Animal Detective

Chapter 526: Chapter 430: Seeing Celestial Skill Again

Combating drugs is a project of the century, a duty we must shoulder.

Back at his old precinct, they had drug busts, too. There were addicts in their jurisdiction who needed constant surveillance.

Shen Xin had seen their ruin with his own eyes—families destroyed, wives and children gone.

So, Shen Xin was well aware of the harm drugs could cause.

"Chief Chen." Shen Xin opened his mouth to agree without a second thought.

But before he could get the words out, Chen Guanglin stopped him.

His expression was more serious than ever. "Shen Xin," he said in a low voice, "this is no small matter. Although you won’t be on the front lines during the actual operation, it’s still dangerous."

"I’ve spoken with Old Zhang. He neither agreed nor disagreed. His stance is that it’s up to you."

"But Shen Xin, at the end of the day, this is risky. You’re very young, and I know you’ve got drive. But sometimes, you have to think about yourself, about your loved ones. You need to think this through."

At his words, Shen Xin’s thoughts instinctively turned to Zeng Wenxi.

Shen Xin knew full well that Zeng Wenxi didn’t like him being a police officer. She always thought it was too dangerous and worried about him.

But being a cop—a good cop—had always been Shen Xin’s dream.

Perhaps some would think it’s foolish, saying things like, "Why risk your life for a measly fixed salary?"

’But as I see it,’ Shen Xin thought, ’this uniform represents a glorious mission. Since you’ve put it on, if you don’t step up, who will?’

’Besides, who says the salary is only a few thousand? It’ll go up in the future.’

With that thought, Shen Xin said, "Chief Chen, you know I’m not a smooth talker, so don’t make me come up with any high-and-mighty words. I’ll stick to what I said before: since you’re the one asking, if it’s something I can do, I’ll help. No questions asked."

’If this kid isn’t a smooth talker, then I don’t know who is,’ Chen Guanglin thought.

He reached out and gripped Shen Xin’s shoulder, nodding slightly.

But his heart couldn’t help but feel heavy again.

’This request I’ve made...’

The exact departure time hadn’t been set, but in any case, they wouldn’t be leaving today.

But an agreement was an agreement, and they would have to leave eventually.

After finishing the birds’ training, Shen Xin returned to the office to give Yang Zeran and the others some instructions.

This trip would surely take several days, and the work at the Cold Case Office couldn’t just stop.

Just as he was speaking, Zhang Hancheng pushed the door open and came in.

He beckoned Shen Xin over, led him outside, and after a moment of silence, asked, "You’ve thought it through?"

Shen Xin nodded.

"Alright then." Zhang Hancheng let out a soft sigh.

They’d known each other for a while now, and Zhang Hancheng felt he had a good read on Shen Xin. He knew Shen Xin wouldn’t back down from a situation like this.

"How about this," Zhang Hancheng said after a moment’s thought. "Don’t go alone. Take someone with you so you can watch each other’s backs. Besides, you have all those birds; you can’t manage them all by yourself."

"Take Zhao Tianxing with you. He can give you a hand."

Yang Zeran had been on desk duty for too long; Zhang Hancheng didn’t feel comfortable sending him.

Zhao Tianxing was more of a hands-on guy; he should be fine.

Shen Xin thought that would work.

The trip would definitely take several days. Teddy couldn’t be separated from him, so he’d probably have to bring him along.

And with eight birds, he really couldn’t handle them all by himself.

"Also, it’s not convenient to take a gun from here. Once you’re over there, apply for a temporary sidearm," Zhang Hancheng added.

The mention of that made Shen Xin feel conflicted.

That thing was a hot potato.

But he also knew that in a place like that, it was truly unsafe to be unarmed.

"In any case, be careful about everything." Zhang Hancheng patted Shen Xin on the shoulder one last time before leaving.

Returning to the office.

Seeing the three of them staring at him expectantly, Shen Xin said, "Brother Xing, you should pack your things, too. You’re coming with me."

"Huh?"

Zhao Tianxing was taken aback for a second, then just said, "Oh," without asking any questions.

Just then, Ding Yuwei suddenly said, "Shen Xin, I’ll go with you."

Shen Xin was stunned. "Don’t be ridiculous," he said immediately.

But Ding Yuwei’s gaze was incredibly resolute. "Shen Xin, I can do it. In hand-to-hand combat, I’m no worse than Brother Xing. And my marksmanship is better than his."

"Most importantly, I need to keep an eye on you. You can be hot-headed sometimes. If I’m there, I can stop you."

She stared fixedly at Shen Xin, her gaze unwavering.

That one time last year, she had reminded Shen Xin to be careful.

And then, in a flash, something huge happened.

Having been Shen Xin’s partner for so long, Ding Yuwei knew him all too well.

It wasn’t that she thought Shen Xin was irrational, that he’d go off half-cocked like some character in a TV show. But sometimes, in pursuit of a result, Shen Xin would disregard his own safety.

So she had to go with him, to be there at the right moment to remind him, if nothing else.

Zhao Tianxing was a bit of a brute himself; he wouldn’t necessarily have the presence of mind for that.

Her father had died in the line of duty fighting drugs, so Ding Yuwei knew exactly how dangerous and complicated this work could be.

Shen Xin said, "Listen to you. I don’t get hot-headed *that* easily."

Zhao Tianxing, standing nearby, also tried to dissuade her. "Yeah, Yuwei, this is pretty dangerous. You shouldn’t go. I mean, for one thing, if you come, we’ll have to get two hotel rooms."

Shen Xin shot Zhao Tianxing a look. ’What are you even talking about?’

At that, Ding Yuwei stood up and walked straight out of the room.

Zhao Tianxing twisted his head to glance at his biceps, then said to Yang Zeran, "Lao Yang, you really think she could take me in a fight?"

Yang Zeran rolled his eyes at him. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Shen Xin, how about I go with you? I think my fighting skills are decent, too."

Shen Xin rolled his eyes at him, too. "We’re not going there to get into a brawl. What’s all the commotion for?"

With that, he quickly stood up and went after Ding Yuwei.

’She must have gone to find Zhang Hancheng.’

Sure enough.

When he walked in, Ding Yuwei was in the middle of explaining to Zhang Hancheng why she would be a better choice to accompany him.

Zhang Hancheng waved a hand, signaling Shen Xin not to speak and to keep listening.

It was the same few reasons: that she was more meticulous, that she was worried Shen Xin would be impulsive, and that she could remind him at critical moments.

Evidently, this last reason had swayed Zhang Hancheng. He mulled it over for a moment, then nodded. "Shen Xin, just let Xiaoding go with you."

Seeing Shen Xin about to object, Zhang Hancheng said, "It’s decided. And you, kid, be careful."

Shen Xin glanced at Ding Yuwei, who was standing ramrod straight, and nodded in resignation.

Once they were out of the office, Shen Xin was about to speak, but Ding Yuwei held up a hand and cut him off. "No objections."

With that, she strode away without a backward glance.

’I wasn’t going to object anyway,’ Shen Xin thought. ’It doesn’t really matter who goes.’

’Chen Guanglin made it sound like a huge deal, but it’s not like he’d actually have me carrying out the mission myself, right?’

The main reason Shen Xin didn’t want Ding Yuwei to go was that her father had died in an anti-drug operation; he was worried the mission would stir up painful memories for her.

Now that the matter was settled, it was time to prepare.

He had a whole "family" to bring along—eight birds. Cages, food, water, waste disposal... especially for Teddy, who was incredibly precious. Everything had to be prepared in advance.

At the same time, Shen Xin also had to consider the specific environment of the operation.

Shen Xin gave this some thought on his own and also discussed it with Chen Guanglin.

Only then did he understand why Chen Guanglin had come to him.

It was that training exercise that had given him the idea.

The border was nothing but high mountains and primeval forests. The peaks were high and the woods were dense. Drug traffickers crossed on foot, and in those vast mountains, they were incredibly difficult to spot.

Using drones for surveillance presented quite a few problems.

For example, there was the issue of battery life. The area was so vast—how many drones would they even need?

But birds were different.

A drone that ran out of battery in the mountains would just crash.

But birds didn’t have to worry about battery life. Even if they got hungry, they were in a forest. As far as the eye could see, it was filled with their food.

Therefore, the birds could search over a wide area, even nonstop, day and night.

However, Shen Xin had to consider some specific issues, like the smart helmets’ battery life and the need for moisture-proofing.

He had to get everything ready in Nanjiang to avoid being caught unprepared when they arrived.

Thus, it wasn’t until June 4th that Shen Xin and Ding Yuwei finally set off.

He had told his family he was just going on a business trip.

And Doniya, too.

She didn’t say much, only urging Shen Xin to be careful, again and again.

The case was now being handled by the Provincial Anti-Drug Trafficking Division. Chen Guanglin had made the suggestion, and the Division had adopted it.

But the specific liaison had to be coordinated between the Division and the people in Dian Nan. Chen Guanglin couldn’t go himself, so he had Jiang Wengang—the captain from the Tingyang Branch whom Shen Xin knew well—personally accompany them.

Someone from Nanjiang had to go, after all.

They wouldn’t be going to Ningshan; they would head straight to Dian Nan and rendezvous there.

The main issue was the eight birds.

Police dogs were one thing—getting them on a plane wasn’t a huge issue—but birds were a different story. It was too risky.

The high-speed train was also a hassle, mainly because there were too many of them.

Especially when Chen Wanbin learned that Teddy was going to Dian Nan; he got quite nervous and suggested to Shen Xin that they should drive.

Driving in a private car, where they could stop at any time to let the birds fly, was the safest method of transport.

So, they decided to drive.

They took an MPV from the bureau. It had plenty of space for all the supplies for the eight birds.

It was a drive of over two thousand kilometers, but with three people taking turns, it wouldn’t be a problem.

"Shen Xin, since we’re going to Dian Nan this time, does that mean we’ll get to see Celestial Skill?"

After they had set out, Ding Yuwei suddenly thought of something.

Shen Xin paused, then nodded eagerly.

The place they were headed to this time was the Dehong Autonomous Prefecture, located on the far southwestern border of Dian Nan Province.

And Simao City, where Pan Wenhai lived, was a county-level city within the Dehong Autonomous Prefecture.

So, since they were going to Dehong, they would definitely have a chance to make a trip to Simao and see Celestial Skill.

He had stayed in touch with Pan Wenhai, but to be honest, they were both so busy that they didn’t talk very often.

They would exchange a few words now and then, catch up on recent events, so he knew Celestial Skill was doing fine.

But in the end, they were still separated by a vast distance.

’He wondered if, when they met again, her eyes would still only be for him.’

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