Chapter 33: A Case Sparked by a Deed of Kindness

In the early morning, Lin Xiaosu was startled awake by the sound of a dog barking. As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt the flow of vital energy coursing through his body. With a light tap of his toes, he reached the door, and upon opening it, saw Miao Ruolan standing outside.

In her hands, she held his clothes, which, to his surprise, were impeccably pressed.

"You even ironed them for me?"

Miao Ruolan smiled softly. "I was mostly worried they wouldn’t dry in time. A quick press with the iron, and they were ready last night... Boss, you’re going to handle official business today. You can’t possibly go around in my father’s old pajamas."

Taking the clothes from her, Lin Xiaosu said, "Let me correct you on something: we’re partners. I’m your boss, but you’re also mine. Besides... Ruolan, whatever you do, you’re worth far more than two thousand a month."

Her lips curved into a subtle smile. "Why didn’t you ever tell Old Zhou? He gives me 750 every half-month and acts as if it’s some great favor..."

"Once we’ve set up our detective agency, we’ll show him!" Lin Xiaosu’s voice rang out from inside the room.

Miao Ruolan chuckled.

With him, she found herself laughing much more often.

Lin Xiaosu stepped outside, his trousers and jacket crisp, his whole demeanor radiating an energy that even reached his hair; in Miao Ruolan’s eyes, he was beginning to look rather dashing.

In the courtyard, the little electric scooter was already fully charged. As Miao Ruolan swung her leg over it, she suddenly paused. "Why don’t you drive today?"

Lin Xiaosu accepted without hesitation, hopping on the scooter and whisking Miao Ruolan away at breakneck speed.

The mountain road was narrow, flanked by cliffs, but the little scooter sliced through the forest, sending leaves swirling in its wake.

Miao Ruolan held onto his waist from behind, her cheeks once again flushing red.

It wasn’t nerves—given their martial prowess, nothing could really happen to them here. Even if the scooter overturned, their reflexes would easily save them.

Her embarrassment came from choosing the wrong method—again.

Yesterday, she had driven, with him holding her from behind, which left her feeling weak all over.

Today, she didn’t dare drive him, so she let him take over.

Now, the situation felt more natural for her in the back, but being pressed so close to him in front was a little too intense. If he drove slowly, she could maintain some distance, but as soon as their speed picked up, inertia drew her right against him.

She’d meant to remind him not to drive too fast, not to let their martial arts skills make him reckless on these unsuitable roads.

But in this strange mood, she found herself strangely lazy—she simply didn’t want to remind him.

What she didn’t know was that today’s driving had nothing to do with Lin Xiaosu’s martial arts. He was already a top motorcycle rider; on the 101 testing ground, he’d performed stunts a hundred times more dangerous than this. Some of his moves had even been adopted by the system as challenges for new recruits.

The scooter left the mountain road and entered Phoenix City Avenue, where its speed slowed considerably.

Soon, they arrived at the Fengshan Police Station.

Miao Ruolan eyed the imposing building. "Is this where you handle the paperwork?"

"Yes. Detective agencies are different from regular businesses; they need to be registered with the police... Officer Zhou!"

Lin Xiaosu raised his voice on the last three words.

A car that had just exited the building screeched to a halt; the window rolled down to reveal Zhou Mei.

Heaven bear witness, Lin Xiaosu could have sworn he saw a flash of delight in the officer’s eyes. What was going on?

"You... What brings you here?" Zhou Mei asked.

In the passenger seat, a young male officer leaned back slightly to make it easier for Zhou Mei to speak to Lin Xiaosu.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Zhou Mei nodded. "Alright! Xiao Sun, put your current work aside for now."

"Zhou-jie, this can’t wait. Captain Zhang is watching us, he said we must—"

"Who’s in charge, me or you?" Zhou Mei shot him a look. "Get out, take Mr. Lin to the reception room, make tea and wait for me! I need to park."

With no other choice, the officer surnamed Sun got out, escorted Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan to the reception room, and made tea for them.

He truly didn’t understand. The task at hand was urgent—how could Officer Zhou, a seasoned veteran, not see that? Why was she receiving guests at a time like this?

As he puzzled over it, Zhou Mei arrived.

She greeted them warmly. "So, what brings you to me?"

"Officer Zhou, the thing is, I’m planning to open a detective agency here in Phoenix City. According to regulations, I need to file with the police..."

Officer Sun interrupted, "Mr. Lin, for registration, just go to the front desk; there’s someone who handles that. Zhou-jie, we really ought to go..."

Zhou Mei didn’t get up. She smiled gently. "Sorry, Xiaosu, Officer Sun here is new—he doesn’t know the ropes. Please, go on."

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Officer Sun watched surveillance footage all night—he hasn’t slept, focused solely on the case. That’s commendable dedication. If you have urgent business, go ahead. I can register at the window just the same."

Officer Sun’s brow furrowed sharply. "How did you know I watched surveillance all night?"

Zhou Mei, too, was surprised.

She knew Lin Xiaosu’s abilities, but this seemed almost supernatural. It was one thing to tell someone hadn’t slept, but to know he’d been watching surveillance all night—unless you’d been lurking outside his window...

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "It’s obvious from Officer Sun’s eyes. The signs of a sleepless night are clear. But what was he doing? Different activities affect the eyes in different ways. His eye rims are quite red, indicating he kept them wide open for a long time without blinking. Given how rushed you both are, I’d venture that Officer Sun spent the night watching surveillance footage for clues."

Zhou Mei and Officer Sun exchanged looks.

Zhou Mei let out a slow breath. "I’m impressed. Are you telling me you’re qualified to open a detective agency?"

"Exactly. If I’m going to open one, I need the right skills. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a joke?" Lin Xiaosu lifted his teacup.

Zhou Mei said, "But starting a detective agency involves far more than just registration. There’s a mountain of paperwork. If you handle it all yourself, you’d be lucky to finish in two months."

"I know! What else can I do? I’ll just take it step by step."

Zhou Mei offered, "I can handle it for you. I’ll get it all sorted within a week."

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "..."

"Don’t get too happy just yet," Zhou Mei warned. "I have a condition! I need your help with a case. If you can solve this problem for me, then I’ll focus on helping you."

Officer Sun, who was perched on a nearby office chair, trembled slightly. He looked at Zhou Mei in disbelief.

Bringing in an outsider for help... Was this even allowed?

Lin Xiaosu shook his head. "I figured you’d pull this. But since I need your help, fine, I’ll help you if you help me."

Zhou Mei became animated. "Xiao Sun, bring me the case file!"

"Zhou-jie, this..." Officer Sun hesitated.

"I know what you want to say. Save it. Bring it over."

As the two hesitated, Miao Ruolan was clearly lost.

If it had been the old Lin Xiaosu, he wouldn’t have understood either.

But he was no longer the man he once was.

He knew this was a matter of procedure.

Ongoing investigations couldn’t be leaked—that was the rule.

But Zhou Mei, driven by the need to solve the case quickly, had no choice but to ask for his help. Still, this was technically a violation.

The best way to handle this dilemma was to avoid details and focus only on the core issue.

Lin Xiaosu spoke up. "No need for the file, Officer Zhou. Just tell me what you need to know."

"Alright. This case began with a good deed..."

Someone found a leather bag and, unable to locate the owner, turned it in to the station.

If it had been an ordinary bag, this would be the classic good Samaritan story.

The problem was, when the bag was opened, there was no cash—only drugs. Three whole kilograms.

A drug case of this scale was unprecedented in such a small county.

Right now, the criminal investigation unit was searching for the owner. The spot where the bag was found was a blind spot in the surveillance footage. They had analyzed all the surrounding cameras—(that’s what Officer Sun spent the night doing)—but still couldn’t find the owner.

That’s the situation: a shocking case triggered by a good deed.

Normally, the rightful owner would be grateful for such honesty. But this time, whether the owner would thank the finder or curse him was anyone’s guess.

The officers couldn’t help but find the situation absurd, but no one was laughing—their superiors had given a strict order: the case must be solved within three days. Any longer, and those on the criminal network would transfer their assets and personnel, making them impossible to catch.