Free Web NovelChapter 349: Chapter 285: Even Half a Kilo Isn’t a Big Deal Anymore?
Yuan Mingtao had no idea what had happened. He just gave Shen Xin a thumbs-up and then started complaining to him in a low voice.
He said that Wan Chao and the others were ruthless. Just look how deep and well-hidden this was.
Celestial Skill was amazing!
They’d already searched the place top to bottom several times before finding it. If it had been him, he most likely would have missed it.
Shen Xin carefully examined the shortening in front of him.
There were eleven tubs in total on the second shelf. Shortening was a solid, and as Shen Xin recalled, it usually came in cardboard boxes.
But it probably came in metal tubs too.
The metal tubs before him looked just like paint cans—squarish, with a metal lid snapped on.
Shen Xin called Yuan Mingtao over to help move them down.
Seeing the judge was still standing there stunned, Shen Xin quickly waved him over to help.
The judge snapped out of it and dazedly came forward to help move the tubs.
Shen Xin brought Celestial Skill over again to check the tubs one by one.
Celestial Skill sniffed them all and still locked onto the same tub as before.
Shen Xin didn’t rush to open it. Instead, he examined this specific tub closely.
Obviously, it had been mixed in with the regular goods.
’The transporter must have marked it somehow, or else how would they tell it apart?’
Upon closer inspection, he quickly found it.
On the bottom of the metal tub, a circle had been drawn with a red pen.
Shen Xin then examined the tub’s packaging.
The brand was called Hualin, and the manufacturer was in Peng An.
The tub was secured with packing straps on the top and bottom, and the metal lid was tightly fastened, with a plastic seal wrapped around it.
The problematic tub looked no different from the others, as if it had come from the factory that way.
However, with this type of packaging, Shen Xin felt it wouldn’t be difficult to open and reseal it.
Shen Xin thought for a moment and decided not to open it just yet.
’For the police to crack down on such a legitimate-looking establishment, they must have had solid intel.’
’The anti-drug guys should be with them. I’ll just wait for them to arrive and hand it over.’
’My job is just to compete.’
But what Shen Xin didn’t know was that there were no anti-drug officers present at all.
This operation was being handled entirely by the regular police force.
Of the fourteen targeted locations, the problematic ones were all targets based on tips from the public—Little Kalami-type targets.
Targets like that could be handled by the regular police and local stations themselves.
Therefore, the only anti-drug officer involved in this operation was Tang Youkun, the captain of the Municipal Anti-Drug Detachment.
At that moment, he was in the command vehicle with Wan Chao, Lv Yuan, and others, overseeing the entire competition.
When Lv Yuan received Xin Zifeng’s call, Tang Youkun was vividly recounting last year’s major case involving Brother K to Wan Chao, continuing a conversation they hadn’t finished at dinner.
He was explaining how Shen Xin had used a cat to complete the reconnaissance work.
After hearing Xin Zifeng’s hurried report, Lv Yuan said with confusion, "That can’t be right. Wasn’t Meigao a blank location with no target?"
"Yeah, there’s no target here."
Xin Zifeng nodded, then said, "But he found something anyway."
He also wanted to know why.
"Director Lv, could it be a false positive?"
Startled by Shen Xin’s discovery, Xin Zifeng had rushed out in a panic. Only now did he consider another possibility: that Shen Xin had found the wrong target.
That there was actually nothing, and Shen Xin was mistaken.
"A false positive?"
Lv Yuan frowned, recalling Celestial Skill’s performance that morning.
He shook his head decisively.
If it were anyone else, Lv Yuan might have had his doubts.
But Shen Xin?
’That kid is so skilled. No way.’
"Don’t hang up yet."
Lv Yuan covered the phone and quickly explained the situation to Tang Youkun.
After hearing the report, Tang Youkun was stunned for a few seconds. He hurriedly told the driver to head to Meigao immediately, then added, "Tell them to secure the scene, don’t let anyone near it, and otherwise carry on as usual. Wait for us to get there."
His expression and tone were very serious.
Lv Yuan instantly understood the gravity of the situation and quickly relayed instructions to Xin Zifeng.
Wan Chao, being in charge of K-9 training and technical aspects, hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet. He subconsciously wanted to ask Tang Youkun why he was reacting so strongly.
Tang Youkun waved a hand, signaling him to be quiet, and dialed a number.
"Liu Dejun, where are you right now? Get some people over here, quick. We’ve got a find at Meigao on Linjiang Street."
Liu Dejun was the captain of the Tianpu Branch Anti-Drug Brigade.
Only after making the call did Tang Youkun explain, "If it’s just personal use, that’s just a Little Kalami. But you heard him—it was found in a tub of oil in the kitchen storeroom. What does that mean? It means trafficking!"
A completely different concept.
That’s why Tang Youkun immediately ordered everything to proceed as usual, so as not to tip their hand.
Wan Chao sucked in a sharp breath, understanding now.
Then he couldn’t help but mutter, "’This kid is a little freaky. You give him a place with no target, and he still manages to pull a find out of thin air.’"
Lv Yuan nodded in agreement. ’He is a bit freaky.’
"What do you know? He’s a lucky charm," Tang Youkun snorted. "I heard from Chen Guanglin in Nanjiang that this kid is a real lucky charm. See? He’s just in a competition, and he’s already found a big fish."
Just like last year, that massive case with Brother K went off without a hitch entirely because of Shen Xin.
If that’s not a lucky charm, what is?
It had gotten to the point where Tang Youkun was tempted to transfer Shen Xin to Ningshan to work directly under him.
Then he could even train his own drug-sniffing dogs.
「Ten minutes later, the command vehicle arrived at Meigao.」
Wan Chao was about to get out of the vehicle with him but was stopped by Tang Youkun.
"What are you getting involved for? This has nothing to do with you."
Tang Youkun said curtly and turned to enter the club.
Wan Chao, having been shut out, turned his head and saw Li Yinjiang.
Li Yinjiang had been too restless to stay in his car and had gotten out to wander around.
He had probably seen Tang Youkun, and he too was standing there in a daze.
"Director Wan, what are you guys doing here?" Li Yinjiang came over and asked, completely baffled.
Seeing Tang Youkun show up and rush into the club had given him quite a scare.
"What do you think?"
Wan Chao shot back, teasing, "Your boy Shen Xin is really something. He enters a competition and makes a major discovery. Even Tang Zhi said he’s a lucky charm."
’A major discovery?’
’A lucky charm?’
Li Yinjiang was suddenly reminded of how Shen Xin had drawn two Level 3 envelopes in a row earlier.
’With that kind of rotten luck, he can be called a lucky charm?’
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen.
Shen Xin had the judge guard the entrance, then took Celestial Skill and meticulously searched the entire kitchen one more time.
Nothing.
Then he turned his head and saw Tang Youkun walking in at the head of a group.
"Tang Zhi!"
Shen Xin greeted him immediately.
Tang Youkun clapped Shen Xin’s shoulder, pleased, and asked where the item was.
Shen Xin led Tang Youkun to the storeroom.
He showed him the tub of oil and the mark on the bottom.
Shen Xin said, "This is the only one I found."
Tang Youkun nodded and gestured for him to open it.
Yuan Mingtao quickly handed over a pair of scissors.
Opening the metal lid revealed a solid block of shortening wrapped in a blue plastic bag.
Shen Xin tipped it out and used the scissors to break it apart.
After just a few tries, something was exposed.
Tang Youkun squatted down.
In the middle of the block of shortening, a plastic container was visible.
It was opaque white, wide-mouthed, about eight or nine centimeters in diameter and ten centimeters high, with no markings on the outside.
Shen Xin twisted it open.
Inside was a vacuum-sealed bag of powder.
Tang Youkun picked it up, opened it for a sniff, snorted softly, and handed it to Shen Xin.
"It’s No. 4."
Yuan Mingtao said in a low voice.
Shen Xin nodded. He could smell it.
And the weight... it had to be around 500 grams.
Exactly half a kilogram.
This was no small-time stuff.
Moreover, to find it in such a sealed package clearly indicated an organized trafficking channel.
It’s like they say: when you see one cockroach, it means there’s an infestation hiding in the walls.
Shen Xin offered a moment of silent prayer for the guys from the Tianpu Branch Anti-Drug Brigade.
’They’re probably going to get reamed when they get here.’
When such a large amount of drugs is found in your jurisdiction, you bear the responsibility.
Sure enough, when Liu Dejun rushed over with his men, Tang Youkun laid into him with a tirade.
Finally, he pointed at Shen Xin and said, "Liu Dejun, you better thank him properly! If he hadn’t found this during the competition, you’d be waiting for a demerit!"
He shot Liu Dejun a fierce glare.
Liu Dejun looked to be nearly forty, his skin rough and weather-beaten, with a messy stubble. He hurried forward and shook Shen Xin’s hand to express his gratitude.
Shen Xin quickly said it was an accidental discovery.
Only then did Liu Dejun see the item.
He found an electronic scale in the kitchen and weighed it: 499 grams. Just about half a kilogram.
Seeing the packaging, Liu Dejun’s expression became extremely grave.
"I want your report on my desk by this time tomorrow," Tang Youkun said with a cold snort, then beckoned for Shen Xin to leave.
The specific investigation would, of course, be handed over to Liu Dejun.
Xin Zifeng gave Liu Dejun and his men a sympathetic look, then quickened his pace to catch up.
Then he said to Shen Xin in a low voice, "Shen Xin, did you know? You actually weren’t supposed to find anything here."
Shen Xin paused. What did he mean, ’weren’t supposed to’?
The next moment, it hit him: the double-blind test.
’So I ended up at a location with no target.’
’Unbelievable.’
Shen Xin was speechless. ’This double-blind test is kind of a dirty trick.’
"You could’ve given me a heads-up," Shen Xin said in a low voice.
He’d been searching high and low for so long without finding anything that he’d almost started to question his own existence.
After the two morning rounds, he’d established a reputation as an expert. But after searching for so long and finding nothing, for a moment there, Shen Xin had been genuinely afraid he was going to bomb.
No wonder Tang Youkun had come rushing over in such a hurry.
Turns out it was an unexpected surprise.
Xin Zifeng quickly said, "I did try to give you a hint!"
He thought to himself, ’I was winking at you and everything.’
"I didn’t expect you to be such a badass that you’d find a target anyway. Half a kilo, Shen Xin! If you were from Ningshan, this would be a commendation at the very least."
As he spoke, he lowered his voice, encouraging Shen Xin to bring it up with his superiors.
’Whatever the reason, a find this big has to be worth some kind of reward, right?’
He meant well.
Unexpectedly, Shen Xin just shook his head. "Forget it. It’s not a big deal."
He’d worked cases involving tons of drugs. What was half a kilogram?
As for rewards...
’When have I ever been short on commendations?’
Xin Zifeng was left speechless. ’Half a kilo isn’t a big deal?’
On his way out, Shen Xin saw the club owner from before.
Shen Xin paused for a moment, taking a second look at the man.
He was still arguing with the team leader, insisting his establishment was completely clean.
Judging from his expression and reaction, it didn’t seem like an act.
’Besides, if he were secretly involved in trafficking, he probably would have been spooked and bolted the moment he heard the police were raiding the place. Why would he run over here?’
’Could it have been delivered by mistake?’
’For example, maybe it was supposed to go somewhere else, but the delivery person accidentally brought it to the wrong place.’
’The drugs were hidden in the oil, the packaging was identical, and the only mark was a circle drawn on the bottom.’
’It would be easy to mix them up.’
Having been through the Zhu Tianshun case, Shen Xin knew that all sorts of coincidental and freaky things could happen in real life.
You never know what kind of massive screw-ups people are capable of.
"Have some thoughts?" Tang Youkun asked suddenly.
Shen Xin snapped out of his reverie. He subconsciously started to voice his thoughts, but then quickly shook his head and said he didn’t.
The owner’s behavior was a bit abnormal, but you couldn’t be sure.
Because this was clearly merchandise distributed by a supplier, making the club basically an end-user.
To say there was absolutely no connection, when it was found in his establishment... Shen Xin found that hard to believe.
But there was another problem.
’If he knew there were drugs in this tub of oil after it was delivered, why didn’t he take it and deal with it sooner?’
Shen Xin hadn’t seen the delivery slip, so he didn’t know when it had arrived. ’But if it were me, I’d have taken the goods away the second they got here.’
’You wouldn’t want the kitchen staff to discover it when they melt it in a pan to fry something. That would be a disaster.’
But regardless of the situation, the fact was that the drugs had been found. By tracing the delivery channel, they would surely be able to find the supplier.
Half a kilogram in one tub—this was no Little Kalami. Ningshan had stumbled upon another major case.
Tang Youkun nodded, not saying much. He just looked at Shen Xin and couldn’t help but think, ’Maybe I should give Lin Weinian a little push.’
’You wanted to poach him, didn’t you? Well, get to it already.’
