CHAPTER 202: EXTRA: AFTERMATH_1

"AHHH!!!"

"Why haven’t you found anything yet? What are you all good for?"

"Worthless! Worthless! A bunch of worthless trash!"

The police chief was furiously venting. Standing before him was the sheriff of the area, but now they were all so harshly scolded they couldn’t even lift their heads.

They had no choice; it had already been two days, and they still hadn’t found any clues.

They didn’t know how the thief had managed to evade the patrol officers, commit several crimes without alerting the homeowners, and make off with such an enormous amount of assets.

This major case was on the verge of becoming a cold case, and as the primary person in charge, the police chief was naturally frantic.

This wasn’t just about his career prospects, but his very neck. If he didn’t handle it well, those above might make an example of him to provide an explanation to the others.

He was frantic... so utterly frantic! He felt he might die from the stress!

At this moment, a young officer hurriedly ran in.

"Chief, someone from above has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the police chief’s expression went blank. His arm, which was still gesturing as he scolded his subordinates, drooped powerlessly. The next second, he slumped into his chair, his face ashen, muttering under his breath, It’s over...

The rest of the officers also showed mixed reactions. Some breathed a sigh of relief; it would be best if their superiors took over, at least then they wouldn’t feel so suffocated.

Some, seeing the police chief in this state, couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful. They had been pressed and exploited by him every day. The money had only gone into the pockets of their superiors, while they themselves got nothing. Despite all their hard work, they still had to endure his scoldings.

They wished the police chief would explode on the spot!

Only a few showed looks of concern.

"Hmph!" The police chief snapped back to his senses, his gaze sweeping over a few of them.

Noticing his subordinates’ reactions, he couldn’t help but remind them grimly, "Don’t think you can escape, do you? Think about those who were on duty that night."

As expected, at his words, the expressions of all the officers changed.

Such a large sum of money had been stolen, yet the officers on duty had failed to detect any problems. This strongly suggested the possibility of an inside traitor, and the chief had detained those officers that very day.

Even if it was later proven that they weren’t involved, they couldn’t escape the charge of dereliction of duty.

Though it was a tough and modestly paying job, it was stable. By wearing this uniform, even the usual troublemakers would step aside. Not to mention, there was the opportunity to make some extra money on the side.

In Totnes, it was a unique position. Without this uniform, aside from other problems, just the troublemakers they had previously offended would be enough to give them a hell of a time.

Not to mention if they ended up in prison—that was no place for humans. They’d be lucky to survive, and even then, they’d be put through hell. The fate of their families, with old and young dependents, would then become an even greater concern.

For a moment, they all understood the gravity of the situation and exchanged glances. Then, the most veteran police officer stepped forward, forcing a smile.

"Sir, we certainly understand what’s at stake. But everything that could be checked has been checked. What do we do now?"

"What to do..." The police chief, having held such a lucrative position for so long, was certainly no fool. After berating his subordinates, he had come to a realization.

"You come with me to stall the people from above. As for the rest of you, get out there and investigate! Don’t be afraid of stepping on toes. Dig into this relentlessly. I refuse to believe that with so much stolen property, he wouldn’t make some move to get them out of Totnes!"

The police chief still had some decisiveness. With things having reached this point, he couldn’t afford to worry about anything else.

He believed that as long as the thief was caught, everything would be fine.

His subordinates all understood what the police chief meant. This meant they were expected to investigate the smugglers and those involved in human trafficking, along with the dealings in the black market. These people seemed to be controlled by certain gangs, but in reality, they all had backers. In the past, as long as the ’customary dues’ were paid, everyone minded their own business and things went smoothly. Not to mention, these areas weren’t even within their jurisdiction. Now, offending these people...

"Idiots! I don’t have a choice, do you?" The police chief, seeing their expressions, knew exactly what they were thinking and immediately barked at them.

The old police officer also understood and chimed in persuasively, "We’re all in the same boat."

Having thrown their weight around for so many years because of their uniforms, they were bound to be reluctant to give up their power, however slight it might be.

After the subordinates dispersed, the police chief, accompanied by the old police officer, went to meet the people from above.

But when he emerged again, the visibly pained expression on his face made it clear that he had paid a great price, yet he had only managed to secure two more days.

However, they had obtained some information: the merchants wouldn’t swallow this insult either and were hiring Detective Andor for the investigation. They had to solve the case faster than the detective.

"Sir, you must have heard of this Detective Andor, right?"

"Who in Totnes doesn’t know him? Isn’t he that Andor who passed up his family inheritance to become a detective? All the ladies of high society are dying to meet him." The police chief frowned upon hearing the name.

In Totnes, there wasn’t a cop who didn’t know this dashing noble detective. He had indeed solved a few major cases, and the ladies of high society were all eager to meet him.

For the police department, however, this was a disgrace. If a detective solved a case they couldn’t, it only highlighted their incompetence.

It used to be them laughing at other districts, but now they had become the joke.

"Sir, the thief’s methods are sophisticated. Perhaps they’re not an ordinary person."

The old police officer’s words were somewhat cryptic, but in their positions, they had encountered certain things.

"What do you mean?"

"We should prepare for two possibilities, and we could also seek help from people with special talents."