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

Chapter 332

The baseball cap's pupils contracted sharply.

Lin Sicheng definitely hadn't seen him before, and Captain Yan wouldn't be so stupid as to tell the target he was protecting: how many special agents were in the mall and what their characteristics were.

This is common sense, and more importantly, it's discipline.

How did he recognize him?

In a moment of surprise, the baseball cap flashed a brilliant idea: Are you kidding me?
In the blink of an eye, less than a meter apart, Lin Sicheng, without stopping, said, "Notify Captain Yan that target number two is in the mall, that woman from Panjiayuan. There might be her informants in the building... Oh right, give me the hat!"

The special agent was suddenly taken aback.

It wasn't that he reacted too slowly, but rather that he knew too little information. He didn't even know how many targets there were in total.

But without his notification, the moment Yan Wenjing saw Lin Sicheng on camera, he used his privileges to open the communicator of the nearest special agents, including this one.

Upon hearing that the second target was the woman from Panjiayuan, his mind went blank, as if it had exploded.

How cunning and shrewd is that woman?

Ma Shan, with dozens of his men, both pleasing the flowers and mobilizing his fellow martial arts practitioners, still managed to let that woman slip away right under his nose.

How experienced are they?

Setting up a scheme casually, like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving no trace.

Even with his extensive experience in the underworld, Lin Sicheng still fell for the trick.

With so many special agents in the building, mostly concentrated on the third floor, she only needed to glance at them to sense something was wrong.

More importantly, that woman had met Lin Sicheng...

In an instant, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, Yan Wenjing suddenly realized: he knew what Lin Sicheng was up to.

"07, the hat..."

Before the words were finished, the two passed each other.

His gaze swept quickly across the baseball cap, then he shifted slightly and leaned against the railing.

This conveniently shielded Lin Sicheng from view.

As if his scalp was itchy, he raised his left hand to take off his hat, naturally put his hands on his hips, and scratched his scalp a few times with his right hand.

With basic safety confirmed, the hats on either side were gently tossed aside.

Lin Sicheng, with his hands behind his back, steadily caught it.

Inside the command vehicle, several police officers looked on in surprise.

Although the baseball cap player is young, he is extremely experienced. He knows how to position himself, how to block the line of sight, and how to cover Lin Sicheng. This is not surprising at all.

Strangely, Lin Sicheng seemed to know what he was going to do, which side he should lean towards, and from which side he should throw it.

Without even turning his head or glancing sideways, he walked in a straight line with the baseball cap, blocking my view.

Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, the hat landed perfectly in his hand. He then tucked it into the back of his suit jacket.

At the same time, the baseball cap user pretended to be interested, exclaiming "Hey!" as he poked his head out of the railing: "My hat!"

Everyone, whether in front or behind, turned to look.

In that instant, the hat on his lower back seemed to grow legs and moved to his ribs.

Lin Sicheng put one hand in his trouser pocket, holding the hat under his suit jacket.

It was incredibly fast, taking less than two seconds from start to finish. Yet it was extremely stealthy and natural. If it weren't for the overhead surveillance cameras, no one would know what the two did in such a short time.

The two special operations captains looked at each other in bewilderment: it was not surprising that the special operations captains were so skilled, as this was their job, but why was Lin Sicheng also so skilled?

The key point is that Lin Sicheng's trick of automatically spinning his hat halfway around without raising his hand or moving his clothes looks very familiar.

After a moment's thought, the two realized: This is exactly the trick pickpockets use to move wallets.
Lin Sicheng was not only fast, but also extremely skilled, like a seasoned thief.

But that's secondary. The key question is, how did he know that the baseball cap belonged to a Secret Service agent?
Just as he was pondering this, Lin Sicheng passed by a woman in her forties and looked at her hand holding a candied hawthorn.

Then he looked up and glanced at the burly man beside the woman.

It turns out it wasn't a misperception, nor was it just paranoia.

There were not only police officers in the building, but also thieves.

The woman's hands have rust, the man's face has blemishes.

I've been through the wringer and the market...

It might not be to keep an eye on her, but rather Ren Danhua arranged for someone to meet her in order to prevent her from harming him.

But if you put them all on this one floor, it will be quite conspicuous.

Lin Sicheng paused slightly, looked at the woman, then at the candied hawthorn: "Have you been holding it for quite a while? Is it sweet?"

The woman froze, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes.

Lin Sicheng looked at the man's hand again and smiled slightly.

What kind of lunatic would ask a woman with a thug by her side if the candied hawthorn in her hand is sweet, especially if she's an old woman?
The key is his gaze, and that final smile.

The man's expression froze on his face. He stared blankly as Lin Sicheng walked past, then lowered his head and stared intently at his hands.

His fingertips were covered in calluses, tightly wrapping his nails. This was because the space was too small after he went down into the cave, and he couldn't use tools. Sometimes he was afraid of damaging the goods, so he didn't dare to use tools and dug the grave soil with his hands, resulting in these marks.

The tomb raiding profession is known as "ghost-biting hands".

Looking at the woman, her hands were covered in rust, patches of black and brown. This was the result of years of guarding the cave entrance and receiving goods...

They had never met Lin Sicheng, but Brother Chuan had described him as: in his early twenties, handsome, and wearing a wool suit.

So, this is the person the bosses were receiving today. But judging from their demeanor, it's clear they recognized them.

Unsure of Lin Sicheng's intentions, but certain that he had to report, the man gave the woman a wink, and the two hurried toward the teahouse.

As he walked, he pulled out his phone and quickly entered the number.

Hearing the commotion behind him, Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: Whether there are any opportunities or not, let's take a shot first.

From their perspective, they were not only seasoned veterans but also formidable newcomers, making them impossible not to be wary. That's why Ren Danhua, or rather that woman, arranged for so many people to join them.

Whether it's surveillance or rendezvous, let's make the decision first. Even if they're not flustered, they'll definitely have some doubts: What does this Manager Lin mean? Is he planning something, or has he misunderstood something?
Taking care of one side means neglecting the other, but it can at least provide some cover for the retreating special agents. At the very least, scaring these two away will greatly reduce the risk of the police officers in this corridor being exposed.

But inside the command vehicle, Yan Wenjing was baffled: "Those aren't our people?"

of course not.

That man was so strong, so tall, and had such fierce eyes; special agents wouldn't choose him.

He turned his head: "Did you all hear what Teacher Lin said?"

Both captains shook their heads in unison: their hats were hidden under their suits and covered by their clothes, and Lin Sicheng's voice wasn't loud, so the signal was very unclear.

But then, the group realized something was wrong: the man and woman looked flustered and rushed into the teahouse like dogs.

Wait... this is Ren Danhua's informant?
The group looked at each other in bewilderment: How did Lin Sicheng find out?
They watched it on the surveillance camera for so long and didn't notice it.

But at least the three of them knew what Lin Sicheng wanted to do: to muddy the waters...

While he was still wondering what was going on, Lin Sicheng walked towards a row of benches in the aisle. There sat a girl wearing glasses, looking around nervously.

Further away, a young man dressed in jeans walked towards them. The two seemed to know each other; the girl waved vigorously, and the jeansman quickened his pace.

At first glance, they all looked quite young, dressed like college students. But in reality, the men were just dressed young.

He's probably over thirty in real life, with dark skin and calluses on his hands and backs. To have calluses that thick, you either hold a gun all day or do pull-ups all day.

Of course, it's also possible that he's holding a shovel. But the person holding the shovel wouldn't be able to get here.

The girl wasn't; she had obvious tenosynovitis and was probably a temporary staff member called in from the team to assist with internal affairs.

The key details are the girl's glasses and the man's stand-up collar jacket...

It was still just a glance, still three or four steps away. Lin Sicheng didn't look to the side: "Give me your glasses... let your partner go to the restroom..."

The girl froze, wondering how she should react, when a sharp sound came through the headset: "Give it to him..."

She paused for a moment, and just as she was about to get up, Lin Sicheng reminded her in time: "Don't move, hand it over..."

The girl quickly took off her glasses, and just as she reached out her hand, Lin Sicheng turned slightly to block her view.

In an instant, the glasses were in his hand, and with a flick of his finger, they slipped back into his sleeve.

The young man in the jacket reacted very quickly. As soon as he received the instruction, he suddenly turned right and went into the bathroom.

Lin Sicheng walked away unhurriedly. Just as he reached the door, he turned back: "Boheng, do you need to use the restroom?"

Zhao Da's heart pounded: in those short ten meters or so, he had seen clearly what his master had done.

But he reacted quickly enough that he understood what his master was going to do when Lin Sicheng spoke to the baseball cap.

Then, like a shadow, he stayed three steps away from Lin Sicheng, shielding him from the view behind him.

"Master, I'm not going!"

"Okay, then you wait here for a while!"

Lin Sicheng went in, and Zhao Da stood at the bathroom door. About three or four minutes later, a figure wearing a baseball cap, a denim jacket, and sneakers came out of the bathroom.

The hat was personally requested by Lin Sicheng, the jacket belonged to the policeman who had gone into the restroom before him, and the jeans and sneakers were also his.

Zhao Daming knew perfectly well that this was Lin Sicheng, but the problem was, no matter how he looked at it, it didn't look like him at all.

The body shape is not the same, the hairstyle is not the same, the movements are not the same, and the way of walking is even less the same.

When Lin Sicheng raised his face and saw the face clearly, Zhao Da was startled: This was his master?
Yes, it's Master...

This was under the premise that he had been inseparable from Lin Sicheng day and night and was already extremely familiar with him.

If it were someone he wasn't so familiar with, like his second uncle, they probably wouldn't recognize him as his master.

It wasn't just about wearing non-prescription glasses to block out the light in your eyes, nor was it simply about turning your hat inside out and putting it upside down on your head.

She slicked back her hair, making it look like she'd shaved her head. Her eyebrows didn't seem as slanted, her eyes weren't as sharp, her skin was much darker, and her face looked rounder.

If you look closely, the changes in each individual part are not very significant, but when put together, it's like a completely different face.
No... it's not just her face, it feels like her whole person has changed.

Lin Sicheng smiled and said in a low voice, "Wait a moment, come downstairs in ten minutes!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Zhao Boheng nodded vigorously.

He kept staring at Lin Sicheng until he left the bathroom before he looked away.

Pretending to tie his shoelaces, Zhao Da squatted down and peeked into the bathroom: he couldn't see anyone, only a pair of feet wearing his master's leather shoes, and the hem of a suit jacket hanging down over the toilet.

Turning back, Lin Sicheng had already turned into the corridor.

Hands in pockets, casual and carefree, unhurried and unhurried.

It was the same corridor they had come from, and the girl was still sitting on the chair, glancing towards the restroom every now and then.

He stood on the platform between the third and second floors, looking around as if searching for where he had dropped his baseball cap.

There was also a middle-aged man wearing glasses, making a phone call, seemingly looking for someone. Lin Sicheng had seen him at the elevator entrance before; he was probably part of the group that was watching Yu Jiyao.

They seemed to be going about their business, but each of them stared wide-eyed at the figure they knew clearly was, yet somehow couldn't quite place.

The movements are not similar, the posture is not similar, and the appearance is not similar either.
Not only have I gained a lot of weight, but I've even aged several years?
Inside the command vehicle, the three team leaders looked at each other, then at the large screen.

Habits can be changed, and actions can be imitated, but how did this face change?

Criminal investigation courses include specialized disguise reconnaissance, which can be even more thorough than this: it can even make a young man in his early twenties disguise himself as a woman in her fifties or sixties.

But that requires meticulous makeup by a makeup artist, and special forces need to undergo repeated training and rehearsals. Sometimes it takes two or three weeks, and sometimes even one or two months.

Lin Sicheng went in and came out in just a few minutes...

Just as I was wondering what was going on, a voice came from the receiver: "The one in the sweater at the B1 elevator entrance on the third floor... the one across from the amusement park on the second floor, wearing a wide-sleeved hoodie, leaning on the railing blowing bubbles... the girl with a balloon hanging from her hand, wearing a knitted hat and a cotton skirt... and the skinny guy in the plaid suit going down the west staircase of Building D..."

Who is this, Lin Sicheng?

Apart from Lin Sicheng, no special agent would report like this on the channel, much less be so verbose.

But why does the voice sound completely different? It's a bit rough and deep.

The key question is, who are these people he mentioned?

Yan Wenjing was completely bewildered, and opened his eyes wide: Everything seems normal.

If Lin Sicheng says there's a problem, then there's a very high chance there is.

Yan Wenjing clicked the mouse repeatedly, zooming in to the maximum.

As he was looking closely, the special operations captain pointed a finger and said, "Captain Yan, look!"

Yan Wenjing turned around.

On the screen in the center, Lin Sicheng went down the stairs and arrived at the lobby on the first floor.

But instead of going out, he turned a corner.

Yan Wenjing zoomed in on another screen: it was a KFC, which was still open to the public.

There weren't many people, but there were also quite a few; about a dozen tables were occupied, and almost half of them were full. There were men and women, middle-aged people and young people.

Lin Sicheng went inside and headed straight for the bar. The cashier was typing rapidly on her keyboard: "Sir, what would you like to order?"

He looked up and said, "Has the iced Coke arrived yet? The chicken thighs are either fried or reheated, and the thigh tips should be crispy..."

What kind of gibberish is this?
The cashier was stunned: "Sir, what did you say?"

"Sister, excuse me, can't you understand Mandarin?"

The cashier stared at him intently: You dare to say that's Mandarin?

Lin Sicheng stared at the light sign and said with gestures, "Cola, one cup, warm... chicken leg, two, crispy... take away!"

I finally understood.

I don't know why, but seeing him babbling on and on while looking so serious makes me laugh at the cashier.

It wasn't just him; most of the guests were watching with curiosity.

"A local from Guangdong?"

"People from Guangdong rarely say 'excuse me' or are that polite. They must be from Hong Kong."

"No wonder it's so fashionable?"

The restaurant patrons were simply curious, but the eyelids of the people in the command vehicle couldn't stop twitching.

Is Lin Sicheng so bored that he went to KFC to get a late-night snack?
Unless, there's something going on here.

Subconsciously, the three of them thought of the "second target" that Lin Sicheng had mentioned.

The problem is that the security monitoring system here is independent, so they can't monitor it even if they want to. They can only see that there are quite a few people sitting inside through the cameras in the mall lobby.

Then Lin Sicheng took out his wallet, paid the bill, and sat down at a table near the mall.

With his back to the bar and his face turned inward, he casually fiddled with his phone.

No, he's taking pictures...

Yan Wenjing's heart skipped a beat.

Not counting those outside to provide backup or keep watch, and not counting Yu Jiyao, Ren Danhua has at least four bodyguards, including Yu Jichuan.

Then guess how many digits that woman has?

And they're still so close?

Even if he put on makeup and his appearance changed a lot, what if...?
It wasn't that they were afraid Lin Sicheng was in any danger; even a dozen special agents couldn't protect him. They might as well find a block of tofu and smash their head against it.

Yan Wenjing was worried that Lin Sicheng would be exposed...

He quickly changed his mind and gritted his teeth: If all else fails, I'll just arrest them.

But what happens after they're arrested?

This isn't Ma Shan; the evidence is conclusive. If the case isn't resolved, they'll have to be released when the time comes.

Even more undercooked than undercooked rice...

Just as he was filled with doubt, his phone vibrated. Right there on the table, Yan Wenjing glanced at it and froze as if in a daze.

It's a text message from Lin Sicheng, not as long as the previous one:
Team Leader Yan, don't worry, he's not here.

See that Camry outside the restaurant? It's right opposite the door, the silver-gray one. There's someone inside.

The two cars next to it should be the same; they'll probably leave together. Here are their license plate numbers; you can check them now.

Also, check this phone number now; it should belong to his driver, or perhaps his bodyguard.

Check the parking lot surveillance footage to see if it's her: 1.6 meters tall, between 45 and 50 years old. Single eyelids, high-bridged nose, thin lips, small eyes, and a mole above her right eyebrow.

She had an asthma attack, so she should cough...

Looking at the dense text messages, Yan Wenjing was half-believing and half-doubting.

It's not surprising that he could clearly describe what the woman looked like: Lin Sicheng had met her before, and the key point is that he has an excellent memory.

But how did Lin Sicheng know that there were these three cars, and that the woman was in the middle one?
Furthermore, they not only knew that the woman had an asthma attack, but also knew the phone number of her driver or bodyguard.
With suspicion in mind, Yan Wenjing clicked the mouse repeatedly, replaying the parking lot's surveillance footage.

Not long ago, about ten minutes earlier than when Lin Sicheng gave him the signal to cut off the power.

Found it, a silver-gray Camry... wait?

Yan Wenjing was suddenly stunned. Wait, there are two more cars ahead?

An Audi and a Prado. Seven or eight people, men and women, got out of the two cars. Some went into the mall, while others stood beside the cars.

The key figures were the people who went in: one was wearing a sweater, one was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and one was tall and thin, wearing a plaid suit.

Another one was a young girl, wearing a cotton skirt and a knitted hat.

These were the four people Lin Sicheng had previously reminded him to observe...

(End of this chapter)