Chapter 141: Surveillance

Song Changfeng glanced around the room and was pleased to see that the expressions on everyone’s faces matched exactly what he had imagined when he first formed his theory. It seemed they had all come to the same conclusion.

That’s right. In this serial theft case, aside from the thief, there was another beneficiary: the vendor selling surveillance equipment.

Earlier today, while reviewing surveillance footage in the Technical Department, Song Changfeng repeatedly noticed someone entering and leaving the community so frequently that even the security guards at the gate had stopped paying attention. Every time this person came, he carried a tool bag on his back and a brand-new box in his hand, which contained surveillance devices.

This reminded him of the conversation he and Aofeng had overheard on the bus when they had just returned. Wasn’t it all about making a fortune? As long as you installed surveillance equipment, your home wouldn’t be targeted by thieves. Everyone had their own mental scale, and installing cameras was clearly a better deal than getting robbed.

Some people didn’t stop at the living room. They installed cameras in their bedrooms and studies too, all to deter thieves and make them think twice before breaking in.

Mingyang Community had no small number of residents—about two thousand households. If all of them decided to install surveillance, that alone could sustain a vendor’s quarterly revenue.

“As a direct beneficiary of this serial theft case, I have reason to believe he’s more involved than it appears. In fact, I’ve already compared the times and locations recorded in the statements. Almost without exception, wherever he was installing cameras, a theft would be reported in that building shortly after,” Song Changfeng said. “I asked the colleagues in the Technical Department. They said that at first, some people did suspect him, but after investigation, they found that once he entered a building, he was almost always within view of a surveillance camera. No matter where he went, there was always footage to prove his innocence. The only times he left the camera’s view were for a minute or two at most—basically negligible.”

“That got me thinking about this serial theft case. One person was never caught on camera, and the other was always under surveillance. He’s cleared himself of suspicion too perfectly, and that’s what makes me suspicious. Because for both of them, there’s one thing in common: they must be extremely familiar with the placement of every single camera to either avoid them completely or stay in view the entire time.”

“Isn’t that a bit too idealistic?” one officer stood up. “I mean, it sounds like a huge coincidence, but we can’t build a case on pure speculation without evidence. What I’m saying is, we can’t just assume the surveillance vendor is involved in the serial theft case just because he profited from it. At most, he’s an indirect beneficiary. It’s like those people who sell emergency supplies during a natural disaster. Sure, they make money, but we can’t say they caused the disaster.”

“Natural disasters are one thing, but man-made incidents are different. Those can be orchestrated. We can’t lump them together. I think Comrade Song Changfeng makes a valid point.”

“I still disagree,” another person said. “We’re police officers. Our job is to follow the evidence. Without any proof, even if we’re sure he did it, there’s nothing we can do.”

The meeting room grew lively. Some agreed with Song Changfeng, finding his theory convincing. Others thought he was overthinking it, that his idea was too far-fetched.

With no consensus, everyone turned to Lei Liming, waiting for his final decision. Lei Liming gave a light cough and said, “Changfeng’s idea is sound, and Xiao Zhang also makes a good point. But Changfeng’s theory gives us a new line of investigation. As long as there’s even the slightest lead, we have to pursue it thoroughly until we can rule out the possibility of involvement.”

With Lei Liming’s final word, no one objected. He began assigning tasks. “Now, split into teams. Two people per building. Find out which households have installed surveillance, when they installed it, and which vendor they used. Once we have enough data, we can move on to the next step.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the command, everyone sprang into action. Over the course of the day, they conducted visits, interviews, and compiled data. By evening, they had a fairly complete analysis report.

“According to our investigation, about ninety percent of households in Mingyang Community now have surveillance installed. Of those, twenty percent had cameras installed during their initial renovations. The remaining eighty percent installed them within the past month. Among these recent installations, only a small number were purchased and installed through online orders. The majority, due to time constraints, chose local vendors. One shop in particular, called Security Butler, handled nearly eighty percent of the business.”

Nearly 80% of the business? In today’s world, where shops are everywhere and competition is fierce, people often compare prices at three different stores¹ just to buy a bunch of vegetables. And yet, when it comes to choosing surveillance equipment, everyone seems to be going with the same store?

Immediately, everyone grew curious about this shop called “Security Butler.” The colleague in charge of the report didn’t disappoint and began introducing the store.

“This store was registered a year ago and sells various types of surveillance equipment, including both indoor and outdoor products. We looked into their past business performance and found that for most of the past year, their sales were quite sluggish. When people needed surveillance gear, they usually preferred to go with big-name brands. But in the past month, business has been booming.”

“We asked a number of residents why they chose this particular store. Most of them said it was because they had received sales calls or flyers outside their neighborhoods. So when the idea of buying surveillance equipment came up, this store was the first one that popped into their minds. Plus, their prices are a bit lower than other stores, they offer free installation, and their service is very thorough.”

As soon as those words were spoken, a sentence flashed through everyone’s mind: “It’s actually very simple. If you want to know whether someone has surveillance installed at home, all you have to do is ask.”

What Song Changfeng said wasn’t wrong. Isn’t it just a matter of asking? Of course, this “asking” doesn’t mean stopping someone on the street. It’s done in a way that modern people are least guarded against – telemarketing.

Speaking of telemarketing, most people have probably experienced it. With how rampant data leaks are these days, salespeople don’t just have your phone number and name, they often know exactly what you need. For example, there was a time when Song Changfeng was thinking about buying a house, so he registered an account on a website to do some research.

A few days later, he started getting calls from real estate developers and second-hand property agents, asking if he had time to come take a look. The most outrageous part was that renovation companies, furniture stores, curtain installers, and appliance dealers also started calling, each one eager to introduce their products and services. With such “thoughtful” service, a single idea on your part could instantly trigger a full-service transformation from nothing to fully furnished. It was truly astonishing.

The same goes for Security Butler in this case. All it takes is one phone call asking if you need surveillance installed, and they’ll immediately know whether you already have it. Those who’ve already installed it are naturally not part of their target, but those who haven’t will get extra attention.

But again, data alone doesn’t prove everything. Without solid evidence, there’s no way to confirm that Security Butler is connected to this case.

Translator’s Notes