Chapter 58: Old Silver Coins, Please Stay Away from Me

“Call in the team,” Xiao Yu suggested to Wang Dong, “The suspect likely hasn’t run away.”

His King Butterfly’s Nose indicated that suspect Wang Hu was hiding on one of the ships. Yet, such a claim couldn’t be made outright. How could he justify such an accusation without concrete evidence?

“Really?” Wang Dong’s gaze fixed on Xiao Yu, skepticism in his tone. “How did you deduce that?”

Those who ascend to positions within National Security weren’t known for simple thinking. Did Wang Dong truly overlook such a possibility?

It seemed far-fetched, yet Xiao Yu seemed so certain.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu felt an inexplicable unease, his feelings toward the proverbial ‘old silver coin’ tinged with wariness.

“I don’t know,” Xiao Yu shrugged, “Just a hunch.”

Sometimes, human intuition could be inexplicably accurate. Scientists themselves conceded that individuals could sometimes anticipate events beyond rational explanation.

Though it veered into the realm of the mystical, it was a phenomenon that could not be ignored.

Only then did Wang Dong divert his gaze, pulling out his phone to summon reinforcements.

Within an hour, four military trucks arrived, deploying a hundred armed police officers who fanned out like dumplings, commencing a thorough search of every vessel docked at the port.

‘National Security truly is awesome,’ Xiao Yu mused internally.

Take, for instance, if the police needed to deploy armed forces, the city bureau would have to make a request through the provincial office, as they lacked any direct authority for mobilization.

But a single call from National Security and the armed police were dispatched.

Could it really be that simple?

Xiao Yu’s initial impressions of National Security’s power deepened.

Better not tempt fate. Thoughts of joining National Security were swiftly abandoned. That would be an irresponsible gamble for a transmigrator’s safety.

An hour more slipped by.

The head of the armed police unit reported back, having found neither suspicious individuals nor the suspect, Wang Hu.

Wang Dong gave Xiao Yu a look that was both teasing and questioning.

‘Don’t look at me that way, am I not concerned about losing face?’ Xiao Yu thought, maintaining a grave expression. 

“Brother Wang, let’s search together.”

“Alright.” Wang Dong agreed, and together they approached a ship.

Sometimes, playing one’s part could indeed be draining. Xiao Yu went through the motions of searching three vessels until they arrived at a smaller cargo ship.

Even deemed small, it still boasted a capacity of hundreds of tons, significantly larger than average vessels. The ship’s design included rest cabins and the cockpit at either end, with a large recessed platform in the center for cargo containers.

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong boarded the cargo ship, observing numerous shipping containers arranged across the deck.

The crew, clustered together and visibly tense, were confronted by the armed police officers brandishing their weapons.

The suspects had to be aboard. 

Xiao Yu briefly surveyed the containers, then proceeded to check the rest cabins and the cockpit. Eventually, he found himself standing before those very containers.

Several of them had been opened and inspected by the armed police. However, not all could be thoroughly checked without the aid of lifting equipment.

“Do you suspect something’s in the containers?” Wang Dong asked, his brow furrowed as he watched Xiao Yu evaluate each container.

“I’m not sure yet. Let’s check them out first,” Xiao Yu said.

He approached a container and began climbing, finally making his way up to the fourth level of the stacked containers.

Standard shipping containers were about 5 meters in length, 2 meters in width, and 2 meters in height, making the fourth tier slightly over eight meters high.

As Xiao Yu climbed the top, he moved along the containers. Until he reached the middle of the stack and noticed a wide gap between them.

No one was visible within the gap, Xiao Yu had a clear view.

Yet, why was the scent of suspect Wang Hu coming from this gap?

A gap one foot wide didn’t present a viable entrance to the container.

“What’s the issue?” Wang Dong joined Xiao Yu’s side.

“No, it’s not impossible.” Xiao Yu was focused on the gap and asked, “Has the container been modified?”

The design of most containers was for outward opening. Inward-opening doors were almost unheard of except in special cases. The containers before them piled up like a small mountain, were of the most standard type.

Upon hearing Xiao Yu’s question, Wang Dong’s brow furrowed. 

“A check will reveal the truth.”

As the crane approached, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong descended from their vantage point among the containers. 

The crane began to move each container to a platform on the shore.

At that moment, splash–a crew member took a leap into the sea.

Exchanging a glance, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong couldn’t help but smile. Both were quick-witted, each catching onto the unfolding situation.

Trying to flee in front of police officers, what were they thinking?

Twenty minutes later, the crew member who had attempted his sea escape was hauled ashore by two robust military policemen, unconscious from being subdued in the water.

The act of fleeing itself signaled guilt. The remaining captain and crew, their faces drained of color, exhibited visible signs of panic.

“Your luck is indeed impressive,” Wang Dong observed Xiao Yu closely.

“I was thinking the same,” Xiao Yu said, his laughter masking an internal plea, ‘Old silver coin, please keep your distance!’

The armed police had taken control of everyone on the freighter.

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong approached a particularly unusual container, their grins widening in anticipation.

This container truly had a hidden door situated midway. From within, the faint hum of machinery was audible.

It was the sound of a generator. But why would a container need a generator?

For cooling purposes.

Refrigerated shipping containers weren’t uncommon but were usually more expensive due to their specialized function in transporting perishable goods, preventing them from spoiling en route.

Such containers typically rely on the ship’s power supply, making it rare for a container to have its own power source for refrigeration.

Didn’t it raise a flag that an ordinary container was modified into a refrigerated one?

The hidden door was forcefully cut open by armed police wielding cutting tools. As it swung open, a figure presented itself to everyone.

Sitting obediently at the threshold of the secret entrance, his hands raised high, was the suspect, Wang Hu.