NOVEL WEB Chapter 375
Chapter Eighteen Solving the Case
At the security guard’s urging, A Yi and Ah Huo followed into the neighborhood.
Fan Ni wanted to find a place to park first, but she said she would be there soon.
Despite the security guard’s changed attitude, A Yi was still unclear about the situation.
He asked while running, “Uncle, what’s going on?”
“The little girl you mentioned said she would just grab something and leave, but now it’s been almost two hours. This doesn’t seem right.”
“What happened next?”
The middle-aged obese security guard, who lacked exercise, was already out of breath after just a few steps, but he struggled to fulfill his duty as a guide.
“This neighborhood has been robbed for three consecutive days. The thieves target houses where no one is home. They scout during the day and commit crimes at night, but the gate surveillance hasn’t caught them entering or leaving. Where do you think they’re hiding?”
Ah Huo quickly answered after a simple line of thought: “Oh! Could they be hiding in Unit 703?”
“Uh-huh, I guess they’re waiting for the heat to die down before they make their move.”
“How many people are involved?”
“I don’t know, but it’s definitely more than one… This way, we’ve arrived at Unit 7.”
Since it was Unit 7, it wouldn’t be far from the main gate. The security guard led the two to their destination and used a magnetic key to open the door.
“Hold on.”
A Yi looked around and stopped the security guard who was about to enter the building.
“Uncle, do you remember which buildings were robbed?”
The fat security guard recalled for a moment.
“Well, on the first night, it was four households in Units 2 to 4. On the second night, it was three households in Units 11 and 12.”
He pointed them out, noticing that all the stolen residences were directly in front of and behind Unit 7, which was clearly not a coincidence. He slapped his forehead and said, “Hmm, looks like I guessed right. That girl is in trouble!”
The buildings in Jin Henan Yuan were very close together, and the garden between them was always in shadow even during the day, making it easy to see inside the rooms from neighboring buildings. Therefore, using Unit 703 as a base, the two thieves had an entire day to decide their targets for the night.
Ah Huo asked, “Brother, should we rush in or call the police?”
“Uncle, you go get the police. A Yi and I will check the situation first. I can barely type a text message, and I’m really worried about her. If those thieves…”
A Yi wiped his face, only to find it wet with sweat. He realized he was nervous.
Although he had done his share of petty theft in his gangster days, he shouldn’t be afraid of a few thieves.
“A Yi, calm down. Since Miss Yin can send a distress message, she must still be okay, even if it’s a tight spot.”
Hearing this, A Yi snapped back to reality. He wasn’t afraid of the thieves; he was afraid for the person he cared about.
The mysterious girl he met last night, the rude and spoiled Miss Yin, the ever-changing young lady who could adjust her age according to her taste… she had already become deeply embedded in his heart.
“If anything happens, Ah Huo, you should leave first.”
“Brother, they’re just some thieves. They should be the ones who are scared. It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry.”
Ah Huo seemed relaxed and walked ahead.
The door to Room 403 was tightly closed. Without a key, A Yi was somewhat frustrated. Although he knew how to pick locks, this anti-theft door was beyond his capabilities.
He looked at Ah Huo, who seemed to know everything, but the latter shrugged, indicating he couldn’t help either.
“Well, picking locks isn’t something a housekeeping service employee should know.”
“What else can we do then?”
“I think we should continue with our regular work.”
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Outside → Inside
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Crushing a cigarette box into a ball and tossing it aside, the thick-necked, deep-voiced thief said, “Brother, you smoke too much. That was my last cigarette… Give me another puff.”
The sharp-voiced thief pouted and took a big drag, then handed over half a cigarette with two fingers.
“Damn, we can’t touch the girl. Even cigarettes are off-limits?”
They weren’t planning to rob tonight, so they smoked on the balcony, finishing an entire pack.
“When will the girl wake up?”
“I don’t know. I hit her pretty hard.”
“What if she wakes up screaming? Find something to gag her mouth.”
“That makes sense.”
The thick-voiced thief threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then said, “There’s a towel in the bathroom.”
Yin Tianjie’s ears remained alert, though she couldn’t hear the conversation clearly. She could hear footsteps, however. She quickly returned her phone to her sleeve and closed her eyes, pretending to be unconscious, praying that A Yi would come to rescue her.
The person who intended to take advantage of her yesterday was now her only hope. Yin Tianjie felt her life was tragic and a failure.
The thief sat beside her, carrying a strong smell of smoke, and stuffed a damp towel in her mouth.
To avoid revealing she was faking unconsciousness, she couldn’t tense her mouth, but the foreign object made her want to vomit. Saliva mixed with the dampness trickled down her chin, wetting the pillow under her head.
Another thief noticed and asked, “Damn, why a wet towel? Aren’t you afraid of choking her?”
“I was worried the towel wasn’t clean, so I washed it first.”
“Heh, you’re quite considerate, aren’t you?”
“After all, I grabbed it randomly. What if it’s the towel Yin Tianjie used for her bottom?”
Yin Tianjie didn’t open her eyes, but she knew the towel in her mouth was dirty. Hearing the thief’s words, she felt even more nauseous.
“She doesn’t seem awake yet. Damn, did you knock her out so badly she’s in a vegetative state?”
“I didn’t dare hit her brain, just her upper neck. I don’t know how long she’ll stay unconscious. I wish she would sleep until morning, but it’s unlikely… Still, there’s good news. She passed out as soon as I knocked her out. She doesn’t know our faces. Best to cover her eyes too.”
“Damn, this girl has such nice things?”
When she put the phone back in her sleeve, the cuff pushed up, revealing a corner of her mechanical watch. The two thieves, who were after money, naturally wouldn’t miss such a valuable and light item.
The watch was taken off, and Yin Tianjie’s whole body tensed up.
“Why is there a slot on the back… Is the watch broken?”
This was standard procedure; next would be pulling out the crown to set the time.
Yin Tianjie was plotting to sit up and fight them.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang just in time.