Animal Detective

Chapter 407 Dead End

When we arrived at the park, it was still dark.

Before the elderly folks came out, Shen Xin strolled around the park.

I kept meowing all the way, but I didn't run into the two cats from yesterday.

Shen Xin muttered, "These two cats are dishonest; they ate my sausages for free."

Eating sausages wasn't enough; he ate and took some with him, and even got teased by Da Mei Bai Bai.

Ding Yuwei thought to herself, "What's this? Yesterday, Zhao Tianxing was feeding people everywhere, but it was all like throwing meat buns to a dog."

Just as they were about to leave, they heard urgent meowing in the distance.

Ding Yuwei saw a white cat rushing towards them through the green belt.

They ran and shouted, as if they were afraid Shen Xin would get away.

Ding Yuwei clicked her tongue in surprise. She was certain that the white cat had come for Shen Xin.

The white cat, upon approaching, meowed anxiously and circled around Shen Xin's feet, presumably asking where Da Mei was.

Shen Xin asked Ding Yuwei for the photos and told her to get to work first.

The white cat has yellow eyes. It looks at the photo, then at Shen Xin, its gaze hesitant.

It's as if it's saying, "I'll take you there, so don't break your promise."

Shen Xin quickly recalled the promise he had made, touched it briefly, then pushed it to signal him to hurry up.

It then ran away.

"Walk."

Shen Xinyi pulled Ding Yuwei along and quickly followed.

The white cat left the park and headed north along the vegetable market.

When they reached the intersection, they stopped, looked around, and waited until there were no cars before quickly running across the road.

Further north, across the street from the vegetable market, lies a cultural and tourism district.

Because there's a river there, some antique-style buildings have been randomly built along the river, and some trendy bars, studios, and other shops have opened.

There weren't many people there.

The white cat led the two people through the streets to the riverbank.

It leaped lightly onto the fence, which was more than half a person's height, and peered outside a few times.

Shen Xin peered over, puzzled.

Outside is the river channel, with a significant drop of almost two or three meters from the ground to the water surface. It is a smooth cement embankment with no footholds.

"Where?" Shen Xin turned to ask the white cat.

It just meowed at the river below.

It can't be that the cat jumped into the river.

Cats are naturally afraid of water and death, and jumping into water to commit suicide is definitely the way they hate dying the most.

"Shen Xin, over here." Ding Yuwei patted Shen Xin and pointed downwards.

Following Ding Yuwei's pointing, Shen Xincai noticed a narrow gap on the embankment perpendicular to the water surface.

It must have been a gap left between the foundations on both sides when the river embankment was built. It was about ten centimeters wide and big enough to fit an arm through.

The gap lies above the foundation above the water level; the water won't flood it, but a person certainly can't get in.

But cats can.

At that moment, perhaps attracted by the white cat's meow, a faint meow also came from the crack.

Shen Xin craned his neck and saw a cat emerge from the gap.

It's just a tabby cat.

It was very thin, its head tilted back, and it only let out one cry, looking up in the shadows.

Ding Yuwei also saw it and asked in surprise how the cat got in.

The embankment was completely vertical, with no footholds whatsoever. It felt like you had to cling to the edge of the embankment and then swing your body in.

"Who knows."

This is a cat.

To be honest, in their minds, chimneys, building crevices, ventilation openings, and any strange or unusual place are just places to hide.

As for whether I can come out after I go in, I'll only know once I'm inside.

Shen Xin looked around. The embankment was smooth and far away, so there was no possibility of getting him out directly.

After thinking for a moment, he asked Ding Yuwei to go to the nearby shops to see if they had any long sticks and a rope.

When rescuing cats online, some people use retractable snares, which might be able to get the cat out.

Ding Yuwei left, and Shen Xin gave the white cat next to him a thumbs up: "Not bad, you actually found it."

I'm not sure if it's Guo Jinhua's, since tabby cats all look the same.

But now that we've discovered it, let's get it out first.

It's still a life, after all.

It looks so thin; I wonder how long it's been in there.

A short while later, Ding Yuwei returned carrying two mops.

They say to tie them together, then let them hang down, so the cat can grab the mop head and pull it up.

Shen Xin thought to himself, "You're overthinking it."

When this cat sees a mop, its first thought is definitely not "Can I climb up by clinging to it?" but rather "What the heck is this thing? Is it dangerous?"

Sure enough, when the mop was extended downwards, it immediately retracted.

The crevice must be very deep; you can't see where it is at all.

Ding Yuwei borrowed the mop from the coffee shop next door, and a female employee from the shop also came over.

"Officer, it won't work. We've tried before, but we can't get it up there."

She said the cat had been inside for over a month, and it was not only timid but also fierce. Last time, someone tried to lasso it with a bamboo pole.

It was already caught on its leg, but it got scared half to death and managed to break free.

This guy has survived until now thanks to the kind people in the neighborhood who keep throwing food into the cracks.

Gradually, people gathered around, and someone suggested, "We should call 119 and let the fire department handle it."

As a police officer, Shen Xin knows how hard firefighters work.

So it's best not to bother others with such trivial matters.

Shen Xin asked Ding Yuwei to get the tow rope from his car, and then he went downstairs to get the cat out.

The female shop assistant hurriedly said, "No, someone went down there last time and tried to lure it out with food, but it just wouldn't come out. It's very deep inside, and people can't go in. There's no way to get out."

If it were a dog, it would know you were rescuing it and would cooperate willingly.

But Hakimi?

Its thought process is limited to the idea that someone is trying to harm it.

Ding Yuwei glanced at Shen Xin: "He's different."

The cat was even more affectionate towards Shen Xin than towards another of its own kind.

He grabbed a tow rope, threaded it through the concrete fence, tied it to his body, and nimbly climbed over the fence. With the tow rope still attached, he descended along the riverbank.

As I said before, Shen Xin has no problem with physical fitness.

As for marksmanship, I can only say that I've been practicing.

Everyone craned their necks to see.

Before long, Shen Xin slid to the bottom of the crevice.

The female shop assistant was kind-hearted and very helpful. She even went to buy some sausages so that Shen Xin could lure the cat out. She wasn't afraid of getting dirty, so she lay down on the ground and reached her hand out from under the railing, trying to hand the sausages to Shen Xin.

"Need not."

Shen Xin waved his hand at her, saying that with his talent, he didn't need sausages.

The female shop assistant still reached out her hand: "No, it's very timid and fierce, it will scratch people. Otherwise, I'll find you a glove."

As he spoke, Shen Xin had already beckoned his finger into the gap.

Without even a sound, with a single gesture, the tabby cat slowly emerged from the shadows.

Dirty all over.

The female shop assistant said it was fierce, and it probably is.

The guy was so hungry he was unrecognizable, but when he emerged from the shadows, he looked like a tiger, with unusually bright and sharp eyes.

The few wounds on his face are merely the marks of a strong person.

They exuded confidence and moved with alertness and lightness.

Like an experienced hunter, slowly approaching its prey.

However, after stepping out of the shadows and seeing Shen Xin clearly, her gaze softened instantly.

"come over."

Shen Xin waved to it.

After a slight hesitation, it obediently came forward and gently nuzzled Shen Xin's hand with its head.

Shen Xin grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted him out.

Everyone exclaimed.

The female shop assistant, in particular, looked utterly incredulous.

In her memory, this cat would fight with even a stick, let alone be petted.

So Shen Xin was brought out looking so fresh and pretty?
With one hand holding the cat and the other gripping the rope, unable to climb up, Shen Xin glanced at the tabby cat in his hand, shrugged, and gave a look: "Go."

This guy is very clever; he understood immediately, grabbed Shen Xin's clothes, and climbed onto her shoulder.

Then, with a leap, he used the concrete wall for leverage in mid-air and gracefully landed on the shore.

The onlookers even applauded.

"Good job, young man." An old man gave him a thumbs up.

A man nearby said, "Sir, he's a policeman."

The old man was taken aback for a moment, then immediately said, "That would be even better."

The female shop assistant approached her with delight.

She thought the tabby cat was starving, which was why it was so obedient and came up as soon as it was told.

She instinctively reached out, wanting to give the tabby cat some food.

As soon as she reached out, the tabby cat turned its head and breathed out a puff of air, its eyes narrowing slightly, exuding a murderous aura.

The female shop assistant was so frightened that she quickly withdrew her hand.

At this moment, Shen Xin climbed ashore.

Upon seeing Shen Xin, it immediately switched forms, becoming a whiny monster, and rubbed against Shen Xin's feet.

The white cat, which had been hiding in the shadows, also rushed over quickly.

He looked up and called out to Shen Xin.

It's as if it's saying, "I've found the cat for you, Da Mei."

The female shop assistant looked at Shen Xin in surprise.

We're both human, so why am I so devoted to you?

Shen Xin casually picked up the tabby cat, asked Ding Yuwei for a photo, and carefully compared the patterns on its face.

"Idiot, you've got the wrong cat."

Shen Xin kicked the white cat away lightly, clearly annoyed.

While tabby cats look very similar, their patterns are still different.

The tabby cat in front of me is not Guo Jinhua's.

The white cat moved closer and meowed.

Ding Yuwei couldn't help but feel regretful. She sighed softly and said, "It's alright, at least we saved a cat."

She instinctively reached out to touch it.

This tabby cat was frighteningly docile in front of Shen Xin, but it would immediately extend its claws when it was someone else.

Ding Yuwei reflexively pulled her hand back, thus avoiding the grab.

"Looking for a beating, huh?"

Shen Xin pinched and kneaded its cheeks.

Ding Yuwei shook her head, thinking, "We just met, and she didn't even put up a fight."

The tabby cat meowed in dissatisfaction, its eyes showing some resentment, but an icon appeared above its head.

Seeing the female shop assistant looking at it longingly, Shen Xin handed it to her: "Do you like it? Why don't you take it home and raise it? I think it's quite well-behaved."

I just checked, and there are no injuries on his body.

Although he's very thin, he can jump and leap without any problems.

"good?"

The female shop assistant had a strange expression, thinking to herself, "You're so obedient in front of me."

She was interested in keeping it, but hesitated, saying, "I'm afraid it's too fierce."

Shen Xin said, "It's alright, I'll help you train it."

As he spoke, he pinched its ears and dragged it in front of the female shop assistant, pointing at her and saying, "See? From now on, she'll take care of you, and you'll listen to her."

The female shop assistant was incredulous again, thinking to herself that this was too frivolous.

Unexpectedly, the tabby cat looked at Shen Xin, then at the girl, and then took the initiative to come to the girl's side and gently rub against her.

"You...you're amazing."

The female shop assistant covered her mouth in surprise. Just saying those two words, and the cat became obedient?
Nothing but joy.

Seeing the white cat still moving closer to him, Shen Xin picked it up and let it take a good look at the photo.

At this moment, a woman in the crowd suddenly said, "Officer, are you looking for Old Guo's cat?"

She must have seen the photo.

Shen Xin hurriedly asked her if she had seen it before.

The middle-aged woman, presumably a resident of the neighborhood, shook her head and said, "Officers, you don't need to look anymore. That cat is dead. It was hit by a car last year and died not long after."

After explaining, she asked curiously, "Young man, you're not still investigating that case, are you?"

She lowered her voice, her tone mysterious.

Shen Xin leaned closer and asked, "Big sister, do you know something?"

For a moment, Shen Xin felt a sense of surprise and delight, as if a new vista had opened up before him.

It's like playing a game; you complete a side quest, and immediately a random NPC appears to provide information.

The woman quickly shook her head: "I don't know! You're the police officer. Why don't you secretly tell me what's going on?"

She had a gossipy expression on her face, staring at Shen Xin expectantly.

Shen Xin's eye twitched, thinking to herself, "If you don't know, then why are you being so mysterious?"

(End of this chapter)