Chapter 24

The two sat there eating, but Song Wen’s gaze kept drifting toward the small pet shop. The shop faced the street and, as expected by Lu Siyu, wasn’t too large. It looked a bit rough, and judging by the worn-out condition of the orange sign, it had probably been open for several years.

It was lunchtime, and business wasn’t particularly good. In the time they spent having their meal, only two customers entered the shop. One bought cat litter, and the other just looked around before leaving. From their angle, they could see a shop assistant inside, a girl of similar age to Lin Wanwan. The view of the rest of the shop was blocked.

Lu Siyu finished eating, his expression unchanged on his handsome face. Following Song Wen’s gaze, he turned his head toward the direction of the pet shop, sitting quietly.

After Song Wen finished his meal, he got up to pay the bill. Lu Siyu followed, and as Song Wen placed the takeaway box in the trunk of the car, he strolled into the pet shop. Lu Siyu hurriedly caught up.

The shop wasn’t large, around a hundred square meters. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the area near the entrance. On the outermost table, there were a few hamsters and chinchillas. In a corner, there was a glass enclosure with a small chameleon inside. Next to it was a play area for pets, where several cats roamed freely, climbing up and down the structures. Further inside, there were two rows of cages with a few dogs inside. The shop had many animals, and cleanliness was maintained reasonably well. The air had a hint of freshener, masking the specific smell of animals.

As soon as Song Wen entered, several cats and dogs heard the automatic “welcome” at the entrance and started barking and meowing excitedly, treating him as if he were their arch-nemesis.

Song Wen felt a bit helpless; he had forgotten about his not-so-animal-friendly trait. Animals were more sensitive to people, treating liked and disliked individuals differently. It was similar to the dogs in the police station—when they saw Fu Linjiang, they would rush over, but when they saw Song Wen, they would turn around and start howling, as if Song Wen had deprived them of their dog food and forced them to work overtime.

The girl who was overseeing the shop didn’t seem surprised. She came out, walked around, patted the cages, pacified the restless animals, added some cat food to the cats, and then turned to greet them, “Hello, what are you looking for?”

Song Wen casually replied, “Oh, we want to buy some dog food.”

“Large breed or small breed? We have various brands here.” The girl pointed to the wall behind her, covered with different types of packaging.

Song Wen was dazzled by the colorful displays. Being someone who could barely take care of himself, he had no idea about the fancy details of dog food. He recalled the dogs he had seen at Lu Siyu’s house and turned to ask him, “Oh, by the way, what does our dog eat?”

The casual and intimate use of “our dog” left Lu Siyu momentarily stunned. He then responded by mentioning a brand, “Nutram’s S6, do you have it?”

The girl hesitated for a moment and then apologized, “That’s high-end imported dog food, and we don’t have it here.”

Song Wen was thinking they had everything here, but he played it off, saying, “No problem, let’s just have a look around.”

The girl agreed with an “Hmm” and curiously observed the two customers. Both were young, handsome, and tall guys—one appeared carefree, while the other seemed as cold as ice. The girl wondered if they lived together. She couldn’t figure out their relationship.

After sizing them up for a while, the girl felt it wasn’t right to stare at customers for too long. Since she couldn’t be of much help, she returned to the counter, lowered her head, and played with her phone, enjoying a moment of leisure.

Song Wen quietly walked over to Lu Siyu’s side and complained in a low voice, “See, the conversation has stalled. Can’t you mention a cheaper brand?”

Lu Siyu shrugged, saying, “If we buy cheap dog food and our dog doesn’t eat it, who will you let me feed it to?”

The two wandered around the pet shop. There were more cats than dogs. The largest dog was a sick-looking Scotch Collie, lying there with only a slight growl when Song Wen passed by. When Lu Siyu approached, the Scotch Collie immediately became gentle, sticking out its tongue and affectionately rubbing against the cage, seemingly hoping Lu Siyu would take it home. The dog was quite cunning, trying to please Lu Siyu while casting wary glances at Song Wen. It even extended a paw, hooking the cage threateningly.

After exploring the entire pet shop, Song Wen walked to the counter and struck up a conversation with the girl, “Hey, last time I was here, I think you weren’t around. Do you have another employee here, a girl about this tall, with medium-length hair, slender, and black eyes?”

The girl looked up and, seemingly less guarded against a handsome guy like Song Wen, said, “Oh, you mean Sister Wanwan. She doesn’t work here anymore.”

This directly confirmed that Lin Wanwan had indeed worked here.

Song Wen continued to inquire, “Why did she quit?”

The girl hesitated, lowered her head, and reached out to pet a white cat that had jumped onto the counter.

“Oh, I’m not familiar with her, just asking,” Song Wen said, looking at her with a serious expression.

The girl blushed under the gaze of the handsome guy. “I’m not sure about the specifics. It seems like Sister Wanwan said she was too busy with her studies, so she stopped coming here and introduced her friend to work in her place.”

Seeing that the girl was open to chatting, Song Wen continued, “Do you have any rare large dogs here?”

“We do, but the boss doesn’t restock often.”

As they were talking, the door chimed again with a “Welcome.” A man hurriedly entered, exuding a fierce aura that made the cats and dogs shrink back, tails between their legs.

Once inside, the man went straight to the counter, saying, “Hey, girl, Boss Wang said he left something here…” In the process, Song Wen’s gaze passed over him, and in an instant, he noticed the scar on his forehead. Song Wen’s eyes involuntarily lingered on him for a second. The man, well-accustomed to thievery, immediately sensed it, turned around, and ran.

Song Wen and Lu Siyu hurriedly chased after him. Suddenly, three people inside the shop rushed out like a gust of wind, leaving the girl bewildered. The dogs inside the shop started barking.

While chasing, Song Wen whispered to Lu Siyu, “That’s Dao Lao San!”

Lu Siyu responded, “I saw it.”

Being pursued by the police in the streets made a person incredibly alert. Having stared at Dao Lao San for so long, Song Wen made him suspicious.

They had originally come here to gather information discreetly, but who would have thought that the dog thief would come to the pet shop in broad daylight? Moreover, they had encountered each other in the pet shop shortly after their arrival, creating a confrontation.

This unexpectedly saved them the trouble of various roundabout conversations. As they spoke, the two circled around a pile of electric scooters on the roadside. Song Wen assumed a sprinting posture and dashed out more than ten meters. Dao Lao San saw himself cornered.

At that moment, a van suddenly rushed out, stopping between the two. Dao Lao San, in three steps and two jumps, leaped onto the old van and drove away.

Lu Siyu hadn’t chased the man earlier, seemingly anticipating their route. He went straight to his car now, changed its direction, and shouted towards Song Wen, “Get in.”

Song Wen opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Just as he settled in, Lu Siyu asked, “So, Captain Song, what’s the plan now? Should we wait for backup or try to negotiate with them first?”

Song Wen said, “What negotiations can we have with these guys? Let’s catch them directly.”

Lu Siyu paused and commented, “Captain Song, you’re quite quick and violent…” Considering they were two against two, the odds weren’t in their favor.

Song Wen smiled, saying, “Do you know why I’m named Song Wen? My mom believes that if something is lacking in fate, you should name it to compensate for it.” He rolled up his sleeves and continued, “By the time backup arrives, those two will have already escaped. Let’s take a gamble.”
*Wen – gentle

“All right,” Lu Siyu received the command, watching as the van came into view. He whispered, “Hold on!” As he finished speaking, the car zoomed out, heading straight for the van.

The van was very old, without a license plate. The driver was familiar with the nearby road conditions, making a sharp turn and darting into a narrow alley.

In this part of the southern urban area, the roads were not crowded, although it was near Xinjia Square. Still, it was an old city area with many narrow roads, various stalls, and electric scooters parked along the sides. The van, driven recklessly, was desperately escaping, while Lu Siyu’s Audi had superior performance and speed. The two cars raced on the road, one chasing the other.

Song Wen didn’t expect Lu Siyu to suddenly drive so aggressively. He felt like he had entered a police action film. Worried about a collision, he reached out, grabbed the door, and urged, “Little ancestor, drive steadily!”

Lu Siyu turned the steering wheel, shaking him off with a slight jerk. Coldly, he said, “My car is insured.”
“…”

Song Wen: “I’m not insured!”

Song Wen wasn’t one to shy away from danger, and he hadn’t forgotten his bold words just moments ago. He thought he would be the one bravely charging into the fray, but at this moment, Lu Siyu exuded a kind of reckless aura, combining with his icy demeanor. It felt like he wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal, regardless of the cost.

“Hey, watch out for pedestrians…” Seeing someone crossing the road, Song Wen hastily called out.

“I know!” Lu Siyu replied, turning the steering wheel to pass by the pedestrian.

The two cars sped along the road. Luckily, the journey was full of thrills but without any danger. Lu Siyu skillfully avoided pedestrians and vehicles, creating opportunities. Taking advantage of a gap, he clenched his teeth, stepped on the accelerator, and the Audi shot past the side of the van. The van’s side mirror was directly scraped off, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound and sparking a trail of fire.

As the two cars passed each other, Song Wen rolled down the window, pulled out a gun from behind, held it in his right hand, and gestured without disengaging the safety: “Stop!”

There were two people in the opposing car: besides Dao Lao San, there was also a thin man. At this moment, Dao Lao San, sitting in the passenger seat, wore a murderous expression. He pulled out a crossbow designed for shooting dogs and aimed it directly at Song Wen. The crossbow was laced with poison; it sparkled under the sunlight. Such weapons were usually used against large dogs; they injected a lethal poison upon contact, effective for both dogs and humans. Once it entered the flesh, it automatically injected the poison, making any attempt at first aid futile.

Song Wen muttered a curse, afraid of harming the public and not daring to confront directly. He rolled up the car window.

For a while, the two cars raced side by side on the narrow street, brushing against each other. An intersection appeared ahead. Lu Siyu’s expression turned cold, and he stepped on the accelerator. The entire car, like a cannonball, shot out and then drifted 90 degrees, stopping right at the intersection.

The van, on the left side of the Audi, tried to turn into a smaller road after making a sharp turn off the main road. In a split second, the Audi caught up, cutting off the van’s path and forcing a collision.

The van, with its front severely dented, crashed into the roadside guardrail, causing the driver to bleed from the head. Dao Lao San staggered out of the van, limping, ready to abandon his companion and escape.

“Stop! If you run, I’ll start shooting!” Song Wen, holding the gun, ran a few steps, threatening them. His posture was standard, right hand holding the gun, left hand supporting the wrist, a handsome and neat stance.

Dao Lao San turned around, his eyes bloodshot, and raised the crossbow towards Song Wen, shaking it threateningly. The crossbow sparkled in the sunlight, and the poison-coated tip glinted. Dao Lao San’s face bore a vicious expression, and he warned, “Don’t come over! If you do, I’ll kill you!”

Song Wen cursed lowly. Afraid of injuring himself and considering the proximity, he couldn’t risk it.

Song Wen’s heart was pounding in his chest, not lowering the gun but rather forcefully releasing the safety catch with his thumb. He said in a deep voice, “Dao Lao San, right? Stealing a dog might get you three to five years in prison. If you shoot at me with this thing, it’s assaulting a police officer plus murder. You’ll never see the light of day again.”

Dao Lao San gritted his teeth, glared at Song Wen, didn’t speak, and didn’t lower the crossbow in his hand. Instead, he tightened his grip on the trigger. The two were at a standstill.

Seeing that the other party was momentarily intimidated, Song Wen smirked, took a step forward, and said coldly, “You can’t escape now. Believe it or not, not just you, but all your brothers in the entire Nancheng will be turned upside down. There will be no place for any of you!”

Song Wen’s fearless posture directly suppressed Dao Lao San. Hesitating for a moment, Dao Lao San lowered the crossbow slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Siyu also got out of the car, took a few steps forward, and with a single hand, snatched the poisoned gun away. Then, with a side kick, he hit Dao Lao San squarely in the chest, kicking him onto the car door with a loud bang.

Dao Lao San was momentarily dazed, almost spitting out blood. After having his weapon taken away, he lost his previous arrogance. Raising his head, he looked at Lu Siyu, and the killing intent on him was suppressed. Glaring for three seconds, he didn’t dare to speak harshly. He muttered under his breath, “Damn it, cops hitting people…”

Ignoring him, Lu Siyu reached out, grabbed his hand, and executed a shoulder throw, throwing him to the ground. Then, pressing down on him, Lu Siyu’s knee directly pressed against Dao Lao San’s chest.

Song Wen didn’t expect Lu Siyu, who appeared gentle and weak, to be so fierce. He rushed forward, holstered his gun, and held Lu Siyu back while pleading for Dao Lao San, “Enough, enough. Just handcuff him. You’re still in your probationary period. If you beat him up, how will I question him later? Check if his accomplice is seriously injured and if they need to go to the hospital.”

Glancing at Song Wen, Lu Siyu, with blood on his face and an aura like a demonic angel, looked at Song Wen for a few seconds. It seemed as if he had just awakened, blinked, and returned to his usual calm and icy demeanor. He reached out, took the handcuffs that Song Wen handed him, and handcuffed Dao Lao San’s hands together.

TN:

I honestly can’t bring myself to even think about consuming dog meat. That’s like eating my family😭. Not to bash anyone’s tradition/culture but I’m glad that shit is illegal where I’m from and everyone is completely against dog meat consumption. Although there are people who masquerade dog meat as beef but once exposed they’re directly put in jail! It’s generally looked upon with disgust.