Chapter 6
Half an hour later, following the address provided by Director Wang, the group finally arrived at Baile Street in the southern part of the city. It was here that the troublemaker Chen Jialuo’s home was located.
Baile Street was originally a very ordinary, even somewhat rundown area. But a few years ago, a Feng Shui Master appeared out of nowhere. After a round of dragon-seeking and acupoint-spotting, the master claimed that a Dragon Vein was hidden here, specifically in the northwest part of the street.
Qimen Dunjia is governed by the Eight Gates, among which the “Gate of Human Affairs” is especially important. Within these Eight Gates, the northwest is ranked first in the Eight Trigrams and is the location of the “Open Gate.” Thus, rumors spread that anyone living at the “Open Gate” would be a Dragon and Phoenix Among People. It was precisely because of the Feng Shui Master’s words that Baile Street became a battleground for many real estate companies in Mobei City, and naturally, a hotspot for “demolition disputes.”
Not long after, the original residents of the “Open Gate” area in the northwest, under various pressures, agreed to the demolition agreements, and a high-end villa project was quickly completed.
Since the first phase of the villa project was finished, the second phase was not far off. However, just across the street from the villa area, the old buildings were covered with conspicuous “demolish” characters. Alongside these were several protest banners, their white fabric emblazoned with blood-red letters, denouncing the developer’s violent demolition practices.
Separated by just one street, less than a hundred meters apart, on one side children lived in luxurious villas, dressed in splendid clothes, while on the other side, kids ate cold meals in homes without water or electricity, always worried about a sudden knock on the door in the middle of the night.
Murong Shui was driving a third-hand car that Xu Tiannan had bought at a used car market a few years ago. At this moment, it was like an aging old horse, sputtering and wheezing even after parking, quickly attracting the attention of the sales office staff.
A saleswoman in a high-end women’s suit came out, frowned at the beat-up car, and thought to herself that it was probably another pauper coming to see the world. But, bound by her duties, she still put on a professional smile and said, “Hello, ma’am. Are you here to view the property?”
Xu Tiannan was about to reply, but Murong Shui stopped him with a glance and whispered, “Boss! These people only serve the wealthy. Don’t say anything-I know how to deal with them.”
After speaking, Murong Shui pretended to size up the upscale neighborhood, then casually said to the saleswoman, “Hmm… The houses here are alright, but the garages are a bit small. Whatever, let’s just take a look for now.”
The saleswoman ignored Murong Shui’s feigned indifference and quickly sized up her outfit, immediately estimating the price.
— Clothes: within 170 yuan.
— Pants: within 100 yuan.
— Shoes: domestic brand, within 350 yuan.
— Jewelry: none.
After sizing up Murong Shui, the saleswoman glanced at the beat-up car behind them, even more convinced that they were just pretending to be big shots. She politely said, “Alright, no problem. Please show your proof of funds.”
Hearing this, Murong Shui was dumbfounded and asked in confusion, “What… You need proof of funds just to look at a house?”
The saleswoman replied with a forced smile, “Yes, because our company develops high-end villa communities, with prices usually in the tens of millions. So, to avoid wasting everyone’s time and to prove your purchasing power, we need you to provide valid proof of funds-cash, stocks, funds, or financial products are all acceptable. If you haven’t prepared it, there’s an audit office at the intersection ahead where you can get it done.”
Murong Shui was panicking inside, because apart from a few hundred yuan for living expenses, she didn’t even have a bank card anymore-she’d canceled it just to retrieve the ten-yuan deposit. If she really went to that audit office, she probably couldn’t even afford the commission fee.
As Murong Shui’s confidence waned, Xu Tiannan suddenly walked over, pulled the saleswoman aside to a quiet spot, and said in a low voice, “Miss, your request is very reasonable. After all, life moves so fast these days-no one wants to waste time on meaningless things, right?”
The saleswoman glanced at Xu Tiannan. Although she thought anyone arriving in such a beat-up car couldn’t be that wealthy, his confident manner made her feel there was more to his words.
“It’s just that my identity is rather special. If I really went to get proof of funds, it might cause some unnecessary trouble.” As he spoke, Xu Tiannan took out a black leather work ID from his pocket and handed it to her, mysteriously saying, “This is my work ID. I’m sure you’ll understand once you see it.”
The saleswoman picked up the work ID, glanced at it, and immediately became nervous. “Are you here today to view the property, or for…”
“No, no, no,” Xu Tiannan said with a smile, shaking his head. “Miss, you’re overthinking it. We’re not here to disrupt your normal work-just for personal reasons. And those personal reasons… are simply to look at the houses here. As for the proof of funds, it’s really a bit inconvenient. Also, I’d prefer you didn’t mention our visit to your colleagues. I’m sure you understand.”
The saleswoman thought for a moment, then said, “Please wait a moment,” before returning to the sales office. In no time, she came out with a set of keys and enthusiastically said to Xu Tiannan, “Brother Wen, this way please!”
Murong Shui followed the group for a few steps, then quietly asked Xu Tiannan, “Boss! That girl called you Brother Wen? What kind of name is that? And what trick did you use to get her to show us the houses?”
Xu Tiannan shook the black leather work ID in his hand. When Murong Shui saw it, she gasped and stammered, “You-you-you… When did you steal Wen Baobao’s work ID? Isn’t this… a bit too… too risky?”
The card in Xu Tiannan’s hand was not an ordinary police ID, but an identification from the Mobei City Criminal Investigation Division. The photo had already been replaced with a half-length portrait of Xu Tiannan, but the name below read: Wen Sibao.
Impersonating a public security officer to commit fraud is a serious crime, codified in Article 279 of the Criminal Law. At this moment, Murong Shui was so nervous that she couldn’t even speak.
Xu Tiannan said, “Do you remember the April 15 theft case we helped the Criminal Investigation Division solve?”
Murong Shui nodded. Xu Tiannan continued, “When we finally closed in and made the arrests, the scene was a mess. It was only after I got back that I realized how this police ID ended up in my pocket.”
Murong Shui’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? You even changed the photo on the police ID. Doesn’t that obviously mean you stole it? And just now, in front of that real-estate agent, were you hinting that you’re actually rich, but because you’re a public security officer you can’t provide proof of funds?”
“We’re done for, we’re done for…” At this point, Murong Shui felt her future was pitch black, so nervous her tongue was twisting. “We’re totally finished! That real-estate agent is clearly the type who loves to show off. After today, she’ll definitely gossip everywhere. Plus, this whole neighborhood is covered in cameras. Ah… Boss, we’re doomed!”
Xu Tiannan, however, appeared especially relaxed and reassured her, “Shui Gen (a nickname for Murong Shui), don’t worry. I already told that real-estate agent that I didn’t want today’s visit to be publicized, so we didn’t leave any registration here. As long as we just look around Chen Jialuo’s house and return the police ID to Wen Sibao immediately after, nothing will happen.”
Wen Sibao was Xu Tiannan’s best friend back at the Police Academy. Unlike Xu Tiannan’s turbulent life, Wen Sibao had a smooth path after graduation, becoming an investigator in the Mobei City Criminal Investigation Division. By rights, a freshly graduated, professionally trained recruit making it into the Criminal Investigation Division was already one in a thousand, but Wen Sibao could never feel happy about his life, because there was a mountain in his life that he both feared and could never surpass-a mountain named Xu Tiannan.
During their time at the Police Academy, Wen Sibao outshone many cadets and was always the most dazzling among the new students. Yet, over the years, he only bested Xu Tiannan in two things: dormitory organization scores and hand-to-hand combat training.
Years ago, when Wen Sibao pinned Xu Tiannan down with a joint lock, he was surprised to find he felt no joy in such a victory. From that day on, he redefined his life’s goal-to surpass his rival in criminal investigation. But this goal was never realized, not even when Xu Tiannan left the Police Academy.
After that, Wen Sibao joined the Criminal Investigation Division, while Xu Tiannan went on to pursue graduate studies at Mobei University of Political Science and Law. Though their paths diverged, they remained inseparable friends in each other’s lives. Sometimes, men’s friendships are simple-so simple that they can’t even voice their concern, but on this matter, the two understood each other perfectly without words.
“Hey! This one looks nice!” Xu Tiannan pointed at a villa with a courtyard and swimming pool. “Can you take me inside for a look?”
The real-estate agent explained, “Sorry, Brother Wen (a colloquial address for Wen Sibao), this villa has already been sold. See, there’s a car parked in their yard. But I have another one with exactly the same layout-I can show you that.”
The villa Xu Tiannan chose, Villa C07, was precisely the home address of Chen Jialuo that they had just learned from Director Wang. Li Xianglan, standing nearby, of course knew where this was. If Murong Shui hadn’t held her back, she would have almost rushed in uncontrollably.
The real-estate agent saw Xu Tiannan staring at the villa in silence for a while and said, “Brother Wen? Are you listening to me?”
Xu Tiannan gazed at the villa for a long moment before replying, “Oh, oh! I’m listening, I’m listening. Then please take me to see the other one-the one with the same layout as this.”
The real-estate agent led them to a row of villas at the back, pointing to the location of C08. “This is Villa C08. The layout and structure are exactly the same as Villa C07.”
It was a postmodern-style, steep-roofed villa, with two floors above ground and one basement level. Each floor was about 160 square meters, with good lighting and a private garden. After introducing all the advantages of the house, the real-estate agent led them upstairs and pointed to the nearly five-meter-high ceiling above. “Brother Wen, I need to highlight this design. Because our house has a steep roof, the ceiling in front of the second-floor bathroom is five meters high. This five-meter ceiling… is quite special.”
Given the good impression Xu Tiannan had left earlier, the real-estate agent suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously. “People with special identities and wealth like you must care a lot about confidentiality. If you buy this house, you can renovate the five-meter space above into a secret compartment. Even a huge safe could fit in there. As long as you don’t tell anyone, nobody would ever know.”
“Oh? That’s interesting.” Xu Tiannan suddenly became interested in the house’s structure. He looked up for a while and then asked, “Are you sure you can make a secret compartment here? From what I can see, the space might not be enough.”
The real-estate agent could tell he was interested in the design and, eager to make a sale, replied without hesitation, “Of course I’m sure. Just like the C07 we saw earlier…”
Perhaps realizing she had said too much, the real-estate agent quickly swallowed her words. But Xu Tiannan sensed there was something fishy in her tone, so he lowered his voice to match hers. “I really am interested in this secret compartment. Why don’t you tell me more? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
When two people share a secret, their relationship inevitably deepens. In order to close the deal, the female sales agent thought for a moment, then finally whispered, “Alright, Brother Wen! You mustn’t tell anyone. Just last year, when the residents of C07 were renovating, I went inside once. I discovered that they installed a hidden compartment right above our heads. Who knows how many treasures are stashed inside? But, well, business people… it’s understandable. I hope you, Brother Wen, will keep this secret with me. After all, it’s someone else’s privacy.”
Once a secret existed between them, the female sales agent’s body language became more expressive, and she occasionally brushed up against the other person, which made Murong Shui roll her eyes in exasperation.
“Of course, of course. Don’t worry,” Xu Tiannan replied. After asking a few token questions about the house, he prepared to leave. The agent quickly pulled a business card from her pocket and slipped it into his, then made a phone gesture with her hand and said sweetly, “I’ll be waiting for your call!”
Xu Tiannan excused himself, saying he wanted to stroll around the yard, and after bidding farewell to the agent, led the group back to the entrance of the C07 villa. Li Xianglan hurried forward and pressed the doorbell, but after waiting a while, there was no response from inside.
After ringing the bell several times with no answer, Li Xianglan grew anxious and steeled herself to climb over the courtyard wall, but was suddenly stopped by Xu Tiannan. “No, this community is covered with surveillance cameras, and the security guards have definitely seen what we’re doing. The female sales agent will be back at the sales office in less than a minute. If we force our way in, we’ll never be allowed back here.”
“Let go of me!”
Li Xianglan was no longer calm, shouting, “Chen Jialuo, that scoundrel, is definitely inside! Maybe my sister was taken by him! Let me in!”
To avoid drawing attention, Murong Shui restrained her with minimal movement. Xu Tiannan peered through the wrought iron gate at the villa and explained, “Sister Xianglan, calm down and listen. Even the semi-basement of this villa has a small window exposed outside, but none of the curtains are drawn, and there are no security bars on the windows. So it’s really unlikely your sister is inside. I actually think she might be somewhere else.”
Hearing this, Li Xianglan finally calmed down. By now, several residents were driving by, so the group decided to return to the car to talk.
Once inside, Xu Tiannan explained, “Back at the factory, that girl Gu Xiaobai told me the model of Chen Jialuo’s car. So just now, I saw that car in the yard. Although it’s been washed recently, the mud under the left rear fender wasn’t cleaned off. I don’t think a professional car wash would miss that, so Chen Jialuo must have washed it himself in the yard. This raises three questions.”
Xu Tiannan paused, his expression serious. “First: Mobei City has a desert climate, and it hasn’t rained since last week. So where did the mud on the fender come from? Second: Why did Chen Jialuo drive to a place covered in mud? Third, and most important: Why did he insist on washing the car himself? What reason does he have for not taking it to a car wash?”
With these three questions posed, Li Xianglan grew tense. “Do you… do you think Qinqin was taken somewhere else by Chen Jialuo?”
Xu Tiannan said, “That’s very likely. And from what we know, Chen Jialuo doesn’t want anyone to know where he’s been. So our top priority is to track that car’s movements over the past three days.”
Murong Shui asked, “Mobei City is huge. How do we track it?”
Xu Tiannan replied, “To the north of Mobei City is the Gurbantünggüt Desert. Chen Jialuo couldn’t possibly drive across the desert to the Sino-Kazakh border. To the south are the Tianshan Mountains, and his car doesn’t have snow tires. So in these three days, the car could only have traveled within Mobei City’s jurisdiction.”
Murong Shui rubbed her nose. “Impressive! You just narrowed it down to six thousand square meters.”
Xu Tiannan ignored her and checked his phone, explaining, “Here’s the seven-day weather forecast for Mobei City. Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the only place it rained was the Beiyang Mountain area on the northern outskirts.”
Murong Shui thought for a moment. “Hmm! That narrows it down by another four thousand square meters. And then?”
Xu Tiannan said, “Then, we go to the Public Security Bureau.”
Murong Shui grew wary. “What for? What are you plotting now?”
Xu Tiannan replied, “If we want to track the car’s recent movements, the fastest way is to use Wen Sibao’s police network.”
Murong Shui was surprised. “Ah… Boss, why are you targeting Wen Baobao again? For our own safety, can’t you stop using him as a scapegoat?”
Xu Tiannan said, “I’m not trying to set him up. But this case will ultimately need to be filed by the police. Wen Sibao may be a bit dull, but he has a stronger sense of justice and responsibility than any of us. If we hand the case to him, I’ll feel reassured.”
Murong Shui frowned. “But Wen Baobao is by-the-book. From what I know, he won’t use the police network for you before the case is officially filed.”
“Of course,” Xu Tiannan said confidently. “That’s why we have to take matters into our own hands. When we get there, just follow my lead!”
Murong Shui: “…”