In a taxi, Adong asked Li Chonglou, puzzled, "Why didn't you leave any clues for the official people?"
"Isn't this better?"
Li Chonglou smiled faintly.
"If it's too smooth for them, they won't pay attention. In the vast sea of people, even if the surveillance sees someone, with their limited manpower, they won't find them anytime soon."
The two finally understood.
Damn, this move was brilliant!
Recalling Li Chonglou's last words, it was clearly putting the killer on the spot.
If it were a solo act, the police would at most classify it as a heinous crime, but if it were a team effort, it would be different.
This elevated the nature of the incident entirely!
Coupled with the current complex situation in Shangjing, the branch office would definitely forward the case to higher authorities!
The two exchanged glances, finally sensing that Li Chonglou was not simple.
"Where are we going next?"
"Panjiayuan."
Li Chonglou had called the taxi, and the destination was also operated on his phone. Only then did the two know where they were headed.
But Li Chonglou's words left them both confused.
They knew Panjiayuan; it was Shangjing's most luxurious antique center, but what did it have to do with tracking down the killer?
Shouldn't they be inquiring in some black markets after finding the person?
However, Li Chonglou offered no explanation on this point. The two were from the underworld and were not professionals in antiques, so they naturally didn't understand Panjiayuan's authority in the antique world.
Their true goal now wasn't to find the killer, but to recover the antique lost by Sister Feng. Although the other party might be acting as an organization, there was also a possibility that it was purely for money!
And the best place to offload newly acquired antiques was undoubtedly Panjiayuan!
After not visiting for a month or so, Panjiayuan hadn't changed much.
Despite the increasingly complex situation in Shangjing, the flow of people here remained unaffected; in fact, it showed a slight upward trend.
"Come and take a look, everyone! You'll make a profit if you pick up the newly arrived goods."
"Genuine Ming and Qing pieces, guaranteed for value."
Some shopkeepers had even set up new stalls by the roadside, doing two jobs at once.
Li Chonglou, who hadn't experienced this atmosphere for a long time, slowed his pace, looking around at the stalls, and occasionally crouching down to examine them closely.
A new identity naturally required new ways to earn money. The little cash in his bank account would eventually be depleted if he truly set out to do things. Li Chonglou had long planned to return to his old profession.
However, most of the items displayed were incomplete. The "new goods" and "Ming and Qing period" items were all meant to fool newcomers. Li Chonglou shook his head after a quick look.
The two following him were full of excitement.
Anyone who encountered antiques would be deeply captivated by their history. Although many were imitations, the stories spun by the merchants to make money were enough to pique a person's interest.
Take a piece of jade supposedly from the Tang Dynasty, which had merely picked up a slight blush from somewhere. They insisted on calling it "transported stone" and claimed it contained the vital blood of a high-ranking official, and that buying it would allow one to inherit the person's fortune.
Adong was so fooled that he almost reached for his wallet, but upon hearing that this small piece, not even large enough to fit in his palm, cost over three hundred thousand, he immediately dismissed the idea.
Li Chonglou said softly, "If you're not in this line of work, just look. That thing is a modern processed item. If you really buy it, you'll cry for half a year."
Adong frowned, "So, this place is full of fakes?"
"Not necessarily. Newcomers have their own way of making money, and there are genuine pieces, it just depends on your eyesight."
Li Chonglou led the three to a newly opened stall and pointed to a landscape painting, saying, "Look at this. Judging by the craftsmanship and technique, it's an item from that era, and it matches the claimed period. But the artist is fake. If you really buy it, you'll lose at least half the price."
The boss was also a new face; Li Chonglou hadn't seen him on previous visits.
He looked to be in his fifties, dressed in a Tang suit, giving him a somewhat scholarly air, but currently, his face was filled with displeasure.
Seeing Li Chonglou exposing him in front of everyone, the boss couldn't help but retort angrily, "Who is this ignoramus? This is a genuine work by Master Tang Li. Any discerning person would at least double the price! What do you know to spout nonsense here!"
Li Chonglou was amused and was about to speak when a voice suddenly sounded from the side.
"There's a genuine work by Li Sixun here?"
The voice was filled with surprise. The three turned to look and saw a very beautiful woman.
She was slightly over 1.6 meters tall, with a petite and delicate build, but her exceptionally attractive face added considerable charm.
Her features were exquisite and fair, and at just over twenty years old, she possessed a celebrity-like aura.
Her attire was also very fashionable: a white sweater paired with white gloves like white lotuses, and long boots below, making her otherwise short stature appear slender.
The woman's first impression was striking and cute.
However, the two burly men following behind her indicated her distinguished status.
Li Chonglou's words were interrupted by her. He had just declared the landscape painting a fake, and she immediately stepped forward, looking as if she cherished it.
This was too direct an insult, wasn't it?
The boss's mood instantly shifted from gloom to joy. He glared at Li Chonglou and said, "If you're not buying, get lost!"
Li Chonglou shook his head, said nothing more, and turned to leave with Adong and the other.
The woman, somewhat taken aback, said to the boss, "Sir, why are you yelling at people?"
The boss immediately understood that he had encountered a novice among novices. A brilliant smile spread across his face as he explained, "Don't mind him. That guy has no taste and claimed my genuine work was fake. People like him try to drive down prices with such tactics, and I don't welcome them here."
The boss was actually unsure if the woman had heard Li Chonglou's earlier words, so it was better to speak first to appear candid.
Indeed, after hearing this, the woman showed a look of relief and merely glanced curiously at Li Chonglou's retreating figure before ignoring him.
With this little episode, Adong and the other's attention returned to the task at hand.
"What exactly are you here for? Don't tell me you plan to wait here for that person to sell the antique?"
Adong asked doubtfully, but Li Chonglou suddenly praised, "You guessed it. As expected of Sister Feng's people."
If someone else had said this, it might have carried a hint of flattery.
But coming from Li Chonglou, the two felt a subtle undercurrent of sarcasm.
However, considering their initial attitude, this was not entirely unexpected. Yet, Adong did not agree with this statement.