Chapter 451

Chapter 451 - Xiao Chen Was Excited

Captain Wu was sitting in his office, deeply engrossed in a case file with a furrowed brow. On his desk sat an old, well-used cup of tea. Upon noticing Su Ming, he quickly rose and approached with a warm greeting, “Mr. Su, what brings you here?”

Su Ming couldn't help but observe that Captain Wu appeared much leaner than before. His face was drawn, underscored by dark circles, and he seemed unsteady on his feet. “Captain Wu, have you run into any trouble recently?” Su Ming inquired.

With a heavy sigh, Captain Wu invited, “Please, take a seat, Mr. Su.”

After pouring a glass of water for both Su Ming and Xiao Chen, they each settled into their chairs. Captain Wu began, “I've been wrestling with a particularly challenging case.”

“What kind of case?” Su Ming asked, his curiosity piqued.

Without hesitation, Captain Wu divulged, “It involves fraud and money laundering.”

Su Ming exchanged a knowing glance with Xiao Chen. “That old scoundrel is too shrewd. Despite knowing he's committed numerous offenses, we can't seem to gather enough evidence to apprehend him. It's quite the predicament.”

A veteran officer, Captain Wu was a man of unwavering integrity and had little tolerance for lawbreakers. But this case was proving to be especially thorny.

”Captain Wu, are you referring to Wai Chengguo?” Su Ming ventured, his eyes narrowing.

Caught off guard, Captain Wu responded, “Mr. Su, how did you come to that conclusion?”

Internally, Su Ming confirmed his suspicions. It made sense now; the old rogue was even willing to deceive a friend, knowing the police were on to him. Wai Chengguo must have sensed the danger, prompting him to defraud his longtime acquaintances. In doing so, he could amass more wealth and then launder it into seemingly legitimate earnings. It was a clever scheme indeed.

With a chuckle, Su Ming shared the details of Old Master Tang's situation with Captain Wu.

Understanding the dilemma, Captain Wu acknowledged, “Mr. Su, my hands are tied in this matter. While the man has produced numerous counterfeit antiques, creating fakes isn't illegal. Moreover, he's entered into contracts with the two elderly gentlemen. Our laws don't provide a means to penalize him for these actions. Regrettably, there's nothing I can do.”

Captain Wu shook his head.

With a hint of mystery in his smile, Su Ming said, “Captain Wu, I have a strategy that could help you catch him. However, I'm going to need a small favor from you in return.”

Upon hearing this, Captain Wu's eyes sparkled with interest. “Mr. Su, can you truly assist me? What's your plan?”

Su Ming replied with a single word: “Steal.”

Captain Wu paused, taken aback.

Su Ming elaborated, “Captain Wu, Wai Chengguo possesses an account book that details all his dealings over the years, including the sums he's defrauded and laundered. If we can get our hands on that account book, we'll have the evidence we need to prove his crimes.”

A lightbulb went off in Captain Wu's head.

If Old Master Tang were here, he'd surely twist Xiao Chen's ear and scold him for stealing from their warehouse since childhood.

Xiao Chen rubbed his hands together and asked with excitement, “Brother-in-law, what's in the bag?”

Su Ming glanced at Xiao Chen, who seemed to him like a seasoned criminal.

“Stop asking. You'll find out soon enough.”

Su Ming chuckled and climbed into the car.

He made a call to Captain Wu.

Eventually, the trio set off directly for the villa.

Upon reaching the villa's entrance, Captain Wu presented his police credentials. The security guard said nothing, and they entered without any hindrance.

“Mr. Su, just ahead is the monitored area of Wai Chengguo's house. I've heard he installed an alarm system that triggers when someone gets too close to his place.”

Captain Wu added, “I've requested the Electricity Administration to cut the power here. In five minutes, we'll have a blackout. Mr. Su, since this is an affluent area, we'll have only thirty minutes.”

Su Ming offered a slight smile and replied, “Okay.”

Thirty minutes was more than enough for him.

Five minutes later, the power was indeed cut, yet the streetlights remained lit, powered by solar energy.

”Captain Wu, wait here. I'll go in with Xiao Chen.”

Su Ming didn't wait for Captain Wu to respond and confidently strode toward Wai Chengguo's villa with Xiao Chen in tow.

They then approached a window.

Xiao Chen was bursting with excitement.

He found the thrill irresistible.

Previously, his only experience with theft was sneaking into Old Master Tang's warehouse to pilfer items. After all, he was only taking from his own family.

If he ever got caught, the worst he'd face was a spanking.

But this time was different; he was about to steal from someone else's home, and he even had a search warrant tucked away in his pocket.

This was his first foray into such a daring endeavor.