Chapter 138: Stolen Again

Mingyang Community had a pleasant environment. As one of the top upscale neighborhoods in the southern part of Anyang City, its landscaping was excellent. No matter where you walked, the air felt fresh and clean.

Normally, around dusk, the pavilions and playgrounds on the lawns would be bustling with people. But ever since the serial theft case, the residents had started eyeing everyone with suspicion, seeing potential criminals in every passerby. Afraid that someone might break in while they were out, most people preferred to stay home.

Even when their kids cried and begged to go outside, they would only take a quick lap around before hurrying back home. Until the surveillance systems were fully installed, no one felt safe stepping out.

When Song Changfeng and Aofeng arrived at Mingyang Community, they found they couldn’t get in. There was a gate access system at the entrance, and only a successful facial scan would open the door.

Song Changfeng glanced around and quickly spotted the security booth. He walked over and tapped lightly on the glass window with his knuckle.

“Hello, we’re police officers investigating a case. Please let us in,” he said as the window slid open. A man in a security uniform sitting by the window looked over with some confusion. Song Changfeng raised his badge and got straight to the point.

“More police?” the man muttered under his breath. His voice was low, but Aofeng caught it clearly. He might not have even realized it himself, but there was clear disdain in his tone when he said the word “police.” Still, despite his attitude, he swiped a keycard on the access panel and let them in.

Hearing the public’s growing frustration, Aofeng let out a long sigh. It seemed that from the residents to the property management, everyone in Mingyang Community had lost faith in the police. They thought the officers were useless, unable to solve the case after all this time, and constantly coming around to ask questions. What they didn’t realize was that no one wanted the case solved more than the police themselves.

Song Changfeng had also noticed the guard’s discontent, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he pointed to the access system and asked, “Was this recently installed?”

The guard shook his head. “No, it’s been here for two or three years. It was just upgraded recently, works even better now.”

“And over there, on the vehicle lane, is it the same system?” Song Changfeng pointed to the nearby driveway, where two large camera-like devices were mounted back-to-back in the middle of the road. Their red electronic eyes scanned the area.

“Yeah, they were installed at the same time. With those things, we don’t have to manually raise the gate anymore. High-tech stuff, really convenient.”

As he spoke, a car approached from outside. When it was still a dozen meters from the monitoring zone, the digital display lit up with a green license plate¹ number. The barrier arm rose automatically without any manual input, allowing the car to pass. Once it was through, the arm lowered back into place.

These green license plates belonged to vehicles registered by residents. Once the system confirmed a match, it opened automatically. If the plate showed up in red, it meant the vehicle was unregistered and not allowed in. If a resident had notified the management in advance, the plate would be marked yellow, allowing temporary access.

As Song Changfeng thanked him, he pondered the situation. With such solid security in place, how was the community still being robbed? Outsiders shouldn’t be able to get in easily.

That meant the culprit was very likely someone from inside the community. Only insiders could move freely, knew the locations of all the surveillance cameras, and could find out which homes didn’t have cameras installed.

But soon, Song Changfeng dismissed that theory. If he could think of it, others surely had too. Yet after all these days of investigation, there were still no leads. That suggested the theory might not hold water. So who could it be?

As his mind raced, a few sharp barks rang out nearby. He instinctively thought Aofeng was urging him to hurry up, but when he turned around, he saw Aofeng standing calmly by his leg, his usually stern dog face now full of interest.

When he saw the dog that had barked, Song Changfeng immediately understood why Aofeng looked so amused. The dog was tiny.

It was a small toy poodle, with curly brownish-yellow fur and big, glossy black eyes. It even wore a little floral vest, making it look rather cute. Its whole body leaned backward as it barked fiercely, a hilarious mix of cowardice and aggression that made people want to laugh and sigh at the same time.

Perhaps Aofeng’s calm indifference to the provocation had only emboldened the little dog. It seemed to think this massive beast was all bark and no bite. Not only did its barking grow louder, but it also began lunging forward, pulling its leash taut, looking like it would charge if not for its owner holding it back.

Its owner was an old man who looked a bit embarrassed. While calling out “Dou Dou,” he tugged hard on the leash, trying to pull the dog back to his side.

Aofeng strolled over at a leisurely pace, with Song Changfeng following closely behind. When the old man noticed that Aofeng wasn’t on a leash, his expression turned to one of alarm. The little toy poodle finally sensed danger too. Though it was still barking, its body instinctively backed up a few steps until it was pressed against its owner’s leg, where it finally stopped.

“Young man, why isn’t your dog on a leash? It’s huge! Scared the life out of me!” the old man complained.

Song Changfeng explained, “Sir, he’s a police dog named Aofeng. The city government gave him special permission to go out without a leash. Don’t worry, he won’t bite anyone without cause.” As he spoke, he glanced at the little poodle. That tiny thing had been provoking Aofeng nonstop, and Aofeng hadn’t even gotten angry, right?

Hearing this, the old man recalled a news story he’d seen before. There had indeed been something like that. So this dog was a police dog—no wonder it had such a good temperament. If it had been any other dog, it would’ve lunged already.

If you asked the old man, his Dou Dou was great in every way except for its mouth. It never stopped yapping—cursing at people, barking at dogs—no wonder all the other dogs in the neighborhood avoided it. Every time he took it out, the old man never dared loosen his grip, afraid that if he let go, the next thing he’d see would be Dou Dou torn to pieces.

“If he’s a police dog, then you must be a cop, right?” the old man asked. “Perfect timing! I was just about to go to the station to report something. Young man, come with me for a bit, will you?”

Come with him?

Aofeng nearly burst out laughing. Why did it sound so strange coming from the old man? Wasn’t that usually what Song Changfeng said to others? Today the roles were reversed.

Song Changfeng also felt a little awkward, but what really caught his attention was the old man’s earlier comment.

“You want to file a report? Did something happen?”

The old man sighed and said, “That damned thief again. I was just out buying groceries, and in that short time, my house got robbed. Barely half an hour! That bastard showed up. My son’s surveillance system isn’t arriving until tomorrow, so now it’s too late to catch anything.”

He hadn’t expected to get a case the moment he entered the neighborhood, and Song Changfeng immediately became alert.

“What was stolen from your home? Were there any signs of forced entry on the doors or windows? Have you touched anything at the scene?”

The barrage of questions left the old man a bit dazed. After a few seconds, he responded, “Not much was taken, just fifty yuan I left on the coffee table. I was worried it might blow away, so I put a glass over it before I left. But when I came back and opened the door, the glass was shattered on the floor and the money was gone. The door was perfectly fine. I have no idea how that guy got in. I just took a quick look from the doorway and came right out. I haven’t touched anything inside.”

After finishing, the old man added, “Look, I know reporting a theft over fifty yuan might seem silly, but I just don’t feel safe anymore. I mean, if someone can just waltz into your home like it’s a supermarket, who wouldn’t be upset? Today it’s fifty yuan, but who knows what it’ll be next time? Don’t you think I’ve got a point?”

Song Changfeng replied, “You’re absolutely right. No matter the amount, a break-in should always be taken seriously. You mentioned you put a glass over the money to keep it from blowing away, so that means your window was open when you left, right?”

“Yeah, I left it cracked open for ventilation. But I’m telling you, the thief definitely didn’t come in through the window,” the old man said firmly. “I live on the seventh floor, and there’s nowhere to step outside. Who’d risk their life climbing up just to steal fifty yuan?”

But Song Changfeng didn’t think so. If the thief had gotten in, then either the door or the window had to be the entry point. Since the door showed no signs of tampering, the window became the most likely option. In his judgment, the suspect behind this serial theft case was someone smart and unhinged. It wasn’t just about stealing valuables—it was more like they were trying to prove something or draw attention to themselves.

“Sir, please take me upstairs to have a look.” Song Changfeng stopped asking questions. He needed to inspect the scene himself. The theft had happened recently, and there was still a chance he might find something.

Translator’s Notes