Chapter 844: Criminal at the End of His Rope

“We don’t need you to bring charges; we’ll handle it ourselves.”

“Sir, do you have any common sense? This type of criminal case will definitely be prosecuted.”

“It must still be arranged by us, as it involves the privacy and future of a celebrity. It can’t just be taken to court and exposed to the public.”

“Once the case is broken, I’ll contact you. Judicial trials aren’t managed by our public security organs anyway.”

Lin Qiupu was relieved to finally send the representative of the entertainment company away. It had been three days since the death of the rice harvester, and through the missing police officer and the arrested rice farmers, the police had gathered quite a bit of intelligence.

The man who escaped used the ID of Chu Wei, but his real name was Qin Dazhu, forty-five years old with multiple prior criminal records.

Based on information from eyewitnesses, a sketch had been made. He was being sought in several villages, with the second and third teams and the local police stations patrolling daily and making inquiries to track him down.

Finding a person was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but Lin Qiupu knew that no one could exist outside of society. He needed to eat, sleep, and meet other needs, all of which meant he had to make contact with others and leave traces.

Following these traces, the police would get closer and closer until they caught him. It was only a matter of time.

At that moment, Lin Dongxue called, “Brother, we’ve found Chu Wei’s whereabouts.”

Lin Qiupu’s spirits lifted, “Where? I’m coming right now.”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue were at a roadside diner off the highway. The place was a mess; a server had been beaten until his face was swollen like a pig’s. They showed him the warrant, and the server was sure: “It’s this guy. He ran into the store, took all the money from the register, and some packs of cigarettes sold outside. He also slapped me while telling me to… to…”

“To what?”

With a fist clenched in humiliation and tears starting from the memory of the incident a few hours ago, the server said, “To say ‘welcome’.”

“Don’t you usually say that?”

“Yes, we’re in the service industry, always welcoming. I don’t know what’s wrong with this guy, he’s insane, a lunatic. Catch him and shoot him!”

Chen Shi glanced at the outrageously priced menu on the wall. He knew well that this place was a trap for drivers, offering food so bad it made one question life. How could the same oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar combine to create such a disgusting taste?

It seemed Chu Wei had acted out of spite here. Chen asked, “Did he come here to eat in the past few days?”

“I don’t know, he definitely hasn’t been here.”

“Is there no surveillance?”

“There is.”

“Where?”

“In the drawer, plug it into the computer to use.”

Chen Shi was speechless.

He pulled Lin Dongxue outside and said, “This guy is getting more brazen. The day before yesterday, he stole a car; yesterday, food; today, money. And he’s not covering his face or wearing gloves. He doesn’t care about being seen.”

“I think this is his last act of desperation.”

“Wait, everything he’s stolen is just to sustain basic survival. Supposedly he has a gang behind him; his boss wouldn’t want him acting so high-profile. Could it be that he’s been abandoned by the gang? If they can discard him just like that, it means he’s no threat to them.”

“This morning, I got a message that a warehouse in Xiao Yu Town was rented under the dead man’s name. The owner of the warehouse said that everything inside was moved out three days ago.”

“Three days ago? That’s the night of the incident. Let’s check it out!”

“My brother is coming over soon.”

“Good, let him clean up the mess.”

“That’s really reckless.” Lin Dongxue laughed.

As they arrived in Xiao Yu Town, Chen Shi, who had been deep in thought during the drive, suddenly said, “Infighting!”

“What?”

“With Chu Wei’s current situation, he doesn’t have the capability to deal with over a hundred pounds of marijuana. The sudden emptying of the warehouse that night suggests someone took the goods. If the gang took the goods, why didn’t they take him? This indicates they planned to eliminate him, and he must have survived by chance, hence his sudden recklessness.”

“Killing the donkey after it finished milling the grain, it’s pitiful.”

“But it’s also inevitable. Whether the mysterious gang are thugs from the Northeast or the Italian Mafia, they act the same way when handling such matters, based on considerations of interest.”

“Following this logic, if the gang hasn’t successfully eliminated him, will they continue to try, and more aggressively?”

“Exactly, which is why we need to catch Chu Wei fast. He’s already a pawn to them, and once caught, he’s likely to provide a lot of useful information.”

“What do you think Chu Wei is doing now, aside from hiding? Do you think he might seek revenge against the gang?”

After thinking it over, Chen Shi said, “He doesn’t have the capability. I think his best form of revenge would be to turn himself in. Of course, his biggest priority right now is to stay alive.”

The two checked the warehouse they’d discussed. The police had already been there, but aside from footprints, they found nothing; the marijuana had been wrapped in plastic film, so there were no residues on the floor.

Leaving empty-handed, Chen Shi stood on the street corner, pondering their next move. He wasn’t fond of this kind of manhunt, but having already involved himself, he was committed to seeing it through.

“How about grabbing something to eat?” Lin Dongxue suggested. “There’s a Chongqing hotpot place nearby. Not sure if it’s authentic though.”

“Haha, you’re starting to sound like me… What time is it?”

“It’s two in the afternoon. We haven’t eaten yet.”

“Then let’s…” Chen Shi suddenly stared intently in one direction. Lin Dongxue followed his gaze and saw a group of young guys sitting on bicycles by the roadside, laughing and smoking.

“They’re smoking so young?” Lin Dongxue frowned.

“That’s not tobacco!”

Chen Shi approached, with Lin Dongxue following closely.

As they got closer, Chen Shi became even more certain that these weren’t cigarettes. First, the ‘cigarettes’ were hand-rolled with paper. Secondly, the smoke was very light; ordinary cigarettes produced thick smoke because they were packed with fine tobacco, and some even included paper fillers. Lastly, there was the change in their expressions when they inhaled.

Chen Shi signaled Lin Dongxue to circle around and approach from the back, to which she nodded understandingly.

Chen Shi walked up, snatched a ‘cigarette’ from one of the boys, and sniffed it. “What’s this?”

“A homemade joint, never seen before? A hundred bucks each, want one?” the boy said, as the others burst into laughter.

“Put the cigarette out and come with us,” Chen Shi said.

“CNM, who the hell are you, the fine police? Fine for smoking, fine for too?” the boy retorted, as the laughter continued.

Chen Shi flashed his badge, and their expressions instantly changed. They exchanged nervous glances. One of the boys jumped off his bike, intending to run, but Lin Dongxue, who had been lying in wait, grabbed him and pinned him against a tree. “Thinking of running?”