Animal Detective

Teddy wasn’t very happy with his new nest and refused to go inside at all.

’No big deal. It’s just the beginning, so there’s always an adjustment period.’

’As long as he doesn’t get any ideas about going out to hunt, it’ll be fine.’

Back in his office, Shen Xin opened his suitcase and started divvying up the local specialties he’d brought back.

Of course, Ding Yuwei and her three subordinates couldn’t be left out. And if they were getting some, how could he forget the detachment leaders?

And then there was Zhao Hongjie.

The man always looked out for him at work, so it was only natural to bring back some local specialties after a trip.

After portioning out the gifts into plastic bags, Shen Xin strode right over and knocked on Zhao Hongjie’s door.

It was a good thing he’d brought plenty.

Lakshen and his men had packed a lot for him, but after splitting it up, Shen Xin worried it wouldn’t be enough and had bought some more himself.

Carrying the portioned-out beef jerky, cheese curd, and the like, Shen Xin went openly to Zhao Hongjie’s office.

Zhao Hongjie accepted it without ceremony.

’The fact that he accepted it was a good thing.’

Inevitably, Zhao Hongjie had a few "words of advice" for him.

But they were all words of affirmation.

Zhao Hongjie was very pleased with Shen Xin, feeling that he was on the very path he had envisioned for him.

Using his extraordinary talent, he was striving to become an expert in criminal investigation.

For example, on this trip to Suihar, he was originally supposed to help find a police dog, but he had ended up helping them crack a major case.

It had been the same on his previous trips to Ju Province and Songpu.

’This is how he’ll slowly build his reputation.’

’In the future, if any jurisdiction encounters an animal-related case, they might just think of Shen Xin.’

’Solving a string of major, difficult cases is far more effective than just slowly climbing the ladder within the system.’

’If Nanjiang really did produce an expert investigator like that, it would reflect well on Zhao Hongjie himself.’

"You’re still young. Go for it, and don’t hold back. Don’t have any reservations. If you need anything, just say the word. We’ve got your back."

As he said this, Zhao Hongjie’s expression grew much kinder.

Shen Xin quickly thanked him, promising to take the advice to heart.

He then delivered gifts to Xu Xinyao and the other deputy bureau chiefs. When it was Zhang Hancheng’s turn, he accepted it without even looking.

Then he grabbed Shen Xin and headed straight for the fourth floor.

The Narcotics Division was on the fourth floor.

"Xiaoshen’s here."

Chen Guanglin had always had a good impression of Shen Xin. After all, it was thanks to Shen Xin that last year’s biggest drug case in Ningshan Province had been solved so perfectly.

Zhang Hancheng sat down and asked Chen Guanglin if he had seen the Hunting Falcon earlier.

"It’s worth this much."

He gestured with his hand and clicked his tongue in amazement. "At least seven million."

Chen Guanglin looked at Zhang Hancheng, amused. ’What’s with him? Did he come over here just to show off?’

’The thing he’s showing off about is a little strange, though.’

"Old Zhang, what on earth are you trying to say?" Chen Guanglin retorted.

Zhang Hancheng explained his idea.

When he heard that Shen Xin had used a Hunting Falcon for reconnaissance to find poachers fleeing across the border, Chen Guanglin drew a sharp breath and looked at Shen Xin.

His eyes were full of astonishment.

’Cats and dogs are one thing, but birds work too now?’

In any case, the memory of using Da Mei for reconnaissance last year had left a deep and unforgettable impression on him.

Zhang Hancheng continued, "Old Chen, just think about it. This bird is much more useful than a drone. So I want to give it a try, see if we can pull off aerial reconnaissance."

"So, I came over to ask you folks in Narcotics if you have any cases that need some external surveillance."

"And I’m talking about a major case. Forget about those Little Kalami-type jobs. Our Teddy is worth seven million, after all."

At the detachment level, their job was to guide investigations and research new case-solving methods and technologies.

Following Zhang Hancheng’s line of thought, using a bird for reconnaissance was a new method.

That’s why he wanted to test it.

Only then did Chen Guanglin finally understand.

And once he understood, he truly felt a flash of inspiration.

His mind immediately ran through a few possible applications.

Drug deals, for instance.

Face-to-face deals were less common now, but they still happened.

If you use a drone for surveillance, the suspects can spot it.

Our technology is advancing, but so is the traffickers’. They even know how to use electromagnetic shielding.

But a bird is different.

Electromagnetic shielding is useless against a bird, and besides, who pays any attention to one?

It was the same principle as using Da Mei for reconnaissance.

Only now, it was an upgrade from the ground to the sky.

Leaning back in his chair to think, Chen Guanglin said, "It could work, but the key is we don’t have a case."

"We just finished Operation Spring Breeze after the New Year. To meet our quotas, we had to wrap up a lot of our long-term investigations. What big targets could be left?"

"Forget everything else, I’ve had to mediate several times already just because of the teams below fighting over quotas."

The pressure to enforce drug laws was always at its highest.

The brigades below have quotas, the local stations have quotas, and the quota is everything.

Shen Xin had encountered it himself back at the local station: a hotel would submit a report, and in the next instant, officers from the local station and the Narcotics Brigade would all descend on the scene.

They would argue heatedly over whose jurisdiction it was.

Under such intense pressure, there was no doubt: if you weren’t behind bars yet, it was only because they were trying to catch the person behind you.

Zhang Hancheng said, "You really don’t have any, or are you just saying you don’t? I find that hard to believe."

He refused to believe they could catch every last drug trafficker.

"There’s really nothing suitable," Chen Guanglin said, shaking his head.

Even if they had a major target, they couldn’t move in early just to test Teddy’s abilities.

Everything was done according to a plan, step by step.

However, now that Zhang Hancheng had suggested the idea, Chen Guanglin was even more interested in it than Zhang Hancheng himself.

For the Criminal Investigation Division, catching a common criminal was a job for Skynet, not a bird. It wasn’t worth using a seven-million-yuan Hunting Falcon.

So if this thing could really work, the ones to benefit most would be his Narcotics Division.

His eyes darted thoughtfully. "Old Zhang, if you want to run a test, it doesn’t have to be on drug traffickers. What about a public security case?"

He shot him a meaningful look.

Zhang Hancheng raised an eyebrow, catching on immediately. "Busting a gambling den?"

Chen Guanglin nodded eagerly.

Before Shen Xin could even react, the two of them were dragging him away.

The head of the Municipal Public Security Detachment was a man named Yang Qingmin.

Shen Xin had met him many times before.

Due to the initiative to promote younger cadres, Yang Qingmin was only in his early forties.

But compared to Zhang Hancheng and Chen Guanglin, he had a more scholarly air. Having reached middle age, he sported a slicked-back side part.

Sitting in his office, he exuded the classic air of a bureau chief.

That was to be expected.

Now that the public security situation had improved, if one had to say whose future was the brightest among the heads of the city’s main operational divisions, it would probably be Yang Qingmin.

You only had to look at the duties of the Public Security Detachment to understand why.

Monitoring the city’s overall public security situation, being responsible for managing public order throughout the city, maintaining peace in public places and at large-scale public events...

Every single item was inextricably linked to public order.

The problems of the majority are the most important problems, and for someone like Yang Qingmin, a promotion to a high-level government post—a "white shirt" job—would be a piece of cake.

Even his way of speaking was different.

Zhang Hancheng and Chen Guanglin were both iron-willed tough guys, direct and decisive in their actions.

Yang Qingmin, in contrast, was more composed, his tone of voice calm and unhurried.

After patiently listening to their idea, the first thing he spoke of was the risk.

He mentioned that this Hunting Falcon was incredibly valuable, a Class I nationally protected animal, and had been entrusted to Shen Xin’s care by a zoological research institute.

"He came to Nanjiang to be well-fed, well-watered, and to enjoy life."

"And you two, look at you, already giving him a job. What happens if something goes wrong? Who can bear that responsibility?"

Yang Qingmin gave the two an exasperated look. ’One after another, always messing around.’

Knowing him well, Zhang Hancheng didn’t waste words. "Lao Yang, just tell us straight. Do you have a suitable case or not? A gambling bust. I know you’ve got one."

Nanjiang had a developed private economy, with small businesses everywhere.

With money comes wild behavior; you could never catch all the gamblers.

Yang Qingmin grumbled, but only to a point. Seeing their resolute attitudes, he immediately picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.

When the call connected, he asked, "Li Fang, has that gambling case in the mountains from last month been cracked yet?"

Li Fang?

Shen Xin thought for a moment. ’That’s the captain of the Ji Port City Public Security Brigade, if I remember correctly.’

Yang Qingmin frowned. "It’s still not cracked? It’s been half a month. What exactly is the situation?"

He gripped the receiver, listening intently to the report.

Finally, he said, "So in other words, the suspects are deliberately creating a smokescreen, even intentionally putting out some decoys for you to catch."

"Li Fang, you’re really something. They’re basically slapping your unit in the face. I won’t give you a deadline, lest you complain that I’m putting too much pressure on you."

"But I need to see results. Without satisfactory results, I won’t let you off easy."

After lecturing him, his tone softened. "You said the suspects are cunning and that reconnaissance is difficult, right? Fine. I have an idea for you over here. Just wait, someone will contact you."

With that, he hung up the phone and looked at the two of them. "Well, are you two satisfied?"

Zhang Hancheng nodded and got up to leave.

Yang Qingmin rose to see them out and added at the door, "Oh, right. When it’s time for the operation, give me a call. I’d like to see this for myself."

He smiled at Shen Xin.

Once out the door, Chen Guanglin also made a swift exit, leaving them with instructions to notify him when the operation began.

Would Zhang Hancheng handle it himself?

Of course not.

He told Shen Xin to get ready, while noting that the case itself was just a phone call away. He would just have the Ji Port Criminal Investigation Brigade get in touch.

Shen Xin nodded.

In fact, it wasn’t just Zhang Hancheng who wanted to give it a try; Shen Xin was eager to test it himself.

The pursuit of Dawag had made Shen Xin aware of the potential of avian tracking.

Teddy was too precious to use regularly, but Shen Xin could use other birds.

Shen Xin had asked Chen Wanbin about it.

Among birds, the intelligence of a Hunting Falcon was only considered slightly above average, benefiting merely from its large body and head.

When it came to truly intelligent birds, there were many.

Corvids, for example, especially the largest corvid species in the world, the Raven.

Corvids were already intelligent, and Ravens were large with correspondingly large heads.

According to Chen Wanbin, Ravens were the smartest birds in the world; for instance, they could still recognize one another after being separated for several years.

Next was the African Grey Parrot. This creature was even smarter than a King Kong Parrot, capable of recognizing colors and numbers with ease—the kind that could genuinely converse with humans.

Of course, they certainly weren’t on the level of dolphins or orcas.

But that was already outrageously intelligent.

And no birds had poor eyesight. Shen Xin figured that if this experiment proved feasible, he could start raising some suitably intelligent birds of his own.

He wanted to see if he could use his talent to train them to the level of Tian Kui.

Tian Kui was a police dog; the birds he trained would be police birds.

The paperwork would be a bit of a hassle, though.

Ravens would be easier, but the government didn’t permit the private ownership of birds like the African Grey Parrot.

However, raising them in the department’s name wouldn’t be an issue at all.

The only problem was selecting suitable individuals.

People could be clever or stupid, and the same was true for birds. Some were just dumb birds. So, just like selecting police dogs, you had to get lucky and find the right one.