Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Somehow, Cui Lizhu’s father, who had mental problems, took a liking to Ran Tao. When Ran Tao came in, he immediately started to mimic Ran Tao’s actions.
Whatever Ran Tao did, he would do exactly the same thing! Hence, Zhao Yu told Ran Tao to pretend to read to the side, which finally calmed the old man down.
“My dad is the legendary Tao Xiang!” Cui Lizhu didn’t dare hold back the truth from Zhao Yu, but told him the old man’s name directly.
However, Cui Lizhu was surprised that Zhao Yu didn’t reveal any surprise after she brought up the name. Apparently, the Tao Xiang that Cui Lizhu was talking about was a famous figure in the thief scene.
This is why Cui Lizhu thought that Zhao Yu would be shocked. However, Zhao Yu had never even heard of him!
“Alright! You’re right. My dad is actually the king of thieves that you were talking about!” Cui Lizhu had no choice but to continue to introduce him. “His skills made him a top notch expert in his field! As such, he committed many infamous theft cases! In fact, he was famous in the thief scene for his entire life. He was never arrested by the police, either! People even gave him a nickname… God Tao!”
Zhao Yu nodded slightly. It seemed like his gut feelings were right. This old man was no simpleton.
“Yes, my dad taught me all the tricks! He’s my dad, but he is also my sifu. Ever since I can remember, he was already training me strictly!” Cui Lizhu said helplessly. “So, my fate has been predestined ever since then! I couldn’t change it, even if I wanted to!”
“No wonder you are so skillful! It turns out that you are the expert’s direct disciple. Excuse me for my lack of manners!” Zhao Yu joked with Cui Lizhu, while intentionally stealing a glance at the old man. He wondered how the past king of thieves came to be in such a sad state.
“However, even though my dad was strict, he loved me dearly. He always bought me the best toys and dressed me in the best clothes!” Cui Lizhu took a stroll down the memory lane. “Although he was the king of thieves, we have been hiding under assumed names and living like ordinary people. From any outsider’s view, he was just an ordinary loving father! It’s such a pity that…”
Then, Cui Lizhu stopped talking suddenly, an anguished look on her face. After taking a few moments, she resumed her story. “Six years ago, my dad undertook a huge business deal. He was tasked with stealing something priceless! If he succeeded, he would achieve success and win recognition, which would allow him to retire early!”
Cui Lizhu looked at her dad as she spoke, her voice tinged in sadness. “But, my dad suddenly lost the item because of some accident! He was then chased by the employer and nearly lost his life. We then went into hiding, as my father brought me along, roving around the world. Then, we finally escaped them!”
After a brief pause, Cui Lizhu added bitterly, “However, my dad was very upset by the whole situation, so his mental health went downhill from then on! It has been merely a year, and he has been reduced to this state!”
She then turned to beg Zhao Yu. “Please, my dad can’t be exposed. He would be chased after by his enemy and the police. I heard that Jinping has a luxurious nursing home, which is why we came here! As long as we paid the fees, the nursing home promised to secure their clients’ privacy and not let any outsiders disturb them!”
She then sighed. “In order to afford such high expenses, I had no choice but to join Zhang Ping Street Ma Qiang’s organization and work for them!” Then, Cui Lizhu finally redirected the topic back to the Hasty Murder Case. “However, the nursing home really burnt a hole in my pocket. I tried my best to work it out, but I could not make ends meet! You saw my living conditions, how bad it was, right?”
Oh…
Zhao Yu then understood why the female cat burglar, who was so highly skillful, lived like a poor person.
She then continued. “Then, one day, Pang Yong and the gang got their eyes on the tank skin safe box in a villa and decided that they wanted to break in to steal it. I thought maybe my opportunity was finally here, as I could easily open that kind of safe box. I figured that if I were to be able to get a fortune from the safe box, life would be easier.”
She sighed again. “Hence, I stole Pang Yong’s information and beat them to it! But, when I opened the safe box, besides a bunch of medicine, there was nothing else in it! You can imagine my distress! However, as my dad constantly consumed similar antipsychotic drugs, I recognized the medicine. I figured that I could sell them, so at least it would be worth something! So, I took the medicine!”
She couldn’t look Zhao Yu in the eye, so she only continued her story. “Just before I left, the home owner suddenly returned. The person drove a Trumpchi, which he parked directly in his garage. Although I merely got a glance at him, I distinctly remember what he looked like. The person that you asked me about in the police station, it was Liu Yu! But, I heard that the person already died by then!”
“Oh…” Zhao Yu nodded and said. “Then, you sold the medicine to the unruly doctor in the mental hospital?”
“Yes!” Cui Lizhu said frankly. “After I sold it to the doctor, I suddenly heard that they wanted to unearth the person who broke open the safe box and were even offering a high bounty! It was a rare sight. Then, I realized that the bunch of medicine might possibly have other value! So, I took the risk to steal the medicine back from the mental hospital that night, and that’s when I ran into you!”
“Mm… I remember that, after we came across the dogs, you actually escaped before I did,” Zhao Yu said. “But why didn’t you take the medicine then?”
“Oh please, bro. At that time, there were already people out there looking for me, with a bounty dangling over my head! How would I know you were not one of them?” Cui Lizhu shook her head. “I didn’t even know if you have anyone with you, so why would I care about the medicine? And then came that awful smell fiasco!!!”
She crinkled her nose, then kept explaining. “Helplessly, I could only return home to shower and change into some clean clothes. I had no idea that Pang Yong and the gang would be at my place so soon. As for the rest of the story, you know it already, right?”
“Not entirely,” Zhao Yu rolled his eyes at Cui Lizhu, then demanded, “Tell me what happened after you ran away at the sewer!”
Cui Lizhu sighed and said, “After I escaped, I went back to the hotel to steal the medicine! I then hid the medicine underneath my dad’s bed! Then, I was ready to run! However, I received a message from Second Master, telling me that there was someone willing to pay five million to buy the items that I stole from the safe box!”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, then said, “I am so silly, I actually believed it and went to the meeting point! I was careful and didn’t dare expose myself straightforwardly, thank goodness. Instead, I only wanted to observe from the side. But, as I got closer, I was captured! I was then cruelly tortured, and they cut off my thumbs!”
Cui Lizhu said pitifully, “Finally, I told them everything! It was then that I really thought my dad and I were doomed!”
Cui Lizhu then turned to Zhao Yu with a grateful gaze. “Police Officer Zhao, I have yet to thank you for saving me! If it wasn’t for you, my dad and I would probably be dead!”
Oh…
Zhao Yu pondered her words.
Cui Lizhu hid the medicine underneath his bed, but her playful father wanted to prank his daughter, so he hid the medicine in the air conditioner. When the professional killer came to look for the medicine, they couldn’t find it under the bed. That’s why they seized control of her dad and wanted to interrogate him…
Then, everything seemed to add up. As for Cui Lizhu and the Hasty Murder Case, her part was merely an accidental robbery!
“Police Officer Zhao Yu, please, I beg you!” Cui Lizhu pleaded, as tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s okay if I am put in jail. But, please, you have to take care of my dad! If news got out of his identity, he would definitely be killed!”
“Oh, yeah? It’s just a robbery, and it has been years. Would there still be many people that even remember him?” Zhao Yu shook his head, thinking that he shouldn’t be bothered much by her worries.
“No, it’s not that simple!” Cui Lizhu said anxiously. “You don’t know what my dad stole back then, right? It was something from an exhibition, which belonged to the Indians. It is called the Tamil Star!”
Pata…
Hearing the name, Tamil Star, Ran Tao’s hand slipped and his book fell on the ground. In order to mimic Ran Tao, Tao Xiang also threw his book on the ground.
“Do you know it?” Cui Lizhu asked worriedly. “There are rumors outside that say that my dad still has this Tamil Star! Please, I beg you, once my dad’s identity is exposed, he would be doomed!”
