The technician in charge of the general's head from the terracotta army was named Liu Shou.
Liu Shou? Liú Yī Shǒu? A broker?
Lu Yao and I exchanged glances. Lu Yao said, "Back then, Niu Tou from the 'Yan Luo Dian' team mentioned that there was indeed an insider when they stole the general's head."
"Was it Liu Shou?"
"She didn't say."
Lin Han looked at me. "Do you want to keep reading? There are still several pages left."
"Of course!"
Grandpa found the technician, Liu Shou, and questioned him why he hadn't reported the head being swapped.
Facing Grandpa's stern expression, Liu Shou appeared wronged.
"Comrade Lin, please don't be angry if I tell you the truth. If I couldn't tell the head was fake, would I have the face to work here?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're the museum, I'm the archaeology team. I borrowed a space from the warehouse and informed you. If this head was swapped, I have to report it to my superiors."
"You mean Old Zhao didn't let you say anything."
Hearing Grandpa's question, Liu Shou smiled sheepishly. "I didn't say that."
Seeing Liu Shou's sly evasiveness, Grandpa became anxious. "I'm telling you, Liu Shou, this is a matter of losing a national treasure. We're not done with this."
"Lin, what do you mean by that? You say the head was lost from the warehouse, so it was lost from the warehouse? There are over 8,000 terracotta warriors. Who knows where the thief got the head from."
"He admitted it."
Liu Shou sneered, "That thief was talking nonsense. The warehouse door was opened, and then you reported it. Losing a national treasure is a big deal; it spread like wildfire. The police came and confirmed that no national treasure was lost, it was just a simple theft. You handled all these matters yourself. Am I wrong?"
"No, so what? Are you daring to slander me?"
"No, no, Old Zhao, you're a senior leader. I'm just a technician. My hands are no match for your thighs. Why would I argue with you? I'm only responsible for my part. In any case, the warrior's head returned that day was real."
Liu Shou's attitude made Grandpa tremble with anger. But Liu Shou was right; the head returned that day was real, and it was on record. Grandpa claimed it was fake, but he had no evidence.
Helpless, Grandpa had to personally go to the archaeology team's leader. This captain was Zhao Shicheng, about Grandpa's age. Old Zhao listened to Grandpa's questioning calmly. "Old Lin, losing national treasures can be a big or small matter. Let's not be so calculative. I'll find someone to retrieve the warrior's head and return it intact."
"Liu Shou said..."
"Why are you listening to him? What does he know? He's an arrogant young man. This matter is due to his lack of foresight, and he's pushing the blame onto his superiors. Old Lin, I swear to heaven that Liu Shou never said the retrieved warrior's head was fake."
Grandpa understood and asked with a frown, "Old Zhao, are you saying you're going to deal with him?"
"He made a mistake, of course, he has to be dealt with. This is a matter of losing a national treasure."
After returning from Old Zhao's office, Grandpa felt uneasy. He was very familiar with Liu Shou. Liu Shou was only a few years older than his son, Lin Zhiyuan. Although he was outspoken, his technical skills were solid, and he was intelligent. If cultivated properly, he could become a rare talent in the future. Was he going to ruin the child's future with just one sentence?
This wasn't good...
But what else could he do? Liu Shou wasn't his subordinate, and the museum couldn't interfere with the archaeology team's affairs.
The police investigation was swift, and the warrior's head returned to the terracotta army family. What puzzled Grandpa the most was that Zhao Shicheng was awarded for this matter, wearing a red rosette and giving interviews to reporters.
Grandpa inquired about it. The news was that after receiving clues from the police, Zhao Shicheng conducted a thorough investigation of his subordinates. Three people were suspected of dereliction of duty, with Liu Shou being the most serious offender. The other two had their bonuses deducted, while Liu Shou was directly fired.
Upon hearing this, Grandpa rushed to Zhao Shicheng's office and pointed at his nose, saying, "Old Zhao, do you know what you're doing? You've ruined a child's future."
"What future can a child who lies have?"
"Lies, who is lying? He told me he reported it to you."
"Old Lin, you need evidence to speak like that. He said he reported it, but I didn't know. No, that's not right. He did report it to me, saying the warehouse was broken into and the most valuable item inside was the warrior's head. Since it was an archaeology team matter, they retrieved it. I was shocked at the time and asked him if the head had any problems. He patted his chest and assured me it didn't. But when I investigated further, I found out he had deceived two colleagues to avoid responsibility. Those two were negligent in their duties and didn't inspect it properly during storage, but Liu Shou's behavior was egregious."
Zhao Shicheng, with his genial demeanor and round, smiling face, asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, I am. If I'm lying, may lightning strike me."
"Then what about the general's head?"
Seeing that he couldn't get justice for Liu Shou, Grandpa reluctantly shifted the topic to the missing general's head. Compared to the warrior's head, the loss of the general's head was a greater national loss.
Hearing Grandpa's question, Zhao Shicheng narrowed his eyes and pretended to be surprised. "What general's head? No one told me about it. Old Lin, do the leaders know about such a big matter?"
"Trying to renege again?"
"How dare I. Listen, Old Lin, I know you're worried. People like us work for the country and the people. We're more anxious about losing a national treasure than losing our own money. Let me understand the situation, and I'll cooperate with you!"
"When will you investigate?"
"I'll go right now, but it's a lot of work, so give me some time."
Faced with a leader like Old Zhao, Grandpa was helpless. The archaeology team and the museum had been dealing with each other for a long time, and this evasive style was typical.
There was nothing Grandpa could do but to investigate himself. However, the thief's transaction location was very secretive, not in the usual markets Grandpa was familiar with. For a time, Grandpa couldn't track the general's head.
It was at this moment that Liu Shou arrived at Grandpa's house with two cans of preserves and two boxes of malted milk. Grandpa was puzzled. He glanced at the gifts on the table and asked in surprise, "Little Liu, are you here to work at my museum, or do you want me to plead with the archaeology team for you?"
"I know where the general's head is!"
Liu Shou's words startled Grandpa, who stood up from his chair. "Really?"
"Comrade Lin, I have no reason to lie to you. I'll be direct. I have a motive. Zhao Shicheng didn't let me speak about the warrior's head. When it happened, he made me take the blame. I can't stand this bastard and let it go."
Grandpa quickly advised, "Little Liu, you're still young. Don't get angry. With your technical skills, your future in archaeology is promising."
"What use is technology when someone like Zhao Shicheng is in charge?"
"You might have misunderstood Old Zhao."
"I have a misunderstanding with him? Don't think I don't know what Zhao Shicheng has done. I know everything clearly. Old Lin, are you going to help me or not?"
Grandpa knew Liu Shou harbored resentment, but at that time, he didn't know what Zhao Shicheng had done. He thought, national treasures are more important, personal grievances are minor, and they could always talk over drinks.
"I'll help you."
Liu Shou smiled and immediately said, "This matter has to start with Xun Chong."
Xun Chong was also a member of the archaeology team's technical department. He was an older colleague, technically proficient and stable. Therefore, Xun Chong was usually responsible for fieldwork.
The post-processing of the general's head and the warrior's head was also done by Xun Chong. Xun Chong preferred quiet, so he took the general's head and the warrior's head to a seldom-used storage room.
While Xun Chong was still working, Zhao Shicheng went to him and temporarily assigned him to a site. When Xun Chong was about to send the heads back, Zhao Shicheng stopped him, instructing Xun Chong to leave the two heads there.
Grandpa understood Liu Shou's implication and couldn't help but ask, "Liu Shou, are you implying that Zhao Shicheng stole them himself?"
"Exactly, Old Lin. Do you know that there are people in the market willing to pay thirty thousand for this head? Thirty thousand, that's a lot of money. The interest alone from the bank would be enough to live on for a lifetime."
"Do you have proof?"