Qin Sisi had gone through a lot of trouble to pin the blame on Li Dazhi as the mastermind, and then she decided to flee the country.
No, I couldn't let Qin Sisi escape. Now that I knew about this, I had to inform Yu Xiaoluo. I didn't have Yu Xiaoluo's phone number, so I had to go to the Public Security Bureau to find her. When I arrived at the bureau, I learned that Wang Zey i's task force had already deployed their operation.
What should I do?
No, I had to get this news to the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Let's go to the scene!
I knew the message Yu Xiaoluo received was that Qin Sisi had moved the auction for the Empty House to today. The task force was already in position, waiting for Qin Sisi to start the transaction before taking action, catching her red-handed.
However, things wouldn't be that simple. The entire auction process at Empty House was very long. Waiting for the financiers, the appraisal, and the formal bidding would take four to five hours. This was Ruili, and in four to five hours, Qin Sisi could have easily reached Myanmar and eaten a bowl of authentic Burmese sour and spicy noodles.
...
When I arrived at the factory where Empty House was located, many luxury cars were already parked there. Many financiers had arrived. I stood outside, looking for the Criminal Investigation Bureau. I had no idea where they were hidden; there wasn't a trace.
I'm sorry!
Having no other choice, I resorted to a plan. I wouldn't go inside, but I'd loiter outside.
Last time, I hadn't covered my face, and I had bought Dragon Stone Jade. I believed there must be familiar customers who recognized me. As expected, someone greeted me, "General Manager Tang, why are you here again? Give us some opportunities."
An old customer recognized me.
"You know me?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I? You're the one who found the best jade since the founding of the Celebrity Circle."
"It's great that you know me. I received news that the police will be here tonight."
The person who spoke to me turned pale: "Really?"
"Of course it's true. Hurry up and leave. I only risked coming here to inform my acquaintances."
"I can't leave. I have to inform Mr. Jin. We're old friends. If I knew this and didn't tell him, I wouldn't be able to mix in this circle anymore."
Just like that, the news spread. Everyone emerged from the factory looking panicked, preparing to leave. Just then, police sirens blared. The task force of the Criminal Investigation Bureau surrounded us from all directions. They were wearing riot gear and were heavily armed. No one here had ever seen such a scene, and they were too scared to move. I, on the other hand, remained calm. How should I put it? I had been through it before, so it was natural.
Soon, Wang Zey i, Huang Xinghao, and Yu Xiaoluo stood beside me, their faces as cold as ice. I raised my hands and managed a smile, "Leaders, I was truly forced into this."
"He must have intentionally sabotaged the operation. Perhaps we were wrong from the beginning. This person is in league with Qin Sisi. They were putting on a show for Xiaoluo."
My face turned awkward. "Brother Haozi, can you not spout nonsense and twist black and white?"
"I'm not twisting black and white. We can't even find the captured Xiaoluo, yet you know where she is? Xiaoluo can vouch for you, so we won't suspect you for now. But you disrupted our operation. Team leader, shouldn't we consider questioning him as a suspect again?"
"Yu Xiaoluo, say something for me!"
Yu Xiaoluo gave me a glare. "How can I speak for you? What are you doing here?"
"Qin Sisi is escaping. If you wait until the transaction time to act, you'll never catch Qin Sisi in this lifetime."
"Nonsense, I saw Qin Sisi enter the factory with my own eyes."
"Did anyone go out?"
"A few girls went out."
"Were they wearing masks?"
Qin Sisi had hired a group of local girls to work as service staff. They would come out for breaks at this time to eat. Yu Xiaoluo knew this, so she didn't pay much attention. Because of my reminder, Yu Xiaoluo suddenly realized she had overlooked something: those girls were wearing masks.
Yu Xiaoluo glanced at the task force leader, Wang Zey i. Wang Zey i pondered for a moment, then asked me, "Where was she planning to escape from?"
"Leaving the country under a different identity?"
"Haozi, you take the task force and thoroughly search every corner of the factory to confirm the suspect has fled."
"Yes!" Huang Xinghao replied.
"Xiaoluo."
"Yes, team leader, what is it?"
"I'm going to call above now to coordinate with customs for their assistance. You and a few people go to customs immediately. We cannot let Qin Sisi leave the country."
"Yes!"
Yu Xiaoluo agreed and started to leave, but Wang Zey i called her back. "Take Tang Nan with you. Let him cooperate with the operation."
"Take him?"
"This is an order."
"Yes!"
...
I followed the task force's car, feeling very awkward. They were all in police uniforms and heavily armed, while I was just a civilian. I looked like a detainee. I glanced at Yu Xiaoluo and saw she was also looking at me. I grinned, "I really didn't mean to cause trouble for you."
"How did you know?"
"Before your operation, I happened to see Qin Sisi, who had already made arrangements ahead of you. Qin Sisi commissioned Wang Yong, a local organizer of illegal activities, to help her forge an identity to leave the country."
"Why didn't you notify me by phone?"
"Miss Yu, did you give me your number? How about you give me your number now?"
"No need. We won't be in contact anymore anyway."
I didn't say anything. In fact, I thought the same thing. Yu Xiaoluo was a police officer, and I was the deceiver they called a "mastermind." Although I hadn't done anything wrong, I felt that we shouldn't be too close.
...
The Special Task Force of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Ruili Customs, and Ruili Public Security Bureau joined forces, creating an inescapable net. Qin Sisi was quickly apprehended. She was wearing a Burmese outfit and carrying a small red leather suitcase filled with exchanged Myanmar currency.
I admired Qin Sisi. Surrounded by so many police officers with guns pointed at her, her face remained unfazed. In fact, I could even detect a hint of a faint smile. Especially when I looked at her, her expressive eyes met mine, as if saying thank you.
...
The next day, I went to the Public Security Bureau and saw Hong Mei crying uncontrollably. Li Dazhi confessed to the murder of Chen Ashun. Everyone thought Hong Mei was crying for her deceased husband, but my heart was perhaps darker. I thought Hong Mei was sad because Li Dazhi had committed murder.
When I returned to the inn, I realized that this time, I had gained nothing. My objective was to find Old Ghost, but Old Ghost had appeared twice without even giving me a phone call. Just as I was frowning in distress, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw Old Ghost, grinning.
"I'm leaving. Come with me to buy some flower cakes. I'm giving them to a friend."
"Buying souvenirs requires me to go with you?"
"Are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming!"
I finally understood why Old Ghost wanted me to come with him. The local specialties were too heavy; I could barely carry them and was struggling to walk.
"Do you have that many friends?"
"Of course. The more friends you have, the smoother your journey. Besides, flower cakes are easy to store, and I'll be eating some myself."
As we took a taxi to the train station, I said to Old Ghost, "After you leave, I'll go home and take a look too. Can you leave me your phone number? That way, I won't have to search for you all over the country. Last time it was Ruili, a small place. This time you're going to Beijing. Finding someone there is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
"Don't look for me recently. I'll contact you later."
"Why?"
"I'm looking for my senior brother. His schemes are too dangerous, and I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you and you'll lose your life."
I was very unhappy to hear this. "Who gave you permission to look down on me? I'm also a mastermind."
"Yes, you are a mastermind. From my perspective, you're at most an apprentice. If you were truly at the level of a mastermind, you could work with me. Unfortunately, you have talent, but too little time, and I don't have time to teach you. So, Brother Tang Nan, after I deal with my senior brother, Chang She Gui, I'll find you and teach you properly."
"You look down on me. I caught Qin Sisi."
Old Ghost burst into laughter. "If you had really caught Qin Sisi, I would have acknowledged your status as a mastermind and you as my helper. But you were just a tool person for Qin Sisi under the guise of being a mastermind."
"I don't understand. Then I'll stay in Ruili for now and figure this out before leaving. Alright, I'm getting off. You should go back to the inn too."
"Don't you need me to buy a platform ticket to see you off?"
"No need."
"These are quite heavy."
Old Ghost patted his plump body. "Strength is not a disadvantage." With that, he went to pick up the flower cakes. After all, they were pastries, and his expression changed. "You should get off. I really did buy too many."
Hearing him say that, I began to mock him mercilessly. Watching Old Ghost struggle onto the train, I felt a trace of emotion. Old Ghost must have been very busy, but he rushed back from Beijing as soon as he knew I had arrived in Ruili. He was afraid I would lose my life. Clearly, Qin Sisi had no intention of killing me. In Old Ghost's words, I was just a tool person for a real mastermind this time.
If I was a tool person, it meant Qin Sisi wasn't caught by the police. She wanted to be caught.