Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Strange Tenant (Please Vote)

Ning Zhiheng bid farewell to Cui Guohao, clutching two brand-new Browning pistols as he left the equipment department, his spirits soaring.

He hurried back to his office, idled for a moment, glanced at the clock—it was already noon—and prepared to head home.

Just then, the phone rang. He picked it up, and it was Liu Datong’s voice: “Officer Ning, I have some information to report!”

“All right, I’ll meet you at Hongyun Teahouse in half an hour,” Ning Zhiheng replied.

Liu Datong had been working tirelessly these past few months. As a new officer, he took swift action to clear out old gangs in his jurisdiction.

Relying on Ning Zhiheng’s backing, even Police Chief Tang dared not offend him. For a time, his influence was unmatched. Several insolent gangs that refused to pay tribute to his docks were ruthlessly dealt with—within ten days, some fled, some were captured, and several lives were lost.

The security situation in the district improved dramatically. Moreover, Liu Datong never bullied the neighbors; he still observed proper respect and filial piety. His positive image grew more imposing, and his prestige soared within the community.

During this time, he did not forget Ning Zhiheng’s instructions. He successively took over three car dealerships and even united the nearby rickshaw pullers under his wing. Almost three hundred rickshaw drivers now worked under him.

Those old comrades who had once roamed the streets with him had each become shop owners, enjoying newfound prosperity and respectability. Truly, when one man rises, even the dogs and chickens ascend with him.

Following Ning Zhiheng’s orders, he informed every rickshaw puller that any unusual activity on the streets should be reported to him. Depending on the value of the intelligence, rewards would be given in cold, hard cash without fail. This greatly expanded his sources of information.

With so many informants, no slight disturbance could escape Liu Datong’s notice. In these two months, he had solved several impressive cases using this network, earning the reputation of a master detective.

It is said that circumstances create heroes. Liu Datong was once just a street cop for over a decade. But through a stroke of fortune and aligning with the right person, he transformed his fate completely. Who can truly explain the workings of the world?

Of course, whenever he encountered valuable intelligence, he reported it to Ning Zhiheng. Most were minor cases, which Ning Zhiheng reviewed and allowed Liu Datong to handle independently. This time, however, the call clearly meant there was a serious case to report.

Ning Zhiheng first returned home, opened his safe, and placed both the worn-out pistol and one of the new guns inside, keeping only the newly registered pistol on him.

He then hurried to the Hongyun Teahouse and waited briefly. Liu Datong arrived in a rush, accompanied by a man dressed as a rickshaw puller.

Liu Datong now was a changed man. Though in plain clothes rather than uniform, his demeanor was completely different.

His hair was neatly combed, his face fairer, and his attire crafted from high-quality fabric. His leather shoes gleamed. At a glance, he looked nothing like the man he once was.

Liu Datong respectfully nodded to Ning Zhiheng. The rickshaw puller, however, was visibly nervous, unsure where to put his hands. Ning Zhiheng glanced at him and asked Liu Datong, “What news do you bring this time?”

Though previous reports were never major, Ning Zhiheng always encouraged him. So Liu Datong made it a point to report every suspicious clue, hoping one might lead to a significant case.

Liu Datong sat opposite Ning Zhiheng, while the rickshaw puller stood stiffly behind him, silent.

“Officer Ning, you know more and more rickshaw pullers have joined me, so the information’s become more varied. I wouldn’t bother you with minor cases, but this one feels strange.”

He turned to the rickshaw puller: “Tell Officer Ning what happened.”

“Yes, yes!” The rickshaw puller nodded repeatedly, then bowed respectfully. “I have a neighbor whose surname is Cui. We call him ‘Cui Er,’ but I don’t know his full name. He’s always been restless, making a living by petty theft and pickpocketing. Sometimes he’d go hungry; everyone disliked him and avoided him. But recently, he started living lavishly—dressed well, eating big meals—and even used my rickshaw to bring several disreputable women home. I figured he must have stolen from some wealthy family and made a lot of dirty money. Since the boss said all information must be reported, I told Liu Boss right away.”

Liu Datong continued, “After Liu Yong told me, I thought it was just a theft case. I arrested this ‘Cui Er’ and interrogated him overnight. He did steal—over two thousand yuan from a household on the west edge of the district, in the second house on Liushu Alley, Beihua Street.”

“Two thousand yuan! That’s no small sum. What does this man do? How does he have so much cash?” Ning Zhiheng frowned.

“Exactly! I thought the same. Over two thousand yuan stolen is a big deal. I’m in charge of criminal investigations and theft here, but oddly, no one reported the loss. Two thousand yuan is a serious amount!” Liu Datong’s voice betrayed his concern.

At that time, the currency was still stable. Two thousand yuan was equivalent to two thousand silver dollars before the currency reform a year ago. Even on the black market, it could fetch twelve hundred silver dollars—a middle-class family’s entire savings. Yet the owner didn’t report the theft?

This was highly unusual. Ning Zhiheng asked, “Did you check who the owner was?”

“That’s where it gets strange. I investigated, but the house was empty! Even more puzzling, the owner had moved out the day after the theft. No one knew where he went. It made me even more suspicious—why would someone lose so much money and not report it, but instead flee, almost like a guilty thief?”

“I checked further. The house was rented for six months, and the tenant had no permanent registration here, only temporary population records from census checks.”

“The tenant’s name was Dong Chengjie, listed as a teacher at a school in the southern part of the city. I verified with the school—they said no such person worked there.”

“I then contacted the landlord, who said the tenant claimed to be a teacher, but he didn’t know anything else and never bothered to verify.”

“Officer Ning, the money this man has is definitely dirty. There’s something fishy about this. The more I think about it, the stranger it seems. You said to report everything, no matter how small. So I hurried here with this man to tell you.”

Ning Zhiheng carefully considered Liu Datong’s report, his interest piqued. This case was indeed unusual and bizarre—someone who lost a huge sum of money didn’t report it and fled the next day, even providing false information to the landlord.

He sensed a familiar scent in this mystery. Could this be another Huang Xiansheng? Another puppet? A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips. This was a lead worth pursuing; perhaps it would lead to a big catch.

He looked at the rickshaw puller and kindly asked, “What’s your name?”

The rickshaw puller replied nervously, “Sir, my name is Cheng Guang.”

“You did well on this case. Did Liu Boss give you a reward?”

Cheng Guang quickly said, “Yes, he did. Liu Boss was generous—gave me twenty yuan!”

His face lit up with excitement. To him, this was a windfall.

“Do you have elderly family or children at home?” Ning Zhiheng asked.

“My elders passed away early. I have two young children,” Cheng Guang answered cautiously.

Ning Zhiheng smiled, pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket, and casually placed ten large-denomination notes on the table.

“You coming to see me is fate. This money isn’t a reward. Since Liu Boss already rewarded you, I don’t want to interfere with his rules—it’s better not to spoil future rewards.”

“This is pocket money from me, an elder, for your children’s sweets. Don’t refuse it! Report more clues in the future; I won’t shortchange you.”

Thinking this might be a big catch, Ning Zhiheng wanted to give Cheng Guang a little extra but didn’t want to cause trouble for Liu Yong. He invented a reason and added an extra one hundred yuan.

Cheng Guang was stunned by the amount. He hadn’t expected that this dignified police officer, who appeared so formidable in public, would be so approachable and gentle. The respect in his tone moved this poor man from the lowest rung to tears. He choked up, unable to speak for a long time.

Liu Datong grabbed the money and stuffed it into Cheng Guang’s arms, laughing: “You lucky dog! How can you refuse pocket money from Officer Ning? Take it. You go first—we still have things to discuss.”

Ning Zhiheng smiled and added, “It wouldn’t be comfortable for you to stay. Go on.”

Cheng Guang held the money tightly, bowed deeply to Ning Zhiheng, and then withdrew.

The case was set in motion.