Lin Zhijun was formidable, inheriting his mother's caution and his father's intelligence. The incident with Zhang Bing served as a lesson; Lin Zhijun began targeting strangers, perfecting his ability to remain hidden.
Over the years, his grandfather and Huang Aiguo had uncovered several scams and attempted to intervene, but never managed to break them. They couldn't find any evidence of Lin Zhijun's involvement in the fraud, yet the grandfather was certain his son, Lin Zhijun, was a con artist.
This situation persisted until the recent scam involving the Paradise Art Investment Company. In this instance, the grandfather and Huang Aiguo finally saw justice served as they witnessed the victims recover their money.
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As Huang Aiguo recounted this, I was reminded of my grandfather's smile over a glass of wine. No wonder he had left me with that fondest memory; it was a true reflection of his sincerity.
“Grandpa, what exactly do you want me to do? Even if you want me to deal with Lin Zhijun, you should at least leave me some evidence of his crimes.”
Huang Aiguo sighed. “There may be no perfect crime in this world, but our capabilities are limited. We truly couldn’t find any evidence of Lin Zhijun’s wrongdoing.”
“Then what do we do?”
“The old leader has made his arrangements. He said that when a person is close to death, they can see everything clearly. What he cared about most was not his son’s fate, but you and Lin Han.”
I was dumbfounded. “What do you mean?”
“The old leader never believed in ghosts or superstitions his entire life. But before he died, he had someone cast a divination. He said you and Lin Han have incompatible horoscopes and are unlikely to be husband and wife in this lifetime. Therefore, the old leader specifically instructed me to protect Lin Han at all costs if things ever came to that.”
“Protect her how? What did Grandpa do?”
“The old leader had a plan, but I truly don’t know what it was. This was the old leader’s final task for me before he passed away.”
I was utterly lost. I was far from understanding the full scope of this scheme. Old Gui genuinely admired the reasoning behind this plan; there was so much I couldn’t comprehend. I vaguely heard Huang Aiguo mention that his daughter was getting married after the New Year and invited me to attend the wedding when I had time. He also said that for the shop I invested in, he had already contacted a chef specializing in Xi’an’s local delicacies. The shop wasn't near the Drum Tower or Bell Tower but near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. That area was closer to his daughter's home, making it convenient for the elderly couple to help their daughter care for their child later.
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…
I don't know when I left, my mind a complete blank. Finally, I went to the food street, hoping to bump into Old Gui. While I was wandering, I received a call from Lin’s mother. Her voice choked with sobs, she said, “Xiao Tang, please come quickly. Grandma has passed away, the house is in chaos, please, I beg you.”
What?
Grandma has passed away!
Didn’t Grandma just return home from the police station? Passed away? When people say someone has “passed away,” it usually means they have died. At this moment, I wished I had misheard. I rushed to the Lin family home. Upon arrival, I saw two police cars.
One was from the special task force, and the other was from the local police station. I saw a man in a police uniform, a Xi’an native, who I had never met before – Director Lu.
Director Lu’s expression was heavy. He apologized to Lin Zhijun on behalf of the entire police force. The police had determined that Grandma had committed suicide by taking sleeping pills. The reason cited was that the police mistakenly believed Grandma was the murderer of Grandpa. Several days of detention had caused the old lady immense guilt, preventing her from overcoming her psychological distress.
What kind of ridiculous reason is that?
If Yu Xiaoluo hadn’t held me back, I would have cursed Director Lu on the spot.
Lin Zhijun remained secluded in his room. Lin Han, in front of the police, accused her father, Lin Zhijun, of being a murderer. It was said that Grandma had a conversation with Lin Zhijun before her death, the content of which no one knew. In any case, Lin Zhijun left home in a rage. Lin’s mother, worried about her mother-in-law, opened the door to check and saw her sleeping. Several hours later, Lin’s mother found Grandma still asleep. Sensing something was wrong, she entered the room and discovered Grandma had no vital signs. She had taken sleeping pills prepared at some unknown time. Her last words were for Lin Han: “Girl, don’t be sad. Your grandfather and I did something we shouldn't have. I’m afraid he’s suffering alone in hell, so I’m going to accompany him. Live well, and cherish Tang Nan.”
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…
Grandpa is dead, and Grandma followed soon after. Lin Han was on the verge of collapse. It was no wonder Lin’s mother had called me. In the evening, Lin Zhijun finally emerged from his room, his eyes swollen. He offered me a smile. “Xiao Tang, please come over. I have something to discuss with you.”
Lin Zhijun and I went into the study together.
“Xiao Tang, do me a favor. You must find a way to calm Lin Han down. Her father is gone, and her mother has followed her father. No matter what, I need to uphold the Lin family’s reputation. At this critical juncture, I don’t want Lin Han to appear in front of everyone in a state of disarray.”
“Why do you think I can help you? Didn’t Yu Xiaoluo convey what I wanted to tell you?”
“I haven’t seen Yu Xiaoluo. Did she have something to tell me?”
I felt there was no need to hide anything in this situation. Let’s lay it all out.
“I have that segment of burial jade in my possession.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Are you playing dumb? Don’t you remember the national treasure you stole from the museum?”
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Hearing this, Lin Zhijun’s expression changed dramatically. “How did you obtain it?”
“It was the遗物 left to me by Liu Chenxi. I only recently learned its purpose. It carries a story, and this story is the origin of your ‘x driver’ and the ‘logical paradox’.”
There was a hint of suspicion in my words. I didn’t know how Grandpa had orchestrated his plan, but I believed this burial jade was not part of it. No one knew I had it; Grandpa couldn’t have known.
If Grandpa’s scheme couldn’t deal with him, then this burial jade would be the biggest variable in the entire situation.
Lin Zhijun fell silent for a moment, then said earnestly, “Qin Si Liang wanted to break free from the chains the organization put around her neck, so she colluded with Liu Chenxi, who desperately wanted revenge. They are the smartest girls I’ve ever met, but they both underestimated the organization. With you, a mere child, even with the help of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, overthrowing the organization is like a fantasy. This burial jade represents my connection to the ‘logical paradox.’ You’re guessing, you know nothing. I’m telling you, Xiao Tang, even if you reveal the burial jade, it won’t cause much of a stir. Even if you claim I stole it, no one will believe you.”
“How will I know if people will believe me if I don’t try?”
“As you wish. You can do whatever you want. Please, just do me a favor and ensure Lin Han behaves herself these next few days.”
After speaking, Lin Zhijun took out a card from his drawer and handed it to me. “There’s five million here. It’s your reward.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“How will you prove I’m the ‘x driver’? You’ll need to find evidence, won’t you? Zhang Bing’s family, or Jiang Cheng, these people have been poor for a long time. Give them some money, and they can paint me in an even worse light.”
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I thought for a moment and took the card. Lin Zhijun smiled. “Good child, thank you for taking care of Lin Han for me.”
…
After leaving the study, I knocked on Lin Han’s bedroom door. When I entered, Lin Han was bravely wiping away her tears. I looked at her intently and asked, “What role do you want to play this time?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It was you, under the guise of a street photographer, who anonymously sent photos of Grandma pushing Grandpa off the overpass to the police, wasn’t it?”
“It wasn’t me!”
“Stop making excuses. You and Grandpa planned this, and you’ve been acting all along. You were right, acting in front of outsiders is simple, but acting in front of family is difficult. Yet, you managed it. You acted very well.”
“But you saw through me.”
“You made a mistake, not an acting error.”
“What was my mistake?”
“Only you knew in advance that I impersonated the ‘x driver’ and demanded the Lin family hand over the burial jade. You immediately used this to divert the police’s attention, and again anonymously gave the receipt for the developed photos to the police. You were muddying the waters, preventing the police from investigating you, but you exposed yourself to me.” kuAiδugg
Lin Han, having been exposed, pursed her lips. “What do I do now?”
“We don’t have evidence that your father is the ‘x driver.’ Your loud accusations are useless. How about you just stay quiet for a few days, see Grandma off, and then we can make long-term plans to deal with the ‘x driver,’ Lin Zhijun.”
“Is there a way? Grandpa couldn’t find any evidence of Dad’s crimes in his lifetime.”
“Yes, that segment of burial jade must contain evidence that we can use to prove your father is the ‘x driver.’ Otherwise, Liu Chenxi wouldn’t have left it to me. I need time.”
Lin Han nodded firmly. “I’ll listen to you. We will definitely bring my father to justice.”
It seemed Grandpa hadn’t left Lin Han any clever strategies after his death. Was this the end of the plan? Perhaps Grandma had some follow-up arrangements, but Lin Zhijun discovered this scheme and forced his mother’s death, cutting off that avenue of retreat.
Everything would have to be planned meticulously!
It snowed on the day of Grandma’s burial, heavy snow making travel impossible. It was a rare blizzard for Xi’an in ten years, making the Lin family’s tragedy seem even more desolate. Lin Zhijun led the way, carrying the urn. He succeeded; under his arrangement, no one suspected anything other than the truth about Grandma’s passing. People spoke of the deep love between Grandpa and Grandma over the decades, praising their companionship.
That evening, upon returning from the cemetery, only a heartbroken Lin’s mother remained in the Lin residence. She was the happiest in the Lin family, unaware of everything. She didn’t know her husband was a master con artist, nor did she know the profound regret and sorrow in Grandpa and Grandma’s hearts.
All she could do was cry. Furthermore, following the advice of relatives and friends, she was considering going to a temple to burn incense.
I looked at the haggard face of Lin’s mother. Suddenly, a feeling of unease struck me, and I quickly asked, “Where is Lin Han?”
“Lin Han, isn’t she with you?”
Lin’s mother’s question transformed my unease into a bad premonition. I called Lin Han’s phone, but it was turned off. I walked outside, intending to ask the drivers waiting outside. At that moment, Lin Zhijun’s call came through: “Lin Han is in mortal danger. Exchange that burial jade for her life.”
“Lin Zhijun, are you even human? You’re threatening me with your daughter’s life.”
“She didn’t know anything originally. You brought her back to Xi’an. You can wash your hands of it; I can send you the address via text message.”