Animal Detective

Chapter 400 Just Catching a Gambler
In the mountains and forests, Yang Zeran suddenly slipped and fell straight to the ground.

Shen Xin, who was walking beside him, reacted quickly and pulled him back so that he didn't fall.

"Are you alright?" Shen Xin asked.

Yang Zeran shook his head, panting as he followed, and then said, "I understand now why you thought it was unreasonable to use people to deliver messages before."

He figured it was only a little over two kilometers, not very far. Even if the mountains and forests were difficult to traverse and he couldn't run, a short jog would be enough to quickly deliver the message.

But once you actually start walking, you realize that it's not easy to even walk normally, let alone jog.

This was the other side, an easier path up the mountain, instead of going directly through the fake casino.

Shen Xin said, "This is called the discrepancy between ideas and reality. The most important thing is to experience it firsthand."

“Last year, I used a police dog to chase a suspect in Dingshan. When we finally found the suspect, you can’t imagine how difficult it was to walk on the mountain. It was so difficult that the suspect himself gave up and didn’t want to run anymore.”

Yang Zeran nodded slightly, feeling inexplicably moved.

He joined the company earlier than Shen Xin, but he has always worked at the Municipal Bureau, mainly providing guidance on case handling.

Looking back now, Yang Zeran realizes that he was mostly just talking theory without any real strategy.

Only after entering the cold case office and actually investigating cases did I realize how difficult they were, and that taking things for granted is not an option.

For example, when guiding case handling, if there are no clues or directions, Yang Zeran would tell them that clues are found through interviews.

If you visit more places, you're sure to find some clues.

At school, that's what the teachers taught us and what the textbooks said.

But now that he has actually started investigating the case, Yang Zeran has discovered that it's not quite like that at all.

Walking tens of thousands of steps a day, not to mention the exhaustion of my legs.

Those strangers you subconsciously thought would tell you everything are complete idiots.

Even the police are useless; they'll just brush you off with a casual "I don't know."

And you can't be sure if the other person really doesn't know.

When studying past cases at the school, we often find that problems arise during the initial investigation, resulting in suspects being missed.

Of course, Yang Zeran didn't understand. He felt that it was unforgivable that something as simple as investigation could go wrong.

Only now do I realize that, just as Shen Xin said, there is always a discrepancy between ideas and reality.

Without firsthand experience, it's easy to make assumptions.

Therefore, Yang Zeran truly felt that coming to the Cold Case Office and starting to work on specific tasks was the right decision.

Yang Zeran, who had been overthinking things and even extending the ideas, suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

Yang Zeran suddenly had some ideas about the poisoning case he was handling.

He was in a hurry to speak as they were on their way.

Moreover, it's just an idea, and Yang Zeran needs to consider it further.

Finally, after a difficult walk, the group arrived at the real casino.

The area in front of us could barely be considered an open space, covered with camouflage cloth.

Below are folding tables and plastic chairs.

The ground was littered with cigarette butts and beverage bottles.

When I arrived, there were more than a dozen people squatting nearby.

This number isn't large.

But the table was piled high with stacks of red bills, and several colleagues were counting the gambling money.

Zhou Shaobo came forward and said softly, "The bet is huge, over a million."

Clearly, this is a high-stakes gambling game with few participants and a lot of money.

Li Fang wanted to frown to express the seriousness of the situation, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

There's no way around it; everyone loves cracking down on gambling.

Shen Xin didn't care about that; he was more curious about that like-minded person.

Sure enough, the crows came over and were now perched on the treetops, cawing intermittently.

The teddy bear was still circling overhead, waiting for a chance to vent its anger.

Shen Xin approached the gambler, pointed to the crows overhead, and asked who kept them.

"It's me, officer. This bird is mine."

A middle-aged man on the ground hurriedly raised his hand, his face full of smiles, his eyelids drooping, and his voice carrying a slight Beijing accent.

Shen Xin looked at the man.

He looked to be almost fifty years old, with thinning hair neatly combed to one side.

With single eyelids, a big nose, and rough, dark skin, he probably suffered a lot when he was young.

Wearing a Ralph Lauren polo shirt and Toddler loafers, this outfit practically screams "greasy" on his face.

Shen Xin asked, "What's your name?"

He had a rather large belly, making it difficult for him to squat down. He awkwardly stood on one foot, stealthily glancing at Shen Xin while constantly forcing a smile. He immediately said, "My name is Zhang Degui."

Judging from his behavior and his name, Shen Xin felt that he should change his name.

I checked it out on my PDA.

Sure enough, his former name was Zhang Fugui.

They must have gotten rich now, and they've started to pay attention to morality.

"Do you know how to train birds?" Shen Xin asked. Mentioning this, Zhang Degui's face showed a hint of pride. He nodded and asked in return, "What, even you know this, officer?"

Shen Xin remained noncommittal, telling him to call down the crows overhead.

He pursed his lips and whistled loudly without using his fingers.

Upon hearing the whistle, the crows in the tree above him immediately flapped their wings and landed on his shoulder.

Shen Xin was surprised. Goodness, he can even do ventriloquism.

"Officer."

Zhang Degui, with a look of eagerness to share, said, "Some people always call this bird a silly bird, but it's not true at all. Some birds are quite clever."

"You've heard of the story of the crow drinking water, right? It's about how the crow can use its brain. As long as it can use its brain, it can be trained."

"Did you see the money on that table?"

He pointed to the cash folded on the table.

Shen Xin nodded.

Zhang Degui said, "Believe it or not, I can get Black Charcoal to bring me the money, and I'll make it bring me a hundred, not two hundred."

Yang Zeran asked in surprise, "Really?"

Shen Xin waved his hand, indicating that he should give it a try.

Zhang Degui was really not polite; he still whistled.

He must really know ventriloquism, able to produce different sounds.

Each sound should correspond to a different command.

For example, you can attract the crow's attention and then use your finger, along with a whistle, to give a command.

The crow understood, flapped its wings, and nimbly landed on the table, snatched a hundred-dollar bill from a stack of banknotes, and returned.

Zhang Degui, looking smug, asked Shen Xin if he was amazing.

Shen Xin smiled without saying a word.

If it were someone else, they might think it's divine.

But for myself...

Even a tabby can go buy drinks by itself, so this is nothing.

Seeing that Shen Xin did not show any shock on his face, Zhang Degui felt uncomfortable instead.

It's like showing off, but the other person didn't understand—that's so frustrating.

Zhang Degui said, "Officer, don't think this thing is simple. Let me tell you, it's difficult. First of all, you have to choose the birds carefully."

"People are all kinds of strange, and so are birds. My black charcoal bird is one of the best I've ever had. I bought a lot of birds and carefully selected it. It's truly one in a hundred."

Shen Xin chuckled inwardly.

What is this? Is this self-disclosure? It's the buying and selling of wild animals.

Zhang Degui got carried away and, without realizing it, continued, "Also, just picking the right birds isn't enough; you need skill."

Do you know what I used to do?

Shen Xin shook his head.

Zhang Degui said, "Let me tell you, back in the days when everyone in our Anjing craftsmen's circle called me 'Zhang the Rat.'"

Yang Zeran was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Mouse?"

Zhang Degui nodded and said, "That's right, it's about rats. You've seen people train monkeys, horses, and tigers, but you've never seen anyone train rats, have you?"

"But let me tell you, these rats can be tamed. They can walk on tightropes, fetch water, and even put on a show for you."

"It's a pity that having a skill is useless; you can't support a family or make a living."

He shook his head and said it had been submitted to the emperor.

Shen Xin interrupted him: "So you set up a bet?"

Zhang Degui gave an awkward laugh and explained, "I had no choice but to beg for a living. I racked my brains, but I still ended up in your hands."

Yang Zeran chuckled and asked in return, "What's wrong? You sound quite aggrieved."

Zhang Degui shook his head: "I dare not say I feel wronged. I am a thief, and you are police officers. Catching mice is our duty."

"But if Kurotan hadn't run into this falcon today, would you have been able to catch me?"

He looked up to the sky.

After he was caught, he saw Teddy circling in the air.

It immediately became clear why Black Charcoal hadn't returned to warn them in time.

He was still wondering to himself, where did this falcon come from in the south?

Seeing his unwilling expression, Shen Xin didn't waste any words. He went directly to the gap in the treetop and whistled.

The teddy bear on its head responded immediately, passing through the treetops and landing lightly and slowly on Shen Xin's arm.

Shen Xin slung him over his shoulder, then turned to Zhang Degui: "How are you feeling now? Still feeling unlucky?"

"I rely on!"

Zhang Degui's eyes widened instantly, like goldfish, and his mind went completely blank.

He had just noticed that there were too many police officers at the scene; they were a huge, overwhelming force.

Now that I see this falcon coming at my beck and call, I have only one thought in my mind: Are you crazy? It's just a gamble, why did you train a falcon specifically to deal with me?

(End of this chapter)