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The room was very clean, so simple that it contained only a bed, a table, and a cabinet. Yet, the simplicity added to its charm; everything was spotless, with the bedding neatly arranged. On the old, chipped table sat a jar repurposed as a flowerpot, housing an unknown plant that glistened with a vibrant green.
Shen Lingchen's professional sensitivity led him to first observe these details. He glanced at the windows, as if searching for something hidden. Xiao Mu paid him no mind, his gaze fixed on another person.
Guan Yiqing, the alluring temptation of tailored clothing, the Police Flower.
With an oval face and a simple hairstyle, her lips were not overly red, and her eyeliner was subtle. However, having grown accustomed to heavy makeup, Xiao Mu found this natural look even more rare and appealing—especially when such simplicity could stir a man's illicit thoughts. Guan Yiqing had just entered and felt uncomfortable under Xiao Mu's scrutinizing gaze, unable to meet his eyes. This instinctive shyness only made her more intriguing to him.
He had seen plenty of women flaunting their curves; this kind of bashfulness was indeed hard to come by. Even when he did encounter it, it often felt feigned, unlike this woman who seemed constrained by her attire and demeanor. Such exceptional qualities were truly stunning.
Ahem... Ahem... Shen Lingchen coughed twice, interrupting Xiao Mu's train of thought. He glanced over and remarked, "Oh, you’ve really raised your game in this line of work. Where are your eyes wandering?"
"Everyone has a desire to be beautiful. Someone like you, who only understands case situations and lacks any sense of romance, wouldn't get it," Xiao Mu replied with a smile as he took a seat. He looked at Shen Lingchen and added, "Make yourselves comfortable; what brings you here?"
Comfortable? There was only one chair left for him to sit on. Shen Lingchen felt a twinge of stomach pain for a moment, realizing how difficult Xiao Mu could be to deal with. Guan Yiqing remained silent; her impression of Xiao Mu had shifted from bad to slightly better but had now soured again. Yet seeing Xiao Mu's nonchalant demeanor made her wonder—what did it matter to him whether she thought well or poorly of him?
Right, he didn’t care at all. Guan Yiqing suddenly recalled her first encounter with his profile—a man who indulged in all vices: drinking, gambling, and more. Someone like that wouldn’t garner any sympathy even if he were truly a Red Line Informant.
Shen Lingchen bypassed these trivial matters and asked directly, "Have you discovered anything?"
"Big brother, you know I’m just a pimp; there’s nothing to discover," Xiao Mu replied.
The mournful expression on his face nearly made Guan Yiqing laugh, while Shen Lingchen found himself at a loss for words after driving all night to Suzhou and Hangzhou only to be stumped by Xiao Mu’s comment. However, this reaction was somewhat expected. He asked, "Has Ma Yubing contacted you?"
"No... that’s impossible. The Underworld is hierarchical; I belong to the lowest level and wouldn’t have contact like that. Even if I did have contact, it wouldn’t happen so quickly," Xiao Mu explained.
"If you maintain such an indifferent attitude, then it will never happen," Shen Lingchen stated.
"Nonsense! I’ve been trying hard!" Xiao Mu protested.
"Really? Trying hard? What exactly have you been working on?" Shen Lingchen countered skeptically; he suspected that all Xiao Mu knew was which way Ma Yubing's company door swung open.
Xiao Mu, however, saw things differently. He clapped his hands and said, "You're really working hard. Let me ask you, if you were in your police position and wanted a promotion, wanted to stand out, what would you do? … Hey, beautiful, what do you say?"
"Work hard and achieve results," Guan Yiqing replied dismissively.
"Exactly!" Xiao Mu exaggeratedly exclaimed. "So here I am, working hard and achieving results. What can I do in my position? Let me tell you, over the past few days, I've successfully recruited two lackeys and about seventeen or eighteen little brothers. I basically know all the fallen women around Cangji New Village... I also know quite a few who are involved in the skin trade along Zhengmin Road and others dabbling in various shady businesses. I've successfully risen from being a street pimp to the leader of an entire street and district. You can't say I'm not working hard!"
Guan Yiqing's eyes widened in disbelief. How could someone so brazenly boast about such activities? She glanced at her mentor, who looked even more embarrassed than she felt.
This was a result that was completely contrary to expectations, leaving Shen Lingchen with a severe headache. Those petty issues hardly warranted his concern. He realized that this guy wasn't genuinely working hard; he simply thrived on this kind of business. In exasperation mixed with irony, Shen Lingchen remarked, "You've truly paved the way for a bright future."
"Oh? Speaking of which, this business is actually quite good," Xiao Mu replied with surprise. He then bent down and pulled something out from under the table—wrapped in old newspaper. When he opened it, a thick stack of cash was revealed. Shen Lingchen and Guan Yiqing's eyes widened; could all this be what he earned in just a few days? Xiao Mu proudly declared, "At least two or three hundred a day. But soon I realized there was great potential in this environment, so I changed their money-making methods a bit. As it turns out, this approach is very effective."
The pile of cash looked to be several thousand. Shen Lingchen glanced at Guan Yiqing with some hesitation before deciding to ask directly how he made it. Xiao Mu grinned and explained that he was running a pimping operation and collecting fees while introducing girls into hotel businesses. All this money came from Lame Brother; don’t give me that look—he’s much more generous than you guys, covering meals and entertainment while also providing plenty of pocket money.
Guan Yiqing closed her eyes in pain; her worst fears had come true. With such morally corrupt individuals, she seriously doubted that cultivating informants would not eventually lead to creating suspects.
Shen Lingchen wore a pained expression as well. What kind of situation was this? The case had taken a wrong turn; the informant they had released had gone off track as well. It felt like life had taken a turn for the worse—whatever he did seemed to backfire. He spoke with bitterness: "Looks like I underestimated you."
"Could it be that you don't understand my pure intentions?" Xiao Mu asked with a smile.
"Don't get me wrong; I mean I underestimated your ability to cause trouble. Someone like you is bound to get me into trouble sooner or later," Shen Lingchen replied. At this point, Guan Yiqing could no longer hold back her laughter; it seemed only someone like Xiao Mu could put Master Shen in such an awkward position.
"You should try to understand better; there's really not much difference between a criminal organization and yours. The ones who rise fastest are definitely those who stand out and achieve remarkable results—like me... And I think they are quite fair; they eat based on ability—that's no lie." Xiao Mu said with a smile. His calm voice and confident expression made Shen Lingchen suddenly serious; it seemed quite reasonable. Xiao Mu added, "If this method doesn't attract Old Cripple's attention—or if Old Cripple doesn't elevate his focus—you might as well give up... Step by step into their core group; only I have that capability—you don't have that much time left."
Right, Shen Lingchen thought as he stroked his chin thoughtfully, pacing back and forth before giving Xiao Mu a big thumbs up very seriously.
Guan Yiqing rolled her eyes at this display, feeling somewhat speechless.
"The method isn't wrong, but the accuracy of the direction seems questionable," Shen Lingchen leaned against the table, ignoring the money on it as he began addressing the main topic for coming here.
"I can't help with that; I've only seen him once—I can't even tell what business Ma Yubing is involved in," Xiao Mu said. In the underworld, some secrets are unimaginable unless experienced firsthand. But there was also one question: Was Ma Yubing's direction correct?
The conversation returned to Shen Lingchen, who spoke with a furrowed brow, "There's no need to hide this from you. Before this case, many nicknames like Ma Ye, Ma Yubing, and Widow Ma appeared in the testimonies of several suspects. When You Bisheng mentioned Widow Ma, I started to suspect him. I realized his roots are in Binhai... He has emerged as an underground figure in Suzhou and Hangzhou in recent years. Many reports from Prison Informants indicate that Ma Ye is generous and enjoys making friends from all walks of life. However, it's strange that many criminals who have been caught seem to have no connection to him, and many committed crimes elsewhere. I've reviewed at least a dozen cooperation reports regarding him, but once we get involved in the investigation, it becomes fruitless. Aside from being a petty criminal, we have no grasp of any other criminal facts."
"What are Prison Informants?" Xiao Mu asked.
At this point, Shen Lingchen shook his head and motioned for Guan Yiqing to explain. Guan Yiqing carefully chose her words and vaguely described it as a method of criminal investigation that involves tips from some suspects in detention centers or prisons, which serve as clues for solving cases. These tips could come from Disciplinary sources or suspects themselves; they are the mysterious "Prison Informants," who sometimes play an unexpectedly effective role during investigations of residual crimes or old cases.
Unfortunately, this time they were not helpful.
Xiao Mu pondered and asked, "So the suspects related to Ma Yubing should mostly be suspected of theft, right?"
Shen Lingchen nodded and smiled approvingly at Xiao Mu; his understanding was sharp. It was precisely due to the connection with theft suspects that Shen Lingchen had developed a keen interest in Ma Yubing.
"So it seems I understand now. You expect to find some connection between the theft cases at the homes of two Corrupt Officials in Binhai and the suspects who may have had contact with Ma Yubing, then follow those leads?" Xiao Mu inquired.
This statement was like a sudden revelation for Guan Yiqing; she gained much clarity about her master's investigative thought process. Even Xiao Mu, who had not been involved or discussed this before, seemed to grasp it better than she did. She discreetly glanced at Shen Lingchen, who smiled and said, "You can show him now."
Of course, it was a summary of the Case Situation. This was against the principles of using informants, but at that moment Guan Yiqing felt there was no reason not to do so. She took out a small tablet from her bag, turned it on, and placed it in front of Xiao Mu while scrolling through the interface.
It began with inquiries from the police station, photographs taken, and summaries of theft incidents in the neighborhood. The key focus was on suspicious individuals captured entering and exiting the area around the time of the incident. After looking at just a few faces, Xiao Mu became frustrated and said, "Sister, this won't work. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack; do you really think you can find someone? You rely too much on surveillance footage. If they are high-intelligence thieves, how could they possibly leave their images during such sensitive times around the incident?"
Indeed, with such a reasonable rebuttal, even Guan Yiqing felt that this approach was futile. However, Shen Lingchen curiously asked, "But tell me this: you’ve seen how strict security is here; these residents are either wealthy or influential. The property management and security budget is ample; their surveillance footage is retained for six months. Aside from this theft case, normally there wouldn't be any issues even if motorcycles were left unlocked or car windows were forgotten."
"There are many methods! If that power outage lasted an hour during the crime time frame—what caused the outage?"
"We're investigating."
"What about the workers who restored power? Is there an issue with the property security? Wouldn't collusion be more effective in situations like this?"
"We checked; the workers restoring power were still present. If they were involved, their suspicion should be minimal. If it were them, their abnormal behavior should have been captured on camera that day—unfortunately, it wasn't; they’ve been ruled out... Now the problem lies here: this bizarre theft occurred as if the suspect walked into an unguarded realm. How did they get in and out?"
Shen Lingchen paced thoughtfully as he spoke; many inexplicable cases require sparks of insight from old cases or those suspects involved. This time was somewhat unexpected—the suspects and Prison Informants were stumped by this unresolved mystery.
Xiao Mu seemed to be intrigued as well. Curiously, he reached out and picked up the tablet. This action was instinctive, but inadvertently, he brushed against Guan Yiqing's hand. Startled, she recoiled as if shocked, and Xiao Mu paused for a moment, only to catch a glimpse of Guan Yiqing glaring at him with a look that clearly conveyed her disapproval.
"Oh, it feels nice," Xiao Mu remarked deliberately while holding the tablet. Shen Lingchen didn't notice this little gesture, but Guan Yiqing was well aware of his underlying meaning, which nearly made her explode with anger.
However, she soon realized she might have been mistaken. Xiao Mu began to focus intently on the Case Situation summary. He wasn't looking at the captured footage of the entrances and exits; instead, he was examining the architectural plans of the community, the power supply layout, and the surveillance setup. He scrutinized every detail with an upright posture and unwavering concentration that inexplicably gave off a sense of approachability.
Guan Yiqing glanced at her mentor. Shen Lingchen stood quietly, showing no intention of interrupting. He gestured for Guan Yiqing to remain silent as they waited patiently for Xiao Mu to ponder over the information. After what felt like an eternity, Xiao Mu spoke uncertainly, "Since this is a meticulously planned theft, they must have considered how to avoid the surveillance at the entrances and exits. If they consciously avoided detection, you may not easily find them."
"But at this point, how did they get through? They can't just fly over walls, can they? Even if they could, there should be some trace left behind," Shen Lingchen countered.
"I can think of numerous ways to leave no trace," Xiao Mu replied while flipping through the tablet.
"Such as?" Shen Lingchen inquired.
Xiao Mu quickly navigated to the surveillance videos of the entrances and exits. He paused randomly and asked, "For example, in this case, if the suspect is in the back seat of a car, can you capture that?"
"Or in this case... if he wears large glasses and has a sun visor down so that less than half his face is visible—how would you confirm it's him?"
"Or consider this... a long luxury vehicle packed with ten people inside; the surveillance wouldn't catch that either."
"Or there are many other possibilities—like riding a motorcycle with a helmet on and zipping into a blind spot; how would you detect that?"
"And even more critically, you can't even determine when the theft occurred."
Xiao Mu listed several loopholes in quick succession. Hearing this made Shen Lingchen gasp; if Rascal was this clever, then the police would truly be at a loss. Guan Yiqing retorted defiantly, "That's impossible! All vehicles entering and exiting are registered by property management. Any vehicle not belonging to this community would be stopped for registration; one must know a resident here for property management to let them in... Not just cars; motorcycles are also logged."
"Heh heh... Beautiful lady, you've fallen into a trap of your own thinking," Xiao Mu chuckled mischievously as he looked at Guan Yiqing with a sly grin before telling her, "Let me ask you: why does it have to be an outsider's vehicle? Why must it be someone from outside? Since you can't confirm anything, why assign such an accurate definition to the tools used in the crime?"
"Are you suggesting that a resident of this community committed the crime?" Guan Yiqing was taken aback by this notion.
"Oh... that's where the crux lies! I understand now! Yes, I fell into my own habitual thinking trap..." Shen Lingchen suddenly had an epiphany. His excitement grew as if he had just spotted prey; he stepped forward and snatched the tablet from Xiao Mu's hands, flipping back through it with keen eyes.
"What does that mean?" Guan Yiqing asked curiously. Xiao Mu chimed in, smiling as he explained, "There's a possibility you overlooked... renters."
"Renters? Oh, right... But if someone is stealing something, wouldn't renting a place make them an even bigger target?" Guan Yiqing questioned skeptically. Xiao Mu provoked her further, saying, "It could be a bigger target, but it might also be something you missed... The positive thinking would suggest they should remain undetected. But the reverse thinking is that they could be right under your nose, living in the community. Who would dare to imagine that? Since they can't achieve complete anonymity, they have to find a way that breaks conventional thinking. This aligns perfectly with the modus operandi of high-intelligence criminals; their brilliance lies not in their methods but in their thought processes."
"That makes sense, very much so. This approach also fits the meticulous planning characteristic of this case. If they moved into this community a week, two weeks, or even longer before the incident, they could completely avoid any potential investigations... Because normal thinking would start from the property management where insiders are most likely to be found and from external vehicles and personnel. If they lived in the community, those issues wouldn't exist. As long as they could successfully leave after committing the crime, any traces left behind would automatically be erased."
Shen Lingchen added that the only thing overlooked was these renters. If they were indeed here, he felt a chill run down his spine. What kind of psychological resilience would it take to live near a crime scene and wait for an opportunity to strike, especially for such a significant case?
Yet this explanation now seemed more reasonable and aligned with various clues. He pondered for a moment and pointed at Xiao Mu, saying, "Find a way to come out tomorrow; I want to have a serious talk with you."
However, the commanding tone irritated Xiao Mu, who immediately retorted, "Do you know how busy I am? When do I have time?"
"Hey, you..." Shen Lingchen was taken aback and frustrated.
Guan Yiqing stifled a laugh, covering her mouth to hide her amusement.
Just as Shen Lingchen was about to change his tone, Xiao Mu's phone rang loudly. It was already past two o'clock; who could be calling? Xiao Mu pulled it out and froze. "It's Big Gourd calling."
"Who is Big Gourd?" Shen Lingchen asked.
"My lackey," Xiao Mu replied as he answered the call. He heard Big Gourd's angry voice on the other end: "Big Gourd! It's so late; you're disturbing my rest... Huh? What? You're downstairs? Someone wants to see me... No... What? Ma Ye...? Wait a minute; I'm still in my underwear..."
With a thud, he hung up the phone and turned pale with anxiety. "What's going on? Widow Ma is here; she's downstairs."
Shen Lingchen panicked instantly. He peeked through the curtain and saw a car light just turning off with several figures approaching the front door. In a rush without time to think, Xiao Mu pulled Shen Lingchen and pointed towards the back window. "Quick... get out! There's an old iron drainpipe outside; you can climb down it."
He pushed Shen Lingchen towards the window. Shen Lingchen stepped onto the bed's edge and found it wasn't difficult for him. As he turned back, Xiao Mu grabbed Guan Yiqing by the arm. "Hurry up... take off your clothes and lie down on the bed."
"What?" Guan Yiqing exclaimed in shock, covering her chest in fear of being violated.
"It's hard to explain having a man at home; it's easier with a woman... Hurry!" Xiao Mu ordered as he stripped off his outerwear and threw it aside before slipping on some slippers. As Shen Lingchen prepared to climb out of the window, he turned back to Guan Yiqing and said, "Just listen to him."
Guan Yiqing was so furious that she felt like crying, and she could only sit on the bed, messing up the blankets. After a moment, she turned around and shot a wary glare at Xiao Mu. "Get out."
"Hehe... we need to create a crime scene," Xiao Mu said with a mischievous grin, starting to undress. Guan Yiqing covered her face in embarrassment as Xiao Mu quickly set things up, draping his clothes over the back of a chair. He urged Guan Yiqing to take off her shoes, tipping one of her high heels over. Looking up at the tense and guarded Guan Yiqing, he said, "Hurry up, give me some clothes. I need to create a messy scene."
Guan Yiqing stared at Xiao Mu and slowly removed her outer garment, revealing her delicate arms. The sight made Xiao Mu gasp in surprise. He took the clothes from her and casually tossed them onto the edge of the bed but hesitated to leave. Guan Yiqing glared at him and scolded, "Are you trying to commit a crime or just set up a crime scene?"
Xiao Mu chuckled as he snapped back to reality, smiling as he replied, "Your mood is all wrong. When they come in, you should be sitting on the edge of the bed looking disheveled and disarrayed. If we walk in and happen to see that scene, it will dispel all their suspicions... It would be even better if you could hold your breath until your face turns red; that would look more like you just finished... Well, I must say, if you didn't dress so plainly, you'd actually be quite beautiful."
"Get out," Guan Yiqing said sharply.
Xiao Mu smirked as he turned to leave, pulling the door open. Just before closing it, he glanced back and saw Guan Yiqing watching him with a guarded expression, her long, fair arms crossed over her chest—an incredibly ambiguous sight. Xiao Mu teased, "What's with that expression? We haven't done anything yet."
Guan Yiqing gritted her teeth in frustration and spat out one word: "Scram."
This was getting more interesting by the moment. Xiao Mu clutched his chest as if his heart might leap out from excitement, chuckling mischievously as he tiptoed down the stairs...
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