Chapter 332: Beat the Grass to Startle the Snake

Sunlight passed through the blinds, casting pale yellow shadows on the white wall.

The CT scan was stuck in front of the light box, the lung textures looking like a fishing net.

The old doctor had graying hair, but his energy was quite good. He adjusted his glasses and carefully took the pulse.

"It's controlled well. Stop the Three Insect Decoction for now; I'll prescribe another dose for you... Remember: avoid dust, avoid mites, avoid cold, avoid high sugar, avoid dryness, avoid dampness..."

"Beijing has heavy fog. If conditions permit, try to go south for recovery in winter and return after the Qingming Festival. But don't go too far south; northern Guangdong, northern Fujian, or southern Sichuan will do..."

The woman nodded incessantly: "Thank you, Professor Chao!"

The old doctor was noncommittal, writing out the prescription with a "swish-swish" sound.

Ren Danhua took it and helped the woman up again.

Watching the two leave the office, the old doctor stood up and took off his white coat.

He took the towel handed over by the Assistant to wipe his hands and went out the Backdoor.

Passing through the corridor to the room at the end, just as he was about to press the door handle, the door was pulled open from the inside with a "clatter."

It was a small conference room where several plainclothes officers were organizing data, and the Deputy Director and the head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department were accompanying Sun Liancheng and Team Leader Yu for tea.

Seeing the old doctor, several people stood up in a hurry.

A National Medical Master, a project leader for the national "15th Five-Year" Science and Technology Support Program, with students all over the world.

He was now seventy-four years old and had been retired for nearly ten years. But to cooperate with the public security investigation, he had to be invited to hold a special clinic for that woman.

Sun Liancheng and Yu Guang hurried to greet him, bowing and shaking hands, thanking him profusely.

The head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department was his student and poured him a cup of tea. Team Leader Yu took out a notebook and said respectfully: "Professor Chao, I have to trouble you again; we need to ask some questions!"

Professor Chao nodded: "You're welcome, it's my duty!"

"Thank you... Do you still remember roughly when you first diagnosed Song Chun?"

"Oh, it's a bit blurry!" The old gentleman tried hard to recall. "It was about ninety-nine or two thousand; it should be nearly ten years now. I don't remember the time very clearly, but I have a deep impression of the condition..."

He looked up: "I was still seeing patients occasionally back then, and she came to see me specifically. When she first arrived, the symptoms were very mild and could be controlled with ordinary prescriptions plus hormones. About half a year later, she came for a follow-up, and the condition suddenly worsened: it jumped from a common Level One to Level Three..."

"I suspected it was related to her work environment. When I asked, she said she worked in a Coal Mine and often went down into the pits, but I felt something wasn't right. Her symptoms didn't look much like dust-induced asthma; there should be other factors, so I finally adjusted the prescription."

"But after more than a month, she came for a follow-up, and the condition not only didn't ease but showed signs of worsening. I suspected she had lied, so I had my students perform a bacterial culture."

Only then did I know that her illness was not asthma caused by the common Aspergillus niger, Nocardia, or the Plague Virus Group. It was the extremely rare Clostridium cadaveris and Necrophilic Mucor..."

"When I asked her again, she told the truth: she said her husband was a Fengshui Daoist who often helped people with burials, moving graves, and opening coffins. She helped her husband, and she didn't know how she caught this disease... Then I changed the prescription, and it was immediately effective..."

"But it was seen too late, and the root cause couldn't be removed, so it could only be controlled. However, because the follow-up was timely and the prescription was adjusted in time and was quite appropriate, her illness did not worsen, and it is still Level Three to this day..."

Sun Liancheng and Yu Guang looked at each other.

They didn't understand medicine, but just hearing these two names, they knew: where did these two things come from?

One is corpse poison, one is necrophilic...

"Professor Chao, did she use the name Song Chun at that time?"

The old gentleman was stunned for a moment: "You mean, this name is fake?"

Still needing her cooperation and having nothing to hide, Yu Guang nodded: "The Identity Card is real, but she changed her name; she wasn't originally called Song Chun. She isn't any Fengshui Daoist either, but a Grave-robbing criminal..."

The old gentleman paused.

Actually, he had expected it: Clostridium cadaveris and Necrophilic Mucor are both anaerobic bacteria, and their generation environment is extremely harsh. If it were just ordinary grave moving or coffin opening, it would certainly be in an open-air and spacious environment, making the possibility of infection unlikely.

And in just half a year, for her condition to jump from Level One to Level Three, there was only one possibility: digging into tomb passages every day and opening coffins every day.

But he was just a doctor, and his duty was only to treat illnesses...

Sun Liancheng and Yu Guang expressed their understanding: different divisions of labor, different responsibilities.

After asking about relevant clues, the physical evidence department had finished copying the data, and the two thanked him again.

Before leaving, Sun Liancheng suddenly remembered: "Professor Chao, there is one more question to ask!"

"It's fine, go ahead!"

"Is there such a possibility: if a person has a medicinal smell on them, can a doctor, just by smelling, distinguish what the prescription is, what specific medicinal materials were used, what illness is being treated, how many times a day it is taken, and even who prescribed it?"

"Even, just by listening to a cough, can one deduce the specific condition and when she fell ill?"

The old gentleman was stunned: "Without tasting the medicine or taking the pulse?"

"No, just by smelling and listening!"

"Impossible. Look, Smell, Ask, Pulse—listening also belongs to 'smell.' If you only rely on 'smell,' you can at most distinguish the medicinal materials. If you want to deduce the condition without asking, you must at least Watch Qi..."

The old professor paused slightly: "But there aren't many who have this skill!"

This man was a National Medical Master and a leader in related disciplines; if he said there weren't many, then there certainly weren't.

And Lin Sicheng had only seen that woman twice. The first time was fine, at least they met face-to-face. But the second time was so far away, and it was at night, seen from afar through a car window.

Even leaving this aside, comparing Lin Sicheng to the person in front of him, it felt both strange and incredible...

The two thanked him profusely and took their leave immediately.

After leaving the hospital and sitting in the car, just as they fastened their seatbelts, the Police Communication beeped twice.

Glancing at it, Sun Liancheng answered: "Lao Han!"

"Team Leader Sun, Song Chun is booking a flight, arriving in Panzhihua at noon on the 25th!"

The 25th, half a month later?

Subconsciously, Sun Liancheng recalled the medical advice Professor Chao gave to Song Chun: Beijing has heavy smog, it's best to go south for recovery, northern Guangdong, southern Sichuan...

"Are there many people with her?"

"Not many, there are currently four people on the same flight; they should be a nanny and a secretary. Whether there are others, we are still checking..."

"Keep a close watch. Has the phone been located?"

"Only part of it has been located, and the rest are being checked... However, we have already found three associated companies, two accounts, and six shops..."

There was a slight pause on the phone, "We discussed it roughly and consulted again; Lin Sicheng's suggestion is: startle the snake by hitting the grass, lure the snake out of its hole, the sooner the better..."

Upon hearing "lure the snake out of its hole," Sun Liancheng knew what Lin Sicheng wanted to do. If it were before, he would certainly have to consider it: what if they used too much force and scared the snake away?

But now, this woman had to go to another province to recuperate. As the saying goes, the whip is too short to reach; once she left Beijing, there would be too many uncontrollable factors.

He thought for a moment: "Forget about 'beating the grass to scare the snake,' the commotion is too big. If it's 'knocking on the mountain to shake the tiger,' that could be done, but we must hold back our strength..."

"Like this, you invite Lin Sicheng, and also report to the General Captain; we will hold a meeting this afternoon to further conduct Artifact Research..."

"Understood!"

With a "beep," he hung up the phone, and Sun Liancheng sighed again: "Is this kid becoming more and more useful?"

Yu Guang nodded vigorously: More than just useful?

It could be called immediate, hitting the nail on the head, a cure for the illness, and specifically treating difficult and miscellaneous cases.

Counting on his fingers: since the case began, more than half of the clues were found by Lin Sicheng.

Yu Guang thought for a moment: "Leader, why don't we discuss it with the General Captain and find Tang Sijiang? Let him help us with more Consultant work?"

"No rush, let's finish this case first!" Sun Liancheng shook his head, "However, we can let Secretary Liu leak some Wind first..."

Yu Guang didn't make a sound: there was no need to remind him at all, Liu Kaichun had probably already leaked it...

While pondering, Sun Liancheng suddenly remembered: "How many days has it been?"

"Including the day at the mall, today is the third day... Lin Sicheng deduced that in five days at most, Ren Danhua will contact him!"

Knowing what he was asking, Yu Guang replied, then pondered, "When Song Chun leaves, he will definitely want to see Lin Sicheng, and our time will definitely not be enough. But as soon as they meet, the person must be arrested... Lin Sicheng said that if absolutely necessary, we can create some accidents."

When there are many accidents, it is no longer a coincidence, but an inevitability.

That is why Lin Sicheng said, if absolutely necessary...

"Investigate first!"

Sun Liancheng leaned back, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers on his thigh: knocking on the mountain to shake the tiger, how should one knock?

The key lies in the method, and the force...

The Medicine Pot sat on the flames, and a dull sound came from within its sandy belly.

The ceramic lid trembled slightly, pushed by the steam, and wisps of white smoke escaped from the gaps, twisting into a braid shape in the twilight.

Clearing the dregs, filtering, adding water to decoct again; the building was full of the fragrance of medicine.

When it cooled to slightly warm, she drank it down in one go. Ren Danhua handed over a piece of Sorghum Candy, and the woman hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth.

After sucking on it a few times, the bitterness between her lips and teeth gradually dissipated, and the woman let out a breath: "How many days has it been?"

"Three days!" Ren Danhua paused, "Should we make contact?"

The woman thought for a moment and shook her head: "Let me sort it out again!"

It was also bad luck that she suddenly fell ill. She had to use a prescription that fights poison with poison; not only was the medicinal effect fierce, but it also greatly affected her thinking.

Plus the constant coughing, let alone calm contemplation, she couldn't even concentrate her energy.

Fortunately, it finally stopped...

Moving the candy under her tongue, the woman narrowed her eyes: "Call Qi Song over!"

Ren Danhua nodded and took out her phone.

She didn't call, just sent a text message. Less than a minute after sending it, the screen lit up: Immediately.

After waiting for about five or six minutes, the sound of knocking came from outside the door.

Ren Danhua shouted "Come in," and a man of thirty-five or thirty-six pushed the door and entered.

He was not tall, a bit thin, and wore a pair of non-prescription glasses.

If Lin Sicheng were here, he would recognize him at a glance: this was the person in the hooded sweatshirt at the mall that day.

"Auntie, Second Aunt!"

After the greeting, the man sat to the side.

The woman propped herself up with a cushion and sat up straight: "Tell me about the situation that night again, be more detailed!"

The man nodded.

"After the power went out, Auntie went back to the car. I was afraid that the other party was causing trouble and might be disadvantageous to Second Aunt, so I sent Liuzi, Dogleg, and Steel Bar into the mall."

"How many people?"

"Six!"

The woman nodded and told him to continue.

"I sent a text message to Second Aunt, and she said she was fine, so I told everyone to stay on the third floor. After the power came back on, I saw that person in the corridor on the third floor."

"Just him alone?"

"No, two of them, and his apprentice, who was always following behind. At that time, he walked straight toward the restroom. When he passed by Steel Bar and his wife, he suddenly stopped. His eyes were very strange, staring at their hands, and what he said was even stranger: 'The candied haws are quite sweet, aren't they?'"

The woman sighed: where would there be candied haws in Xidan?

Those candied haws were bought by Steel Bar's wife at her request when they arrived, originally to relieve the bitterness after taking medicine. But the power suddenly went out, she didn't go up, and Steel Bar's wife could only keep holding them.

It looked like she had been holding them for a long time, just holding them without eating; of course, it looked suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

Looking at those two pairs of hands again: one digging a pit, one receiving the goods...

"And then?"

"Then, he went to the restroom. He still hadn't come out by the time Second Aunt went downstairs. I was quite shocked by him at the time, not knowing what he meant, so I quickly reminded Second Aunt and told Liuzi and the others to be on high alert, so I didn't notice when he came out of the restroom..."

"But later I discovered that someone wearing jeans kept wandering around the third floor. He didn't stop, didn't buy anything, just wandered around, circling the whole place. Finally, he turned to me, and then went downstairs..."

The woman gave a "Heh": "So, you were staring at the restroom the whole time, staring at his apprentice, and didn't notice anything at all, right?"

If he had noticed at the time, Qi Song would have notified her and Danhua immediately and warned his subordinates.

"It was indeed only after returning that I realized something was wrong..."

The man's face turned red, "When he passed by me at the time, he was mumbling. Because he was speaking Cantonese, I didn't hear it clearly. After thinking about it when I got back, I realized he said: 'Such a big formation?'"

Cantonese?

The woman did not know what to say.

That person had wandered around in front of everyone, even being blunt, mocking them to their faces for being cowardly and petty, yet Qi Song hadn't even noticed?

Furthermore, he had been sitting right under Ren Danhua's nose, and she had even come face-to-face with him, yet she hadn't recognized him?

Ren Danhua was as if stunned: denim outfit, Cantonese... was that person Lin Sicheng?

"He... he was at KFC at the time?"

The woman didn't speak, but nodded.

"No... it's not him..." Ren Danhua tried hard to recall, shaking her head vigorously, "The voice isn't right, the looks aren't right, the build isn't right... and he was very dark, the age doesn't match either..."

The woman sighed: "Among the Five Flowers and Eight Gates of the old society, the Water Immortal, Floating, and Wind sects all know how to disguise!"

"Big Sister, it's still not right..." Ren Danhua looked horrified, "From the power outage at the mall to us leaving, it was only ten minutes!"

The woman didn't speak.

At first thought, it was indeed unlikely to be possible. But she was certain: that denim outfit was that person.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically pointed out the identities of the couple, nor would he have gone out of his way to wander in front of Qi Song and his subordinates.

And he certainly wouldn't have left a lead for Qi Song, then deliberately left a lead for Ren Danhua.

This was telling Ren Danhua—or perhaps telling herself—plainly: these little tricks cannot deceive him. Since you want to cooperate, do it openly and honestly...

The woman explained, and Ren Danhua only felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes were wide as lightbulbs, her lips trembling.

Her mind was like a Zoumaling: at the time, Lin Sicheng had been less than two meters away from her. If she had turned her head to blow a gust of wind, she could have made his hair float.

She could see the screen of the game he was playing, as well as his practiced hand movements and skilled technique. She could even hear clearly the Cantonese he was muttering while playing and cursing.

To the point that she had even helped him translate for the waiter, and he had even said "thank you" to her?

Moreover, when she left with the medicine, she had passed right by his side. Their clothes had brushed against each other, and sparks had even flown due to static electricity.

If she had turned her head back then, would she have been able to recognize him?

No, she had turned her head; it was that phrase he said after finishing his game, "Beautiful to the point of exploding." Thinking about it now, he was clearly saying it for her to hear: General Manager Ren, remember this voice, there will be a surprise when you go back!

Thinking back again: from beginning to end, he had treated her like a monkey... oh no, whether it was Qi Song, Liuzi, or the couple, he seemed to be watching monkeys?

Ren Danhua gave a bitter smile and bit her lip: "Big Sister, he saw you..."

"It was pitch black, what could he see?" The woman was unperturbed, "Besides, even if he did see, so what?"

High skill makes one bold; it was indeed a good method.

Capable of appraising, capable of repairing, understanding human nature, capable of breaking a deadlock, having both courage and insight, having both bravery and strategy... he could be called a talent not seen in ten years.

But no matter how impressive, this is Beijing; the so-called strong dragon does not suppress the local snake.

What's more, there was no enmity or grudge between the two sides. The reason she was on high alert and testing him in every way was simply because she wanted to deepen their relationship and cooperate for the long term.

Precisely because they were of the same path, and precisely because he was an old hand in the underworld, he understood very well: why Ren Danhua—or perhaps herself—had to go through so many detours?

In a business that costs one's head, one cannot be too cautious...

"The problem is, what does he want to do?" Ren Danhua knit her brows, "Come to Beijing to plant a flag?"

The woman shook her head: "Doesn't look like it!"

His style doesn't look like it, his methods look even less like it, and he doesn't have that kind of strength.

Anyone who works in the crooked trades, no matter the industry, cannot make a name for themselves just by having high skill, good technique, and being bold enough to fight and struggle.

It also has nothing to do with having a lot of money or a little; there is an old saying: holding a pig's head but unable to find the temple.

To plant a flag, one must have subordinates and power behind them.

Furthermore: with his ability, and his relationship with Yang Bin and Zhao Laotai, if he wanted to enter this trade and find a way to make a living in Beijing, there was no need to snatch a Flower Bonus or reveal a Flower List.

If he let Zhao Xiuneng make inquiries, he could always find one or two people of the same path. No matter which family it was, as long as he submitted a post, not to mention giving his uncle face, they would certainly test his mettle.

Moreover, someone wanting to enter the trade couldn't be so guarded, wary of everything. Just like that day at the teahouse: Yu Jiyao used every trick, but he didn't move a single thought.

Looking at his conduct and style, it was more like a spur-of-the-moment decision, meeting moves with moves.

Could it be that he wants to establish a foothold in Beijing, but doesn't want to get his hands dirty?

As the thought turned, the woman's eyes lit up: "He wants to enter the legitimate trade!"

Ren Danhua paused: didn't we know that before?

Just as Big Sister said: with this ability, this skill, and this set of underworld methods, why engage in work that puts one's head on the line?

"It's not the same thing! How many genuine items are there in Panjiayuan or Liulichang? Even if you build a building specializing in antiques there, how many big clients can you get in a year?"

The woman laughed, "He wants to make big money, but he doesn't want to follow his uncle's old path!"

Ren Danhua realized belatedly: "Finding sources, finding clients?"

"Right!" The woman nodded, "Those who set up shop in Beijing don't necessarily have only Raw Pit Goods; more or less, they have some that come from legitimate channels, and some have quite a few."

"Not all clients like Raw Pit Goods. Since he can guarantee they are genuine and can confirm the origin is not problematic, who would want to collect items that might result in losing both money and goods, or even getting themselves into trouble?"

Ren Danhua was stunned: "His ambition is that big?"

"It's not ambition, it's high skill. Just by his technique as a Scavenger of Broken Pieces, he will make a name for himself sooner or later. Because of this, getting to know a few people of the same path is not difficult, and collecting some legitimate goods and befriending a few legitimate clients is also not difficult. Of course, he is also bold enough..."

The woman laughed, "If you walk by the river often, how can you not get your shoes wet?"

If they want to drag you into the water, there are plenty of ways.

If he doesn't love women, he must love money, right? If that doesn't work, just frame him...

Ren Danhua frowned: "Then after such a scene, will he still take our business?"

"Rest assured, not only will he take it, he will take it with confidence and boldness!" The woman was exceptionally certain, "With experience this seasoned, if it were the kind of blunt, straightforward approach, he would actually hesitate..."

"Big Sister, then are you going to see him?"

"See him, this time I'll see him directly!" The woman nodded, "You go make arrangements, prepare a banquet, make it a good one..."

A talent not seen in ten years, one must see him regardless.

The key is this spirit: even when surrounded by an Ambush from Ten Sides, one still strolls as if in a quiet courtyard.

Playing those petty tricks and using those small schemes instead makes one seem inferior...

"Understood, Big Sister, I will contact them later!"

Ren Danhua looked at her watch again, "Then you rest first!"

The woman smiled: "Alright!"

After putting away the Medicine Pot and the Bowl, just as Ren Danhua was about to leave, the woman's mobile phone "buzzed" once.

She glanced at it, her brows slightly furrowed: "Divine Sword 2008?"

Ren Danhua did not understand: "What?"

"A joint operation by the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau, Customs, and the Tax Bureau: to crack down on ancient tomb excavation, trafficking of Cultural Relics, Smuggling, illegal transactions, and tax evasion, as well as to rectify the antique market... effective immediately, for a period of three months!"

"No... everything was fine, why the sudden crackdown?"

"It was only fine in the past. Have you forgotten the time last year, and the time this spring?"

Ren Danhua was stunned for a moment before she remembered: before the Olympic Games, there had been two crackdowns, right?

However, the intensity of maintaining public order was much greater; compared to that, crackdown operations regarding Cultural Relics and Grave-robbing seemed quite inconspicuous.

"Then should we scale back the business?"

"We certainly must scale back, but there is no need to worry!" The woman was dismissive, "It's not like we are the only ones earning less, right? If anyone should be anxious, others will be anxious first..."

(End of this chapter)