Winter Returns

Chapter 166 "The Passerby" (Part 1)
My phone is gone too?
Zhang Shutong's first reaction was confusion.

He could understand why only half the cash was missing. Five thousand was too much; if they searched him, it would be easy to be caught if he had it all on him. Nowadays, people still have the habit of carrying wallets, so it would be easier to explain if he only took two thousand or so. If he mixed it all together, it could be three thousand or six thousand, and the police wouldn't be able to say anything.

But how did my phone get stolen too?

This thing is too risky to sell; it would be very difficult to get rid of once stolen. And frankly, it doesn't seem to be worth much...

Wait.

Zhang Shutong belatedly realized that Gu Qiumian's phone was the latest iPhone 5. He couldn't remember when Apple's launch event was, but he remembered overhearing her conversation with a few close friends. At least in December, this model hadn't been released in mainland China yet; it was brought back from Hong Kong by one of her uncles.

No wonder.

The most valuable thing in the bag wasn't the cash, but the cell phone.

"It's already switched off," Ruoping said angrily as she made another call.

"Don't panic, we've already narrowed down the area." Du Kang raised an eyebrow. "Luckily, we cleared the people out. Since we found them in the fourth row, why not just call out everyone who bought tickets in the fourth row and search them one by one?"

Actually, Manager Wang had already figured it out without him saying it.

"Xiao Wei, hurry up and bring me today's seating chart!"

Then the man raised the megaphone and shouted:
"Please calm down, everyone. Good news! The bag has been found in the fourth row, but the owner's phone and cash are still missing. We're just one step away from catching the thief. Our theater back office can access ticket information, so please cooperate, everyone in the fourth row. Other viewers, please don't rush to leave. Once we catch the thief, we can continue watching the movie..."

His words did indeed have the effect of calming the crowd. When they heard that the thief was in the fourth row, their desire to watch the spectacle prevailed, and for a moment no one objected.

"To protect your privacy, viewers in the fourth row, please move to the inside of the theater. Let's talk in private."

Manager Wang cleverly offered a way out, so even a thief would have to bite the bullet and come in, otherwise, when the seating chart was brought out, anyone who didn't stand up would be suspected.

As soon as these words were spoken, people began to raise their hands one after another. The crowd automatically parted to make way, and all eyes turned to the entrance of the theater. Some were excited, some were afraid, and some were even eager to make a scene.

"Let me see, let me see!"

Du Kang didn't even bother eating popcorn; he and his friends were a group of relatives and friends who could stay in the theater.

The first to enter were a family of three: the father, who was carrying his son on his shoulders, followed by the mother.

The man simply explained calmly:

"My son is only three years old. Do you think it's realistic for me to bring him and my wife to steal things?"

Manager Wang quickly apologized and asked the other party to find a place to sit down.

"How so?" Du Kang asked.

“I also think it’s unrealistic.” Qingyi shrugged. “Even if it’s a gang crime, who would bring such a small child along?”

As he spoke, he glanced at the seat:
"There are fourteen seats in total, and I remember three were empty."

The next two to enter were two teenagers who looked a little older than them, probably from a high school in the city. They were quite straightforward, immediately opening their arms to Manager Wang.

"Hurry up and search."

Manager Wang didn't stand on ceremony and went up to feel around. When he touched one of the pockets, he frowned and said:

"Excuse me, could you take a look at it? It feels like a rectangle to me..."

"Oh, a little notebook," the student said casually. "We came here to volunteer this morning, and we wrote some things down in it."

"Just the two of you?" Manager Wang asked, adding his own comment.

"There were a lot of people. Everyone dispersed at noon. There should still be some who stayed to shop and watch the movie in another theater. Should I call them to be witnesses?"

"No need, thank you for your trouble." Manager Wang shook his head.

Two students, scrolling through their phones, went to their seats.

"What about these two?" Du Kang continued to comment.

“Students are more likely to be involved than a family of three. They might be short of money and impulsively take a risk... It’s not impossible, but since they said they came to do volunteer work, they probably wouldn’t.” Qingyi crossed her arms.

“That’s true, those two look like well-behaved students.” Du Kang nodded.

“I’m telling you, you two are just students, and you’re not even as old as them…” Ruoping said helplessly.

The third to enter were a stylishly dressed couple.

"What about this one?" Du Kang asked again.

“I don’t think so, look at their attire…” Before Qingyi could finish speaking, one of the men spoke first.

Or rather, he not only spoke, but also took off his watch and waved it in front of Manager Wang:
"Longines, ten thousand."

The young man's attitude was noticeably less cooperative than the previous two groups, and he sounded impatient. Manager Wang could only smile and watch him sit down.

Next came two children, who looked to be in elementary school; their voices were very childish when they spoke.
"uncle……"

Manager Wang didn't say a word when he saw this, but the fat on his face twitched. He thought to himself, "Such young children have come out to watch a movie by themselves," and quickly said, "Kids, please go and sit down..."

He sighed; the wad of paper he used to wipe his sweat was already damp. He had already seen nine people. There were fourteen seats in a row in the theater. He couldn't possibly ask all the people's information like a policeman, so he had to rely on his own experience to make a judgment.

The bad news is that none of these people match the characteristics.

And the good news—

Manager Wang narrowed his eyes, which meant the target was within reach.

He gestured to his men to maintain order outside the venue to prevent the thief from resorting to desperate measures. Next, a woman carrying a bag entered.

The woman's age was hard to guess; she wore heavy makeup, her face covered in a thick layer of white powder, and she frowned as soon as she entered.
"What's wrong with your cinema? My best friend encountered this once this month when she came to see a movie. Last time, the security cameras weren't on either. Don't tell me they're still not fixed this time?"

Manager Wang had no choice but to apologize.

The woman clicked her tongue, then turned and left.

"Excuse me, miss, could you please give me your bag...?"

Whom are you calling "Miss"?

"That lady..."

"You're not a police officer, what right do you have to search my bag? Do you have a search warrant? Do you have the authority to enforce the law? Who do you think you are? Besides, there are other people behind me. That man has been standing there since earlier and hasn't come in. I think he's suspicious!"

Manager Wang subconsciously shifted his gaze and saw a man with a protruding belly standing at the door, dressed in a suit and tie. The man didn't seem flustered at being seen; instead, he walked in as if nothing had happened.
"I'm in business."

Upon hearing this, Manager Wang glanced at the man's armpit, where a leather bag was tucked. It looked bulging, but the man was tight-lipped and wouldn't say anything except for what he had just said.

"Sir, could you open your bag a little? I just need to take a look."

"I only have cash in my bag, you can search her first," the man said calmly.

"Hey, are you even a man?" the woman retorted. "I was just saying the lost cash was in your bag!"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Manager Wang had no choice but to step in and smooth things over. He managed to calm them down, but then he didn't dare to say anything more and decided to eliminate the other two first.

"Xiao Wei, where's the seating chart?" His voice also carried a hint of annoyance.

"Here they come, manager..." Xiao Wei, holding a tablet, pushed through the crowd and whispered, "I just counted, there are only this many people in the fourth row."

"what?"

"We didn't sell out; three of them were empty."

Manager Wang's gaze shifted back and forth between the man and the woman, and finally he sighed helplessly.

There was no other way; I had truly reached my limit. Having done so much, I felt I had done my part to give Miss Gu some closure.

"Manager, I think we should call the police. These two are no pushovers," said Staff Officer Wei.

Manager Wang nodded: "Keep those two calm first. Don't stop the rest of the audience. Let those who want a refund get one, and those who want to watch will get a free drink. Take them to my office first..."

As they were talking, he saw the two start arguing again. Manager Wang cursed under his breath and was about to step forward with a smile to mediate when he saw the woman say something that enraged the man. Caught off guard, the man suddenly opened his briefcase and slammed it to the ground.

With a clatter, red banknotes spilled all over the floor.

"I told you I brought the cash myself!" The man's eyes were red, then he looked at Manager Wang, "Did you see that? If you can't see it, look again. I only have cash in my wallet, not the cell phone you're talking about!"

Manager Wang was startled and quickly nodded, saying, "How could I possibly suspect you?" He secretly glanced at the man's suit pocket, thinking, "Could this be a smokescreen? The problem is, it's no use trying to fool me. The police are already on their way, and they'll just have to search me anyway..."

Wait, body search.

Manager Wang's temples throbbed with a bang.

Since the thief placed the bag in the fourth row, and the audience in that row could think of calling in the audience to search them, how could the thief not have thought of that?

But if he had thought of that, wouldn't he have taken his phone with him when he went out? Wouldn't he have walked right into a trap if the police came and searched him?
His mind went blank for a moment, and sweat dripped down his forehead again, which he had just wiped clean.

What's going on?
Was this thief too stupid?

Or……

The other person wasn't actually in the fourth row?

Manager Wang looked out the door in confusion. In the throng of people, he saw pairs of eyes fixed on him, as if a thief were standing among them, mocking him.

"Xiao Wei, come back here first!"

Manager Wang roared:
"Keep the people outside calm and don't let anyone run away, hurry!"

Xiao Wei hurriedly ran away. Manager Wang swallowed hard and looked at the helpless woman.

If the thief really wasn't in the fourth row.

The issue is……

What should I do next?
……

“I told you it wasn’t him.” Qingyi frowned. “It couldn’t be someone from the fourth row. Since he only took half the cash, he’s smart enough not to do something so contradictory.”

"What should we do then?" Du Kang was also at a loss. "Let's continue searching from the third and fifth rows. Maybe someone in the front or back row slipped the bag in the chaos?"

"I reckon only people in the front and back rows could have done that," Qingyi said.

"This bastard's still playing the framing trick, huh?" Du Kang laughed angrily. "Then let's play along to the end. Do you think that manager has thought of this yet? I'll go and talk to him right away..."

“Look—” Ruoping suddenly pointed a finger, “Some people are already getting impatient.”

The two turned around at the same time, and sure enough, the staff at the entrance were unable to stop the crowd; they were pushing and shoving, and the crowd was surging.

"It's not ready yet, can we go in now?"

"What kind of order is it to leave so many people standing at the door?"

"I don't want to watch anymore, I want a refund!"

The theater can hold over a hundred people, and there are at least seventy or eighty today. It's fine when all those people are seated, but now they're all crammed together at the door in a chaotic mess, which seems a bit excessive.

The lobby outside was almost full. Some people were pushing their way in, while others were about to leave without looking back. All the cinema staff rushed over to maintain order, and some passersby stopped on the perimeter.

Suddenly, a commotion arose, spreading like an earthquake. Manager Wang felt as if he were standing at the epicenter, and even experienced some tinnitus.

"Manager, we really can't stop them anymore, should we wait for the police..."

"Don't think the police are all-powerful!" Manager Wang suddenly shouted angrily. "You expect the armed police to come and quell the unrest? At most, there will be two police officers! Even two police officers can't handle so many people! Do you know what that means? Two against eighty! And this is winter, everyone is wearing several layers of clothing. Are you expecting the police to strip each of them naked and search them?"

Fuck!
How to do?
Then call over the people in the front and back rows and ask them?

I thought the target was right in front of me, and that catching the thief might allow me to redeem myself. But who knew that the area would expand two times in an instant!
And the suspicions of the heavily made-up woman and the man in the suit have not been completely ruled out!

I'm at my wit's end!
Burnt out!

In short, we can't delay any longer.

Manager Wang made a decision; he gritted his teeth and picked up the megaphone:
"Please cooperate one last time, audience members in the third and fifth rows..."

But before he could finish speaking, he was drowned out by the surging voices of the crowd.

"Why do we still need to cooperate? Didn't you just swear that the thief was in the fourth row? Are you ever going to stop?"

"Are you even a good manager? You called everyone out, and then you wanted to search the fourth row. After searching the fourth row, it wasn't enough, so you wanted to search the two rows in front and behind. Are you going to search the entire hall before you're satisfied?"

"that is……"

“Hey, I said—” It was Du Kang’s voice. He wanted to stand up and speak up, but he was immediately drowned out by the voices. He sat back down in his chair. “I think that manager is about to be eaten alive by them. Qingyi, do you have a better idea? This guy is quite nice. He came in and started to uphold justice for us. We can’t just stand by and watch.”

"I have a clue." Qingyi stared at the ceiling.

"so what?"

"But we only have a few clues. Now everyone outside has been stirred up. Maybe it's that thief who's stirring things up. Even if we have clues, we can't carry them out."

"We can only wait for the police, right?"

"How can we hold out until the police arrive in this situation?" Qingyi asked rhetorically.

“Besides,” he added, “today isn’t the occasion for me to show off, you see—”

……

"Manager, someone has already turned on their phone to record!" Xiao Wei had run over to report the situation countless times.

Less than ten minutes had passed since the clearing operation began, yet the situation was already spiraling out of control.

Manager Wang glanced at the crowd numbly.

He knew that if things continued like this, a stampede was not out of the question.

This responsibility is beyond what a cinema manager like him can bear.

That's it, I really can't take it anymore.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind. Manager Wang turned around and saw it was the young man.

"Don't bother searching, even if you search the first and last two rows, you won't find anything," the boy said briefly.

Manager Wang almost burst into tears upon hearing this.

He thought to himself, "You little devils, you've finally spoken up. You've been loitering around in the corridor since earlier. You should have said you didn't need to search me. I'm not here to carry out justice. Why bother searching me if you're not going to search me?"

"Is this Miss Gu's idea?" Manager Wang was overjoyed.

"No." But the boy's next words plunged him into despair: "What I mean is..."

What good is your opinion?

Manager Wang was about to say that when he suddenly realized it might actually be useful.

Actually, when I met the girl not long ago, I noticed that she had drunk a bit too much and was dizzy. It was this boy who was helping her make decisions, saying that maybe we could take a roundabout route.
Manager Wang quickly put on a face as if he was about to cry, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him. He was certain he had never been so humble in his attempts to appease his wife.
"...Young man, please put in a good word for me. I also have elderly parents and young children to support. I'll pay for the lost cash myself, and I'll also compensate for the phone, okay?"

Manager Wang secretly observed the other party's expression. He knew that the decision-making power did not lie with the group of spectators outside, but with this young man, or rather, with the girl behind him.

The boy sighed, said a few more words, and finally nodded.

Manager Wang was certain.

(End of this chapter)