Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the police car, Vice Captain Jin asked in a slight panic, “Captain, are you sure that I don’t need to go? We are almost at the Xin Zhuangzi Road!”
At that moment, the criminal police captain’s loud shout came from over the phone, “Are you forgetting who you are with? We shouldn’t bother special investigators with a mere robbery!”
Vice Captain Jin quickly realized that the captain was right about this, so he apologized, then asked, “So, what’s the current situation at the scene?”
The captain then said gloomily, “The robbers ran away. So, even if you come here now, there is really nothing that you can do. Also, it is clear that they are experienced robbers. I just received a report with more detailed information. It appears that they stole a freight truck that was carrying cigarettes. There were no casualties, and the huge truck just seemed to disappear into thin air!”
He paused, then exclaimed, “It’s all just so weird! Even the driver of the truck disappeared!”
“That is quite strange!” Vice Captain Jin was equally surprised. “Captain Fang, it seems that only that person could have managed to do this, right?”
“Yes, but let’s not talk about that now!” Captain Fang ordered. “You just need to worry about taking good care of the special investigators. Be careful not to make any mistakes! Zhao Yu is an excellent leader, and he has already cracked the Headless Female Corpses Case. He is our national treasure! Hence, none of us could afford to let anything happen to him! He must be protected at all costs!”
“I know!” Sweat flowed down Vice Captain Jin’s forehead as he agreed.
“Wow!” After hearing this, Zhao Yu proudly exclaimed. He was flattered to hear that he had such a high reputation!
Vice Captain Jin wiped the sweat from his forehead, then turned to Zhao Yu and said, “Leader Zhao, this is really none of our business. Let’s continue to focus on investigating our case! Look… We are approaching Cui Xiaolong’s shop now!”
Zhao Yu then said meaningfully, “Okay. But… I have to wonder… Why were they interested in stealing cigarettes? Cigarettes aren’t worth much money. Moreover, they even committed an armed robbery! If they were going to go to all of that trouble, why didn’t they just rob a bank?”
At that moment, Vice Captain Jin looked at his cell phone’s high volume level and realized that Captain Fang’s voice was far too loud. He then asked nervously, “Leader Zhao… Did you hear all of that?”
Cui Lizhu sneered. “Boss, that’s why you can’t keep up with these modern times! Stealing cigarettes is actually a common thing, and it is highly lucrative! Let me share my expertise with you. Do you know what kind of cigarettes were being transported?”
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “Knowing that you’re not good at math, I will do some example calculations for you. Let’s think of a hypothetical situation, using the smallest freight truck as an example. If the truck is filled with soft Chunghwa brand cigarettes, the total value of the load would be at least 80 million Yuan! If it’s a bigger truck, it could be worth more than a billion!”
“Wow!” Zhao Yu couldn’t help but exclaim. “That’s amazing! I had no idea! It seems that I really am out of step with the current times!”
After he was done talking, Cui Lizhu then continued, “Moreover, once a transfer is successful, the robbers can easily sell the stolen cigarettes. This is because cigarettes are not numbered like banknotes. So, you don’t need to hide them, as they can’t be traced! And… The best part is that there the cigarettes do not lose any value like other products might, so when they sell them, the robbers are able to maximize their profit!”
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After hearing this, Zhao Yu exclaimed in wonder, “Wow! That is really brilliant! Hmm… It also seems that cigarette trucks are not as carefully guarded as money trucks, and the most difficult part to figure is the transportation angle. This really does explain why robbing cigarettes is really a good deal for robbers!”
Cui Lizhu blinked her eyes hard, then asked Vice Captain Jin, “Captain Jin, if I’m not mistaken, the man you just mentioned should be Jiang Ke, the famous thief, right?”
“Yes… But… How did you know?” Vice Captain Jin was shocked by Cui Lizhu’s intuitive guess.
Cui Lizhu couldn’t help but laugh. She then replied, “Then… I’m right! I simply guessed that he is the only one in China who would dare to take such a big risk in broad daylight.”
“Well, Cui…” Zhao Yu, who had never heard the culprit’s name before that moment, quickly asked, “Jing Ke, the robber… Um… Jiang Ke? Who is Jiang Ke? Your dad is Tao Xiang… So, is he a friend of your father’s?”
After hearing this, Vice Captain Jin was so shocked that he almost drove the car into a nearby ditch. After regaining control of the car, he was trembling all over.
He dared not turn around as he stammered, “You mean… Investigator Cui is…”
“Don’t panic! She is Tao Xiang’s daughter, but she has given up her old life of crime and has joined my team.” Zhao Yu waved his hand at him and assured him after seeing the panic on his face.
Cui Lizhu pouted her lips and corrected, “I did not join, but was invited!”
Vice Captain Jin was in a daze. Zhao Yu coughed, then said to Cui Lizhu, “Cui, since you used to work in the same trade as Jiang Ke, why don’t you help the Yaoming local police by giving them some insider insight? After all, they did treat us to a free meal!”
Cui Lizhu waved her hand and rolled her eyes. “You must be kidding! My father is the king of thieves, while Jiang Ke is famous for low-class robberies! Moreover, although they share the same expertise, they are not from the same era. Jiang Ke has risen in status among the thieves in recent years, and he was mostly active in the north. He hardly came to the south at all!”
Zhao Yu opened his eyes wide, then said in surprise, “Well, maybe there were no great opportunities in the north. Regardless, we should help the local police. Can you share some useful tips? If you help catch him, I’ll promise you that you will be promoted to being a full member of my group and also be placed on the regular payroll!”
When he heard what Zhao Yu and Cui Lizhu had just said, Vice Captain Jin was completely confused.
Cui Lizhu then said, “Well… That’s not as easy as you think. I heard that Jiang Ke is very good at his trade, and I even heard that he once killed some people! He has committed so many major crimes in these past few years, and yet he still has not been caught by the police. There must be a reason for it. It appears he may just be too good at it. As such, I’m afraid that I’m just not his match.”
Zhao Yu quickly corrected her, “That is not true! You are equally excellent and talented and cunning! That’s why you are on my team! Besides, I have always believed that evil can never prevail over good! So, I must catch this famous robber! Let’s see how cunning he actually is!”
“Well… You’re the team leader, so you can do what you want, and I guess that means we must all follow your orders.” Cui Lizhu sighed, then put her hands in pockets and added, “But, I have to remind you that you are probably wasting your time! After all, now that he has already committed the robbery, he surely has a perfect plan to get away with it!”
After hearing her, Zhao Yu shook his head, then said, “You have a point. But… Let’s think about this… He robbed a freight truck that was carrying so many cigarettes. Even if he drove the truck away, he had to have left some traces behind! If he can get away with something like this, it will be a true miracle!”
After that, Zhao Yu patted Vice Captain Jin on the shoulder and told him, “Captain Jin, when we finish investigating Cui Xiaolong, please take me to see the site of the robbery! I simply won’t accept that I can’t catch this cigarette thief!”