Chapter 526: Disposal of the Stolen Goods
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Zhang Zian told the detailed story to the 110 police, from Zhan Tian almost being trapped, to the dog-trappers’ attempt to escape and to how they ended up hitting the yard wall. He also showed them Zhan Tian’s police dog certificate and the bait used by the dog-trappers.
He was not sure what was in the bait, but it definitely contained an anesthetic. It would be appropriate to accuse them of selling a dangerous illegal substance.
In the end, he emphasized that one of the trapped dogs was a retired police dog. This immediately caught the attention of the police.
Shortly after the case reporting was finished, Sun Xiaomeng arrived along with a few others in a taxi. Zhang Zian didn’t know those people, but they might be Mr. Qian and Mr. Li’s family or friends. The police instructed them to stay out of the police cordon. They were only allowed inside after Zhang Zian explained it to the head police.
Sun Xiaomeng brought a first aid box with pet first aid medicine and equipment. She ran to Ning Lan and was about the bend down to check on Tuan Tuan. Zhang Zian called to her. “Come check on this dog first.” He waved to her, while he pointed to the retired police dog under his feet.
Sun Xiaomeng had no idea why the German Shepherd was so important to him, but she knew that he must have a reason for it. She asked Ning Lan to wait a moment, and went to examine the German Shepherd with a stethoscope.
From the expression on her face, the German Shepherd was not doing well. It was too old for the shock. After a while, she took off the stethoscope and shook her head. There was nothing she could do to bring the dog back. But she suggested transferring it to a general veterinary hospital. They were better equipped, and might make a miracle happen.
Sheng Ke called again to inform Zhang Zian that they found the owner of the police dog. It was a retired policeman visiting relatives in another city. His kids lost the German Shepherd while walking it, but didn’t tell him for fear of worrying him. He was hurrying back after he received the news. Zhang Zian told him about Sun Xiaomeng’s diagnosis. After getting his consent, the 110 police sent a police car to take his German Shepherd to the closest vet hospital.
Several police searched the house, and found a few more dogs, all of which were dead, including Mr. Qian’s lost dog. Mr. Qian was furious and resentful. He jumped towards the three dog-trappers to beat them up, and was stopped by the police.
Mr. Li searched inside and out of the house, but couldn’t find his dog. As he was getting worried, the police questioned the three trappers. They were caught red-handed, and had to confess to the crime. They claimed that after they trapped the dogs, the dead ones were sold to the restaurants nearby for meat, and the living ones were sold to the dog market. The dogs in the car were about to be shipped to the dog market. If the market refused to take them, they would have been sent to the dog meat restaurant to be slaughtered. They had already sold two batches earlier.
As for Mr. Li’s dog, they remembered that it was sent to the dog market with the last batch, but they were not sure if it had been sold already.
Dog market again… Zhang Zian was shocked at how unbelievable the dog market was. Not only the sick and dying dogs, but they even accepted the stolen dogs without any questions.
The police had a discussion. To avoid further loss of the public’s dogs, they decided to take one of the three trappers to the dog market to retrieve the stolen dogs. The other two trappers were taken to the police station to wait for trial.
Mr. Li drove here. Anxious to get his dog back, he invited Zhang Zian into his car and drove to the dog market with the police.
Zhang Zian had been to the dog market. He knew that it was an under-regulated place. Despite that it got a little better after some regulation, the dog peddlers were sneaky, and frequently changed places after their transactions. Following his suggestion, the police did not turn on the siren, in order not to draw their attention.
Soon, they arrived at the crowded dog market. They parked the cars outside, and walked on foot.
The dog trapper suspect was handcuffed. For humanitarian reasons, they put clothes over the handcuffs, so that he wouldn’t be easily identified as a criminal by others. He was obedient to the instructions of the police, in order to alleviate his charges.
He led the way in silence, in the front, with his head down. When they approached a dog peddler’s stand, he pointed at it in a distance.
Today was the New Year’s day, and most people were free. The business was good in the dog market. The stand was surrounded by quite a few customers, searching for a pet dog that could find favor in their eyes.
Zhang Zian and the others were about to go over, when they saw an elderly lady stop her bicycle at the stand, as if she had seen something. She suddenly dropped her bike, pointed at a Shih Tzu in a cage, and spoke in excitement. “This is my dog. This is my lost dog! Where did you steal it? Give it back to me, now!”
The peddler rolled his eyes, and replied rudely, “Your dog? What proof do you have? All my dogs are purchased from a dog farm, how can it be yours? Go away! Make a scene elsewhere. I have a business to run here!”
The Shih Tzu recognized its owner. It started jumping up and down in the cage, and barked wildly.
“This is my dog. Its name is Furry. Look, it recognized me! Furry! Furry!” The elderly lady called the Shih Tzu by its name, and stretched out her hands to open the cage.
“Stop! Are you trying to steal my dog or what?” The peddler’s face turned, and threw his body in front of the cage. “How do you prove that this is your dog? Do you have a dog-raising license?”
“That…” The lady could not refute. Like many people, she did not get a dog-raising license for her Shih Tzu, nor had she vaccinated it. It was taken from a friend, not bought from an official dog kennel or pet shop. There was no receipt, nor any other documentation to prove that it was her dog.
The peddler was a good observer of attitude. He eased his tone and said, “The ugly truth is, my dogs didn’t come from nowhere. If you want it, you pay for it. If not, then don’t get in the way of my business.”
“How much do you want?” The lady asked with anxiety.
The peddler stuck out five fingers. “This much if you really want it. Not a cent less.”
“Five hundred?” The lady was shocked. “This is my dog. How could you charge me so much?”
The peddler was a jerk. He replied with a lazy voice, “This is the price. Take it or leave it. If you don’t take it, then don’t regret it if somebody else buys it!”
The elder lady felt helpless, and asked for help from other people. “This is really my dog! Hear about this. He stole my dog then sells it to me. Have you seen anything like this?”
The other customers didn’t know the truth, and could not tell who was lying. Some left for other stands, and some stayed to watch the drama.
The Shih Tzu was about one year old. It was adorable with decent purity. In formal pet shops, it would cost at least 1500 Yuan, and even more with a studbook.
One of the bystanders, who could have been either the peddler’s accomplice or a real customer, spoke. “I’ll take this Shih Tzu. Is it 500?”
The peddler smiled. “Yes, 500 it is.”
That man took out five 100-Yuan bills out of his wallet right away. “This is a nice dog. I’ll give it to my daughter as a gift. Is it healthy?”
“I can assure you! If it’s not, come back to me any time, and I’ll give you a full refund!” The peddler promised graciously.
Having seen that a deal was about to be made, and Furry would soon be somebody else’s dog, the lady stopped them in a hurry. “Fine! 500 it is! I’ll take it, Okay? I’ll buy it now!”
The peddler turned serious. “Sorry, this dog is taken. If you want it, you have to pay more!”
The elder lady regretted it so much that she was about to cry. She kept calling Furry by its name. It was sad to see this.
The police stopped being observers. They separated the crowd, pointed at the peddler and asked, “Did you sell the dogs to this person?”
The suspect nodded without a word.
“You are suspected of disposing stolen goods. Please follow us to the police station for investigation.” the police told the peddler. Their voices were friendly, but their faces were as cold as frost.
After seeing the police, the peddler panicked and argued like an ass in a lion’s skin. “What do you want? What are you arresting me for? I don’t know this person! I have the right to remain silent. Right? I have the right to remain silent!”
Zhang Zian couldn’t help laughing in his heart. Did this dude watch too many TVB series?
Mr. Li also found his dog in a cage. He was relieved to see it safe and sound.
At the same time, the inspectors in charge of the dog market arrived after hearing the news, and loaded all the dogs in the stand into a van back to the police station, as instructed by the police.
The elderly lady stood still and watched everything. She could not believe her own eyes.
The police explained the situation to her with patience, and asked for her phone number and address. They assured her that her dog would be returned to her after the investigation was finished.
“Well done, Zhan Tian.” Zhang Zian rubbed Zhan Tian’s head. “Well done!”
