Bi Shuwen looked at the picture for a long time before putting it down and shaking her head. "I don't recognize him."
"Perhaps it's precisely because neither of you knows him that the police overlooked him during their investigation."
Hearing me say that, Bi Shuwen picked up the picture again, examining it closely. "Could it be him?"
"Who?"
It seemed there was a breakthrough. Bi Shuwen's willingness to cooperate made me realize something: someone must have been dealing with Bi Shuwen, but she didn't know what the person looked like.
"The buyer."
There was another buyer?
"What buyer?" I asked seriously. Bi Shuwen considered, then decided to share some information with me.
There was an online buyer. The buyer did not reveal their real name. They wanted to purchase a set of Emperor Qianlong's ceremonial thumb rings for forty million yuan and had paid before receiving the rings. It was a forty-million-yuan bank draft.
A bank draft means the purchaser doesn't pay cash directly. However, if the seller wants the money, the purchaser's bank issues a draft, promising to pay the specified amount to the seller unconditionally within a set timeframe once the transaction is successful.
It was clear the buyer was sincere. They paid in advance before acquiring the goods. While fifty thousand yuan might not be a big deal to Bi Shuwen, forty million likely presented a challenge.
"If they issued a draft, they must have a name, right?"
"The draft came from an investment company. The legal representative's name is Li Dazhi. I've looked into Li Dazhi. He doesn't deal in antiques, but has a particular fondness for jade. He spent a few years in Myanmar and is considered a man of the world. In fact, Li Dazhi doesn't even have much contact with jade craftsmanship. A gambler who dislikes jade craftsmanship wouldn't spend so much money on a set of Emperor Qianlong's thumb rings."
It turned out to be connected to Li Dazhi. Although Bi Shuwen had guessed that Li Dazhi wasn't the actual buyer, knowing the full story, I figured out the real reason for purchasing Emperor Qianlong's thumb rings.
In this era, it was highly unlikely to successfully transfer such a large sum of money to an overseas account. China's regulation of illicit funds was stringent. Even without the Criminal Investigation Bureau's oversight, transferring tens of millions abroad would certainly trigger an account freeze and investigation by the Public Security Bureau.
Conversely, taking valuable and sought-after collectibles abroad was remarkably easy. Antiques themselves weren't inherently valuable, and customs officials lacked the specialized skills to assess them.
Emperor Qianlong's ceremonial thumb rings would undoubtedly fetch a high price at international auctions.
I suspected that the money 'Logic Paradox' had previously scammed was likely funneled out of the country through similar methods.
Li Dazhi's account, containing over fifty million yuan, had already been controlled by the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Wang Zeyie, however, had not informed me of this. Of course, they had no obligation to share such information. Their decision not to seal the account was a long-term strategy. Under the Criminal Investigation Bureau's control, the money would certainly not reach Bi Shuwen. Once the 'Cat-Eyed Man' obtained the set of Emperor Qianlong's thumb rings, he would disappear immediately. Bi Shuwen would not only fail to receive the money but would also be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Since Bi Shuwen had no connection to the 'Logic Paradox' organization, the 'Cat-Eyed Man's' plan would effectively transfer Qin Sisi's illicit gains while simultaneously outsmarting the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Furthermore, this plan was formulated before Qin Sisi was apprehended. Otherwise, Qin Sisi wouldn't have given me that green jade thumb ring, drawing me into the scheme.
...
Since the conversation had reached this point, I felt it was necessary to warn Bi Shuwen to distance herself from the 'Cat-Eyed Man'.
"If the 'Cat-Eyed Man' is the buyer you mentioned, then you should stay far away from him. You cannot proceed with the transaction. He is dangerous; he is a murderer."
"I can understand people who are passionate about antiques being unscrupulous. Their possessiveness far exceeds that of ordinary people. But you say he kills?" Bi Shuwen scoffed disdainfully. "Rich people don't kill; they want to live to enjoy life! If they can't buy a collectible with money, they'll use some questionable tactics. My brother didn't follow the plan. He was probably misled by this 'Cat-Eyed Man' and took Liu Chenxi with him to deceive someone. They must have had another plan."
"What plan?"
"It's no longer important. With my brother's death, that plan died with him. I believe that because of my brother's death, the person you mentioned, the 'Cat-Eyed Man,' will also dare not show his face for some time."
I understood Bi Shuwen's implication and asked earnestly, "If the 'Cat-Eyed Man' doesn't show himself, your business will also fall through."
"As long as the murderer is found, that's all that matters."
"If your brother wasn't killed by the 'Cat-Eyed Man,' then who killed him?"
Bi Shuwen fell silent. I didn't know what she was thinking, but she must have had a suspect in mind. She turned and retrieved six stacks of money from a safe. Each stack was one hundred thousand yuan, totaling six hundred thousand yuan, placed before me, as large as a box of instant noodles.
I looked at Bi Shuwen in bewilderment. Why was she suddenly giving me money?
"Help me with something, and this money is yours."
"I'll help if I can, but I'm unfamiliar with Beijing. What can I do? Auntie Bi, please don't ask me to do anything illegal. I don't have the courage or the skill."
Bi Shuwen scoffed, "What are you talking about? I want you to tell Mr. Jiang that the last Qianlong thumb ring, the crimson-skinned jade one, is also in your possession, and you're asking for two million yuan."
"Where would I get such a thing?"
"Make a fake one."
Hearing Bi Shuwen's words, I put on a wry smile. "Are you joking? Who is 'Fourth Master'? He's spent his life in the antique world and is most famous for his keen eye. If I present a fake, won't it be exposed immediately? Besides, 'Fourth Master' told me that he knows who has the last thumb ring."
"Tomorrow, take the fake thumb ring to Mr. Jiang. Tell him Liu Chenxi has been arrested and beg him to help save her life."
"I really can't accept this money. Where would I find Liu Chenxi?"
"1302!"
I frowned. 1302 was Liu Chenxi's room number. How did Bi Shuwen know?
Seeing my silence, Bi Shuwen smiled gently. "If I were you, I'd take this money and do as I say. I advise you not to get any ideas about the Qianlong thumb rings. You're too young; getting involved will lead to nothing but death."
...
This woman was no simple character. I thought for a moment; this was a good opportunity. Bi Shuwen was aware of the 'Cat-Eyed Man' now, and everything she was doing was initiated by her. She intended to use me as a tool, and this was the best chance for me to gain her trust. Once she trusted me, I would find a way to expose the draft scam and, in turn, use her to capture the buyer, the 'Cat-Eyed Man.'
With this in mind, I obediently accepted the six hundred thousand yuan and then asked Bi Shuwen, "Where is Liu Chenxi now?"
"What does that have to do with you?"
...
When I returned to the hotel, Liu Chenxi was gone. Lao Tie was already asking around. Lao Tie told me that no one had seen Liu Chenxi being forcefully taken away, but she was genuinely missing. Hearing Lao Tie say this, I could only offer a bitter smile. If Bi Shuwen had forcibly abducted her, someone at the hotel would have likely called the police.
"Stop looking."
"Could she be in danger?"
"Lao Tie, don't be so naive. When Bi Shuwen approached me, she already knew Liu Chenxi's whereabouts. That was less than a day after Liu Chenxi checked into the hotel, and she used my ID. Bi Shuwen isn't a psychic; how could she have found out so quickly? Therefore, the person who leaked Liu Chenxi's location could only be me, you, or Liu Chenxi."
Lao Tie looked somewhat flustered. "I didn't say anything."
"Could I suspect you? I didn't tell you, and neither did Liu Chenxi. She told us herself."
"She, why? Wouldn't she want to escape?"
"She never intended to run. This woman already knew 'Fourth Master' was Jiang Wufang. When Bi Dawang approached her, she played hard to get, pretending to be deceived. In reality, Liu Chenxi is very good at deceiving people. At the very least, when she deceived you, you didn't realize it."
Lao Tie grit his teeth in anger. "So this woman was acting all along. What a bastard! She used us like monkeys for her revenge."
"She must have her own plan. She cooperated with Bi Shuwen but didn't tell Bi Shuwen. And the fact that the crimson jade thumb ring is in my possession clearly shows she wants Bi Shuwen and 'Fourth Master' to clash."
"We can't let that wicked woman have her way."
"That's what I was thinking too."
"Tang Nan, I have an idea. Why don't you sell the real crimson-skinned jade thumb ring to 'Fourth Master'?"
I had indeed considered that. But having Lao Tie say it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I was helping the Criminal Investigation Bureau catch people, but Lao Tie's idea might be driven by self-interest. Lao Tie likely wanted to build a good relationship with 'Fourth Master' to establish a foothold in Panjiayuan.
"Lao Tie..." I hesitated, wondering if I should state my thoughts directly, especially since we had already argued over some differences in our principles.
"Tang Nan, listen to me... I can move freely now because you have connections with the police. I suspect you're cooperating with them. I believe the killer of Bi Dawang must be one of 'Fourth Master,' Bi Shuwen, or Liu Chenxi. Now Bi Shuwen trusts you, and Liu Chenxi trusts you. If you can also gain 'Fourth Master's' trust, it will surely make the 'Cat-Eyed Man,' who is manipulating the three of them, reveal his true identity. Once we catch the 'Cat-Eyed Man,' everything will become clear. The 'Cat-Eyed Man' had contact with Bi Dawang, so he must know the killer, or he is the killer himself."
I was extremely surprised that Lao Tie was thinking from the perspective of a strategist like myself. For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
"It's just a suggestion. You can listen to it, but the decision is yours."
"No, it's not... this is truly a great idea, Lao Tie. After this is over, I'll find Old Ghost, and we'll be strategists together. From now on, we'll be brothers, united in our endeavors, conquering the martial world, making a fortune, and making all those scammers tremble at the sound of our names."
"Good!"
Hearing Lao Tie's prompt agreement, I was genuinely delighted. That honest conversation had played a significant role. Lao Tie's inner turmoil had eased, and he was no longer controlled by jealousy. He had returned to being a brother who was on the same page as me.
"Lao Tie, I will do as you suggest. However, I need you to help me make a fake crimson-skinned jade thumb ring. I not only need to gain their trust but also slowly set up a plan to control everything that happens."
Lao Tie was trembling with excitement because I had invited him to join my scheme. He declared loudly, "No problem. I'll go to the ghost market tonight to buy materials."