Wu Guodong was left dumbstruck at her words!
"Are you talking about Qiu Shufeng?"
He had indeed shared a wanted order on his newsfeed, and just a few days ago at that, about the wanted criminal who had escaped into the city!
The reason he would share the order on his news feed was because Qiu Shufeng had committed heinous crimes.
Not only had he defiled and killed up to ten women, he even slipped into the home of a newlywed couple, and did the deed while the husband watched before killing them, tormenting them with a wide variety of methods in the process…
Somehow, that criminal also had remarkable counter-detective moves. Despite finding traces of him, inspectors of various districts were never able to capture him.
It was a ruthless yet extremely cunning criminal!
So, to prevent more from falling victim and in hopes that they could capture him soon, C City had issued a reward, and Wu Guodong shared it almost immediately.
But that also begs the question…
Where was Qiu Shufeng?!!!
Where?
Wu Guodong looked around but found nothing.
"No comment."
Qi Zixiao, being ever 'smart', said, "Did you bring the money? As the saying goes, 'cash on delivery'…"
Wu Guodong: "…"
'Are you a kidnapper of something?' he really wanted to retort then, even saying something like cash on delivery…
As if trying to exploit a bug, even?
Qi Zixiao then added, "What if you don't pay me after I hand you the person?'
At that moment, Wu Guodong rubbed between his brows, feeling a pain in his head.
He was already a little angered, having the instinctive feeling that Lin Fan was fooling around with him. Still, having known that Lin Fan was a fine person when he remembered how he behaved at the station, he thought that the kid would not be that much of a rascal…
Hence, Wu Guodong's heart skipped a beat at that thought.
Could Qiu Shufeng be really there with them?
But that was not quite right… I've seen every face around here, and Qiu Shufeng was not there at all.
That being said, was there a need for the kid to lie?
It was clearly impossible, aside from avoiding being charged with obstructing public peace?
"Captain…"
One of the police called out then.
"Wait."
Wu Guodong waved him off without looking behind. Starting at Qi Zixiao, he asked solemnly, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes!"
Qi Zixiao replied with a straight face and crystal-clear eyes.
Wu Guodong was silent for a moment when he saw that, and said, "Alright!
Hushing his voice again, he promptly said, "I'll believe you this one time. I'll transfer fifty thousand to your account immediately if you could get Qiu Shufeng.
"If you couldn't… well, it doesn't matter since I wouldn't let you get locked up, but I'll simply consider that my opinion of you was wrong.
"Now, then… where is he?!"
Wu Guodong certainly could not carry the 'bounty' around, but he could compensate for it privately.
It would not really be that important as long as they could really get their hands on Qiu Shufeng.
"Okay!"
Qi Zixiao grinned, and then gestured in another direction. "On the boat furthest away from us. Do you see the person with facial hair?
"That's him.
"Don't…"
Wu Guodong did not look over there immediately. He shifted his gaze as if he was looking at the scenery instead.
Being a veteran policeman, he naturally understood how formidable Qiu Shufeng's counter-detection skills were.
Although there was no telling if that person was actually Qiu Shufeng, he would deal with it under the assumption that he was since Lin Fan had already spoken.
In Wu Guodong's perspective, if that person really was Qiu Shufeng, he would flee thanks to his wariness once Lin Fan and himself looked at him at the same time. And if, for example, he would jump into the lake, he would prove hard to comprehend then.
"Don't keep looking at him…"
Issuing instructions with a whisper, Wu Guodong feigned looking out over the lake, randomly glancing at Mister Facial Hair before frowning.
"That figure is very similar, although the difference was considerable too…"
"What if he trimmed his hair, stuck a beard on and tanned himself a little?"
"No rush. I'll look again."
Wu Guodong said quietly. He cast a few more glances, which lasted less than three seconds—he would arouse suspicion otherwise.
Then, he nodded in understanding.
"I can't see him clearly… but there is indeed a possibility."
"Why go through so much trouble? I'll just capture him for you." Qi Zixiao was finding his methods bothersome…
"Don't!"
Wu Guodong quickly stopped her, saying, "That's a murdering maniac if it's really him, and he could have brought a weapon. It's too dangerous if you go… leave this matter to us."
"How about this…"
After some thought, Wu Guodong said, "It's time for our lunch break. To have their lunch, the contractors on the boats would have to come ashore."
"We'll restrain them with that window. We'll see if he is our quarry for ourselves then."
"Lunch?"
Qi Zixiao's eyes twinkled at that. "How does it taste?"
She would claim that she was no glutton, but… she already had too many instant noodles!
Moreover, after having run for half a day, her belly was already famished.
Wu Guodong: "(O_O)???"
"It should be alright, I think?"
"Then give me a portion too." Qi Zixiao said straightaway. "I'll pay."
What the hell.
Wu Guodong was between laughter and tears at her words. What was inside this kid's head? How could he change the conversation so quickly?
"Come with me for now, I'll talk to the others. Then… we'll have lunch brought, so that we don't have to drag this out."
Later.
With Qi Zixiao in tow, Wu Guodong grouped up with the other policemen, making many arrangements before telling one of the contractors on the recovery ship to inform the others about lunch.
The contractors had almost wet themselves at first, but after they had seen Wu Guodong chat with Qi Zixiao for so long, they were not that afraid now.
It was as if everything reverted to how it had been before.
Nonetheless…
The six other policemen in Wu Guodong's squad looked perplexed.
"Don't look!"
Wu Guodong barked softly. "I know Qiu Shufeng's type. He is born with the ultimate instincts and extremely formidable in anti-detection skills, or he wouldn't have been able to escape all the way here to C City."
"Restrain him if it's indeed him, don't cause an uproar if it isn't…"
"Yes, sir."
Wu Guodong only nodded in satisfaction at everyone's replies.
As for not causing an uproar…
It was to protect 'Lin Fan'. If Mister Facial Hair was not Qiu Shufeng, would Lin Fan not be considered making a prank report?
Either way, causing major unrest was nothing good, and it would spare a lot of problems if they keep things quiet.
Soon, the contractor they sent returned with a tricycle loaded to the brim with boxed lunches.
"Time to eat."
Wu Guodong smiled as he called out to the resting contractors. "Bros, call everyone back. You would only get the strength to work with a full stomach."