Wang Zeyin’s words were a guiding light. Were Fourth Master’s entire family bad people? Was Liu Chenxi also a person driven by revenge? The Cat-Eyed Man had set up a scheme amongst these people, and my job was to find him.
Now, I had bargaining chips. The crimson-skinned green jade thumb ring and Liu Chenxi, whom I had hidden, I decided to talk to Liu Chenxi first and then begin my own plan. Yu Xiaoluo would cooperate with the serious crimes unit today to verify Liu Chenxi’s alibi. As an outsider, I naturally couldn’t be involved in the investigation. I requested a sketch of the Cat-Eyed Man, and returned to the hotel to find Liu Chenxi. Liu Chenxi stared at the picture for a long time before hesitantly saying, “He looks a bit like him, but the real person looks older. The hair is right, the person has that kind of unnaturally curly hair.”
“What do you mean by unnaturally curly?”
“Many people have curly hair. Some are naturally curly, while others perm it.”
Speaking of hair, Liu Chenxi’s hair caught my attention. While I was at the criminal investigation bureau, she had cut her shoulder-length hair into a buzz cut. Liu Chenxi also noticed my gaze, sheepishly touched her hair, and said helplessly, “I’ve been on the run lately. Being caught by you last night was also because of my hair, so I just cut it short.”
“Sister Liu, do you think someone is trying to capture you?”
“Fourth Master’s people.”
“Why would they want to capture you?”
“I don’t know that. But I always feel that Fourth Master is a cruel person. Da Wang’s death is related to him, but Da Wang never told me anything?”
Liu Chenxi didn’t look like she was lying, or perhaps I couldn’t tell if she was lying. After some thought, I decided to test her: “Do you know Fourth Master’s name?”
“No, everyone always calls him Fourth Master. Da Wang called him brother-in-law, and he told me to call him brother-in-law like Da Wang.”
Theoretically, if Liu Chenxi didn’t know Fourth Master’s name, then it had nothing to do with revenge. However, there was another possibility: Liu Chenxi already knew Fourth Master’s name and was putting on an act.
Regardless of which it was, it indicated that Liu Chenxi was a crucial figure. I could only probe slightly, I couldn’t delve deeper.
“Alright, Sister Liu, you should also get some rest. Oh, what about Lao Tie? Didn’t I ask him to stay with you?”
“I let him go back. There wasn’t any danger. He seems to be concerned about his work at the shop.”
“Okay, then get plenty of rest. I’ll come see you later. I’ve booked this room for you for a week using my ID. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
…
In a game orchestrated by a strategist, discerning the scheme is a relatively complex process. However, this process is comparatively relaxed; even if it becomes a bit aggressive at times, there’s no danger. Once the scheme is successfully discerned, the most critical step is planning; only a well-structured plan is the key to breaking the scheme.
From what I understand of the current scheme, everyone is shielded by a thin veil before their most primal instincts are ignited. In other words, they are all connected to the Cat-Eyed Man, but they are unaware of each other, which allows the Cat-Eyed Man to sow discord, pit them against each other, and incite their primal, savage instincts.
My first step in planning is to inform Fourth Master and his wife about the Cat-Eyed Man’s existence. Once they realize the Cat-Eyed Man is a threat, I will have broken half the scheme. Then, I will simply replace the Cat-Eyed Man, make Fourth Master and his wife disbelieve him, and have them reveal his whereabouts. Once I have him, I will collaborate with the police to arrest him, and the ‘human nature trial ground’ scheme will be broken.
…
After leaving the hotel, I went to the Siheyuan to find Fourth Master. Fourth Master was holding a monocle, carefully examining the green jade thumb ring I had given him, which bore an imperial poem by Emperor Qianlong.
Genuine artifacts belonging to Emperor Qianlong usually bear imperial poems. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong was extremely fond of Han poetry and culture, composing more poems than even renowned poets, totaling over forty-three thousand.
Fourth Master didn’t mind my visit and even shared this unverified historical anecdote. At over a dozen poems a day, it would take him over a decade. It turns out the Emperor Qianlong we praised didn’t manage state affairs and spent his life thinking only of composing poetry.
I just listened for amusement, and Fourth Master didn’t seem to mind. He then placed the thumb ring back into its red lacquered box in front of me and locked it in a safe. Only then did he ask me the purpose of my visit.
“I’ve come to ask for Fourth Master’s help.”
“You returned this thumb ring to me, fulfilling a lifelong wish. I will certainly help you with your request.”
“Thank you, Fourth Master. It’s about my brother’s case. Although he’s been released, the suspect’s identity hasn’t changed, and he can’t leave the capital. If the police find any new leads, he’ll still have to cooperate with the investigation. I came to Beijing from my hometown for my brother. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, I’m eager to go home for the holiday, so I’ve been going to the police station more often to inquire. They said there’s a suspect whose identity is questionable, but after all the investigation, this person is like a ghost, completely elusive.”
Fourth Master looked extremely puzzled. “Bi Da Wang is my brother-in-law. I’m also very concerned about his case. How come I haven’t heard of such a person?”
“The police said the clue was provided by Bi Da Wang’s girlfriend, Liu Chenxi.”
“What’s his name?”
“I don’t know.”
“What does he look like?”
I handed him the picture of the Cat-Eyed Man. Fourth Master looked at it intently. He seemed unfamiliar with this person, as if he had never seen him before.
“Bi Da Wang never mentioned him, and I haven’t seen this person either.”
I chuckled. Since Fourth Master claimed he hadn’t seen the Cat-Eyed Man, there was no need for me to say more. I just pointed it out to him, letting him know that Bi Da Wang had contacted the Cat-Eyed Man.
“Fourth Master, then I apologize for disturbing you. Please help me inquire about it. Oh, have you collected all the thumb rings yet? Do you need me to keep an eye out for them?”
“Not yet, I’m missing one. But I know where the missing one is. You’re very thoughtful, child.”
It seemed Fourth Master knew about the set of Qianlong thumb rings and that the last one was in Liu Chenxi’s possession. I directly changed the subject: “This thumb ring is extremely valuable. Have you found a buyer?” My question was somewhat impolite, but Fourth Master laughed heartily. “Once this set of thumb rings is complete, I will donate them to the National Museum, and my name will be listed as the donor. I want to achieve eternal fame along with these thumb rings.”
“These items are worth a lot of money, and you’re just donating them?”
“Child, I’ve lived a lifetime. Money is no longer important. When we first started dealing in antiques, people called us beggars, scavengers, and some even thought we were tomb raiders. For many years, we endured their suspicious glances. Now that I’m not short of money, what do I lack? It’s glory, of course! When I selflessly donate national treasures to the country, that glory will be my lifelong wish.”
To be honest, I hadn’t expected this. Fourth Master collected these thumb rings not for money. However, it was understandable. At his current stage, fame might be more important than wealth.
After chatting with Fourth Master for a while longer about the past and present of the thumb rings, I bid farewell and left. As I reached the gate, a BMW pulled up. A woman got out of the car, dressed in designer clothes and carrying a branded bag. She stopped when she saw me, intending to enter the courtyard, and asked, “Are you Tang Nan?” Kuai Shu Ge.
“And you are?”
“Get in the car. I was planning to look for you. Since I’ve run into you, I don’t need to tell Mr. Jiang.”
Clearly, their marital relationship was not good. I got into the car with the woman, and we went to an auction house. This woman was Bi Shuwen, the legal representative of this auction house. She should have been quite old, but cosmetics masked her skin’s condition. However, sitting there, the exposed half of her calves revealed the looseness of her skin.
“Who exactly are you?”
The woman’s eyes shot at me like knives, and then she got straight to the point.
“How can you ask that? Don’t you already know my name is Tang Nan?”
“Just by you giving that thumb ring to Mr. Jiang, I know you’re not simple. You don’t need to hide anything. Let me be clear, Jiang Wufang has been diligently searching for a set of seven thumb rings he and Liu Cheng dug up years ago. After all this time, Jiang Wufang only just learned the whereabouts of the sixth thumb ring. The thumb ring is in Liu Cheng’s descendant’s possession. After hearing this news, Jiang Wufang sent my brother, Bi Da Wang, to contact Liu Cheng’s daughter, Liu Chenxi. He even lied to me, saying that once all seven thumb rings were gathered, he would have them auctioned at my auction house. Believing him, I carried out his plan, preparing to corner Liu Chenxi with a blue sapphire ring. The plan was nearing success, but unexpectedly, my brother was murdered.”
It seemed my guess was correct. It was indeed Jiang Wufang’s scheme to seize the crimson-skinned thumb ring from Liu Chenxi, but something went wrong.
“Your brother was murdered, and my brother became the suspect. If you hadn’t tried to trick my brother for fifty thousand yuan, would I have gotten involved?”
“Fifty thousand yuan? Do you think my family lacks fifty thousand yuan? My monthly allowance to my brother is more than that. To play cheap tricks at Panjiayuan for fifty thousand yuan would damage our family’s reputation. If our family’s reputation is ruined, what good would that do him?”
“But he did it.”
“I know, but I don’t understand why he did it. I think you deliberately had him trick your brother. You and your brother don’t get along, and it dragged my brother into it.”
“Big Sister, please stop guessing. Why would your brother listen to me?”
“If you used the green jade thumb ring as bait, Bi Da Wang would still have done it.”
This woman’s analysis was very logical. Using the thumb ring as bait to make Bi Da Wang trick Lao Tie out of his money. The theory was feasible, but it didn’t make sense. Lao Tie wasn’t a wealthy man; was it worth setting up such a grand scheme for him?
“Big Sister, it’s not what you think. I also went to the police station today. The detective handling the case said there was another person with Bi Da Wang, and perhaps it was this person who incited your brother with some unknown identity.”
“I’ve never heard my brother mention anyone. Are you making this up?”
I handed Bi Shuwen the sketch of the Cat-Eyed Man. Bi Shuwen stared at it while I watched her. Bi Shuwen’s reaction was identical to Fourth Master’s. This person was unfamiliar in their memory, or rather, they had never seen him before.
How was this possible? Had I made a mistake? Had the Cat-Eyed Man not contacted Fourth Master and Bi Shuwen? If he didn’t contact these two, how could he initiate the so-called ‘human nature trial ground’?