My Dongguan Love Story

Upon hearing Lin Tao's words, I immediately became anxious.

Did they really find Li Jianzhong? This guy disappeared after stabbing Lin Guilian, how come he showed up at the Canal Shopping Mall today?

I didn't have time to think much. I quickly asked for directions, went downstairs, got on my motorcycle, and rushed there.

The Canal Shopping Mall opened in 1982 and is the largest state-owned shopping mall in Dongguan, located in the busiest part of the city center.

Why would Li Jianzhong be there? He's still carrying a case on his hands; he should be hiding in an urban village or in the countryside to avoid trouble. It's really strange that he would so openly wander into a crowded place.

Full of questions, I rode my motorcycle under the blazing sun toward the Canal Shopping Mall.

After riding for a full hour, I finally arrived at the entrance of the Canal Shopping Mall.

At that moment, Lin Tao, wearing a floral off-shoulder dress, stood anxiously looking back and forth by the roadside. Upon seeing me, a smile appeared on her previously anxious face, and she quickly ran towards me, calling softly, "Dazhuang~"

I parked the car and looked at Lin Tao, smiling and nodding slightly. My gaze unconsciously fell on her outfit.

Before, when I saw her, she was either dressed in a neat police uniform or in a more capable and casual style. This was the first time I had ever seen her in such a gentle and beautiful manner.

A pink floral maxi dress made her stand out. It was the first time I'd seen her dressed like this, and I was a little taken aback, but after a few more glances, I found her incredibly pleasing to the eye. The off-shoulder design accentuated her delicate collarbones, and her full figure made the dress even more shapely, making her exceptionally eye-catching.

Lin Tao noticed my gaze fixed on her, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She lowered her head slightly and asked softly, "Dazhuang, what are you staring at me for?"

I quickly snapped out of my daze and waved my hand with a smile: "It's nothing, it's just that it's the first time I've seen you in a skirt, and I was a little mesmerized. By the way, you said you saw Li Jianzhong, what happened?"

Lin Tao's blush hadn't faded yet, but upon hearing this, she immediately composed herself and said seriously, "I saw someone from afar just now, and his figure looked a lot like Li Jianzhong. I was about to chase after him when he turned around and disappeared into the Canal Shopping Mall. I went in and circled around several times, but I couldn't find him at all."

Full of doubt, I said, "He's too bold. The mall is so crowded and noisy; it's not a place for someone like him who's hiding from trouble to show his face."

Hearing my analogy, Lin Tao couldn't help but chuckle slightly, her previously stern face breaking into a slight smile. She said to me, "Your analogy is apt, but I think he might be short of money and wants to steal from the Canal Shopping Mall to escape Dongguan."

Listening to Lin Tao's words, I felt that they made sense.

In urban villages, you can't steal much money. The Canal Shopping Mall is crowded, making it easier to steal larger sums of money.

It's estimated that Li Jianzhong knew Zhou Zhengtao was dead and couldn't hide any longer, so he wanted to steal more travel money to leave Dongguan.

I gathered my thoughts and followed Lin Tao into the mall. We had only taken a few steps when she suddenly reached out and took my arm.

I felt a shiver run through my body, and froze on the spot as if I had been electrocuted. I turned to look at her, puzzled.

Lin Tao blushed instantly under my gaze, and said shyly in a low voice, "If we pretend to be a couple, we won't alert him. We still don't know if Li Jianzhong is alone or has accomplices, so we mustn't let him realize that something is wrong with us."

I thought about it and it made sense, so I didn't say anything more and let her take my arm.

As we went up the steps, she instinctively hugged me tighter, her soft body occasionally brushing against my arm, warm and tender, making my mind a mess.

I glanced down at Lin Tao beside me. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked exceptionally beautiful with her shy demeanor.

The layout of the Canal Mall is very clear: the first floor is full of street shops selling cigarettes, alcohol, snacks, and daily necessities; the second floor sells men's and women's clothing and leather shoes; and the third floor is filled with hardware items and home appliances of all sizes.

We searched slowly, floor by floor, looking around for a long time, but we still couldn't find Li Jianzhong. When we got to the third floor, I immediately spotted a hardware store.

For some reason, when I saw the hardware store, I thought of Guangyuan Building Materials Hardware Store. I suddenly panicked, stopped in my tracks, and subconsciously tried to avoid it.

Lin Tao noticed something was wrong with me and looked up, asking in confusion, "Dazhuang, why aren't you moving?"

Afraid she would see through my thoughts, I quickly made an excuse, saying, "Let's not go this way. Li Jianzhong couldn't possibly be loitering around the hardware store; he's definitely still on the first floor. The first floor is crowded and chaotic, making it the easiest place for him to steal things, and he can escape quickly once he's done."

Lin Tao didn't think much of it and obediently nodded. Her arm was still tightly around mine, and her soft body pressed close to mine. The warm touch against my arm was as she slowly followed me downstairs.

Just then, Li Qing came out of the hardware store.

She came to the hardware store today to discuss a collaboration, and just then the phone rang. The store was crowded and noisy, so she couldn't hear clearly and went outside to answer the call.

As soon as the call connected, before she could even speak, she looked up and saw Lin Tao and me walking down the stairs.

Lin Tao was wearing that floral dress, her arm tightly around mine, and she looked exactly like my girlfriend.

Seeing this, Li Qing's eyes narrowed instantly, and her expression turned grim. But the call had already been connected, so she had no choice but to suppress her emotions and answer the phone.

By the time she finished her call with the client and hung up, we were long gone.

She wondered to herself: Why are Dazhuang and Lin Tao getting so close and intimate?

She originally wanted to go downstairs immediately to check, but a shop assistant ran out and called her back to discuss work. Li Qing had no choice but to give up, secretly noting the matter in her mind, planning to ask me directly when she got home that evening.

Lin Tao and I had just stepped into the mall's first-floor lobby when we suddenly heard panicked shouts from afar: "Help! Someone's being robbed!"

I immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw a stylishly dressed woman standing at the entrance of the jewelry store, pacing anxiously.

Looking further ahead, a figure was running frantically forward.

"Chase!"

I gave a low shout, broke free from Lin Tao's grasp, and charged towards the man.

Without a word, Lin Tao immediately followed. Although she was a girl, she was exceptionally agile. Even when I sprinted forward at full speed, she kept up closely behind and didn't fall behind at all.

We got closer and closer to the figure in front of us. The person clearly noticed that someone was chasing them and suddenly turned around to look back. Our eyes met.

It's Li Jianzhong!

My eyes narrowed; I'd finally caught this guy!

When I saw that he was clutching a woman's wallet tightly in his hand, I instantly understood everything. Just as Lin Tao had guessed, he had come to the mall to rob someone and then run away with the money.

When Li Jianzhong saw my face, his expression changed drastically. He panicked and jumped over the mall railing, rushing into the main road.

He jaywalked recklessly, causing oncoming motorcycles and cars to brake suddenly. Drivers leaned out and yelled, "Are you out of your mind! Jalanking like that!"

Li Jianzhong completely ignored the shouts of those around him and nimbly dashed across the road. He stopped and turned back to look at me and Lin Tao, his face full of arrogance and pride. He raised a middle finger at us in a provocative gesture, then turned around and continued his desperate escape.