After being brought back to the bureau, the employee was interrogated again. He was already panicked, but he still refused to tell the truth. Chen Shi said, "This attitude shows that he’s either being threatened by someone or there’s a lot of profit waiting for him. The latter is more likely."

"Look at this." Lin Dongxue was holding the cell phone confiscated from the employee. There was an entry in the search record of the phone browser, "How many years can you be sentenced for perjury?"

"Haha, what a high level of awareness. Maybe this kid thinks that it’s nothing to spend three years in jail. He can't earn the huge sum of money promised by the murderer in three years by himself. However, some things cannot be measured by simple numbers. He will know when he really goes to jail that it’s unimaginable suffering to spend even a single day in jail."

"I think the bureau should build a mini-prison, and throw these people, who think that it’s nothing to go to jail, into it so they can experience it for a few days."

Lin Qiupu sent a text message to them inviting them to a meal. Lin Dongxue said, "Don't come tonight. Go home and spend time with Yueyue."

"No, I’ll stay with you tonight."

"Haha, so I’m assigned to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays?"[1]

"There’s still Sunday!"

Lin Qiupu had bought a lot of boxed meals and brought them to the largest conference room in the bureau. It was a simple dinner party. The main purpose was to let the colleagues of the third team and the second team get to know each other. The men of the third team all fixed their eyes on Lin Dongxue. When they heard that she was the girlfriend of an unofficial consultant, they all showed disappointment.

After the respective introductions, Lin Qiupu picked up his chopsticks. "Okay, let's eat, everyone!"

"Eat one’s fill and be on one’s way."[2] Someone said from a dark corner.

Lin Qiupu slapped his chopsticks down. "Xiaodong!"

"I swear to the heavens..."

"What's going on?" asked a colleague from the third team.

"Our second team is haunted. Every time the captain speaks, there’s someone who answers back. So far, this case hasn’t been solved. He’s the number one suspect." A second team police officer pointed at Xu Xiaodong.

"I'll wear a muzzle from now on!" Xu Xiaodong looked distressed.

"Haha, maybe it's a real haunting!"

"It must be a spirit that follows you, or an earth-bound spirit." joked two from the third team.

"We’re all materialists. It's inappropriate to talk about these things." Old Zhang reminded the young police officers.

"Then what should we talk about? Girls?"

"Does your third team have any girls? You’re a bunch of monks."

"Nonsense. We also had a police flower previously. Have you heard of Han Luoxi?"

"Stop talking about it!!!"

The members of the third team suddenly fell into deep gloom. It wasn’t a happy memory. Lin Qiupu seized the opportunity to observe Chen Shi's expression. Chen Shi was furrowing his brows and complaining to Lin Dongxue, "I accidentally ate a dried chili and it was so spicy."

Haii, was I really thinking too much? Lin Qiupu secretly thought.

After they finished their meal, it was already dark outside. Everyone drove in police cars to "visit" Lie Guoxiao. The comrades of the third team were all in their uniforms, while the second team was still in plain clothes.

The place where the Lie Guoxiao lived was a bit inconceivable. Before liberation, it had been a museum. It was a very magnificent Soviet-style building, located in the city center. When everyone arrived at the lobby, they found that there were multiple iron gates installed. A bodyguard said, "Stop right there. You don't have an appointment."

"This is our appointment!" Lin Qiupu showed the search warrant stamped by the procuratorate.

The bodyguard said awkwardly, "I'll go in and inform Master Lie..."

"Stop right there!" the captain of the third team shouted, "Do you not understand what is a forcible search? Either open the door obediently, or I’ll search your body for the key."

Under the captain’s glare, the bodyguard finally obeyed and took out the key to open the door.

Walking inside, everyone was stunned. This is a place people live in? It was actually a private museum.

Floor-to-ceiling cabinets along the walls contained all kinds of tri-colored glazed pottery from the Tang dynasty, from birds and beasts to human figurines, as well as female nudes and barbarians which couldn’t be found in museums. The middle row was protected by tempered glass and held tri-colored glazed pottery of the twelve signs of the zodiac made during the Tang Dynasty. These weren’t made by contemporary artists trying to be original. The twelve signs of the zodiac had indeed spread to China during the Tang Dynasty. These twelve tri-colored glazed pottery were definitely exceedingly rare items.

The second room contained a collection of coins. A variety of rare coins from China and abroad, both ancient and modern, were stored there. Chen Shi had heard that the United States had five error coins without the words "God Bless" stamped on them. Here, he saw three of them. There was also a Canadian coin that had been misprinted on a nail. As it was unique, it became the treasure of the collector's circle. It was lying quietly on the velvet cushion of a display cabinet, illuminated by bright lights.

When they got to the third room, the police from the third team gasped in shock. The collection here were all guns, from the earliest matchlocks to revolvers used by celebrities, as well as famous limited edition guns from around the world.

"His collecting addiction is almost terrifying!" Lin Dongxue secretly clicked her tongue.

"These can be said to be specific symbols of his power!" Chen Shi said.

The last room was unexpectedly minimalistic. There were various posters of the 1980 version of "The Bund" [3] hanging on the walls. The display cabinet was filled with various filming props. In a man-sized glass cabinet, Xu Wenqiang's[4] full outfit had been placed.

"Could it be..." Lin Dongxue said.

"Yes, this is the costume worn by Chow Yunfat."[5] A silver-bearded old man came down the U-shaped stairs. He was wearing a Chinese-style gown and carried a dragon-headed cane. Several bodyguards followed behind him.

When he came to Lin Dongxue's side, he smiled, "If something caught your eye, I can give it to you."

Lin Dongxue frowned and stepped back subconsciously, keeping a distance from him.

"Lie Guoxiao?" Lin Qiupu said.

"Police Officers, why are you looking for me?" Lie Guoxiao smiled.

Lin Qiupu produced a search warrant. "On May 12th, a pawn shop boss named Shen Liqun was killed in his own pawn shop. An ancient painting with an astronomical price was stolen from his pawn shop. Your subordinate Liu Feng is our prime suspect. We suspect that you had instigated him."

Lin Qiupu noticed a blue vein on the back of Lie Guoxiao's hand slowly protruding outwards. This old man seemed to be very robust.

Lie Guoxiao pretended to smile lightly. "I have asked Liu Feng to surrender himself. How could this matter have been instigated by me? I'm just an ordinary citizen!"

Lin Qiupu looked at the expressionless bodyguards standing with folded arms behind Lie Guoxiao and looked at the house full of collected items. "Ordinary citizen?"

"If I’m not an ordinary citizen, what else could I be? An organized crime syndicate’s boss?" As he spoke that last sentence, Lie Guoxiao looked at the captain of the third team.

"What's your identity? After this search is over, we’ll naturally come to a conclusion." The captain of the third team said.

Lie Guoxiao gestured as if to say “As you please.” "Go ahead and have a look, but don't damage my collection. Although everyone has come here in a somewhat aggressive manner, I will do my best to cooperate with you in the investigation as an ordinary citizen. Please go ahead!"

1. When men were allowed to have multiple wives, they often assigned specific days of the week to spend time with each wife.

2. A reference to a ritualistic saying uttered in premodern times when giving death-row prisoners their last meal.

3. Hong Kong period drama aired back in 1980. It’s praised as “The Godfather of the East” and was very popular.

4. Fictional character from The Bund.

5. Hong Kong actor who has won a lot of Best Actor awards.