Unfortunately, when the two men emerged from the shop, their backpacks were empty and deflated, clearly carrying nothing.
Gong Jianguo frowned, sizing them up. “These are the ones?”
Lin Wan nodded. “That’s them. Captain Gong, should we try to bluff them?”
Gong Jianguo gave a slight smile. “Of course. Once they turn the corner, we’ll try to bring them in for questioning. If they comply, we can figure out if this shop is their meeting point or a place for fencing stolen goods.”
“Be careful, they’re carrying knives,” Lu Zheng said suddenly.
“Hm?” Gong Jianguo was taken aback, looking again but seeing nothing.
“Mr. Lu, you’ve got sharp eyes!” Gong Jianguo couldn’t help but ask. “I didn’t even notice.”
Lu Zheng smiled. “I caught a glimpse when we passed them earlier. They’re not in the bags, so definitely not tomb artifacts.”
Gong Jianguo nodded, speaking quietly into his earpiece. The three of them followed the men.
After the two turned a couple of streets into a less crowded area, two plainclothes officers stepped forward to intercept them.
“Hold on a moment!”
The officers blocked their path, flashing their badges. “We suspect you’re involved in a tomb-robbing case. Please come with us to the station to assist with the investigation.”
Lu Zheng, Lin Wan, and Gong Jianguo watched from a distance.
They figured that since the men weren’t carrying anything, they couldn’t be caught red-handed and would likely feel confident enough to go to the station.
Lin Wan was certain there were artifacts in the shop, so the plan was to take the men in, secure a search warrant, and find the evidence in the shop to close the case.
Unexpectedly…
When the two men saw the officers blocking their way and mentioning the tomb-robbing case, they erupted.
They lashed out, shoving the officers aside and bolting down the street.
“Stop them!” Gong Jianguo barked into his earpiece, breaking into a run.
As more plainclothes officers emerged from the crowd, the two men pulled daggers from under their jackets.
“Let go!”
With a sharp cry, Lin Wan was already at their side. Two swift hand-chops sent the daggers clattering to the ground.
Seeing their violent resistance, Lin Wan’s eyes narrowed. She struck hard, delivering a knee strike to each man, then grabbed their arms. Gong Jianguo, just arriving, heard two soft “cracks” as Lin Wan dislocated their shoulders.
“Ugh… ugh…”
The two burly men were left clutching their stomachs, groaning on the ground.
Gong Jianguo: ╭(°A°`)╮
He had barely started running when Lin Wan overtook him, and by the time he reached them, she had already subdued them.
Where did this elite come from? Haicheng City Bureau had someone like this? Shouldn’t she be in Zhongnanhai?
“Captain Gong!”
The surrounding plainclothes officers, though stunned, efficiently handcuffed the men.
While asking Gong Jianguo for next steps, they looked at Lin Wan with admiration.
Who wouldn’t want a teammate this skilled in field operations?
Gong Jianguo immediately said, “Take them in for questioning. Damn, with a reaction like that, I’ll apply for a search warrant right away!”
“Yes!”
“Leave a few people to watch the shop. We can’t let them move anything.”
“Yes!”
The commotion drew some attention, but once a police car arrived, the crowd dispersed.
…
The rest was straightforward. The search warrant was approved in half an hour, and Gong Jianguo’s team found a batch of freshly unearthed tomb artifacts in the shop, all from the Southern Song dynasty.
The next piece of news was staggering.
“They found a hidden imperial tomb from the Southern Song?” Lu Zheng asked. “What’s a hidden tomb?”
Lin Wan explained, “It’s when an emperor, fearing his tomb would be robbed, buries a fake tomb in the imperial mausoleum, while the real one, called a hidden tomb, is elsewhere.”
“Why not just use the imperial mausoleum?”
Lin Wan scoffed. “The Southern Song was being crushed by the Mongols, and the Northern Song’s imperial mausoleum had already been looted by the Jin dynasty. Would they dare take the risk?
Besides, you know what happened to the Southern Song’s six mausoleums.”
“Alright, I know, it’s in the middle school history books,” Lu Zheng sighed. “Looks like the Southern Song emperors weren’t fools.”
Lin Wan nodded. “Not fools, just a bit spineless.”
“Which emperor’s tomb is it?”
“Don’t know,” Lin Wan shook her head. “They’re still interrogating, and the provincial archaeological team has been notified to start excavations.”
“Also…” Lin Wan smiled. “Hangzhou City Bureau is planning to give you a commendation banner.”
Lu Zheng was startled. “A banner for me?”
“Of course, because you spotted them dealing in tomb artifacts!” Lin Wan laughed.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “You applied for it?”
Lin Wan hugged him. “I can’t take all the credit. I know you don’t care, but I do!”
“Fine, fine!” Lu Zheng nodded. “But I don’t know anything about antiques. I’d be clueless if asked.”
Lin Wan smiled. “You don’t need to know. The facts are clear, the evidence is solid. You could even say you guessed, and it wouldn’t matter.”
She looked at Lu Zheng, eyes twinkling. “Just like when you told us you stumbled into mastering your skills.”
“Hey, exactly!” Lu Zheng nodded seriously.
By now, they had left the city bureau, strolling through the early summer night breeze in this famous江南 city.
Lu Zheng wasn’t a police officer and couldn’t join the interrogation, but since Lin Wan was involved in the case, Hangzhou’s bureau shared all the details with her.
Lin Wan said, “Those two were leaders of a tomb-robbing gang. They’d looted plenty of tombs over the years. This was their first time hitting an imperial tomb, planning to make a fortune. But they got caught right after selling the first batch.”
“The key is that shop,” Lin Wan said, her eyes narrowing and voice lowering. “It’s part of an international illegal artifact smuggling chain, specializing in acquiring artifacts domestically, shipping them overseas to be ‘cleaned,’ then either brought back or sold at international auctions or to private collectors, profiting off our ancestors’ graves.”
“Damn them!”
Lin Wan nodded. “This involves an imperial tomb. According to the provincial cultural relics bureau, there are national treasure-grade artifacts inside. Even a lifetime in prison would be too good for them!”
As she spoke, her phone rang.
Lin Wan picked it up. “No way, didn’t they say I’m on leave?”
“Hello? This is Lin Wan!”
She listened quietly, then pursed her lips. “Of course, I agree. Since I discovered this case, I’ll follow it through!”
