Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 329 Showing its Face

The conference room was quite large, but it was sparsely populated, with only six or seven people sitting there.

Deputy Chief Sun, Branch Chief Yu, Yan Wenjing, and the branch chief and deputy branch chief in charge of major cases.

Besides him, there was another one, very young, probably in his early thirties, even younger than Yan Wenjing. He also had the lowest rank: among the other police inspectors and superintendents, he was the only second-class superintendent.

But he was seated very close to the front, with the deputy chief in front of him and below him, even closer than the two branch commanders.

Liu Kaichun glanced through the documents in front of him, a strange look appearing in his eyes.

It was a reply from the SX Provincial Department, a response to the "Letter of Assistance for Special Security Protection". He had read the original letter; not only was it of a high level, but its content was also complex, with items detailed to the point of being almost exhaustive.

It's like the capital has drawn up all the rules and regulations, and is demanding that Shaanxi arrange things accordingly.

To be honest, it's difficult. This isn't like going to a restaurant where you can order whatever you want. It's about requesting assistance from colleagues in other provinces; you have to adapt to local conditions and consider the actual situation.

And it's a voluntary act of kindness; they're already being generous by helping, yet you're making so many demands and creating such a fuss? You can't expect local cases to be abandoned so that police resources can be specially allocated to protect a special agent like yourself, can you?
Liu Kaichun felt that this coordination letter would be rejected one hundred percent.

Surprisingly, not only did they not call back, but they responded immediately and made arrangements on the spot. And they were even this fast?

With such a high level of secrecy and coordination at the provincial level, meetings, discussions, and research are definitely necessary. Opinions from lower-level departments, such as the Xi'an Municipal Public Security Bureau, also need to be sought, and the police resources of various units need to be coordinated. Under normal procedures, this would take at least five days and at most a week.

How long did it take in Shaanxi? Two days in total.

Let's look at the specifics: the previous coordination letter was complicated enough, right? Xijing can be even more complicated.

The previous requirements were numerous and the items were detailed enough; Xijing can be even more detailed.

By drawing inferences from one instance to another and filling in any gaps, many things that the Beijing authorities were too embarrassed to mention or had overlooked were all listed. It can be said that it was comprehensive, covering every aspect 24/7.

They even subtly reminded the capital that if they were short-handed, they could offer friendly assistance.

Liu Kaichun suddenly couldn't understand: When did coordination between different regions become so smooth and efficient?

He'd worked in the ministry for ten years, and this was the first time he'd seen him like this...

Seeing his puzzled look, Deputy Chief Sun Liancheng explained: "Back in Xi'an, Xiao Lin cooperated with the police many times and solved several major cases. It's not surprising that the local authorities paid attention to him."

Liu Kaichun neither confirmed nor denied: In the ministry, he had seen Lin Sicheng's case file and was also assigned by his superiors to organize internal study of relevant cases, such as the uranium porcelain case and the Zhang Anshi tomb robbery case.

The young man is quite outstanding, but to be honest, the level of protection and the commotion are a bit exaggerated.

The situation in Beijing is exaggerated, but in Xi'an it's even more exaggerated. This is the kind of entourage that leaders' families would expect.

But he didn't say anything: the leaders sent him here to assist the brigade in coordinating with local authorities and various departments. If the brigade could solve the problem itself, he would be more than willing.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. The office director opened the door and led in two men.

The first one was in his thirties, with a dignified appearance; the second one was very young, with handsome features, in his early twenties.

Everyone stood up and greeted each other warmly. Then, the brigade leader introduced the two sides.

Liu Kaichun proactively extended his hand: "Professor Wang, Teacher Lin, the leadership assigned me here to assist the brigade in coordinating with local authorities..."

Assigned...to...the ministry?

Leader? Which leader? Oh, Tang Dingping?
Wang Qizhi grasped it and shook it: "Secretary Liu!"

Then it was Lin Sicheng's turn. It was a simple handshake and a very ordinary introduction. But I felt that Liu Kaichun's gaze towards Lin Sicheng was unusually different.

Liu Kaichun knew perfectly well why the case started, the young man's role in it, why the leaders paid special attention to it, and why they sent him to assist.

As a secretary, he could guess some of the reasons why his boss was troubled lately. That's why his gaze was rather strange when he saw Lin Sicheng.

He's good-looking, seems to have a calm and composed personality, and is quite capable. Most importantly, he not only took several knife wounds for Nan Yan, but also saved her life.

Women are naturally emotional, and that girl is so straightforward, now look what's happened...

But it's fleeting.

Lin Sicheng pretended not to see it and greeted him with a smile.

After sitting down again, Yan Wenjing began his report. He pulled over a whiteboard and started drawing on it.

One circle, two circles, three circles... six or seven layers in total, a huge whiteboard covered with thirty or forty circles.

This is a diagram showing the organizational structure of criminal suspects. Although paperless offices and scientific reasoning have been promoted for the past two years, veteran detectives still prefer this approach: direct, simple, and visually compelling.

At first, Liu Kaichun didn't pay attention, but when Yan Wenjing filled in the question marks in the circle, he gradually realized something was wrong.

One question mark, two question marks, three question marks... On the huge blackboard, there were only a handful of things that weren't question marks.

Then, they started posting photos in the circles without question marks: Ma Shan, Ma Long, Ren Danhua, Yu Jichuan, Yu Jiyao... Moreover, the highest one, Ma Shan, was only on the third level, with the two levels above him all being question marks.

What does this mean?
The explanation is difficult to find.

But that's secondary. The key point is the area next to Ma Shan and Ma Long: the top three floors are question marks; the fourth floor: Ren Danhua; the fifth floor: Yu Jichuan and Yu Jiyao; the sixth floor: Qianjinlu…

What does this represent?
This means that new clues have been found. These people should all be key figures, including the last one, Qianjinlu.

But Liu Kaichun has been here all these days. Although the leaders only sent him to coordinate, no matter what progress the case makes or what clues are found, whether it is the brigade or the branch, they will inform him immediately and he will report to the leaders.

Liu Kaichun had no idea that the branch had uncovered any leads in recent days. So how were these related individuals, suspected members of a criminal gang, identified?
Just as he was wondering, Yan Wenjing opened the document:

"Ren Danhua, formerly known as Shan Hua, is 33 years old and from Tangshan, Hebei Province. In 1997, she graduated from a vocational art college in Beijing and worked as a sales assistant in a calligraphy and painting shop in Liulichang. In 1999, she registered as a sole proprietorship and started dealing in antiques. A year later, she established a company and is currently the legal representative of Shuyuju Antique Culture Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of one million yuan..."

"Yu Jichuan, formerly known as Li Jilin, is 42 years old and from Tangshan, Hebei Province. He is a cousin of Ren Danhua. In the early 1990s, he worked as an apprentice in an antique shop, later learning antique restoration. He is currently the legal representative of Guanlan Antique Restoration Company in Xicheng District. Yu Jiyao, formerly known as Li Yao, is 28 years old and is a cousin of Li Jilin. She is currently the general manager of Guanlan Company..."

"Qianjinzhai, a gold and silver antique restoration company, legal representative Feng Shizong, partner Li Jiansheng, registered capital... business scope..."

Yan Wenjing introduced them one by one, emphasizing the connections between these individuals and Ma Shan and Bing Qi. The more Liu Kaichun listened, the more uneasy he felt.

It turns out that the clues were not found by the detachment at all, but rather information that Lin Sicheng obtained through social connections.

Moreover, it's all speculation, and only Lin Sicheng's speculation: the relationship between these people, their secret professions, their roles within the gang, and their connection to Ma Shan and Ma Long's gang.

It's not surprising to use social connections to find clues and advance a case. Almost every unit responsible for criminal or serious cases has one kind of "informant," and they've certainly proven incredibly effective at crucial moments.

Criminal investigation reasoning, or solving a case, basically involves reconstructing the crime scene based on clues such as behavior, traces, and timeline, and then anchoring the direction of the investigation based on the suspect's psychology and motives.

To put it bluntly, more than 60 percent of the work relies on reasoning, including interrogation and corroboration of physical evidence, which is not surprising.

Strangely, the police were not involved at all in finding clues through the social relationships of individuals.
No investigative direction was provided, no technical support was offered, and no information or data support was provided.

What's even stranger is that, without any professional support, based solely on extremely limited information known only to an individual and on imaginative conjectures, the relationships between the characters were brazenly presented at the brigade's case analysis meeting.

It's not that there aren't social experts assisting the police in handling cases. They don't even need to go far. For example, the cases in which Lin Sicheng assisted the Xijing police were typical, sensational, impactful, and effective.

But he only provided assistance, not leadership.

So, how accurate and professional are these inferences? Could they mislead the investigation and waste limited police resources?

Or perhaps, we'll go in the opposite direction and all our previous efforts will be in vain?
At first glance, it seems both absurd and ridiculous.

But Liu Kaichun didn't dare to utter a sound. He felt extremely strange inside, but he could only suppress it and dared not show it on his face.

Because he knew enough: he wouldn't say that Lin Sicheng led the team from beginning to end, but he deserved at least half the credit for the significant progress the case had made.

The flaws in the main suspect's story were fabricated by him. The theft of Muling and the infighting within the gang leading to murder to cover it up were his deductions, which he also found, including the five corpses.

Even the gang's organizational structure and modus operandi were based on his ideas.

But being right once doesn't guarantee being right every time. No matter how knowledgeable or well-rounded a person is, it's impossible for them to be familiar with every industry and understand the modus operandi of all criminals.

There are many types of tomb raiders. In Beijing alone, whether it's open or covert, whether they've actually done it or not, the cultural relics they've looted are worth at least several million, if not tens of millions.

Liu Kaichun felt it was too hasty to conclude that these people were related to Ma Shan, who had already been arrested, or even belonged to the same gang, based on only a few artifacts and their similar age.

Liu Kaichun wasn't the only one who thought this way; Deputy Chief Sun, Branch Chief Yu, and even two leaders from the Major Crimes Branch also shared this view.

Since they were quite familiar with each other, the detachment leader didn't stand on ceremony: "Xiao Lin, what's your basis?"

"Cultural relics!"

Lin Sicheng succinctly stated, "I have seen three pieces at Qianjinlu: a jade bear, unearthed in southern Hebei, indicating a tomb of at least the rank of a duke; a gold filigree plate inlaid with turquoise, unearthed in the Shijiazhuang area of ​​central Hebei, indicating a tomb owner who was a prince or beile."

There is also a gold-engraved floral-patterned ruyi-shaped incense burner inlaid with jewels, unearthed in northern Hebei and southern Inner Mongolia, which should be a burial item of a Mongolian prince..."

"If I remember correctly, the core members of the Mashan gang confessed that from the end of 2006 to the beginning of this year, for nearly a year and a half, the cultural relics smuggled out of Mashan were basically unearthed from these few types of tombs: early Qing dynasty princes, mid-Qing dynasty imperial family members, and late Qing dynasty Mongolian princes..." "One piece could be considered a coincidence, but for three pieces to all come from the same type of tomb, the possibility of coincidence is extremely low..."

Several leaders were momentarily stunned.

They also confessed that they had seen it, and more than one of Ma Shan's subordinates, including Ma Long, nicknamed "Hemp Stick," gave this account.

However, because their level is too low, they have no access to information such as funds and accounts, and they know nothing about who the items were sold to, where they were dug up from, or how much they were sold for.

Ma Shan refused to confess, and no relevant evidence has been found so far, making it impossible to investigate. Therefore, these confessions are basically of no value to the investigation.

But according to Lin Sicheng, these cultural relics were very likely stolen from within Hebei province.

It cannot be ruled out that the items Lin Sicheng saw at Qianjinlu were also unearthed in Hebei, or even from the same tomb, or even from the same batch as those transported from Mashan.

Ren Danhua, who sent these items to Qianjinlu for restoration, was likely connected to Ma Shan.

Of course, this is just Lin Sicheng's speculation, and it's not very convincing: because the items were sold long ago, and Ma Shan's men didn't know where he sold them, so there's no physical evidence to corroborate it.

Connecting the dots based solely on one person's testimony is far-fetched. Besides, they were just a few henchmen with limited knowledge, and it's even possible that Ma Shan deliberately misled them…

Just as he was pondering this, Lin Sicheng spoke again: "That's one point. Secondly, the preservation measures for these cultural relics after they were unearthed were exactly the same: they were wrapped in acid-free cotton paper and aluminum foil to prevent light and oxygen. Then they were sealed with nitrogen to prevent sulfur and chlorine corrosion caused by sudden oxygen enrichment."

Coincidentally, it was handled in the same way as the XJ red coin from Mashan. Therefore, I suspect that these items were all stolen by the same group of people…

The leaders exchanged glances: They had just said it was a bit far-fetched, but in the blink of an eye, Lin Sicheng had thrown out a clue of considerable weight.
Those present had all witnessed how he deduced from the copper coin that it was unearthed at Muling, and how he found twelve wild graves in a field without any markers, relying solely on a compass.

And how did they find the stolen cowshed under a cowshed and unearth the skeletons of five people?

I don't know about other things, but at least Lin Sicheng's identification ability is absolutely top-notch: production date, excavation time, burial location, oxidation environment, protection measures... and so on.

He concluded that the same processing method was used, so there was basically no mistake.

Moreover, this time it's much easier to prove than last time: find a way to bring back the few items that Lin Sicheng saw at Qianjinlu, test them again, and compare them with the copper coins to find out.

As long as the result and his inference are correct, even if it cannot be proven that Ren Danhua and Ma Shan are accomplices, they must have a direct connection.

As he pondered this, Liu Kaichun's heart stirred, and he stared in astonishment at the question marks and arrows on the whiteboard.

What did you just say?

Without technical support or informational backing, constructing such a complex relationship diagram based solely on a weak social connection and a few scattered pieces of information is truly frivolous.

Forcibly linking two completely unrelated groups of people based on just a few artifacts from similar periods is not only far-fetched, but ridiculous.

What now?
He stared at him for a long time, then suddenly turned around and stared at Lin Sicheng.

Subconsciously, the scene from earlier flashed through my mind, and the voice of Deputy Chief Sun echoed in my ears: "Back in Xi'an, Xiao Lin cooperated with the police on many occasions and solved several major cases. The Xi'an authorities took it very seriously..."

It's more than just valuing it.
Nine times out of ten, the uranium porcelain case and the Zhang Anshi tomb raiding case were solved in this way. Otherwise, Xijing wouldn't have been so cooperative and proactive.

Put yourself in his shoes: If you were a police leader in Xi'an, would you treat him like a grandfather...?

Just as he was wondering what was going on, Deputy Chief Sun tapped the table: "Xiao Lin, is there any more?"

“Yes!” Lin Sicheng nodded. “There’s also a pocket watch… a gold case, twelve layers of enamel, twelve colors, standard imperial level. Based on the materials, it should have been produced in the mid-Kangxi period. It bears the English inscription of Ferdinand Verbiest, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Grand Master of Ceremonies. If I’m not mistaken, this pocket watch was handcrafted by him…”

"Secondly, based on the degree of oxidation, it is estimated that the burial time was during the Jiaqing or Daoguang period. However, based on the corrosion mechanism and rust composition, the burial soil was a weakly acidic environment, while the Mu Mausoleum is a weakly alkaline environment. Therefore, I suspect that it was most likely unearthed from the Chang Mausoleum during the Jiaqing period, and the time of excavation was no more than two years ago..."

Lin Sicheng laid out his story in a straightforward manner, which initially surprised the leaders, whose expressions gradually hardened.

Jiaqing, Daoguang?
At first glance, they seem to be father and son, but it's important to understand that Emperor Daoguang's Muling Mausoleum is in the Western Tombs, while Emperor Jiaqing's Changling Mausoleum is in the Eastern Tombs, meaning their tombs are hundreds of kilometers apart.

The key point is that it's a solid gold watch with twelve layers of enamel in twelve colors.
There's no doubt at all: she was either the emperor, the empress, or even the empress dowager.

Before the cases of the tomb robbery and murder of the imperial concubine at Muling Mausoleum have been sorted out, another one has suddenly emerged: it is very likely that Changling Mausoleum was also robbed.
The sky is falling, okay...

To say that Lin Sicheng made a mistake?
The leaders shook their heads at the thought of that copper coin, the concubine's tomb under the cattle pen, and the five skeletons.

The probability of being wrong is not zero, but it is definitely much smaller than the probability of being right.

This is not the tomb of a concubine, but a real imperial mausoleum...

Just as they were wondering, Captain Yu suddenly realized something was wrong: "Wait... Teacher Lin, you just said that the gold watch was made in the mid-Kangxi period and that it had Ferdinand Verbiest's name on it?"

"Yes, Captain Yu!"

Yu Zhidui's face was no longer stiff, but as black as the bottom of a pot: When was Kangxi?
It has been more than 300 years since then.

Even if this watch has nothing to do with Ferdinand Verbiest, it is still the first pocket watch in Chinese history. Even if it was imported, it was the first imported watch.

More likely, it is the first domestically produced watch.

He abruptly turned his head: "Yan Wenjing, find out for me which year Kangxi ascended the throne and which year Ferdinand Verbiest came to China?"

There was no need to check at all; Liu Kaichun, a liberal arts student, blurted out, "I remember that Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne in the 1660s, while when Ferdinand Verbiest came to China, Emperor Shunzhi was still on the throne..."

Captain Yu gritted his teeth, a last glimmer of hope remaining in his heart: "Teacher Lin, could it be something that Ferdinand Verbiest brought from Europe?"

“Possibly!” Lin Sicheng paused, “but only the movement. The case and bracelet are all made in China…”

Yu Zhidui gritted his teeth: "Foreign countries my ass?"
Twelve layers of enamel in twelve colors—where in Europe at that time could you find such technology?
Alright, no doubt about it: the first domestically produced mechanical pocket watch.

In the words of old Beijingers: "Whether it's representativeness or historical value, it's beyond redemption. Putting aside whether it was stolen from Changling Mausoleum, we have to find this watch even if we have to dig our heads out of the ground."

"This shouldn't be difficult. At most, Mr. Ren will show up this week and bring the watch over..."

After a brief pause, Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, "Judging by the time, they must have already investigated my information. If there are no slip-ups in Xi'an, and if nothing unexpected happens, Ren Danhua's superior might show up..."

The leaders nodded in unison: Show it off, show it off as much as possible. The faster and more you show it off, the better.

But you have to eat one bite at a time and do one thing at a time...

Captain Yu let out a sharp breath: "Teacher Lin, how long will it take you to fix this watch?"

"If it's fast, it will take three to five days; if it drags on, it will take half a month to twenty days!"

"Delay it, delay it as much as possible!"

Deputy Chief Sun said firmly, pointing at Yan Wenjing, "Yan Wenjing, don't say I didn't give you a chance: you better protect Teacher Lin for me. After this case is closed, I'll personally go to the bureau chief to beg for leniency, I'll even kowtow. If you can't handle it, you can get the hell out of here and go watch over prisoners..."

"Old Yu, keep an eye on him, this idiot sometimes doesn't have a clue!"

It's not just sometimes; he's never been particularly insightful...

Captain Yu sighed inwardly and nodded.

"Old Yu, arrange for people to investigate... to investigate Ren Danhua, Yu Jichuan, and Yu Jiyao. But be careful, move quietly, sneak into the village, and don't fire your guns..."

Yu, the detachment leader, straightened his back and shouted, "Yes, sir!"

"Also, continue interrogating Ma Shan... Tell him directly: Ren Danhua has been arrested, and if he doesn't confess now, he won't have another chance... It doesn't matter if he doesn't confess, have the experts keep an eye on him and ask if they're in cahoots, they'll know as soon as they get a clue..."

The detachment leaders and deputy detachment leaders nodded in unison.

Learning from past mistakes is crucial for future success; Lin Sicheng paved the way for them, and they could simply follow suit.

The case is so big and serious that we can't worry about compliance anymore. Even if it's against regulations, we have to solve the case first.

Deputy Chief Sun tapped his temple, probably wanting to explain something more. Just as his thoughts were wandering, Lin Sicheng's phone buzzed.

He took it out and looked at it: Yu Jiyao?
It wasn't a phone call, it was a text message. It said it was an invitation to have tea and to introduce an old friend.

He and Yu Jiyao had only just met, so how could they be old friends?
Unless, of course, that Mr. Ren.

Lin Sicheng's mind raced: "They've shown themselves!"

Captain Yu's spirits lifted: "Who is it, Ren Danhua?"

"I reckon it's more than that! If it were Ren Danhua, she would have come directly to the store; there would have been no need to make an appointment elsewhere!"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, "It should be Ren Danhua's boss..."

Several leaders turned around and stared at the whiteboard.

There's a huge question mark above Ren Danhua, listed alongside Ma Shan...

(End of this chapter)