Chapter 207: Ambushed in Dongyang

Using the body of a black cat, Xia Yu distinguished the scents in the air.

Inside the house and hallway, the scent of Xia Donghai was still intact, but outside, it became somewhat diluted.

The wind was quite strong today, adding difficulty to the search.

If only he could get hold of a dog’s body; a dog’s sense of smell is even better than a cat’s.

However, although the scent was thin, it was still distinguishable.

Employing his old trick, the black cat Yu sniffed at each corner, then immediately ran to the next corner, shortening the time.

Ten minutes later, the black cat Yu arrived in front of the only hotel in the town.

Xia Dongyang’s scent was a bit stronger here, but he had already left.

However, the presence of the scent at the hotel proved that Xia Dongyang had stayed here overnight?

Xia Yu thought for a moment and understood the situation.

The events of the afternoon were not impromptu but had been planned in advance.

Xia Dongyang must have been in the tomb in the morning already, waiting to see Xia Nianhong and others arrive, then returned to carry out his scheme.

Continuing to sniff, the black cat Yu circled half of the hotel surroundings, then followed the scent for about ten meters before he could no longer distinguish it.

The area was open, with several large trash bins emitting a foul odor.

But Xia Yu was not panicking; he was even somewhat pleased.

This road did not lead to the main road, meaning Xia Dongyang very likely had not yet left.

Not staying at the hotel and not having left, where could Xia Dongyang be?

There was only one answer.

Running quickly down this road, the black cat Yu, relying on memory, arrived at the edge of the small town.

Around the small path at the town’s edge were six rural villas. In front of one of these villas, the black cat Yu smelled Xia Dongyang’s scent again.

Jumping onto the windowsill, the black cat saw Xia Dongyang drinking with a dubious friend.

The window was unlocked, and the black cat jumped into the house, crouching in the kitchen and listening to their conversation.

“It’s tough, brother. Laying bricks is no job for a man!” Xia Dongyang complained.

“I know, especially bricks at noon—they’re especially hot to handle,” the friend patted Xia Dongyang’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s drink.”

After finishing a glass, Xia Dongyang continued, “That woman keeps pushing me to buy a house. Where would I get the money to buy a house? Even a rural house costs over a hundred thousand!”

“You still need a house. Who told you to gamble yours away? Otherwise, selling that house would have bought you six or seven rural houses, fully renovated!” The friend’s face showed a hint of schadenfreude.

“Now I’m regretful, very regretful. And this situation I’m in is all her fault,” Xia Dongyang added.

“What do you mean?” the friend asked curiously, surprised there was more to Xia Dongyang’s escape?

“When she was in Zilan, she kept pushing me to get a house. Although I had one, how could I give it to her? Giving it to her would make my parents go crazy. How would they have money for me later?” Xia Dongyang explained his thinking to his friend. “I was a bit hasty back then, and that’s when I took a wrong turn.”

“It was her fault. She knew you couldn’t handle it, so how could she pressure you like that?” the friend hypocritically said.

Xia Dongyang then drank another glass, “Now I’m in Afang, can’t drink, can’t barbecue. Tell me, what’s the point of living like this?”

“Right, you didn’t tell anyone else I’m here, did you?” Xia Dongyang suddenly became alert.

“You scared me when you showed up unexpectedly. How could I have gone to tell anyone else?” the friend poured Xia Dongyang another glass.

Hearing this, the black cat shook his head and jumped out the way he came.

There was nothing more worth listening to; they wouldn’t possibly discuss where Xia Dongyang had hidden the money.

It turned out Xia Dongyang had run away and gambled away the house in Zilan because he was pressured by that wild woman. Now, pressured again by her, he had returned to his hometown to steal money.

Xia Yu became curious about Xia Dongyang’s wild wife. To have pushed Xia Dongyang to this point, she must be a formidable person.

Back then, Kong Hanyue had no way of dealing with Xia Dongyang at all.

Leaving the villa, he continued sniffing along the road, tracking the scent backward, and made a discovery under a crooked tree in a nearby field.

The soil here had been dug up, although it had been smoothed over again. On closer inspection, it was still noticeable.

Knowing the location where the money was hidden, the black cat Yu relaxed. He casually wandered around the town, fought off two disobedient stray dogs, and after eight hours, returned to his own body.

Picking up the black cat that was lying beside him, Xia Yu got out of bed.

It was four in the morning, just beginning to get light. He opened the door and went out, borrowing a large shovel from an insomniac old man in the next room, then came to the crooked tree.

After digging a couple of times, Xia Yu found a briefcase.

Inside the briefcase was the eight ten-thousand yuan.

Grabbing the briefcase, Xia Yu’s mischievous side kicked in. He covered the soil again, then dug several more pits nearby before refilling them.

Going to a nearby forest, Xia Yu waited.

Xia Dongyang had drunk baijiu last night and must have a terrible headache now. He wouldn’t likely get up before five.

But he wouldn’t sleep past six either—he still had the professional integrity of a thief.

He wouldn’t take the bus to leave. His dubious friend had a car, and he would definitely ask his friend to drive him into the city, then take another route back.

Before getting into his friend’s car, he needed to come dig up the briefcase first.

Xia Yu looked forward to seeing Xia Dongyang’s expression.

It was still early, so Xia Yu first called Yuxue to report he was safe, briefly explaining the situation.

At five o’clock, Yuxue arrived beside Xia Yu, and with her came two police officers.

“Brother, why are you still waiting here to watch?” Yuxue asked in confusion.

“Look. Let the three of you hide, Xia Yu pointed toward the villa; Xia Dongyang had already come out.”

Arriving at the crooked tree, Xia Dongyang pulled out a small shovel he used for weeding and prepared to start digging.

Before digging, he needed to determine the location. Xia Dongyang searched for a small slope—that was his mark.

Then he noticed three small slopes.

“???”

Xia Dongyang frowned. How come there were three marks?

Well, maybe there had originally been two small slopes. Three wasn’t too many. He would just dig them all.

He recalled and felt that the middle one was probably it, but when he dug it up, there was nothing inside.

He started digging the left one, nothing.

The right one, still nothing.

Where was it?

Did I remember wrong? Was the slope not the mark?

But the crooked tree couldn’t be wrong!

He started digging other flat areas.

“Here, use a bigger shovel.” A long shovel was handed to Xia Dongyang.

Startled, Xia Dongyang still accepted the shovel. Now he was in a hurry to find the briefcase, and a big shovel was indeed faster than a small one.

“Thanks,” he didn’t even look up, continuing to dig.

“No thanks needed. Serving the people is our duty.”

Hearing this, Xia Dongyang’s hand paused. He looked up at the two behind him, his gaze lingering on the police badges on their hats.

“Comrade, I’m just loosening the soil around this tree,” Xia Dongyang swallowed hard.

“Who’s your comrade? Come with us!” Each of the two grabbed one of his arms and pressed him to the ground.