Chapter 271: The power of social transmission.

The last few officers carefully placed the tape into a bag. Xu Lin had just peeled it off wrapped in a piece of clothing, so his fingerprints weren't on it.

The only fingerprints on it would belong to one person. A simple comparison, and everything would be over.

"How did you know I used tape?"

"I didn't know, honestly. You're quite skilled."

Xu Lin waved it off without saying much. The guy had already exposed himself, so they could take their time back at the station.

A few minutes later, a police car arrived to escort the hooded young man away. One of the remaining officers recorded the stolen items and returned them to the rightful owner. Of course, there was one item left unclaimed. Hopefully, the news or a public notice would help the owner come forward to retrieve it.

After chatting briefly with the others, the officer took down Xu Lin's phone number and ID information before leaving as well.

Back at the police station, the officer looked at the name "Xu Lin" in his notebook and frowned slightly.

"Li Shuang, do you know who Xu Lin is?"

"Xu Lin? Which department is he in?"

"He's not from any department."

At that moment, an older officer walked in from outside and handed them a bag.

"Here, have some bread."

"Thanks, Brother Wang. By the way, do you know Xu Lin?"

"Xu Lin? Oh, you mean that guy—the one who single-handedly took down several people and helped Miss Qin crack that fraud case. I remember reading about him in the reports. Handsome young guy, isn't he?"

"…"

"What's the matter?"

"I think I might have met him today, but I didn't recognize him…"

"Haha, didn't you say you wanted to learn a thing or two from him last time?"

"I should've checked his picture beforehand. Next time, I guess. By the way, he opened a shop recently. He should be there most of the time, so we can drop by when it's open."

"What kind of shop? Food?" asked a bespectacled officer who had joined the conversation.

"Old Liu, all you ever think about is food."

"It's a mala tang shop."

"Mala tang sounds good! Perfect for this cold weather, and way cheaper than hot pot. Let's go when it opens. My treat."

"Sounds like a plan."

Meanwhile, Xu Lin, having wrapped up his matters, chatted briefly with a few workers.

Realizing it was already past 3 PM and his class had started at 2 PM.

"Guys, I bought some fruit as an apology. I was really impulsive earlier—sorry about that."

Just as Xu Lin was about to head back to school, the woman who had left earlier—the one who lost her belongings—returned with two large bags in hand.

"No, no, it's fine. What's done is done," Xu Lin said, waving his hand.

The woman placed the bags by the door. Xu Lin glanced at them and saw a large durian and a watermelon.

"I also wanted to apologize to all of you."

"We weren't very polite either, shoving flyers into your backpack without asking," one of the workers admitted. They had calmed down by now and, seeing her sincerity, their anger had subsided.

"Let me treat you all to a meal."

"No, no, we need to get going. We've already been delayed for hours, and there's work tomorrow."

"You're leaving now?"

"Yeah, we're driving back. Should only take three hours to get to the provincial capital."

"Alright, drive safe."

"Will do."

The workers stood up to leave, but Xu Lin quickly grabbed the fruit.

"The lady bought this with good intentions. You should take it."

"Alright, we'll take it then," said the eldest worker, taking the bags.

Xu Lin smiled. "How are you getting back?"

"We drove here. The car's parked at the north lot. Once we pick it up, we'll head back."

"Alright. Drive carefully."

"Thanks!"

The group started walking along the road toward the bus stop. Father Bai sighed and said, "They're all good lads."

"You mean because they work quickly and do a good job?"

"Haha, exactly. It's rare to see that."

Xu Lin looked at the woman, who hadn't left yet and was standing a short distance away.

"Ma'am, is there anything else?"

"No, just wondering—when are you opening?"

"We're planning for this weekend. The shop's renovations are done. This week, we're focusing on some advertising and final touches. It should be ready soon."

"I'll bring my friends over to support you then."

"Thank you, thank you! We'll have promotions during the first three days, super affordable."

"I'll definitely come. Oh, here's my card."

Xu Lin took the card and realized she was a WeChat seller. While the term "WeChat seller" had become less common, many online sales and live-streaming businesses were essentially the same thing under different names. No wonder she didn't think of a few thousand yuan as a big deal.

"Well, I'll be off now."

"Alright."

He watched as she got into her car and drove away. By now, most of the onlookers had dispersed. Turning back, Xu Lin glanced at the freshly hung shop sign and couldn't help but feel that today's commotion might actually have been a blessing in disguise.

"What's on your mind?"

"Uncle, I think this whole fuss we caused is more effective than handing out flyers."

"What do you mean?"

"The power of social transmission," Xu Lin said cryptically, leaving Father Bai even more confused.

Social transmission?

"Uncle, just stick to the usual plan of handing out flyers. Oh, and take care of the tables, chairs, computers, and cameras, will you?"

"I'll handle that for you."

"Thank you, Uncle. I really don't have the time, so I'm relying on you."

"Stop with the thanks. Just give me the money."

"Haha, how much do you need?"

Xu Lin chuckled and pulled out 10,000 yuan he'd brought along in case of emergencies.

"This should be enough. Let me know if it's not."

"Alright. Don't you worry about me covering the costs."

"As if! I know you too well."

"Hehe. Uncle, I've got to get back to school now—I'm already two hours late."

"Go on, then. You're something else, showing up and solving the problem in one go."

"Alright, I'm off."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't rush. You still have six days until Sunday."

"Got it!"

Xu Lin jogged toward the bus stop, catching up with the one he came on. Meanwhile, Father Bai took a deep breath, opened his wallet, and pulled out a bank card. Muttering to himself, he said, "My daughter likes you, so as your potential father-in-law, I can't just do nothing. I'll add another 5,000 yuan to the pot. If it's not enough, I'll dip into my savings."

Twenty minutes later, Xu Lin arrived at school, only to be stopped by two security guards.

After a few minutes, his homeroom teacher came out personally to let him in.

"What've you been up to?"

"A friend of mine was wrongly accused of theft, so I went to check it out. We caught the real thief, and the police held me up for a bit. That's why I'm late."

"Alright, fine. You missed two classes—math, no less. If it had been another subject, you'd have to explain yourself to the teacher directly."

"Got it. Thanks, Teacher."

"By the way, my sister mentioned something about you. She said there's something on your body?"

"She said it's no big deal, but it's best to get it checked at the hospital."

"Even small issues should be taken seriously. Get it checked out."

"I will."

After taking a few steps, the homeroom teacher hesitated and glanced at Xu Lin a couple of times, looking a bit embarrassed.

The awkwardness sent a slight chill down Xu Lin's spine.

"Do you... need something?"

"Well, do you think I should dress a bit younger for my blind date?"

"You're not that old to begin with, but yeah, your outfit could use a little upgrade."

Xu Lin sized up his teacher.

His skin was in good condition, and he didn't look particularly aged. However, his stern demeanor and straightforward personality—while fine for a teacher—weren't exactly charming traits for a first meeting.

First impressions mattered, and his current style made him look like a serious 40-something.

"You've got to go for a younger look. Right now, you're like a middle-aged man."

"How should I adjust, then?"

"When's the blind date?"

"Tomorrow evening."

"Alright, I'll put in some extra effort today and take you shopping for a couple of outfits."

"Really!?"

"You've helped me with so many excuses for being late—it's the least I can do. Leave it to me, Teacher!"