Chapter 28: A New Challenge, Catching 100 Kilograms
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Miao Hui was not angry that all the current leads in the case had run dry.
It had only been a few days. Being able to accurately identify the structure of the drug-trafficking network was already no small achievement. Dismantling the entire organization would require digging deeper, bit by bit.
Miao Hui glanced at the case report. “This time, it was Lu Xingzhou who discovered the suspect, Yao Haichuan?”
Lin Tianzong opened the police report. “According to Lu Xingzhou, while Lu Jiangying was driving him home, he grew bored and noticed the Handbook for Searching Police Warrants in the glove compartment. He flipped through it absentmindedly.
“The first page contained the newly added information on Yao Haichuan, so he remembered it. Later, after having dinner with his high-school classmates, he spotted Yao Haichuan while they were playing pool.
“He followed Yao Haichuan while sending text messages to Lu Jiangying.
“When Yao Haichuan noticed he was being followed, Lu Xingzhou pretended to be his former cellmate from Reservoir Prison and tried to strike up a conversation.
“At first, Yao Haichuan did not believe him and even tried to attack Lu Xingzhou, but Lu Xingzhou overpowered him.
“However, since the police had not yet arrived, Lu Xingzhou did not arrest Yao Haichuan outright. Instead, he led Yao Haichuan to believe that he really was his former cellmate. Yao Haichuan then told him all about his crimes, including the case in which he killed two mule drivers who had stolen one of his jobs.
“Later, the police intervened and successfully arrested Yao Haichuan.”
Lin Tianzong paused. “Director Miao, do you mean to develop him into an informant?”
Song Xiangchen objected. “No. He has never received any training, nor is he a criminal. He knows nothing about the dealings between criminals.
“The brutality of criminals is beyond the imagination of an outsider like him.
“He recorded the entire process of Yao Haichuan’s arrest. Take a look at it if you like. There wasn’t a single thing he did correctly. Everything was wrong.
“Perhaps it was precisely because of those consecutive mistakes that Yao Haichuan, who had dealt with the police several times, believed Lu Xingzhou was not one of them and opened up to him.
“This was nothing more than a completely unrepeatable stroke of luck.”
Lu Xingzhou’s capture of Yao Haichuan had been a classic case of a fool defeating a master.
Miao Hui waved her hand. “No, I’m not suggesting that Lu Xingzhou become an informant. Liu Jinzhou!”
The captain of the Major Crimes Unit, Liu Jinzhou, rose to his feet. “Director Miao.”
Miao Hui instructed him, “Send a few sharp-minded plainclothes officers to keep an eye on Lu Xingzhou. If anything happens, secure the scene first.
“Lu Xingzhou is just an ordinary person. He has never received any training, and his ability to deal with danger is inadequate.
“He has managed to escape danger several times because of luck. We cannot base all our successes on luck.
“Assign several officers to watch him closely. At the same time, have Lu Jiangying teach him a few emergency procedures for self-defense.
“As for this drug case, I will report it to my superiors.
“We have already seized eight hundred kilograms of pure alkaloids from Twin Lions Earth. The traffickers cannot be a small operation. Everyone should prepare yourselves mentally. This will be an extremely difficult battle.
“As for the two bodies Yao Haichuan dumped, do not expect too much. They were dumped a month ago. If they were not stopped by one of the hydropower stations downstream, they should have reached the Pacific by now.
“That concludes today’s meeting. Dismissed!”
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At Lu Xingzhou’s home, Lu Jiangying set down the teaching pointer.
“That concludes today’s lesson. Starting tomorrow, you’ll resume the intensity of your provincial-team training.”
Lu Xingzhou’s eyes widened. “What? Why? I’ve already retired!”
Lu Jiangying rolled her eyes. “Have you even noticed how many cases you’ve gotten involved in lately? Resuming your training will at least give you the ability to protect yourself. Get up at five-thirty tomorrow morning. I’ll wake you.”
“What?” Lu Xingzhou let out a despairing wail. “Sis, could you get up early too?”
Lu Jiangying glared at him. “What do you mean, ‘what’? If I don’t get up early, I have a good reason. If you don’t get up early, I’ll beat you!”
The next morning, at five-thirty.
Lu Xingzhou was awakened by his alarm.
In July, sunlight was already streaming through the window into the bedroom by five in the morning.
Lu Xingzhou picked up his phone. A notification appeared on the screen.
[Yesterday’s Challenge: Underwater Exploration of Zongyong Temple Cave — Completed]
[Challenge One: Swim Underwater for One Lap Along the Zongyong Temple Tourist Route — Completed]
[Reward: Ten Times the Day’s Tips — 24.7674 million yuan]
[Challenge Two: Enter an Unplanned Waterway — Completed]
[Reward: Water Affinity — Activated]
[Challenge Three: Dive One Hundred Meters into an Unplanned Waterway — Completed]
[Reward: Iron Lungs — Activated]
[Today’s Challenge Missions Have Refreshed]
[Challenge One: Go Fishing at Guangming Bridge — 0/1]
[Reward: World-Class Dynamic Vision]
[Challenge Two: Catch One Hundred Kilograms of Fish — 0/1]
[Reward: World-Class Athletic Balance]
[Top Supporter’s Message: Streamer, you caught such a huge fish today. Let me borrow some of your luck! I haven’t caught a single fish in three months!]
Well, that was certainly a fisherman trying to mooch off his good fortune.
But mooching off his luck?
Lu Xingzhou scratched his head. “Fishing? If I don’t pull up any human remains, I’ll count it as a victory.”
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He rolled out of bed, changed into loose clothing, picked up his livestreaming equipment, and went downstairs.
Lu Xingzhou opened his livestream.
It was five-thirty in the morning, not yet six, and most people were still asleep.
Only the university students who had spent the night at internet cafés and had not yet returned to their dormitories were watching the stream to pass the time.
Even so, four or five thousand viewers poured into Lu Xingzhou’s livestream the moment he started it.
<Morning, streamer!>
<Stayed up all night, streamer? You haven’t slept, have you?>
<Streamer, don’t tell me you were just released from the police station at this hour.>
Lu Xingzhou directed his drone to hover nearby.
“Yesterday, our top supporter invited me to go fishing at Guangming Bridge. I was planning to go for a morning run anyway, so I decided to run there.
“However, I’m a little far from Guangming Bridge. Once we finish warming up, I’ll run there.”
Lu Xingzhou performed several sets of dynamic stretches on the spot, followed by some jumping jacks, butt kicks, half-range burpees, and a few other simple warm-up exercises. Then he began his morning run.
Lu Xingzhou discovered that the Iron Lungs reward not only allowed him to hold his breath for extended periods, but had also significantly increased his maximum oxygen uptake.
<I’m from Shanhe City too. I checked Devious Maps, and it says it’s more than eight kilometers from the streamer’s location to Guangming Bridge.>
<Streamer, are you really that tough? You give yourself an eight-kilometer run the moment you wake up?>
<If the streamer makes it there, I’ll send him a hundred-yuan Airship gift!>
Lu Xingzhou had only just resumed training, and his body had not yet returned to form. His pace on the first day was not particularly fast. Over the eight-kilometer distance, he maintained a pace of roughly four minutes per kilometer.
Half an hour later, Lu Xingzhou reached the riverside at Guangming Bridge. He exhaled deeply and felt considerably more comfortable.
A quick glance showed seven or eight anglers already fishing along the bank.
“Streamer, over here! I’m here!”
A fully equipped man in his thirties rose from his little folding stool and waved excitedly at Lu Xingzhou.
Before Lu Xingzhou could even reach him, the man pulled a black fishing rod from among his pile of equipment and handed it over.
“This is an MH-rated heavy rod, a shock-resistant rod specially designed for fish weighing over fifty kilograms. I’m counting on you today, streamer. Otherwise, when I go back, those guys are going to laugh at me for coming here every day just to feed the fish!”
Lu Xingzhou was speechless.