Chapter 125: Car Theft and Investigation

Stepping out of the bustling Chengdu Bus Terminal, Kang Ning followed closely behind two chatting bus crew members. He exited through a side gate, crossed a cluster of buildings, and reached the main street. Seeing that there was nothing unusual in the distance outside the station, he took out his phone and made a call while he walked.

"You damn bastard, you have the nerve to call?" Gao Qinghua’s furious voice came through the other end.

Kang Ning chuckled, "Sorry, Big Brother! To make amends, I left that jeep downstairs at your place. I know you have ways to get it registered within the system."

"That's more like it. Where are you now?"

"I'm not telling you! Oh, and I had the car taken to the factory where I used to work. I’ve asked Yusheng to help you refurbish it; it’ll look brand new in three days. It’s ten times better than that beat-up micro-van of yours." Kang Ning sidestepped the question.

Knowing exactly what he was doing, Gao Qinghua sighed and whispered, "Stop wandering around all the time. My eldest sister is about to give birth, so stay and take care of her for a few days. Xiao Du won't give you any trouble; even though you've put him through the wringer, he's not the type to hold a grudge. As long as you don't interfere with his work, he won't have time to bother with you anyway."

Kang Ning said gratefully, "Big Brother, please thank Brother Du for me. I'll head back in a few days."

"Fine. Call me if you need anything. Remember, don't cause any trouble! Alright, I'm hanging up; I’m going to go take the car for a spin!"

After ending the call, Kang Ning hailed a taxi and headed toward Jinxiu Garden. Just as he paid the fare and was about to head upstairs, Gao Qinghua called again: "Where’s the car key? Did you forget to leave it for me?"

Kang Ning smiled and shook his head, "Flip over the rubber mat under the driver's seat. There’s a groove there with the key inside. There’s also a master switch you need to press, otherwise, you won't even be able to turn the steering wheel, let alone drive the car."

"Don't hang up, let me check."

A moment later, Gao Qinghua’s pleased voice came through: "You really are something! This works better than an alarm system. Alright, goodbye!"

He went up to the third floor and opened the door. Lu Jing, having heard his footsteps, was already waiting. Her eyes were filled with reproach and worry. Kang Ning closed the door and hugged her, apologizing repeatedly until he finally brought a smile to the heavily pregnant Lu Jing's face.

Mengmeng had not yet returned from work. Kang Ning began to busily prepare dinner while Lu Jing sat in the spacious, elegantly decorated living room, fiddling with baby clothes and chatting loudly with Kang Ning in the kitchen.

Life had returned to the peaceful and cozy rhythm of the previous period.

On the evening of the ninth day, just as Kang Ning, Mengmeng, and Lu Jing were happily enjoying dinner, a call from Gao Qinghua shattered the tranquility of the household. After hanging up, Kang Ning sat motionless in his chair, looking devastated.

"What happened?"

Seeing Kang Ning so distressed, Mengmeng set down her chopsticks and grabbed his hand.

Kang Ning hesitated, glanced at Lu Jing, and whispered to Mengmeng, "Brother Du's wife was killed in a car accident. She was four months pregnant. Big Brother said Brother Du is devastated—he’s almost lost his mind."

Mengmeng and Lu Jing were shocked. Lu Jing gripped Kang Ning’s hand tightly and leaned against him, crying, "Meilin was such a good person. How could this happen?"

Kang Ning held her gently and turned to Mengmeng, whispering, "Mengmeng, could you take a month off? Stay home and keep Sister Jing company. I expect she will give birth next week. I will do my best to rush back."

Lu Jing knew Kang Ning's nature and faintly suspected that there might be something involving him in this matter. Despite her reluctance, she silently accepted his decision, resting against him and wiping away her tears.

Mengmeng thought for a moment and said, "Taking leave is no problem. I just started at the office and haven't been assigned any teaching duties yet. The principal is a former classmate of my father's from high school. I’m currently handling miscellaneous tasks in the Academic Affairs Office, so I can get away. I have a classmate working in the Dean's office at the West China Second University Hospital. That hospital is excellent; four years ago, it was awarded the 'Baby-Friendly Hospital' title by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the WHO. It's the best obstetrics and gynecology hospital in the province. My classmate helped Sister Jing with her last check-up, so it won't be a problem to have her issue a month-long medical leave note. But, Sister Jing needs you!"

"It's okay, go! Brother Du needs someone to comfort him right now. Poor Meilin... Darling, why do such disasters happen to good people?"

Lu Jing sobbed on Kang Ning’s shoulder, overcome with grief as she thought of Meilin’s unborn child.

Mengmeng quickly stood up, hugged Lu Jing, and helped her to the bedroom. After she lay down, Mengmeng softly comforted her, "Sister Jing, you shouldn't get so emotional; it could easily lead to a premature birth. Just let Brother Ning go; he will carry our thoughts with him. Don't be sad, our baby is what matters most! Don't worry, I'll be here to take care of you."

Lu Jing wiped her tears and nodded, grabbing Kang Ning's hand to urge, "When you get there, call me and Mengmeng every day. I’m worried about you. Come back as soon as you finish, okay?"

Kang Ning nodded. After some thought, he grew concerned and proposed, "How about this: Mengmeng, let's go to the West China Second Hospital together tomorrow morning. We'll ask your old classmate for a favor and spend a bit more to get a high-ranking official's ward. That way, if anything happens, we won't be caught off guard, and I'll feel more at ease."

After discussing it with Mengmeng, Lu Jing agreed, realizing her due date was only days away.

Mengmeng immediately called her classmate from the living room, while Kang Ning stayed with Lu Jing, exchanging reassurances. Minutes later, Mengmeng returned to the bedroom and said everything was arranged. The room was nearly fifty square meters, well-equipped with a patient bed and a companion bed. They only needed to bring a few simple belongings. Hearing this, Kang Ning finally relaxed.

After Lu Jing fell into a deep sleep, Kang Ning and Mengmeng returned to her room. They didn't emerge until dawn, both exhausted. Kang Ning bought breakfast and prepared the meal as usual.

At nine in the morning, Kang Ning drove the Passat to take Lu Jing and Mengmeng to the West China Hospital at No. 20, Section 3, Renmin South Road. He thanked Mengmeng’s classmate, Deng Yuying, politely. The pale-skinned, shrewd, and capable-looking Deng was very enthusiastic and took a liking to the well-mannered Kang Ning—unaware that he was also Mengmeng’s lover.

After Lu Jing and Mengmeng were settled into the high-end maternity ward, Kang Ning went downstairs to complete the admission paperwork and was back in the room within twenty minutes.

During those twenty minutes, the ever-vigilant Kang Ning had scouted most of the hospital, familiarizing himself with every entrance, exit, and passageway, and checking the floors above and below Lu Jing’s ward.

After lunch in the room, Lu Jing rested on the bed. Kang Ning said his goodbyes and drove with Mengmeng to the open-air parking lot behind the commercial center on South Street, then went to Chunxi Road to purchase some women's supplies and food needed for the hospital stay.

Walking through the crowds, Kang Ning finally understood why people said one should go to Chunxi Road to see beauties in Chengdu. As he sighed with admiration, he was pinched hard by Mengmeng, which made him focus entirely on shopping with her.

Two hours later, they returned to the car. Kang Ning carefully scrutinized the large parking lot, which had only one exit and very few security guards. Perhaps the single entrance had made the guards complacent.

After dropping Mengmeng off at the hospital, Kang Ning drove back to the parking lot. He didn't get out immediately but sat in the car, waiting calmly.

Ten minutes later, a Mitsubishi off-roader with wide tires and a luggage rack came into view. It had An'kang license plates and was splattered with mud, clearly having traveled a long distance. Two people got out, locked the doors, and walked toward the exit with their arms around each other.

Seeing the demeanor of the fifty-year-old fat man and the flashy woman in her twenties, Kang Ning gave a small, silent laugh. He took off his right shoe, flipped back the leather insole, and retrieved a strange-looking key from a hidden slot. He then took two small tools from the center console, locked his car, and walked calmly toward the Mitsubishi. Ignoring the potential objections of the "Big Brother Zhang" and "Big Sister Li" from An'kang, he easily opened the door, slipped inside, and started the engine with a few deft movements. He took ten yuan from his wallet, placed it on the parking slip on the dashboard, put on his sunglasses, and drove leisurely toward the exit. At the gate, he handed the money and the slip to the guard and drove onto the main road without stopping.

The young guard saw that the parking time on the slip was less than an hour, counted out five yuan in change, and saw the car merge into the flow of traffic. He grinned, looked around, quickly pocketed the five yuan, and then put on a professional face to greet the next customer.

Kang Ning parked the car at a temporary spot by the Qingshui River, took off his sunglasses, and hailed a taxi back to the South Street parking lot. He drove his own Passat out and headed straight for his garage at Jinxiu Garden.

Ten minutes later, Kang Ning returned to where he had temporarily parked the Mitsubishi. Just as he sat in the driver's seat, he was dismayed to see a tall, beautiful policewoman appear out of nowhere. She gave him a standard, stern salute and said, "Excuse me, sir. Parking here violates the regulation that drivers cannot leave their vehicles during temporary stops. Please show me your driver's license and vehicle registration!"

Kang Ning cursed inwardly but wore an apologetic smile. He began searching the car, looking flustered. The policewoman was stunned for a moment by his charming smile, and her stern expression was quickly replaced by one of admiration.

Unable to find the registration, Kang Ning desperately pulled out his forged Armed Police sergeant ID and handed it to her: "My apologies! I just borrowed this car from a friend and forgot where he put the registration. Sorry for the trouble. Here is my driver's license."

The policewoman opened the ID, glanced at the photo and the license, then closed it and handed it back. She smiled, revealing two charming dimples: "Alright, we're all on the same side. Just be careful next time."

Kang Ning gave a brilliant smile: "Thank you! Why are you so beautiful? Your voice is so crisp, and you have such a great figure—you should just join our Armed Police Art Troupe. I guarantee that if you walked into the barracks, at least five hundred soldiers would call in sick the next day!"

The policewoman, who had taken a liking to the handsome Kang Ning, was surprised by the comment and asked, furrowing her brow, "Why is that?"

"Because everyone would be too busy looking at you to watch the road, and all five hundred of them would crash into trees!"

After saying this, Kang Ning started the car, released the handbrake, and drove off, leaving the policewoman laughing so hard she had to lean against the parking sign to hold her stomach. Another policewoman with short hair walked over, asking in surprise what was going on, and the beautiful officer repeated the story.

The short-haired officer said disdainfully, "All men are like that. If it were me, I would have confiscated his documents and made him go to the Garrison Command’s disciplinary unit to retrieve them! By the way, did you get the license plate number?"

The beautiful officer paused: "Oh, Xiaoxiao, I forgot. I'm sorry..."

"You really should just have your father transfer you to the Bureau!" the other officer said, annoyed.

Instead of getting angry, the beautiful officer lifted her chin: "Sister Rong, you actually guessed it. I'm reporting to the Criminal Investigation Detachment next week!"

The short-haired officer’s eyes widened, looking at her in disbelief, speechless.