Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 8

At the street corner, Lu Cheng’s dark eyes gleamed with excitement.

The [Combat Mastery] skill granted by the system encompassed grappling, free fighting, Muay Thai, wrestling—an entire suite of mixed martial arts. Until now, he hadn’t had the chance to actually use it.

Now the opportunity had come—real combat.

The thrill was undeniable.

And he was eighty percent confident he could subdue the opponent without getting hurt himself.

The pickpocket had a sharp blade. Lu Cheng had only a wooden stick.

But a knife wasn’t necessarily stronger than a stick. His stick was nearly two feet long.

An inch longer meant an inch stronger.

And unlike the thief, Lu Cheng had real combat skills.

The fight was about to ignite.

West District Police Station.

Wu Sanmao had already been waiting for half an hour, nerves frayed to the breaking point.

The hospital had called twice, urging him to pay the surgery deposit.

He had frantically called seven or eight people, borrowing what he could. From his fellow workers, he had scraped together just over three thousand yuan—still nowhere near enough.

An officer on desk duty poured him a cup of water, opened his mouth to say something comforting, then swallowed the words.

In a situation like this, comfort was useless. The only thing that mattered was catching the pickpocket—and fast.

It had already been forty minutes since the crime.

Inside the meeting room, the station’s key officers huddled together. The surveillance footage had been replayed twice, yet no suspect stood out.

The problem was the location. Fengshan Road was packed with pedestrians, swarming with tourists. The crowd was dense, chaotic, constantly shifting.

Nearby intersections had also been checked. Every visible face had been cross-referenced, but nothing suspicious turned up.

Director Hao Jianping was growing restless. This case couldn’t afford delays. The victim’s wife was still in the hospital, her life hanging on that surgery deposit.

If they caught the thief quickly, the stolen money could be recovered. But if it dragged on, once the money was moved or spent, catching the culprit would mean nothing.

Cases like this usually depended on surveillance footage.

But with no usable footage at the scene, the difficulty skyrocketed—straight to “hell mode.”

Just then, seven or eight of Wu Sanmao’s coworkers poured into the station. They tried to comfort him while also begging the police to hurry up and catch the thief.

The invisible pressure weighing on the West District police only grew heavier.

“Everyone, rack your brains,” Hao Jianping said gravely. “Think of any method that can get us that thief as soon as possible.”

Searching blindly without a target was like fishing for a needle in the ocean. They needed a lead.

One veteran officer offered a suggestion: bring in the thieves already in lockup—pickpockets, burglars, repeat offenders. Let them watch the footage. Maybe they’d recognize someone.

If they could provide a useful clue, the station would consider leniency or even a reward.

Hao Jianping hesitated, then nodded. It was worth a try.

Luck was on their side.

A burglar in the holding cell provided a breakthrough.

He pointed to a frame on the monitor. “That guy in the camel-gray shirt and glasses—I know him. He’s a skilled pickpocket. I saw him in Tonghe County before.”

“From just a side profile, you can be sure?”

“Positive. His face is easy to recognize, sharp and skinny.”

“What’s his name? Tell us everything you know.”

“His real name? No clue. But his alias is Hou Si—‘Monkey Four.’ I met him once on a No. 16 bus. His blade work was slick as hell. Stole tons of wallets and phones. I got off with him, tried to tag along, but he’s a lone wolf. We just had a meal together and split.”

At last—a lead! The target was locked in.

Excitement rippled through the room.

“Alias Hou Si. Male. About thirty-five. Around one-seventy-five in height. Camel-gray shirt, pale yellow trousers, gold-rimmed square glasses, thin build.”

“After the theft, he moved west from Fengshan Road to Xiang’an Street, then north along East Third Road. After that, he vanished from surveillance.”

“He’s cunning. Deliberately avoided cameras, barely any clear shots of his face. Only one low-res capture from the Xiang’an Street footbridge.”

The West District police mobilized.

They narrowed the search area to the vicinity of Huaguoshan Park, north of East Third Road.

Hou Si had most likely slipped into the mountain area.

But by the time officers arrived, more than an hour had passed since the theft.

If he crossed the 036 county road and entered the villages, he would be nearly impossible to catch. The rural terrain was complicated, full of hiding places.

“Have you seen this man? Camel-gray shirt, about one-seventy-five tall…”

Officers showed Hou Si’s photo—just a blurry back view—to the newsstand owner at the park entrance.

After barely a minute of fighting, Lu Cheng had the pickpocket pinned to the ground, grinding his face into the pavement.

The outcome was never in doubt. His strength utterly crushed the thief.

Hou Si lay battered and breathless. This young guy wasn’t just tall and strong—he knew grappling, wrestling, every dirty trick. He fought like a demon.

Hou Si had no chance. After Lu Cheng knocked the knife from his hand with a single strike of the wooden stick, it was all downhill.

Resigned to avoid more bruises, Hou Si gave up struggling.

Lu Cheng bound his wrists and ankles tight. A small bundle of discarded cable ties in a nearby trash can provided the perfect restraints.

Once the thief was subdued, Lu Cheng pulled out his phone and dialed the police.

Naturally, he didn’t call the West District station—he called his own, Sanliqiao.

The officer on duty was the same one from that morning.

“Lu Cheng?”

“What? You caught a pickpocket?”

“Alone?!”

The duty officer nearly jumped out of his chair. Hanging up, he bolted to report.

At that moment, Chen Weimin was showing Yuan Jie and three trainee officers around the station, explaining Sanliqiao’s jurisdiction.

“Chief, someone reported a case!”

“People report cases all the time. Why are you so worked up?”

“It’s—it’s Lu Cheng. He just called. He’s the one reporting!”

Chen Weimin’s heart jolted.

The three trainees all whipped their heads around, staring.

In the courtyard, Zhao Han and Xiao Lin had been wiping down the patrol car. At the news, they dropped everything and rushed inside.

Instructor Song Chengfeng set down his teacup and rose from his chair.

“What’s the situation?” Chen Weimin asked, frowning.

“Lu Cheng… Lu Cheng caught a pickpocket. In the West District. Near East Third Road North.”

“!!!”

Everyone’s pupils trembled.

What in the world?!

This trainee officer was defying the heavens. He’d caught another thief?

Wasn’t he supposed to be escorting Officer Su home?

How the hell did he run into a pickpocket on the way—and actually catch him?!

“Is the thief restrained?” Chen Weimin asked once he recovered.

“Restrained. Hands and feet tied with zip ties. He’s waiting for backup.”

“Zip ties?!”

Chen Weimin’s face twitched. Was this kid for real?

On the very day the trainee officers reported in, the Sanliqiao patrol car roared out of the station—for the second time.

Xiao Lin drove. Zhao Han sat in the passenger seat.

The three trainees begged to go along too.

“There’s only one car—it won’t fit all of you.”

“We’ll grab a taxi back!” they chorused.

They weren’t just curious about their first ride-along. They wanted to see with their own eyes whether Lu Cheng had truly taken down a pickpocket.