Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The others were still discussing whether to expand the scope of the investigation. Even if it meant searching for a needle in a haystack, they had to find it—otherwise, with such a covert distribution network, letting this drug trafficking organization continue operating in Ningchuan City would only harm more people.

"We've got a lead." Xiao Ze spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"Where'd the tip come from?"

"What kind of lead is it?"

As the people around him fired off questions, Xiao Ze explained while projecting the video. Shen Dongqing's voice played along with the footage.

One police officer furrowed his brow slightly. This didn't look like something an informant or undercover cop accidentally caught. For one thing, it was way too close. If someone had been tailing the suspect at that distance, the guy would've almost certainly noticed, and it would've been way too risky.

Second, Shen Dongqing's tone sounded off—like he was explaining something to other people.

"This is my friend Shen Dongqing. He accidentally caught what looks like a suspected drug user picking something up during his livestream." Xiao Ze chose his words carefully. Even though he trusted Shen Dongqing's instincts, and the guy's movements were pretty typical of a drug pickup, he couldn't jump to conclusions without proof.

"When was this livestreamed?"

"Three minutes ago."

The cops in the room exchanged looks and sprang into action. A video from three minutes ago meant that if they could grab the suspect fast enough, the evidence would still be there, and the dealer might've left traces they hadn't cleaned up. They might be able to follow the trail straight to the dealer.

Of course, if the video had been shot in secret, they might've staked the place out and waited to see who showed up. But they hadn't forgotten what Xiao Ze said about it being a livestream—what if the dealer or someone connected to him had already seen it? Then the tip would be useless in no time.

So they had to move fast.

...

After sending the message to Xiao Ze, Shen Dongqing didn't ask for updates and turned his attention back to the stream.

Maybe because of what he'd said earlier, plus the fact that drug deals are a serious deal, the stream hadn't gained many viewers. That meant viewers hadn't really spread the word, which was a relief to Shen Dongqing. He was worried that if the stream blew up, the dealers might see it, and the tip he'd given the cops would be worthless.

"Streamer, aren't you worried about the dealers coming after you?"

"Why would they come after you?"

"The streamer just called the cops. They might be able to trace this lead back to the whole organization. Think the dealers will come after you?"

"Don't forget, the streamer's already been caught up in two drug cases before. Back then you could say drugs weren't the main focus, but this time they're the whole point!"

"Stay safe, streamer. Drug dealers don't have any humanity."

"It's all about the money. Drug dealers are basically desperados, and they're organized—way scarier than any criminal the streamer's dealt with before."

Reading the fans' worried comments in the chat, Shen Dongqing felt a little nervous—but only a little.

Drug dealers were scary, sure, but he couldn't just not report them because he was afraid of payback.

Still, this whole thing had been a total accident. Shen Dongqing figured that from now on, if something felt off during a stream, he'd have to cut it.

Shen Dongqing waited until Zhang Sisi got out of class, then went over to pick her up and help her into the car. As they got back to the car, he saw a few cops approaching—clearly there to investigate.

Spotting Xiao Ze among the officers, Shen Dongqing smiled but didn't go over to say hi.

Xiao Ze spotted him too and gave a barely noticeable nod before turning back to the case.

Zhang Sisi followed Shen Dongqing's gaze and saw Xiao Ze and the others. She didn't really remember Xiao Ze's face, but she recognized the police uniforms.

"Police uncles!" Zhang Sisi stared at the cops with admiration. She still remembered the knife-wielding home invasion case clearly, and she remembered that Uncle Shen and the police uncles had come to save her and her mom.

"Yeah, the police uncles are working," Shen Dongqing replied.

"Did Uncle Shen call the police uncles to come?" Zhang Sisi still remembered that Shen Dongqing had been the one to call them last time.

Shen Dongqing went quiet. How was he supposed to explain this? Zhang Sisi had actually nailed it.

Other parents picking up their kids also noticed the cops and started murmuring, mostly wondering what was going on.

Xiao Ze and his team had come to pull surveillance footage from nearby shops. There were street cameras too, but they might not have caught the dealer. Shop footage didn't stay stored for long, so even if it might not be useful, if they didn't grab it now, it could be gone later.

Besides pulling footage, the cops also tried to see if the trash bin had anything useful.

The whole anti-drug team was swamped, and the officers sent to make the arrest had brought back the guy Shen Dongqing had filmed. They ran a urine test, and sure enough, he was a drug user—and it was his first time getting caught.

"No wonder he was so jumpy," one officer thought, recalling the guy's movements.

Honestly, if he'd been a seasoned user, he would've been way more careful. If there were people around, he'd rather wait forever than risk grabbing the stash.

Maybe because he was new to this, the packet he'd bought hadn't even been opened. When they tested it, they found it was the same stuff they'd seized from Xu Xiaodong earlier.

But after questioning the guy, one of the viewers' questions got answered: why would someone do a drug deal with so many people around?

According to the guy, he'd been going through withdrawal and urgently hit up the dealer to place an order, even paying extra to get it delivered.

He was supposed to go grab it then—around noon, when the street with the after-school classes was basically empty. But on his way out, he ran into a fellow user who had stuff, so he bought some from him and went home to get high.

After that, he was out of it the whole time and didn't come to until around five, when he remembered he still hadn't picked up his stash. By then, the trash bins were about to be emptied. If he didn't go get them, the drugs might get hauled off like regular garbage.

He'd paid extra for those drugs, and after using, he was already broke. Losing them would've been a huge hit, so he risked going to get them.

"Captain Xiao, your friend here's a real good luck charm for our station!" The officer who'd finished taking the statement came out, saw Xiao Ze, and couldn't help saying.