Chapter 330

The baseball cap's pupils shrank sharply.

Lin Sicheng surely had never seen him before, and Captain Yan wouldn't be idiotic enough to tell the protection target that there were several Special Duty Team members in the mall, each with their own distinct features.

This was common sense, and even more so, discipline.

Then how did he recognize him?

In his astonishment, a flash of inspiration struck the baseball cap: Is he bluffing me?

Just in that split second of thought, with less than a meter between them, Lin Sicheng didn't stop his feet, his lips moving slightly: "Notify Captain Yan, Target Number Two is in the mall; it's that woman from Panjiayuan. There might be her eyes and ears in the building... Oh right, give me your hat!"

The Special Duty Team member was stunned for a moment.

It wasn't that his reaction was too slow, but that he knew too little intelligence. He didn't even know the total number of targets.

But he didn't need to notify anyone; the moment Lin Sicheng appeared on the monitor, Yan Wenjing used her authorization to open the communicators of the nearby Special Duty Team members, including this one.

Upon hearing that Target Number Two was the woman from Panjiayuan, a "buzz" went off in his head, as if it had exploded.

How cunning and alert was that woman?

Ma Shan had brought dozens of subordinates, offering a Flower Bonus and mobilizing his underworld associates, yet he still let that woman slip away right under his nose.

How seasoned was she?

She set traps as easily as a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving no trace behind.

Lin Sicheng's underworld experience was rich enough, yet he still fell for it.

With so many Special Duty Team members in the building, mostly concentrated on the third floor, she would notice something was wrong with just a glance.

More crucially, that woman had seen Lin Sicheng before...

In an instant, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, Yan Wenjing realized: he knew what Lin Sicheng was about to do.

"07, the hat..."

Before the words had even faded, the two brushed past each other.

The baseball cap scanned quickly, shifted his body slightly, and leaned against the railing.

It just so happened to shield Lin Sicheng behind him.

As if his scalp were itchy, he raised his left hand to take off his hat, naturally placed his hand on his waist, and scratched his scalp with his right hand.

Having basically confirmed it was safe, he tossed the hat from his left hand with a light flick.

Lin Sicheng, with his hands behind his back, caught it steadily in his hand.

In the command vehicle, several Police officers looked on in amazement.

Although the baseball cap was young, his experience was extremely rich; it was no surprise that he knew how to position himself, block the line of sight, and cover Lin Sicheng.

What was strange was that Lin Sicheng seemed to know what he was going to do, which side he would lean toward, and from which side he would toss the hat.

He hadn't even turned his head or glanced sideways, yet he had walked into a straight line with the baseball cap, blocking the line of sight from their side.

Then, with a flick of his hand behind his back, the hat landed perfectly in his hand. With a smooth motion, he tucked it into the back of his suit jacket.

At the same time, the baseball cap feigned a look, let out an "Ah," and poked his head over the railing: "My hat!"

Whether they were in front or behind, everyone looked over in unison.

In that very instant, the hat at his lower back seemed to grow legs and moved to his side.

Lin Sicheng had one hand in his trouser pocket, pinning the hat under his suit jacket.

The speed was extremely fast, taking less than two seconds from start to finish. Yet it was extremely covert and natural. If not for the surveillance cameras overhead, no one would have known what the two had done in such a short time.

The two Special Duty Team captains looked at each other: it wasn't strange for a Special Duty Team member to be so skilled, as that was his line of work, but why was Lin Sicheng so skilled as well?

The point was, Lin Sicheng hadn't raised his hands or moved his clothes, yet the hat had automatically rotated more than half a circle; the move looked so familiar.

After a moment of thought, the two realized: wasn't this the same trick pickpockets used to transfer wallets?

Not only was Lin Sicheng fast, but he was also extremely proficient, just like a veteran thief of many years?

But that was secondary; the key was, how did he know the baseball cap was a Special Duty Team member?

While secretly pondering this, Lin Sicheng passed a woman in her forties and looked at the hand she was using to hold a candied hawthorn skewer.

Immediately after, he looked up and glanced at the burly man beside the woman.

So, it wasn't an illusion, and he wasn't being paranoid?

There were not only Police in the building, but also thieves.

The woman's hands were stained with rust, and the man's face had spots.

They had been down in the pits and had dug up goods...

Perhaps they weren't Tai Mausoleum him, but were people arranged by Ren Danhua to provide backup in case he tried to harm her.

But for them all to be gathered on this floor was quite conspicuous.

Lin Sicheng paused slightly, looked at the woman, and then at the candied hawthorn: "You've been holding that for a while, isn't it sweet?"

The woman froze, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.

Lin Sicheng looked at the man's hands again and smiled slightly.

What the hell, what normal person would ask a woman accompanied by a fierce-looking man if the candied hawthorn in her hand was sweet, especially when she was an old woman?

The key was his gaze and that final smile.

The expression froze on the man's face; he stared blankly as Lin Sicheng walked past, then lowered his head to stare fixedly at his own hands.

The pads of his fingers were covered in calluses, tightly wrapped around the nails. This happened because the space down in the burial chambers was too small to use tools, and sometimes they were afraid of damaging the goods, so they used their hands to dig the tomb soil until they became like this.

In the Grave-robbing trade, this is called "Ghost-Gnawing Hand."

Looking at the woman again, her hands were covered in rust, black and brown patches. This was from standing at the entrance of the hole year after year, receiving the goods until they became like this...

They had never met Lin Sicheng, but Chuan Ge had given instructions: early twenties, handsome features, wearing a wool suit.

So, this was the person the bosses were hosting today. But looking at this situation, it was clear he had recognized them.

Not knowing what Lin Sicheng's intentions were, they definitely had to report it; the man gave the woman a look, and the two hurried toward the teahouse.

While walking, he pulled out his phone and rapidly entered a number.

Listening to the movement behind him, Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: whether there are dates or not, take a swing at the tree first.

From their perspective, he was not only a seasoned veteran but also a powerful dragon crossing the river; it was impossible for them not to be wary. That was why Ren Danhua, or perhaps that woman, had arranged so many people.

Whether it was Tai Mausoleum or providing support, he would mark them first. Even if they weren't panicked, they would certainly have to wonder: what did this Manager Lin mean? Was he trying to do something, or had he misunderstood something?

By taking care of this end, he couldn't attend to that end, but it could at least provide some cover for the retreating Special Duty Team. At the very least, if he startled these two away, the risk of the few Police officers in this corridor being exposed would be greatly reduced.

But in the command vehicle, Yan Wenjing was bewildered: "That isn't one of our people?"

Of course not.

That man was so burly, so tall, and his gaze so fierce; the Special Duty Team wouldn't choose that type.

He turned his head: "Did you all hear clearly what Teacher Lin said?"

The two Captains shook their heads in unison: the hat was hidden under his suit jacket, covered by his clothes, and Lin Sicheng's voice hadn't been loud, so the signal was very fuzzy.

But immediately, the group noticed something wrong: that man and woman had flustered expressions, and they entered the teahouse as if chased by dogs.

Not right... were these Ren Danhua's eyes?

The group looked at each other: how did Lin Sicheng discover them?

They had been observing on the monitors for so long and hadn't noticed.

But the three of them at least knew what Lin Sicheng wanted to do: stir up the water...

While they were suspicious, Lin Sicheng walked toward a row of resting chairs in the corridor. On the four connected seats sat a girl wearing glasses, looking left and right.

Further away, a young man wearing denim was walking toward this side. The two seemed to know each other; the girl waved vigorously, and the man in denim quickened his pace.

At a glance, they were both quite young, dressed like college students. But in reality, the man was only dressed young.

His real age was at least over thirty, his skin was quite dark, and he had calluses on the webbing between his thumb and index finger. To wear them down that thick, he either held a gun all day or held a pull-up bar all day.

Of course, it was also possible he held a shovel. But someone who holds a shovel couldn't have made it here.

The girl was not; she had obvious tenosynovitis, likely an internal staff member temporarily called from the team to assist.

The key was the girl's glasses, the man's stand-up collar jacket...

Still just a glance, still three or four steps away. Lin Sicheng looked straight ahead: "Give me the glasses... let your partner go into the restroom..."

The girl froze, just pondering what kind of reaction would be normal, when a "crackle" came from the earpiece in the temple of her glasses: "Give it to him..."

She was stunned for a moment, and just as she was about to stand up, Lin Sicheng reminded her in time: "Don't move, pass them over..."

The girl quickly took off the glasses, and just as her hand reached out, Lin Sicheng turned his body slightly, blocking the line of sight from behind.

In an instant, the glasses were in his hand, his finger flicked, and they slid into his sleeve.

The young man in the jacket reacted very quickly; as soon as he received the order, he suddenly turned right and entered the restroom.

Lin Sicheng, unhurried and composed, turned the corner. Just as he reached the door, he turned his head back: "Boheng, are you going to the restroom?"

Zhao Da's heart was thumping: in just over ten meters, he had seen clearly what his master had done.

But he reacted fast enough; when Lin Sicheng was talking to the baseball cap, he had understood what his master wanted to do.

Then, following like a shadow, he stayed three steps away from Lin Sicheng, shielding his line of sight from behind.

"Master, I'm not going!"

"Fine, then wait here for a moment!"

Lin Sicheng went in, and Zhao Da stood at the entrance of the restroom.

After about three or four minutes, a figure wearing a baseball cap, a denim jacket, and travel shoes came out of the restroom.

The hat was one Lin Sicheng had personally asked for, and the jacket was the one belonging to the Police officer who had entered the restroom just before him, including the jeans and the travel shoes.

Zhao Da clearly knew this was Lin Sicheng, but the problem was, no matter how he looked, he didn't look like him.

The build didn't look like him, the hairstyle didn't look like him, the movements didn't look like him, and the way of walking looked even less like him.

Not until Lin Sicheng raised his face and he saw that face clearly did Zhao Da get a shock: this was his master?

Yes, it was his master...

And this was under the premise that he was with him day and night, inseparable, and already extremely familiar with Lin Sicheng.

If it had been anyone else who wasn't quite as familiar, like his second uncle, he probably wouldn't have recognized that this was his master.

It wasn't just wearing flat glasses to cover the light in his eyes, nor was it just flipping the hat over and wearing it upside down on his head.

He had slicked back his hair, looking as if he had shaved his head. His eyebrows didn't seem as slanted, the corners of his eyes weren't as sharp, his skin was much darker, and his face was a circle fatter.

If one looked closely, each change wasn't very large, but put together, it was as if he had changed his face?

No... not just his face, it felt like the whole person had changed.

Lin Sicheng smiled slightly, his voice very low: "Wait a moment, go downstairs in ten minutes!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Zhao Boheng nodded vigorously.

He kept staring until Lin Sicheng left the restroom, and only then did he withdraw his gaze.

Pretending to tie his shoelaces, Zhao Da squatted down and glanced into the restroom: he couldn't see anyone, only a pair of feet wearing his master's leather shoes and the hem of a suit jacket hanging over the toilet.

Turning his head back, Lin Sicheng had already turned into the corridor.

Hands in his pockets, slouching, unhurried and composed.

It was the same corridor as before; the girl was still sitting on the chair, looking toward the restroom from time to time.

The baseball cap was standing on the landing between the third and second floors, looking left and right, as if searching for where his baseball cap had fallen.

There was also a middle-aged man wearing glasses who was on the phone, seemingly looking for someone. Lin Sicheng had seen him at the elevator entrance earlier; he should be from the group Tai Mausoleum Yu Jiyao.

They appeared to be going about their own business, but each one had their eyes wide open, staring at that figure—the figure they clearly knew who it was, yet no matter how they looked, it didn't look like him.

The movements didn't look like him, the posture didn't look like him, and he didn't even look like him?

Not to mention being much fatter, he even looked several years older?

In the command vehicle, the three Captains looked at each other, then looked at the big screen.

Habits can be changed, and movements can be imitated, but how did this face change?

There is specialized Makeup Reconnaissance in Criminal Investigation Division courses, which can disguise one more thoroughly than this: it can even make a young man in his early twenties disguise himself as an old woman in her fifties or sixties.

But that requires a makeup artist to apply makeup meticulously, and it requires repeated training and repeated practice by the Special Duty Team. Sometimes it takes two or three weeks, and more often it takes one or two months.

From the time Lin Sicheng went in until he came out, it was only a few minutes...

While in shock, a voice came through the receiver: "Towards the B1 elevator entrance on the third floor, that one wearing a sweater... opposite the second-floor playground, wearing a hoodie, leaning on the railing and blowing bubbles... the girl holding a balloon, wearing a knit hat and a cotton skirt... and the thin man in a plaid suit walking down the stairs on the west side of Building D..."

Who is this, Lin Sicheng?

Except for Lin Sicheng, no other Special Duty Team member would report like this on the channel, and certainly wouldn't be so long-winded.

But why does the voice not sound like him at all, a bit rough, and a bit deep?

The key is, these people he mentioned?

Yan Wenjing was confused, eyes wide: they all look quite normal, right?

But if Lin Sicheng says there is a problem, then nine times out of ten there is a problem.

Yan Wenjing clicked the mouse rapidly, zooming in to the maximum.

Just as he was looking carefully, the Captain of the Special Duty Team stretched out a finger: "Captain Yan, look!"

Yan Wenjing turned his head back.

On the center screen, Lin Sicheng had gone down the stairs and arrived at the first-floor lobby.

But he didn't go out; instead, he took a turn.

Yan Wenjing zoomed in on another screen: it was a KFC, and because it was open to the public, it hadn't closed yet.

There weren't many people, but there weren't few either; of the dozen or so tables, nearly half were full. There were men and women, middle-aged people and young people.

Lin Sicheng went in and walked straight to the counter. The cashier tapped the keyboard "clack-clack-clack": "Sir, what would you like to order?"

He looked up and said: "Has the iced Coke I ordered come yet? Is the chicken leg deep-fried or reheated? I want the crispy tip of the leg..."

What kind of bird language is this?

The cashier was stunned: "Sir, what did you say?"

"Sister, excuse me, you don't even understand Mandarin?"

The cashier stared at him: You dare call that Mandarin?

Lin Sicheng stared at the light board, gesturing as he spoke: "Coke, one cup, warm... chicken legs, two, crispy... take away!"

Finally, it was understood.

For some reason, seeing him babbling away while looking so serious, the cashier found it quite funny.

And it wasn't just her; most of the customers were watching the novelty.

"Cantonese?"

"Cantonese rarely say 'excuse me', and they aren't this polite; they should be from Hong Kong."

"No wonder they're so stylish?"

The restaurant customers just thought it was a novelty, but the eyelids of the few people in the command vehicle couldn't stop twitching.

Is Lin Sicheng so bored that he's running to KFC to get a late-night snack?

Unless there is some situation in there.

Subconsciously, the three of them thought of that "Target Number Two" that Lin Sicheng had mentioned.

The problem is, the security monitoring system inside is independent, and they can't monitor it even if they want to. They can only see through the mall lobby camera that there are quite a few people sitting inside.

Looking at Lin Sicheng again, he took out his wallet to pay and sat at a table near the mall side.

With his back to the counter and facing inward, he was casually fiddling with his phone.

No, he is taking pictures...

Yan Wenjing's heart skipped a beat.

Not counting the support and surveillance teams outside, and not counting Yu Jiyao, including Yu Jichuan, there are at least four bodyguards by Ren Danhua's side.

Then guess again, how many are by that woman's side?

And still so close?

Even if he has applied makeup and his appearance has changed significantly, what if?

It's not that he's afraid Lin Sicheng is in danger; if a dozen Special Duty Team members can't protect him, they might as well just find a block of tofu to smash their heads against and be done with it.

What Yan Wenjing is worried about is that Lin Sicheng will be exposed...

Secretly changing his mind, he gritted his teeth: If it really comes to it, just make the arrest.

But what after the arrest?

This isn't Ma Shan, with ironclad evidence. If they can't get a confession, they have to let them go when the time is up.

It's even more difficult than undercooked rice...

Just as he was feeling suspicious and uncertain, his phone buzzed. Right there on the table, Yan Wenjing glanced at it and looked as if he had been stunned.

It was a text message, sent by Lin Sicheng, and there was more than one:

Captain Yan, don't worry, the person is not here.

See that Camry outside the restaurant? Right across from the door, the silver-gray one, the person is inside.

The two cars next to it should be as well; I estimate they will leave together. This is the license plate number, you can check it now.

Also this phone number, check it now too; it should be her driver, or perhaps her personal bodyguard.

Pull the parking lot surveillance and see if it's her: height 1.6 meters, age between forty-five and fifty. Single eyelids, deep nose bridge, relatively thin lips, small eyes, and a mole above her right eyebrow.

She has asthma, so there should be a coughing action...

Looking at the dense text messages, Yan Wenjing was half-believing and half-doubting.

Being able to clearly describe what that woman looks like is not strange: Lin Sicheng has met her, and the key is that his memory is super good.

But how did Lin Sicheng know it was these three cars, and even know that the woman was in the middle one?

Furthermore, not only did he know that the woman was having an asthma attack, but he also knew the mobile number of her driver or bodyguard?

Suspicious, Yan Wenjing clicked the mouse repeatedly, replaying the parking lot surveillance.

Not long after, about ten minutes ago, a little earlier than when Lin Sicheng gave him the signal to cut the power.

Found it, the silver-gray Camry... eh?

Yan Wenjing was suddenly stunned; that's not right, there were two more cars in front?

One Audi, one Prado. Seven or eight people got out of the two cars, both men and women. Some went into the mall, while others just stood by the cars.

The key was those few people who went in: one wearing a sweater, one wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and one tall, thin person wearing a plaid suit.

There was also a young girl wearing a cotton skirt and a knit hat.

They were exactly the four people Lin Sicheng had reminded him to observe earlier...

(End of chapter)