Chapter 103: Gilding the Lily

The overhead light cast a ghastly white glow, pinning the two men's shadows against the grey wall.

Yang Zhigao and General Manager Zhao stared unblinkingly, watching Lin Sicheng exit the counter and turn into the corridor.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and looked back.

Those two gazes were like two arrows, piercing straight over.

Like a wolf?

Or perhaps an eagle?

Yang Zhigao felt as if he were the prey, being targeted?

His pupils shrank abruptly, and his hand gripping the Tea Cup clenched tight.

His eyes dodged instinctively, and when he looked again, the person was nowhere to be found.

"Fuck!"

He gritted his teeth and cursed.

In that instant, for no reason, without warning, and even uncontrollably, his heart had suddenly cowered?

But why the hell would I cower?

Having scrambled and fought for half a lifetime, what kind of scenes hadn't he experienced, what kind of ruthless people hadn't he seen?

To be shaken by a kid?

Secretly annoyed, he gritted his teeth again: millions in revenue, just like that, ruined by this little bastard?

If I don't finish you, my name isn't Yang.

Lin Zhangqing? Even Lin Zhangtian would be useless...

"Old Zhao, take him out!"

His voice was low, laced with a hint of malice.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no response.

Yang Zhigao turned his head back and couldn't help but be stunned.

Old Zhao's eye sockets were slightly narrowed, his eyes fixed tightly on the door, beads of fine sweat seeping from his forehead.

This son of a bitch, he's even worse than me?

Yang Zhigao opened his mouth to curse: "What the hell are you panicking about?"

Panicking? It was more than that.

General Manager Zhao wiped his sweat, his lips trembling: "Chairman Yang, does he know I'm from Jinghong?"

Yang Zhigao was taken aback for a moment.

He had been so furious he was about to explode, wishing he could kill that little bastard on the spot, so he really hadn't paid attention.

"So what if you're from Jinghong?"

General Manager Zhao lowered his voice, almost roaring: "He knows this is Wei Material!"

Yang Zhigao shuddered: "How is that possible?"

General Manager Zhao didn't speak, pointing at the table. The two of them couldn't help but focus their gaze on the Guanyin Statue in the center of the desk.

Then, they slowly looked up and their eyes met.

Suddenly, both of them shivered in unison: in the shop, there were tens of millions worth of Wei Material goods.

Although it was hard to define, the fear was precisely in that "hard to define"...

"Old Zhao, don't panic... maybe that kid just guessed!"

"Right, I won't panic..."

General Manager Zhao nodded vigorously, but his hand was trembling...

The autumn sun scorched the road, and golden willow leaves swirled in the Wind.

Separated by a wall, the police emblem of the Public Security Bureau flashed with dazzling light.

Shang Yan and Fang Jingxian stood stiffly by the car, their throats bobbing, a stifling heat trapped in their chests that they couldn't spit out.

Instinctively, the two exchanged a glance, then turned their heads in unison to stare at Lin Sicheng, twenty paces away.

With his phone pressed to his ear and one hand in his pocket, he shifted his weight between his feet, unconsciously kicking the brick edge of the green belt.

Relaxed, casual, and leisurely.

After two "beep" sounds, a lazy voice came from the phone, as if just waking up: "Lin Sicheng, you're done so fast?"

Lin Sicheng paused and checked the time: that's right, eleven o'clock?

"Teacher, you haven't gotten up yet?"

"Nope!" Wang Qi Zhi yawned, "I intended to have a couple of drinks with you last night, but you didn't come, so I drank some by myself!"

"And then, you drank yourself drunk?"

"What else? I was in a good mood, shouldn't I drink to my heart's content?"

Lin Sicheng didn't know what to say.

The sound of "glug glug" came from the receiver again, as if he were drinking water: "Did you finish looking for Shang Yan?"

"Finished!" Lin Sicheng regained his focus and started on business, "I looked at two pieces: one is a Sunday Buddha from the Wa Han period of Myanmar, and the other is a standing Guanyin made of Wei Material. Both are quite large, half an arm's length high."

"Oh, a Sunday Buddha?" Wang Qi Zhi understood as soon as he heard it, "Was it sold as a tribute Buddha from the Ming court?"

"Pretty much!"

"Tsk, if it weren't for you, she would have lost at least two or three million. Shang Yan owes a huge favor!" Wang Qi Zhi took a sip of water, "What was the other one?"

"A Jadeite Guanyin with Yang Green Floating Flower, Wei Material!"

"Haha, that's another several million. Did the seller try to hit you?"

Wang Qi Zhi laughed with schadenfreude, but suddenly, his laughter came to an abrupt halt, "Wait, what material did you say!"

Lin Sicheng felt a sense of relief in his heart: he knew Wang Qi Zhi would definitely know.

"Wei Material!"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a moment: how is this an ordinary antique transaction? This is someone setting a trap...

After a pause of several seconds, Wang Qi Zhi's tone revealed a hint of solemnity: "Where did you see it?"

"Kaiyuan!"

"Are there any more?"

"Yes!" Lin Sicheng sighed, "An entire shop, eight sections of counters, four upright cabinets, there are at least several hundred pieces. I don't even know how many are in the Treasury..."

"Treasury, what are you talking about with a treasury?"

Wang Qi Zhi took a breath, and with a "thud," he slammed his water cup onto the desktop, "Lin Sicheng, do you know you've poked someone in the throat?"

Lin Sicheng laughed "hehehe": "I know!"

"What are you laughing at?" Wang Qi Zhi's drunkenness had mostly faded, "You come back first, I'll handle the rest!"

Lin Sicheng looked at the opposite side: "Teacher, I am at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau!"

Why, want to report a case?

Wang Qi Zhi sneered: "Wishful thinking!"

Lin Sicheng felt helpless: "Teacher, I originally came to consult Director Guan. But I think your experience is richer, so I wanted to ask you to help me analyze it; if we pursue it, to what extent can this case be handled?"

"It can't be handled very heavily, at most two or three years. You know the reason very well: local agencies lack scientific and effective appraisal methods. If hundreds or thousands of pieces all have to be sent to Beijing for inspection, what kind of concept is that?"

To put it bluntly, gathering evidence is too difficult.

But it is enough.

The Wei Material is just the lead; it is enough to get Chairman Yang inside, even if he is only sentenced to half a year.

But the Hetian Jade is genuine fraud, and the amount involved is higher, the scope is wider, and the impact is worse. Once it explodes, Chairman Yang will never be able to get out in this lifetime.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Thank you, Teacher!"

"You go ask Guan Xingmin first, and after you come back, come to my house, and we will discuss it further! Also..."

After a pause, Wang Qi Zhi's voice became a bit more serious, "As the saying goes, a dog will jump over a wall when desperate. Lin Sicheng, you had better not be careless!"

"Teacher, I know!"

Otherwise, he wouldn't have run to the Public Security Bureau right after leaving the mall.

Hanging up the phone, Lin Sicheng let out a breath.

Reborn for eighteen years, it is equivalent to having a cheat code that reached the heavens; there is more than enough power to borrow. Therefore, Lin Sicheng never thought about using any connections or conveniences to satisfy his own selfish desires.

But when it is necessary, why not borrow it?

Grudges are one aspect, and morality is another: someone like Yang Zhigao, with one scam, ruins someone else's life's hard work. To this day, he cannot even count how many people he has harmed.

If he isn't sent inside, his thoughts truly won't be clear...

Thinking secretly, Lin Sicheng dialed Guan Xingmin's phone again: "Director Guan, are you at the office? Oh, helping at the Provincial Department, then you go ahead and get busy!"

"It's nothing much, just wanted to ask: do you want to perform a meritorious service?"

"Haha, you want to very much, and you even dream about it? That's good, I'll call again when you're not busy..."

Hanging up again, Lin Sicheng let out a breath.

Besides fraud, Yang Zhigao didn't do less of things like threats and extortion in his previous life, so he was finally sentenced to death with a reprieve.

Therefore, he really must be on guard.

But the so-called "he who strikes first gains the advantage," getting Chairman Yang inside a day earlier can also mean fewer people harmed.

Huh, thinking about it this way, revenge has actually become secondary?

Eliminating evil and bringing peace, upholding justice... isn't that talking about himself?

Lin Sicheng turned these thoughts over happily, trying his best to gild his own lily...