activa-t Chapter 441 Foreign Devils!
Chapter 441 Foreign Devils!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Long didn't say much more and got down to business:
"Brother Zhong, we've found out. The guy with glasses who met you at the teahouse before is actually named Li Dequan."
Don't be fooled by this guy's well-dressed suit and wire-rimmed glasses, his air of a cultured man. It's all an act. At heart, he's a complete gangster, a former triad member.
Later, he went straight and made a living, specializing in these shady, backroom deals. He was relatively honest and had some credibility, so he had a small reputation in the industry.
"Young and Dangerous?"
Zhong Yuemin's eyes narrowed slightly, then he relaxed. This wasn't surprising; many shady businesses in Hong Kong had the shadow of triads behind them.
"As you instructed, I arranged for people to keep an eye on him in shifts 24 hours a day."
Zhu Long continued his report.
"This guy is holed up in Kowloon Walled City. You know, the Walled City is a mixed bag of people, but we've always had business dealings with the Heung family there, and they're now basically dependent on us for their livelihood."
I made some arrangements, and the Xiang family was very accommodating, helping me to investigate thoroughly. They basically knew everything about this guy: his background, the stalls he frequented, and the girls he was involved with.
He paused, his expression becoming even more focused:
"After three days of surveillance, aside from necessary daily activities and having sex with his girlfriend, Li Dequan only had secret contact with one person, a man named Wang Tian..."
Zhu Long looked up at Zhong Yuemin.
"His identity is a bit tricky; he's an active Royal Hong Kong Island Police officer, and also an undercover detective."
"The cop?"
Zhong Yuemin's brows furrowed instantly, and he leaned forward slightly.
"You mean, the middleman we're dealing with is someone in uniform?"
"At present, it seems that Wang Tian is very likely to be the 'protective umbrella' within the Li Dequan Police Station, or at least an important contact person."
Zhu Long nodded affirmatively, then dropped an even more crucial piece of information.
"Furthermore, through other connections within the police station, I inquired indirectly and found out that Wang Tian's direct superior is a foreign police superintendent named Robertson. This Robertson... is not simple."
Zhu Long lowered his voice:
"It is said that this foreign police superintendent is a fanatical enthusiast of Chinese antiques and cultural relics. He is particularly obsessed with our country's history, especially Shang and Zhou bronzes and Han and Tang artifacts. He has studied them quite deeply and can be considered a 'China expert.'"
Rumor has it that this foreigner, taking advantage of his position and special channels, has secretly amassed a considerable collection of valuable but dubious items. It's said that his villa in Repulse Bay houses a private collection room that is not open to the public.
Zhu Long concluded by saying,
"Brother Zhong, judging from the current situation, the real mastermind behind it all, the one who directed Li Dequan to receive the stolen goods and provided him with internal convenience and protection through Wang Tian, is most likely... this foreign police superintendent Robertson, who is obsessed with Chinese cultural relics and wears a police uniform!"
Zhong Yuemin tapped his fingers lightly on his knees, which was somewhat unexpected. They had originally deduced that the person who could continuously acquire several batches of valuable items from the tomb raiders must be a wealthy and influential figure in Hong Kong, or a hidden family of collectors.
Unexpectedly, the clues eventually pointed to a foreigner dressed in royal uniform!
Zhou Changli, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his words simple and direct.
"Brother Zhong, so what if he's a foreign cop? If all else fails, we can find a chance to kidnap him and have a 'good talk' with him. I think this foreigner wants his life or his bottles and jars!"
His tone carried the ruthlessness and directness characteristic of those in the martial arts world.
Zhong Yuemin looked up at Zhou Changli. In the few years since they last met, the kid had grown taller and his brows had become more composed after years of experience. But the street smarts he had when he was a rascal in Beijing seemed to have remained unchanged.
He waved his hand,
"Chang Li, you're a well-known and wealthy boss now, so you need to use your brain more when you do things. Don't act impulsively and recklessly."
You must always remember one thing: if something can be solved with money, never take the risk and get yourself into a fight. That's the worst possible strategy, too foolish, and not worth it.
Li Yan, who was standing to the side, seemed to be deep in thought, and followed Yuemin's train of thought to ask:
"Yuemin, you mean...we should try to buy those cultural relics back from these foreign devils? That's a possibility. As long as the money is right, we might be able to negotiate."
Zhong Yuemin shook his head:
"It's not that simple. As Zhu Long just said, this Robertson is an antique fanatic, not just an ordinary antique dealer who makes money by reselling antiques."
For this kind of person, certain treasures might be more important than money; they're their heart's desire, and they might not be willing to sell them. Even if they were, knowing we're determined to get them, they might ask for an exorbitant price, making it a waste for them. These are treasures left by our ancestors; what business is it of some foreign devil?
Moreover, once a transaction is made, it might alert the suspect, making it clear that we are investigating him.
"Then what do you think we should do?"
Zhong Yuemin leaned back. Having just learned that the mastermind behind this was a foreigner who lived in Repulse Bay, he actually had a brilliant idea in mind.
After a moment's thought, he instructed Zhu Long:
"Zhu Long, continue to arrange reliable people to find out everything about this foreign police superintendent Robertson's residence in Repulse Bay. Find out the internal structure, security situation, daily routine, who lives there, background of the servants and driver... find out every detail you can find out. The more detailed the better. Remember, do not arouse any suspicion. This is of utmost importance."
Zhu Long nodded, "Brother Zhong, don't worry, I will definitely get things done."
Another day passed, and the foreigner finally obtained the detailed information about the Repulse Bay villa. He shared the information he had with Yang Qing, who was surprised.
Where did you get this information?
She now felt that Zhong Yuemin was increasingly unfathomable. In just a few days, he had thoroughly investigated the background of the bespectacled man who had previously met with them, the middleman behind him, and the boss behind the scenes. He even had such detailed knowledge of the foreigner's house layout, the background of the servants, and their daily routines. This was not something that could be easily found.
"I have my own connections, that's not the point."
I didn't go into detail about that, but pointed to the core issue.
"The key issue now is that the other party has a special identity. He is a senior police superintendent and a British foreigner. Directly arresting him is unrealistic, too risky, and beyond the scope of our authorization for this trip."
If we can find a way to retrieve the lost cultural relics, especially that bronze sword, intact, our mission will be successfully completed, and we can give our superiors an explanation.
"Take it back? How do I take it back?"
Yang Qing frowned, feeling that he spoke too casually.
"Are you really planning to lead a group to storm into a luxury mansion in Repulse Bay and rob it? Security there is not simple, and if something happens, it will be an international incident."
He rolled his eyes and tapped his temple with his finger.
"Use your brain, Miss Yang. A direct attack is the worst strategy. Let's try something more sophisticated, a clever approach."
Lowering his voice, he began to explain his plan.
"That foreigner employs a Filipino maid. I've bribed her through reliable channels and now I've confirmed the location of his secret room for collecting artifacts. It's behind the wine cellar in the villa's basement, disguised as a temperature- and humidity-controlled cigar room. However, the room uses an electronic combination lock, and we don't know the password. If we force our way in, an alarm will go off immediately. We won't be able to retrieve the artifacts, but we'll probably have to get the person in. So, we still have this crucial step: figuring out how to get the password."
"My idea is, don't we still have those few 'hard items' that the tomb raiders dug up at the end?"
Pick the finest item, the one most likely to impress this kind of expert, and through Li Dequan's connection, or some other means, get Superintendent Robertson to 'buy' it.
When he gets his new treasure, he'll definitely put it in a secret room. That's when we'll record the process of him entering the password.
After listening, Yang Qing shook her head, feeling that the plan had too many flaws:
"Isn't your idea a bit too simplistic? Even if we can find a way to get him to buy the item, how can we be sure when he'll open the secret room? How could our people possibly be right next to him without being discovered? These kinds of opportunities are fleeting, and the success rate is too low."
Is that foreign devil some kind of idiot, waiting for you to stand next to him?
"Who said we should send people to stake out the walls of those foreign devils' houses all the time to listen for any noise?"
Zhong Yuemin's lips curled into a slight smile, his tone flat, "I've already been inside."
"What?" Yang Qing was taken aback.
"Just last night..."
Zhong Yuemin spoke of it casually, as if he had merely gone for a walk.
"I installed two miniature cameras in the gap of the decorative ceiling at the entrance to that secret room, with the lenses pointed directly at the keypad."
It uses the latest sensor-triggered and wireless transmission technology. The battery lasts for a month. As long as someone stands in that position and operates the combination lock, the machine will automatically start recording. This thing costs over ten thousand yuan a unit. It's the latest product from the Americans, and it's not yet sold to the public. It's still in the research and development stage. It's not available on the market yet. I put in a lot of effort to get it.
"you……"
Yang Qing looked at Zhong Yuemin in surprise, "Who exactly are you?"
She was now certain that this guy had deep connections and influence in Hong Kong.
"Miss Yang, as I told you before, I run a small business, have some properties in Hong Kong, and know a few people, that's all."
What do you think of my idea?
Yang Qing didn't ask any more questions.
"We can give it a try, but have you considered what would happen if we failed? Not only would we lose the original artifact, but we would also lose a precious celadon vase, which is worth real money. Wouldn't that be like trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead?"
"What's a risk-free business? I think it's worth a try!"
"How about we play it safe and get a high-quality replica?"
Zhong Yuemin shook his head.
"That foreign devil is not easy to fool. If he sees through it and becomes suspicious, it will be even more difficult to handle later. Don't worry, I am 90% confident in this plan."
"Since you've made up your mind, then let's proceed according to your plan!"
After discussing it and getting the consent of their colleagues in the public security department, the two proceeded according to plan. After finalizing the details and communicating with other public security officers, the plan was quietly launched.
They leaked information to the outside world, letting Li Dequan know through clandestine channels that they had some hidden gems. The other party remained patient, waiting a full week before the man with the gold-rimmed glasses, Li Dequan, finally reappeared for the rendezvous.
Ultimately, a celadon vase in excellent condition, dating back to the Song Dynasty, was "sold" for HK$50,000.
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In Repulse Bay, nestled halfway up a hill, stands a European-style villa hidden among the green trees.
Plainclothes detective Wang Tian had respectfully placed the celadon vase he had retrieved from Li Dequan on the desk in his superior, Superintendent Robertson's study. The study was furnished in an antique style, a mix of Western furniture and Eastern antiques; it was hard to imagine that this was a foreigner's study.
The foreigner, Robertson, was leaning over the table, holding a professional high-powered magnifying glass. He was practically pressing his face against the surface of the vase, meticulously examining the glaze, crackles, and old marks on the base.
He was around fifty years old, with his hair neatly combed, wearing a casual velvet bathrobe, and a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose.
“Beautiful…”
He murmured, his tone almost reverently ecstatic, "Exquisite… Perfect…"
His focused expression made it seem less like he was appraising an artifact and more like he was admiring a stunning beauty. He examined the vase repeatedly for over half an hour before finally placing it with utmost care on a velvet-lined tray.
Then he straightened up, took off his reading glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He said to Wang Tian, who was standing to the side with his hands hanging down:
"Your Majesty, you have handled this matter exceptionally well. I am very satisfied with this vase..."
The Chinese has a foreign accent, but the vocabulary is accurate.
Wang Tian quickly bowed, his face beaming with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum.
"I'm glad you're satisfied, sir. It's all I should do. According to Li Dequan, those tomb raiders from the mainland have a few more good items like this. If you like them, sir, we can slowly look for them."
Robertson didn't answer immediately. He got up, walked to the liquor cabinet by the window, poured himself a small glass of whiskey, and lit a large Havana cigar.
Returning to his seat, he took a deep drag, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and gazed through the smoke at the celadon vase, his eyes deep, as if weighing something, before slowly speaking.
"This stuff...it's definitely good stuff."
The tone became somewhat intriguing.
"However, Wang, the price is indeed a bit high. You know, although I love these kinds of Eastern art, I am, after all, just a civil servant living on a salary. My financial resources are... limited."
He shrugged, making a slightly helpless expression, "I'm afraid... I can't afford too many works of art as precious as these."
Wang Tian was able to become an agent thanks in no small part to the foreigner in front of him. Over the years, he had served this man diligently, like a grandson, and was very familiar with his habits. Don't underestimate him just because he's a foreigner; he's definitely cunning.