Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 419 Evil to the point of festering
"Police, don't move!"

With a loud roar, Xu Xiaochong was forcefully pinned to the ground, unable to move. His phone was snatched from his hand, and the screen displayed the WeChat game that the victim frequently played.

This discovery caught everyone's attention.

"Why are you arresting me? I haven't broken the law! Let me go, do you hear me? Aren't you afraid I'll expose you online?!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Xu Xiaochong began to struggle violently, his words uttered with extreme arrogance. Of course, to some extent, with millions of followers across various platforms, he certainly possessed the ability to cause the police a major headache.

"Be honest with me!"

One policeman showed no mercy, handcuffing his hands behind his back. Another officer quickly searched Xu Xiaochong's car outside, looking for the crucial item: the tent he had used during the assault.

"found it!"

The tent, which was quickly found in a storage bag, was discovered, but when it was opened, everyone was stunned.

It's so new!
The tent is in very good condition with very few creases, and the canopy and sleeping pad show little sign of use. Judging from my extensive experience, this tent has been used for no more than three days.

More importantly, its design is completely different from the one Xu Xiaochong used in his previous video!
"Where's the tent you used before?"

"lost!"

"Where did you lose it?"

"I don't know! I just threw my trash wherever I could find it while cycling. I'm not a local, how would I know the name of that place, or which village and road it's in?"

"Do you know why I arrested you?"

"How would I know? I didn't break the law. Did someone in the same competition as me report me? To be honest, that's a frame-up! They're just jealous of my popularity!"

Where were you on March 21st?

"Hmm... I think I'm still in Nishige City, right? The parts I ordered online haven't arrived yet, so I can only wait for the delivery and can't continue. And then, I think I just rode my bike around the city and its surrounding areas for a bit that day?"

"Did you go to Dahongshan Reservoir?"

"I went! The scenery there is quite beautiful, and the photos taken there are very popular with my fans. So I made a special trip to take some beautiful pictures for them."

Where's the map?

"It's on my phone and in my camera! Besides, it's not illegal for me to take pictures, is it? It's not like it's a military base!"

"Did you do anything else?"

"No! I'm exhausted from cycling all day long, how could I have the energy for anything else? Officer, what exactly did they report me for? I really didn't do anything! Are you done questioning me? Can you let me go? If you have any evidence to prove I did anything illegal, please produce it now!"

The conversation inside the interrogation room made the expressions of the people outside look rather unpleasant.

"This guy is really fearless!"

Shi Zhenkang sighed and turned to look at the others, saying, "Although we've caught the person, we still don't have enough evidence to convict him. That puddle of urine was indeed spilled by this guy, but it wasn't the primary crime scene, so he can easily deny it as a coincidence."

"Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences! There is no doubt that he committed the crime. The footprints at the crime scene match his perfectly. What can he possibly deny?"

Tang Xu gritted his teeth indignantly.

Shi Zhenkang was too lazy to answer.

We're all veteran police officers; we all know that on-site evidence can serve as corroboration, but it can't be used to convict someone entirely. Otherwise, all those curious guys who like to linger at crime scenes could be arrested as accomplices.

"No traces of the victim were found on Xu Xiaochong's personal belongings. Of course, this is also because he destroyed the most important piece of evidence, the tent. Otherwise, we could definitely have collected the victim's DNA from it, leaving this guy with no way to defend himself!"

The head of the technology center also shook his head in regret.

"Take your time! Now that we've caught him, we have plenty of time to fabricate evidence until it's irrefutable. The truth will out, and lies will become truth! Since Xu Xiaochong committed the crime, there's no way he could have left no trace!"

Shi Zhenkang stood up, encouraged everyone, and then hurriedly left.

Meanwhile, the technical center staff were still working overtime to examine Xu Xiaochong's bicycle. If they could find the victim's DNA on his bike or on his person, he was doomed. No matter how much he denied it, this complete chain of evidence was enough to send him to prison.

"No way! There isn't any!"

A staff member looked up in despair and said helplessly, "I suspect that the victim and Xu Xiaochong were probably not close, and they may have even met for the first time at the crime scene. Then Xu Xiaochong killed him right away, eliminating the possibility of the victim leaving any traces around him."

"In other words, the victim was likely a fan of his and had interacted with him in the game. Upon learning that her favorite blogger had come to Xizhong City, she excitedly went alone with gifts to meet Xu Xiaochong? Where was her vigilance? What made her so sure that Xu Xiaochong wouldn't hurt her?"

Another staff member gritted his teeth in anger at their incompetence.

Another person looked up and said, "Xu Xiaochong's persona in the videos is that of someone who faces life tenaciously, bravely weathers storms, and self-reliantly overcomes setbacks; he's simple and honest, and asks for nothing but cycling. His various hardships in the videos do easily evoke people's pity. There have been instances in previous videos where fans brought him gifts to comfort him. His honest and reserved demeanor in the videos does indeed make some fans lower their guard."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Why would you let your guard down based on someone's online persona? What if they're not? And why would you travel all this way to a deserted place to meet them? Isn't that putting yourself in danger?"

"Heh... In the video, there's even a scene where female fans run to a bridge underpass to deliver something to him in the dead of night! Didn't they ever think that in such a place, no one would hear their cries for help?"

"Damn it!"

A group of police officers were both helpless and exasperated. What were some people thinking? Why would they risk their safety for even a one in ten thousand chance?
While cursing and sighing, the group disassembled and sorted everything on Xu Xiaochong's bicycle.

Most of the items were filthy; the hygiene of long-distance cyclists was, in some ways, not much different from that of beggars. Especially those few pairs of underwear that had clearly been sitting unwashed for days, almost completely crusted over.

However, the technical center is trying to find the possibility of the victim's hair, skin flakes, or bodily fluids on these disgusting underwear.

Lin Ge squatted some distance away, yawning as he quietly watched these people work. To be honest, there was nothing he could do to help at this point; technical and professional matters were not something a cat could easily get involved in.

Regardless, the suspect has been apprehended, and the police have even rounded up more than a dozen riders who had been in contact with Xu Xiaochong next door and whose riding directions were the same.

As someone with the same capacity to commit crimes and the same methods, Xu Xiaochong might not be able to resist tempting them into the abyss of evil after succeeding. After all, it's human nature to boast about doing something terrible.

Sure enough, a fellow cycling blogger who had interacted with Xu Xiaochong in a video suddenly revealed a secret to the police. Xu Xiaochong had once boasted to him about his past work selling fried noodles and even said he planned to leave his seed all over the country and even abroad…

"Beasts!"

Upon hearing this, the police officer was at a loss for words to describe this damn bastard.

"But this also indicates that Xu Xiaochong's crimes may not be limited to just this one or two cases in Xizhong City!"

Nurse Ji Wenjie suggested, "Should we report his case to the national police system? Maybe finding a suspect could lead to new clues and evidence in other cases where no leads have been found. After all, this guy has been to far too many places."

"A walking criminal demon?"

The expressions on everyone's faces turned serious once again.

"In this way, Nishichong City has also lost all face. A naive and ignorant girl died in a way that makes it impossible to feel complete sympathy. If she had just asked a friend to come with her, this would not have happened."

"Is this the time to talk about this? If he really did commit crimes elsewhere, those victims are also hoping for justice to be served!"

Shi Zhenkang spoke loudly, interrupting the conversation. He had overheard his subordinates' discussion and was not about to allow them to let their personal interests interfere with their work.
No one dared to provoke Shi Zhenkang again, and they all quickly kept quiet and got to work.

Shi Zhenkang nodded in satisfaction, then came to Lin Ge's side and squatted down with a smile.

"Mimi, you've really worked hard on this case. But it's not completely solved yet, could you do us a favor one more time?"

"Hmm?" Lin Ge raised his head in confusion. What role could a cat like him play in this DNA search?
"Ugh?"

Li Siyu, who was dozing off on the chair next to him, was also startled awake by Shi Zhenkang. Suddenly remembering the phone call Nie Guoqiang had made to her that morning, Li Siyu instantly became wary of Shi Zhenkang.

Director Nie is right, people outside are all after Mimi! As Mimi's caretaker, she must protect Mimi and not let her be tricked away.

So she quickly stood up, walked behind Lin Ge, lifted him up, grabbed his arm and hugged him to her chest.

"Director Shi, please tell me what it is. Mimi might not be able to do it! Besides, it has already achieved a lot, hasn't it?"

Shi Zhenkang wasn't angry. Anyone with such a treasure would be wary.

Furthermore, this is not the time for jokes, so Shi Zhenkang nodded and said directly, "Then I'll get straight to the point! Right now, the most important piece of evidence, that tent, is still missing. Whether Xu Xiaochong abandoned it or burned it, we must find it now! This is one of Mimi's strengths, right? Although it's quite difficult, I still hope Mimi can help search along the route Xu Xiaochong took. Of course, it won't be just her; the four police dogs from the police dog squad will also help. I just hope we can find it before the remaining traces on it completely disintegrate."

"But... from where Xu Xiaochong was captured to the outskirts of Xizhong City, not to mention the countless routes, the straight-line distance alone is more than forty or fifty kilometers! Moreover, Xu Xiaochong even stayed in the city. Doesn't this mean we have to search the entire Xizhong City, inside and out?"

Li Siyu was dumbfounded. Was this the amount of work that Mimi could possibly complete? Let alone finding things, even walking the whole way would be extremely tiring!
"That's why I said please!"

Although Shi Zhenkang was smiling, his casual words carried an oppressive force that brooked no refusal. In the entire city of Xizhong, which policeman dared to haggle over wages when it came to work?
"Ow!"

Lin Ge struggled to jump down from Li Siyu's arms, turned back and called out to the girl, indicating that they shouldn't dwell on this matter. The current hardship was nothing; sending that bastard Xu Xiaochong to prison was the most important thing to do right now.

"Okay, then I'll join in too! I'll take Mimi with me, and we'll split up and operate separately from the police dog squad?"

Li Siyu nodded in agreement, but then suddenly remembered that troublesome, fickle dog and quickly made her request.

Shi Zhenkang immediately nodded in agreement.

As long as this cat is willing to work, it wouldn't be a problem at all to order any of its officers to kneel down and ride like a dog, let alone a dog.

"Then I'll leave now!"

Once Li Siyu made her decision, she no longer hesitated.

Searching on foot was too arduous, so she found a creaking women's bicycle somewhere in the city bureau, put a piece of clothing in the front basket, let Lin Ge squat on it, and set off.

The two police officers assigned to follow her had originally planned to search by car. However, seeing Li Siyu's efficiency, they exchanged a helpless glance and could only borrow two patrol motorcycles from the patrol team, slowly following behind her.

"Mimi, where do we begin?"

Li Siyu was quite skilled at riding a bicycle, but since this kind of ordinary bicycle didn't have gears, climbing hills was still quite strenuous. Xizhong City lacked many other things, but it had one steep hill after another.

"Let's buy the parts from that shop run by the guy surnamed Zhao!"

Lin Ge recalled the address Zhao Dafa had left, then extended a paw to guide Li Siyu. At the same time, he didn't slack off, looking around and fully engaging his sense of smell.

"Damn! Car exhaust fumes are choking a cat!"

A passing car floored the gas pedal as it climbed a hill, and the exhaust fumes it emitted made Lin Ge's eyes roll back.

But what can he do?

In order to solve the case, we have to put up with these minor problems.

As Lin Ge struggled uphill and downhill on his creaking bicycle, he diligently searched the air and the ground for any lingering human scent. Xu Xiaochong certainly wouldn't dare come to the police station. However, after traveling two or three kilometers, Lin Ge quickly discovered traces of Xu Xiaochong's passage.

This guy seemed to rarely shower, and his body odor and sour smell were more pronounced than the average person's. Add to that the various food and seasonings he carried on his heavily armored bike, and identifying him in a complex environment was actually easier than expected, if you were lucky.

However, to Lin Ge's surprise, although Xu Xiaochong was a suspect in the murder case, his focus and hard work in cycling and filming the video were actually quite remarkable.

Judging from the distance he traveled and the places he stopped, he would stop for several minutes at almost every scenic spot along the way. He would take photos and videos, and would even set up his phone, ride back, and then ride back again to film a scene where he was riding towards the camera.

These facts can be easily determined by the intensity of the odor left on the ground and by reviewing Xu Xiaochong's videos that I've seen before.

That guy actually has some talent for photography, cycling, and being a video blogger.

Unfortunately, he ultimately went astray, turning a job that could have made him a successful person into a tool for crime, and he showed no remorse.

"I can't go on, I need to rest! I'm so tired! Seriously, what kind of terrain is this Xizhong City? I've been riding for so long and I haven't encountered a single flat stretch of road longer than 100 meters. This is ridiculous!"

Li Siyu was panting heavily and finally couldn't hold on any longer, so she gave up. The main problem was that the women's bicycle was really bad; the rider had to pedal desperately the whole way uphill.

“Let’s take a break then! There shouldn’t be any clues along this road. Even if Xu Xiaochong is very bold, he wouldn’t just leave something so conspicuous in a crowded place in the city.”

Lin Ge felt sorry for Li Siyu, so he decided to skip the city area for now and have the two lazy bastards take him and Li Siyu to the suburbs, where the terrain was better.

Lin Ge glared back at the two bastards on the motorcycle, smoking cigarettes, who had been following him around slowly and were of no use whatsoever. He ignored their role in protecting him and Li Siyu.

"Phew... I'll go buy a bottle of water."

Li Siyu parked her bicycle by the roadside, then got off, bounced around a couple of times, and shook her legs. She then saw a small supermarket by the roadside.

"Well……"

Lin Ge didn't pay attention to her for a moment because he suddenly discovered something a little strange in this place.

The scent attributed to Xu Xiaochong, as analyzed in the mind, lingered unexpectedly on the lawn ahead for quite some time. He seemed to have unloaded some luggage from the car; it was unclear whether he was rearranging it or doing something else. It was also confirmed that he had visited the supermarket Li Siyu intended to go to.

"There are security cameras at the supermarket entrance. Let's check which tent Xu Xiaochong was carrying in his car at that time. Once we've determined the timeline, we can eliminate a large number of possibilities."

Lin Ge thought with some annoyance, only then remembering his ability to judge smell and time. If Xu Xiaochong had changed the tent two days ago, he could have simply asked Xu Xiaochong to leave the scent earlier!
So Lin Ge jumped off the bicycle basket and quickly followed Li Siyu into the supermarket.

The two police officers paused for a moment, exchanged a glance, and quickly followed. As soon as they entered, they saw the cat squatting on the checkout counter, confronting the supermarket owner. Li Siyu was also quietly trying to persuade the owner, but the owner was stubborn and wouldn't listen to her explanation at all.

"Get this cat out! Pets aren't allowed in my shop. What if it ruins the vegetables and fish in the back? And what if it licks everything? How am I supposed to sell the stuff it's dirtied?"

It was obvious that the owner didn't like cats, and his attitude was tinged with personal emotions. Perhaps something had happened in the shop before, because he insisted that Li Siyu take Lin Ge away before discussing cooperating with the police.

"what happens?"

Two burly male police officers lifted the curtain and entered, causing the shop owner's expression to change instantly. He first glared fiercely at Li Siyu, then quickly backed down.

"Not only does he hate cats, but he also looks down on policewomen?"

Lin Ge grew increasingly annoyed with this guy.

But the matter was more urgent, so the two policemen showed the shop owner Xu Xiaochong's photo. Sure enough, anyone who'd seen a cyclist like him would remember him. He'd come to the store three days earlier, and the shop owner had followed him around, keeping a close watch on him for quite some time.

"Let me see, the surveillance footage, the surveillance footage..."

The boss muttered to himself as he turned on the surveillance footage. He quickly confirmed the date and time, and Xu Xiaochong's figure was revealed under the camera, carrying something in his hand.

"That is……"

Lin Ge's eyes narrowed, and Li Siyu beside him quickly noticed as well.

After shopping at the supermarket, Xu Xiaochong returned to where he had parked his car, first stuffing the items he bought into the car, and then taking something else and returning.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a neatly packed tent bag.

(End of this chapter)