Upon opening the package, one item was a well-shaped, lustrous blue-and-white plum vase with a lotus scroll design from the Qing Dynasty, and the other was a finely crafted Hetian white jade pendant. Both items had been authenticated as genuine by the "Super Treasure Hunt System" and were quite valuable.
The key to the smooth downfall of Shi Jixing and the Xu family, those two idiots, was Zhou Changke's quiet support behind the scenes.
If he hadn't promptly dispatched his capable assistant Sheng Xu to investigate, Xu Kuo himself would likely have faced considerable difficulties and might even have been betrayed by Shi Jixing.
This favor must be repaid. Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with this powerful figure in the county is crucial for his future development.
After carefully rewrapping the two antiques, Xu Kuo carried them straight to Zhou Changke's house.
It was late at night, but the lights were still on in Zhou Changke's house.
Xu Kuo gently knocked on the door.
It was Zhou Changke himself who opened the door. When he saw that it was Xu Kuo, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his gentle smile and let Xu Kuo in: "It's Xiao Xu. It's so late. Please come in."
In the living room, Sheng Xu was indeed there, seemingly reporting to Zhou Changke. He was also somewhat surprised to see Xu Kuo enter.
"Secretary Zhou, Captain Sheng," Xu Kuo greeted them, then got straight to the point, placing the cloth-wrapped item he was carrying on the table.
"I am so grateful to Secretary Zhou for this matter. Without your support, I could not have cleared my name so quickly and brought those bad apples to justice. This is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it, Secretary Zhou."
Zhou Changke's gaze fell on the two packages. Although he hadn't opened them, he could guess that the contents were extraordinary. He waved his hand, his smile unchanged, but his tone was resolute.
“Xiao Xu, you’re being too polite. Combating criminals and protecting the interests of the people is our duty. Comrade Sheng Xu is handling this impartially and is simply doing his job. I appreciate your kindness, but you must take this back.”
Xu Kuo was about to say something more when Sheng Xu suddenly interrupted, looking at Xu Kuo with undisguised curiosity on his face: "By the way, Comrade Xu Kuo, there's something I've always been wondering about."
Xu Kuo looked at him: "Captain Sheng, please speak."
Sheng Xu frowned slightly as he recalled the details of the interrogation.
"According to Shi Jixing and Xu Jianguo, they sent people to your warehouse to investigate before. They said there were many old items that looked very valuable, such as porcelain, jade, and calligraphy and paintings, piled up like a small mountain."
"But later, when we were ordered to seal and inventory the items, we found that although there were quite a few things inside, at least half of the truly valuable antiques were missing, and what remained were mostly ordinary miscellaneous items. Where did those... those missing antiques go?"
Xu Kuo was prepared for this question. He couldn't very well say that it had been absorbed into his "system," could he?
A mysterious smile appeared on his face, and he shrugged casually: "Oh, that?" His eyes swept over Zhou Changke and Sheng Xu's curious faces.
"Secretary Zhou, Captain Sheng, to be honest, besides tinkering with things, I've recently become obsessed with a new hobby—magic tricks."
"Magic tricks?" Zhou Changke and Sheng Xu were both taken aback.
“Yes, it’s what you city folks call magic.” Xu Kuo nodded seriously.
"Well, I've 'hidden' those things using magic tricks. This is my secret technique; if I told you where they were hidden now, wouldn't the magic trick lose its fun and mystery?"
His half-truthful explanation sounds somewhat bizarre, but in an era lacking entertainment, "magic tricks" were indeed a real skill, so it cannot be said that they were entirely impossible.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Changke's eyes flashed with intense interest. He looked Xu Kuo up and down several times, as if he were seeing this person for the first time.
"Oh? Magic? Haha, interesting! Comrade Xu Kuo, I never knew you had such a talent at such a young age!"
He pondered for a moment, then, as if he had thought of something, a smile appeared on his face.
"Perfect timing! Isn't it almost New Year's Eve? In response to the call to action and to allow everyone to relax after a year of hard work, the county is planning a joint military-civilian gala at the county auditorium to liven up the festive atmosphere. How about it, Comrade Xu Kuo? Are you interested in going on stage and showing off your 'unique skills' to us old comrades, so we can broaden our horizons and see what you've got?"
Sheng Xu's scrutinizing gaze fell upon Xu Kuo as if it were a physical object.
Xu Kuo's heart skipped a beat, realizing that Captain Sheng was clearly not so easily fooled. Simply claiming to be able to perform magic tricks would hardly dispel his suspicions about the "disappeared" antiques in his warehouse.
If we don't bring out something truly impressive at the gala, this shrewd security chief will likely not let it go, and there will only be more trouble to come.
He immediately straightened his back, a confident smile on his face, and said in a loud voice, "Secretary Zhou, you flatter me. Since you've spoken, I'll gladly accept! I'll definitely go on stage and make a fool of myself, giving everyone a good laugh! I guarantee it will broaden everyone's horizons!"
"Good! Good!" Zhou Changke clapped his hands and laughed heartily, clearly delighted. "Comrade Xu Kuo is indeed straightforward! It's settled then! You get ready, we're all waiting to see your brilliant performance!"
His liking for Xu Kuo increased even more; he felt that this young man was not only capable but also very interesting.
Sheng Xu, who was standing to the side, chimed in at the opportune moment. His tone seemed casual, but his eyes remained sharp as he stared intently at Xu Kuo: "Comrade Xu Kuo, your 'magic trick' has really piqued my curiosity. I will definitely be there to watch and learn from it."
Xu Kuo sneered inwardly, thinking that they probably wanted to catch him red-handed and see if he was just putting on a show. He remained outwardly calm and still smiled broadly: "Welcome, Captain Sheng, for your guidance! It's just a little trick, nothing serious, please excuse my poor performance."
Once the matter was settled, Xu Kuo got up to take his leave.
After bidding farewell to Zhou Changke and Sheng Xu, Xu Kuo walked quickly toward his home with mixed feelings.
Pushing open the door, Jiang Xiuying and her mother, Ren Hongmei, waited anxiously under the warm lamplight. Seeing Xu Kuo return unharmed, the two women finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Husband, you're finally back! Is everything alright?" Jiang Xiuying rushed over to greet him, looking Xu Kuo up and down, her eyes slightly red. These past few days, she and her mother-in-law had been living in constant fear.
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