Chapter 307 Excessive Tension

Several burly men charged around aggressively.

Jing Zeyang stood on tiptoe: "Cousin Lin, these people don't seem to have any good intentions?"

It was indeed quite hostile. As soon as someone pointed in this direction, several men stared intently at them.

Then, he approached with a cold expression.

The leader was a man around fifty years old, tall and thin, with sharp eyes. Before he had even stopped walking or regained his footing, he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture of respect.

"Yuanliang, where did you get the pangolins? Which gate did you demolish?"

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat.

This is slang used by tomb raiders: "Friend, where do you make your fortune, and what kind of business do you do?" It means they're asking if you're a tomb raider or a con artist.

Slang is easy to learn; you can memorize it by just reciting it. But you can't learn the mountain gate seal.

Looking at the man's three fingers stacked together, and his thumb and little finger joined together, resembling two "人" characters, Lin Sicheng narrowed his eyes: This man is a middleman.

To translate: These are middlemen who specialize in selling stolen goods to tomb raiding gangs or placing orders with cultural relic smuggling groups; they are also known as "Zhongzhuang".

You can't do this without some ability and connections. What's strange is, why are these people using coded language against them?

Lin Sicheng was completely bewildered, and no one else could understand either. They looked at each other and asked, "What does this mean?"

Before Jing Zeyang could say anything, Lin Sicheng interrupted, "Gentlemen, is there something you need?"

The man squinted: Don't you understand?

If someone can hang out with that vixen, there's no way they wouldn't understand.

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute again, this time just a normal bow: "My subordinates were blind and did not recognize Mount Tai. They did not know that a White Fairy (referring to a woman who engages in tomb raiding and reselling) had come to the shop. They were so blind that they stumbled upon a treasure, and lost several strings of copper coins, six rare ancient coins, and three gold coins."

I hope Yuanliang can pass on a message to Wang Zhiguo: please ask her to be lenient and let this brother go. As a token of my apology: I'll give away six earth snakes (a rare find), three yellow dragons, and I'm willing to pay three buckets of water in return!

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat.

To translate the man's words: The woman picked up a lot of copper coins from the man's shop at a low price, including six extremely rare and discontinued coins, and three gold coins.

He blamed his subordinates for not being discerning enough, admitting his mistake, and asked the woman for a favor: he would give her the copper coins for free, and he would offer 300,000 to buy back the six rare coins and three gold coins.

Combining the man's words with those of the woman from before, and the box of copper coins she was carrying, Lin Sicheng finally understood:

Why did that woman seem to be in such a hurry and flustered?

Because she not only got a lucky break, but a huge one. And precisely because she knew these people were not to be trifled with, and would definitely find out soon, she ran as fast as she could.

Why did this person use coded language against them?

Because after the copper coins were scattered on the ground, Jing Zeyang shouted to the tourists: "Everyone, make way, there are gold coins in here."

Isn't that a coincidence?

With so many people hearing this, and plenty of people to testify, no matter who this man was, they would all assume he and the woman were in cahoots: You're not in cahoots, so how did you know there were gold coins in the box?

Lin Sicheng even suspected that perhaps even the woman from earlier didn't know there were gold coins in the box. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so calm when Jing Zeyang shouted...

It has to be said that Brother Jing's mouth is even more accurate than if it were blessed: his words came true.

Don't underestimate these three gold coins; even if they are from the Qing Dynasty, each one is worth at least a million.

It was also their bad luck: they were just strolling through the antique street, but somehow they managed to cause such a big problem.

After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng looked bewildered and said, "Master, we really don't understand what you're saying."

The man didn't believe him at all and sneered, "Then I'll just say it directly, where is Wang Guixiang?"

"Sorry, I don't know you!"

"If you don't know her, how do you know there are gold coins in her box?"

"Gold coins...are you looking for the woman carrying the box?"

Lin Sicheng looked like he suddenly understood, and pointed at Tang Nanyan, "My friend accidentally bumped into her, and all the copper coins scattered on the ground. We were afraid that others would pick them up, so we said that on purpose..."

"Bullshit! Do you think I believe that? If it were that much of a coincidence, why don't you just buy a lottery ticket?"

The man's face darkened. "I'm warning you, don't be stubborn and end up regretting it!"

Lin Sicheng's expression turned serious, and his tone was indifferent: "I also advise you not to cause trouble. The longer you stay here, the further that older sister will go. Besides, we all have proper jobs and don't have time to argue with you here."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng looked at Xu Qin and Tang Nanyan.

The two men couldn't understand the slang or know anything about gold coins, but they could tell that the reason this group was surrounding them was definitely related to the woman from before.

They could tell even better that this group was no good, nor were they of any respectable character. So the moment Lin Sicheng glanced at them, they both understood instantly: a wise person avoids dangerous situations.

It has nothing to do with them in the first place, there's no need to get involved in this mess.

Whether this group committed a crime or not, and whether it needs to be reported, are matters for later. What we need to avoid now is preventing conflict.

These people were clearly getting desperate, and it wasn't impossible for them to start fighting. Even if no one got hurt, just accidentally breaking a few broken pots or pans would be a big problem.

After all, this is Panjiayuan...

The two men exchanged a glance and simultaneously flashed their police IDs.

The man paused for a moment, and his henchmen behind him also paused for a moment: Police?

Tens of thousands of people come to this place every day, so it's not surprising that the police come to stroll around after their shift.

It's hard to say about the two women who showed their identification, but to say that this young man is a policeman... don't be ridiculous: if you're a policeman, then I'm your ancestor.

The man raised his chin defiantly: "And you, a policeman too, why don't you show your badge?"

Jing Zeyang paused for a moment, then scoffed, "You dare to talk like that to the police? You're pretty arrogant, aren't you?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head.

No matter what kind of thief he is, none of them are unafraid of soldiers.

Even if they are not afraid, they will still have some reservations.

The man's confident attitude stemmed from his certainty that he was not a police officer.

Lin Sicheng was too lazy to waste words with him: "Are you going to let me pass or not?"

Jing Zeyang followed closely behind, even faster than Tang Nanyan, as if he would pounce on Lin Sicheng and start fighting at a moment's notice.

The man paused for a moment, then carefully sized Lin Sicheng up and down. He then chuckled, "Fine, there are a lot of people here, I won't bother you, but let's see where you can run?"

As he spoke, he moved to the side. His men followed suit, making way for him.

Lin Sicheng walked straight over without pausing for a moment.

Just as Jing Zeyang was about to follow, he felt a weight on his shoulder as Tang Nanyan pushed him back, saying, "You protect Assistant Fang!"

He paused for a moment, unusually not arguing back: This woman's fighting skills are off the charts, she really should be allowed to protect Lin Sicheng.

After a moment's thought, Jing Zeyang followed Fang Jin. The group of five exited the corridor and headed towards the gate not far away.

The man stared intently, his face cold, when suddenly the phone buzzed.

"Uncle Shan, I found out. The woman left the market from the south gate and got into a taxi!"

They ran away?

The man suppressed his anger and cursed, "Damn it."

After hanging up the phone, he glanced at Lin Sicheng, who was almost at the door.

This is the North Gate, but that woman ran out from the South Gate?

A gecko sheds its tail, a cicada sheds its shell?

A feint attack to the east while striking in the west, a siege of Wei to relieve Zhao?

You're pretty good at military strategy, aren't you?

The man squinted and beckoned: "Skinny!"

A lean man walked over: "Uncle!"

The man lowered his voice: "Take some men and follow them. First, do this, then do this... but don't go in, and try not to touch those two women..."

Ma Gan nodded and followed.

As soon as the skinny man left, another henchman approached him: "Uncle, what if he's a real cop?"

“Those two women are possible, but what about that kid?” The man gritted his teeth: “If he’s a cop, I’ll kowtow to him.”

Judging by his appearance, he was only in his early twenties. Just imagine: what young man in his early twenties could remain so calm and composed when facing a group of burly men who looked like fierce demons?

Even if he's a policeman, it won't work.

At this age, regardless of one's profession, when faced with this situation, one would either be young and impetuous, or timid and submissive. There might even be a third option, but definitely not someone as calm and composed as him.

Are you going to let me pass or not?

Based on that one sentence and the aura that the kid exuded at the time, Ma Shan was 100% certain: this was a seasoned veteran who had been through many big events.

It's possible to have been involved in the underworld since childhood, but to become a policeman from a young age? That's just ridiculous.

The more crucial point is that this kid's hands: the rust and chemicals were almost seeping into his skin. What kind of policeman is so bored that he spends all day playing with antiques and counterfeit-making chemicals?

Thinking of this, Ma Shan sneered again: Damn it, trying to play dumb with me, acting like a greenhorn.

Why don't you go and find out how many eyes Lord Ma has?

He became even more certain that the thief was the woman's accomplice.

Even if they are real police officers, they are those two women. What does it have to do with you?

"Have Xing Si call the police, say that an antique was stolen from the shop, and quote a higher price..."

"Call the 'green skin' (a derogatory term for a corrupt official), take the surveillance footage to the photo studio, develop the woman's photo, then go to the airport, the train station... go to the highest level of the city, ask for 10,000 yuan for any information, and 100,000 yuan for finding the person. Be quick."

"Gangdan, go to the taxi company and find out where that woman got off... Liu Hei, take some men to Baoding, to that woman's hometown..."

The man made arrangements one by one, then snorted: "Wang Yaozi, you've got some nerve, trying to poison my head?"

I refuse to believe you can escape my grasp.

...

Once outside the market, Lin Sicheng walked faster and faster.

As he walked, he sighed inwardly: He had misjudged her; that woman was actually a seasoned veteran.

The so-called feint to the east while attacking in the west, or the cicada shedding its shell.

Her collision, her fall, and her scattering were all premeditated. It was all to buy her time so she could escape.

Lin Sicheng was 70% certain that the XJ red coin in Tang Nanyan's pocket was very likely left there by that woman on purpose.

So you can't blame Tang Nanyan. Even if she hadn't been distracted, the woman would have used other tricks. And you can't blame Jing Zeyang either. Even if he hadn't shouted that, that woman would have found a way to shift the blame onto them.

Lin Sicheng even suspected that the woman had deliberately mentioned that she was with friends before she took advantage of the bargain, and then randomly picked a scapegoat in the market afterward.

I can only blame my bad luck; I just had to walk down that passageway...

Just as he was having a sudden thought, Jing Zeyang said breathlessly, "Cousin Lin... slow down, slow down a bit... why are you in such a hurry?"

Tang Nanyan glared at him: "You're all show and no substance, you're not even as good as Sister Xu..."

It's definitely not as good.

He had only walked half a kilometer, and it was just walking, not running, but Jing Zeyang was already panting heavily.

Lin Sicheng didn't slow down at all; on the contrary, he sped up even more: "It's better to walk faster. Those people are already desperate. If they can't find that woman, they'll definitely cause us trouble."

Six precious treasures and three gold coins, worth at least several million, who wouldn't be furious?

Besides, they're a bunch of shady dealers. If their reputation is ruined, who would dare to cooperate with them in the future?

Jing Zeyang was stunned: "He dares?"

They actually dared to do it.

Lin Sicheng sighed: "Several million. Forget about causing trouble, they might even resort to knives."

"Huh?" Jing Zeyang was taken aback. "Cousin Lin, where did you get a few million?"

Tang Nanyan curled her lip: "You have the nerve to ask: Didn't you hear that man say they were looking for gold coins? You, on the other hand, shouted at the top of your lungs that there were gold coins in that box... Those people must have thought we were that woman's accomplices. If they can't find that woman, they'll come looking for us, right?"

Jing Zeyang suddenly realized: No wonder that tall, thin guy was blocking their way.

I blame myself for being so talkative...wait, something's not right?

He glared at him: "So, you're saying that today's whole mess wasn't caused by you?"

Tang Nanyan froze, her face turning red to the roots of her neck.

She then realized: if she hadn't bumped into that woman, none of this trouble would have happened later.

Suddenly, Tang Nanyan fell silent.

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "It has nothing to do with you. That woman did it on purpose. She just wanted to find a scapegoat to stall for time."

Tang Nanyan gritted her teeth, glanced at Lin Sicheng, thinking he was just trying to comfort her. Jing Zeyang, however, believed her and glared at her: "Fuck him..."

Xu Qin, the most experienced, was startled: "Teacher Lin, I'll call my colleague over!"

"No need!" Lin Sicheng pointed ahead, "Let's report it to the police first!"

The group of people subconsciously looked up and were all stunned: Police station?

Things happened too fast and too bizarrely. Everyone was pondering it the whole way, and no one noticed which way Lin Sicheng was heading.

Furthermore, in order to make room for the market, the police station in this area is a bit out of the way, and even Xu Qin has hardly ever been here, so she basically doesn't know the way.

So no one expected that Lin Sicheng would take them to the police station.

But he's from out of town, how come he knows the roads in Panjiayuan so well?

With a hint of suspicion, the group entered the hall. Xu Qin, without hesitation, revealed her identity.

Jing Zeyang followed at the back, his eyes darting around. After thinking for a while, he leaned close to Lin Sicheng and said, "Cousin Lin, Tang Nanyan and Section Chief Xu showed their police IDs. Those people wouldn't be that bold, would they?"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment: "Brother Jing, do you think I'm a coward?"

"Absolutely not!" Jing Zeyang shook his head vigorously. "You're a cultured person, there's no need for you to lower yourself to the level of a bunch of down-and-outs!"

Lin Sicheng didn't say anything, he just smiled.

That's not a destitute family.

His public identity is that of a small businessman, but his true identity is that of a notorious thief, or even a ruthless bandit.

To give an example: Yang Bin, who dared to blow up the tomb of Consort Wu Hui in broad daylight, and Yu Dahai, who dared to fight law enforcement agencies with real guns and cannons, and who even managed to escape abroad despite committing so many crimes, would still have to smile and bow to such people.

Because we depend on others for our livelihood.

A capable middleman needs three things: keen insight, skillful execution, and strong connections.

If you don't have a keen eye, no one will order from you; if you don't have the skills, you can't control tomb raiders who risk their lives.

If the connections aren't strong, the second person to be arrested will be the middleman, as long as one downstream or upstream supplier is caught.

How hard can it be?

Take the Song brothers from Henan as an example: they had been doing this for over twenty years, and everyone in Luoyang knew what they were doing, and they did it openly, yet no one could do anything about it.

If you push someone to the limit, they'll do it anyway, even if they're wearing flowers on their shoulder. What's a little certificate compared to that?

Porcelain shouldn't clash with earthenware pots; there are plenty of ways to deal with it. Why insist on competing with such people to see who's tougher?

It's no wonder Lin Sicheng was so cautious and careful; the woman's methods were too sophisticated, and her audacity even greater: six precious treasures and three gold coins were enough to make this group take the risk.

In a moment of panic, or in a moment of impulsiveness, one might do something underhanded.

It would be better to make an example of them, to let them know: I dare to call the police, and I even dare to explain the whole story, proving that it has nothing to do with the woman you're looking for...

After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng said, "Let's see how things go today. If Section Chief Xu can find out more about this group, I'll call Captain Yan."

Jing Zeyang thought for a moment and said, "Cousin Lin, how about I do it?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head.

If Jing Zeyang asks Yan Wenjing for help, Yan Wenjing will definitely scold him for making a mountain out of a molehill, and will dismiss him with a few words, saying he might as well do it himself.

Lin Sicheng even wondered if he should talk to his teacher.

As she was pondering this, Xu Qin left the reception room.

"Teacher Lin, I found out. Those people from Guyitang were probably from there. It's a coincidence that the owner just called the police, saying that ancient bronze coins and gold coins worth up to 20 million were stolen from the store. The police chief has already notified him to come to the station..."

Is the store big?

“It’s not very big!” Xu Qin shook her head. “It’s just two storefronts, four people including the owner, and the registered capital is only one million.”

Lin Sicheng's heart sank: Sure enough, on the surface he was just a small businessman.

But small businessmen cannot display the Yuanliang Seal.

What's the boss's last name?

"His surname is Xing, his given name is Xing Sihai, and he's a local from the capital!"

Lin Sicheng tried his best to recall, going through all the major cultural relic cases that happened in Beijing that he remembered.

But I don't remember which one was surnamed Xing?

He's probably just a small fry; the bigger fish is yet to come. Even that tall, thin guy I saw before was just a laborer…

After sitting for a while, the owner of Guyitang arrived. The group looked at each other and realized they didn't recognize any of them.

At least not one of the group that ambushed people in Panjiayuan.

As expected, Boss Xing denied it three times: he denied sending people to chase after any women, and he also denied sending people to ambush anyone.

It's not a big problem, not even a public security incident. The police station just took a simple statement.

Without hesitation, Lin Sicheng immediately called Yan Wenjing.

Yan Wenjing readily agreed, but Lin Sicheng could sense the underlying meaning in his words:

Teacher Lin, please rest assured, this is Beijing. You can find people as arrogant as you imagine all over the country, but you won't find them in Beijing.

That shop is perfectly fine; it's just a regular little antique shop...

The implication is clear: you're probably overthinking it!

Lin Sicheng didn't care: the more experiences one has, the less daring one becomes.

As the old saying goes, "A safe journey is always worthwhile." Even if you're overthinking things, there won't be any real loss. At most, someone might call you a coward!

If I guess right, at best I'll get a couple of severe blows, at worst I'll be bedridden for months. And who knows, something even more frightening might happen...

He chuckled to himself and hung up the phone.

Just then, a strange noise came from the side: "Gurgle... gurgle..."

Fang Jin blushed and covered his stomach.

Looking at his watch again, Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: After all this trouble, it's almost four o'clock in the afternoon?

"Let's go eat first!"

"Teacher Lin, it's my treat! You can choose any hotel you like, the biggest one you can get!" Jing Zeyang shouted, then pointed at Tang Nanyan, "Don't try to take it from me!"

Tang Nanyan had no time for such thoughts. Holding the copper coin, she stammered, "Teacher Lin, what should we do with this?"

"Keep it for now!" Lin Sicheng chuckled. "Don't overthink it. I'm not just trying to comfort you: what happened today really has little to do with you. It was that woman who deliberately set a trap. Even if she hadn't bumped into you, she would have deliberately tripped and fallen..."

Tang Nanyan was half-believing and half-doubting.

Lin Sicheng then looked at Jing Zeyang and said, "Brother Jing, let's skip the fancy hotels and just eat somewhere nearby!"

"Oh no, that won't do, we've gotten a bargain!"

"next time!"

Jing Zeyang didn't say anything more, but thought to himself: Brother Yan was right, Cousin Lin is good in every way, except that he's a little timid and overly nervous...

As they left the police station, the group realized the place was rather remote; there wasn't a single shop, let alone a restaurant.

There were quite a few warehouses, and people were constantly pulling carts in and out.

The group walked out along the wall.

They all seemed quite relaxed, not taking what had happened seriously: after all, they had just called the police, and those people probably wouldn't come looking for trouble again.

Only Lin Sicheng had eyes in all directions and ears in all directions.

He kept walking, and nothing unexpected happened as he had imagined. Just as he was almost out of the warehouse area, Lin Sicheng stopped in his tracks.

He heard the sound of the car starting its engine.

But looking around, most people were carrying things by hand or on their shoulders, or at most pulling a small cart; there were no cars at all.

We didn't see a single one along the way.

It looks like it's in the warehouse?

Lin Sicheng had a bad feeling. Suddenly, with a deep roar, a van sped out of the warehouse.

With a screech, the wheel swerved around the curb, then with a whoosh, it hurtled straight toward them.

Lin Sicheng's pupils contracted: "Get out of the way..."

Get out of the way of what?

With another rev of the engine, the group realized that a minivan was hurtling straight towards them.

Facing the light, through the glass, several people could see clearly: a van full of people.

Some are holding sticks, some are holding knives—can these really be workers carrying goods?

Jing Zeyang gritted his teeth: To hell with being overly nervous...