Chapter 6: Time to Move

Hangsu City was in utter chaos; the police patrols were truly unfortunate, overwhelmed and exhausted. Every moment brought a new report, and the content of those calls grew increasingly bizarre.

Someone claimed to have lost hundreds of pieces of clothing overnight. Another reported several cars missing from their garage, including a Rolls-Royce that had been parked for two years, vanished without a trace—no evidence of anyone moving it. There were reports from hardware stores, sellers of pipes and plumbing supplies, even sports equipment shops, all experiencing massive thefts.

Pharmacies that had never before been robbed were now found entirely empty by morning, not a single pill left in the whole district. Most outrageous of all was a call from Ahaha’s branch office, reporting that a warehouse containing over a hundred million bottles of water had been stolen.

This left the police headquarters utterly bewildered and terrified—so many cases, and if he failed to solve them, he’d surely lose his position. He personally reviewed the details: bottled mineral water, about one hundred million bottles; five-liter barrel mineral water, fifty million bottles; fifteen-liter barrels, ten million bottles; purified twenty-liter barrels, twenty million bottles… Even if trucks and logistics companies worked nonstop, it would take a day to move it all—how could anyone steal such a quantity? With so much commotion, had everyone in the company simply died?

...

In the deep of night, Cao Bin was awakened by the urgent ringing of his alarm. He was exhausted, worn out both physically and mentally. The physical labor of moving goods, the repeated opening and closing of warehouses, and the mental strain of relocating items with his mind had drained him tremendously. After finishing his work, he’d eaten a little and fallen asleep immediately. Now, after five or six hours of rest, his mental energy had recovered considerably.

He had to get up and continue working; the night was the best time for his major operations. The local Jingxi central warehouse, and Ali Mama’s main storage! Both locations held vast reserves of supplies. Tonight, he planned to investigate and see if he could take one of them.

After searching for their locations on his phone, he first procured an electric scooter—quiet, inconspicuous, and less likely to attract attention. From a distance, he surveyed the logistics park, not daring to enter. He saw red and blue lights flashing outside—the police patrol car was stationed there. Clearly, the police had learned to anticipate his moves and were now staking out the area. They must have guessed some details, so the patrol car was on guard.

Danger! Time to leave!

He turned his scooter around and left. Half an hour later, he arrived at another logistics park, Ali Mama’s main warehouse. The same flashing red and blue lights greeted him.

Hmm! No chance tonight.

To infiltrate these warehouses, he realized the most effective method would be to become an employee, with a work ID, and access from within. Until he managed this, he’d have to focus on other targets. Having already set out, he wouldn’t waste the night. He couldn’t return empty-handed, so after finding a secluded spot, he placed the scooter in his spatial pocket and produced a domestic car worth about fifty or sixty thousand. Using the map, he began to visit each gas station one by one.

This time, he didn’t even avoid staffed stations. Arriving, he would open the fuel tank, pretend to absentmindedly touch something, and instantly drain the fuel from the hose. For three or four hours, he systematically emptied every gas station in the area.

Along the way, he frequently switched vehicles, always choosing inexpensive domestic cars worth less than a hundred thousand, blending in with the most common models on the road, so as not to draw attention from station staff. After finishing, he changed cars again and began looking for local factories.

First on his list were food factories. Many of these didn't even have security guards; at night, once the gates were locked, the guards went home to sleep. There were also clothing factories, shoe factories, bedding plants—any production facility whose address he could find, he visited.

As he appropriated goods, his mind raced, planning his next moves. He’d been operating at a manic pace, and future actions would inevitably become more difficult. Before his identity was discovered, he needed to secure as much as possible, then switch cities and repeat the process.

He figured he could only remain in this city for another day or two, ideally leaving within twenty-four hours. Tomorrow, he absolutely had to deal with Jingxi’s central warehouse and Ali Mama’s warehouse; if he delayed, opportunities would dwindle.

When he reached the nearest factory, the place was utterly silent—no barking dogs, pitch darkness, not even the security booth showed any light. It was past three in the morning; anyone needing sleep would surely be asleep. Seeing this, Cao Bin’s tension eased; while the city was on high alert, these factories near the outskirts were much more relaxed.

He circled the perimeter, quickly found an entrance, climbed a tall tree beside the wall, jumped onto the fence, and then found a lower spot to drop down. He quietly pried open the main gate, pushed it, and slipped inside.

Once inside, he flicked on his flashlight and his eyes immediately brightened.

Ah! The inventory was abundant.

The warehouse was stacked with all sorts of food, meticulously sorted—there was an instant noodle section, a canned goods area, sausage shelves, dried meat, nuts…

Even Cao Bin, who wasn’t hungry, couldn’t help but lick his lips.

And this was only one section.

There was much more in sight...