These words startled Old Wu. "You're going to the scene?"
"Um."
What are you going there for?
"Just curious to take a look."
"This--"
This reason doesn't sound like something Jiang Fan would say; it sounds like he's joking around with a child.
But based on his understanding of Jiang Fan, Jiang Fan didn't seem like the kind of person who had nothing better to do.
Old Wu frowned. "Don't you have a placement test tomorrow or the day after?"
"How did you know?" Jiang Fan asked, puzzled.
"It's quite a coincidence, I have a nephew who also attends Ancheng No. 9 Middle School. He's a senior in high school, just like you."
"Oh, I see." Jiang Fan nodded.
"Are you really going?"
Although Old Wu didn't know what Jiang Fan's plans were, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy's experiences, so as long as it didn't cause trouble for his work, he didn't want to refuse him.
"Go check it out, Uncle Wu. Don't worry, I definitely won't cause any trouble for your work," Jiang Fan assured him.
Old Wu thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then."
Before long, Jiang Fan followed Old Wu and his group to the home of the owner of the lost property.
The owner looked anxiously at Old Wu and said, "My money was stolen in this room, Constable Wu, you must help me catch that damned thief!"
Old Wu: "How much money did you lose in total?"
"Five thousand yuan!" the owner replied.
"Tch!" Chen Wenhua rolled his eyes dismissively. "It's just five thousand yuan, is it really worth making such a fuss over?"
The owner retorted, "For you, Mr. Chen, losing five thousand yuan is a small matter; losing two hundred grams of gold is a big deal."
"Hey! You're reopening old wounds!" Chen Wenhua snapped.
Last time their house was burgled, a full two hundred grams of gold were stolen; just thinking about it makes my heart ache.
"It was clearly you, Boss Chen, who looked down on me first."
"It's only five thousand dollars, am I wrong?"
"You--"
"Alright, you two, stop arguing. How are we supposed to investigate if you keep arguing?" Old Wu said, looking at the two of them with annoyance.
Finally, it quieted down.
Old Wu and Xiao Qian began to carefully examine the room, trying not to miss a single clue.
Jiang Fan was also using his Psychic Power to scan the surroundings, even inch by inch across the ground and ceiling.
Actually, he didn't need to meddle in other people's business, but after hearing Old Wu mention that the case of him taking his gold from Chen Wenhua's house was being combined with this case, he was worried that it would implicate him. So he decided to do his best to help Old Wu catch the thief as soon as possible.
Suddenly!
He discovered something amiss when he scanned the door lock with his Psychic Power.
The outside of the door lock was fine, without any scratches or signs of being pried open. However, when I used my Psychic Power to reach the lock cylinder, there were obvious signs of being pried open.
"Huh? There's not a single clue. There are no signs of forced entry on the door either." Xiao Qian muttered to himself, then looked at the owner.
Are you sure the money was stolen by a thief, or that you simply forgot where you put it?
Upon hearing Xiao Qian Qian's question, the owner of the lost item became somewhat agitated.
"I swear! I guarantee it! That money was definitely stolen. I always keep my money in my bedside table, and I even count it when I have nothing else to do. It's a habit of mine!"
Xiao Qian didn't completely believe the owner just because he was emotional. Instead, he looked at Old Wu and asked, "Did you find anything?"
Old Wu was also at a loss, shaking his head, "We've done all the necessary checks, but there are no useful clues."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Fan said, " Uncle Wu, there's still one place we haven't checked."
Upon hearing this, Old Wu and Xiao Qian both looked at him.
Before they could even ask, Chen Wenhua, who had come along with them, spoke first.
" Jiang Fan, you're just a little kid, what do you know about investigating cases! Stay put and don't interfere with Officer Constable Wu and the others' investigation."
"Shut up." Jiang Fan retorted without hesitation.
Being confronted by a teenager in front of so many people, Chen Wenhua felt he was losing face and his temper flared up.
" Jiang Fan, how dare you talk to me like that?"
" Chen Wenhua, shut up. Let's hear what Jiang Fan has to say first." Old Wu was also very annoyed by people like Chen Wenhua, but because of his position as the head constable, he couldn't bring himself to verbally abuse him.
Jiang Fan ignored Chen Wenhua, walked to the door, pointed to the lock, and said, "Although there are no marks on the lock, it doesn't mean there aren't any on the lock cylinder. Some thieves are so skilled that they might not leave any marks on the outside when picking the lock, but that doesn't mean there aren't any."
Old Wu's eyes lit up. "You've reminded me."
Immediately, a locksmith was called to come and remove the lock cylinder.
Upon closer inspection, traces were indeed found!
The owner exclaimed excitedly, "There are signs of forced entry! I told you, I didn't leave the money lying around; it's always been in the bedside table! A thief just sneaked in and stole my money."
Chen Wenhua stared wide-eyed, surprised to find that Jiang Fan was right; there really were traces inside the lock cylinder.
" Jiang Fan, we owe you a lot this time," Old Wu said, looking at Jiang Fan with admiration.
" Uncle Wu, you helped me before, so I'm happy to help you too."
At this moment, Xiao Qian chimed in.
How did you come up with the idea of removing the lock cylinder?
Of course he saw it. That's what Jiang Fan thought in his heart, but he would never say it out loud.
"It just happened to come to mind."
"Let's go to the next one," Old Wu said.
Upon arriving at the next burglarized home, they repeated the process, having the locksmith remove the lock cylinder.
Unsurprisingly, there were also marks on the lock cylinder.
Aside from that, there are no other clues.
Old Wu said to Xiao Qian, "Try to access the nearby surveillance footage and check if there are any suspicious people."
"Okay, I'll take care of it when I get back."
Old Wu then looked at Jiang Fan, "Be careful these next few days, make sure to close the doors and windows tightly at night to prevent thieves from sneaking in."
Jiang Fan nodded.
"Ha, their family is so poor they're practically destitute, thieves wouldn't bother with them," Chen Wenhua said, picking his nose.
Jiang Fan retorted, "Yes, our family isn't as wealthy as Mr. Chen's. Thieves love to steal from us. Mr. Chen, you'd better be careful at night; someone might sneak into your house."
"Pah! Who are you cursing?" Chen Wenhua was so angry at Jiang Fan's words that his face turned red and his neck bulged.
Old Wu was still instructing Xiao Qian: "Also, regarding the case of the burglary at Chen Wenhua's house last time, compare the surveillance footage from the vicinity of these two cases. Last time we encountered that thief at the jewelry store, so compare his build carefully."
Jiang Fan's attention was drawn back, and after thinking for a moment, he decided to speak.
" Uncle Wu, I don't think these two cases are related?"
Hearing this, Old Wu turned around in confusion, "Oh? What do you mean?"