Even after Li Chonglou’s explanation, the two remained confused.
“But you said before that the other party wasn't an ordinary person? If they were specially trained, like an assassin, they shouldn’t have this kind of habit either?”
Li Chonglou nodded. “Indeed.”
“Then you…”
“But what if the murderer wasn’t alone?”
The expressions of the two immediately stiffened.
Li Chonglou’s eyes grew clearer as he murmured, “Suppose the killer wasn’t alone, that the crime was committed by another assassin, and this guy who’s out of reach was just the guide.”
“Doesn’t that make sense too?”
A Dong froze for half a second, then slapped his thigh with a sudden realization.
“Damn it, that’s very possible!”
A Hai, standing beside him, quickly added, “That explains why Sister Feng’s informant is acting this way. If she vetted this person, how could they still be receiving clients at this time?”
“Unless it’s a familiar face, Sister Feng’s informant chose to open the door to avoid suspicion!”
“Let’s go to the train station!”
Li Chonglou waved his hand decisively, instructing A Dong to contact their informant in the police department to see if they could cooperate in checking the suspect’s information at the train station.
A Dong asked doubtfully, “Why the train station? Isn’t the bus station safer?”
Having come from a gang background, they were very familiar with fleeing, and naturally knew which methods were safest for making a getaway.
“It’s the charger.”
Li Chonglou quickly explained, “I’m not ruling out the bus, but the suspect took the charger, and trains have outlets. Bus ticketing isn’t a centralized system, so it’s not as convenient to check.”
The two then had a sudden realization.
They also recognized Li Chonglou’s extraordinary deductive skills.
If it were them two investigating, not only were they unsure if they could connect so many dots in these few short minutes, but they might very well still be investigating the car with the fake license plate with the police.
The difference was not insignificant!
However, realizing this, the two felt a surge of defiance.
They were both working for the same big sister, so why was the gap so large?
Did it mean that the people brought out by Li Meixia were inherently more capable than Sister Feng?
With this thought, their motivation instantly surged.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious suite, the young woman they had encountered at Panjiayuan earlier, along with several bodyguards, sat opposite an elderly man with white hair.
“Miss, this painting is fake.”
“Ah.”
Regret immediately appeared on the young woman’s face, and the bodyguard beside her looked equally regretful.
They had thought they found a great bargain, only to realize they had been taken advantage of.
“Right, back then someone was arguing with the owner about the authenticity of this painting. If only I had asked them first.”
The young woman suddenly remembered Li Chonglou, but her attention had been entirely focused on the name of the painting's owner, and in her excitement, she hadn't paid enough attention.
After hearing the details of what happened, the white-haired elder nodded. “Then Miss, you must have met an expert. It took me a long time to examine it to confirm, and to be able to tell its authenticity just by looking, they must be an expert in this field.”
The elder knew the rules of Panjiayuan, where others were generally not allowed to touch items without purchasing them. It was a pity that his young lady was too careless and dared to handle something that was being disputed.
Seeing the young woman’s mood turn dejected, the elder felt a pang of sympathy. He knew that this painting must have consumed a significant portion of her savings.
Although her family was wealthy, it didn’t mean she could use that money as she pleased.
Moreover, she would likely get a scolding when this matter was reported back home.
“Sigh, I was hoping to pick out a nice gift for my grandfather’s eightieth birthday, and I messed it up again.”
The young woman sat there like a dejected rooster, her entire demeanor conveying a sense of helplessness that evoked pity.
The old man thought for a moment and then said, “How about this, Miss? I know a place that specializes in reselling these kinds of items. It’s a bit far, but it’s a private venue run by an old friend of mine, and the items there are trustworthy.”
“I just don’t know if you have enough budget left, Miss?”
The young woman’s face lit up instantly, and she quickly replied, “Plenty! If it’s not enough, I can borrow some from my brother! Grandpa loves antiques the most, Grandpa Fu, you must help me buy a genuine one!”
The old man, addressed as Grandpa Fu, chuckled with a hint of indulgence. “Then I’ll make arrangements, and I’ll take you there first thing tomorrow morning.”
However, the young woman shook her head. “Grandpa Fu, time is a bit tight. Besides antiques, I’ve prepared other gifts. Can we leave today?”
“Today?”
Grandpa Fu glanced at the time. It was already close to noon, and the place he needed to go was not in Shangjing. Even taking the fastest train would take several hours.
However, seeing the urgency in the young woman’s eyes, Grandpa Fu finally smiled and nodded. “Alright then, I’ll have someone make arrangements now.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Fu! Grandpa Fu is the best to Xianxian!”
The young woman excitedly threw herself into the elder’s embrace. Although she looked young, she was actually of an age where she should be married and having children. The elder gently patted her back.
“You lass, I’m already very happy if you visit this old man from time to time.”
“Always in the future!”
Hearing the young woman’s words, the elder couldn’t help but beam with joy.
Meanwhile, Li Chonglou received good news from their informant.
After an internal check by railway department personnel, it was confirmed that a person with the same name had indeed boarded a train bound for the Tibetan region the previous night.
Li Chonglou made a decisive move, calculated the timing, and bought a high-speed train ticket to the suspect’s destination.
Although the train was heading to the Tibetan region, the man’s disembarking point was not, but a place called Qingcheng. On the map, it was a stop along the train route and a small county town.
There was no direct high-speed train, but getting off at the nearest accessible station and taking a taxi would still be several hours faster than the suspect.
As for why the suspect didn’t directly take the faster high-speed train, it was naturally because compared to high-speed trains, train management was considerably more relaxed.
In terms of smoking, for instance, some train attendants would light up directly at the connecting points, whereas on high-speed trains, one could only smoke after disembarking.
A Dong relayed the situation back to Sister Feng. The antique markets in Shangjing remained on high alert, and Li Chonglou’s progress so far was based solely on personal speculation and deduction.
Although the reliability seemed high, there was still a risk of being wrong, so Sister Feng was making contingency plans.
The journey was silent.
By late afternoon, the three of them finally arrived at their destination, Qingcheng, ahead of the suspect.
“If we see the person later, don’t rush to act. Follow them and observe first.”
A Dong nodded. “I know. If your guess is correct, then this guy is just an accomplice.”