CHAPTER 839: CHAPTER 839: THE THIEF

There’s only one inn in the whole town. The lady at the front desk assumed Xu Ke wouldn’t dare move out, so her words weren’t particularly respectful. She even picked up her phone to continue playing games right after speaking, not taking Xu Ke seriously at all.

"If you want to leave, hurry up and start packing. Leave the room key here, and I’ll refund you. We’ll call it even. But let me make this clear first, if you check out today and leave, this inn will never do business with you again. You better think it over. As for your request to change rooms, there’s only that one room for you. No other options. Take it or leave it," the front desk lady said without even looking up.

Xu Ke licked his molars again, his temper almost getting the better of him. But fortunately, he remembered he was on a mission, so he bit his tongue and turned to leave.

There really wasn’t much to do in this little town. It was so small that even the bus routes were scarce, and entertainment facilities were pitiably few. For a moment, he almost felt like he’d traveled back to a less developed era.

The town may not be big, but it sure was bustling. It was like a mini version of a fully functioning city, feeling somewhat crowded.

"Catch the thief! Help catch the thief!" As Xu Ke was strolling around, a voice rang out from afar, layered with Yiyi’s cries. Before Xu Ke could react, a shadow quickly approached him. Xu Ke could feel a hand reaching for his waist. Just as his reflexes kicked in to grab and subdue the person, he restrained his instincts and stopped.

He hadn’t forgotten where he was. Perhaps there were countless eyes watching him from the shadows, maybe hiding within the crowd. No matter what, he couldn’t expose himself.

Xu Ke allowed his wallet to be stolen, then immediately patted his body in front of everyone and joined in catching the thief with the crowd.

Along with the woman whose belongings had been stolen, Xu Ke closely followed the thief from behind.

"Someone stop him, that guy ahead is a thief, a crook. Please help stop him," Xu Ke shouted loudly.

Xu Ke’s voice was much louder than the woman’s, and soon a few people emerged from the crowd, blocking the thief’s path.

Just as the thief tried to force through the human wall, there was the sound of wind behind him. He barely had time to look back when Xu Ke kicked him down to the ground.

"I’ll beat you, you thief! How dare you steal!" Xu Ke, seeing the thief he kicked down, quickly pinned him and punched him left and right, not giving him a chance to utter a word.

And Xu Ke’s mouth didn’t stop, "Don’t you know who I am? How dare you steal right in front of me? You’re clueless. Let’s see if you dare to steal again." Xu Ke put on a hooligan act, while also frisking the thief to retrieve his wallet and found five or six more wallets, tossing them to the ground.

"Everyone, brothers and sisters, folks, see if you’re missing anything. This thief has stolen a lot from others," Xu Ke shouted to the crowd.

The woman who’d been chasing the thief finally reached Xu Ke and the thief, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she panted, looking utterly exhausted.

"Where’s my phone? He just stole my phone, where is it?" The woman glanced at the ground to find only wallets, none of which contained her phone, and her face showed a look of grievance, eyes teary and anxious.

"Hey, don’t cry yet. Let me look for you again. Maybe I didn’t search carefully before. I’ll help you find it. As long as you’re sure he took your phone, it’s still on him. It won’t be lost. Don’t worry."

As Xu Ke comforted the woman, he really started searching the thief’s clothes again, this time thoroughly inspecting, and indeed finding a phone tucked into the inner lining of the thief’s clothes. The pink casing screamed girly, clearly not something the thief would use.

"Is this your phone?" Xu Ke asked, holding the phone.

The woman’s eyes lit up upon seeing the phone in Xu Ke’s hand, nodding vigorously, "Yes, yes, that’s my phone." She reached out to take back her phone, but unexpectedly, Xu Ke withdrew his hand, returning the phone to his chest, leaving the woman stunned, unable to believe what just happened before her eyes.

"You have my phone in your hand. Can you please return it?" The woman wiped her tears.

"How can you prove that the phone in my hand is yours? What if this thief stole it from someone else?" Xu Ke asked.

"I know the passcode and the lock screen," the woman said as she recited the password, indicating to Xu Ke to unlock the phone.

Xu Ke glanced at the woman, entered the numbers she provided in front of everyone, and sure enough, the phone unlocked.

The woman let out a long sigh of relief, visibly relaxed, "With the verified phone, can you return it to me now?" she asked, palm facing up for the phone once more.

Not wanting to haggle further, Xu Ke confirmed the phone belonged to the woman and handed it over.

"Next time, make sure to keep a good eye on your phone, so it doesn’t get stolen again," Xu Ke advised earnestly.

"I will, but next time you need to watch your wallet too, so you don’t end up like me," the woman said, mischievously winking.

Xu Ke blushed deeply at her remark, realizing from her eyes that she knew he wasn’t entirely innocent, feeling quite embarrassed.

Xu Ke sheepishly scratched his face, shyly smiling.

The woman was taken aback by Xu Ke, she’d never seen someone as handsome as him. She stared, but Xu Ke averted his eyes and held down the thief trying to escape.

"Everyone, could you help call the police, or show me the way to the station, so I can take this thief there?" Xu Ke called to the crowd.

"The station’s not far, I’ll take you," said the man who initially blocked the thief.

"I really appreciate it," Xu Ke responded with a sincere smile.