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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 84: Fiery Insight
Shen Lingchen held his phone to his ear and asked, "Where are you?"
"I can see you... to your left, 0.8 kilometers away, on the top floor of the teahouse," came a familiar voice from the other end.
At that moment, Shen Lingchen stood by the railing, and his gaze fell upon an octagonal traditional teahouse. He called out to Guan Yiqing and hurried toward the teahouse. The attendant who greeted them seemed to recognize them, leading them straight upstairs. Upon reaching the top floor, they took their seats, and a cup of vibrant green Longjing tea was already prepared. Xiao Mu, dressed in a crisp white shirt, smiled as he gestured for them to sit.
Guan Yiqing sat down reluctantly, her expression sour. She shot a glare at Xiao Mu, keeping her distance as if afraid of being harassed.
Shen Lingchen chuckled and said, "Looks like you got here early. Why did you leave us waiting for an hour on purpose?"
"Just testing you," Xiao Mu replied.
"Testing? Testing what?" Guan Yiqing snapped back at him.
"Don't misunderstand; I was testing my own eyesight," Xiao Mu clarified.
"And what was the result of your test?" Shen Lingchen asked curiously.
"The result of the test is that I can see the case has hit a deadlock. It had to be stuck; otherwise, you wouldn't have come, or if you did come, you wouldn't have waited this long before leaving... As for this beautiful lady's attitude, it's clear she's been stuck for a while now; her expression is more irritated than when Aunt Flo visits... Hey, don't get mad! If you're feeling frustrated, just take a stroll by West Lake to cool off," Xiao Mu said with a laugh while sipping his tea. Guan Yiqing's anger was effectively silenced by his words, and Shen Lingchen quickly signaled her to keep her cool. Then he turned back to Xiao Mu with curiosity and asked, "So, Xiao Mu, did you discover anything?"
"Nothing," Xiao Mu shook his head.
"You invited us here for nothing?" Guan Yiqing was getting angry.
"I didn't invite you; I invited Shen Commissioner," Xiao Mu replied.
"Hey... you," Guan Yiqing fumed, feeling provoked by Xiao Mu's dismissive attitude.
"Hey, hey, calm down. What's going on? It's not easy to meet up, so why are we arguing... Mu, don't take it out on her. I haven't seen you in a while, and here I am as soon as you called... So, how's it going? Looks like you're doing well here?" Shen Lingchen smiled, trying to ease the tension. Guan Yiqing shot him a glare and said, "Of course it's going well. Just look at her; she must have struck it rich."
"Haha..." Xiao Mu chuckled and said, "I bet you're wondering why I wasn't swept up in the crackdown on vice, right?"
"Your luck can't hold out forever; sooner or later, you'll have to check in," Guan Yiqing retorted.
"Haha, who cares? If I do get caught, I'll just put your name down as my contact. Aren't you my sister?" Xiao Mu replied.
Guan Yiqing glared at her, and Shen Lingchen quickly reached out to press down on her teacup, fearing she might hit Xiao Mu. Guan Yiqing was both angry and amused, looking around as if searching for a handy weapon. Shen Lingchen scolded her, "You go wait downstairs."
"Okay, okay... I won't argue with you anymore. Fine, I was wrong; I admit it," Guan Yiqing raised her hand in a gesture of truce. Xiao Mu smugly took a sip of tea and quipped, "I accept your apology, even if it's not sincere."
That remark fell flat; Guan Yiqing ignored him. Shen Lingchen, however, was puzzled by their sudden quarrel. He spoke earnestly to Xiao Mu, "Xiao Mu, why did you leave that day? Do you know how worried I was?"
"That's a lie. If you were worried, why didn't you come looking for me?" Xiao Mu laughed.
"Did you expect me to seek you out given my position?" Shen Lingchen countered.
"Oh, that's true," Xiao Mu said with a smile as she looked at Shen Lingchen. A fleeting thought crossed her mind as she recalled how anxiously he had carried her down the hill from the cemetery in the rain. She felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and asked shyly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I might have to disappoint you," Xiao Mu replied.
"Disappoint? You didn't do something reckless, did you?" Shen Lingchen exclaimed in shock.
"If I did something wrong, would you be able to cover for me?" Xiao Mu asked mischievously.
Guan Yiqing chimed in, "You have the skills; you should handle it yourself. Who are you going to ask for help?"
Shen Lingchen clicked his tongue in regret for bringing Guan Yiqing along. But Xiao Mu just smiled brightly and said, "Well then, I guess I can't tell you about the things I've learned regarding disposing of stolen goods."
Selling stolen goods? Guan Yiqing and Shen Lingchen were both surprised, their eyes gleamed, and their ears perked up. Xiao Mu smiled and told the two policemen what he knew. He dipped his fingers in tea and drew a bunch of character relationship trees. Widow Ma, Mourning Hair, and Old Cripple are a group of people. , Old Cripple withdrew due to serious injuries, and Widow Ma and Mourning Hair, as expected by Shen Lingchen, still have a shady business. The specific operation is to transfer stolen goods through logistics, and are divided into Suzhou and Hangzhou After picking, the stolen goods are then marketed. When Shen Lingchen heard that Xiao Mu was being locked up in the basement and dividing things, identifying the value of stolen goods, he took a long breath of air. According to the stolen goods described by Xiao Mu, it should be quite a large amount of Theft Case, and there is more than one case. "Isn't it possible? I haven't seen a large number of Theft Case reported? Isn't it just nonsense? There can be dozens of watches, pens, bracelets, wallets..." Guan Yiqing didn't believe it. XiaoMu reminded: "I can't even break it out. There are women's shoes and underwear, do you believe it?" "Really or not?" Guan Yiqing asked the master in confusion, unable to figure it out. Shen Lingchen was also the first time I heard about it, and he said suspiciously: "Dozens of watches? It's not that exaggerated... and a jade pendant worth more than 100,000 yuan?" "Well, really, there are many big-name luxury goods, I don't know Are you wondering? How many houses do you have to steal to put together such a show of stolen goods?" Xiao Mu said. "How many times have I shared it with you?" Shen Lingchen asked. "Twice... the first time was more, just the night I came back; the second time was four days later, and the second time was not much. I estimated twice that the watch is worth more than 60 yuan, and the jade is worth 9 yuan. There are twenty-four pieces of famous brand bags... One to two million in any case... The most important point is that the express delivery industry is very developed now. In the past, the bulk logistics industry has seen more and more bankruptcies in recent years. Bulk logistics mainly relies on receiving goods, but I think Mourning Hair’s Eagle Logistics is a money-losing business,” Xiao Mu said. "How do you know this is a money-losing business?" Guan Yiqing asked. "I asked the driver how much gas he fills up in a month. If he fills up too much, he will definitely be corrupted. He complained that he only drove out once a week, so he couldn't make much money at all... The frequency of driving is so low, he It would be weird not to lose money," Xiao Mu said, giving impeccable circumstantial evidence. Shen Lingchen was shocked. Unexpectedly, he accidentally investigated the theft case and investigated the stolen goods. He thought for a moment and said: "Mao Shiping and Ma Yubing have been investigated, You Bisheng said them After coming, I had some doubts that the two of them must be doing something illegal... I just didn't expect it to be so big." He said, looking at Xiao Mu suspiciously, and Xiao Mu smiled, noncommittal, believe it or not. The look in his eyes, but Shen Lingchen didn’t dare to believe it anymore, he whispered: “Then continue Check… Since you like this line of work, I won’t force it, the informant Fei Zhaofa.” “ To what extent was the investigation done? I had already boarded the pirate ship. After dividing the goods, they gave me several thousand dollars, which was much higher than your informant fee. To be honest, I felt really unjust when I exposed them. "Xiao Mu said.
"You will know right from wrong yourself. We will verify the information. Please provide a more accurate description of the stolen items; we need to find a basis for filing a case," Shen Lingchen said.
"I already have it," Xiao Mu replied, glancing at Guan Yiqing, and couldn't resist teasing her, "I almost forgot while bickering with you."
As he spoke, he reached for Shen Lingchen's phone, logged into a webpage that offered cloud storage, and left the username and password for Shen Lingchen. After opening the page, he showed it to Shen Lingchen.
A detailed electronic document appeared, listing various tables, bags, and accessories one by one. Some even had corresponding images of the actual items. With Young Master Mu's privileged background, remembering these details was not difficult for him; he even noted the exact colors and recorded the abbreviations of certain custom luxury goods.
Shen Lingchen and Guan Yiqing looked on in astonishment, finally exhaling a long breath after a while. Their gazes were stern as they looked at Xiao Mu, as if they were seeing him anew. They both understood the value of this information; if it was true, it likely corresponded to more than just a couple of two-year-old cold cases.
"Don't look at me with such admiration. A rich young master isn't completely useless; at least I know more about valuable things than anyone else," Xiao Mu said with a cheeky smile.
"I'll verify this as soon as possible... Thank you, Xiao Mu," Shen Lingchen said sincerely as he put away his phone.
"I should be thanking you... If you hadn't pushed me out here, I wouldn't have had the courage to come out. Now I actually feel it's quite good to be out," Xiao Mu replied with a smile, though his mind lingered on that rainy day and the unintentional events that led him to see Shen Lingchen as a good person, despite his sharp tongue.
Shen Lingchen smiled and said, "Just make sure you don't wander too far; at least let me be able to pull you back."
"I'll definitely be within reach; I won't go too far," Xiao Mu laughed.
As they exchanged glances, an understanding formed between them. Meanwhile, Guan Yiqing watched in confusion, not knowing when these two men had become so in sync. She made an uncomfortable expression and turned her face aside. Shen Lingchen reminded her again and brought up the case situation to show Xiao Mu.
It was another violation of discipline that Guan Yiqing had grown accustomed to. She pulled out her tablet from her bag and placed it heavily on the table. Xiao Mu was genuinely interested in this and eagerly watched the reconstruction of the theft process. After watching for over ten minutes and having tea refilled twice by the waitress, he ended up smiling so much that his eyes nearly squinted shut.
"Look at how happy he is; it's like a blind cat caught a dead mouse—what's there to be so pleased about?" Guan Yiqing scoffed. She had to admit that Xiao Mu's mind worked differently; he could actually think in sync with criminals.
"That's not quite right," Xiao Mu countered. "If that's your argument, doesn't it imply that police are even worse than blind cats?"
"You..." Guan Yiqing exclaimed angrily.
"Alright... stop arguing. We're stuck here for now, and we can only wait for news. It seems that Ma Yubing and Mourning Hair are unlikely to be related to this case, but we still need to investigate this direction further. Once I have some time, I'll properly arrange the details about them," Shen Lingchen said, looking expectantly at Xiao Mu. "As for this suspect... take a good look at it. I'll provide you with a detailed electronic recovery image shortly. It's strange; it's been ten days, and we haven't found a single clue."
"If it was carefully planned, they must have used someone without a criminal record. If you could find them right away, that would be too easy," Xiao Mu replied, flipping to the woman's photo. Shen Lingchen nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. If the clues we manage to find turn out to be of little value, then we won't be able to proceed."
"What can he see? The computer hasn't turned up anything," Guan Yiqing scoffed, exchanging glances with Shen Lingchen, clearly with ulterior motives. Shen Lingchen quickly admonished her, "Stop causing trouble. Xiao Mu is the one who identified the escaped Cult Leader; you should respect him."
"Then he must be worthy of respect," Guan Yiqing said.
"He definitely is," Shen Lingchen affirmed.
Xiao Mu set down his cup and glared at the two of them, who were also staring back at him. Then he picked up his teacup and took a sip before indignantly saying, "Are you two putting on a show? If you want to reveal something, just say it outright. Do you really think I’m so foolish that I can't see you both making faces since you walked in?"
Guan Yiqing couldn't hold back and turned her head away, unable to look directly at him but stifling a laugh. Shen Lingchen maintained a neutral expression and said, "Look at your keen observation skills; our little schemes are truly transparent... Let's have a little competition: how about this woman as the test?"
"You mean guessing her identity and then comparing it with the truth once it's revealed?" Xiao Mu asked.
"Exactly. Yi Qing will bear witness; if I lose, I'll call you my master. If I win... well, you'll obediently act as my informant," Shen Lingchen replied. Guan Yiqing shot him a sidelong glance and teased, "Do you dare?"
Xiao Mu paused for a moment and pointed out, "Oh, beautiful lady, if you call him master, won't you have to call me your elder?"
"Then you'd better have the capability!" Guan Yiqing retorted defiantly.
"I definitely have the capability, but I wouldn't want to. Imagine if you start calling me elder every time we meet; I'd feel embarrassed to tease you! Who knows what other developments might arise?" Xiao Mu said seriously, which only infuriated Guan Yiqing further as she gritted her teeth and scolded him for being oblivious to his own shortcomings.
"Stop it," Shen Lingchen interjected, placing his hand between them and looking skeptically at Xiao Mu. "Whether it's a horse or a mule, it needs to be taken for a walk; don't just argue with the ladies."
"Political Commissioner Brother, it's obvious. I've told you before that your judgment is somewhat lacking because of your identity and environment; they limit your way of thinking. Moreover, due to your beliefs, your perspective is tinted with political colors—so... you can't win," Xiao Mu began earnestly lecturing.
"Then enlighten me and teach me how to see things? We've been studying the woman on the surveillance footage for over ten days now," Shen Lingchen said.
"You should first search the crime information database, followed by the database of individuals with criminal records, looking for Female Suspect with a history of theft, right?" Xiao Mu asked.
"Exactly," Guan Yiqing replied, astonished; this was at least the basic step.
"That's nonsense. If there’s no criminal record and they’ve never committed a crime, wouldn’t you be at a loss?" Xiao Mu retorted.
That made sense, and both of them were taken aback. Shen Lingchen looked at Xiao Mu expectantly and said, "I deduce that this is a suspect in theft. From her deliberate avoidance of surveillance cameras, she shouldn't be a novice."
"Your thinking is too outdated. Even streetwalkers know how to avoid cameras nowadays, let alone someone involved in such major crimes. You can train a novice in just a few days and they’ll be fine," Xiao Mu replied.
That left Shen Lingchen speechless, while Guan Yiqing began to realize that this person might actually have some skills. He asked skeptically, "So what do you see…?"
"I'll tell you how to observe people. Clothing is a person's second skin; from it, you can connect to their emotions and behavioral habits," Xiao Mu said as he lowered his head and set his tablet down. Shen Lingchen and Guan Yiqing leaned in closer as he zoomed in on an image and continued, "First, the hairstyle: ordinary long hair with slight curls; definitely not something done with hundreds or thousands spent. Next, look at the earlobes—no obvious jewelry. Then observe the outfit: an ordinary trench coat in dark colors; the lower half should be regular trousers; mainly focus on the shoes—square-toed, flat-heeled, with pant legs brushing against the tops of the shoes… Next, look at the hands: one hand covering half her face, no manicures; the skin tone on the back of her hands and wrists shows no difference… Finally, look at the bag: black, relatively large, unisex style, somewhat old-fashioned… Do you see it now?"
"I don’t see anything. What does it mean?" Shen Lingchen asked.
Guan Yiqing also stared at him curiously and said, "I really don’t see it."
"If I were to take you as disciples, I’d have to kick you out of my school," Xiao Mu snapped before explaining further: "A person might hide their physical characteristics but cannot conceal their behavioral habits. With no deliberate hairstyle, no obvious jewelry, and wearing plain, neutral clothing—especially those very old-fashioned shoes—that says enough about her identity… I think she’s either a civil servant or someone engaged in serious work."
Guan Yiqing and Shen Lingchen exchanged astonished glances before Guan Yiqing burst into laughter. This was too ridiculous—civil servant? Guan Yiqing seriously doubted that this was due to Xiao Mu's bias against certain appearances.
"What are you laughing at? Check it out; aren’t there just as many bad apples among civil servants as in any other group?" Xiao Mu scoffed.
"Is that all you've got?" Shen Lingchen challenged.
"Also look at her hands—no jewelry on her wrists or nails; she’s not yet at an age where such attire would be acceptable for women who care about their appearance… And look at that bag; don’t you think it looks too shabby? It’s big and clunky but quite practical—definitely reflects a civil servant's terrible aesthetic standards," Xiao Mu explained.
"Then why couldn’t it be a deliberate disguise?" Guan Yiqing asked.
"If it were deliberate, it wouldn't be so natural, and it wouldn't match so perfectly... Look at the way she walks," Xiao Mu said, worried that the two might not understand. He pulled Guan Yiqing up and said, "Take a few steps, just walk to the door and come back... Old Shen, observe for yourself. Go on."
Guan Yiqing huffed in annoyance but had no choice but to comply. She walked to the door and back again, then compared herself to the footage. Shen Lingchen's eyes lit up; it seemed he had grasped some inspiration, but the limitations of his thoughts left him momentarily speechless.
Xiao Mu explained, "The young lady walks with a sway; the office worker walks hurriedly; the trendy girl walks with a cat-like grace; only you civil servants walk straight, chest out, eyes forward. From behind, there's no sway or dragging... That's because there's no need to showcase your figure or looks; the sense of superiority is kept inside... Look at her."
Shen Lingchen stared at Guan Yiqing in astonishment. Indeed, she walked straight with her head held high, her long pants brushing against her shoes, which were... quite outdated and not very high-heeled.
"Understood?"
Xiao Mu looked at Shen Lingchen, and they both burst into laughter. Guan Yiqing angrily sat back down, fuming but unable to find a single reason to refute them.
"Where did you find an excuse to make fun of me?" Guan Yiqing bit her lower lip and glared at the two.
"It's not that we're making fun of you; just look at your bag," Xiao Mu pointed out. When Guan Yiqing glanced at her bag, she realized it was indeed large and practical but rather unattractive. At that moment, she felt a certain resemblance to the woman in the surveillance footage.
A master indeed—able to hear thunder in silence and see clues in invisibility. This was definitely a one-on-one expert... Shen Lingchen looked at Xiao Mu, swallowing hard. He knew this guy was eccentric but never expected him to be this eccentric.
The phone rang, prompting Xiao Mu to remind them both about the results. He glanced at his phone—it was Big Gourd calling. He picked up and said, "Big Gourd, why are you bothering me instead of doing your job as a monk? What? The tour guide wants a commission? No way! Tell them it's ten percent max. If they don't like it, tough luck; they won't make any money from our temple anyway. If they keep complaining, just slap some sense into them."
With a thud, he hung up the phone. The experience from Underworld had clearly left its mark on him; his once carefree demeanor now carried a hint of rogue charm. After hanging up, Xiao Mu realized he had an issue himself and chuckled as he said, "Sorry for being here too long; my behavior habits have changed."
Guan Yiqing smiled while Shen Lingchen curiously asked, "Big Gourd? How did he become a monk?"
"Hehe, he's selling incense sticks and ripping off customers at the temple. You guys are cracking down on us and cutting off our income sources; we need to find ways to make a living," Xiao Mu replied with a grin. Shen Lingchen found it amusing yet exasperating just as Xiao Mu's phone rang again. He shushed them into silence before respectfully answering another call: "Brother Mao, what can I do for you?"
After finishing the call, he put away his phone and glanced at Shen Lingchen as he said, "Mourning Hair called me for lunch; I suspect there's something coming in today."
"Be careful; until it's confirmed, just lay low and don’t expose yourself. The deeper you hide now, the greater your future rewards will be," Shen Lingchen advised.
"I know, I have to leave first." Xiao Mu stood up, and Shen Lingchen casually asked, "How can I contact you? You haven't changed your phone number, have you?"
"I trust you now, but it seems you don't fully trust me. So, whether to stay in touch or not is up to me." Xiao Mu offered a friendly smile but ended with an unfriendly remark. He hurried away, gesturing for the two not to see him off.
Guan Yiqing quietly put away her tablet. The tea on the table had gone cold, but the information she received was enough to excite her. She turned to the pondering Shen Lingchen and asked, "Can he be trusted?"
The information provided was too sensational, Shen Lingchen thought with suspicion, uncertainly replying, "I don't know. However, his condition has improved significantly. Based on his description of the suspect... we can narrow down the search to several cities centered around Binhai. We should shift our focus to those with stable occupations or public servants. According to the landlord's description, she speaks fluent Binhai dialect, which means she must have spent quite some time in Binhai. The dialect isn't easy to learn; even understanding it through conversation is difficult."
"Don't listen to his nonsense; it can't be that accurate just by looking at someone," Guan Yiqing said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. At that moment, her mind was heavily influenced by her own insecurities about the shabby handbag described by Xiao Mu, making her glance at it a couple more times, increasing her doubts.
The two exited the teahouse together. The bustling street was filled with tourists jostling against one another, all hurried passersby. Amidst the chaotic crowd, Shen Lingchen paused for a moment, observing the fleeting and diverse faces around him. Even with over a decade of investigative experience, he found it impossible to discern people's identities from their attire and behavior details. For most police officers, psychology remained an elusive concept rarely applicable in real-life situations; most of the time, it was confined to theoretical discussions.
But could there truly be someone with such insight who could perceive a person's behavioral habits from subtle details?
Shen Lingchen had always been skeptical of this notion; however, this time, he found himself lacking confidence in his disbelief...
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