TTB C9

Chapter 9

6  “If a reason must be found, then perhaps…it’s simply tacit understanding.”

Early the next morning, when He Lin arrived, Li Shang handed over the prior day’s records—thorough and complete; who knew how late he had worked.

Wu Yunsheng brought news: “Forensics came back. The milk was indeed tainted—the drug residue matches prior cases. Looks like we can’t avoid those Milk Bandits.”

He Lin said, “They may be connected to Guo Mucun’s disappearance.”

Cheng Xiaoyi reported her cross-checks and passed over the missing file for Liu Yushu.

He Lin glanced at the small stack of files nearby. “Thanks for grinding through so much yesterday, Xiaocheng.”

Cheng felt undeserving. She flicked a glance at the unruffled Li Shang, then pulled it back quickly. “Captain, next steps?”

He Lin walked to the whiteboard, eyeing the branching lines: Milk Bandits, the mysterious Red Sister, and now Liu Yushu’s disappearance.

The case had only just begun, yet clues were already many and messy—like blind men feeling an elephant. It was still the exploration phase; a complete picture refused to emerge.

After a moment of thought, He Lin decided.

He turned to Cheng: “Search online intel—see whether Tang Ailian and Liu Yushu share any overlap: domestic-violence support groups, forums, mutual contacts, phone or online exchanges.”

Cheng noted briskly. “I’ll confirm ASAP.”

“Old Wu, coordinate with Second Sub-Bureau on the new missing case—we’ll join the investigation.” He added with Wu, “Guo is currently missing, but Liu’s husband, Li Jiahe, we can still reach—plus family and friends. They may have something. Go visit the family and husband; see what comes up.”

Wu took the file. “I’ll bring Fang along.”

“Li Shang and I are going to Captain Zheng.” He added, “Old Wu, we’ll rendezvous by the 827 bus stop this afternoon.”

As they set off, He Lin briefed Li Shang: “The anti-theft unit captain’s Zheng Liyang—just call him Captain Zheng. One thing—something’s a bit unusual over there.”

“Unusual?” Li Shang didn’t follow.

“You’ll see.”

Their unit was in Building 5.

When they arrived, the anti-theft squad hadn’t officially started the day.

The room oozed lived-in chaos: several modern lock cylinders and picks on tables, sealed bags with unrecovered stolen phones, empty cans, drink bottles, even a used instant noodle cup.

Two officers on the sofa—last night’s shift—snored away.

“Pardon the sight; we ran a blitz on e-bike thieves last night and were up till dawn.” A thirty-something man stepped out to greet them.

He wore rimless glasses and a suit—less like a police captain than a corporate VP.

He Lin greeted Zheng Liyang; Li Shang followed with, “Captain Zheng.”

Zheng clapped his hands. “Up, everyone—breakfast is on the table.”

The sprawled officers yawned awake, shuffling into seats till the room filled.

Li Shang looked around and understood He Lin’s “unusual”: a blinged-out DJ fresh from a nightclub; an old farmer just in from the countryside; a spectacled out-of-town girl with milk tea; a plaid-shirt programmer… and the PPT-ready Captain Zheng.

Guessing their jobs from appearances? Impossible.

Zheng handed out packets. “Work needs. We patrol buses and metros daily; light disguise helps enforcement.”

The “farmer,” Deputy Captain Cai, stood to report progress on the Milk Bandits.

“We pulled surveillance near prior scenes. These stills—faces as clear as we could get—show them around the ‘Pianyifang’ area, roughly seven or eight individuals.”

“Victim statements collected. All lived alone—some renters, some owners, men and women. No idea how they were targeted.”

“We recovered several milk cartons—drug injected, punctures sealed with wax, hard to spot.”

“We received your case data too. From cartons and contents, likely the same group—but we don’t yet know whether the missing party is directly connected.”

“Also…after this disappearance, the thieves stopped entirely, which complicates arrests.”

He Lin listened, while Li Shang quietly took notes.

Then He Lin started through the surveillance clips, one by one.

Zheng grimaced. “We mostly work petty theft—pickpockets and e-bike thieves. Rarely planned operations like this. Didn’t expect it to snowball. Captain He, give us some ideas—find them, and your case moves too.”

He Lin: “Locals or outsiders?”

Deputy Cai: “Don’t know. They popped up from nowhere. Our local informants don’t recognize them.”

He added: “‘Pianyifang’ is a mix—few cameras, lots of subdivided rentals. Hard to trace.”

“Fingerprints?”

“They’re careful at night—gloves, light cleanup. We found some non-victim prints on cartons, ran the database—no hits. Likely not recently released habituals.”

“Any eyewitness details for composites?”

“One female witness—terrified—only recalls a much taller masked man. Nothing else useful.”

“About the drug?”

“An oral sedative that induces short-term drowsiness and coma; dosed very precisely. Possibly diverted from a hospital.”

He handed over the pharmacology report.

“Hospitals control such meds tightly,” He Lin said. “Have you checked veterinary clinics?”

If similar veterinary sedatives were used, they might be easier to obtain.

Zheng’s eyes lit. “Not yet—we’ll add it.”

He Lin continued drawing out threads; Deputy Cai listened, then sighed, lids drooping. “This one feels different from cases we’ve seen…but I can’t say how.”

It was veteran instinct talking.

While discussion flowed, Li Shang silently sorted the surveillance stills, laying a handful in a row before He Lin.

He Lin’s eyes followed his hand.

Day shots, night shots—faces masked, heads angled away from cameras—yet details peeked through.

One thief’s forehead showed a stark sun-tan demarcation line—the kind e-bike helmets leave.

Another wore an outer jacket, but the collar and cuffs were stiff, white dress shirt cloth.

The “milkman” box on a bike bore plush lambs—sun-bleached and weathered from long use.

A spark in He Lin’s mind; he pointed. “Start from this.”

Zheng leaned toward the milk box. “Milk?” His brow eased. “Cai, contact this delivery company, show the stills for ID…”

Before Cai moved, He Lin waved him off. “Not the milk—the occupations.”

“They went door-to-door kitted out properly. At least one—or several—likely worked these jobs for real.”

The officers caught on; the blocked puzzle cracked.

“Right—some know the streets cold, escape quickly, leave no trace, ride e-bikes, with helmet and sleeve tan lines—former couriers?”

“A few look like manual laborers—ex-delivery or logistics?”

“They knew who lived alone—specific addresses—must have detailed lists. Real estate agents often have that.”

“And the drug—needs pharma knowledge, not easy to get. Veterinary clinics or small private practices are priority checks.”

Voices overlapped: the one with rental intel—agents; the one with meds—vets or doctors; the door‑knocker—actual milk vendors; the one who knows alleys—food delivery or parcel couriers…

Deputy Cai finally grasped the off-note he’d felt. “This isn’t a typical theft ring with one boss and flunkies from thug or thief circles. It looks…assembled—people from various trades pooling familiar skills and splitting roles.”

He Lin concluded: “Screen currently unemployed around Pianyifang with backgrounds in those sectors. Share updates promptly.”

Captain Zheng thanked them profusely and saw them out.

—

Outside, He Lin said to Li Shang: “Interdepartmental meetings—archive the essentials only. No need for exhaustive minutes. Especially when another unit leads—the result matters more than our participation.”

This morning he’d seen Li Shang’s files from last night—thorough beyond thorough.

Noticing Li Shang still noting away moments earlier, he worried it was overkill.

Li Shang replied, “Captain, everything you said felt important.”

He Lin almost choked. “I was just thinking aloud—not scripture. If we’re wrong later, it’s embarrassing to have it on paper.”

Li Shang compromised slightly: “I’ll jot it down. If you feel it’s unnecessary, we can remove it when filing.”

He Lin’s head throbbed at the idea of editing more documents—but since the pen wasn’t in his hand, he couldn’t exactly snatch it away. He’d deal with it once the case was solved.

Then he voiced the doubt in his mind: “Those stills you lined up for me—were you hinting?”

He had leapt from those occupational tells to the key insight.

Li Shang’s voice stayed even. “Captain, those were your deductions. I only trimmed the noise—too many photos, too little signal.” He paused, eyes meeting He Lin’s. “If you insist on a reason—perhaps it’s tacit understanding.”

In this world, few things are as rare as a true kindred spirit. He Lin felt a quiet spark of camaraderie kindle.

After a morning with the anti-theft unit, He Lin checked the time. “Come on—lunch is on me.”