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

Chapter 337 A Century-Old Tomb Raiding Family

The lights outside the window were blinding, and heavy trucks roared as they rolled over muddy puddles.

His wrinkled old face was completely bloodless, and his eyes were filled with terror.

Beads of sweat streamed down his face and dripped onto his collar.

Across from him, Lin Sicheng looked up at the car roof, seemingly lost in thought.

The group of police officers looked at each other in bewilderment, and Yan Wenjing was even more anxious and furious.

Anyone with a bit of experience knows that the suspect on the other end is on the verge of a breakdown. If you push him a little harder, he'll spill everything, saying whatever he should and shouldn't have.

Lin Sicheng, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in thought.
Yan Wenjing couldn't help but give him a wink, but Lin Sicheng was lost in thought and remained unmoved.

He gritted his teeth, preparing to cough. But just as he opened his mouth, a cold snort came through the earpiece: "Shut up, you bastard! Just stay put!"

Yan Wenjing lowered his head dejectedly.

Inside the command vehicle, Yu Guang put down the walkie-talkie and stared at the monitor: "Idiot!"

The two captains of the special operations team didn't speak, but simply exchanged a glance.

In comparison, Yan Wenjing still lacks some experience and is somewhat inexperienced.

This is a veteran with three prior convictions; his mental fortitude and resilience are exceptionally strong. You might think he's about to give up, but you've only broken down the first line of defense. There are still two, or even three or four more lines to overcome.

Just like Ma Shan, every time he seemed about to collapse and confess, but in the end, did he confess or not?

Dealing with such a stubborn individual, so experienced in resisting interrogation, requires strategy and skill. Like Lin Sicheng now: he appears distracted, but he's actually searching for the key points. At the same time, give this veteran ample time to properly weigh the pros and cons.

After nearly ten minutes of silence, Lin Sicheng suddenly spoke up: "Boss Yang, have you figured it out yet? How many years is the sentence for robbing the Princess's tomb?"

The old man was startled, glanced at him, and then lowered his head again.

The saying goes, "Catch the thief red-handed, catch the adulterer in the act." They've clearly stated the location, the deceased's status, and their rank, so there's no way they can deny it.

It's at least twenty years, and could easily be life imprisonment. But he's already over fifty this year, so twenty years and life imprisonment are practically the same.

Just as he was thinking about it, Lin Sicheng suddenly asked, "Have you ever had blood on your hands?"

The old man paused for a moment, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: If I had someone dead on my hands, would I still be here arguing with you?
"It seems there isn't one, that makes things easier..." Lin Sicheng counted on his fingers, "You and your apprentice must have just reached the Golden Well and broken through the Golden Top. There must be traps inside the tomb, which is why you didn't dare to go down into the pit rashly. Strictly speaking, there hasn't been any substantial damage, three years at most..."

"You were released from prison five years ago, but five years have passed, and you're still only driving a beat-up Jinbei van and smoking five-yuan Baisha cigarettes. Your wife is still farming in the countryside. Last year, she spent 200,000 yuan to buy her son a small, run-down apartment in the city, and even the dowry was borrowed from relatives... Yang, you're not doing so well, are you?"

Upon hearing the first half, the old man was startled: How could he know that the golden roof had only been broken open when they hadn't even seen the tomb yet?

But that's not right.

He dug up the princess's tomb and only got a three-year sentence? Is this bastard Lei Zi just trying to fool people?

Then, he pursed his lips and said: "I'm really not doing well, but can you blame me for that?"
For the first two years after his release, the local police station would come to his home every two months at most to question him: Where had he been during this time? Had he committed any more crimes? Had he contacted any of his former accomplices?

Damn it, I might want to get rich, but I need the time to commit crimes first.
“Boss Yang, don’t glare at me, this is a good thing: it means you haven’t committed many crimes in the past five years, otherwise things wouldn’t be this difficult. Let me give you a bigger calculation: add another five years…”

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "It only adds up to eight years. Have you heard of the case where a criminal who was sentenced to more than ten years in the first trial was only sentenced to two or three years in the end because of his meritorious service before the second trial?"

The old man didn't say a word, but his eyes darted around: Did Lei want him to report him?
I have indeed seen cases where sentences were reduced by several years, and there were more than one such case. But the problem is, while they themselves are relieved, what about their wives and children?
Just as he was thinking about it, Lin Sicheng suddenly said, "You're afraid of the boss's retaliation, right? The boss's surname is Qi?"

The old man paused for a moment, a look of bewilderment appearing on his face.

Not Qi Song?

Impossible: It was through Qi Song's connection that they found Jinluzhai. Before arriving in Zhangjiakou, the old man had a phone call on speakerphone, and Qi Song's voice was on it.

Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a strange idea: Qi Song, Song Chun?
Could this Qi Song have reversed his name to Song Qi?
"If not Qi, then Song?"

The old man's pupils contracted slightly.

Got it right?
Qi Song's surname is Song, and Song Chun's surname is also Song.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Captain Yan, Qi Song and Target Number Two might be related by the same clan. Check if their names are Song Qi, or even Song Qi (宋奇), just follow the homophones..."

It took the group of police officers a while to realize that while the name Song Chun was obviously fake, the surname "Song" was very likely real.

At first glance, it seems useless; even if Qi Song's real name wasn't Song Qi, Song Chun's real name still couldn't be found.

But for the police, this is a watershed moment: it can reduce the probability from billions to one in a million.

There are approximately ten million people with the surname Song nationwide, half of whom are women, which is five million. Combining this with age, occupation, place of origin, and address, the number can be narrowed down to one in tens of thousands to one in several thousand.

Yan Wenjing nodded, indicating that the leader had received it.

Lin Sicheng continued, "And you, Boss Yang, who are you connected with? Shan Hua, Li Jilin, or perhaps Li Yao?"

In an instant, sweat began to seep from the old man's forehead, which had only dried a few seconds earlier.

Seeing this, Lin Sicheng stretched out his hand, and Yan Wenjing immediately understood and handed over another folder.

I opened it casually, and the first picture was of Qi Song.

This is your boss!

Lin Sicheng flipped through the pages: "This is Ren Danhua, formerly known as Shan Hua. This is Yu Jichuan, formerly known as Li Jilin. His sister is Yu Jiyao, formerly known as Li Yao. All three of them are from Tangshan... Come on, Boss Yang, point to which one is your relative?"

The old man stared wide-eyed, as if his eyes were about to pop out.

At first, he thought he was just helping his boss transport goods and had been caught red-handed by the police.

He later learned that the princess's tomb incident had been exposed, and this time he was truly in deep trouble.

Just as I was thinking that I probably wouldn't be able to get out this time, the little kid suddenly pulled out a photo of the boss.
Even photos of the boss and several others connected to him were available.

Even, I know their real names...

"It's okay if you don't point it out, just ask the local police."

Lin Sicheng flipped through the pages again: "Come on, let's recognize him again. This is your big boss, right?"

This is a photo of Song Chun.

The old man shuddered after glancing at it.

Huh, we actually know each other?

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat, and he flipped to the next page: This one was a photo of Ma Shan: shaved head, wearing handcuffs and shackles.

"And this one, do you recognize him too?"

Before he could finish speaking, the old man's pupils dilated rapidly.

He looked at the photo, then at Lin Sicheng, with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Goodness, you recognize this too?

This old man wasn't of high rank, but he knew a lot: for example, Sheng Qingfeng of Jinluzhai should be of the same rank as him, but apart from Qi Song, he didn't even know Ren Danhua.

The question is, why was he even more surprised to see Ma Shan than he was to see Song Chun, and even felt a sense of relief?
Lin Sicheng's mind raced.

"Ma Shan's been arrested, why are you so relieved? Oh, you must have a grudge against him..."

"But Song Chun and Qi Song's men all know that Ma Shan has been arrested, including Ren Danhua, Yu Jichuan, Yu Jiyao, and even Sheng Qingfeng. Are you the only one who doesn't know?"

"I understand: You may have become enemies with Ma Shan and then joined Song Chun, or you may even have been Ma Shan's subordinate before. After Ma Shan and Song Chun broke up, Song Chun recruited you."

Regardless of the reason, Ma Shan would rather you be dead and would definitely seek revenge. So you only breathed a sigh of relief when you saw him go inside.

But perhaps your skills are lacking, or perhaps they suspect you're a spy for Ma Shan, so neither Song Chun nor Qi Song have truly trusted you! That's why you've ended up in such a miserable state.

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng sighed, "That princess's tomb, you must have dug it up secretly, right? Qi Song only knew you were looking for tombs in the desert, but he didn't know you not only found a tomb, but it was a princess's tomb. He also didn't know you had already dug the pit and broken through the roof. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called you from so far away to transport the goods..."

It's easy to imagine how many treasures must be inside the tomb of Princess Gulun.
Compared to that, the seventeen boxes in the van were nothing. Even if Qi Song was stupid, he'd still know which was more and which was less…

The old man's expression was incredibly interesting. You didn't even need to read micro-expressions; anyone could see it: How the hell did you know that, and so much of it?
He knows who his boss is, and even who his boss's boss is. He also knows that Ma Shan and the big boss were originally in cahoots.

Did Ma Shan confess?
impossible.

He dares to confess; even dying ten times wouldn't be enough...

Just as they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, Lin Sicheng clapped his hands with a "clap": "That's good: if you can't get the goods, Qi Song will know you've failed immediately. When we get to Hunshandake, how much attention will the locals pay to the tomb of the Princess, and how big will the commotion be?"

As expected, Qi Song must have gotten wind of it. And since you went in again, he knows perfectly well that you were the one who set the trap: "You're the one who robbed the Princess's tomb..."

"At the same time, to secure evidence, we will definitely need to seal off Jinluzhai. Putting everything together, no matter how Qi Song thinks about it, he'll believe you committed tomb raiding, which is why you were arrested by the police. Then, to gain merit, you sold him out..."

"Brother Yang, think about it again: if we can catch him, that's fine, but if we can't, what will he do?"

What else can I do?
First, flee for your life; second, seek revenge...

The old man trembled with anxiety: "It wasn't me who said that!"

“Yes, you really didn’t say!” Lin Sicheng sighed. “I know, you know, but Qi Song doesn’t.”

"Then arrest him... You have photos, even photos of the big bosses, so you must know where they live. Why don't you arrest them?"

"The police can't just arrest whoever they want," Lin Sicheng shrugged. "They need evidence!"

The old man was so angry he almost vomited blood: "I'll fuck your mother!"
Where does the evidence come from?
Of course, we need him to explain...

"Boss Yang, I'll give you five minutes. If you can figure it out, we'll turn around. We won't go to Hunshandake or Huade. We'll just wait in Zhangbei and have Qi Song send someone to pick up the goods."

Don't worry, all seventeen boxes will be there, not a single one missing. Let him take them all, and I'll make sure his men see that you and your apprentice are both safe and sound..."

The old man's eyes were practically bursting with tears: What do you mean there's no evidence? The police are playing the long game, trying to catch a big fish...

"What am I supposed to do if Song Qi still wants me to go after I receive the goods?"

"What are you going to do, transport goods? Transporting goods is good, the more goods you transport, the more clues you'll find, the more evidence you'll have... Don't worry, Boss Yang, you definitely won't get away. Of course, you won't run away. Otherwise, if you run away, we'll have to arrest Qi Song, and if we can't catch him, what will happen to your wife, son, daughter-in-law, and your unborn grandson?"

The old man gritted his teeth: "Fuck your mother..."

“Brother Yang, don’t swear. I’m not threatening you; the police wouldn’t be that low. I’m just analyzing the consequences for you: what if we fail to catch Qi Song…” Lin Sicheng smiled. “Of course, if you don’t want to go, we certainly won’t make things difficult for you. We can just make up an excuse: your car broke down, you were in a car accident, you’re sick, your daughter-in-law is about to give birth—there are so many ways, there’s bound to be one that suits you… But the premise is that you have to explain yourself properly!”

The old man was both angry and anxious, trembling all over: "This isn't a policeman, this is a damn devil..."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng closed the folder. "Let me tell you: Ma Shan is in jail, but he's refusing to confess. You know why: he has too many lives on his hands. Mu Ling alone is worth five. He could be executed ten times over..."

"So, Boss Yang, think it over carefully: what I just said wasn't a lie: if you finish this quickly, you'll be the one who gets the credit!"

I'll screw you over.

The old man glared fiercely at Lin Sicheng, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, his eyes darting around.

"What are you staring at?"

Just as Yan Wenjing was about to take action, Lin Sicheng stopped him: "Captain Yan, we must handle cases in a civilized manner!"

As he spoke, he raised his watch and looked at the old man again: "Brother Yang, five minutes!"

The old man glanced at his watch and gritted his teeth.

Thinking it was another die-hard like Ma Shan, Yan Wenjing clenched his fist.

Lin Sicheng patted his arm, indicating that he should get out of the car first and let him think about it himself.

A group of police officers were skeptical.

They had seen cases of induced confessions, but they had never seen Lin Sicheng induced confessions like this: no traps, no tricks, just the truth, straightforward and direct.

And it was all done in one go, without any ambiguity, telling everything: including up to now, Ma Shan hasn't revealed a single word, and he's also told the suspects...

But judging from the old man's posture, it doesn't seem to have much effect.
With suspicion, the car stopped, and everyone got out of the van, leaving only the old man inside.

Suddenly, the handcuffed hand slammed on the table, and the old man cursed, "Fuck your mother."

Captain Yu beamed with joy and clapped his hands: "It's all set!"

The two people next to him nodded in agreement.

Yan Wenjing has only been a policeman for a few years, how many old thieves has he interrogated?

When interrogating a seasoned criminal like him, ordinary methods are completely useless. You have to settle scores with him and let him know which is lighter and which is heavier.

Like Ma Shan, he's doomed either way; speaking out is death, and remaining silent is also death. If he doesn't speak, at least his family can have a few days of peace, so of course he'll stubbornly refuse to say a word.

But in cases like this, where the offense itself isn't serious, the consequences of not speaking out would be more severe than if he did. Naturally, he would weigh the pros and cons: if he didn't speak out, would Qi Song hold him accountable, as the young policeman suggested?
If it really comes down to him, if Qi Song runs away, his family will be the first to suffer...

So, the old man's slamming of the table and cursing wasn't because he wanted to be stubborn to the end, but because he was making up his mind and getting determined: to do it or not?

Of course we have to do it! If we don't, our sons and grandsons will be gone. So, either we don't do it at all, or we do it thoroughly!
As long as he speaks up, he won't let go of anything he knows or anything that's even remotely related to it.

If even one person escapes the net, it's tantamount to handing the lives of his wife, children, and grandchildren to his enemies.

Sure enough, it didn't even take five minutes, probably less than three, before the old man slammed his fist on the table: "Government, I cooperate, I confess..."

They even called it "government"?

Lin Sicheng breathed a sigh of relief and glanced through the car window: "Okay, let's go to Zhangbei."

Before he could finish speaking, Captain Yu's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Turn around!"

The three cars turned on their turn signals. When they turned around and saw the familiar road sign, the old man's back bent down little by little.

Like a leaky balloon, strange sounds came from his throat, as if his bones had been removed, and he slumped down: "We must catch Song Laoqi, otherwise my wife and child will be in big trouble..."

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Don't worry!"

Not only should we arrest Song Qi, but we should also arrest Song Chun...

He didn't get into the business vehicle; with his hands in the pockets of his cardigan, he walked towards the command vehicle at the very back.

As soon as they entered the carriage, "Clap clap clap clap clap," the three team leaders and five or six technical investigation police officers clapped enthusiastically.

Yu Guang stepped forward and stretched out his hands: "Teacher Lin, thank you for your hard work!"

As always, Lin Sicheng smiled and said politely again.

The first time, I felt quite impressed and satisfied. But after a while, it just didn't feel that way anymore.

Lin Sicheng was also self-aware: it wasn't that he was particularly capable, but rather that he happened to be in the right place at the right time and had a slightly more comprehensive understanding.

It's not that the police are unprofessional; as long as they're closely monitored, they'll eventually uncover the truth.

But while the police dared to wait, Lin Sicheng did not.

There's no other way but to put in more effort...

"Chief Yu, should we arrest him or not?"

"Don't rush, let's review it again, investigate it again..." After a slight pause, Yu Guang smiled again, "The brigade leaders mean that since we're going to make an example of someone, let's make a bigger impact and get more people out of trouble."

There's a contradiction: why were there so many concerns before, but now there's so much support?

But Lin Sicheng expressed his understanding: we must adapt to circumstances and guide the situation accordingly...

Half an hour later, the convoy drove into the Zhangbei Hotel.

Looking at the freshly written statement and the newly found information, Lin Sicheng had a strange expression on his face.

Although it was a spur-of-the-moment guess, it was remarkably accurate: Qi Song, whose real name was Song Qi, was nicknamed Lao Qi (Old Seven).

The woman's surname was Wang, her given name was Wang Chun, and her given name was Wang Yaozi. She was from Baoding. But long ago, she was not only surnamed Song, but also from Tangshan. When she was about seven or eight years old, roughly after the liberation, she was adopted by a family surnamed Wang as a child bride, and that's when she changed her surname to Wang.

According to seniority, she was Song Qi's paternal aunt.

But what's strange about Lin Sicheng isn't this, but her husband: a native of Baoding, who was executed in 1996 for robbing Qing imperial tombs and murder.

In 1990, it was her brother-in-law and brother-in-law. They didn't kill anyone, but they looted the Qing imperial tombs. However, it happened to be during a period of severe crackdown, and they were shot.

In the 1980s, her two uncles (her husband's uncles) and maternal uncles (her husband's maternal uncles) were executed, also for robbing Qing imperial tombs.

Her husband was also punished on both occasions: the first time he was sentenced to seven years, the second time to five years...

That's all the information we've found so far, but Lin Sicheng has a bad feeling: across two generations, seven people have been executed for tomb raiding alone. Even more have been sentenced: nearly thirty men, women, and children.

Moreover, they specifically targeted the Qing imperial tombs; just how persistent were they?

He thought for a long time: "Captain Yu, could you please help me check: Was this family surnamed Wang originally from Tangshan, and later moved to Baoding? Even earlier, did anyone in their family get punished for tomb raiding?"

Even earlier?

Wasn't the 1980s early enough?

Yu Guang didn't understand. "Teacher Lin, how early do you mean?"

"The 1960s, or even the mid-1950s!"

The three captains were stunned for a moment: In those days, even stealing a melon could get you shot, let alone robbing a tomb?

The key question is, who will you sell it to if you steal it?

But if Lin Sicheng says they will investigate, they definitely will.

Yu Guang contacted his colleagues at the HEB provincial department, and Han, the detachment leader, reported to the headquarters, asking the headquarters to investigate through official channels.

Not long after, about half an hour later, Yu Guang's phone buzzed.

He answered the phone, said a few words, and stared intently at Lin Sicheng.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, who would dare to rob tombs?

It's not that no one dares to risk their life, but the key is that even if they steal, it's pointless because they have nowhere to sell it.

It turns out it was some lingering crime from the Republican era...

"I found it!"

After hanging up the phone, Yu Guang looked puzzled. "This family was originally from Zunhua, Tangshan. They moved to Baoding in 1959. Three years ago, around 1956, Wang Chun's great-grandfather (father-in-law's father) and great-great-grandfather (father-in-law's grandfather) were sentenced to death for tomb raiding."

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: "They're also robbing imperial tombs?"

"Yes, the Eastern Qing Tombs!"

"Is it because of the remaining crimes committed during the Republic of China era that led to his execution?"

Yu Guang paused for a moment: "Yes!"

Lin Sicheng breathed a sigh of relief: It's on point!

The first generation, Wang Shaoyi, and the second generation, Wang Jianxing, were the father and son who were famous as the "Nine Dragons Kings" in Hebei during the Republic of China era.

The "Nine Dragons" mentioned here refers to the Nine Dragons Mountain, located in Zunhua City, TS City, where the Eastern Qing Tombs are situated.

The father and son ruled the mountains, active from the 1920s to the 1950s. But they didn't rob people; instead, they specialized in plundering imperial tombs.

In 1926, he first looted the Huiling Mausoleum of the Tongzhi Emperor, two years earlier than Sun Dianying.

In 1928, Sun Dianying looted the Qing imperial tombs. After Sun Dianying fled, the father and son went back to loot the tombs of Emperor Qianlong and Empress Dowager Cixi, which Sun Dianying had not completely looted.

After that, they looted the Jingling Mausoleum of Emperor Kangxi and the Dingling Mausoleum of Emperor Xianfeng.

This is only what's recorded in the documents; only Wang Shaoyi and his son know how much they stole that wasn't recorded.

After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, both parties issued arrest warrants for the father and son. However, the two were elusive and were not captured until 1955 in Jiulong Mountain, where they were sentenced to death.

Even from the 1920s to now, it's been almost ninety years. Four generations, maybe even five, a family of tomb raiders that has been passed down for nearly a century—have you ever seen one like that?

(End of this chapter)