Surprise

"If Li Weili wasn't at the scene, how did he cut off the internet?" Zhao Ming asked, puzzled.

"That's not the main point. It could have been an accident, or it could have been intentional. He's a professional maintenance technician for the communications company, so he definitely has more methods than we do," Han Bin said indifferently.

"Tian Li, Zhao Ming, the two of you go to the communications company. Find the person in charge and ask them clearly whether the storage batteries in the base station near the antique street are welded or secured with screws," Zeng Ping instructed. "Be discreet and don't arouse the suspect's vigilance."

"Understood."

If the storage batteries were fastened with screws, it would prove that Li Weili was lying, giving them grounds to reopen the investigation against him.

"The key is still to find evidence of Li Weili's theft. Otherwise, when the time comes, he can just say he was nervous at the time and misspoke, and there will be nothing we can do about him." Han Bin held a toothpick between his teeth, a habit that helped him concentrate.

"It has already been three days since the incident. Do you think Li Weili has already sold the storage batteries?" Li Hui asked subconsciously.

"Based on my experience, the possibility is low. He knows we are investigating this matter. If he rushes to sell them now, he is likely to be detected by the police. I feel he will lay low and wait for some time before selling," Zeng Ping analyzed.

"Then where would he hide the storage batteries?" Zhao Ming asked.

"Could he have hidden them at home like Yao Chuang?" Tian Li guessed.

"Unlikely. His situation is different from Yao Chuang's. He is personally involved in the case and has already given a statement. It is very likely he is being treated as a suspect by the police, so how could he take the risk of hiding the storage batteries in his own home?" Han Bin shook his head.

"Where could he hide them?" Everyone pondered this question.

After a moment, Han Bin spoke up, "I think there are two possibilities."

Everyone's attention was drawn to him, and Sun Xiaopeng asked curiously, "What two possibilities?"

"First, Li Weili might have an accomplice. After dismantling the storage batteries, he had the accomplice transport them away, leaving the accomplice responsible for hiding and fencing the stolen goods. We can check Li Weili's communication records to see if there was anyone he was in close contact with around the time of the crime."

"Second, Li Weili might have acted alone. Before we rushed to the scene of the base station theft, he needed to dismantle, load, and transport them. He didn't have much time to commit the crime, which implies that the hiding place for the storage batteries is not far away. I suggest searching the surrounding area of the base station."

"Those are two good suggestions." Zeng Ping nodded in agreement. "Xiaopeng and I will check the communication records; Han Bin and Li Hui will search near the base station."

Everyone split up to carry out their tasks.

...

Han Bin and Li Hui drove to the base station near the antique street.

The two grabbed a bite to eat at the Shanhong Farmhouse, parked their car there, and walked up the mountain.

First, they inspected the area around the base station and found that surveillance cameras had been installed nearby. After walking a circle around the perimeter, they didn't find anything unusual.

"Binzi, where do you think Li Weili could have hidden the storage batteries?" Li Hui asked.

"How would I know that?" Han Bin lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Let's walk around and see if there are any traces."

"The storage batteries are so heavy he couldn't have moved them by himself; it must have been transported by car. Let's follow the road and see if there are any clues along the roadside," Li Hui said.

The two were not in a hurry, strolling slowly along the mountain road. The surrounding scenery was pleasant and the air was fresh—a great place for traveling, outing, and hiking.

As he walked, observing his surroundings, Li Hui smiled and said, "If I ever get a girlfriend in the future, I'll bring her here for a picnic. It's peaceful, romantic, and we won't have to worry about anyone disturbing us."

Han Bin reached out and patted his shoulder. "There will be that day."

Li Hui chuckled foolishly, seemingly lost in longing.

Han Bin shook his head, long accustomed to Li Hui's habit of finding joy on his own, and continued walking up the mountain road.

After walking a bit further, they came to a flat clearing ahead where cars could drive directly. Han Bin spotted tire tracks on the clearing and squatted down to inspect them.

"Looks like pickup truck tire tracks."

"In that case, the storage batteries are likely hidden nearby?" Li Hui asked rhetorically.

Han Bin didn't answer, following the tire tracks forward. After about a dozen meters, the tire tracks disappeared, replaced by a mess of scattered footprints.

Further ahead was a patch of ground that looked overly leveled, faintly showing that it differed from the surrounding terrain.

Han Bin snapped his fingers and pointed at the leveled patch of ground. "Let's start."

Li Hui took a tactical shovel out of his backpack, assembled it, and began digging the dirt.

"Binzi, how about we switch every five minutes?"

"Your stamina is way too poor," Han Bin laughed.

"Then let's switch every ten minutes, how's that?"

"OK."

Holding the tactical shovel, Li Hui started digging into the leveled ground. After digging for about six or seven minutes, he felt something hard, and the shovel could no longer pierce downward.

"Damn it, we're done before we even switched out," Li Hui said, surprised.

Han Bin had anticipated this. In his rush, Li Weili couldn't possibly have dug very deep.

Scraping away the topsoil revealed a layer of white plastic sheeting. Upon lifting it, there was another thick layer of felt cloth beneath, wrapping precisely around the storage batteries.

"Haha, this trip wasn't in vain. This tactical shovel has truly made a contribution." Li Hui smiled as he pulled a storage battery out of the pit.

"Strike a pose." Han Bin took out his phone, snapped a photo of Li Hui, and sent it to Team Two's chat group.

The WeChat group instantly exploded with activity.

Zhao Ming sent a surprised emoji. "Damn, is this the legendary Luoyang shovel? Brother Hui, you're awesome."

"Little Ming, the focus is the storage batteries, alright? What on earth are you thinking about every day?" Tian Li sent a contemptuous icon.

"Sister Tian, I'm right next to you, you could have just said it directly." Zhao Ming sent a sweat-wiping emoji.

Tian Li: "..."

An hour later, Zeng Ping arrived at the scene with the technical team to conduct investigations and take photos for evidence.

Han Bin chewed on his toothpick and asked, "Captain Zeng, how is the investigation on your end going?"

"Among Li Weili's communication records, there are no contacts with an unusually high frequency. The possibility of him having an accomplice is probably not high," Zeng Ping said.

This coincided with Han Bin's deduction.

"As for whether they were welded or secured with screws, the communications company hasn't given a definitive reply yet. They still need to check the original records, and they can't alert Li Weili, so it might take a bit of time." Zeng Ping sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

This indicated that the internal management of the communications company was relatively chaotic, which had buried hidden dangers for the base station theft case, serving as a lesson for them as well.

The investigation results came out quickly: the tire tracks belonged to a pickup truck, footprints had been collected, and the fingerprints on the storage batteries belonged to Li Weili.

"Captain Zeng, should we arrest Li Weili?" Sun Xiaopeng clenched his fists, which were the size of rice bowls, eager to try.

Zeng Ping pondered for a moment. "The timing isn't right yet."

"The storage batteries have already been found, and fingerprints, footprints, and tire tracks were discovered as well. Isn't that enough to convict Li Weili?" Sun Xiaopeng had handled relatively few cases; his theoretical knowledge was fine, but he was somewhat inexperienced in practical application.

"Li Weili is a base station maintenance technician in the first place, so it's normal for his fingerprints to be on the storage batteries. As for the footprints and tire tracks, they can only serve as a basis for the direction of the investigation and cannot be used as decisive evidence for a conviction," Zeng Ping explained.

"Then what should we do now?" Sun Xiaopeng pursued the question.

Zeng Ping did not answer. He turned his head to look at Han Bin on the side. "What are your thoughts?"

"Since he hid the storage batteries here and covered them up so meticulously, he will eventually come back to retrieve them. Let's just wait for the rabbit by the stump," Han Bin suggested.

Zeng Ping nodded; his thoughts coincided with Han Bin's.

"Then let's work in two shifts. Tian Li, Sun Xiaopeng, and I will keep an eye on things during the day; Han Bin, Li Hui, and Zhao Ming will keep watch at night. As soon as Li Weili shows up, we'll execute the arrest and catch him red-handed," Zeng Ping arranged.

Han Bin smiled and patted Li Hui on the shoulder. "Well, your picnic dream has come true this time. Isn't it romantic and full of surprises?"