Animal Detective

"Chief."

Shen Xin called out to Lakshen, asking about their search for Sangbu the previous night.

"We didn’t find him. No idea where that kid ran off to." Lakshen didn’t give it much thought and briefly explained the situation.

When he heard they had chased for over ten kilometers without finding a trace, Shen Xin frowned. "That doesn’t sound right."

Lakshen and his team had Tian Kui with them; they weren’t searching aimlessly.

’They chased him for over ten kilometers and still couldn’t find him. So what was Sangbu up to?’

’Did he really run this far just to clear his head?’

’Weren’t there any scenic spots nearby?’

’And what scenery is there to see in the middle of the night?’

’Suicide? If he ran this far, wasn’t he afraid of becoming food for wild animals?’

’There’s something suspicious about this kid.’

Shen Xin had Lakshen call the camp to ask if Sangbu had gone home.

As Lakshen made the call, the more Shen Xin thought about it, the more suspicious Sangbu seemed.

Take, for instance, his running off to confess his feelings to Doniya yesterday.

’If you assume he’s an accomplice, it almost looks like he was preparing to flee and wanted to confess to his secret crush before leaving.’

’After all, once he left, he’d never get another chance.’

’So, his leaving on the motorcycle was most likely a move to rendezvous with the two assailants.’

’Otherwise, after attacking the camp, why would the two assailants also head northeast—the same direction he did—instead of toward the vast, unpopulated area to the northwest?’

’It could only mean their planned escape route was to the northeast.’

Shen Xin figured their plan was for Sangbu to fake being heartbroken to lure Lakshen and his team away.

The two assailants would then attack the camp, snatch Teddy, meet up at a designated spot, and flee across the border.

Sangbu had a legitimate identity.

All the transportation, horses, and food were likely provided by him.

As a grid member and a herdsman from Chabuqi Village, he knew the camp’s situation better than anyone.

Lakshen hung up the phone and shook his head at Shen Xin. Sangbu hadn’t come back yet. His parents were worried sick and hadn’t slept all night.

This made Shen Xin even more certain that Sangbu was the accomplice.

’Being heartbroken and needing to clear your head is one thing.’

’But suicide?’

Having spent time at a police station, Shen Xin knew very well that the ones who claimed to be heartbroken and cried about killing themselves were usually just posturing to gain the other person’s attention and sympathy.

’Most people cherish their lives.’

’Besides, killing yourself over a secret crush? That was just a joke.’

Shen Xin quickly asked for the satellite phone and called Duan Zijie.

The call connected quickly. Shen Xin immediately said, "Captain Duan, I think the assailants’ accomplice is a villager from Chabuqi Village named Sangbu."

"Who!"

Lakshen, who was standing nearby, gasped, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Tian Jian and the others beside him had similar expressions, staring at one another in shock.

On the other end of the line, Duan Zijie didn’t even know who Sangbu was and hurriedly asked for details.

Shen Xin laid out his analysis and deductions, point by point.

On the other end of the line, Duan Zijie listened in silence.

Meanwhile, Lakshen and his men grew more and more horrified as they listened.

When they heard the theory that Sangbu had intentionally disappeared to lure them away, creating the opportunity for the assailants to attack the camp, Tian Jian’s eyes instantly turned red with fury.

He and Liao Lei, who ate from the same pot, were as close as brothers.

Shen Xin concluded, "Captain Duan, these are all just theories. I don’t have any concrete evidence."

"Confirming it is simple—we just need to find Sangbu."

Whether he was an accomplice or not could only be confirmed once he was found.

But as things stood, Shen Xin truly felt that Sangbu was highly suspicious.

There was another moment of silence on the line before Duan Zijie spoke.

Shen Xin could hear the surprise and fury in his voice.

An inside man was always more despised than an outside thief.

"Shen Xin, your analysis is highly plausible," Duan Zijie said grimly.

Some things just didn’t hold up to scrutiny.

He particularly agreed with Shen Xin’s prediction about the two necessary conditions.

Otherwise, how could those two assailants have been so lucky? They just happened to attack when the fewest people were at the camp.

If just two more people had stayed behind at the camp, the pair would have been walking into a trap they couldn’t escape.

Duan Zijie continued, "Alright, I’ll arrange for someone to go to Sangbu’s home and investigate him, especially his financial situation."

For a grid member to cooperate with poachers, it could only be about money.

Herders on the grassland had limited sources of income.

If you weren’t on anyone’s radar, you might get away with it. But once you were a person of interest, an investigation would surely uncover any irregularities.

This was exactly what Shen Xin was getting at. If everything revolved around money, then they had to investigate the money.

The supplies and transportation for two assailants hiding out on the grassland represented a significant expense. If there were any discrepancies, they would surely be found.

How the three of them communicated was another line of inquiry.

Now that one assailant had disappeared, could it be that Sangbu had gone to meet up with him?

If so, they could use phone tracking to trace Sangbu’s movements and find the last assailant.

Duan Zijie was an old hand at this; he didn’t need anyone to remind him.

"Shen Xin, thanks."

After a quick thanks, Duan Zijie hurriedly hung up.

He was under immense pressure after an incident like this.

The league, the banner, even the provincial department had all made inquiries, giving explicit orders to find the suspects as soon as possible, no matter the cost.

If they were indeed trying to flee the country, they had to be stopped before they crossed the border.

After the call, Lakshen’s heart was heavy as lead.

Although it still wasn’t confirmed that Sangbu was the culprit.

But if he was, then Liao Lei had nearly lost his life at the hands of those assailants.

For that alone, he could never forgive Sangbu.

He suddenly mounted his horse, wanting to ride back to the village to confirm things for himself.

Shen Xin quickly stopped him.

"Chief, the priority right now is to find them first."