HLM – Chapter 863 The Methane-Stricken Thief

Zhuang Ding’s strength and endurance left the three big men in the dust. After thirty minutes, they could no longer bear it and withdrew, leaving Zhuang Ding and the Labrador to continue the fight.

The young woman gazed at her boyfriend with tender eyes, while the young man deliberately avoided looking at her, instead staring at the slowly rising moon and sighing, “I’ve never really noticed… the moonlight is so beautiful.”

Bowen and Wang Bo went to one side. Bowen gave a strange smile and said, “I’ll bet this guy is going to be in agony tonight.”

Wang Bo chuckled.

Zhuang Ding didn’t return to the castle that night. The next day, when Wang Bo saw him, the dog was lazily sunbathing by the roadside. Seeing Wang Bo approach, he only wagged his tail.

Wang Bo worried that something might have happened, but after checking him over, he realized Zhuang Ding was perfectly fine—wet nose, bright eyes, clear saliva, smooth coat.

Bowen, leaning against the passenger window, called out, “Zhuang Ding, be honest—did you really go at it eight times last night?”

Zhuang Ding lazily shot him a sidelong glance and continued sunbathing in the grass.

“Such lust is a steel blade scraping the bones!” Wang Bo had to sigh.

On the road, Atulu called Wang Bo, saying, “Boss, hurry to town—there’s a case.”

Wang Bo picked Zhuang Ding up and put him in the car. The dog rested his head on the window, gazing longingly at the lakeshore in the distance.

Following Atulu’s directions, Wang Bo drove straight to the supermarket parking lot. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

Atulu explained, “This morning, someone came to start their car and saw a person lying beside it. They called the police, and I’m investigating now.”

“Lying beside it? A homeless person?”

“No, a young Māori man. Medics are currently giving him emergency treatment.”

Wang Bo rushed over. A scruffy middle-aged white man saw him approaching and immediately said, “Officer, I really have nothing to do with this! I just came to the parking lot and saw this man lying under the wheel!”

Wang Bo nodded, letting Atulu and the man take statements first. He walked over to the ambulance and asked the medic, “What happened? How is he?”

The medic replied, “Methane poisoning, with some microbial infection. Nothing serious, but he’ll need to stay in the ward for at least a week.”

Wang Bo was puzzled. “Methane poisoning? What the hell? How could this happen in Sunset Town?!”

The medic’s expression turned strange. He pointed to a hose on the ground. “I think this is related. Take a look at this thing, and you’ll understand.”

Wang Bo picked up the hose—a soft plastic tube about as thick as his middle finger, with a bulge in the middle.

One end of the hose had dried grime, emitting a strong stench.

“This hose?” Wang Bo looked at Atulu.

Atulu said, “When I arrived, the unconscious man was holding this. There was vomit nearby—it seems he did something with it.”

“Can this hose really do something?”

Atulu perked up. “Boss, you’re asking the right person. I know about this because I’ve used one before. This thing is for stealing fuel—fuel! You know, gasoline or diesel.”

Wang Bo had never seen one before, but he wasn’t dumb. He immediately understood.

Back home, he had heard of people stealing fuel from vehicles, especially trucks, where drivers lock the tanks to prevent theft.

Fuel is cheaper in New Zealand, so he hadn’t encountered fuel thieves before. But judging by the campervan next to the unconscious man, this young man probably tried to steal fuel.

The medic pointed at the hose. “To steal fuel, you’d insert it into the tank, right? How exactly does it work?”

Atulu wanted to show off. He grabbed the hose to put it in his mouth but immediately grimaced. “Shit! It stinks! Worse than dog poop!”

“You don’t need to demonstrate. Just explain.”

“Oh, you put one end of the hose in your mouth…” Atulu handed it to Wang Bo.

Wang Bo kicked it away. “Take this seriously—we’re on a case!”

Atulu protested, “I know, boss, but solving a case sometimes involves scenario simulation. I just wanted to try it.”

“Forget it,” Wang Bo fumed. “What kind of subordinate are you?!”

“Alright, don’t be mad, boss. Early in the morning, I just wanted to lighten the mood.” Atulu forced a smile.

“Simply put, you bite one end of the hose, pinch the bag at the other end, and suck hard…”

“Then the air in the bag is drawn out. Quickly release your hand and suck again. Due to pressure, the fuel from the tank will automatically flow into the hose.”

Hearing this, Wang Bo groaned. “It’s just a fuel-siphoning tube. Why make it so complicated?”

Atulu explained, “With a normal hose, you might suck gasoline into your mouth, which is toxic, especially leaded fuel. This one has a bag that cushions twice: once for air pressure, and again for the fuel flow.”

Wang Bo looked at the young man, still with an oxygen mask, then glanced at the medic’s strange expression. His own look turned suspicious.

Theoretically, the end of the hose should have been covered in fuel, but instead it was dirty and foul-smelling, and the guy was unconscious from methane poisoning…

Wang Bo asked the middle-aged white man, “Sir, where is your fuel tank?”

The man led him to the back of the van and pointed to a decorated metal panel. “This is the fuel tank.”

“Then that other opening?” Wang Bo asked.

“Oh, that’s the campervan’s toilet outlet,” the man answered honestly.

As soon as he said that, everyone understood what had happened.

Laughter rang out clearly.

The young man was sent to the community hospital. Wang Bo found his driver’s license in his wallet, checked it against the police database, and discovered a string of prior offenses: car theft, shoplifting, fights, burglary—many minor crimes.

When the young man woke, Wang Bo questioned him. The youth looked bewildered. “W-what…what happened to me? I’ve forgotten everything. How could I forget everything?”

The medic crossed his arms. “Methane poisoning doesn’t affect brain nerves, sir. Pretending to have amnesia won’t work.”

The young man painfully tore at his hair. “What’s wrong with me? Why am I in a hospital? Why can’t I remember yesterday?!”