Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 422 The Scoundrel
The crimes committed by Xu Xiaochong are too numerous to recount.

Even if he is sentenced to death, it doesn't mean his other crimes can be ignored or forgotten. The victims' families need more than just retribution; they need the truth about the case. Death is not the end; the grieving families of the innocent victims need answers from the police.

Therefore, even though Xu Xiaochong has been arrested and will most likely be punished with the maximum penalty of immediate execution, the police in Xizhong City will still not let go of his other crimes.

Besides on-site searches, criminal interrogation is also a method of solving cases. Professional interrogators will dig out every detail of Xu Xiaochong's crimes from his memory, expose them to the light of day, and bring justice to all the victims.

Even in this current case, obtaining answers through interrogation is far easier than revisiting the scene to find new clues. What could possibly be found at a scene from a year ago? No one can guarantee that. Time is an unsolvable problem! What kind of evidence could remain intact after more than a year? Is it really possible for clues that couldn't be found a year ago to reappear a year later?
Arriving at Dahongshan Reservoir once again, everyone felt immense pressure. Even Lin Ge's large cat face was extremely serious, his tail taut. He looked around but couldn't find a clue, nor could he smell any unusual odors.

"Don't be nervous, Mimi, it's okay. This place has been investigated many times, and no one will blame you if no clues are found."

Li Siyu gently comforted Lin Ge.

As Mimi's trainer, she really didn't want Mimi to bear too much pressure. Mimi was just a cat; she shouldn't be blamed for not doing things well.

"If I'm going to do it, I'm determined to do it well. Only by doing these things can I clearly tell myself that I'm not willing to live as an ordinary cat until I die!"

Lin Ge looked up at Li Siyu, knowing he couldn't explain his thoughts to her. But Lin Ge himself was very clear that he was doing all this to prove himself, to prove that the body he inhabited contained a soul capable of human joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

"But... is it really possible to find any clues this time?"

Standing on the edge of the wasteland, Lin Ge was unsure where to begin his search.

There seemed to be nothing unusual about the surroundings, and the wasteland had already been searched countless times. Not only were clues not taken, but even potentially suspicious soil and leaves were all taken back to the city's technical center for safekeeping.

The smell of urine was there before because Xu Xiaochong was so arrogant and courted his own death. But that doesn't mean that traces from a year ago could be luckily missed. It's as if they were specifically left for him, ignored by the police who had painstakingly searched the area countless times.

This kind of thing seems impossible just thinking about it.

Where should we begin our search?

Not only Lin Ge, but also Li Yiduo and Li Siyu, who came with him, were somewhat at a loss.

Li Yiduo launched the drone, but didn't know which direction to fly it in. Li Siyu looked around, unsure where to begin.

“If the case a year ago was Xu Xiaochong’s first crime, he would definitely have left some traces. The main problem with the case a year ago was that it was discovered too late, causing most of the physical marks to disappear after being soaked in cold water. But that doesn’t mean that Xu Xiaochong’s methods were flawless. Even if he gained strong confidence from this case, which led to his second crime a few days ago, I still believe that clues definitely exist!”

Li Yiduo spoke calmly, it was unclear whether he was trying to reassure Lin Ge or convincing himself.

Lin Ge nodded, ignoring him.

Everyone understands the theory, but reality is often more complex than theory.

Or, with current police technology, is it really possible to extract clear evidence of murder belonging to the perpetrator from an item that has been exposed to the elements for a year?
"That's practically impossible, isn't it?"

After a short, aimless period of busy work, Li Siyu felt somewhat discouraged.

"Good luck doesn't come twice in a row. It's already quite lucky that I was able to find that puddle of urine in time. If it had been a day or two later, like now, I wouldn't have been able to smell anything there anymore."

Returning from the search, Lin Ge glanced at the cleaned-up 'urine pit' and felt incredibly lucky to have caught Xu Xiaochong last time. If it weren't for that unnecessary and arrogant pee, confirming the guy's suspicion of murder would have been extremely difficult.

"Hmm... Suddenly it occurred to me, why would Xu Xiaochong specifically go to the crime scene where he committed his crimes a year ago to take a piss? To show off? Or is it just arrogance and provocation, like when he sent evidence to his fans?"

Lingo's thoughts shifted, and he suddenly thought of another question.

If we were to find a reason for everything that happens in the world, Xu Xiaochong's actions would undoubtedly just be a foolish lapse of judgment. But... are there really other reasons behind it?

For example, beneath that pool of urine lies the very spot where he committed his crimes. Returning a year later, disregarding the remains left by the police search, then trampling on the victims to flaunt his power? Or is it a sense of self-satisfaction? Or perhaps, a nostalgic reflection on his arrogant life?
Lin Ge suddenly felt that such a thing was indeed possible.

Xu Xiaochong's crimes weren't exactly the result of a well-thought-out murder plan. However, it was precisely because of his mobile identity and the victim's carelessness that the police were unable to identify the suspect for so long. But in Xu Xiaochong's eyes, this was undoubtedly a victory. If he could escape the law after committing murder, what could be more impressive? Thus, in his arrogance, he might very well choose to urinate on the police after his second murder.

In a way, it could be considered superfluous.
"Mimi, are we really going to dig?"

Li Yiduo took a military shovel from the car and confirmed the suspected location with Lin Ge again.

"Ow~"

Lin Ge tilted his head back and shouted, trying to project confidence even though he had no chance of success.

"Then let's dig!"

With a sigh, Li Yiduo rolled up his sleeves and began digging in the urinal. Although, to be honest, the urine had either completely decomposed or been taken away by the technology center, the feeling of digging for urine was something the reality couldn't change. Wearing a mask and frowning, Li Yiduo couldn't help but wonder if the soft soil had been soaked in urine. Seeing the splattered mud right at his feet, he couldn't help but step back slightly, resulting in a very awkward posture.

"Let me do it!"

Li Siyu couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

"How can you let a girl do this kind of thing?"

Li Yiduo raised an eyebrow.

"Macho?"

Li Siyu was dissatisfied. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Li Yiduo, saying, "Judging from the way you work, I know you've never farmed before! But digging field ridges is something I used to do all the time in the countryside! Alright, leave it to me! It's just a small plot of land, a matter of a few shovelfuls for me. Heh... I still dug fields that were drenched with manure when I was a kid, not like you are now, so carefully embroidering."

Li Yiduo, who had never done farm work before, blushed slightly and obediently handed the military shovel to Li Siyu.

Li Siyu, true to her rural roots, wielded the small shovel with ease, digging a hole much larger than Li Yiduo's own had dug in just a few strokes. It was then that Li Yiduo realized that digging also required choosing the right direction.

Lin Ge's teasing look made Li Yiduo a little embarrassed, so he quickly took out his phone to change the subject, saying, "I consulted Captain Xu, and he said we can dig anywhere in this area, and the Municipal Bureau has given up on collecting evidence. However, when he learned that we and Mimi were here, he still sent two policemen to help us. Um... we don't have law enforcement authority here, so this matter really needs to be led by the Xizhong Municipal Public Security Bureau. Also, if we do find anything, we'll still have to rely on them to handle it. So Siyu, take a break! As Director Nie once said, if we can find someone, we must let them do the hard labor! We're here to help, not to be slaves."

"It's that same old 'ox and horse' rhetoric from Director Nie again!"

Li Siyu glanced at her boyfriend speechlessly, but still obediently decided to dig a few more shovelfuls before slacking off. To be honest, an entrenching tool is fine to use occasionally, but digging with it is really too tiring.

'puff! '

A strange sound made Lin Ge, who was squatting nearby, twitch his ears. Li Siyu, who felt a strange sensation, also stopped moving and turned around to look at Li Yiduo, somewhat dumbfounded.

"A real discovery?"

Li Yiduo's eyes lit up. He didn't care about urinating anymore. He quickly snatched the entrenching tool from Li Siyu's hand and knelt on the ground, digging with all his might.

A dirty, smelly shoe, pierced by an entrenching tool, was quickly revealed; though tattered, it was still recognizable. Upon seeing it, Li Yiduo slowed his pace and sighed helplessly.

Judging from the mud and the old-fashioned style of the shoes, it's unlikely that these belonged to Xu Xiaochong. More likely, they're just trash that someone happened to dump here at some point.

At this moment, Li Yiduo also realized something: had Xu Xiaochong really hidden something at the crime scene a year ago? Given the nature of the murder case, if he had really disturbed the soil, it was impossible for the investigating police not to notice. And if the police noticed any signs of disturbance in the soil, digging three feet into the ground would be the least of their worries. If they hadn't found any clues under those circumstances, how could the two of them have simply dug it out with an entrenching tool?

"Did I work for nothing?"

Li Siyu looked at the mud and stains on her fair hands and sighed regretfully. "At least I can take this shoe to the police who are coming later to explain. Why didn't they dig this thing up last year?"

Li Yiduo chuckled and used an entrenching tool to pick up the shoe and pull it out. He didn't doubt that the shoe might belong to the victim from a year ago, after all, it was clearly a Zulijian elderly shoe, and the victim from a year ago was still a young woman.

Lin Ge ignored Li Yiduo's perverse sense of humor and continued to stare at the spot. He still believed that Xu Xiaochong wouldn't urinate or defecate randomly; if he did, he must have had a reason.

The surrounding area was filled with lush, verdant trees, each one looking rather eerie. A gust of cold wind blew by, and it seemed as if a mournful wail followed. Lin Ge couldn't help but feel a chill and decided to return to his car to calm down first.

"Cuck!"

A crow cawed overhead, and then Lin Ge suddenly felt a gust of wind rapidly descending. He instinctively lunged forward to dodge, and when he turned around, he saw a dark object trace an arc across the ground before taking flight.

"Cuck!"

A dark shadow landed on a tree trunk, let out a cry after it came to a stop, and then lowered its head to stare at Lin Ge. Lin Ge could see a wicked sense of amusement in the creature's eyes, and then he saw the bird turn its head and begin to preen the feathers under its wings.

"on purpose?"

Lin Ge was somewhat annoyed. Sure enough, cats and birds were mortal enemies; that was absolutely true.

He had clearly sensed that the stinky crow had swooped down specifically for his ears. In other words, this guy was a jerk who liked to peck at cat ears, and had even patiently waited until Ringo was alone before suddenly launching his attack.

"Are you alright, Mimi? What happened?"

Li Siyu rushed over from behind. She had just heard a bird call, then her cat suddenly did a somersault in mid-air, followed by a black shadow flashing by, and then her cat started to go berserk.

"Is it a crow?"

Li Yiduo raised an eyebrow. A crow that dares to provoke a cat is truly rare and courting death!

"It's not a crow, it's probably a type of magpie. You can see its belly is white, while crows and mynas generally don't have white bellies."

As Li Siyu approached, she got a clearer look at the bird on the branch. Its long tail feathers and white belly were very conspicuous, which shouldn't be characteristic of a crow. As for why it was making a crow's call, it probably learned it accidentally, like those talking mynas. This guy is really cunning! Sneaking around doing something naughty while making a crow's call—is it trying to frame someone or just having fun?
"Tsk! A magpie that crows!"

Li Yiduo also realized what was happening, but the bird above his head still opened his eyes.

"What a load of rubbish! That magpie is just a cheap bird!"

Lin Ge retorted angrily, thoroughly annoyed by the wretched creature above him. Unfortunately, the creature refused to come down after disturbing Lin Ge, leaving him quite helpless as he intended to teach it a lesson.

"Cuck!"

The magpie in the tree called out again, its tone full of provocation.

Seeing the cat slowly walk up to it and then look up at it menacingly, the ghostly thing rolled its eyes and suddenly a clump of feces fell from the sky.

"Holy crap...!"

Lin Ge's expression changed drastically, and he fled in a panic.

'Pat pat pat~'

Bird droppings splattered on the ground, startling Li Siyu and Li Yiduo, who were standing nearby, causing them to back away.

"Quack! Caw~~ Caw~"

Seeing this, the rascal magpie flapped its wings and hopped around on the tree trunk, seemingly finding it quite amusing to tease the cat and the two humans.

"You wretched bird!"

Lin Ge was truly enraged now, and without a word, he leaped up the tree trunk beside him. Before Li Siyu could stop him, Lin Ge had already spun around and climbed several meters high. He used his limbs to jump across the tree trunk, and in a very short time, he was close to the magpie.

However, the creature seemed oblivious to the danger, continuing to hop and peck at the tree trunk.

"Mimi!"

Li Siyu exclaimed in surprise and then covered her mouth, afraid of scaring Mimi and causing her to fall.

"Die to me!"

When Lin Ge was only a meter or so away from the magpie, he leaped into the air and pounced on it. At that moment, he didn't care about landing spot; he had to make this uncouth bird pay!
"Caw caw~ Croak!"

Even though its back was to Lingo, the scoundrel spread its wings and took flight just as Lingo was about to touch it. Lingo's frantic claws only touched the air, and he watched helplessly as the scoundrel jumped onto a section of the tree trunk above it.

Its calls were filled with malice and joy, which only made Lingo even more annoyed.

Somewhat clumsily, Lin Ge grabbed onto a tree trunk and climbed up with all fours, thus avoiding a fall. As for the clumsy woman below, outstretched her arms to catch him, Lin Ge simply shrugged and pretended not to see her.

He absolutely refused to admit that he had been tricked by a wretched bird!
Ringo continued climbing the tree trunk where the rascal had been perched. The creature didn't run away; it just jumped higher and higher like it was fishing. It seemed this wasn't the first time it had teased a cat; perhaps a cat had even fallen to its death because of it before.

The bird and the cat chased each other, climbing higher and higher until Li Yiduo and Li Siyu below could only see their shadows. Li Yiduo quickly took out his phone and zoomed in on the camera to see clearly that the two of them were still close to the top of the tree.

"Go to hell!"

Lin Ge lunged again, but this time the scoundrel spread its wings and took flight.

The branches at the top of the tree were thin and swayed violently, and Lin Ge, somewhat frightened, quickly clung to the trunk. He then saw the scoundrel had landed on another tree nearby, still defiantly pecking at the trunk and feathers, which made Lin Ge grind his teeth in anger.

"Mimi, come down quickly!"

Li Siyu was extremely worried, fearing that Lin Ge would fall from such a height. As a cat, it should just stay on the ground; why did it have to climb a tree and mess around with a bird?
"I've never been wronged like this before! I'm always the one bullying others, never the one being bullied!"

Lin Ge gritted his teeth, determined not to let this wretched bird get away with it! This... this guy actually dared to poop on a cat's head? This was simply intolerable! If he didn't kill it, it wouldn't know how many eyes the Horse King had!

"but……"

Looking down at the drop of at least forty or fifty meters above the ground, Lin Ge felt a chill run down his spine. If he really fell, even with nine lives, he'd be smashed to pieces, wouldn't he?
"Quack!"

Seeing that Lin Ge had chickened out, the scoundrel started mocking him again.

So Lingo decided to fight to the death and refuse to admit defeat.

It was impossible to jump from the top of the tree, but that didn't matter; the branches of the two trees were close together in the middle. Lingo carefully climbed down a little from the top of the tree, then climbed up the horizontal branch, slowly approaching the bird's location.

"What's happening here?"

Two police officers who rushed over saw two young men staring blankly at the sky as they approached. Upon closer inspection, they immediately spotted the cat crawling on the tree trunk.

(End of this chapter)