I am the police, and you are the thief (5)

A sand transport vessel slowly approached on the river, its massive hull looming in the darkness like a great beast.
“Dad, the boat’s here. This batch will be shipped with the sand.” Cui Liang watched the riverbank, immediately rallying his men. They monitored the surroundings closely and stationed guards at the docking point.
Cui Mingyi looked at the sand vessel and nodded with satisfaction.
Water transport was inherently safer than land, and with the wet sand acting as a barrier, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to discover the true nature of the cargo.
“Handle things here. I’m heading off,” Cui Mingyi instructed Cui Liang before leaving. This minor operation didn’t require his presence; his visit was merely to check on Cui Liang’s arrangements.
Zhao He saw Cui Mingyi preparing to leave. She quickly pulled out her 15 Puls camera and snapped several photos, sending them through the system to Wen Gu’s phone.
While watching Cui Yu, Wen Gu checked his phone and saw: “Now, Fishing Village Dock [image][image].”
He pocketed his phone and followed after Cui Mingyi.
In the late night, the sound of car brakes was jarringly sharp against the silence.
“Xiao Li, what are you doing?” Cui Mingyi lunged forward, nearly falling onto the car floor. He flung open the window curtain and scolded the driver, “How are you driving?”
“Boss… there’s… someone…” Xiao Li stammered.
Following Xiao Li’s finger, Cui Mingyi looked outside. The wide road was empty, but directly ahead stood a woman.
She wore a white floral blouse, light-washed jeans, dark Converse sneakers, and her hair fell over her shoulders—a picture-perfect youthful girl.
Yet appearing suddenly on a deserted street at this hour felt deeply unsettling.
“Run her down. If she’s courting death, she has only herself to blame,” Cui Mingyi growled, eyeing the woman in the distance.
“But… the engine won’t start,” Xiao Li stuttered. “Boss… are we… dealing with…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Cui Mingyi felt an uneasy chill, too.
“Mr. Cui, shall we talk?” The girl was suddenly beside the window.
“Boss… it’s fine… the doors are locked…” Xiao Li’s palm was drenched in sweat, his voice trembling.
Cui Mingyi leaned away from the window, trying to put more distance between himself and the girl. His left hand reached for the pistol at his waist, seeking reassurance.
Outside, Zhao He watched Cui Mingyi and the driver’s terrified expressions and asked the system, “Is this body really that ugly?”

The system rolled its eyes but replied in its cutesy voice, “Daddy, maybe they’ve never seen a beauty before.”
Seeing Cui Mingyi frozen, Zhao He used her true energy to unlock the car door. “Mr. Cui?” She flashed a sweet smile, making herself look even more charming.
“Miss?” Cui Mingyi eyed the girl, who had boldly taken a seat inside, and asked warily, “Do we know each other?”
Zhao He smiled, “No, but you’ll know me soon.”
Cui Mingyi sized her up, realizing she wasn’t some supernatural being, and adjusted his expression. “Stopping my car at midnight—quite gutsy! Who are you?”
At some point, Xiao Li had already fainted, leaving only Zhao He and Cui Mingyi’s voices in the car.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is… your shipment is about to be ruined… hahahaha.”
Cui Mingyi was alarmed, then quickly grabbed his phone.
“No need to check, Mr. Cui. I’ve blocked the signal.” Zhao He’s smile was mischievous.
“Who are you really?” Cui Mingyi eyed Zhao He’s smile, struggling to suppress his anger. He knew this girl was no ordinary person, and his hand at his waist tightened around the gun.
“I’m not your enemy yet, so you don’t need to panic.”
“I hope you’ll promote Cui Yu.”
“Cui Yu?” Cui Mingyi was puzzled. “Are you one of Cui Yu’s people?”
“I belong to no one,” Zhao He replied, considering whether to lecture him about socialist core values—a tiresome topic.
She acted decisively: after half an hour of socialist values education, Cui Mingyi tearfully agreed to promote Cui Yu, though he secretly hated her.
The system asked, “Why did you make him promote Cui Yu?”
“You don’t get it. The more he does, the more evidence accumulates against him. He’ll have less time to foster relationships with the heroine,” Zhao He congratulated herself on her cleverness.
Meanwhile, Wen Gu and his group had reached the dock.
“Boss, your info is amazing!” Qin Xing’s flattery was never late.
“Qin Xing, take a team and circle around by the exhaust tanks,” Wen Gu said, consulting the map. “Lin Guodong, take your men and swim to the sand ship. Ma Xiaogang, your squad follows me and breaks through from the front.” Wen Gu’s long fingers traced each route.
“Yes,” came the chorus of deep male voices.

Just as Zhao He was warming up and preparing to stroll home, the system’s persistent urging sent her back to the dock.
Zhao He, irate: “Why are they so useless? You want me to save them again!”
The system, pitiful: “My master is in danger, I’m… worried…”
Detecting Wen Gu’s unstable soul fluctuations, the system desperately pushed Zhao He to check on him.
“If he dies, I’ll just collect his fragment and meet him in the next world,” Zhao He said fiercely.
“This fragment isn’t stable yet. Generally, it takes a natural death for a fragment to mature,” explained the system.
When Zhao He arrived, the situation was nearly resolved, but the ambulance was slow and hadn’t arrived.
“Boss, are you alright?” Qin Xing supported Wen Gu against a shipping container. If not for him, the boss wouldn’t be injured. Qin Xing held Wen Gu’s abdomen, fighting back tears. “Boss, hang in there, the ambulance is almost here…”
“I’m fine,” Wen Gu said, his face pale from blood loss.
“Oh, you’re still alive?” Zhao He strode over, watching Qin Xing and Wen Gu’s tender moment.
“Miss Gu, how can you say that?” Qin Xing was instantly annoyed by Zhao He’s gloating tone and didn’t have time to wonder why she was there.
“Why is Miss Gu here?” Wen Gu’s intellect was still intact.
He thought she’d left after sending the message, given the danger.
Why hadn’t she left? What if she got hurt?
“I left, but worrying about you, I came back. Besides, you haven’t had a physical exam yet.” Zhao He lifted his shirt, inspecting the bleeding wound.
What kind of teammate is this? Don’t they know how to stop bleeding? Don’t the police teach first aid anymore? Zhao He glanced sideways at Qin Xing.
Meanwhile, Qin Xing’s mind was reeling: How does she know this?