Chapter 336: Testing the Waters

The conference room was packed, and the tables were covered with documents: personnel files, social connections, business and company registration information, bank accounts, capital flows...

Branch Captain Yu stood before the large screen, acting as the narrator: "These are the leads recently uncovered by each team, with a focus on these companies that act as fronts."

"A portion of this came from the confessions of Ma Shan's subordinates, while another portion was derived from screening companies and industrial/commercial households with high relevance and correlation based on the activity trajectories of Qi Song, Ren Danhua, and the Yu Jichuan siblings, followed by in-depth investigations."

"Then, based on transaction records and capital flows, we locked onto a number of bank accounts with high-frequency activity. Following that, based on recent capital anomalies, we finally traced it to the source..."

"The industries involved are extremely broad: there are cultural companies specializing in antiques, art companies dealing in jewelry and ornaments, logistics companies specializing in transport, engineering companies ostensibly engaged in demolition and civil works, and even more, auction houses specializing in money laundering and international auctions..."

"Our preliminary conclusion is that this is a large-scale criminal syndicate centered in Beijing, radiating across the four provinces and cities of Jingjinjimeng, with criminal activities such as tomb raiding, smuggling of Cultural Relics, and money laundering as its primary means of amassing wealth. Underneath it are several tightly organized gangs with clear divisions of labor. And Ma Shan and Wang Chun are merely one link in this, the tip of the iceberg..."

"Therefore, the effectiveness of this operation has been significant, and the plan has far exceeded expectations..."

Branch Captain Yu explained it family by family and analyzed it item by item, leaving the high-ranking police officials who had been specially invited to hear about the case for the first time dumbfounded.

Just this, and they were already stunned?

Only a very small number of people knew that the Police had grasped even more than what was presented at the meeting.

Although Lin Sicheng was an external staff member, his contribution was too great, so the General Team leadership told him what they could: the umbrella at the very top was one rank higher than Vice President Sun.

But these were only leads, not evidence, and there was still a lot of work to be done.

Afterward, there was a small-scale discussion, basically limited to the Branch Captain level; people at the level of Yan Wenjing were excluded.

Yet Lin Sicheng was surprisingly included.

At the end, Director Chen of the Municipal Bureau, who was chairing the meeting, called on Teacher Lin to say a few words. Lin Sicheng stood up: his ability was limited, his experience was insufficient, and he could only play a supporting role.

The group of leaders laughed in unison: "Little Lin, you strike hard; the harder, the better..."

After the meeting ended, Lin Sicheng hurried downstairs.

Behind him, a man and a woman followed closely. They were exactly the ones in the jacket and the "little honey" from before.

It was already mid-October, and the weather was turning cool; Wang Qi Zhi was wearing a leather jacket with a fur collar, sitting in the driver's seat.

He held an unlit cigarette between his fingers, turning it over and over.

Ye Anning and Ji Wangshu stood by the car, checking their watches from time to time.

"Look, he's here!"

Ji Wangshu pointed, Ye Anning's eyes lit up, and she pursed her lips.

Wang Qi Zhi got out of the car and stared at the two people behind Lin Sicheng. Subconsciously, he recalled that time last year in Xijing.

It was just like this: no matter where Lin Sicheng went, those two were always following behind...

As he pondered, Lin Sicheng walked up and greeted them one by one: "Teacher, Shiniang, Sister Anning..."

Wang Qi Zhi sighed: "What is your situation now? I called Yan Wenjing to find you, and he actually said he couldn't make the decision?"

It was indeed a bit much, but an average person wouldn't have said it so directly.

Lin Sicheng smiled: "I've been a bit busy lately. Captain Yan is leading a team, and since I'm not with him, we basically don't see each other much."

This had nothing to do with whether they were together or if they saw each other: given Yan Wenjing's personality, it was impossible for him to lie.

If he said he couldn't make the decision, then he truly couldn't make the decision.

Seeing this, Wang Qi Zhi was actually less worried: the more importance placed on him, the better he was being protected...

He nodded: "As long as you're alive, that's all that matters!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he received a thump on the back; Ji Wangshu glared at him fiercely.

Then she turned her head, a smile appearing on her face again: "It's getting cold, so I had Anning bring you some clothes. By the way, I asked your teacher to check with the Police leadership about when you'd be finished. Only when we got here did we find out everyone was in a meeting."

Even if they weren't in a meeting, the teacher wouldn't have been able to ask at a moment's notice; at the very least, he would have had to ask the General Captain level.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "By the end of the month at the latest, no later than the start of winter!"

Counting the time, that was only about half a month.

Wang Qi Zhi was half-doubting: "Can it be handled that quickly?"

"It will definitely be finished!" Lin Sicheng said without ambiguity, "Even if it isn't finished, I'm going back to Xijing when the time comes!"

At this stage of the investigation, with the existing leads, if they couldn't take them down before Wang Chun went to Sichuan to recuperate, then it was no longer a matter of Lin Sicheng's personal ability influencing the direction and outcome of the case.

No matter how capable he was, or how professional and knowledgeable he was, he was only human, not a god.

Of course, this was just the worst-case scenario: no matter how strong this group's connections were, or how high their rank was, could they be higher than the leaders in the Ministry?

Lin Sicheng didn't dare say more, and Wang Qi Zhi didn't ask more. Looking at the two people behind, Wang Qi Zhi didn't mention anything about Lin Sicheng coming back to stay.

Opening the trunk, Ye Anning took out the suitcase and looked behind Lin Sicheng again.

Looking for what, Tang Nanyan?

Ji Wangshu narrowed her eyes: Ye Anning, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?

Where was this? The courtyard of the Public Security Bureau.

He came out to see some relatives, and there were actually people following him. With this kind of setup, what could he possibly do here?

Just as she was cursing inwardly, she suddenly froze: behind the glass of the sensor door, a figure in a police uniform flashed by.

Slender and tall, yet full of heroic spirit.

Ye Anning curled her lip and gestured with her chin: Aunt, you were just about to scold me, right? Come on, see for yourself...

Ji Wangshu was dumbfounded, staring straight at Ye Anning: You could see that from so far away, what kind of eyesight is that?

Lin Sicheng was completely unaware and asked about the Cultural Relics Research Institute project research press conference.

Wang Qi Zhi was beaming: Lin Sicheng couldn't get away, so he, as the teacher, had to stand in for him. So this time, Wang Qi Zhi had really saved face.

He also asked about the operation of the Center, and everything was fine.

Seeing that Lin Sicheng was perfectly fine and had people following him at all times, there was nothing to worry about, so the family didn't stay long.

Getting into the car and leaving the courtyard, watching Lin Sicheng waving continuously in the rearview mirror, Ji Wangshu glared at Ye Anning: "It was so hard to see him, and you, you didn't even say an extra word?"

Ye Anning wrinkled her nose.

As long as she could see him and know he was doing well, that was enough...

……

Sunlight filtered through the glass, spilling onto the curio shelf. The humidifier hummed "woo-woo-woo," spitting out clusters of white mist.

After drinking the herbal decoction and applying the ointment, Wang Chun wrapped herself in a thin blanket and sunbathed by the window.

Ren Danhua sat nearby, wanting to speak but hesitating.

The woman smiled: "What, are you anxious?"

Ren Danhua nodded: "Big Sister, it's been another week!"

This crackdown was not only sudden, but the scale was undeniably massive and the standards were undeniably strict. However, because they knew early and responded in time, they basically suffered no losses.

Compared to them, those in the same trade had it truly miserable: some were fined, some had their shops sealed, and others even had their accounts frozen or were arrested.

Yet Big Sister's business was only slightly affected, which was completely negligible.

The problematic accounts were handled cleanly, and although the goods weren't all moved out, they were sent to a safe place. But Big Sister still said: wait a little longer, look a little longer...

After thinking for a long time, Ren Danhua couldn't hold back: "Big Sister, problematic businesses can be stopped, but why stop the ones that have no problems?"

"It's not like we don't have items with legitimate origins; these can always be sold, right? The tighter the wind blows, the better the business, and the more we earn..."

Take that Pocket Watch for example; that one definitely has problems and certainly cannot be brought out for the time being. But there are so many items without problems, why can't they be sold?

It's not that all the items are bad; there are so many intact items collected previously just to serve as a cover, why not take advantage of the market shortage and sell them at a high price?

It wasn't that Ren Danhua valued money over her life, but because they had fought too fiercely with Ma Shan before, Big Sister had basically stopped going into tombs these years, and her subordinates all relied on this to make a living. Suddenly, all business stopped; it was easy for leaders like them, but what about the people below?

If this goes on for long, the team will have to scatter...

Ren Danhua spoke very quickly and was a bit agitated, but Wang Chun didn't mind: having been poor for so long and having faced difficulties for so long, one naturally becomes bolder. Moreover, Ren Danhua hadn't experienced much, didn't know the severity of things, and inevitably thought things were simpler than they were.

She smiled: "Your cousin, your uncle, your grandfather—they all thought like that at the time: it's easy for people's hearts to scatter but hard to gather them, but what was the result? The gun hits the bird that sticks its head out!"

Ren Danhua choked, unable to speak.

When her cousin had his accident, she was only in her early twenties and still in college, just at an age where she didn't understand the ways of the world. When her uncle had his accident, she was still in middle school and understood nothing.

But at that time, her cousin was in the prime of her life and already showing her talent.

Seeing her silent, Wang Chun frowned: "And it's already eye-catching enough now; if we can avoid moving, we should try our best not to..."

Ren Danhua didn't understand: "Big Sister, I feel like our problems are the fewest, so we are the safest, right?"

"It is precisely because the problems are the fewest that we are eye-catching."

Wang Chun counted on her fingers: "The Police operation has been underway for a week. Do you know how many shops have been sealed and how many have been ordered to rectify? Over two hundred shops sealed, over eleven hundred ordered to rectify, and in the three major markets of Beijing, there are less than five thousand shops in total!"

"That means a quarter of our peers have problems to some degree. And among our twenty-six shops of various sizes and eight companies, except for those belonging to Ma Shan, how is it that not a single one of the rest was investigated?"

It is impossible to be in the antique business without any problems at all; whether it was Wang Chun or the two bosses above, they all understood the principle that if the water is too clear, there are no fish.

Therefore, even though they received the news extremely early, they still left quite a few flaws. The problems weren't big enough to be serious, just enough to warrant rectification, but not enough to reach the level of sealing the shop for investigation.

But what's strange is that whether it was the Police or the Cultural Relics Inspection, they just went through the motions and gave a few verbal warnings?

"Could it be that the bosses spoke to the leaders?"

Wang Chun sighed: only someone with insufficient experience would think that.

Connections are only used at critical moments; if one used connections for such small problems, how unreliable would those connections be?

She shook her head: "It's that the bosses also feel something is not quite right, saying we should stabilize and lay low for two days!"

Ren Danhua was startled: "Running away?"

"Not necessarily running away, but we need to wait and see. At the same time, clean up the loose ends from before: hide the goods that should be hidden, transfer the money that should be transferred, and sort out the problematic accounts..."

Isn't that still preparing to run away?

It couldn't be that Ma Shan confessed, could it?

Impossible; if Ma Shan had opened his mouth, Big Sister couldn't still be sitting here. So, she just felt the bosses and Big Sister were like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, overly nervous.

It couldn't be that they organized such a large operation just to deal with their one family, could it?

If that were the case, from top to bottom, absolutely no one would be able to escape...

"Big Sister, then how much longer do we have to wait?"

"Not sure, the two bosses have already entrusted internal connections, but they need to inquire slowly, which takes time!"

After a slight pause, the woman frowned: "The two bosses mean to wait a few more days; if it's still like a stagnant pool as before with no changes, they will have me, Lao Qiang, and San Xi go out first to avoid the Wind."

See, they really are going to run away?

Lao Qiang is the appraiser, San Xi is the head of the legmen, plus the Jianzuo Ma Shan who went in, and Big Sister who is the leader—these are the only four second-tier backbone members.

As long as these four leave, it's equivalent to breaking the middle layer; even if the case were turned upside down, they wouldn't be able to trace it back to the two bosses.

Huh, that's not right?

Ren Danhua suddenly had a realization: "The bosses want to use you all to test the waters?"

The woman didn't speak, nodding lightly.

Very normal; if it were her, she would do the same.

"Big Sister, then what should we do?"

"Don't panic, we aren't leaving right now, are we? The bosses want us to process the goods first; it would be best if we could move them all out of Beijing. Secondly, settle the people below. Of course, the most important thing is the money..."

Ren Danhua certainly wasn't panicking, she was just worried: originally there was nothing wrong, but tossing about like this, and so urgently, the commotion won't be small—what if it attracts the Police?

The two bosses are clearly trying to use a few backbone members to throw a stone to test the path?

But her words carry little weight. Even Big Sister's words don't count for much.

She knit her brows: "Big Sister, other things are easy to say, but the key is the goods. It's getting stricter now; as long as it's a main road out of Beijing, they are basically checking. If one thing goes wrong, we might end up delivering ourselves to the Police; it would be better to just leave them be."

The woman didn't speak.

This was her fault, and the bosses' fault too: thinking that the channels for moving goods were all in Beijing and that temporary transport was troublesome, they kept most of the goods in Beijing.

But who could have imagined that after so many years of peace, where things were usually all thunder and no rain, this time they would suddenly get serious?

"It's not like we must move the problematic ones?" The woman narrowed her eyes, "Put a few more of the problem-free ones, put fewer of the problematic or lightly problematic ones, and try again..."

Huh, a ruse to cross the sea, making a feint to the east while attacking in the west?

Ren Danhua's eyes lit up, but before she could be happy, the woman sighed again: "It wasn't my idea; the boss instructed it this way from the start."

Even when casting a stone to ask the way, one must be particular about strategy and method.

Besides, not everyone is Ma Shan, for whom it is death whether they speak or not. If someone goes in and fails to hold out, can the two bosses still remain unscathed?

If one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer...

(End of this chapter)