Chapter 19: A Black Cat Reports a Case
While the task force was out having dinner with Lin Jiangye, the crows of Yue City were busy discussing the gemstones tied to their legs.
Some preferred diamonds, some favored sapphires, and others liked peridot.
Each crow had its own exclusive gemstone, and under the sunlight, they shimmered with dazzling, multicolored brilliance.
Quite a few people were drawn in by the sparkling lights and followed them for quite a distance. But since the crows flew higher and higher, making it impossible to observe closely, they eventually gave up.
When Lin Jiangye bought the gemstones for them, he had warned the crows to be cautious of humans.
“Gemstones are valuable. To greedy humans, they might try every possible way to capture you for them. If you run into trouble, come straight to the villa to find me.”
Some timid crows, afraid of being captured, abandoned the idea of tying gemstones to their legs.
Only the bold and fierce ones remained fearless, even pecking those who chased them until their heads were covered in bumps.
As the crows perched on a utility pole chatting idly, a black cat suddenly leapt onto a nearby wall with something clamped in its mouth, then sprang up into a tree.
Soon, curses and shouts from men below followed.
The crows tilted their heads curiously and saw several men running over, cursing as they searched around for something.
The crows exchanged glances. Their clever minds quickly connected it to the black cat hiding in the tree.
Even if they knew, they wouldn’t give it away. In their impression, humans were generally unpleasant creatures—except for that good-smelling male who bought them shiny things and chatted kindly with them. Only he could converse peacefully with crows.
After the men left, the black cat silently jumped down from the tree.
The moment it landed, it was surrounded by a flock of crows.
“What are you doing, little kitty?” The tone was flippant and arrogant—who knew where they had learned that from?
The black cat stared at them warily. Though the crows were not particularly large, their numbers made them difficult to deal with all at once.
Noticing the paper clenched in the cat’s mouth, one crow leaned in curiously.
The black cat immediately bristled, swiping a paw sharply at the nearest crow and emitting a low, angry growl.
The struck crow nearly fainted. Shaking its head vigorously, it cawed indignantly, “What’s that for? Can’t crow just look?”
Suddenly, they caught a faint scent of blood.
Sniffing carefully, they realized the smell was coming from the black cat.
“Are you hurt?”
The black cat, seemingly aware of the crows’ nosy nature, dropped the paper and hissed fiercely.
“Don’t block my way! I’m in a hurry! Where is the police station?”
The crows stared at each other in surprise. The cat knew what a police station was?
Wait—that wasn’t the main issue. Why would an injured black cat be looking for a police station?
“Did kitty run into trouble? Crow can take you to a human who can solve anything!” They proudly lifted their legs to show off their shiny gemstones, boasting that they had received them as rewards for reporting bad humans who stole younglings.
But the black cat had no appreciation for shiny things. It just wanted to leave.
Seeing how anxious it was, the crows finally relented. “Follow crow! Crow will take you!”
If the cat had been wronged by humans, then to solve the problem, they must find that human!
The black cat hesitated at first, but after considering their words, it ultimately followed.
However, animals were not always cautious enough.
On a brightly lit street at night, a group of crows with flashing gemstones on their legs leading a black cat quickly drew human attention.
The crows were used to being stared at and paid no mind. The black cat, however, grew uneasy.
Still, it had no idea where the police station was, so it could only follow.
Its unease soon proved justified. The same men from earlier, hearing others mention a black cat followed by sparkling crows, quickly chased after them.
“It’s that black cat! It’s holding something in its mouth!”
Seeing them rush forward, the black cat’s pupils contracted. It was about to strike when the crows darted ahead even faster, raking sharp claws across a man’s scalp and leaving a deep bloody scratch.
“Run! Run ahead! Crow will block them!”
The black cat’s eyes lit up. Unfortunately, with something in its mouth, it couldn’t thank them.
It had thought the crows only wanted gossip. It hadn’t expected them to actually help.
Good crows!
Soon, the crows led the black cat into the villa district.
But Lin Jiangye wasn’t home. Even Diamond and Opal were nowhere to be seen. The crows grew frantic.
The black cat was equally confused. Wasn’t this supposed to be the police station? Why were they here?
Fortunately, the crows were clever. If no one was home, there was another place where they might find him.
So they brought the black cat straight to the Wen’an District sub-bureau.
The officers on duty were already dizzy from paperwork. When a swarm of crows flew inside, some wondered if exhaustion had caused hallucinations.
“Should I ask the forensic department for a medical evaluation…”
Hearing that, his colleague shuddered and turned to see him staring blankly ahead, as if his soul was leaving his body.
“Wake up! Forensics only issues reports for the dead! Don’t die before this busy period is over!”
Seeing the familiar uniforms and the gold-and-blue emblem on the wall, the black cat finally relaxed.
“Cat! Wait here! Crow will ask them for help!” The crows worried that without someone who understood their speech, even going to the police would be useless.
The black cat ignored them, leapt onto a desk, and placed the paper it had been holding in front of an officer.
—
The “usual place” Shang Fuyan mentioned was an upscale restaurant serving authentic Yue cuisine, a long-standing gathering spot for their team.
During the meal, both sides gained a basic understanding of each other. Lin Jiangye also found himself curious about something.
Each team member had a distinct personality and extraordinary skill—disguise and tracking, rock climbing and parkour, even a “memory palace.” He wondered where Shang Fuyan had found so many talented individuals.
Still, he felt they were easy to get along with.
If others in the division heard that, they would think he had lost his mind. The direct task force members were famously aloof. Except for Shang Fuyan, they listened to no one. Without their exceptional abilities, they wouldn’t even qualify as officers.
But it could also be said that it was precisely because of their exceptional abilities that Shang Fuyan had recruited them.
After dinner, just as they stepped outside, both Shang Fuyan and Lin Jiangye’s phones rang simultaneously.
They looked at each other, checked their screens, and said in unison, “I need to return to the station.”
Not only were they startled, but Yan Zhou and the others froze as well. Then everyone’s expressions darkened.
If both Shang Fuyan and Lin Jiangye were summoned, it meant a major case.
“Come on… we just finished the anti-trafficking operation…” Ai Rong muttered, having hoped for a few days’ rest.
The next second, however, her face lit up in excitement.
Lin Jiangye opened his car door and ushered the animals inside, then looked at the others. “Who wants to ride with me?”
“Me!”
“Me me me!”
Car enthusiasts Ai Rong and Yan Zhou slipped inside like nimble eels.
The last seat was claimed by Yan Keke. “I want to hold the cuties!”
The rest looked regretful. Yan Zhou had said the car cost eight figures. None of them had ever ridden in something that expensive.
When they turned back, they found their captain staring expressionlessly.
Oh no. It looked like Captain Shang thought they were disdaining his car.
