Chapter 20: Searching for the Mountain Bike, an Astonishing Scene

“I was only guessing, just speaking offhand.”
Gu Bin didn’t want to waste any more time. He took her hand and led her outside. “There’s no need to overthink it. You only know someone’s face, not their heart. Take this opportunity to weed out those with ill intentions—it might not be a bad thing.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Lin Xiyu sighed helplessly, her mood troubled.
The little romantic notions she had in the taxi were shattered by the harsh reality.
If the thief really was someone from the neighborhood, she couldn’t bear to imagine what Gu Bin would think.
Would he believe that those who live near vermilion become red, those near ink become black, and start doubting the character of her and her family?
——
The police station responded quickly to the call. The shrill wailing of sirens startled many; almost everyone in the alley came out, standing at their own gates, craning their necks toward the phone booth.
Gu Bin comforted Lin Xiyu, then calmed himself and spoke with the police.
Lin Xiyu stood near them, listening carefully to their conversation.
Gu Bin analyzed the situation rationally and clearly.
He suggested that the thief might have come to buy noodles or to make a phone call. Finding the booth empty, the person went to the house to call someone, saw the mountain bike, felt a surge of greed, and seized the opportunity to steal it.

Lin Xiyu felt another wave of frustration.
She’d already asked at home: her uncle was busy with Old Huang’s funeral arrangements and hadn’t returned; at noon, her aunt came home to cook. There was indeed a period when the phone booth was unattended.
The booth was just diagonally across from Courtyard No. 9, not far at all. Anyone coming in or out of the courtyard could see everything clearly.
If her aunt had been there at the time, the thief wouldn’t have had the chance, and the incident wouldn’t have happened.
——
The police agreed with Gu Bin’s assessment, deciding to immediately start a search for suspects.
A door-to-door investigation required many people; the two officers who responded couldn’t handle it alone.
One officer called the station for backup. Gu Bin watched him grow increasingly anxious, his voice rising but his authority waning, and guessed things weren’t going well.
A single police station’s jurisdiction was too wide to send all its personnel here.
Though his mountain bike was valuable, it paled in comparison to more serious crimes like assaults or fatal incidents.
He was still pondering this when the officer hung up and gave him an apologetic glance.
He didn’t need to ask to understand the man’s meaning. After a brief silence, he picked up the public phone and dialed a familiar number.
——

Not long after he finished his call, a shocking scene unfolded.
The alley erupted with sirens as more than ten police cars arrived. The officers who stepped out were in plain clothes, exuding a sharp and capable air distinct from the local police.
This not only caused a stir on Donghua Street but also roused residents from the connecting streets—Pangong Street and Lama Lane—who followed the commotion and gathered from all directions.
“Bin, who’s the fool who dared to steal your bike?”
A refined-looking young man with a briefcase and gold-rimmed glasses mingled among the plainclothes officers. After getting out, he was the first to approach Gu Bin.
“Secretary Li…”
Gu Bin saw him and rubbed his brow in exasperation. “I only asked you to call the police station chief and have him pay a bit more attention. You’ve made such a big scene—this is overkill, isn’t it?”
“This was a direct order from the city bureau chief,” Secretary Li replied unconcernedly. “He told them to be diligent and thorough, to catch the thief as soon as possible. We can't let the old leader feel the city’s security is lacking and embarrass the bureau…”