Chapter 121: The Robbery Case

Chen Shi asked, “Will he die?”

Hearing the word “die,” everyone tensed up, their faces full of worry. It was the question they all wanted to ask but were afraid to.

The doctor said, “I can’t say for sure until we identify the toxin, but his breathing is stable, so he should be fine.”

A nurse entered, carrying a tray. The doctor said, “We’ll administer an antidote injection to stabilize him for now. We’ll decide on further treatment after the blood test results come back.”

The doctor prepared the syringe and rolled up Peng Siyue’s sleeve. Just as he was about to inject, Peng Siyue suddenly grabbed the doctor’s hand with his other hand and said weakly, “No… antidote!”

“Captain, you’re awake?” Everyone gathered around excitedly.

Peng Siyue’s eyes moved continuously, as if trying to escape a nightmare. Under the anxious gazes of everyone, he finally opened his eyes and said with difficulty, “I did it… myself.”

“What?” Chen Shi asked.

“Isoflurane… wanted to test… the concentration…”

“What does that mean?” everyone asked.

Chen Shi straightened up and said, “I get it. He inhaled isoflurane to use himself as a guinea pig and determine the concentration that would remain in the blood the next day.”

Lin Dongxue was so angry she teared up, “Why didn’t you inform me first?”

Peng Siyue’s tongue was slowly recovering. He said slowly, “You wouldn’t have allowed it. This was the only way to determine if the victim had inhaled additional anesthetics.”

It was a false alarm. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The doctor said, “Since it’s isoflurane, there’s no harm to the body. It was just a normal drug reaction.”

Peng Siyue stayed there for the night. Lin Dongxue left two officers to guard him. On the way home, she felt a mix of amusement and anger, but also a touch of admiration for Peng Siyue’s dedication to solving the case.

The next morning, at the special case meeting, Lin Dongxue mentioned this incident. The room buzzed with surprise and admiration for Peng Siyue. He had regained consciousness and remained calm under everyone’s gaze.

Then, Lin Dongxue talked about the robbery that occurred on Xinglian Road at 9 PM on December 10th. The officers who visited the small gang members yesterday said, “Those kids all gave the same story. Their routes and times were identical.”

“Yeah, it’s been so long, there’s probably no evidence left.”

“We don’t actually need evidence,” Chen Shi said. “These guys aren’t mentally tough. Isolate them for interrogation, and I bet we can crack them within a day.”

This was a risky approach, potentially crossing the line into illegal detention without evidence. Lin Dongxue couldn’t decide immediately, “What do you all think?”

The officers voiced their opinions, “It’s worth a try,” “I think Chen’s idea is feasible,” “But are we 100% sure they did it? If we mess up, we could face lawsuits.”

Lin Dongxue found a compromise, “These guys are nocturnal. Let’s gather clues in the morning. If we confirm it was them, we can interrogate them then.”

So, everyone went to Xinglian Road to look for clues. At the luxury store, the owner was excited, “You’re finally here. Did you catch the robbers?”

Lin Dongxue showed her badge, “We’re criminal police, taking over this case. Can you tell us everything you know?”

The owner said, “Sure, I installed an alarm system in this store. I got an alert on my phone right after the incident and rushed over. The local police were already here. The scene was chaotic—broken glass doors, overturned shelves. I lost about 200,000 yuan worth of goods. The clerk on duty, Xiao Wang, was hit in the head, bleeding all over, and is still in the hospital in a coma!”

Lin Dongxue noticed the discrepancy between the owner’s stated loss and what the police had reported, possibly inflated for insurance purposes. She didn’t address this and asked, “I see your store has rolling shutters. How did they get in?”

“The lock was broken. The police said it was likely pried open with a screwdriver and hammer. Those little bastards even urinated on other bags, making the place stink.”

“Did you take urine samples?”

“No.”

“We’ll look around.”

“Please do.”

The store had been restored. Lin Dongxue walked through the shelves, noticing they were filled with LV bags. She couldn’t understand the appeal of these luxury items, covered in logos, seemingly screaming “LV” to the world, yet so expensive.

She asked Chen Shi for his opinion, “Should we make a list of the stolen items and check the second-hand market?”

Chen Shi, looking over the shelves, asked the owner, “What types of bags were stolen?”

The owner pointed out several items. Chen Shi said, “All women’s handbags.”

Lin Dongxue remarked, “And they’re all quite gaudy. The robbers have terrible taste.”

The owner said, “Luckily, they didn’t recognize the most valuable items, the SPEEDY and Artsy bags.”

Chen Shi glanced at them, “They do look better than the typical LV bags.”

“SPEEDY is light and suitable for young girls. Many celebrities use it. Artsy is a classic bohemian style, luxurious yet understated. Sir, would you consider buying one for your girlfriend?” the owner pitched.

The store didn’t display prices, a tactic to prevent sticker shock. Chen Shi asked, “How much?”

The owner quoted a price that made Chen Shi cough awkwardly, “I don’t think they’re that attractive.” Lin Dongxue covered her mouth, laughing.

The owner continued, “You get what you pay for. We sell genuine imports. This is the main store in Long’an City, with a dozen branches. Authenticity guaranteed! For that price, you get the same bags as Hollywood stars.”

“Alright, alright, I really can’t afford it!”

The officers who had been investigating along the street returned, reporting to Lin Dongxue. They confirmed that there had been a police inspection that night, causing the nightclubs and dance halls to close early, and the security cameras were off.

Hearing this, the owner’s face fell, “Will you be able to catch the culprits?”

Chen Shi asked, “Are police inspections regular?”

Lin Dongxue replied, “Definitely not. But they can’t check everywhere at once. The places that get inspected usually tip off others… I’m curious, how did they get the intel?”

“If the police might inspect, they still went ahead with the robbery. That’s bold. Ask the local police if there was an inspection that night,” Chen Shi suggested.

Lin Dongxue made several calls, “No inspections!”

Chen Shi laughed, “I get it. The rumor of a police inspection was spread by those little punks!”