Chapter 165 Dangerous Maneuvering
If she had gone in directly just now... the consequences would have been unimaginable.
She didn't plan to retrieve the bugging device for the time being, so as not to alert the culprit. She would make a decision after discussing it with Lu Zheng.
She immediately dialed Lu Zheng's number, trying to keep her tone calm: "Officer Lu, I'm near the Lecasa Cafe right now. The situation might have changed. Could you come pick me up? We might need to finalize the details of tomorrow's cooperation as soon as possible." She deliberately obscured the specifics of the "cooperation."
Lu Zheng, who was on the other end of the phone, seemed to be busy. Upon hearing her voice and request, he didn't hesitate at all: "Send me your location, I'll be there in ten minutes."
Su Xiaonuan sent her location and then waited quietly in the car.
During this time, she still did not receive any reply from Han Ming.
She looked at the silent profile picture on her phone screen, sighed with mixed feelings, and silently redefined Han Ming's image in her mind from "a potential collaborator with ambiguous stance but seemingly good intentions" to "completely neutral, untrustworthy, and requiring high vigilance".
Ten minutes later, Lu Zheng's familiar black SUV stopped precisely next to her car.
He got out of the car, walked quickly over, and knocked on her car window.
Su Xiaonuan unlocked the car door and let him get in.
As soon as Lu Zheng got into the car, his sharp gaze quickly swept over Su Xiaonuan's entire body. Only after confirming that she was safe and sound did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
He noticed a lingering sense of shock and contemplation in Su Xiaonuan's eyes, and his heart stirred slightly. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened? What's going on in the coffee shop? What are your plans?"
Su Xiaonuan looked at Lu Zheng and took a deep breath, as if to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
She explained her guesses and plans in the most concise way possible: "Han Ming didn't show up, but a suspicious person came instead. I don't think he can be trusted anymore. Regarding the 'Sacred Heart Society,' I want to take the initiative to make contact. An organization like that always needs someone to cook, right? I want to use my cooking skills to find a way to contact the person in charge of food within their organization, try to get introduced to work there, and gather evidence from within."
Lu Zheng listened quietly, his brows gradually furrowing.
He nodded: "This idea is theoretically feasible. The bureau can also help you fabricate an absolutely 'clean' experience that can withstand scrutiny, ensuring that you won't be suspected at first."
But then he changed the subject, his tone becoming noticeably serious and...with a hint of barely perceptible concern, "However, Su Xiaonuan, in that case, we can't guarantee your safety. Once you enter that kind of place, you'll be all alone, and anything could happen. Isn't there...any other, safer option?"
He asked that question with ulterior motives.
According to the police department's consistent operating procedures, if there is an informant with special skills who is willing to infiltrate, the superiors will most likely agree, even though the risks are extremely high.
But beyond rational consideration, a voice in Lu Zheng's heart was strongly resisting—he didn't want her to take such a risk, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance of her getting hurt, he...couldn't accept it.
He wasn't entirely clear on where his excessive concern came from; he was simply subconsciously hoping for a better option.
Su Xiaonuan stroked her chin, shook her head firmly, her eyes clear and resolute: "This is the fastest, and probably the most effective, method I can think of. Contact people involved in the food industry, gain their trust, infiltrate their ranks, gather intelligence, and at crucial moments, perhaps even manipulate the food to cooperate with you from the inside. I know the risks are high, but I can't remain passive forever."
Looking into her determined eyes, Lu Zheng couldn't help but purse his lips.
He knew perfectly well that this was the most direct solution at present. His initial plan even included a similar idea.
But when this suggestion came from Su Xiaonuan herself, and when she so clearly recognized the risks yet still chose to move forward, what welled up in his heart was not the smooth progress of the plan, but a heavy worry.
He remained silent for a few seconds, and finally could only sigh in resignation: "...This is just a preliminary idea. The specific details, contact methods, and contingency plans must be carefully discussed with the task force at the bureau to formulate a comprehensive solution."
"Okay." Su Xiaonuan nodded.
Since we cannot contact the Sacred Heart Society for the time being, we cannot abandon the clues at hand.
Lu Zheng started the car: "Let's go check out Xiangshan first. The case of Liu's wife and daughter and Lin Ling's disappearance that you mentioned yesterday, after being investigated together, still has some doubts."
The car drove towards the quiet residential area at the foot of Fragrant Hills.
The two then went around the neighborhood again to inquire and confirmed that the last time the neighbors saw Xu was indeed about four months ago, which was close to the time when they knew he had disappeared.
This further fueled Su Xiaonuan's suspicions—the disappearance of these three people was by no means an isolated incident, and was very likely related to Liu, or even Zhang Qiang, who claimed to have been "framed".
They arrived at the apartment building where Liu lived.
Standing in front of the tightly closed security door, Su Xiaonuan's gaze fell on the slightly worn shoe rack by the door.
There were a few pairs of shoes scattered on top, including a pair of stylish women's high heels that were a little dusty, but still showed the taste of their former owner.
Su Xiaonuan had a sudden thought. She squatted down, gently patted the inkstone in her arms, pointed to the pair of high heels, and whispered, "Inkstone, smell this scent. Try to find out where someone with a similar scent went in the end."
Lu Zheng stood aside, watching Su Xiaonuan talk to a cat. Although he didn't show it on his face, a hint of doubt and confusion flashed in his eyes.
Let the cat...find someone?
The inkstone seemed to understand the instruction.
It leaped lightly from Su Xiaonuan's arms, walked gracefully to the shoe rack, brought its small nose close to the pair of high heels, and sniffed them carefully and repeatedly, making a very slight "purring" sound in its throat, as if it was analyzing and memorizing this complex olfactory information.
A moment later, Yantai raised his head, his golden pupils shining brightly in the dim light of the corridor.
It turned its head to look at Su Xiaonuan, then glanced at the direction of the stairwell, flicked its tail slightly, and then took a step, walking slowly towards the stairwell.
Su Xiaonuan immediately stood up and winked at Lu Zheng: "Follow it!"
Although Lu Zheng was full of doubts, based on his vague understanding of Su Xiaonuan's "special intuition" and abilities, he did not ask any more questions. He simply nodded, and the two of them followed the black cat, which was completely black and moved with a calm gait, into the darker stairwell. They began this seemingly absurd but potentially crucial tracking operation that relied on the cat's nose.
Their light footsteps echoed in the stairwell, along with the almost inaudible rustling of the inkstone cushion hitting the ground.
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