Animal Detective

Chapter 240 - 227: Locking Down a Suspect in Just One Day, That’s Too Fast (Part 2)

Seeing her reaction, the old dog finally turned its head and followed Shen Xin.

Seeing Shen Xin and the other two about to get in the car and leave, Mao Yanru gritted her teeth, ran a few steps, and called out to Shen Xin.

"Officer Shen, Xiaolong might have been simple-minded, but he was a very kind person."

"In the village, if anyone ever needed help with anything, he’d never say no. Honestly, just for that, he was a total fool."

Mao Yanru gave a bitter smile, her mind drifting to all the foolish things Han Xiaolong had done.

Then, she said through gritted teeth, "So I really want to know what kind of bastard wouldn’t even spare someone like him."

"Officer Shen, Aunt Luo is old and has kidney disease. Sometimes she says it’s fine that Xiaolong died, but I know she really cares deep down."

"He was her only son. She raised him all these years, and now he’s gone. There has to be some kind of justice, right?"

"Thank you so much for this."

She bowed to thank him.

"Don’t worry."

Shen Xin nodded, got in the car, and left.

At noon, the three of them had lunch in town.

After eating, Lai Yong couldn’t hold back any longer and asked Shen Xin where they were going in the afternoon.

They’d seen the scene and met the people involved, but Shen Xin hadn’t asked a single thing.

What was next? More interviews?

Lai Yong really couldn’t figure out Shen Xin’s method of investigation.

"Captain Lai, how about this? I know you’re busy. Why don’t you head back to the station this afternoon? We’ll continue the investigation here, and we can stay in touch about any developments."

Shen Xin wasn’t intentionally trying to get rid of him.

It was just that building affinity was a slow, patient process, and there was no need for a deputy captain like Lai Yong to waste his time with him.

Lai Yong opened his mouth, then nodded.

He then took his leave.

「Over an hour later, he returned to the station.」

As he walked in, he ran right into Ding Junbao and the others having a meeting.

"Lai Yong, why are you back? Where are Shen Xin and his partner?" Ding Junbao asked, looking behind Lai Yong.

"Don’t even ask."

Lai Yong waved his hand dismissively, pulled Ding Junbao aside, and recounted the entire morning’s events.

"Lao Ding, I’m getting the feeling this kid is unreliable."

"He met the people involved and didn’t ask a single one of the necessary questions. All he cared about was the dog."

He knew Shen Xin had solved cases with help from animals before, but he couldn’t just focus all his attention on the dog Han Xiaolong had raised.

"What’s he expecting? For the dog to open its mouth and tell him who the killer is?"

Ding Junbao crossed his arms, thought for a moment, and said, "Don’t be so quick to judge. From my interactions with him yesterday, I get the sense that kid knows what he’s doing."

"He has his own way of thinking, so let’s just go along with it for now. We just need to cooperate with him."

"This case has been cold for years. You know the situation better than anyone. It’s not going to be easy to crack. So, if it works out, great. If not, don’t be too disappointed."

Lai Yong gave a wry smile. "I’m not disappointed. I just think his methods are a bit... like child’s play."

He’d really never seen anyone try to solve a case like this.

Ding Junbao waved him over. "Come on, join the meeting. We have another case."

Meanwhile, after seeing Lai Yong off, Shen Xin searched for a nearby veterinary clinic on his phone and took the old dog straight there for a checkup.

"This dog is quite old."

The admitting veterinarian examined the old dog carefully and said, "At this age, you should just take him home and take good care of him. He does have some issues, like the cysts on his body, and his teeth are loose."

"But at his age, there’s honestly no point in treatment. Just make sure he eats and drinks well."

They left the vet clinic and got back in the car.

Ding Yuwei turned her head to look at the old dog lying obediently on the floor mat and asked, "So, are we going back to Wuba Village this afternoon to let him get reacquainted with his old environment?"

Having worked with Shen Xin for so long, Ding Yuwei had a general idea of how he built a rapport with dogs.

Shen Xin nodded.

’That’s what I was thinking.’

At the old dog’s age, tasty treats wouldn’t win him over, and playing matchmaker like he did with Broo wouldn’t work either.

The only thing to do was take him back to his most familiar environment, let him wander around, and help him recall memories of the past.

His reaction to the name "Heaven-Howling Dog" proved that he still remembered Han Xiaolong.

Han Xiaolong had raised him since he was a puppy, for a full nine years.

That kind of bond had to be etched into his very soul.

"Let’s go!"

Without another word, Shen Xin stepped on the gas and headed back to Wuba Village.

By the time they arrived, it was almost three in the afternoon.

"Heaven-Howling Dog!"

Shen Xin led the old dog out of the car, asking if it remembered this place.

The dog was slow in everything it did now. After getting out of the car, it didn’t rush to move, but just sat there, slowly turning its head to take in its surroundings.

It stayed like that for nearly ten minutes.

Sometimes, it would stare in one direction for two minutes without moving at all.

It looked up at Shen Xin, let out a low "woof," and then slowly started walking north.

Shen Xin held the leash and followed behind.

Judging by the direction it was heading, it seemed to be going to Han Xiaolong’s house.

Sure enough, it ambled back to Han Xiaolong’s house. It stood at the entrance, peering through the crack in the gate, and let out a couple of whimpers.

There was no response.

The gate was locked. Luo Limei must have gone out again to collect scrap.

The old dog seemed tired from the walk and lay down quietly at the gate.

It didn’t close its eyes to rest. Instead, it kept them open, observing everything around it.

Its gaze was like that of an old man in his twilight years, sitting in a familiar spot and surveying the scenes of his memory.

Everywhere it looked, there were only memories.

Shen Xin wasn’t in a hurry. He gave the dog all the freedom and time it needed.