Chapter 156 To Turn Against Each Other?
Wisps of smoke rose and swirled beneath the overhead light.
The neon lights outside the window were cut into strips through the gaps in the blinds.
The bureau chief stubbed out his cigarette, his eyebrows furrowed into an inverted V shape, his gaze sharp as a blade, fixed on Chen Peng's face.
"Chen Peng, Chen Peng, the political commissar and I were gone for a few days, and you've already made such a mess of things?"
"A seal is one thing, you can easily put it in your pocket. But that monument is bigger than you, and it was transported to the border in just two days after it was unearthed? Why didn't you help send it out?"
"You still have the nerve to call your subordinates good-for-nothings? When it comes to just eating and doing nothing, Chen Peng, you're number one!"
Chen Peng kept his head down and remained silent.
The bureau chief is his mentor, and he's been scolding him for over twenty years; he's long been used to it.
That's still considered good; at least they didn't address him as "father" or "mother." Sometimes, when the bureau chief gets angry, he's been beaten before, hasn't he?
"Stop pretending to be a coward!" Seeing him hanging his head and remaining silent, the bureau chief slammed his fist on the table. "Speak up!"
He had just opened his mouth when the political commissar shook his head and handed him the folder: "You really deserve criticism. Over a hundred people have been investigating for over a month, and you haven't even found a single clue? Deputy Director Chen, your work enthusiasm is lacking..."
The political commissar jokingly changed the subject, and the bureau chief swallowed the curse that was about to come out.
He then glared at Chen Peng and took the folder. After a casual glance, he paused: "Huh, local acquisition, overnight transportation, overseas support?"
"The industrialization of tomb raiding and the sale of stolen goods: investors provide funding - overseas institutions act as intermediaries - domestic tomb raiding gangs are hired to excavate - goods are collected locally - they are urgently exported - and then sold overseas?"
"A two-pronged approach to theft and resale: what's dug isn't sold, and what's sold isn't dug? Twenty-four hours of continuous illegal excavation—gold leaving the country within forty-eight hours?"
Halfway through reading, the bureau chief paused: "I feel... maybe I started scolding too early?"
Calculate the time: the border station seized the stolen goods in the early hours of yesterday morning, transported them overnight, and it was noon when they arrived at the municipal bureau.
It's only been seven or eight hours, and you've managed to sort things out so quickly? That's incredibly fast!
Therefore, it is indeed not surprising that Chen Peng has not made any achievements: especially this "industrialization of tomb raiding and resale" and "two-pronged approach of tomb raiding and resale," which is definitely the newest type of tomb raiding crime model.
The director had never heard of the "golden 48 hours" for leaving the country before.
Chen Peng's team was able to deduce the complete criminal chain in such a short time, and even form a closed loop. Their thinking was absolutely clear, their intuition was absolutely sharp, and they were truly talented...
The bureau chief narrowed his eyes: "You investigated pretty quickly?"
Chen Peng breathed a sigh of relief: "Chief, it's just speculation!"
The bureau chief glared at him: "Nonsense, do you think I don't know it's just speculation?"
However, the fact that Chen Peng was able to deduce the complete crime pattern, as well as the details of the theft, transportation, and sale of stolen goods so quickly indicates that he had done a lot of investigation work beforehand, and had definitely discussed and deduced a great deal.
To be honest, even if this conjecture is wrong, or even completely contrary to the truth, the bureau chief thinks it's still worth praising...
The director turned another page after a moment's thought.
"The gang was well-organized, with a clear division of labor, and possessed extremely strong counter-surveillance experience..."
"First, by using a network to sell stolen artifacts, some smaller items are channeled into the black market for cultural relics in other regions, misleading the public security authorities into believing that most of the artifacts have already left the province, thus diverting police resources..."
"Second, lure wealthy collectors with low prices to buy highly recognizable stolen goods, and if necessary, report them anonymously to mislead the police investigation and prepare for the tomb-robbing gang's rapid escape..."
The bureau chief's eyes lit up: "So Chen Peng has been investigating for over a month, but hasn't found anything useful."
This angle is really tricky...
He couldn't stop praising, "Great job, you've produced some talent under your command!"
Chen Peng moved his lips, unsure how to respond.
After a silence of about ten seconds, he forced a smile: "Master, um, please don't be angry... this... this speculation and suggestion, it wasn't made by one of our people..."
What do you mean? You're not one of the bureau's people?
The bureau chief's eyes widened: "Who?"
Chen Peng shrank back: "It's Lin Sicheng... I mentioned him to you before: the kid with the reverse-flow teapot, the jade paperweight, and the imitation Xuande incense burner..."
The bureau chief was stunned for a moment: Damn it, all that joy for nothing?
"That student of Qi Zhi, the King of the West?"
"Yes, yes, it's him!" Chen Peng nodded vigorously. "He was the one who reported this case, and he also provided several important pieces of evidence in the early stages!"
"You're right, my foot..."
The bureau chief was furious. He raised the folder in his hand repeatedly, almost slapping Chen Peng on the head.
He couldn't understand how Chen Peng had the audacity to nod in agreement.
"I'm being kind by calling you a good-for-nothing? Chen Peng, count for yourself, how many times has this happened?"
The bureau chief gritted his teeth, "Are you planning to rely on this kid to get promoted and make contributions for the rest of your life?"
Chen Peng remained silent: What does meritorious service matter? The key is being able to take the blame.
If it weren't for Lin Sicheng, he would have been assigned to guard the city's security bureau long ago...
No one knows a student better than their teacher. Just by looking at him like that, the bureau chief knew what he was thinking and tossed the folder over like a gust of wind: "You good-for-nothing..."
Chen Peng was prepared. He caught the folder and chuckled awkwardly, "Master, so, about this plan..."
The bureau chief, looking impatient, pointed at the door and yelled, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
"Alright, Master... Political Commissar, you go ahead with your work!"
Chen Peng bent over and didn't forget to close the door when he left.
The bureau chief started smoking again, and the political commissar opened the window: "Old Li, you're doing it wrong. He's already a deputy now?"
The bureau chief glared at him: "That's a lazy donkey, he won't budge even when you beat him, he would have collapsed long ago if you didn't scold him!"
"That's already pretty good!" the political commissar smiled. "At least they can step up in crucial moments and are more reliable."
The bureau chief didn't speak, but exhaled a puff of smoke.
In fact, he knew very well that if this gang really did separate theft and resale as described in the plan, then it would be normal for Chen Peng not to be able to find any clues in a short period of time.
To borrow the child's words: the organization is extremely tight-knit, the division of labor is extremely clear, the management is extremely strict, and they have extremely rich counter-surveillance experience...
Of course, it will be found out sooner or later.
After a pause, the bureau chief frowned slightly: "Theft and resale were separated, with the stolen goods quickly leaving the country and being distributed overseas... a foreign gang remotely controlling the operation? Political Commissar, this case is so similar to the Yang Bin case?"
The political commissar paused for a moment: "Huh, you really don't know?"
The case of Yang Bin's gang's tomb raiding is considered the largest, most brazen, and most capable tomb raiding gang case cracked in the province in recent years.
How capable are they?
The stone outer coffin of Empress Zhenshun (Consort Wu Hui) of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang weighed a full 27 tons, but this group of people brazenly stole it.
How arrogant are they?
Each time they go down to a tomb, they will send people to guard the nearest police station and intersection beforehand. As soon as the police arrive, they will all flee.
They fled, and the police arrived. The police left, and they returned. For a month, they worked on and off, using explosives to dig a pit and hacksaws to dismantle it, finally managing to steal the stone coffin.
Each time the tomb is loaded, a large crane is used for lifting, and armed guards are stationed in the village where the tomb is located to prevent anyone from calling the police.
How professional are they?
Yang Bin started tomb raiding in 1992, and over the course of a decade, he transformed himself into a renowned expert in appraisal and restoration. To cover his tracks, he spent a fortune buying a four-story building in downtown Xi'an and setting up a cultural relic restoration factory.
Business is booming.
It's no exaggeration to say that compared to those two studios, Lin Sicheng's studios are like sesame seeds compared to a flatbread...
The reason why the bureau chief and political commissar thought it was true was because Yang Bin never sold stolen goods locally; he sold small items to other provinces, and all the important items went abroad.
Moreover, Yang Bin would always contact overseas buyers beforehand to negotiate prices before sending his men into the grave. Yang Bin's gang was only responsible for digging; they would get paid as soon as the items were unearthed. As for how to transport the items out of the country, that was entirely the buyer's responsibility.
This perfectly matches the characteristics described in Chen Peng's report: "command from overseas organizations," "separation of theft and resale," and "the sellers not recognizing the thieves, and the thieves not recognizing the resale."
Coincidentally, the verdict in this case was handed down just last month: the main culprit, Yang Bin, was sentenced to death.
The director and political commissar were on a business trip for more than two weeks to retrieve the stone sarcophagus of Empress Shunzhen, which had been transported to the United States. They accompanied the leaders of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau on a trip to Beijing and Guangzhou.
The problem is that the case is still under wraps and no information has been disclosed to the outside world. Even Chen Peng only has a vague understanding of it.
Moreover, there had been no similar cases before, and the public security department hadn't even had time to summarize the case. So how did Lin Sicheng come up with the idea of "separation of theft and resale" and "industrialization of theft and resale"?
The summary is so insightful, it's practically tailor-made for the Yang Bin gang case.
The director paused for a moment, his mind racing: "Could this be... the same group of foreign buyers from the Yang Bin case, who have hired another group of tomb raiders?"
The political commissar was stunned: most likely!
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence: the same organizational structure, the same modus operandi, and the same network for disposing of stolen goods?
The two looked at each other, stunned for a long time: Didn't that mean that the report and plan that Chen Peng had just brought, as well as the speculation he mentioned, had made the case so accurate and coincidental?
No, this can't be faked.
The political commissar paused for a moment: "This kid's got some skills."
"It's more than just having some knowledge; in Chen Peng's words, it's incredibly mysterious! It seems like there's nothing he doesn't know about anything related to cultural relics?"
The bureau chief exhaled a puff of smoke. "Take this case, for example. Could Chen Peng have predicted the 'separation of theft and resale' and 'command from overseas institutions' with such precision?"
Of course not.
It wasn't that Chen Peng lacked ability, but rather that there were too few clues.
But could Lin Sicheng really do it?
The political commissar's eyes lit up: "I remember Chen Peng saying he wanted to bring this kid to the Municipal Bureau?"
The bureau chief thought for a moment, then stubbed out his cigarette: "Difficult!"
Working in the police force is so tough, and that kid is so capable, why make things difficult for someone who isn't guilty?
Furthermore, the key lies with Wang Qizhi.
Don't be fooled by how casually Chen Peng talks about Wang Qizhi. That's because the two are already familiar with each other, and Wang Qizhi is easy to get along with.
But if Chen Peng steals someone else's student, do you think Wang Qizhi will turn against you?
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