Simulating_Crimes_C04

Chapter 4: Full of Flaws—Do You Even Understand a Perfect Drug Deal?

Su Ming and the other two sat at an outdoor table of a stir-fry restaurant.

Because the pedestrian street was packed with people, all the nearby eateries and restaurants had set up additional seating outside. The three officers, dressed in plain clothes, blended in seamlessly, arousing no suspicion.

However, despite appearing engrossed in casual eating and conversation, the trio’s eyes never stopped scanning the crowd passing by.

As time ticked by, Wang Hu glanced at his phone. Seeing that the scheduled transaction time had already passed by ten minutes, he stuffed a garlic oyster into his mouth and mumbled in code:

“Hmm? This oyster tastes a bit off. Is it spoiled? (Is the suspect acting suspicious?)”

Xu Changsheng remained expressionless, also picking up an oyster and tasting it. He replied with a subtle message:

“It’s not spoiled. I think the vendor just didn’t grill it long enough. We shouldn’t have rushed them earlier. (Don’t rush, let’s wait a bit longer.)”

Then he shifted topics naturally:

“Speaking of oysters, do you guys know where the best oysters come from?”

Just as Xu Changsheng was preparing to continue the casual conversation to maintain their cover, a sharp, burnt, and acrid smell suddenly hit his nose, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Su Ming smelled it too.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the source—

A thin, middle-aged man in a construction worker’s outfit, walking past Xu Changsheng.

Immediately, Su Ming looked at Xu Changsheng and gave a subtle nod before continuing the small talk:

“Brother Xu, of course I know. When it comes to oysters, the ones from Rushan are the best!”

“I heard the Rushan oysters are ripening and should be arriving in Shanghai’s markets soon. I wonder when the workers will start harvesting them.” (The suspect is here, but don’t act yet—wait for the buyer to show up.)

Although Wang Hu, sitting on the outermost side, hadn’t picked up on the acrid smell, he quickly interpreted Su Ming’s coded message.

Realizing a suspect had appeared, Wang Hu immediately played along.

Without hesitation, he wiped his hands, stood up, and pulled out his phone.

“Boss, time to pay. How much for this meal?”

While Wang Hu’s observation skills might not be sharp, his eagerness to foot the bill never fell short—his role was to act like a carefree spender.

As the man in the construction outfit moved further away, Su Ming stretched his arms and discreetly pressed on his earpiece, speaking calmly:

“Seller has appeared.

“Yellow construction worker uniform, approximately 165 cm tall. There’s a distinct burnt, acrid odor consistent with drug use lingering on him.

“My suggestion—

“Hold off for now and wait for the buyer to show.”

Su Ming’s words came through clearly in both Xu Changsheng and Wang Hu’s earpieces.

To avoid startling the suspects, Xu Changsheng followed up with more specific instructions:

“Old Chen, Xiao Xu—

“The fish is swimming toward your side. Just follow and keep your earpieces on.”

A rough voice immediately responded:

“Got it.

“The suspect tossed a cigarette box into the bushes near the parking lot exit and then rejoined the crowd.

“Xiao Xu and I are keeping our distance. He won’t escape.

“We’ll wait until the buyer appears before closing in!”

Clearly, the officers on this operation were all seasoned veterans.

They knew that arresting the seller prematurely could easily spook the buyer.

The fact that the deal involved a cigarette box drop-off indicated the seller and buyer were likely in direct communication.

It was safer to wait until both parties showed up before making a move!

Xu Changsheng grabbed the car keys and stood up.

“Let’s go.

“We’ll wait in the car.

“There’s a secluded alley right next to the parking lot exit. We’ll be in position there.”

Two minutes later.

The three were back inside their car, eyes locked on the bushes at the exit and the surrounding area, where several other plainclothes officers lay in wait.

The moment the order was given, they would act immediately.

The wait felt excruciatingly long.

Breaking the silence, Xu Changsheng asked Su Ming, curiosity evident:

“Xiao Ming—

“Can you explain how you identified the suspect so quickly?

“I caught the burnt smell too, but since I had my back turned, I didn’t even see the guy. How did you lock onto him so fast?”

Wang Hu perked up and joined in:

“Yeah, Brother Ming!

“How did you figure it out?

“I didn’t even smell anything. And before I knew it, you’d already singled him out!

“Seriously—did we even take the same criminal investigation course?”

Su Ming, eyes still fixed on the target, shrugged and answered casually:

“The burnt, acrid smell is a clear indicator of drug use—no surprise there.

“As for how I identified the man—

“It’s simple.

“First, Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street is a commercial area. There’s no construction site nearby, especially not during working hours.

“So what’s a construction worker doing here in uniform?”

“Even if you assume he had urgent business, his expression didn’t show any rush—only nervousness and unease.

“He kept glancing around like he was afraid of being watched.”

“The most critical clue—

“His uniform was spotless.”

“Think about it. It’s already afternoon. If he really came straight from a worksite without changing, how could his clothes be completely clean?”

“The only explanation—

“He never actually worked at a site. The outfit was just a disguise to hide his smell and avoid attracting attention.”

“After all—

“People tend to ignore construction workers.”

Su Ming smirked and added:

“To be honest, this guy’s disguise was full of flaws.”

“A smarter move would’ve been dressing as a sanitation worker, carrying a garbage bag to mask the smell.

“While pretending to pick up bottles near a trash bin, he could’ve dropped the cigarette box, letting the buyer retrieve it later.

“With that approach—

“Even with more officers around, catching him would be nearly impossible.”

Xu Changsheng’s eyes twitched slightly.

What kind of talent was this?

In such a short span, Su Ming not only identified the suspect but even laid out a more sophisticated crime plan?

Wang Hu, meanwhile, gawked in disbelief.

“Brother Ming, seriously?

“You even figured out the best way to pull off the crime?

“Good thing you’re a cop—

“Otherwise, you’d make the perfect criminal!”

Su Ming simply chuckled without responding.

Just then—

A voice crackled through their earpieces:

“The other fish has arrived!”