Chapter 123 Following and secretly photographing Tong Wanjun with excitement…
Tong Wanjun exclaimed excitedly, "I heard it!"
She said, "I heard it clearly. The Americans wanted a landscape painting, saying it was the work of a master calligrapher and painter who had been stored in the Cultural Palace's warehouse after their home was confiscated years ago. They offered Ning Feng two thousand yuan to exchange the painting for it. Ning Feng thought the price was too low, saying that even some unknown ancient book cost five thousand yuan before, and two thousand yuan for a famous painting was too little. Then the two of them haggled for a long time, and finally the Americans offered three thousand yuan, which Ning Feng reluctantly agreed to. He also said that his intention was not to make money, but to protect cultural relics. Those things were left in the Cultural Palace and no one paid attention to them. Letting the Americans take them would actually better protect these things."
Mingxi spat.
No wonder he can hang out with Jiang Xu, he's shameless.
Mingxi ground her back teeth, thinking to herself that after Tong Wanjun divorced Jiang Xu, she definitely wouldn't let Ning Feng and Jiang Xu, those two scoundrels who trafficked in cultural relics, get away with it.
However, the priority right now is to help Tong Wanjun get rid of Jiang Xu.
Mingxi: "Did you hear Ning Feng and the other party agree on a time to meet?"
Tong Wanjun: "I heard it! I heard Ning Feng tell the Americans that the transaction will take place in the small park outside the Cultural Palace a day after the order is placed, with money exchanged for goods on the spot."
"good!"
Mingxi exclaimed "Good!" Since it was a cash-on-delivery transaction, there was no need to worry about not catching Ning Feng and Jiang Xu in the act.
Once Mingxi learned the time and place of Jiang Xuningfeng's transaction with the Americans, she immediately began preparations. Mingxi borrowed a camera and film from Guan Lixin, and after everything was ready, she arrived at the small park in front of the Cultural Palace at the agreed time to stake out the location.
In late October in the northern part of the city, just a few days before winter, the temperature in the mornings and evenings was only around ten degrees Celsius. Mingxi was wearing a thick black cotton-padded coat, a thin gray woolen hat, and a large black scarf around her neck, covering her entire face completely.
She was already tall, and with this medium-sized outfit, it was impossible to tell whether she was male or female from a distance.
When Mingxi arrived at the small park, the sun had already set, and the sky was turning white. At this time, most people would have gone home for dinner, and there were only two or three people scattered around the park entrance. She stood at the park entrance, pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing up at the other side of the road, as if waiting for someone to meet her.
Mingxi waited a while and then saw two suspicious-looking men walking towards the park entrance, glancing around. Her gaze fell on one of them, and she recognized him as Jiang Xu.
Tong Wanjun showed Mingxi his photo.
The other one must be Ning Feng.
Mingxi thought this to herself, but didn't show it on her face. She just glanced at the two people as if she didn't know them at all, then looked away, glanced at her watch, and looked up again at the other side of the road.
He looked like a passerby simply waiting for someone.
Ning Feng and Jiang Xu glanced cautiously at Ming Xi, but didn't think much of it and hurriedly walked past her.
Mingxi remained motionless as the two people headed towards the pavilion in the northwest corner of the small park. Only when a taxi stopped at the park entrance and a blond-haired, green-eyed foreigner got out and also headed towards the northwest corner of the park did Mingxi finally make a move.
She followed cautiously behind the blond foreigner, keeping a distance of about ten meters at a time. The foreigner, walking ahead, probably hadn't expected anyone to be following him and didn't even look back.
Mingxi followed the other party at a distance until they reached the vicinity of the pavilion in the northwest corner. Jiang Xu and Ning Feng, who were standing in the pavilion, looked up when they heard footsteps. At that moment, Mingxi quickly dodged and hid behind the bushes next to her.
Jiang Xu and Ning Feng were both focused on the foreigners and didn't notice that Ming Xi was hiding behind the bushes.
Jiang Xu clutched the collar of his shirt with both hands, shrinking his neck into it, but he still couldn't stop the cold wind from seeping into his collar. He frowned and said to the foreigner who had arrived later, "Mike, why are you so late? Didn't we agree to meet at six o'clock? You're more than ten minutes late."
Mike chuckled: "Jiang, relax, relax. You're too tense. We agreed to meet at six, and it's six now, not seven yet."
Jiang Xu rolled his eyes; he really had no way to deal with this foreign idiot.
If it weren't for the fact that the foreigner with the bull's nose was rich and willing to spend money on those useless tattered books and paintings, he really wouldn't bother with this foreigner who was so slow and rambling when doing anything.
Ning Feng looked displeased, clearly also unhappy about Mike's lateness. However, unlike Jiang Xu, he didn't vent his frustration. Instead, he tugged at Jiang Xu's sleeve and said, "Never mind, let's get down to business."
Jiang Xu was dissatisfied, but he knew when to stop. Mike was generous, but he was Ning Feng's big spender, and he couldn't afford to offend him over something like this.
His expression softened, and he looked at Mike: "Let's get down to business. We brought the stuff, but did you bring the money?"
Mingxi wasn't far from the pavilion, and she could hear the conversation between the three of them clearly.
Seeing that the three people were about to make a deal, she quickly took out her camera and pointed the lens at them.
Mike patted the backpack on his side and said, "I brought it all, I brought all three thousand dollars."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu was about to hand over the painting in his hand, but Ning Feng stopped him as soon as he raised his hand.
Ning Feng looked at Mike: "Let's settle the money first. If the money's no problem, we'll draw it for you."
Mike paused, chuckled twice, and said, "Ning, there's no need for that. We've been friends for so many transactions. Don't you even trust me this much?"
Ning Feng smiled back, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Mike, there's a saying in our country, 'Business is business,' which means that when we do business, we only talk about business, and it has nothing to do with feelings. We've done so many transactions together, so we're definitely friends in private, but when it comes to transactions, we only talk about transactions. Counting the money in person is to ensure that you and I can trade with peace of mind and avoid future disputes. It has nothing to do with whether we're friends or not."
Mingxi pouted from behind the bushes.
Ning Feng certainly knows how to talk.
Mingxi, a Chinese man, was impressed by Ning Feng's eloquence, let alone Mike, a foreigner. Although his Chinese was quite good, Ning Feng's string of business-oriented remarks left him completely bewildered.
He waved his hand: "Alright, alright, since you put it that way, then go ahead and order."
He generously handed over the bag containing the money, and Ning Feng gave Jiang Xu a look, signaling him to take it and check if there were any problems.
Jiang Xu immediately stepped forward, took the bag handed to him by Mike, unzipped it, and saw bundles of brightly colored 100-yuan bills neatly tied together. Jiang Xu carefully counted the money, and after confirming that there was no problem with the money, he nodded to Ning Feng.
Mike: "Jiang, you've checked it and there are no problems. Can I have the painting now?"
Jiang Xu looked at Ning Feng with a questioning look in his eyes.
Ning Feng nodded, and Jiang Xu handed over the painting. Ming Xi seized the opportunity and snapped a photo. After capturing the scene of Jiang Xu taking the money in one hand and the painting in the other, Ming Xi didn't give the three of them a chance to react before turning and running away.
The place Ning Feng chose for the transaction was the most secluded corner of the small park. Usually, no one comes here during the day, let alone now, when it's dinner time, the whole park is almost deserted.
In the quiet, deserted setting, the sudden sound of a camera shutter startled Ning Feng and Jiang Xu.
The two were stunned for a second, and when they came to their senses, they saw a figure not far away, wrapped up tightly, running wildly out.
"Damn, someone's taking pictures of me!"
Ning Feng blurted out a curse, his face darkened, and his expression turned extremely bad.
Although he claimed to be righteous and said that selling cultural relics to foreigners would better protect them, he knew in his heart that this was something that couldn't be done in the light of day. If he were discovered, he would definitely lose his job at the museum, and in more serious cases, he might even go to jail.
When he discovered someone was taking pictures, his first reaction was to give chase. He couldn't let that person get away, and most importantly, he couldn't let the photos of them making a deal with Mike be leaked.
Ning Feng cursed under his breath and chased after Ming Xi in the direction she had left.
Jiang Xu was stunned for a second, then followed in the direction Ning Feng had left.
Ning Feng was worried about being arrested and imprisoned, and Jiang Xu was worried too, even more so than Ning Feng. Because he was the one who personally stole the items from the Cultural Palace warehouse; Ning Feng was merely a middleman. The real criminal, the one who stole public property, was him.
Even if the incident comes to light, Ning Feng may not necessarily go to jail.
But Jiang Xu was certain he would go to jail, so he was even more panicked right now.
Mike was still stunned and hadn't realized what was going on when he saw Ning Feng and Jiang Xu run out quickly. He instinctively chased after them, shouting to Jiang Xu as he ran, "Jiang, what's wrong? Why are you running?"
Jiang Xu was too lazy to talk to this foreigner.
When Mike saw that Jiang Xu didn't answer, he shouted even louder: "Jiang, say something! What happened? Why did you suddenly start running? And my things, my paintings! Give me back my paintings!"
He didn't care about what happened between Jiang Xu and Ning Feng; all he knew was that he had given the money to Jiang Xu, but Jiang Xu hadn't given him the painting!
Jiang Xu frowned in annoyance.
Damn it, he's asking about paintings! If his dealings with foreigners are discovered, he'll go to jail!
He glared at Mike, his gaze filled with extreme hostility.
It's all because of this foreigner! If it weren't for this foreigner, he wouldn't have done such a thing!
Last year, this foreigner approached them first. To be precise, it was this foreigner who approached Ning Feng first. He said he deeply loved Chinese culture and wanted to collect some antiques and cultural relics. He hoped Ning Feng could help him fulfill his wish, and he could give Ning Feng some thank-you fee.
Ning Feng didn't understand what Mike meant at first.
Later, after Mike hinted at it, he realized that the foreigner wanted him to steal something from the museum.
He won't do it!
Everything in the museum is registered and checked every month. If he dares to steal, he will definitely be caught.
But Mike was very generous, immediately offering a high price of four thousand dollars, just wanting a landscape painting.
Ning Feng was reluctant to let the duck he was about to get fly away, so he thought of the cultural relics in the warehouse of the cultural palace where Jiang Xu worked. Those were confiscated from homes, and the records were not detailed. If one or two items were missing, no one would notice.
When Ning Feng approached Jiang Xu and initially told him his plans, Jiang Xu was reluctant. The risks were too great. Although the Cultural Palace wasn't strictly managed, it was still theft, and it was stealing public property. If he was caught, it wouldn't be easy to get away with it.
But money can be tempting. When Jiang Xu heard that a landscape painting could sell for four thousand yuan, he was immediately interested.
His monthly salary is less than 100 yuan. Four thousand yuan is several years' worth of his salary. Damn it, I'll quit.
And so, Jiang Xuningfeng and Mike got together.
At first, Jiang Xu thought that Mike really liked Chinese culture and wanted to collect cultural relics, just as he said. But as Mike contacted him again and again, he realized that Mike didn't actually like collecting cultural relics.
That bastard is a middleman. He buys things from them for a few thousand dollars and then resells them in the US for tens of thousands of dollars!
This was something Mike accidentally let slip in front of them later.
Jiang Xu and Ning Feng were furious when they found out. They had taken such a huge risk, but they hadn't even earned a tenth of what that dead foreigner had earned. However, they didn't have the connections that the dead foreigner had, so there was nothing they could do even if they were angry.
Jiang Xu was already dissatisfied with Mike making so much money, and now that he knew he was about to be discovered, he felt even more resentful towards Mike. It was all that damned foreigner's fault for tempting him, otherwise things wouldn't have come to this!
At this moment, Jiang Xu forgot that he himself had been tempted by Mike's offer of four thousand and agreed to help Mike obtain the cultural relic.
While cursing Mike in his heart, Jiang Xu and Ning Feng chased after Ming Xi recklessly.
Mingxi came today with thorough preparation. She had already figured out the route in the vicinity, and with her camera in hand, she ran out of the small park, crossed the road, and headed into the alley on the other side. There were many alleys in this area, and she made several turns and quickly shook off Ning Feng.
Mingxi ran swiftly, covering about a mile before stopping only after she was certain that Ning Feng had been left behind.
Mingxi took off her hat and scarf, leaned on her knees and panted heavily. After her breathing calmed down a bit, she took off her hat, scarf and cotton coat and put them into the cloth bag she was carrying inside the coat.
It turned out that Mingxi was wearing a brightly colored coat under her cotton-padded coat.
Mingxi straightened her clothes, then calmly turned from the alley onto the main road outside.
She carried a bag and walked briskly, looking like a woman who had just returned from shopping at a department store. Even if Ning Feng and Jiang Xu saw her, they couldn't connect her with the person who had been secretly taking pictures in the park earlier.
"Ring ring—"
A bicycle bell rang, and Mingxi subconsciously turned her head to see Wei Ning riding a bicycle coming from behind her.
Wei Ning: "Shall we go home? I can give you a ride if it's on my way."
Mingxi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Let's go!"
Mingxi readily got on the back of Weining's bicycle, and the bicycle slowly drove off.
Wei Ning didn't ask Ming Xi why she was near a small park that wasn't close to her workplace or home, and Ming Xi didn't ask Wei Ning why she happened to appear at this time.
Wei Ning rode his bicycle with Ming Xi home. On the way back, they passed the main entrance of the small park. As they passed that spot, Ming Xi saw Jiang Xu and Ning Feng, who had returned empty-handed after failing to find anyone.
The two men had ashen faces and looked extremely displeased.
Jiang Xu and Ning Feng also saw Wei Ning and Ming Xi, but neither of them paid any attention to them.
In Ning Feng and Jiang Xu's eyes, Ming Xi and Wei Ning were shameless, a couple who flaunted their love in public. They were most annoyed by couples like that, all lovey-dovey and clingy, acting like being in a relationship was some kind of great thing, needing to be out in public and an eyesore. It was as if everyone had a sweet romance. If they really had to compare, their relationship was far better than these saccharine couples. They had been together for so many years; even Jiang Xu's divorce and having a child couldn't change their deep love for each other!
But at this moment, the two of them were only thinking about the person who had just taken the picture, and had no energy to pay attention to a completely unrelated couple passing by.
Wei Ning then rode away with Ming Xi on his bicycle.
Ning Feng, standing at the entrance of the small park, asked Jiang Xu with a gloomy face, "Did you get a good look at what that person looked like?"
Jiang Xu shook his head, his face pale: "No, I only saw a shadow, and it was wrapped up so tightly that I couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman."
Ning Feng: "It should be a man. He's not short, so he doesn't seem like a woman."
Mingxi: Thank you, Ms. Zhao, for passing on your excellent genes to her.
Jiang Xu's mind was in turmoil. He asked frantically, "What do we do? We don't even know who took the photos, let alone get them back. This is something we can't do openly. If that person hands the photos over to our two workplaces, or the police station, then we..."
Jiang Xu stopped mid-sentence, his face pale with worry. He said, "What should we do? Think of something quickly. If all else fails, shall we run away? We made a lot of money from those damn foreigners before. Why don't we take the money and run away to Hong Kong or overseas!"
His eyes lit up as he spoke: "Just the two of us, going abroad is perfect. That way, no one can bother us or interfere with our relationship. We can walk openly on the street!"
"Are you crazy?"
Ning Feng frowned, looking annoyed: "Can't you think of something practical!"
Even at this point, Jiang Xu's mind was still preoccupied with his emotional troubles. He snapped irritably, "You make it sound so easy. Running off to Hong Kong and overseas? Don't you even know how much money we have? We only have so little. We could spend it all in Hong Kong in just a few months. What will we do then? Run back?"
"But……"
Jiang Xu pouted, looking aggrieved.
Ning Feng: "No buts!"
He said, "We don't know who took the photos yet, or what their intentions are. Don't panic, maybe they're just someone passing by taking random pictures."
Even so, Ning Feng knew in his heart that the other party was definitely not just someone passing by.
He and Jiang Xu were not without suspicion. Every time they made a deal with Mike, they chose to do it in the gazebo of the small park. This was because the area was remote, with few people passing by, and the location was open and easy to move around in. Even if the foreigners had bad intentions and wanted to double-cross them, they were not afraid.
Moreover, they always check if anyone is nearby, and today was no exception. They checked the area before the transaction started and found no one there.
What a coincidence! Just when they had checked a deserted spot before the transaction started, a person carrying a camera suddenly appeared, completely covered up, and happened to take their picture.
That person was definitely coming for them.
What Ning Feng could think of, Jiang Xu could think of too. He suddenly grabbed Ning Feng's arm: "Could it be someone Mike hired?"
The location they agreed to meet was known only to the two of them and Mike. Could it be that Mike hired someone to secretly film their transaction in order to blackmail them into stealing things for him for free?
Ning Feng frowned suspiciously, but then shook his head: "It shouldn't be him. Our deal is shady, and so is his. If this gets exposed, he'll be deported. Besides, the money he gives us each time is negligible to him. He has no reason to risk falling out with us with such a trick."
Jiang Xu scratched his head in frustration: "Who else could it be? Who would be targeting us?"
Ning Feng couldn't figure it out either.
They handled their transactions with foreigners very discreetly, so it wouldn't be easy to uncover them. Who would go to the trouble of digging this up?
Ning Feng thought quickly, one person after another flashing through his mind, but he rejected them all.
He turned to look at Jiang Xu: "Have you offended anyone recently?"
If it wasn't him, it could only be Jiang Xu.
Maybe that person came specifically for Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu: "Offended anyone? No!"
He instinctively denied it, but then immediately paused, saying, "No, no!"
Ning Feng pressed on, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Xu: "I haven't offended anyone recently, but there is one person I don't get along with. It's Lao Zhang from my workplace. He's always disliked me. Recently, our unit leader mentioned that there was a promotion and further education opportunity, and it was estimated that it would be chosen between Lao Zhang and me. Lao Zhang disliked me even more. Lately, he's been picking on me at work every day. Who knows, he might have secretly taken pictures of us just to compete with me for that opportunity."
"Possibly."
Ning Feng nodded. Old Zhang worked in the same unit as Jiang Xu. Perhaps he inadvertently discovered Jiang Xu's theft of cultural relics, so he took photos to report Jiang Xu.
However, there is still a slight illogical point to this statement.
If Lao Zhang discovered that Jiang Xu was stealing, he could have simply reported him directly. There was no need for Lao Zhang to go through all the trouble of following Jiang Xu and taking pictures.
But in any case, at present, the most suspicious person is Lao Zhang.
Neither Ning Feng nor Jiang Xu had considered that this matter might be related to Tong Wanjun.
They thought Tong Wanjun was a fool they had manipulated. They had managed to keep their affair a secret from her for seven years, so they figured she could never find out about something even more secretive.
Jiang Xu and Ning Feng were unaware that it was precisely this underestimation that caused them to overlook the correct answer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com