Chapter 749 — Trouble Again

"Hm?" Qiu Lingshan started, then came back to herself. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Mr. Lin is already long gone." Chen Yuxuan smiled.

"Ah, I see." Qiu Lingshan sighed. "I'll head back to the station first. You're staying here?"

"I'll keep watch here." Chen Yuxuan considered for a moment, then said, "Who knows whether that Red Tower tomb-raiding crew will send someone to do away with Liu Bojia. I've already contacted the local armed police; they'll send men to assist me."

Qiu Lingshan nodded and went back to the station first, but on the way there she received another call from Chief Chen.

And the content of Chief Chen's call left Qiu Lingshan thoroughly depressed! A city leader had been making an incognito visit to a vegetable market that day to check prices, only to have his phone and wallet stolen by a pickpocket! These thieves had grown brazen beyond all measure!

By rights, pickpockets were not for the criminal investigation unit to handle—the local substations had their own ways of cracking down—but this time a city leader had been alarmed, and Chief Chen had also pointed out that the pickpockets of Songshan City had already formed a theft ring, carrying out organized and disciplined criminal activity, which required investigation and handling by the criminal investigation unit!

No deadline for solving the case had been given, but when a case was being pressed by a city leader, how could they fail to crack it as quickly as possible?

Qiu Lingshan felt she must be the unluckiest person alive—one wave had barely subsided before another rose, and the daily deluge of troubles simply never ended! She was only just recently installed as captain of the criminal investigation unit; back when she was deputy captain, she had never seen so many cases!

Besides, this theft ring must have been long established—why hadn't it been cracked down on before, and why now of all times? But Chief Chen had spoken personally; what could Qiu Lingshan do? She could only carry out the order unconditionally!

Yet this gang of thieves had a very strict organizational discipline; grabbing a few random pickpockets would not possibly deal a mortal blow to the whole ring—it might even alert them and put them on their guard!

Qiu Lingshan drove along in gloom, pondering how to deal with this theft ring.

She thought for a long while without any clear plan. In the past, ordinary pickpockets had been handled by the substations, and there were no files on them in the criminal investigation unit; even if she wanted to think of a way, it was impossible for the moment—she could only go back and sort through the materials first and take it from there.

Almost unconsciously, Qiu Lingshan took out her phone, but once it was out, she gave a bitter smile. How had she already become so dependent? The moment trouble arose, she wanted to call Wei Zhao?

In the past, she had only called Wei Zhao when there was a problem she truly could not handle, but now, no matter what the matter was, the first person Qiu Lingshan thought of was Wei Zhao.

Forget it, just call and see!

Qiu Lingshan's reasoning was simple: better to ask than not to ask. Besides, troubling Wei Zhao had already become a habit; she felt she had owed him so many favors that there was no pressure left in it at all.

Wei Zhao had only just left the hospital when he received Qiu Lingshan's call.

"What is it now?" Wei Zhao answered, rather puzzled that Qiu Lingshan was calling him again so soon.

"Wei Zhao, do you know anyone in a theft ring?" Qiu Lingshan asked, taking a chance.

"A theft ring? No." Wei Zhao answered flatly.

Though the answer was what Qiu Lingshan had expected, she was still somewhat disappointed.

"Really no one?" Qiu Lingshan would not give up so easily; she felt that Wei Zhao seemed omnipotent—whenever she had asked him for help before, he had always solved things perfectly.

"No, why would I know them?" Wei Zhao was a little impatient. "Is there anything else or not?"

"There is, there is! Good sir, don't get angry..." Qiu Lingshan was startled, and her voice turned soft and sweet, quite pitiful. "Then could you keep an eye out for this little fool? I mean the theft ring..."

"Oh—if I see one, I'll tell you." Wei Zhao hung up without further ado, faintly amused. Qiu Lingshan really did come to him for everything, didn't she?

Qiu Lingshan hung up in a huff. If you see one, you'll tell me? That was as good as saying nothing at all! Who on earth just happened to spot a theft ring? She was still stewing when her gaze suddenly sharpened and fixed on something not far off along the roadside...

A cutely dressed young girl was at that very moment slipping her guilty hand into the coat pocket of a paunchy man!

In no time the girl had scored, fishing out a large wallet. Beaming, she walked off to the side and began counting her take.

Qiu Lingshan sneered inwardly. Truly, one may search the whole world over and find it without effort at all! This girl was a repeat offender—Qiu Lingshan had run into her several times before and never managed to catch her! Now was the perfect chance to wring some information out of her and see whether she could cough up anything about the theft ring!

Qiu Lingshan parked at the roadside, got out, and crept quietly toward the girl...

Yu Xiaoke was overjoyed today. Earlier she had seen a rich, heartless fat man—because a little flower-selling girl had blocked his way, he got out of his BMW and kicked the child onto the curb. Paying no mind to her tears, he parked his car and turned and walked off.

The passersby were too cowed to speak out, but Yu Xiaoke had marked this rich, heartless fat man as her target on the spot!

The fat man's guard was pitifully lax, and Yu Xiaoke had made a clean, easy score. She opened the wallet—the man really did carry a pile of cash! Counting it up, there was probably seven or eight thousand yuan!

Yu Xiaoke had not expected such luck. Two days running she had stumbled on fat sheep, and though yesterday she had run into a formidable character who robbed her of her hard-earned gains, all in all she was still very fortunate!

Yet for all her delight, Yu Xiaoke did not let down her guard. Yesterday's business with Wei Zhao had been a warning: she could not be careless. So the moment Qiu Lingshan drew near, Yu Xiaoke noticed.

Yu Xiaoke calmly transferred the cash from the large wallet into her own, then tossed the big wallet casually into a trash can. And in the very instant Qiu Lingshan was about to close in, Yu Xiaoke took to her heels!

"Yu Xiaoke, you stop right there!" Qiu Lingshan was about to explode with fury. She had thought to catch Yu Xiaoke off guard this time, but never imagined the girl would be so alert—she had bolted the instant Qiu Lingshan got close!

"Bye-bye, Sister Lingshan!" Yu Xiaoke turned and pulled a face, then vanished in a flash at the street corner.

Qiu Lingshan simply did not give chase, because she could not have caught her anyway. She had chased twice before and nearly lost her breath both times, and still never caught Yu Xiaoke.

"Yu Xiaoke! Just you wait!" Qiu Lingshan glared in the direction the girl had vanished, utterly helpless...

Qiu Lingshan had learned just how formidable Yu Xiaoke's qinggong was. Though she herself had advanced to the late Huang rank, catching Yu Xiaoke was a pipe dream!RO