Although the ticket seller did not understand English, he had learned Chinese pinyin since he was a child. He looked at the handkerchief carefully and found these three letters next to the purple flowers.

The passengers immediately believed Cheng Maixiang's words and pointed at the short man, cursing the thief as shameful. Although people were poor in this era, the public security was really good. Petty theft was rare, but once encountered, they would never let him off easily.

"Also, since you said this handkerchief is yours and I haven't touched it, there's definitely no way my fingerprints are on it. When we get to the police station, we'll ask the police to use some equipment to see if they can find my fingerprints."

The little man's face turned completely black, and the passengers around him shouted to send him to the police station.

The short man's eyes rolled around and he suddenly crawled towards the car window next to him. Before he could jump out of the window, the tall man grabbed his legs and pulled him down.

"Want to escape? It's too late."

The tall man sneered.

The bus stopped in front of the Public Security Bureau. The tall man and Cheng Maixiang were about to get off the bus with the thief, but no one expected that before the bus stopped, the thief suddenly rushed past the tall man, jumped off the bus, turned left and right in the alley, and disappeared in an instant.

The tall man wanted to give chase, but Cheng Maixiang stopped him. "Brother, there's no need to chase him. Since he was able to shake off our entire car and escape successfully, it means he's very familiar with the terrain here. I'm afraid he's already reached a safe place by now. There's no point chasing him."

"It's all my fault. If I had been more careful, I wouldn't have let him slip away right under the noses of so many people." The tall man sighed deeply and looked back at the Public Security Bureau not far away. "Why don't you go to the Public Security Bureau and report the case. Let the police come and look for him."

Cheng Maixiang shook her head. "No need. Firstly, we don't know the other party's identity at all. Even if we report the case, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find him. Secondly, I don't have much to lose, so I won't cause any trouble."

"Where are you going? Do you want me to give you a ride?" the tall man asked enthusiastically.

Although people were poor in that era, they were simple and honest, and it was common to see kind-hearted people who loved to help others. Unlike in later generations, if a stranger took the initiative to care about you, you would be afraid that he might have bad intentions.

Moreover, this man is tall and strong, with a slightly dark complexion, but his eyes and eyebrows reveal a strong heroic spirit. He looks like a very upright person.

Cheng Maixiang smiled and said, "Thank you very much, comrade, but it's really not necessary. I'm just going to the steel mill in front to find my partner. The road is so close, I can just walk a few steps."

Unexpectedly, the tall man said in surprise, "What a coincidence, classmate, I'm also going to the steel plant to look for someone, so why don't we be friends?"

Now Cheng Maixiang became more or less suspicious. How could it be such a coincidence that he also went to the steel plant? Could it be that he was a liar and was also trying to take advantage of her?

The tall man seemed to see her doubts and extended his hand. "My name is Zhou Minqi. I'm going to the steel mill to see my good friend Lin Jiayu. Nice to meet you."