The adjacent room was clearly occupied. I walked over and peered through the window. I didn't see anyone, but on the table, I spotted a Nokia phone that looked familiar. I found Li Dazhi's contact in the phone's address book and called him.
The phone rang inside, and I heard footsteps. I quickly hung up and removed the battery. Li Dazhi appeared, wearing only boxer shorts and a tank top, looking groggy. I could see him from the corner of my eye, but it would be difficult for him to see me unless he walked right up to the window.
Naturally, Li Dazhi saw no reason to do so. He picked up his phone and tried to call me back, but since I had removed the battery, the call wouldn't go through. Li Dazhi seemed annoyed. He unplugged his charging phone and shuffled into the house in his slippers.
...
Seeing Li Dazhi go inside, I hurried out of the yard. I then quickly crossed the alley and arrived near the forgery base. Once there, I calmed my rapid breathing from the brisk walk. Only then did I reinsert the phone battery and call Li Dazhi.
When Li Dazhi answered, he immediately demanded, "I tried calling you back earlier, why was your phone off?"
"The phone ran out of power and restarted. Cut the nonsense. I'm asking if you know that those Burmese guys were arrested by the police?"
"What? When did that happen? How come I don't know?"
"There are official seals on the doors."
"Damn it, I only took you to that place yesterday, and today the police sealed it off. Did you betray me?"
"Don't pin all the blame on me. What good would betraying you do for me? Are the police offering a bounty or something? If you believe me, you should go into hiding."
Li Dazhi didn't reply. After hearing him curse for a moment, he hung up. I found a small convenience store nearby and bought a pack of ham sausage, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of cola, pretending to eat breakfast there. I watched from the store's window and saw Li Dazhi, without even changing his clothes, emerge from the alley in his shorts and tank top and then get into a taxi and leave. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
...
After Li Dazhi had been gone for a while, I walked to the main road and took a taxi back to my hotel. When I returned, Yu Xiaoluo was already waiting for me in the hotel lobby. She came into the room with me and, closing the door, immediately began to reprimand me, "Didn't I tell you not to be a lone wolf? Why are you never done with this? I heard from Qin Sisi that you took on the raw jade business yourself and even paid out of your own pocket to help Qin Sisi with the next celebrity auction."
I frowned. Qin Sisi hadn't told the truth. The three million was given to me by her, yet she told Yu Xiaoluo that I paid out of my own pocket. What was she up to now? Suddenly, I felt that my so-called bold actions were always one step behind Qin Sisi's schemes, and I had been led around by the nose all along.
No, I had to resolve this.
"Let's not worry about my safety right now. I've discovered a very important clue."
"What clue?"
I told Yu Xiaoluo my suspicions of the day, word for word. As expected, Yu Xiaoluo's firm, determined face showed disbelief.
"Who? Li Dazhi?"
"Do you think it's impossible?"
"Li Dazhi is Qin Sisi's most trusted person, but could he be the criminal mastermind behind it all?"
I thought Yu Xiaoluo didn't believe me, but she was merely asking herself a rhetorical question, and then she muttered, "The money from every celebrity auction is handled by Li Dazhi. He finds people to deposit it in installments into an overseas account. He, he really could be the criminal behind Yu Xiaoluo!"
"Arrest him!"
"No rush, he can't escape. Yesterday morning, our comrades raided the forgery base. The Burmese master craftsmen there didn't want to take the fall for Li Dazhi; they've all confessed that Li Dazhi was the one responsible for providing them with funds and raw materials for forgery. I just don't know if he's already fled?"
"He won't run."
I said with certainty. Even now, I believed that they had pulled me into this scheme and intended to use me to escape it. Now that I was in it, them choosing to cut their losses and run was definitely not the choice of a smart person.
"That's not necessarily true."
Yu Xiaoluo was a straightforward person. In her worldview, once a villain's plot was exposed, they would only flee with their tail between their legs. When her thoughts aligned with mine, suspecting Li Dazhi as the mastermind, her first instinct was to rush back to the empty house immediately, lest Li Dazhi and Qin Sisi abscond with the vast sums of money they had defrauded.
...
Yu Xiaoluo hurried back, and I contemplated my next course of action. From the current situation, the Burmese master craftsmen had already confessed about Li Dazhi, and the police would soon arrest him. My task was to find a way to keep Li Dazhi in police custody. Then, I needed to devise a plan to dismantle Qin Sisi's scheme.
This sounded easy, but it was difficult to execute. I wondered if Qin Sisi would truly escape if Li Dazhi were arrested. Perhaps Li Dazhi had a way to control Qin Sisi, and if he were arrested, Qin Sisi would abscond with the remaining massive funds. This might be the true secret behind Qin Sisi drawing me into this mess.
Soon, I dismissed this thought. If Li Dazhi was indeed Qin Sisi's man behind the scenes, would he really be caught by the police?
It's all so chaotic. I have to admit, this sudden discovery has thrown everything into disarray.
...
At this moment, someone knocked on the door. I opened it and saw Old Ghost carrying two boxes of noodles. "Have you eaten breakfast?"
"Yes."
"That's good. Call the front desk and ask them for two bottles of water. I'll cook these noodles."
"Is there nothing for me?"
"Didn't you already eat?"
I wasn't arguing with Old Ghost about this matter. It was simply that his appearance calmed my frantic emotions and made me feel at ease.
"I've discovered the true mastermind behind the celebrity circle's scheme in the empty house?"
"Who?"
"Li Dazhi?"
"No, the true mastermind of this scheme is Qin Sisi."
Seeing Old Ghost's firm conviction, I couldn't help but laugh. "You walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Perhaps this time you're mistaken."
"I'm not mistaken. Let me tell you something, old ginger is spicier. If I say Qin Sisi is the mastermind, then she certainly is."
"A mastermind is still human. Guiguzi sought fame, Liu Bei sought dominion. Qin Sisi's empty house celebrity scheme is raking in a fortune, yet Qin Sisi doesn't even want the money. Do you think she's the mastermind?"
Hearing my words, Old Ghost put the two boxes of noodles back into their plastic bag and turned to leave.
"Why aren't you eating?"
"I originally wanted to eat a bowl of noodles and chat with you. With what you've said, I understand. You, my friend, have been drawn into a trap. Oh my, this young lady is quite something, very clever."
"Explain it to me properly."
"Next time. I have to go now. The situation is too messy; don't want to get caught up in it myself."
Old Ghost actually left, leaving me utterly perplexed. However, Old Ghost's words made me realize something: old ginger truly is spicier. Not long after he left, the police arrived and arrested me.