Chapter 54: Caught Red-Handed

Lu Chuan believed that the vast majority of people in this world were good people.

Otherwise, for such a long time, his Eye of Truth would not have seen nothing but pure white halos.

However, perhaps it was because Lu Chuan rarely went out on street patrols.

After all, since joining the force, Lu Chuan had spent most of his time at the Criminal Investigation Detachment.

It wasn't easy to find someone among criminal investigators who resembled a wanted fugitive.

But in the mixed-up, chaotic area of self-built houses in Huilong Mountain, the probability of encountering such people was higher.

"Chen Qing. Assisted investigation for a series of electric bike thefts one year ago. Similarity profile: ninety-eight percent!"

The young man was not particularly tall, wearing a black hoodie, with a somewhat shifty gaze.

Perhaps influenced by the information from the Eye of Truth, Lu Chuan felt as though the man's eyes were constantly scanning the pockets and backpacks of passersby.

"Brother Hui," Lu Chuan did not act rashly. This was not the time to play the hero; they had more important tasks at hand, so consulting Zhang Hui was the correct choice.

"That guy in the black hoodie up ahead... he looks like the suspect from the Youhao Road Police Station's assisted investigation notice last year regarding the theft of over fifty electric bikes at the Youhao Road Night Market."

Stealing electric bikes, frankly speaking, wasn't a major deal at any police station.

But if you stole over fifty in a single month, the police would certainly be hunting you down relentlessly.

That was how last year's assisted investigation notice had been issued.

Electric bike theft?

Zhang Hui had no memory of it, but he had the authority to query the assisted investigation notices issued by local stations.

He didn't need to return to the detachment; he could query them directly via a mobile app.

This was one of the most useful mobile applications pushed down by the higher-ups in recent years.

Wanted criminals can be checked anywhere; little treasures can be viewed anytime.

Typing "Youhao Road Police Station electric bike theft" into the search bar immediately brought up one hundred and thirty-two results.

It was evident that there were many police stations named Youhao Road across the country.

And many people losing electric bikes as well.

It took flipping through two pages before he found the one for Haizhou City.

The assisted investigation notice on the screen showed a frontal photo taken by a surveillance camera.

Zhang Hui and Lu Chuan stood shoulder to shoulder, appearing to casually look up at the sky. Zhang Hui cracked his neck with a series of pops, and while doing so, scanned the man in the hoodie not far away.

"Damn, Lu Chuan, your memory is something else!"

Lu Chuan smiled. "It's my only redeeming quality. Brother Hui, are we grabbing him or not?"

Grab him or not?

Zhang Hui didn't hesitate at all. "We're definitely grabbing him, but we have a mission right now."

"How about this... let's see if we can catch him when he's alone, in a less crowded area, before we make our move."

"Besides, this guy looks like he's casing the area. He's definitely more familiar with the surroundings than we are; he might know something."

Even though they had a mission, it was merely a mobile inspection.

If they could catch a theft suspect and potentially learn about the local situation, why not?

From a distance, the two men trailed behind the man in the hoodie.

When it came to surveillance, Zhang Hui was indeed a professional.

Leading Lu Chuan, there was none of that hiding-and-seeking feeling Lu Chuan had seen in movies.

They simply followed behind the man at a distance of about ten meters, chatting and laughing openly.

In fact, several times Zhang Hui intentionally looked in the man's direction, resulting in one or two brief eye contacts.

Surveillance was a specialized branch within criminal investigation.

Because of his professional focus, Lu Chuan had only taken it as an elective and had not studied it deeply.

This first experience with surveillance felt quite interesting.

Before long, the man turned into an alleyway.

Zhang Hui gave Lu Chuan a look, signaling him to follow quickly.

"Brother Hui, is it okay to follow this closely?"

"Hehe," Zhang Hui quickened his pace for a few steps, his eyes seemingly gleaming with excitement, possessing a certain vibe of a man ready to spring a trap. "This kid has been loitering around here for so long; he definitely has a target. If we go in, we might catch him red-handed."

Following behind Zhang Hui, Lu Chuan suddenly felt like he was about to catch someone in an act of adultery.

For a moment, Lu Chuan thought Zhang Hui should become a private investigator; he would surely make a fortune.

The ten-meter distance was covered in three breaths.

As it turned out, just as they rounded the corner, Lu Chuan stared in astonishment as the hooded youth who had just turned into the alley collided head-on with Zhang Hui while pushing an electric bike.

Stealing an electric bike right under the nose of a criminal investigator—this kid was truly one of a kind.

Without a word, Zhang Hui grabbed the youth by the neck and, with a sudden backward heave, took him straight to the ground.

Lu Chuan stayed tight at his side to support Zhang Hui. Seeing the man downed, he immediately applied the handcuffs.

"Name!"

Chen Qing was completely stunned.

He had been loitering in this area for a week and had already stolen two electric bikes.

Today, he had planned to pull one last job before leaving.

The Yade electric bike he had just pushed out was in brand-new condition; he had been eyeing it all morning.

Yet, just as he had succeeded, how had he been tackled?

However, having been handcuffed countless times, Chen Qing knew exactly how to cooperate at a time like this.

"Chen Qing," the man's tongue was incredibly slick, his words coming out like a rapid-fire machine gun. "Government, believe me, it was just this once, really. I had just pushed the bike out when you guys arrived."

Zhang Hui laughed upon hearing this. "You even know to call us 'the government.' You must have spent quite a bit of time inside, kid."

An ordinary thief wouldn't refer to the police as "the government."

He had definitely been in a detention center for a while, been "reformed," or perhaps had even served actual prison time.

"No, no, I just went there to... to study."

Hmph!

Zhang Hui snorted coldly. "And you're saying it's your first time? You haven't forgotten the Youhao Road incident, have you?"

The moment Chen Qing heard Zhang Hui mention "Youhao Road," his expression changed instantly.

"Officer," Chen Qing no longer called them "the government," instead putting on a grin. "Where is Youhao Road?"

"I'm not a local; I'm not very familiar with Haizhou."

"Alright, stop acting. I have your mugshot from when you stole cars at Youhao Road right here. Do you want to see it?"

A mugshot?

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's face fell.

He knew that a "mugshot" meant a wanted poster.

"Officer, I only stole a few electric bikes. Is it really necessary to put me on the wanted list?"

"A few? You stole over fifty electric bikes on one street in a single month. If we don't put you on the wanted list, who should we put on it?"

Realizing he had been exposed, Chen Qing stopped arguing. His expression held no remorse, only annoyance.

"I was careless..."

Lifting Chen Qing up, Zhang Hui took off his jacket, wrapped it around his wrist, and dragged the man further into the alley.

Chen Qing was stunned at first, but then a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.

As a veteran street loiterer with seven years of experience and twelve stints in custody, Chen Qing had only seen police proactively hide their handcuffs twice before.

This was the third time.

"Government, if there is anything you need me for!"

Chen Qing's rapid shifts in expression made Lu Chuan feel a bit overwhelmed.

It was a waste for this guy to be a thief; he had a future as an actor.

"You're quite quick on the uptake."

Zhang Hui scrutinized Chen Qing, knowing the kid must have provided street intelligence in the past.

"Of course! I, Chen Qing, am famous on the streets for being smooth and well-connected..."

Chen Qing's eyes rolled back as he was about to start bragging, but he was interrupted by Zhang Hui's half-smiling, half-mocking expression.

"Hehe, Government, just give the word. I can't claim all of Haizhou, but Huilong Mountain, Youhao Road, and Cuiping Road—those places are my home."

Lu Chuan was taken aback.

This kid just said he wasn't a local and wasn't familiar with the area, and now it's his home?

Whether in this life or his previous one, Lu Chuan had never had the opportunity to interact with people from these various walks of life.

He felt somewhat out of place.

Zhang Hui, however, was perfectly at ease as he began questioning Chen Qing about the situation in the area.