"Look, compare your situation with theirs?" Bai Xiaosheng gestured towards the people shouting in line.
Cui Chen imdiately nodded, "Surely a big case!"
The group hurried to the sheriff’s office, only to be stopped by a chubby white woman, who looked more like a cook than an officer.
"The sheriff is handling urgent cases, so if it’s nothing serious, don’t barge in." The "woman" sternly told Bai Xiaosheng and the others.
Bai Xiaosheng briefly explained their encounter and the robbery to her.
The "woman" looked troubled, "Your case is too big. It should be handled by the district precinct; we can’t manage it."
First too small, now too big?
The group was speechless.
"The district precinct? Where is it?" Cui Xuexue couldn’t help but ask.
She also felt this place wasn’t right.
"Less than an hour’s drive, southwards," "woman" said, "but they’re short-staffed too; you might have to wait."
Cui Xuexue was instantly stunned.
This poor district indeed had a pitifully low police presence.
"But you might want to see the sheriff first for so advice," the "woman" suggested.
"Isn’t the sheriff dealing with major cases?" Lin Weiwei couldn’t help but ask.
"Compared to yours, it’s nothing," the "woman" muttered, "just that Feite drank old John’s liquor and wooed his daughter, causing old John to storm over with a shotgun for revenge. But that shotgun doesn’t even have a firing pin. The sheriff is calming him down. The truth is, they genuinely love each other. So what if the future son-in-law drank a bit..."
Everyone listened, utterly confused and speechless.
What a big case indeed...
The "woman" knocked on the sheriff’s office door and managed to coax out an elderly white man from inside.
The old man walked out with a dieval-looking shotgun, muttering and visibly agitated.
The group cautiously made way, afraid the elderly white man might bump into soone and hurt himself.
Eventually, the group t the sheriff.
This was a stout black man, appearing mild-mannered and genuinely kind.
After hearing Bai Xiaosheng’s story, he also suggested they go to the district precinct but warned there would be a wait there too.
Cui Xuexue instantly felt dejected and even Cui Chen appeared sullen.
Sheriff Turner shrugged, "There’s nothing to be done. Our district has low fiscal revenue, so we’re understaffed. We have only three officers here, handling daily trivial matters to the limit."
"However, the neighboring district is affluent; a departnt equivalent to ours can have twenty people or more. If you report a case, officers can arrive in two minutes." Sheriff Turner remarked enviously.
"But incidents like yours, they don’t cover, it’s chaotic, and an investigation from our district would take ti. Hopefully, you didn’t lose anything critical; otherwise, even if found days later, it might just be in fragnts."
Upon hearing Sheriff Turner, the Cui siblings beca despondent.
The loss of docunts was one thing, but damaged data was a significant problem, and there were Cui Chen’s new achievents, his insights.
The briefcase was made of tal with anti-theft features; there’s no guarantee it won’t be broken over ti.
The worst part isn’t the damage, but if ti passes and the contents are leaked, all of their efforts would be for naught.
"Can’t you request assistance from the neighboring district?" Cui Xuexue anxiously asked.
Sheriff Turner looked kindly at the young girl, shrugged helplessly, and smiled bitterly, "Only a mayor’s special permission would allow such cross-district cooperation, but your case, while big to , is trivial above, how can such a fuss be made."
With one word, Cui Chen and Cui Xuexue were utterly disheartened.
Lin Weiwei and Lei Ying exchanged glances and looked at Bai Xiaosheng.
Perhaps now, the only one who can help the Cui siblings is Bai Xiaosheng.
Bai Xiaosheng patted Cui Chen’s shoulder. When Cui turned to him, Bai smiled reassuringly, "Don’t worry, it’s not yet at a dead end."
Sheriff Turner shrugged at Bai Xiaosheng, seemingly disagreeing with his optimism.
Bai Xiaosheng then looked at Sheriff Turner, smiling, "Would you mind if I use your phone? I want to try contacting so people who might be able to help."
The Cui siblings felt a glimr of hope amidst despair. Regardless of whether it’s genuine hope, they looked at Bai Xiaosheng.
Even the black sheriff looked curiously at Bai Xiaosheng.
Soone who can help?
Turner was also intrigued.
"Of course." Not knowing who Bai Xiaosheng intended to contact, Sheriff Turner pushed the phone across the table, asking tentatively, "Sir, you don’t happen to know the city mayor or superintendent, do you?"
The sheriff asked this, yet didn’t truly believe it.
Earlier, these people ntioned they were travelers waiting for a transfer, not locals.
However, Sheriff Turner scrutinized Bai Xiaosheng, feeling sowhat puzzled.
This Huaxia face, why did it seem so familiar?
Have I seen him sowhere?
Shouldn’t all Huaxia people look about the sa?
...
"I don’t know the two you ntioned," Bai Xiaosheng smiled, "I have so other connections that might be able to intervene."
User Comments
0 comments from readers