Chapter 1126: First Out of the Cottage

"Come on, make way, make way. Watch your children, keep your valuables safe, and try to smoke at the connections between the carriages. Take care of the comrades who don't smoke, and the children. It's like a meeting in the Heavenly Court here, all smoky and foggy. Open the windows a bit to let the smoke out."

The train whistled as it traveled, and Wang Yan and Wang Xin continued to patrol the train. Every time they arrived at a station, they would walk through before entering the station, and walk through again after entering, because a new wave of people had changed, requiring new deterrence to show the presence of the police.

They walked through the carriages tirelessly, over and over again, urging the passengers.

After walking through two more carriages, at the connection between the carriages, two people were standing there smoking and chatting. On the other side, an old man who looked dirty was sitting on a small stool, with a cigarette in his mouth as

"Not bad, you've even managed to get a cigarette," Wang Yan said with a smile. "Do you really treat this train like the heated brick bed in your own home?"

The old man chuckled, but because he didn't inhale the smoke properly, he started coughing.

"Stop laughing. If you laugh yourself into trouble, we'll be the ones held responsible," Wang Xin said, patting the old man on the back.

Come to think of it, this blind old man was an acquaintance; he was the very same troublesome father-in-law from long ago who had insisted on drinking hand-ground coffee.

The blind old man caught his breath, and with a voice raspy from years of phlegm, he spoke up: "You kid is right. I, this old man, just treat the train as my home. Let me tell you two new young policemen: when I settled down on this train, you two were just learning to walk. You haven't chased me off many times in the past, but no matter how you got me off, I got back on the same way. As long as I'm alive, don't even think about chasing me off this train."

The old guy sounded quite pleased with himself.

"Hey, you old rascal, acting like a hooligan. Tell me, what are you after? At your age, and blind too, isn't it inconvenient to go back and forth? Why bother?"

After saying this, Wang Xin realized something and exclaimed, "Wait, that's not right. How do you know we're policemen?"

"I heard it, and I smelled it."

"I can understand hearing it, but how do you smell it? Do you have a dog's nose?"

"You'd be fine too if you were blind," the blind old man retorted irritably; he didn't like the way this kid talked.

"Hey..." Wang Xin was so frustrated his teeth itched, but there was nothing he could do.

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile and pushed Wang Xin to keep walking: "Alright, are you going to get into a fight with him? Let's go."

"This young comrade is right. I'm just an old shameless man; you shouldn't lower yourself to my level," the blind old man said, puffing on his cigarette contentedly.

"Look at that, just look at that. He knows everything, it's really infuriating." Wang Xin glared at the blind old man before continuing forward.

After patrolling a full circle like this, the two arrived at the dining car to rest.

Wang Xin groaned as he sat in a chair, took out cigarettes, and handed one to Wang Yan. After lighting up, he said, "Since I started working, I've really broadened my horizons. Going back and forth, north and south, you really see all kinds of people."

"You're talking about that old gentleman, right?"

"Who else would it be?"

"I asked Old Lu about that gentleman before," Wang Yan said with a smile. "His daughter got lost on this train. He used to have good eyesight, but he went blind after his daughter went missing. After all these years, with no family or friends, he just made this train his home to find her."

Old Lu, Lu Hongxing, was the train conductor; he had also been working for many years, having worked his way up from a train attendant.

"Nowadays, you can't even find kids who just got lost. That business with the old blind man must have been twenty years ago, right? Sigh..." Wang Xin sighed, feeling quite helpless.

He added, "You tell me, how can human traffickers be so good at hiding? You look away for a second and the child is gone. They're bold enough to steal right in front of our eyes. Don't let me catch them, or I'll crush them."

He clenched his fists, and they cracked loudly.

"You have to catch them first for that to count," Wang Yan exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled. "This line of ours is one of the main arteries in the Northeast. There are people from both the South and the North, and it's very crowded. People get on at this station and off at the next; they steal a child and get off the train. We only have a few people on board, so how can we keep an eye on everyone? Besides, those who steal children have accomplices who cover for each other. It's not easy to catch them."

"I'll catch them by force! I'll catch them until they're wiped out," Wang Xin said, filled with righteous indignation.

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile and kept smoking, not wanting to dampen Wang Xin's enthusiasm. Because what he said was true—he wouldn't dare speak for other places, but on this train, whether it was petty thieves or human traffickers, he truly had the ability to catch them.

"Hey, wait a minute," Wang Xin said. "I've been with you the whole time. When did you ask Old Lu? How come I don't know?"

"What, are you tied to my belt? Are you stuck to me twenty-four hours a day?" Wang Yan glanced at him. "I felt that old guy had a story, so I found Old Lu and asked."

"How come I didn't feel it? Don't lie to me. At the police academy, I was second in reconnaissance."

"Who was first?"

"You, of course..."

Wang Xin lost his steam and changed the subject, "How did you sense it?"

"We've only been working for a short time, and we've already seen him several times. He basically rides from the starting station to the terminal. Besides us railway workers, what decent person lives on a train?"

"Fine, fine, fine, you're amazing, you're amazing." Wang Xin looked utterly frustrated.

The two were childhood friends who grew up together, went to the police academy together, started working together, and were at the same workplace. Wang Yan had truly been stronger than him from the beginning until now, and he had always lived in his shadow.

Although he was already used to being crushed, it still didn't feel very comfortable whenever it happened...

Wang Yan smiled. Although he wasn't exactly friendly to Wang Xin, his background was just like that; they all grew up in the railway compound. As for Wang Xin's mood, there was nothing he could do about it. After all, no matter how low-key he, Wang Mou, was, he couldn't hide the talent that spilled out at any moment—it was truly overflowing...

After smoking, drinking water, and resting, the two began their patrol of the train once again. There was basically not much time to rest; as long as the train was moving, they were walking on it. Even at night, they took turns resting, always keeping a policeman on the move.

However, this was the last patrol of the morning. After finishing this round and stopping at one more station, it would be time for lunch. The break time would be longer, and the crew members would basically all be there, making it quite lively.

Of course, with people coming and going on the train, there was no lack of liveliness. But they were all passersby, not familiar faces. The crew was different; everyone was from the same compound and basically knew each other for years, so they were very familiar...

Wang Yan walked slowly through the carriage, dodging the clutter on the floor and the passengers standing in the aisle.

Because he had added a point to his physique before, his body had been compressed once more, and his height had increased by one centimeter, reaching 185 cm. At this height, even in the Northeast and Lüdong regions where people were tall and sturdy, he couldn't be considered short.

Especially since people in this era were malnourished; although there was no lack of tall people, not everyone was big and sturdy. So, in the carriage, he was relatively outstanding, and his field of vision was broad.

That was why, as soon as he entered this carriage, he saw someone standing at the junction between carriages smoking. When that person saw him and Wang Xin heading that way, he turned back and gestured to someone. It just so happened that Wang Yan saw both of their faces and, even more importantly, their actions.

Wang Yan turned back and said, "Get ready."

"Get ready for what?"

At this moment, Wang Xin was looking at everyone in the carriage with sharp eyes, hoping to see someone acting guilty so he could catch a thief and earn some merit. Hearing Wang Yan's words, he looked completely bewildered.

Wang Yan didn't reply and continued walking forward, randomly checking a few people's tickets. In this way, they arrived at the carriage junction, and the person from before hadn't finished smoking yet.

"Hello, comrade, please show your ticket." Wang Yan was very polite, while simultaneously glancing at the carriage ahead and then at Wang Xin standing to the side, giving him a look.

Wang Xin didn't understand, but he did realize that he was being told to watch this person and immediately control him if there was a problem.

The man rummaged through the shoulder bag he was carrying: "It's not that I'm complaining, comrade policeman, but can you ride the train without buying a ticket?"

"If he tells you to take it out, take it out. Stop dawdling." Wang Xin impatiently took the ticket and glanced at it; it was for the previous station. He returned the ticket and turned to look at Wang Yan, who had already walked into the next carriage.

"My money is gone! Who saw... oh my, comrade policeman, my wallet is gone. It was just here a moment ago. You can't just ignore this."

Just as Wang Yan was walking forward, someone behind him shouted and grabbed Wang Yan's arm.

"Comrade, don't worry, I'll definitely find it for you. Let go first; if you keep me tied here, how am I supposed to find it for you?" Wang Yan patted the man on the shoulder while scanning his surroundings.

The man he had seen earlier was sitting calmly with his arms crossed. Facing Wang Yan's gaze, he didn't meet his eyes, but he was looking over as if he were just watching the excitement, showing no signs of panic at all.

The person who lost his things obediently let go, but he kept talking about what the money was for, his family's instructions before leaving home, and how careful he had been, and so on.

And just as this person was rambling, someone else shouted at the top of his lungs: "Comrade policeman, my wallet is gone too! Even the watch I was wearing on my wrist was stolen!"

Wang Yan nodded and reached out, pressing down to signal them to stay calm.

"Comrade policeman, my watch and wallet were just here a moment ago. I don't know when they disappeared. Hey? Why are you like this? I'm talking to you, you..."

Wang Yan had turned back and glared at him, staring his words back into his throat, before continuing toward the target person...

"I say, comrade policeman, aren't you going over to take a look?"

Wang Xin glanced at this person. He hadn't felt anything earlier, but now he felt the man looked shifty. By now, he understood what Wang Yan meant—this person was an accomplice.

"What if they run away? I'll block this side; it'll be easier to handle things if something happens. Besides, what if there are accomplices?"

"Right, right, right, you're the thoughtful one; that's why you're the policeman. I've heard that these thieves act in groups of several people, with some keeping watch and others doing the stealing. You have to say, these thieves are really amazing—they can even steal a watch right off someone's wrist."

"Now that you mention it, that's true. You aren't the one keeping watch, are you?"

The man's expression didn't even change as he smiled and shook his head: "How could that be? Do you think I have that much nerve?"

"I think you have plenty of nerve, are you trying to pull my leg?" Wang Xin glared at him and also noticed the man's changing expression. Looking at the scene in the carriage, he saw Wang Yan stopped in front of someone. He knew immediately that they had found the right person, so he secretly prepared himself, waiting for Wang Yan to get results so he could move in...

This was a man around thirty years old, wearing a liberation cap, a gray suit, and leather shoes. He had a bag slung over his neck, hanging in front of his chest and dangling near his crotch.

He had watched Wang Yan approach, and he had seen the clear intent in Wang Yan's eyes; his heart was already pounding. But he couldn't move, because moving now would be an admission of guilt. Yet, if he didn't move, he was truly terrified.

But there was no time left for him to consider. In the few breaths he spent struggling, Wang Yan had already arrived right beside him.

Without a single word of unnecessary chatter, Wang Yan grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, then patted him down and searched his pockets, simultaneously patting the words he wanted to say right back into his throat. When patting the bag, Wang Yan used a bit of force, equivalent to a punch to the man's stomach, which saved the man from dawdling.

When Wang Yan took several wallets and a watch out of his bag, the man lowered his head in defeat, having no more nonsense to say.

Seeing Wang Yan catch the man, Wang Xin was very decisive; he took out his handcuffs and directly cuffed the one who had been keeping watch.

"No, comrade policeman, why are you arresting me? I didn't do anything. I'm wronged, I'm wronged..."

"Whether you're wronged or not, we'll see after the investigation. For now, keep your mouth shut, or don't blame me for being impolite." Wang Xin looked irritated, scratching his head, unable to figure out how Wang Yan was so damn good...

Returning the items to the owners on the spot, Wang Yan and Wang Xin escorted the men back to the dining car to take statements. Both of them had been caught red-handed. The one who kept watch refused to admit anything, but the kid who did the stealing didn't intend to take all the blame himself. If they hadn't caught the accomplice, that would be one thing, but since they had, of course, good brothers go together. So there were no twists and turns, and it went very smoothly.

When they reached the stop, the two handed the pair of thieves over to the station police substation. How to handle the follow-up was a matter of communication between the two locations; they shouldn't keep the two thieves handcuffed on the train until it returned to Ningyang.

After handing them over, Wang Yan took out Hongtashan cigarettes again, handed one to Wang Xin, and the two puffed away as they walked back.

"You really are a jinx. You were just talking about it at the last station, and at this one, you caught two pros. Tsk tsk, with blades and tweezers—you have to say, they're really something. They could steal a watch right off someone's wrist without anyone noticing. Thieves really have their own ways; you have to admire them."

Wang Xin sighed, then his face scrunched up, "I just can't figure it out—how did you spot them? I was watching when you caught them; they weren't panicked at all, sitting there as steady as Mount Tai, just watching the excitement. How did you know they were thieves? And the one I caught, I looked for a long time and didn't see anything unusual. How were you so sure?"

"Of course I saw it."

"Saw it? How did you see it? How come I couldn't see it?"

Wang Yan smiled: "We hadn't even entered that carriage yet; that kid was smoking in the next one, and when he saw us heading over, he signaled his accomplice. My eyesight is good; I just happened to see that kid stealing a wallet, and he even showed his face to me. How could they possibly get away?"

"It's that simple?"

"What did you think?"

Wang Xin looked annoyed: "No way, next time I'll walk in front and you follow behind me. I don't believe I won't be able to catch these petty thieves."

"The credit belongs to both of us, what are you in such a hurry for?"

"Is that the same thing? Discovering it yourself, catching them with your own hands, versus playing second fiddle—the sense of achievement is different. You've achieved something, you've shown your face, so of course you're not in a hurry. The point is, I haven't. We came together. You were first in the police academy, I was second. Since you, the first, have made your appearance, I, the eternal second, have to keep up."

"Your awareness is too low. Isn't it all about serving the people?"

Wang Xin retorted irritably: "Your awareness is just so high!"

"Alright, next time there's a good opportunity like this, I'll point them out and you can catch them."

"Am I doing this for that? I want to be the one to discover them; that's the key."

"Then you can't blame me."

"How come you have such good luck? You've caught three in one morning; all the good things happen to you."

"Comrade Wang Xin, I have to criticize you—your awareness is too low! Is this a good thing? This is a nuisance for the vast number of passengers. It would be a good thing if these things didn't happen at all."

"Yes, yes, yes, your awareness is just so high." Wang Xin sighed helplessly and changed the subject, "Walk a bit faster. I didn't eat my fill this morning and I've been hungry for a while. I asked Old Lu, we're having meat for lunch today. If we go back late, there'll only be grease left..."