I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 194 The mysterious middleman appears

After interrogation, the captured man confessed that his superior was called Xiaoche. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, Li Wei and the police decided to arrest Xiaoche after setting up a plan.

As night falls, the city's neon lights flicker with a hazy glow, casting a veil of mystery over this bustling metropolis. In a secluded underground bar, shadowy figures shimmer beneath the dim lights, and whispers and laughter mingle among the cacophony. This is the secretive place where criminals conduct their transactions, and a place of close police scrutiny.

Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei sat at a corner table, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily. They had been staking out their position for days, hoping to uncover the culprit behind a jewelry heist that had shocked the entire city. The disappearance of priceless jewels in broad daylight had plunged everyone into panic.

"Xiaoche should be here soon," Zhang Wanqing whispered, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Xiaoche's name frequently appeared in jewelry theft investigations. Police speculated that he was likely the middleman in the theft ring, connecting buyers and sellers and a key link in the entire network.

"Well, we have to be careful. This guy won't show up easily." Fu Siyuan nodded, his eyes revealing determination. As a reporter, he knew the importance of this case. If he could reveal the truth, it would be a highlight of his career.

Li Wei silently observed his surroundings, his eyes sharp as an eagle, not missing a single detail. As a former police officer, he had extensive experience in handling cases and was well-versed in the tactics of criminals like these. He knew that catching the car would require both patience and wisdom.

At that moment, a thin man in a black windbreaker quietly walked into the bar. He looked around cautiously. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei exchanged glances and immediately recognized the man as the car they were looking for.

"It's him!" Li Wei whispered, and the three of them immediately tensed up, ready to take action at any time.

The car circled the bar, seemingly searching for someone. He walked to the bar, ordered a drink, and sat down on a high stool, his eyes still alert. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei didn't rush into action, but decided to observe for a while, looking for the right moment to approach the car.

"We have to find a way to make him let down his guard." Zhang Wanqing said softly, her mind working rapidly, thinking about how to approach the car.

"I have an idea." Li Wei suddenly said, with a sly look in his eyes. He stood up, walked to the side of the car, pretended to be drunk, and said loudly: "Brother, this wine is really good, come on, cheers!" As he said that, he handed a glass of wine to Xiaoche.

Xiaoche was startled by Li Wei's sudden appearance, but he quickly regained his composure and looked at Fu Siyuan warily. Fu Siyuan continued to pretend to be drunk and chatted with Xiaoche, trying to find out some information.

"What are you doing?" Fu Siyuan said with a frown. He was worried that Li Wei's actions would alarm the car.

"Don't worry, I know my limits." Li Wei responded in a low voice, his eyes revealing confidence.

Under Li Wei's clever conversation, Xiao Che gradually relaxed his guard and began chatting with him. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan took the opportunity to approach and carefully eavesdrop on the conversation. They discovered that Xiao Che was indeed involved in the jewelry theft, but he did not seem to be the mastermind, but only a middleman.

"It seems that our guess is correct. What should we do now?" Zhang Wanqing said softly, with a relieved smile on her face.

"We have to find a way to get Xiaoche to take us to meet his superior." Fu Siyuan said, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

Li Wei continued to chat with Xiao Che, trying to get information about his superior. However, although Xiao Che had relaxed his guard, he remained tight-lipped about the matter of his superior and refused to reveal anything.

"Brother, you can drink quite a lot. Come on, have another drink!" Li Wei raised his glass again, trying to confuse Xiaoche with alcohol.

"No, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first." Xiaoche shook his head, stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Li Wei grabbed the cart and pretended to be drunk, saying, "Brother, where are you going? Do you have any good stuff to sell?"

"What do you mean?" A hint of vigilance flashed in Xiaoche's eyes. He realized that Li Wei might not be an ordinary drinking buddy.

"Nothing, I just heard that there is a batch of good goods to be sold recently, and I wonder if you have any information." Li Wei continued to pretend to be drunk, trying to find out the news.

"Who are you?" Xiaoche suddenly asked loudly, his eyes full of anger and vigilance.

"We are reporters and want to interview you." Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuanran appeared in front of the car.

Xiao Che's face turned pale instantly, realizing he had been exposed. However, he didn't panic, but quickly regained his composure and said coldly, "You want to interview me? Go ahead, I have nothing to say."

"We know that you are involved in the jewelry theft. As long as you cooperate with us, we can help reduce your guilt." Zhang Wanqing said, with a hint of determination in her voice.

"Hmph, are you threatening me?" Xiao Che sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"This is not a threat, but an opportunity for you." Li Wei said, with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

"Opportunity? You are not the police. I said, can you help me reduce my crime? Reporters are not omnipotent!" Xiaoche said.

"Brother, my name is Li Wei, you can ask about me. Although I am no longer a policeman, I am a non-staff policeman authorized by the mayor. As long as there is a major case, I can participate and investigate the case. If you don't believe me, you can use your mobile phone to search for me on the Internet now. The mayor has awarded awards to the three of us." Li Wei said.

Xiao Che actually pulled out his phone and checked online. Just as Li Wei had said, the three of them had been awarded by the mayor for their contributions in solving cases. The mayor had indeed invited Li Wei to step down and take a senior position at the police department, but Li Wei declined. Xiao Che also saw that the three of them had solved so many major cases. So, he completely let down his guard and decided to work with them.

Xiaoche was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. Finally, he sighed and said, "Okay, I can take you to meet my superior, but you have to ensure my safety."

"We promise." Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan and Li Wei said in unison.