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

Chapter 348 The Person on Top
A group of people looked at each other: taming bears to rob tombs—unheard of!

Lin Sicheng said: "Please be patient."

For the Wang family of Dingzhou, the act of taming bears to dig burrows was considered a sign of their unworthy descendants' folly and opportunism, greatly diminishing the value of their family's unique skill.

Guess what Wang Shaoyi and his son, who excavated the five imperial tombs of the Eastern Qing Tombs multiple times, tamed?
獾！
The kind that looks like a pig, digs holes incredibly fast, and whose name was coined by Lu Xun: "猹".

In his youth, Wang Shaoyi was a monkey trainer (animal juggling performer) in the Jianghu Caimen (a type of martial arts troupe), and his specialty was animal training: training dogs, monkeys, and pigs.

He later killed someone and fled into the mountains, where he accidentally stumbled upon an ancient tomb that had been dug up by badgers, which sparked his idea to rob the tomb. This led to the rise of the Nine Dragons King, who dominated Hebei for decades.

For him, bear taming was child's play.

When Lin Sicheng saw the snake scales and blood on Qi Hao's clothes at the pet store, he also thought that Qi Hao was raising a badger.

But then I saw that single hair: badger hair isn't that long, and besides, a badger couldn't eat a guinea pig that big.

Then, back here again, upon seeing the golden retriever that was a finger's length long, Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: Wang Chun was training a bear...

Captain Xing was skeptical: Smuggling bear cubs is easy to understand. First, they are rare in China and difficult to catch. Second, it's illegal in China but legal in Russia, so smuggling is more profitable than poaching.

The former can be punished for as little as three years, or as long as seven to ten years, while the latter, if caught, will at most be fined.

But why use pet rats and snakes as feed, and even open a pet store specifically for them? Why not pork, beef, or mutton?
Lin Sicheng succinctly stated: "Because to train bears to dig burrows, you must use living creatures that can dig burrows!"

The group suddenly realized: what's most common in the tomb? Snakes and rats, right?

Captain Xing, chin in hand, asked, "So, you mean Wang Chun is keeping bears in Beijing?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: It's pretty much true.

Judging from Qi Hao's activity route and that pet store, it's highly likely that it's in Tianjiao City.

This is the largest flower and bird market in Beijing, but it doesn't just sell birds and insects: it also sells chickens (fighting chickens), dogs, turtles, and crocodiles.

Building a pet breeding farm nearby would not only allow them to train bears and serve as bear food, but also mask their odor.

The key point is that they also sell antiques here. Even if someone discovers that a lot of freshly unearthed cultural relics have suddenly appeared in the breeding farm, it won't arouse suspicion; they'll just assume they're fakes that have been artificially aged.

"Captain Xing, investigate this. Find out where those pet rats in the pet shops come from, and secondly, investigate snake pet shops: there aren't many people who dare to keep snakes as pets. Check if there are any shops in the market that specialize in this kind of thing."

"If there is one, then it's basically another hideout of Wang Chun. If not, check where he bought it from. If we find these two places, we can basically find the place where the bear was trained. If we find the bear, we will most likely find the original location where the cultural relics were hidden: because after robbing a tomb, they would definitely bring back both the bear and the cultural relics..."

"Secondly, to enable bears to accurately locate tombs and artifacts, their sense of smell must be trained to develop olfactory memory. Therefore, areas where bears are kept will inevitably contain some newly unearthed artifacts, and even coffins and skeletons..."

Lin Sicheng pointed to the footprints on the ground and the Qilian jade Buddha statue on the shelf: "Third, check these traces: whoever came here must be at least a key confidant. It could be Qi Hao, or even Qi Song. The key is that the traces are so fresh, they must have been taken today or yesterday."

"Then check the warehouses associated with this shop, especially these serpentine stones. They're sold by the ton, and even if you carve them into jade, you won't make much money. If they're just for smuggling bear cubs, they could be disposed of afterward; there's no need to pile them up here. Just a wild guess: is it possible they could be reused, reassembled, and smuggled back abroad as cultural relics..."

Captain Xing nodded vigorously.

If it's about cultural relics, Lin Sicheng is miles ahead of them. But when it comes to examining traces, conducting on-site investigations, and using clues to deduce facts, the police are definitely more professional.

The arrow was on the bowstring, and it had to be released. The leadership attached great importance to this operation. There were three squadrons of reconnaissance personnel stationed in Tianjiao City alone.

The investigation team worked with lightning speed, finding two warehouses of the jade shop in less than ten minutes.

It's in the basement, on the second basement level.

Meanwhile, forensic examination revealed that the footprints on the ground and the fingerprints on the Buddha statue were left by Qi Song.

At the same time, the technical investigation team retrieved the mall's surveillance footage.

The bad news is that the store is in a blind spot for surveillance cameras, but the good news is that there are cameras at several entrances and exits of the mall.

As the two figures, one in front of the other and completely covered up, appeared on the surveillance footage, the leaders' eyelids twitched rapidly.

They've been in this line of work for half their lives, so their experience is undeniable. They don't even need to look at faces: by observing body proportions and the way they walk, they can be 100% certain that the man is Qi Song and the woman is Ren Danhua.

The key is the timing: about an hour and a half ago, when Lin Sicheng had just arrived at the pet store.

What does it mean?
Even if these two aren't hiding in Tianjiao City, they must be hiding nearby...

Inside the command vehicle, Yu Guang clapped his hands excitedly.

Why such a big fuss today?

Because Tu Jun lost track of the person, and even more so because of Yan Wenjing's negligence, a perfectly good feast was ruined.

Of course, the people can't escape, like Wang Chun, and even more so her two bosses. But simply arresting them isn't enough; we also need to find a way to convict them: if key figures like Qi Song and Ren Danhua escape, it could lead to an incomplete chain of evidence.

He should have been executed ten times over, but in the end he was only sentenced to more than ten years, or even just a few years. What policeman could have suffered such humiliation?

Furthermore, we must recover the stolen goods… oh no, we must recover the cultural relics. Because cultural relics are not only evidence for conviction, but also national treasures.

To be honest, Lin Sicheng said before that these two points may not be contradictory: there is a high probability that when people and things were in Shilihe, the brigade leaders were only half-believing and half-doubting, including Yu Guang.

Even Lin Sicheng himself wasn't entirely sure, which is why he said, "Treat a dead horse as if it were alive."

But who could have imagined that the dead horse, which had been stiff and rigid after Lin Sicheng's chaotic handling, would suddenly come back to life?

Now that we've found jade raw materials to serve as containers for cultural relics, how far can these relics go?

No matter how far they go, they won't go beyond Tianjiao City.

As for those two key members, they were openly present in Tianjiao City. How far could he possibly run?

Taking a deep breath, Yu Guang picked up his police terminal: "Old Qin, Old Han, it's just one last push, please help us out!"

In the command center, Captain Han remained silent, while Captain Qin smiled apologetically and kept apologizing. After finishing the call, the two exchanged a glance.

Immediately, with a "thud," the police slingshot was thrown onto the table, and Captain Qin's face darkened: "A bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Han, the detachment leader, sighed. The group of technical investigators remained silent, not daring to lift their heads.

Why were there so many special agents conducting surveillance and reconnaissance in and around the market, yet they didn't spot Qi Song and Ren Danhua?
Because the Tianjiao City in Shilihe covers an area of ​​30,000 square meters and has a daily visitor flow of 20,000, how many plainclothes officers would be needed to keep a close watch on people?

Although cameras are installed only in the main passageways, there are still more than 80 monitoring points throughout the mall. Even if all the technical investigation teams from the Municipal Bureau were brought in, it wouldn't be enough for real-time monitoring.

But why did Yu Guang's team find it so accurately and so quickly?

The two detachments exchanged another glance, recalling what the commander-in-chief had said: "This kid is a bit strange."

And it wasn't just any ordinary weirdness: it seemed haphazard, with loose ends and a jumbled mess, making it impossible to discern the main point. But at the very end, it was discovered that all these loose ends were hanging from a single rope…

Just as he was feeling sentimental, the technical investigator in charge of monitoring stood up and reported: "Captain Qin, as of now, we have only seen the video of Ren Danhua leaving the Jade City. We haven't seen Qi Song leave. He should still be in Ruyi City."

Team Leader Qin, his face dark, asked, "Did you see that clearly?"

The technical investigator puffed out his chest: "I guarantee it with my integrity!"

That's what you told me before...

He was about to curse when he met Deputy Chief Sun's gaze, and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue: "Report to Chief Yu!"

"Yes……"

After finishing the call, Captain Xing stared at Lin Sicheng with wide eyes: "Teacher Lin, good news: Qi Song is still in Ruyi City!"

Tianjiao City is quite large, but Ruyi City, which specializes in selling jade, is less than 5,000 square meters. If it is spread across five floors, each floor is less than 1,000 square meters.

The key point is that the mall closed early, and there were hardly any people in the building, so you could find the items by searching one by one.

"Hmm, like catching a turtle in a jar!" Standing in the aisle, Lin Sicheng looked up: "But where's the bear?"

It's definitely impossible for them to be kept in the jade market, but if you don't know, how would we know?

Captain Xing forced a smile: "Teacher Lin, how about we arrest them first?"

It's no wonder he was in such a hurry: if the special operations team hadn't lost track of the person, the operation wouldn't have been moved up. Therefore, Yan Wenjing should take 70% of the blame, while Deputy Squad Leader Tu should take at least 30%.

It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost.

"Okay." Lin Sicheng indicated his understanding. "Arrest them!"

Knowing what he was worried about, Captain Xing patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Teacher Lin, it won't cause a big commotion, and it won't last long!"

Lin Sicheng wasn't too worried: there was technical reconnaissance on site, and some of it involved high-tech methods.

He nodded: "I'll go check out those two warehouses!"

"Okay, I'll arrange the people!" Fearing any accidents, Captain Xing arranged two groups and even specially brought a set of bulletproof vests from the command vehicle.

They've already started arresting people; they might push them to the brink. Your life is at stake, so Lin Sicheng should obediently put on his clothes.

The warehouse is on the second basement level. The property management was very cooperative and sent someone to show us the way.

It's just a typical basement, with walls made of aerated concrete blocks and a security door.

Once they confirmed that no one was inside, the technicians broke down the door. Lin Sicheng had already lifted his foot, but then suddenly stopped.

After the security door, there was another door, but it wasn't an iron door; it was a sliding, electric fiberglass door.

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment: This thing can be bulletproof, but where would you use this kind of door?

Bank, vault?
He exhaled sharply: "Break down the door!"

The technician was incredibly efficient: with just two wires plugged in, the electric combination lock became useless. He then fiddled with two steel needles for a bit, and with a "click," the glass door opened.

Then, another door appeared. But it wasn't made of fiberglass; it was an airtight door made of alloy.
The key feature is the presence of several gauges from left to right: temperature, humidity, pH level, and a keypad.

The special agents looked at each other in bewilderment: they had seen the exact same thing that afternoon.

Nitrogen-controlled atmosphere cold storage?

This time it was a mechanical lock, and it took about ten minutes to pry and break into it. The moment the door was pushed open, a blast of cold air, mixed with the smell of cured meat, rotten eggs, and decaying cabbage hit me.

Lin Laocheng covered his nose, turned on the flashlight, and muttered to himself: Sure enough.

Several special agents peeked out, then their eyelids started twitching uncontrollably.

The space is enormous; it appears to be a combination of two basement rooms connected and then converted into a cold storage facility. One half contains jade artifacts that are already carved or mostly carved, while the other half contains boxes of various sizes.

But that's not the point. The real issue is the white plastic buckets placed in several corners: they clearly contain liquid, and even though the temperature in the cold storage is close to zero, you can still smell the pungent odor of gasoline.

Subconsciously, Su Ye recalled that at the logistics center, when they had just caught Yu Jichuan and Yu Jiyao, Deputy Detachment Leader Yan asked Lin Sicheng: "Teacher Lin, what would these people do if they were cornered?"
Lin Sicheng: Of course, it's about destroying the stolen goods. It doesn't need to be complicated; a few barrels of gasoline will suffice.

And look here, aren't there just a few barrels of gasoline?
The team leader acted swiftly, ordering his team members to carry the gasoline cans outside. Fearing some kind of trap, Lin Sicheng didn't dare turn on the lights rashly, and instead went inside using his phone's flashlight.

He glanced around and tapped the jade artifact on the shelf beside him with his finger. It was a white jade statue of the Virgin Mary, about twenty centimeters tall and as thick as a fist.

The sound was extremely crisp: "Clang~ Clang..."

After listening, Lin Sicheng pinched the head of the statue of the Virgin Mary.

But just as his fingers touched it, with a "thud," his head fell off.

Shining the flashlight again, a human figure was found lying inside the Buddha statue's belly:
It's not big, about the size of an egg, and about the length of a finger. I don't know if it's jade or horn, but it's lifelike and has an endearing, simple appearance.

Liu Guojun glanced at it: "Teacher Lin, what is this?"

“A scholar’s ​​incense holder, for holding incense!” Lin Sicheng picked up the figurine. “An ivory lacquer painting of a Qing dynasty imitation of Western figures, with a reclining auspicious lion…”

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Sicheng suddenly paused.

Two lines of poetry are engraved on the lion's back: "Unperturbed by favor or disgrace, I leisurely watch the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard; indifferent to coming or going, I idly watch the clouds drift and gather in the sky."

The key is the inscription in both Manchu and Chinese below: "Made by Imperial Order of Kangxi".

Without even looking at the soil or the age, just by looking at the material and the style, Lin Sicheng was confident that the tomb owner was at least a concubine.

After glancing at them a few times, Lin Si put them back. Then, he tapped on each piece one by one, opening it up as he tapped it, revealing that each jade artifact contained something inside:

A dancing horse holding a lacquered pot and a cup, a concubine.

A carved lacquer bowl depicting a phoenix, belonging to the Imperial Concubine.

Carved Red Lacquer Box with a Hundred Sons: Imperial Noble Consort, who had given birth to princes.

Gilded book box: Prince.

Lacquered throne with python pattern: Prince.

When Lin Sicheng saw a black lacquered brush holder with a gold-painted nine-tailed phoenix design, he paused for a moment and picked it up.

There's a mark at the bottom in Manchu script, which translates to: "Zhen".

This was the title of Empress Xiaozhenxian of the Xianfeng Emperor, and also her posthumous title.

As expected, this pen holder should be buried in the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi...

Lin Sicheng sighed and stopped.

The special agents dared not stop, peeling back the layers one by one. The team leader, suppressing the trembling in his heart, reported to Yu Guang, his voice shaking:

"Yu Zhi, we've found it... cultural relics, so many cultural relics... there's lacquerware, calligraphy and paintings, and silk... no, it's a phoenix robe..."

"Ah, how many? At least fifty or sixty... Okay, okay, I'll give them to Teacher Lin..."

As he spoke, the team leader handed over the phone with both hands: "Teacher Lin, Yu Zhi wants you to take this call!"

The use of the word "please" here is rather formal.

Lin Sicheng wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back: Never mind, it's come to this already.

He took the phone, and as soon as he put it to his ear, a strange sound came from the receiver: "Hiss... hiss..."

It looked like a snake flicking its tongue, or like a balloon deflating.

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a condition called "depression syndrome," one of the symptoms of which is qi stagnation: a feeling of tightness and distension in the chest and diaphragm, with qi flowing outwards and invading the chest. To put it simply: one feels so angry that their stomach is bloated.

When the knot in the heart suddenly opens, this strange sound will be heard from the chest and abdomen.

Honestly, it works better than any medicine...

After waiting for a while, until the commotion subsided, Lin Sicheng finally spoke: "Yu Zhi!"

With his pent-up frustration dissipated, Yu Guang, who had been holding back a lot of things to say, suddenly didn't know what to say.

He sighed deeply: "Thank you, Teacher Lin!"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Chief Yu, we haven't caught the person yet, it's a bit early to say thank you!"

"It was bound to happen sooner or later..."

I had barely finished replying when a voice came through the phone: "Chief Yu, the signal is too weak, we couldn't locate you!"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment: "Yu Zhi, what signal, cell phone signal?"

"Yes, about twenty minutes ago, the mall's surveillance cameras detected a cell phone signal, roughly in Zone C. But it was very brief, just a fleeting glimpse, and then it completely disappeared..."

Area C, isn't this area right under your feet Area C?
This includes Qi Hao's studio, and even more so, the jade shop.

The key point is that, twenty minutes earlier, technicians used a short circuit to break open the fiberglass door here.

Lin Sicheng's eyelids twitched, and he had a bad feeling: there was a spy here, who most likely knew that the door had been broken open and was immediately sending a message out.

I guess he just sent a text message, which is why the signal was so weak, and then he just turned off his phone.

But before entering, the scouts were certain: there was no one in the warehouse, and no mobile signal.

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up: But it's all for naught, all he has is a flashlight, and the place is so messy.

He turned around and asked, "Su Ye, do you have any cameras that don't flash and don't require mobile signal transmission?"

Su Ye only had a vague understanding and didn't dare to answer. She glanced at the technical investigators in her team.

The technical investigator immediately understood: "Teacher Lin, some do: infrared concealed cameras, low-light full-color cameras, and even more advanced thermal imaging cameras won't flash. As for the signal, it can be transmitted directly via wired connection..."

Before he could finish speaking, the technical investigator suddenly froze: "Teacher Lin, do you mean there are surveillance cameras here?"

"Most likely!" Lin Sicheng replied, raising his flashlight and shining it on the roof.

In the corner of the room, right next to the shelf, a black thread ran through it.

The technical investigator's expression changed: "Up there... Teacher Lin, the person is up there..."

(End of this chapter)