Chapter 343: The Substitute

The woman came out of the inner room, holding that box.

She placed it on the table and looked at Lin Sicheng with a smile: "Which one does the guest want?"

Lin Sicheng pointed casually: "This one, and this one too!"

The woman feigned a look: "These two are considered top-tier; sixty thousand for one, I'll give you a discount for both, just give me one hundred thousand!"

Lin Sicheng looked at the woman, then looked at the two Cricket Gourds.

Although he did not know who the woman had called or what price had been discussed, he had eyes and could see for himself.

For something like this, even if the imitation was very realistic, twenty or thirty thousand at most was the absolute limit.

This woman opened her mouth, and the price doubled?

"Big sister, these are imitations!"

"I know, if they were genuine, I would charge one hundred thousand for just one!"

"I am in quite a hurry, but what I am anxious about is that the real items cannot be repaired, not these few fake items of yours!" Lin Sicheng sighed, "Sixty thousand for the two, if that works, it works; if not, I'm leaving!"

"Sixty thousand..."

Before the words "not for sale" could leave her mouth, Lin Sicheng had already turned around. The woman was stunned for a moment, then grabbed his sleeve, "Sixty thousand it is!"

He had come to investigate clues anyway, and the money could certainly be recovered, so Lin Sicheng couldn't be bothered to haggle with her and took out his bank card: "How do I pay?"

The woman took out a card reader: "You can swipe it right here in the shop!"

She must have never received such a large amount before, as the woman fumbled with the operation for a long time. With a few "squeaks," the POS machine spat out a receipt.

Lin Sicheng glanced at it: Hai Zhu Guan?

A "sea pig" is a guinea pig, also called a Dutch pig; the shop was also in Shilihe, two streets away from here.

He didn't know why someone selling Cricket Gourds would use a pet shop's account, so Lin Sicheng secretly made a note of it.

Looking at the amount on the receipt, the woman was beaming: how long had it been since she had seen such a generous and straightforward customer?

Usually, while business was decent, the best days only brought in ten thousand or so...

"Guest, come back often!"

"We'll see!"

Lin Sicheng nodded and pointed to the two items he had brought: "If the boss who supplies you returns, call me anytime; the labor fee is negotiable. However, I am from out of town and can only stay for two days at most."

Two days—how could Qi Hao possibly return by then?

Could this person be playing hard to get on purpose?

The woman rolled her eyes: "Guest, let me tell you the truth, don't disbelieve me: besides his place, there is nowhere else in Beijing that can repair these gourds of yours..."

"Is that so?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and held out his hands, "It's just that the materials are incomplete and I can't find the right tools, otherwise I would have repaired them myself!"

At first, the woman scoffed: who couldn't say pretty words?

Besides, Qi Hao truly had the skill; otherwise, the boss of Tingqiushan Hall wouldn't have referred customers here.

It was just that he didn't like to show his face, so not many people knew him...

But when she saw Lin Sicheng's hands, she suddenly froze: there were calluses on the edges of his palms, spots on the webbing between his thumb and index finger, and especially on his fingertips, which were covered in dense black dots, as if he had been pricked by countless needles.

Was this person a Grave Robber?

No, that's not right; Grave Robbers only have soil stains and rust spots... This is a Scavenger of Broken Pieces.

Suddenly, the woman believed him more than halfway.

"Alright then, as soon as he returns, I'll have him call you immediately..."

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal and nodded.

Packing up the box, the three of them left the shop, and the woman stood at the entrance, watching Lin Sicheng's back.

After he turned the street corner, the woman returned to the shop and took out her phone to check her contacts. After flipping through for a long time, she found a number and dialed it.

The call connected, and the woman laughed first: "Boss Sun, thank you for today; it counts as a good start."

"Was it three people, two men and one woman, with a tall one who looked like a bodyguard?"

"Yes, they took two Cricket Gourds and said they wanted them repaired. But the person I know went out of town and couldn't repair them, so he bought two, saying he'd wait for someone to return to repair them... I just wanted to ask, if they were to be repaired, how much would be appropriate?"

"That's really hard to say, because those two pieces are Supreme goods, ten to one they flowed out of the palace. As for how much it would cost, it depends on the extent of the repair..."

The woman was shocked: no wonder that person had been so dismissive when she said they were "good imitations" at the time.

"Thanks for the tip, Boss Sun, I'll treat you to a meal another day!"

Hanging up the phone, the woman's mind began to race: he was willing to pay fifty thousand for two imitations, what if she repaired two Supreme ones?

That damned Qi Hao, just when you should be making big money, where the hell did you die?

In a flash of thought, the woman dialed Qi Song's number again, but while it had been reachable before, it was now powered off?

She tried two more sets, but still couldn't get through; the woman gritted her teeth, spewing profanities, cursing the mothers of Qi Song and Qi Hao.

As she cursed, she suddenly remembered what that man had said before leaving: "It's just that the materials are incomplete and I can't find the right tools, otherwise I would have repaired them myself..."

That's right: although Qi Hao wasn't here, the tools and materials were; what would be the harm in selling him a few?

The woman's eyes lit up, and she pulled down the rolling shutter.

Turning the street corner, Lin Sicheng picked up the phone handed to him by the Special Duty Team:

"Team Leader Yu, send someone to watch that woman from just now, and also investigate 'Bi Tao Hai Zhu Guan'!"

"Understood!" Yu Guang replied, then sighed, "We just found Qi Song's phone number and were about to track it, but the signal disappeared!"

Isn't that normal?

It had already been over two hours since the "Fragrant Fruit Garden" was raided; if he hadn't come to this shop, this Qi Song probably wouldn't even know his brother was in trouble?

From this, it is clear that his vigilance is a hundred thousand miles worse than Wang Chun's...

Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment: "Captain Yu, Wang Chun is likely going to run. If there's no other way, let's arrest her."

Yu Guang fell into deep thought: Once an arrest is made, it will be a case of the fish dying and the net breaking.

Failing to find the stolen goods is only one aspect; if they cannot nail those two moles, whether it is he and Sun Liancheng, the General Captain, or even the bureau leadership, they could regret it for a lifetime.

"She cannot run!"

"I know..." Lin Sicheng was somewhat uneasy, "but this woman is too cunning and has too many tricks; she is impossible to guard against!"

"Teacher Lin, rest assured!"

Three teams, nine groups—the woman's residence is surrounded like an iron bucket; where could she possibly run?

In the attic with the sloped roof, light leaked in through the lattice, landing on the yellowing bamboo blinds.

Water vapor drifted in the light, ethereal and swirling.

The dampness was a bit heavy; the woman turned off the humidifier and tapped the armrest of the sofa, one beat at a time.

All phones were turned off: Ren Danhua, Yu Jichuan, and Yu Jiyao.

These three must have guessed what she wanted them to do.

Yet, the money in the accounts had not moved?

It seems that over these years, Danhua has learned quite a bit from her, at least possessing self-awareness: as long as the money is moved, she will have to take the fall for this, whether she wants to or not.

However, it does not matter; it was merely a casual move from the start. If it succeeds, that is good; if not, there is no loss.

She is already fifty-six this year, has earned more money than three lifetimes could spend, and her children have all been sent abroad; it is long past time to wash her hands of this.

The reason she has been living under someone else's roof, enduring humiliation, and meticulously grooming Ren Danhua and Qi Song—was it not for this very day?

After the deed is done, brush off one's clothes and leave, hiding one's merit and fame deep away...

The phone buzzed, and the woman straightened her back.

It was a number she had never seen, but the seventh digit was a 2, and the tenth was a 9.

Qi Song.

She answered, and the voice on the other end was slightly flustered: "Big Sister, something has happened..."

"Don't rush, speak slowly!"

Qi Song took a forceful breath: "Qi Hao is gone, and Er Lv (in camouflage) is also gone..."

"When?"

"Just today. He called me in the morning, saying the Security Bureau and the fire department were inspecting the Lengku. By the afternoon, he suddenly stopped answering the phone..."

"Did you send someone to ask?"

"I asked. They said the Beishui Company wouldn't let them open the Treasury and started a scene at the site, and the Security Bureau pinned down a few of the troublemakers..."

"Not the Police?"

"Not the Police, it was the Security Bureau and the fire department people who pinned them down on the spot. The Police Station only arrived afterward... I had people go check the surveillance to see if the ones taken away were Qi Hao and Er Lv, but the logistics Center wouldn't let us see it. I pulled strings to inquire, but after going in circles, I couldn't even find out where they were being held..."

"They didn't take money?"

"It's not a question of whether they want money or not, but that they can't find out."

It seems something has indeed happened.

She had no impression of Er Lv, but Qi Hao had been with her for several years, and she knew his personality well: the young man had a ruthless streak, but he was not impulsive; at most, he would just watch the excitement.

Besides, the ones causing trouble were from the Beishui Company; what did that have to do with him?

The woman's eyelids could not stop twitching: even if there was a disturbance, why were the Security Bureau and the fire department making arrests instead of the Police?

Could it be that these people inspecting the Treasury were actually the Police in disguise?

"Big Sister, could it be that Ren Danhua did this?"

"Impossible!"

Ren Danhua lacks that decisiveness, has no such capable hands under her, and certainly lacks those connections.

The most critical thing is: they couldn't even find out from people on the inside?

Unless the people were not arrested by the local jurisdiction's departments.

Throwing a stone to ask the way—the stone didn't splash, but the lake stirred up waves on its own?

The woman's mind raced: "Send people to watch outside the shops: the gourd-carving shop, the pet shop, and the basement operation room. Wherever Qi Hao often goes, send people to watch and see if any outsiders are asking about him."

Qi Song was startled: "Big Sister, what if the Police are digging a pit to fish?"

"Rest assured, it won't be that fast: even if Qi Hao has fallen, he won't confess that quickly, and the Police won't be able to trace Qi Hao's roots that quickly either; they can only cast a wide net to catch fish. Even if they can trace it, they will certainly check his public businesses first...

The Police don't have that many talented people who can all act like insiders. Send people to watch; if the person entering the shop is an amateur who asks about everything but buys nothing, then nine times out of ten, it's the Police. That would mean our business has been exposed..."

Qi Song's heart hammered a few times.

A few days ago, Big Sister said she felt something was wrong, saying this Police inspection felt like it was aimed at them, but Qi Song didn't quite believe it at the time.

Inspections happen every year; at the end of last year and this spring, the commotion was much bigger than this, and didn't they end up safe and sound?

Later, Big Sister reminded him to keep a low profile during this time, to hand everything over to Yu Jichuan to handle, and that if they were caught, to push everything onto Yu Jichuan—he still remained somewhat dismissive.

How much effort had Big Sister spent to groom these three scapegoats? To throw them out to take the fall at the slightest sign of trouble, wasn't that too wasteful?

Only when the matter was at hand did he realize how much foresight Big Sister had: money is a bastard; if it's gone, you can earn more. But if a person falls, their life is gone...

Qi Song gritted his teeth: "But why Qi Hao?"

Qi Hao is his own younger brother; there are only two men in the family, they can't all be executed, right?

Whether it's Grave-robbing or shipping goods, Qi Hao basically doesn't participate. Moreover, he has his own craft and his own businesses, and more than one.

The ones on the surface, the ones in the shadows, and even the ones that are half-public and half-hidden.

At most, when she was too busy, she would have him manage the Treasury or keep watch.

Therefore, his brother hadn't really committed any crimes, and he knew even less; why would the Police arrest him?

The woman was silent, because she did not know either.

If the Police had been watching for a long time, then why not arrest Ren Danhua, whose criminal evidence was more conclusive and who was clearly planning to flee abroad?

Most of the problematic goods were received by her, sold by her, and the accounts were also managed by her.

No matter where the money ultimately flowed or what its purpose was—whether it was paying wages to those who went down into the pits, buying tools, vehicles, and equipment for Grave-robbing, or even being transferred abroad—every single transaction must have passed through Ren Danhua's hands.

She was more like the ringleader than she herself was.

If the Police had only just started watching, then why not arrest those decoys she had released? For example, Steel Bar, Liuzi, or Dog Leg?

The situation happened too suddenly; there was no way to analyze where exactly things had gone wrong in such a short time.

But the woman knew at least one thing: something must have gone wrong, otherwise the Police would not have been able to track down the Lengku.

It couldn't be that Danhua had turned herself in, could it?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the woman shook her head decisively: Impossible.

Ren Danhua knew very well that once she confessed, she would never get out for the rest of her life. Let alone turning herself in, even if she were caught, she would absolutely bite her teeth and refuse to say a word.

Besides, if she really were to confess, the first person the Police would arrest would be herself...

In an instant, the woman thought of countless possibilities. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes: "Qi Song, change your number, change your location!"

"Big Sister, change to where?"

"Go to Ruyi City!"

After a brief pause, a sharp glint flashed in the woman's eyes, "Go to the Jade shop first. On the shelf against the east wall, there is a Mi Jin Fo made of Qi Lian Jade. There is a key inside the Buddha's belly. After you get the key, go to the basement, door number F-26."

"After you go in, there is a safe behind the largest piece of material. The password is Qi Hao's birthday. Inside are our passports and Identity Cards, cash, and gold bars... Wait for my call there."

Was this about running away?

Her heart tightened. Before Qi Song could even open his mouth, the woman sighed: "It's not leaving right now, but hiding first to see how the Wind blows!"

Qi Song let out half a breath of relief: "Big Sister, then what about Qi Hao?"

"Wait for my news!"

"What about the goods in the Treasury?"

"Wait a little longer; it's not time to burn them yet!"

The woman gave detailed instructions, and Qi Song was in a state of utter confusion, only able to say "mm, mm, mm." After hanging up the phone, he remembered that when Big Sister mentioned the passports, she didn't say "my," but "our."

This "our" definitely referred to Big Sister, himself, and his younger brother.

This meant that Big Sister had long since prepared a retreat.

Qi Song let out a long breath of relief.

After hanging up the phone, the woman pinched the bridge of her nose and lowered her head in deep thought.

After a long while, she stood up, pulled the curtains shut, and then stretched out her foot to step on the base under the recliner.

With a soft "clatter," the antique shelf split in two, revealing a doorway.

The door slid open silently, revealing a small room inside.

A bed, a lamp, a few books. And a woman reading a book.

The woman looked up, and in that instant, Wang Chun felt as if she were looking in a mirror.

Identical facial features, identical height, identical figure, identical hairstyle.

Even an identical voice.

The woman put down the magazine in her hand: "Are you leaving?"

Wang Chun nodded: "I'm leaving!"

"Safe travels..." Before she could finish, the woman began to cough.

Wang Chun patted her back, "I've wronged you!"

After coughing for a long time, the woman caught her breath, "I'm not wronged... One life in exchange for millions, it's worth it!"

Wang Chun smiled, "Maybe you won't have to die!"

"Don't worry, I won't betray you!" The woman shook her head, "I'm so miserable from this illness; I haven't wanted to live for a long time anyway!"

Wang Chun was silent, letting out a long sigh.

After a long time, she took the woman's hand: "Sister, take care!"

"Okay, take care!" The woman smiled, "Take good care of Tinghai for me, and Xiaomei too!"

"Don't you worry!"

The two hugged, then separated. The woman left the room, closed the stainless steel door, and then closed the antique shelf.

Wang Chun lifted the carpet in the small room and pried up a wooden board.

A pitch-black hole, just wide enough for one person to go down, with a vertical ladder leading straight down, with no end in sight...

(End of chapter)