A hint of satisfaction flashed in the beggar's eyes.
He stuffed the bag into his arms, braced himself with his hands on the ground, and propelled the wooden cart beneath him away from the crowd with a "clattering" sound.
"Excuse me... sir, please wait a moment."
A calm voice rang out.
Zhang Wei led Lin Hao forward and blocked the man's path.
"Officer?"
The man looked up, still chewing on meat, his eyes showing just the right amount of doubt and timidity.
The live streamer, who was broadcasting the entire event, immediately turned his camera to the scene and excitedly exclaimed, "Family members! Did you see that? That's our people's police!"
"Enforcing the law for the people and caring for the vulnerable! Seeing that this old man was having a hard time, they took the initiative to ask him what was wrong! We must give our police officers a big thumbs up!"
The live stream chat was instantly flooded with comments:
"I'm moved to tears! This is true positive energy!"
"Thank you for your hard work, police officers!"
"The police in China are very responsible!"
"I hope the old man is truly in need and can receive help."
...
Fortunately, Zhang Wei and Lin Hao didn't know what the people in the live stream were saying, otherwise they would have been in big trouble.
They led the men to a slightly more spacious corner, away from the crowds.
Zhang Wei crouched down, trying to look the man in the eye, and asked with concern, "Sir, I see you have difficulty moving around. Do you live alone?"
Do you have children? What difficulties are you facing in your life? Do you need us to help you contact the community or a shelter?
The beggar wolfed down the braised meat while keeping his head down and giving a mumbled reply.
"N-nothing...I...I was just passing by...I smelled something..."
His face was so dirty that thick layers of grime almost completely obscured his original skin color and features.
His body smelled as if it hadn't been washed for centuries, emanating an indescribable sour odor.
However, the more Zhang Wei looked at that dirty face, the more he felt something was wrong.
It wasn't his appearance, but the outline of his bones... I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?
A policeman's intuition quietly rose within him.
He took out his phone, opened the internal wanted notice and assistance system, and quickly swiped his fingers as photos of fugitives flashed across the screen.
He compared them carefully, but couldn't find anyone who looked very similar to the "beggar" in front of him.
Am I just overthinking things?
Zhang Wei frowned slightly, just about to put his phone away, when a long-forgotten image suddenly flashed through his mind—
That was the main fugitive in a sensational heinous murder case ten years ago!
He was a junior police officer when the case occurred, but he had a very strong impression of the perpetrator's appearance.
He tapped his finger again, bringing up the case records from ten years ago.
A photo of a slightly immature man with fierce eyes popped up.
Zhang Wei's pupils suddenly contracted!
He carefully compared the photo on his phone screen with the outline of the face covered in grime in front of him.
Brow bone, cheekbone, jawline... Although ten years have passed and he has been disguised in this way, the three-tenths similar outline is like a lightning bolt that struck him!
It was him?!
"you!"
Almost instinctively, Zhang Wei grabbed the man's arm, which was holding braised meat and covered in grease!
The force was so great that it brought the man's movements to an instant.
"Officer... what... what are you doing?"
The man seemed startled, looked up, and his eyes were filled with fear and confusion.
That reaction... was so normal, like the normal reaction of an ordinary person being suddenly arrested by the police.
Seeing the "pure" panic in the other person's eyes, Zhang Wei's newly formed sense of certainty began to waver again.
Ten years have passed; people change.
And this reaction was so flawless.
If I admit I'm wrong, it will have a bad impact.
But he didn't want to let go of any possibility, because that was a fugitive with a life on his hands!
"Lin Hao!"
Zhang Wei made a quick decision and said in a deep voice, "You stay here and watch him. I'll go to the convenience store next door and buy a pack of wet wipes to clean his face!"
He would not be satisfied until he saw it for himself!
"Alright, Brother Zhang!"
Lin Hao agreed readily.
He is younger than Zhang Wei and has less experience.
Although she felt that Brother Zhang was a bit too nervous, she still dutifully stood next to the man and watched him continue to eat the braised meat in small bites.
In his view, what kind of trouble could a beggar with paralyzed lower limbs possibly cause?
Zhang Wei gave the "beggar" a deep look, then turned and strode quickly toward the convenience store not far away.
Just as Zhang Wei's figure disappeared around the corner of the crowd...
The "beggar" who was eating braised meat with his head down put the last bite into his mouth and smacked his lips in satisfaction.
The next second!
Whoosh!
The wooden cart beneath him slid forward several meters as if it had been coated with oil!
The speed is astonishing!
Immediately afterward, to Lin Hao's astonishment, the "disabled person" who had just been slumped on the cart suddenly exerted force with his waist and kicked off with his legs.
He jumped up from the wooden plank and ran.
His movements were so agile; he didn't look disabled at all!
Holy crap!
Lin Hao's eyes widened instantly, his brain froze for a second, then he reacted and roared.
"Stop! Don't run!"
He took off chasing after it!
The reversal was so fast and dramatic that the crowd in the square instantly erupted in chaos!
"Damn it, he's not disabled, he's faking it!"
"Grab him! Don't let him get away!"
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