On the courtyard wall, the tuxedo cat was likely just passing through. It merely turned its head to glance at Shen Xin before leaping down from the wall.
Shen Xin hurried out of the courtyard to chase it.
He found it had jumped into the narrow gap between their building and the five-story building next door.
The gap was a foot wide at most, completely impossible for a person to enter.
Seeing it head deeper into the gap, Shen Xin quickly went around to the back from the side of the small workshop.
Behind the building was a patch of wasteland with crumbling, abandoned wall foundations.
Shen Xin stepped onto a pile of broken bricks and looked around.
By the light from the neighboring building, he actually spotted the cat.
It moved nimbly through the ruins and weeds, continuing forward until it finally leaped onto a courtyard wall, jumped down, and vanished from sight.
That was the wall surrounding the plot of land designated for the planned wholesale market.
Shen Xin considered going over, but he realized the path was difficult to traverse.
Besides, by the time he actually got there, the cat would probably be long gone.
Still, actually finding the cat was quite encouraging for Shen Xin.
Back in the courtyard, Wu Zhicun was still sitting there, muttering something unintelligibly.
"Sir, do you know if there's a stray cat around here? A black and white one?" As soon as Shen Xin asked, he wanted to slap himself. 'The man is blind, how could he possibly know if the cat is black and white?' He quickly added, "I mean, a cat that often hangs around your yard. I just saw it a moment ago."
"A cat?"
Wu Zhicun froze, thought for a brief two seconds, then shook his head. "No, I don't know about it."
But Shen Xin keenly noticed that his expression was a little tense.
Shen Xin just hummed in acknowledgment and didn't press further.
But his mind was already racing. Wu Zhicun's reaction was a bit off.
'He probably knows the suspect has been feeding this stray cat.'
After some consideration, Shen Xin decided he had to find that cat.
He wasn't sure what would come of it, but since he was stuck here killing time with Wu Zhicun anyway, he had the time.
'There's no way I can find it now.'
'It's a cat. Even if I find it, I won't be able to catch it.'
But Shen Xin remembered from his time on community policing rotation the methods those cat lovers used: buying cages and trapping them.
'Maybe I can get a couple of cages and place them nearby.'
'But the success rate for a stakeout like this is too low.'
Even as his mind wandered, Shen Xin didn't forget his mission. He started trying to wear Wu Zhicun down again.
He explained the law to him, describing the severe consequences caused by the suspect.
"There was this young man with no education and a poor family. Both his parents were sick, so his only option was to work as a delivery driver. He worked 15 hours a day and finally saved up enough to buy an electric scooter. He was thinking a bigger battery would mean a longer range so he could earn a bit more money."
"And guess what happened? A week after he bought it, a thief stole it. This was a grown man, tough as nails, but he felt so wronged he actually cried. Now you tell me, isn't that a wicked thing to do?"
Shen Xin recounted a case.
Wu Zhicun snorted coldly and shouted, "So he had it rough, what about me? I'm a blind old man with only one grandson! He was harmed by someone, so who am I supposed to turn to for justice?!"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. He grabbed a small stool from beside him and hurled it over.
Shen Xin quickly dodged it, then barked, "Sir, that's assaulting a police officer."
"Then arrest me! Throw me in prison!"
It was the same line from Wu Zhicun. He was trembling with rage as he got up and walked into the inner room.
Shen Xin rolled his eyes in frustration but still hurried over to support him.
The old man shoved his hand away, muttering curses as he returned to the inner room and slammed the door shut.
This was incredibly frustrating for Shen Xin.
Wu Zhicun was completely impervious to reason.
Shen Xin called Zhang Jian to ask about the progress of the canvassing. He also reported the situation with Wu Zhicun and finally asked if he should go over and help.
Over the phone, Zhang Jian sighed. "Forget it. Just go home and get some rest. Get your sleep schedule back on track, then continue wearing him down tomorrow during the day."
Shen Xin reluctantly agreed.
When he reached the village entrance, Shen Xin called his older sister and asked her to bring over the old family Camry.
It was his dad's old car. After he switched to an Audi, the Camry was driven less and often sat idle.
Xianghong Village wasn't far from Shen Xin's home in Xinbei District. If it weren't for Da Mei, he could have just gone straight home to live.
Twenty minutes later, his older sister, Shen Shuang, arrived in the car.
She was tall and attractive, with a head of wavy hair and a fashionable outfit. She strode up coolly and immediately started asking Shen Xin if he had a girlfriend.
"Where would I find the time?" Shen Xin huffed, pointing at her feet. "Driving in high heels is illegal."
"Hey, you little brat! Don't think I won't smack you just because you're wearing a police uniform." Shen Shuang menacingly grabbed Shen Xin's arm.
Shen Xin quickly dodged, got in the car, and accused her of assaulting an officer.
Just as he was about to leave, Shen Shuang came forward again and gestured for him to roll down the window. She then pulled a wad of cash from her small purse and scolded, "What good is that meager salary of yours? Clean yourself up and find a girlfriend, quick."
She tossed the money onto the passenger seat and walked away with a sway of her hips.
Shen Xin didn't hold back, gleefully taking the cash.
He drove home.
At home, all was peaceful and quiet. Da Mei was lying on the bed, dutifully nursing her kittens.
The three little ones just ate and slept now, growing bigger every day.
On his way back, Shen Xin had bought some goat milk powder to supplement Da Mei's diet.
Watching her elegantly lap up the milk, an idea struck Shen Xin. 'What if I have Da Mei help me find that tuxedo cat?'
'It's hard for a person to find a cat, but for a cat to find another cat? That should be much easier.'
'Besides, this is Da Mei, the Immortal Sister of the cat world. If that tuxedo cat is a male, he'll be utterly captivated.'
After thinking it over, Shen Xin decided the idea was actually quite solid.
After a bit more thought, Shen Xin went online and bought two small, wearable cat cameras.
The kind that took a memory card and could stream video at any time. They would be delivered tomorrow.
Then he could just strap one to Da Mei's neck and know where she went and what she did.
The next day, Shen Xin first reported to the station.
He asked Zhang Jian about the results of their canvassing; they hadn't found anything.
The sales channels for the phone and headphones had also been traced.
They were purchased using Wu Zhicun's phone number, delivered to his door, and the delivery was signed for by Wu Zhicun himself.
Another lead had hit a dead end.
Shen Xin cursed inwardly. 'What's with this suspect? Does he just sit at home watching crime movies all day? How is his counter-surveillance awareness so strong?'
Not forgetting about the million, Shen Xin ran to a nearby door and window shop to order a dog cage from the owner. Only then did he go home, pick up Da Mei, and set off for Xianghong Village.
"Officer Shen, you're back again," He Cuimei greeted him with a wide smile.
Shen Xin sighed inwardly and glanced at the inner room.
Wu Zhicun was sprawled on the bed, still asleep.
'He's got it easy, sleeping whenever he wants. Meanwhile, poor me has to be stuck here killing time.'
Shen Xin let Da Mei out. She tilted her head, looking at him quizzically.
Shen Xin took out a piece of paper.
On it was a drawing of the tuxedo cat he had seen yesterday.
"Da Mei, take a good look. It's this cat, all four of its legs are white. I need you to find it for me and bring it back."
Shen Xin gave the order directly.
'Da Mei has always been able to understand whatever I say, so this should be no problem.'
'They say cats have the intelligence of a four or five-year-old child, after all.'
Da Mei stared intently at Shen Xin's masterpiece. After a long moment, she seemed to understand, let out a couple of meows, and turned to leave.
It was a pity the cameras he'd bought hadn't arrived yet, otherwise he would have known where Da Mei was going.
But she had been a stray before, so she should be fine.
Once Da Mei left, she vanished without a trace.
It wasn't until a little after ten o'clock that Wu Zhicun finally got out of bed.
When they saw each other, it was the same as always; his tone was incredibly aggressive.
But he didn't try to kick him out, letting Shen Xin make small talk with him.
He talked a lot about Wu Jiawang.
He said Wu Jiawang was a bit mischievous, but a good kid.
As he spoke, he started wiping away tears again.
Shen Xin sighed, not knowing what to say.
At lunchtime, Shen Xin once again took the initiative to go buy food.
The old man was quite proud, insisting on paying for it himself.
Shen Xin let him. 'After all, my own salary is peanuts.'
They waited until a little after one in the afternoon, when Da Mei returned.
"Holy crap!"
Shen Xin exclaimed in shock, realizing that Da Mei had come back injured.
She was missing several tufts of fur, and there were bloodstains on one of her legs.
She returned with her eyes narrowed, radiating a murderous aura, and meowed frantically at Shen Xin.
It was as if she had lost a fight, gotten pissed off, and come back looking for backup.