Chapter 280

Didn't get to see Peanut Candy teasing the little Pekingese, but I found out about this instead.

After returning to Chu Hua Da Xue, Zheng Tan didn't go straight to Dongqu Dayuan; instead he went to the small grove at the campus edge, opened his phone and sent a text to Xiao Luo, explaining how Zhang Dong had stolen the phone, listing a few examples he had personally witnessed, and even explicitly mentioning Zhang Dong's company.

After sending the text and turning off his phone, Zheng Tan finally felt relieved and went home to have Jiao Ma wash his paws. What needed to be done has been done; as for how things will develop next, it's up to Xiao Luo. Although this guy looks like an idiot, being able to work in this line proves his intelligence is fine.

After Xiao Luo returned, though mentally exhausted, he couldn't sleep at night. Night is when the body is most sensitive; the silence makes him think too much, especially after drinking and hearing a senior's lecture, it's hard not to dwell. He knows where his personality falls short—he's not dense, he just often doesn't know how to say no.

When Xiao Luo was doubting whether he really was a failure as a person, his phone rang with a text message alert.

He couldn't think of who would send a text at this time; if there were an urgent matter at the station, they'd call directly, so the sender is probably the telecom carrier.

But when Xiao Luo picked up his phone and saw the screen showing a phone number with four 6's, he became puzzled.

Not the carrier? Wrong number? Or a scam text?

He opened it; Xiao Luo swept away his earlier gloom, sat up immediately, and read the text carefully from start to finish. It contained a lot of information, and it didn't look like nonsense.

Anonymous tip?

How would this informant know my phone number? Perhaps they heard it from people in the residential compound?

Daily, Xiao Luo is often called by the aunties in his residential compound to help; everyone knows his job, he's honest and diligent, doesn't seek reward, to put it bluntly he's just too honest and naive, so they go straight to him for anything—more effective than calling 110, even for unclogging a toilet or pulling a tooth for a cat, they just call his phone. So the aunties in that compound where Xiao Luo lives daily just buy groceries, cook, play mahjong, and chat about Xiao Luo; they know his number by heart without needing to look it up.

Thus Xiao Luo thought it's possible the informant learned his number from the compound residents.

Regardless, this counts as a meaningful lead that's come up recently. He took out his notebook, wrote down some clues and his thoughts, so he wouldn't forget, planning to pay attention to that "Zhang Dong" tomorrow. Xiao Luo called the anonymous tipster to learn more, but found the phone off; after thinking, he sent a thank-you text.

Even if Zheng Tan looks down on Zhang Dong's character, he still has to admit that Zhang Dong is good at concealing himself, and when interacting with others he carefully hides his unsavory side; otherwise Bai Lao Shi wouldn't have remained unaware of his true nature for so long.

However, if one purposefully tails him, noticing his abnormalities is still relatively easy.

Zhang Dong owns a house in the old neighborhood; now he moved out, renting that old place while he himself rents in an elevator-building compound. He still has some savings; otherwise he couldn't afford to rent in a high-end elevator compound. Generally low-level staff who scrape by go for cheap rentals—private homes, basements, or those old neighborhoods costing a few hundred a month are their usual choices.

Now, after Bai Lao Shi broke up with him and publicly slapped him, causing embarrassment, Zhang Dong's mood has been quite bad for a while; whenever he feels down he seeks ways to vent, so he's done a series of things—seeing others panic over lost items makes him feel balanced. Zhang Dong's liking for theft isn't due to dire living conditions that leave him unable to put food on the table; it's a habit, a psychological pleasure—perhaps it started when he was short of cash, but even after landing a stable job with steady income, whenever his mood sours he still goes out for a walk, adjusts his mood, and picks up something to improve his life.

And just as he was balancing his mood and preparing for a new romance, he committed a crime and was caught red-handed.

Zhang Dong, aside from his theft skills, is lacking in other areas, such as counter-surveillance. Just as when Zheng Tan went into his place to cause trouble, this guy couldn't figure anything out. He failed to notice Xiao Luo tailing him, so he got caught; if it were Er Mao or the like, they'd shake off a tail in the blink of an eye.

After Zhang Dong was arrested, Xiao Luo and his team followed that lead and dug up some unfavorable stuff on him; this time Zhang Dong really fell.

But Zhang Dong doesn't understand why the police would target him—only a few people know he committed crimes, and those people have no reason to betray him, as it wouldn't benefit them; others who might know about his deeds only know his nickname, never having seen Zhang Dong in person, so they wouldn't connect it to him.

After being questioned skillfully, Zhang Dong finally confessed to stealing the 28,000-yuan phone; Xiao Luo and his team followed his lead, found the phone, and returned it to that out-of-town wealthy merchant.

That out-of-town merchant was quite grateful to Xiao Luo; the phone was bought by his daughter, and he likes to show off his daughter's filial piety in front of others, not to boast about how expensive or high-end the phone is. Later, when speaking with a few junior officials, he mentioned Xiao Luo's name several times; thus, when the sub-bureau passed along some rumors, many at the station guessed Xiao Luo was due for a turn of luck, at least his bonus wouldn't be small.

Meanwhile, the resigned Zhang Dong requested to be allowed to "die with understanding."

After Zhang Dong's arrest, Xiao Luo, among those in charge of interrogation, was the biggest contributor to this case, and only he knew why Zhang Dong fell into this situation.

However, facing Zhang Dong's request, Xiao Luo refused; he had been asked by many before, and Comrade Xiao Luo keeps his lips sealed, revealing nothing about the informant—though he only knows a phone number, he simply won't speak; he's not very flexible. Yet he also knows that in some situations the informant bears risk, otherwise they could face retaliation, so he chooses to stay silent.

Leaders and colleagues had asked too, but they know Xiao Luo's nature—if he doesn't want to talk, you can't pry it out of him, so afterward nobody asked. And when Zhang Dong's request was rejected, before being taken away he spoke a phone number in front of Xiao Luo and a few officers.

"Is it this four?" Zhang Dong looked at Xiao Luo and the others, "Only he could have framed me like this—hey, that person's theft skills are far superior to mine!"

Zhang Dong also had an idea in mind. Even if the Chu Ning Avenue incident had nothing to do with the user of that number, he still wanted to drag that person in. That number is a thorn in his heart.

Zhang Dong is good at reading faces; at the very moment he spoke that phone number, Xiao Luo's fleeting expression gave him a chill down his spine. Xiao Luo's facial expression told Zhang Dong that he had indeed been set up by those four 6's.

At this moment Zhang Dong's feeling is less hatred and more fear—like standing in pitch darkness where you can't see your hand in front of your face, while a pair of eyes lurks in the dark, constantly watching him, ready to strike a heavy blow at any time. He can't discover who owns those eyes, nor where they are; so far he has fallen twice—or perhaps three times—at the hands of that mysterious person, and the Bai Lao Shi incident might not be without his involvement.

Who could it be?

Anonymous tip—Zhang Dong believes Xiao Luo doesn't know that person, and he himself believes it; that's why he feels even more fearful. Even if the police suspect that person was involved in some Chu Ning Avenue cases, he thinks the other party must be a mysterious figure with highly effective means, not easy to catch, maybe never catchable.

In the end Zhang Dong still doesn't know who was scheming against him behind the scenes; he'd never guess, even if beaten to death, that it's just the result of offending a cat.

Since Zhang Dong spoke that number in front of several officers, Xiao Luo can't just drop the investigation even if he wanted to; others also want to earn merit, so they aim to find out who uses that four-6 number Zhang Dong mentioned.

But when they roughly checked, they found the number didn't match a person—just as Zhang Dong said, it's a card he bought from someone, so there's no real user info. Checking consumption or recharge records? Useless; after the phone was stolen from Zhang Dong, it was topped up three times—once with a recharge card, twice via proxy top-up, and those two proxies don't know who the number ultimately belongs to.

Locate the phone? Our station's few of us lack the authority; we could certainly request it, but it's troublesome procedurally, and working around it isn't simple—requires relevant approvals. Moreover, the current user of that number doesn't meet that threshold, and they fear the other party might turn around and sue them; lately everyone's scared of complaints, and with uncertain rewards they don't want to invite trouble—it wouldn't be worth it. As for companies that can provide location services, they need the person's consent before they can query a location; the number's user isn't a fool, they'd never agree.

Zheng Tan should be glad that at this time phone intelligence isn't that high, and certain location services aren't that simple; otherwise he'd have even more trouble.

And regarding the two phones Zhang Dong said he had just stolen and then had stolen again, the few junior officers checked: the pink phone has been returned to its owner; as for the other phone, no loss report was filed, and it can't be found now.

Given the difficulties in checking all aspects, that number doesn't seem to belong to a wrongdoer; after Zhang Dong's arrest, the Chu Ning Avenue area has become much calmer—whether because the culprit was caught or because those involved have become wary and restrained lately—either way, Xiao Luo and his team haven't received any more public reports or complaints these past days, so this case can be considered closed.

During downtime, a few colleagues at the station invited Xiao Luo to join their chat.

"You say, could the person behind that number be aspiring to be an urban gentleman thief? Returning stolen goods to their rightful owners and such?" one said.

"Do you think this is a new-era Chu Liuxiang plus a homegrown Spider-Man? Still climbing walls and walking on walls as a gentleman thief?" someone scoffed.

"Stop investigating—superiors haven't said anything, why are we wasting effort? Do you think we're a serious crimes unit detective?"

Xiao Luo sat aside without interjecting, wondering why the informant never turned on their phone—maybe they plan to abandon this SIM?

Zheng Tan really hasn't had time to play with his phone these days; he's run into something. (To be continued…)

PS: (6.7) Yesterday night I didn't finish typing a chapter; now I've completed it and posted it.