.

Seeing that Xiao Yu was carrying the fish tank and wanted to greet him, and only after he nodded did he turn around and take the fish tank to the mediation room, Nie Guoqiang's brows suddenly furrowed.

Looking at Xiao Yu's proactive and enthusiastic manner while working for him, and then glancing at the unattended document on the counter next to him, Nie Guoqiang picked it up expressionlessly.

He glanced at it briefly, and his face immediately turned ashen.

This is a case record from a case Zhang Yong handled just last week. It wasn't a big case, just a financial dispute. After Zhang Yong's mediation, the debtor promised to repay the money by the end of the month. He even wrote a guarantee under Zhang Yong's supervision; everything is in this folder.

This thing may seem unimportant, but if it gets lost or taken by someone, and the person who owes the money then goes back on their word or denies it, things will get complicated.

Even though the mediation room is still under surveillance, the written record on a black background, along with the signatures and fingerprints of both parties, are still essential. Otherwise, if it evolves into a highly controversial situation like those online, and netizens suspect that the police station has falsified or altered the records, the matter will become extremely complicated and cause Zhang Yong a lot of trouble.

In other words, leaving important documents in an unsupervised place, such as a high-traffic lobby like this, is a grave mistake. Such negligence, or carelessness, is a very serious problem in police stations or any official institution.

Xiao Yu did this simply because his boss asked him to do some odd jobs, and for several days he neglected Zhang Yong's important matters, failing to prioritize them.

"Is he being unreasonable? Or did he come here specifically to curry favor with me? Do I need him to help me move a broken fish tank?"

Nie Guoqiang gritted his teeth in anger.

Of the four newly recruited auxiliary police officers, one ultimately disappointed him.

Xiao Yu wasn't recruited from the public; he was a recommended unemployed youth from the Moon Lake community. The police station had an obligation to help solve the employment problems of unemployed youth in its jurisdiction, but unexpectedly, they picked a sly and cunning guy.

Whether it was carelessness or cleverness, it couldn't escape Nie Guoqiang's eyes. Xiao Yu's deliberate attempts to please him were the most unacceptable tactic in the police station.

What's needed for dispatching personnel is ability, diligence, hard work, and perseverance, not cleverness.

While currying favor with superiors may lead to rapid advancement, the Zhanghe Police Station has no place for those obsessed with power and connections. If you're looking to climb the ranks through personal relationships, then don't choose to be a police officer!
Nie Guoqiang gave Xiao Yu a low evaluation.

However, considering that he had only been there for a short time and this was the first time he had been caught making a mistake, it was decided to give him another chance.

But it seems that Xiao Yu doesn't think so.

Just two days later, that evening, Nie Guoqiang was about to leave work and was planning to take Nie Xiaopang to Xinhua Bookstore to look for treasures when Xiao Yu suddenly stopped him at the entrance of the police station.

"Oh, it's Xiao Yu. What's up?"

Xiao Yu hasn't made any more mistakes in the past two days, so Nie Guoqiang's attitude is relatively mild right now.

"Director Nie, do you have some time? Shall I treat you to a meal?"

Xiao Yu rubbed his hands together, a hint of guilt and unease on his face.

He knew this wouldn't be easy, but what could he do? He'd boasted while drunk. His brother had given him so much face, so he had to at least give it a try, right?
(End of this chapter)