Chapter 205: Dumbfounded!

Chapter 205: Dumbfounded!

Zhang Zhao was taken aback by the panicked expressions on the three thieves' faces but knew that securing evidence was crucial. He turned to one of the officers and said, "Cuff them up."

The three officers hurriedly pulled out their handcuffs and approached.

The three thieves, upon seeing this, eagerly extended their hands with broad smiles. "Uncle Policeman, please take us back and lock us up."

They were now desperate to leave with the police.

The security guards at Liyuan Farm were terrifying.

They didn't act like security guards; they seemed more like bandits.

The thieves had been thoroughly beaten by these guards the previous night.

Seeing their current state, Zhang Zhao pressed his advantage. "You claim you were sent by the manager of Qifeng Farm, Mr. Huang, to steal fireflies from Liyuan Farm?"

The three thieves didn't hesitate and nodded in unison.

"Yes, it was Mr. Huang who sent us."

"The man's name is Huang Bin, and he promised us 300,000 yuan if we succeeded!"

"..."

Zhang Zhao immediately had an officer take their statements and then had the statements signed by the three thieves.

They signed without any hesitation, eager to cooperate with the police and be taken away.

Zhang Zhao, however, wasn't in a rush. "Since you've confessed, I need your help to confirm Mr. Huang's involvement. I hope you'll cooperate."

"We will, we definitely will," one of the thieves quickly agreed.

"Call Mr. Huang and tell him you've successfully obtained the fireflies. Ask him about the 300,000 yuan," Zhang Zhao instructed.

Ye Ling, overhearing this, handed a bag to the thieves, containing their confiscated phones.

The thief who had spoken up didn't hesitate, took his phone, and dialed a number—Huang Bin's.

At Qifeng Farm, Huang Bin was examining a plot of land, checking the condition of the sweet potatoes he had planted.

These sweet potatoes were the whitening variety from Liyuan Farm, which he had purchased at a high price, hoping to cultivate them.

If he could successfully grow the whitening sweet potatoes, he could compete with Liyuan Farm in this market, and the 200 million yuan he had invested in Qifeng Farm would easily pay off.

However, as he dug up a sweet potato, it was already rotten and hadn't sprouted.

The second, third, and subsequent sweet potatoes were all rotten!

"Why is this happening?" Huang Bin was puzzled. He had followed the cultivation methods precisely, without any mistakes. How could they all be rotten?

This was his third failure, and the whitening sweet potatoes he had bought at a high price were almost depleted.

This shouldn't be possible. He was a graduate student and had used the most advanced cultivation techniques.

At that moment, his phone rang. The caller ID read: Fireflies.

He knew it was the three thieves calling and immediately answered, feigning confusion. "Hello, who is this?"

He was being cautious.

At Liyuan Farm, the thief, seeing Huang Bin's act, quickly said, "Mr. Huang, it's me. We've successfully obtained the fireflies. We've caught five large jars, a huge number."

"Really?" Huang Bin couldn't maintain his act any longer and asked eagerly.

The fireflies were his chance to turn around the farm's situation.

"Yes, Mr. Huang. We'll be back soon and will bring the fireflies to you," the thief said again.

Huang Bin's face lit up with joy. "Good, very good. Bring them over immediately."

"What about the 300,000 yuan?" the thief asked immediately.

"Once you deliver the fireflies, I'll give you the money," Huang Bin said without hesitation.

After hanging up, his excitement grew even more.

With the fireflies in hand, his farm would have a new opportunity. Once he cultivated the fireflies, he could make a comeback next year.

He immediately went to the service center, where he met his wife and told her the good news. "Honey, I have some great news. Our farm is about to attract many visitors. You need to be prepared for the influx."

"???" Chen Nianyuan frowned at her husband, worried by his excited expression. She had no idea what could attract so many visitors to the farm.

At Liyuan Farm, after the thief hung up, Zhang Zhao said, "That's settled. Take them back to the county, apply for the necessary documents, and then head to Qifeng Farm to apprehend the suspect."

Such cross-county arrests required a lot of paperwork.

However, with Linyuan Farm's importance, the matter quickly reached County Chief Liu.

Upon hearing the news, County Chief Liu immediately issued an order, and the cross-county arrest warrant was issued within an hour.

No way, Linyuan Farm was a key strategic enterprise for the county, and it couldn't afford any problems, especially not from another farm.

If the other farm managed to steal Linyuan Farm's projects, it would be a significant loss, not just for Linyuan Farm but for their county as well.

Therefore, this matter couldn't be left unresolved.

He even used his connections in the province to facilitate the process, ensuring the warrant was sent directly to the county where Qifeng Farm was located, requesting their cooperation in the arrest.

Zhang Zhao quickly led a team to escort the three thieves to Yangcheng County, where Qifeng Farm was located.

This cross-county arrest was a significant achievement, and he wasn't about to let anyone else take credit for it.

Upon arriving in Yangcheng County, he called a number provided by County Chief Liu and was immediately assisted by the local police, who joined him in heading to Qifeng Farm.

...

At Qifeng Farm, Huang Bin was anxiously waiting for the three thieves to deliver the fireflies.

He had to admit that the middleman had found capable people this time. They had obtained the fireflies so easily, likely because Linyuan Farm had been unprepared, allowing them to succeed with minimal effort.

If it were up to him, no one would ever be able to steal the fireflies from him.

During his long wait, his phone rang, with the contact labeled as "Firefly."

It was the thief calling again.

He quickly answered, "Where are you?"

The voice on the other end replied, "Mr. Huang, we're almost at the Windy Farm. Are you at the farm?"

"I am!" Huang Bin responded immediately. "I'll come out to meet you."

With that, he hung up the phone.

...

In a car, the thief, handcuffed, watched as Zhang Zhao took back the phone after the call.

It was good to confirm that Huang Bin was there. This way, they could make the arrest as soon as they entered the farm.

Behind their car were four more vehicles. Two of them were tourist police from You City, who had come with Zhang Zhao, along with two more thieves. The other two vehicles were police cars from Yangcheng County.

The convoy quickly entered the farm.

A figure was already waiting at the parking lot, and the thief immediately shouted, "That's him, that's him!"

Huang Bin came out, and at first, he didn't react much to the three cars in front. However, when he saw the two cars behind suddenly turn on their sirens, he was completely stunned.

In an instant, the cars surrounded him, and before he could react, two officers in uniform got out and pinned him down.

"Huang Bin, you have conspired to commit theft. Please come with us," one of the officers said bluntly.

Huang Bin was dumbfounded, especially when he saw the thief being escorted down, his eyes wide with shock.

It was over.

He had been betrayed.

This made him want to curse. This was the experienced thief the middleman had recommended? How could someone with experience get caught by the police the very next day?

Huang Bin's arrest naturally drew the attention of the farm workers.

Chen Nianyuan almost immediately brought the farm workers over. Seeing her husband handcuffed, she said anxiously, "Officer, why are you arresting my husband? What crime has he committed?"

Zhang Zhao didn't elaborate and cut straight to the point, "Ma'am, your husband paid 300,000 yuan to hire thieves to steal special firefly experimental results from Liyuan Farm. This has violated the law, and we need to take him back to You City for trial."

Chen Nianyuan's face turned pale with disbelief as she looked at Huang Bin, "Husband, how could you be so foolish? I told you to let it go, but you wouldn't listen?"

"Look at the projects you've copied from Liyuan Farm. Not one has been successful. Are you trying to ruin our family?"

She raged, having held back her frustration for so long, now finally letting it all out.

The farm workers around them started whispering:

"The boss is really crazy, actually committing a crime!"

"Ah, all these projects he's been working on, no one comes, and he still wants to compete with Liyuan Farm."

"My daughter went to Liyuan Farm and said the boss can't even copy their projects properly. His projects are terrible."

"..."

Usually, to earn a living, they wouldn't say such things, but now that the farm was likely to fail and the boss was arrested, they had nothing to lose.

Huang Bin couldn't believe what he was hearing and complained, "What are you talking about? I'm a high graduate from Huannong University, a top talent from a prestigious institution. What do you know?"

But no matter how much he protested, the officers had already taken him away.

Zhang Zhao was momentarily stunned by the workers' comments and looked around the farm. Indeed, it looked familiar. He examined it closely and realized it was a near replica of Liyuan Farm.

The office center, the service center, and even the architectural style were the same.

Was this a high-quality imitation of Liyuan Farm?

Zhang Zhao immediately started gathering evidence, taking photos and videos of Windy Farm.

The more he shot, the more he was dumbfounded. The rainbow flower sea, the camping site, the bamboo maze, and even a half-abandoned bamboo culture garden.

Was this a poor imitation?

Everything was a cheap knockoff.

Unfortunately, Huang Bin seemed to think everyone was as capable as his cousin, but these knockoffs were nowhere near the original.

To put it simply, anyone with a functioning brain and a pair of eyes could tell the difference between the real deal and a fake.

Afterward, Zhang Zhao immediately took Huang Bin back to You City. Upon arrival, he reported to his superiors and even received a personal audience with County Chief Liu.

Zhang Han and Liu Shan were also present.

"How did it go? What's the situation with Windy Farm?" County Chief Liu asked Zhang Zhao as soon as he saw him. The reason he had used his connections in the province to have the suspect brought over so quickly was because he was truly concerned about this farm.

If the farm was targeting Liyuan Farm, it might have the backing of another county.

He had to be prepared.

If the other side succeeded, it would be bad for You City.

The competition would intensify, not just between the farms but on a broader scale.

He was even prepared for a full-scale battle.

"Chief, the situation at Windy Farm is hard to describe. I've taken photos and videos. Please have a look," Zhang Zhao said, handing over his phone with the photos and videos.

County Chief Liu immediately took the phone, eager to see the true face of Windy Farm and determine if it had the potential to compete with Liyuan Farm.

But when he saw the photos and videos on Zhang Zhao's phone, he was completely baffled. He looked at Zhang Zhao with astonishment, "What is this?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end