Chapter 36: Chapter 30: Knowledge Infusion
Wang Dong said with embarrassment, “We can’t know for sure, but we are investigating. We have dispatched personnel to visit and investigate the crime scene. After all, drones need to be operated by someone, and the remote control range of these drones can’t be very long. If we investigate the area nearby, we should be able to find some clues. At the same time, we have also started investigating some illegal ironwork shops in the vicinity to see if we can find the source of the steel ball bullets.”
Wei Chao fell into thought, and suddenly, a police officer below said, “Captain, I heard something before that might be related to this case.”
Wei Chao’s spirits lifted, and he quickly asked, “What did you hear?”
The officer said, “Some time ago, someone reported that they were attacked by a small drone in a park, claiming it was using peas. Our colleagues went to investigate and didn’t find anything unusual. After that, there were no more drone attack incidents, and since no one was injured, they didn’t continue the investigation.”
Another officer suddenly exclaimed “Oh” and said, “I also remember, North City Police Station also received a similar report once. They went out and found a few drunk thugs who insisted they had been attacked by a small drone using peas as well. The police saw that they were drunk and, since the thugs weren’t seriously hurt, they didn’t pursue it. It looks like there might be a connection between these cases.”
Liu Min said, “One involves a large drone, the other a small one; one uses steel ball bullets to harm people, the other uses peas for pranks. There shouldn’t be any connection between the two, right?”
Wei Chao stroked his chin and said, “No, these two incidents might have some internal connection. If both were actually done by the same person, it’s not impossible. Think about it, his previous pea attacks might have been just pranks, but since no one caught him, could he have escalated his actions? He could have upgraded the drone through technical means, changing the weapon from peas to steel balls.”
Wang Dong nodded and said, “Captain Wei is right. There indeed is a possibility, and this person may be someone who has an exaggerated sense of justice. Look at his targets; they’re either gangs, loansharks, or at the very least Pyramid Scheme Organizations. In his mind, he might see himself as a chivalrous person from ancient times, believing that what he’s doing is righteous, fighting evil and protecting the good.”
Wei Chao nodded and said, “From a criminological perspective, it’s certainly possible for such a person to exist in society. They see themselves as chivalrous, acting heroically everywhere they go. At first, they might only cause small troubles, but if they’re not stopped in time, they escalate their actions. In the end, they’re bound to cause major problems. If this suspect really is such a person, then they won’t stop. I believe they will strike again.”
Wang Dong said, “Considering this person’s targets, they mainly attack criminals. Should we provide protection for those who might be targeted?”
Wei Chao said, “We live in a society ruled by law; nobody has the right to administer vigilante justice. So this person has already violated national laws. We must arrest him to eliminate the sense of panic in Shanghai. We will continue our investigation and hope to gather criminal information. We must also discreetly monitor those potential targets, hoping to catch the criminal in the act. For this operation, I have already contacted radio experts from the city; they will assist us in locating the drone’s control source.”
After thinking a moment, Wei Chao added, “Oh right, you mentioned the drone attacks using peas; we should investigate those incidents too, to see if we can find any clues.”
Just as Wei Chao was about to adjourn the meeting, a police officer suddenly came in from outside and said, “Captain Wei, we just received a report that something strange has occurred at the Fifth Garbage Landfill in the suburbs.”
Wei Chao asked, “What kind of strange occurrence?”
The officer said, “The staff at the Fifth Garbage Landfill reported that a large amount of their garbage had been stolen and that a huge hole had been dug in the ground, with many of the buried items also gone. They suspect that the garbage was stolen too. They estimate that at least ten thousand tons of garbage has been taken.”
Wei Chao was stunned and asked, “Are they certain someone stole their garbage?”
The officer said, “Yes, they are certain that the garbage was definitely stolen. Moreover, the whole event took place in less than two hours, without any signs of large vehicles passing by the landfill.”
Wei Chao pinched his brow and, looking at the officer, said, “You will handle the stolen garbage case. Our main focus now is still on the drone assault case.”
After assigning the tasks, Wei Chao returned to his office, pondering his next steps when the office door was opened abruptly. Slightly irritated, he looked up, preparing to scold the impolite intruder, only to realize an impeccably dressed young man was sitting on the sofa, smiling at him.