Chapter 373: Wolf Tracks

Ten thousand for a single wolf? That was not expensive.

A high-end purebred dog could go for tens or hundreds of thousands, even into the millions.

“What do you know about the buyer?” Xiao Yu continued asking.

“I’m not sure.” The middle-aged man shook his head. “The boss just brought someone over to look at the wolves, then they were bought and taken away. But I do remember that the buyer was a middle-aged woman.”

‘A middle-aged woman, buying wolves?’ Xiao Yu felt a bit puzzled.

An hour later, the kennel’s owner arrived.

“She said she was in the zoo business.” Under questioning, he finally told the truth. “A friend introduced her. She said her zoo didn’t have any grassland wolves, so she bought them.”

‘Zoo business?’ Xiao Yu frowned.

Could she have been operating a privately owned zoo within the country? Possibly. 

In the past, it was legal to contract and run a zoo. That was years ago, though—now those contracts couldn’t be transferred, leased, or sold. Yet the government couldn’t just rip up old contracts. Some people who signed them could keep running the zoos until those deals expired.

***

Night, 8 p.m. Criminal Investigation Brigade.

“Jiang Huiying, forty-three, from Z City. She used to own a zoo,” said Guo Qiang, summarizing the suspect’s file. “Due to financial struggles and poor animal conditions, Jiang Huiying applied to terminate her private zoo contract a year and a half ago. The zoo is now managed by the local government. According to our investigation, the Z City Zoo never had grassland wolves. The two wolves originally purchased by Jiang Huiying are missing.

“She moved to Bincheng a year ago, settling in a seaside resort. A single-family villa. In the past year, there have been four complaints about her villa—people reported disturbances from pet dogs.”

“…”

‘Pet dogs disturbing the neighborhood?’ Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes. 

‘Are they really dogs… or wolves?’

***

Canteen.

Xiao Yu took a bite of his noodles and glanced at Zhao Changshan beside him.

“Boss, how’s your side?”

“Haven’t brought in suspects Gan Yuzhen and Xing Chuyang yet.” Mouth half full, Zhao Changshan shook his head. “Our investigation shows they enjoy road trips, traveling once or twice a year. That’s made it difficult to track them. But the strangest part… we can’t find any records of ID usage or online transactions.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu was surprised. “No highway toll records either?”

“None,” Zhao Changshan sneered. “Weird, isn’t it?”

“Then there’s only one explanation…” Xiao Yu smirked. “They’re deliberately hiding their movements.”

“And there’s something else,” Zhao Changshan added, his expression turning odd. “Earlier today, suspect Fang Jie revealed one more thing. His drug supply came from that same couple, Xing Chuyang and Gan Yuzhen.”

“Well, that’s convenient.” Xiao Yu snorted. “So can we assume that the two of them aren’t just traveling? Could it be they went to pick up the product?”

“Very possible.” Zhao Changshan nodded. “But investigating that is more in the anti-drug squad’s wheelhouse. If we butt in, we’d be overstepping.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Xiao Yu agreed.

Within the police system, every department had its own purview—going out of bounds just causes chaos. Patrol officers, traffic, bailiffs, criminal investigators, SWAT, narcotics, and so on, ech had their job. Stepping on each other’s toes is avoided unless absolutely necessary. 

That was just common sense.

Finishing his noodles, Zhao Changshan offered Xiao Yu a cigarette.

“How’s your part of it going?”

“I’ll be heading out again in a bit.” Xiao Yu lit up. “There’s a woman who might be keeping two wolves. Not sure if it’s actually her.”

“Go on home. Your wife’s close to giving birth.” Zhao Changshan grinned. “I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“No need. I want this case wrapped up fast so I can sleep easier,” Xiao Yu said with a laugh, standing up. “In this world, men are expected to carry burdens without fear.”

‘He’s putting on airs now.’ Zhao Changshan’s mouth twitched slightly.

Stepping outside the brigade, Xiao Yu sighed inwardly. He, too, wanted to go home and be with his wife, but this was the path he’d chosen.

A squad car with four detectives headed for a seaside resort district in Bincheng. As soon as they arrived and stood before the villa’s gate, Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed.

His nose caught a familiar scent—wolf.

Guo Qiang pressed the doorbell, but no one answered. The villa seemed empty. Xiao Yu’s face darkened; glancing at the villa’s perimeter wall, he took a few steps, jumped, grabbed the top, and flipped over into the yard.

Guo Qiang and the others, “…”

They didn’t have that kind of agility.

A moment later, the front gate opened from within. The three officers entered and began searching. 

The villa’s yard was huge, showing no traces of large canines and no suspicious clues. With Falcon’s Eyes, Xiao Yu scanned the ground, then crouched. Shortly, he found some dog-like hairs. He couldn’t visually confirm if it was from a dog or a wolf, but he was sure he smelled wolf in this villa.

They forced open the villa’s main door, and Xiao Yu walked into the living room. There was no lavish decor—no finished floors, either. Oddly, the entire villa was a bare shell.

Following the scent, Xiao Yu moved slowly through the place, shining his phone’s flashlight. They found no light switches at all, nor even installed lights. Eventually, he reached some stairs, but not leading upstairs—leading down.

It was a basement. Modern villas often had cellars or garages. Guo Qiang, phone in hand, led the way down the steps. But before they could see their surroundings, a dark shape lunged out, attacking Guo Qiang.

Smack!

A hand seized the back of Guo Qiang’s collar, yanking him aside like a chick dodging that black shape. Xiao Yu used one hand to grip Guo Qiang, the other raising his phone for light.

A wolf stood before them.

Broad-shouldered, powerfully built, its eyes glowed coldly in the beam, jaws baring sharp fangs—ferocious and terrifying. Suddenly, it pounced toward Xiao Yu and the others.

Something was off. Xiao Yu frowned. This wasn’t the grassland wolf from the surveillance footage.

He lashed out with his leg like a battle axe, slamming the wolf’s body. Weighing at least fifty or sixty kilos, the beast was sent flying by that kick. Xiao Yu calmly drew his leg back.

Never mind protecting wildlife. If humans lose their lives, what’s the point of animals existing?