Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 687 The Pressure of Dowry (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
For the national security department, taking all suspects into custody first would naturally ensure the safety of the stolen data.

As for whether there will be a fourth suspect... based on the current situation, there isn't. And even if there were a fourth person, it would be good; like fishing, we could lure out both the suspect and the hidden card.

In this respect, their rights are much greater than those of the police. The People's Police Law, which the police are required to abide by, does not impose restrictions on national security.

However, after thinking about it, Nie Guoqiang objected to Comrade Guoan's suggestion.

After all, even if you want to arrest someone, it's best to have a legitimate reason and solid evidence.

Meanwhile, Lin Ge got a little tired from searching the house, so he went to the living room to rest for a while and watch the lively scene between the other people.

"Why would Wu Duan, a promising master's student, do something like this?"

He looked at Wu Duan, who was being held captive in the living room by two armed police officers, with some disbelief. He couldn't understand why this man would do something so irrational.

Seek refuge abroad?

Or was it simply...being bribed?

But no matter what, it doesn't amount to betraying one's country!
These days, getting an education, especially a master's or master's degree, is no easy feat. What could possibly drive someone to abandon decades of hard work just to commit a crime?

"We have news from the comrade in charge of the interrogation."

Just as Lin Ge was lost in thought, the comrades from the National Security Bureau at the front received a message and led Nie Guoqiang to the corner of the stairs outside the door.

Lin Ge glanced at Wu Duan and quietly followed.

"Wang Jiasong confessed that he made the mistake because he was misled by Huang Gang. He didn't know what Huang Gang wanted to do, and he just turned off the building's surveillance equipment last night as Huang Gang asked. The reason he did this was that Huang Gang had paid him 50,000 yuan some time ago to help him transfer to a different position. He said that Huang Gang would take over the position of security captain after the transfer, and Wang Jiasong accepted the money and agreed."

"Then Huang Gang seized on his weakness and used it to blackmail him into committing the mistake he made last night?"

Nie Guoqiang sneered and said disdainfully, "Heh... Is this the excuse Wang Jiasong came up with for his crimes? Does he mean he didn't do it willingly, but was coerced by Huang Gang and had no choice but to do it?"

"According to him, that's exactly what he meant. In addition, Huang Gang also discovered his relationship with the woman involved in the case, Zheng Rongrong, which led to Huang Gang's repeated blackmail and forced him to make one mistake after another."

The National Security officer wore a contemptuous smile as he mocked Nie Guoqiang, saying, "In short, what he meant was that he only committed an administrative disciplinary violation. He was then blackmailed by Huang Gang and forced to accept money to transfer him to a different position; afterwards, he was further threatened and committed the serious mistake last night. But ultimately, it wasn't his intention from beginning to end. In other words, he can't be considered the mastermind, but rather a victim in this case. Oh, and by the way! He also confessed that he originally intended to call the police. However, Huang Gang said he had set a timed complaint against his disciplinary violations, and would report him if he dared to disobey orders, which forced him to go down this dark path..."

"What a blatant case of being forced from beginning to end! What a violation of administrative discipline!"

Nie Guoqiang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He suddenly remembered an anti-corruption TV series he had watched while recuperating in the hospital. The people involved in the case used the same excuse, portraying themselves as extremely innocent.

However, in reality, from the moment he began to stray further and further into wrongdoing, he was by no means innocent. When he disregarded national laws and workplace discipline, he was destined to pay the price.

"Where's Huang Gang? He's been detained for five or six hours now, hasn't he? And he's still being stubborn?"

Nie Guoqiang was more concerned about Huang Gang's situation.

Unfortunately, the interrogation was conducted by personnel from the National Security Department. Although the Municipal Public Security Bureau provided the venue, no one dared to reveal any details.

Even the Wang Jiasong incident was just something this National Security officer told as a joke to pass the time. Anyone who would believe Wang Jiasong's explanation and think he was truly innocent is an absolute idiot!

Wang Jiasong had countless opportunities to turn himself in and correct his mistakes; but even until his arrest, he was still trying to cover it up. This kind of person won't shed a tear until he's in his coffin.

To forgive such a person would be irresponsible to the country and society!

Thinking this to himself, Nie Guoqiang exchanged pleasantries with the National Security comrade for a while longer. He even took this rare opportunity to ask the man for a cigarette, which he enjoyed immensely, even indulging in a somewhat greedy manner.

"I was forced by the doctor to quit smoking."

Faced with the man's questioning gaze, Nie Guoqiang smiled wryly and said, "Smoking is prohibited in the hospital, and the doctors don't allow me to go outside. Plus, I've been smoking for so many years, and lately I've really been tormented by the craving. Haha... My wife hasn't even told me to quit! Besides, we police officers work hard day and night, how can we possibly quit smoking? So, I can only endure it in the hospital, and when I find a chance to come outside, I quickly have a cigarette to relieve the craving."

"For your health, you should quit smoking."

Comrade Guo An tried to persuade him, but still stuffed the whole pack of cigarettes, along with the lighter, into Nie Guoqiang's pocket.

Just then, his phone rang again.

After taking a look at his phone, the security officer raised an eyebrow and showed the screen to Nie Guoqiang.

"Wu Duan... has such a thing to do? Does this mean... he did all this because of the pressure of the bride price?"

Nie Guoqiang muttered to himself, somewhat bewildered.

The contents of the National Security officer's phone were Wu Duan's detailed information, as well as the understanding and opinions of acquaintances about him. It was incredible that the National Security officers could uncover so much about Wu Duan in such a short time; in less than an hour, they had even found out his teachers' and classmates' evaluations of him and his situation at school. Most noteworthy were Wu Duan's background as a boy from a remote mountain village, and the fact that he and his girlfriend were considering marriage.

Without a doubt, given this background, Wu Duan's family background must have been very ordinary.

This is evident from his choice of a high school with free tuition and fees, and his decision to choose a slightly lower-tier university after the college entrance exam rather than a university that barely met the cutoff score. He needed the school to reduce his tuition and other fees. Every school certainly has such quotas, but getting one is not easy. It is estimated that the admissions officers gave him some preferential treatment in this regard, ensuring that Wu Duan's university life did not add any burden to his family.

In this respect, this kid is quite promising. He then went on to take the master's entrance exam and did so smoothly; although he only got his master's degree from a second-tier university in Zhangzhou, it's still commendable.

The idea that reading can change one's destiny is vividly demonstrated in Wu Duan's life.

Through his own hard work and academic achievements, from high school to university and now, he has never asked his family for a single penny, yet he has still made his future incredibly bright.

then……

"He has a girlfriend, and they have been dating for more than two years. She is a female college student from Jiangxi who just graduated recently."

Comrade Guoan responded to Nie Guoqiang's words and emphasized a certain word.

"Yes! Jiangxi's betrothal gifts are very famous."

Nie Guoqiang nodded noncommittally.

"In short, through questioning several of Wu Duan's classmates and investigating the situation around his girlfriend, we learned that the two had planned to get married more than half a year ago. To be honest, this is a good thing, but what we learned is that the two have had more than one argument since then, and the reason for each argument is the issue of the exorbitant bride price. There is no doubt that Wu Duan cannot come up with this money, but the woman... seems unwilling to back down. According to Wu Duan's classmates, his girlfriend believes that everyone around her is like this, and if she is different, she will not only not be praised, but will also be despised or... ridiculed by her neighbors and relatives?"

Comrade Guo An's lips twitched slightly, and he said with a hint of helplessness, "In short, that's just how the local customs are, and the bride price is indeed excessive. And this several hundred thousand is just the bride price; there are a series of other expenses related to the wedding and the couple's future living arrangements. Even if they settle in Zhangzhou, Wu Duan will still need to come up with more than a million yuan all at once! This amount of money is a huge sum that a mountain village boy protected by an ivory tower could never obtain by any means! His current monthly master's student stipend is about two thousand yuan, and even with project research subsidies, it's less than three thousand yuan in total! Even if he saves two thousand five thousand a month, it would take more than thirty years to save up more than a million yuan. Heh... In short, if the woman doesn't back down, Wu Duan's only option besides breaking up is to find a way to get the money, and not a small amount!" "So... his final choice is to sell important national data?"

Nie Guoqiang remained expressionless, even clenching his fists tightly. He couldn't understand how this man would choose to betray his country for something that seemed utterly devoid of love.

Comrade Guo An shook his head and said, "That's probably the truth! He even knew that a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, so he didn't choose the things from the school, or even the things that were easiest to get his hands on from his advisor. Was he worried about getting involved, or was he worried about ruining his advisor and losing his job? In short, he found that the research institute where he rented a house was poorly managed and full of personal connections and corruption, so he set his sights on that place?"

"The management is a bit lax, and the corruption is a bit exaggerated. At least based on the current investigation results, although the Seaplane Research Center has some minor problems, it is still trustworthy in general."

Nie Guoqiang waved his hand to stop these shameful words.

Moreover, now is not the time for idle chatter. Through the investigation of Wu Duan, we have finally figured out the reasons why he did such a thing.

Love and the future weighed heavily on him, offering no room for delay or dread; this immense pressure ultimately led him to take a desperate gamble.

"But there is still no evidence."

Comrade Guo An shook his head again.

"Of course there is evidence!"

Nie Guoqiang looked up and smiled, saying, "You just said that Huang Gang spent 50,000 yuan to have Wang Jiasong help him get a promotion! Where did he get the money?"

“He’s already spent 50,000 on games, so it wouldn’t be difficult for him to take out another 50,000, right? And as the security captain, he basically doesn’t need to be on duty on-site anymore, so he can play games without restraint; I believe Huang Gang can figure this out.”

Comrade Guo An has a different opinion.

"That's right! Huang Gang made a lot of money! So how much of that do you think Wu Duan gave him? Huang Gang won't do anything without a benefit, and he borrowed so much money outside... no one can let him borrow indefinitely."

Nie Guoqiang said confidently, "So I estimate... the last sum or several sums of money Huang Gang had, starting from the 50,000 he gave to Wang Jiasong, should all have been given by Wu Duan. It was precisely because Wu Duan gave him this money and told him about the stolen information that he had a good prospect of making money! That's why he chose to openly offer money to Wang Jiasong, because he knew that this money could be returned dozens or even hundreds of times!"

"You mean... there was a transaction between Huang Gang and Wu Duan! And it was a large transaction of at least 50,000 yuan! This money must have been made through a bank!"

Comrade Guo An suddenly realized.

No further reminders were needed from Nie Guoqiang; the man already knew exactly what to do next.

With just one phone call, someone immediately set about handling the matter. Given the power of the National Security Bureau, no matter how Wu Duan and Huang Gang tried to conceal their deal, it would inevitably be exposed in the face of state power.

Meanwhile, at the scene, Lin Ge, who had rested enough, still couldn't find the hidden memory card.

The room was filled with Wu Duan's scent, making it difficult for Lin Ge to find anything unusual using only his sense of smell. Although the room was simply furnished, the memory card was equally tiny, making it no easy task to locate.

Moreover, the National Security personnel had already scanned every household in the entire residential area with scanning equipment. Even if the equipment had some omissions, it's hard to say whether the person in question happened to be in this particular house.

In short, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, and the shortcomings of Ringo's sense of smell were fully exposed.

Of course, this is a drawback for Lin Ge, but it would be even more difficult for others who don't have this drawback. Such a small thing, if Wu Duan is determined to hide it and he himself is determined not to speak, finding it would indeed be no easy task.

Unless we can find a flaw that Wu Duan inadvertently left behind, which is also inevitable.

"So...where could this flaw be? Or, like Huang Gang, where would Wu Duan hide the item knowing he might be found by the police?"

Lin Ge looked around the room.

That guy couldn't possibly be unaware of the possibility of being arrested by the police, nor could he ignore the possibility of someone else accidentally finding the item while he's under control. Therefore, in this situation, he needs to hide the item in a place where absolutely no one will go!

Where... could that place be?
Lin Ge looked up at the window.

With its lush and dense branches and leaves, along with these thick, ancient trees that have grown for countless years, it is perhaps the best hiding place since it cannot be cut down anytime soon.

This also leads to a problem: even if you guess that something is hidden somewhere in a tree, finding it...

The rough bark, the lush foliage, and the numerous small holes and crevices in the tree—things that would be difficult to ascertain with any amount of manpower or resources. That memory card, only the size of a fingernail, could hide in so many places!
Moreover, since the tree branches extend directly to the balcony, it means that as long as one is brave enough, Wu Duan can easily climb the tree and reach any position!
How can we guess what he was thinking at the time?
"Then cut down the tree and completely dispose of it! As long as it's chopped up or burned, it'll be as if it never existed!"

The comrades from the National Security Bureau were exceptionally decisive in this regard. What was a single tree? Even when things got really troublesome and headache-inducing, contacting the municipal government and research institute leaders and having the entire neighborhood demolished and rebuilt was not a difficult task!

"It's too easy for things to go wrong! Whether it's burned or destroyed, there's no way to be sure the memory card is inside the damaged item! This thing is great for handing over missions, but if you really want to ensure the data isn't leaked... that's just lazy governance!"

Nie Guoqiang shook his head and gave Comrade Guoan a serious look.

The man chuckled awkwardly, realizing he'd also considered this possibility. It might work to get by on a errand or to answer a superior's questions, but what if the item wasn't actually here…

Then everything you do becomes the most foolish thing in the world.

Although apprehending the three suspects has ensured that the information will not be leaked, there is still a real mastermind hiding overseas! If Wu Duan had contacted him beforehand... he might be the only one who knows where the memory card is hidden.

This is very scary!

Once the people in Zhangzhou lower their guard or wait a little longer, the other party can use various means to get their hands on the memory card.

So... we still have to find that card.

"Cut down the tree and scan it bit by bit with equipment? But that thing doesn't work well in complex situations, and it's ultimately just an experimental product that couldn't be mass-produced."

Comrade Guo An was somewhat worried.

"Mimi, do you seem to have a solution?"

Li Siyu suddenly spoke up because she had been watching Lin Ge closely and noticed that the cat's eyes lit up. It seemed to have thought of something, but hesitated, glancing at Comrade Guoan without making a decision.

"Mimi! Just do whatever you can! Now is not the time to hesitate. Who knows what other shady characters are behind Wu Duan! The sooner we find the memory card, the more at ease we can be!"

Nie Guoqiang reassured Lin Ge.

The security officer standing nearby thought for a moment and didn't object. After all, he had heard of the famous police cat Mimi's abilities. Could it be that they were going to use the stray cat team that had been shown off in Zhang City and Chu City many times?

If we could command a large group of cats that can nimbly climb trees, we might actually be able to find that damn thing!
Everyone looked at Lin Ge expectantly, and Zhang Ke even went downstairs to get the motorcycle without saying a word. Mimi usually dispatched her subordinates at the police station or the nearby Xiaoguanyuan, and now she could take it there!
(End of this chapter)