Geisteswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Kapitel 26

The woman mentioned Pomeranian?

Luo Jian desperately suppressed the overwhelming joy in his heart. No, it wasn't the right time yet; he needed to confirm the situation further before taking action. Luo Jian clenched his fists, his knees trembling violently, indicating that his excitement had reached a point where it was almost uncontrollable.

Slow down, be more steady, Luo Jian took a deep breath.

His gaze drifted down unintentionally, and then—suddenly froze.

Shock and confusion alternated in his eyes, along with a feeling called fear. He saw a hand, or more precisely, a left palm.

On the ground in front of the woman, a human left hand was moving from side to side, and the sounds Luo Jian heard were clearly coming from this hand.

Luo Jian clutched his throat, desperately suppressing the urge to scream.

The situation had gone beyond common sense! Luo Jian felt utterly powerless as a human being, and the immense fear almost caused his usually strong self-control to collapse.

"Why did you eat that professor?" the woman asked, crossing her arms. "I warned you not to be greedy."

"Alright, alright, even if what you're saying is true, and that professor broke the agreement, at least you can wait for me to handle it."

Luo Jian drew his gun, having reached his limit. Clearly, the person standing before him was the true culprit in Wei Ziru's case.

"Don't move!" Luo Jian jumped out, pointing his gun at the twitching hand, then, realizing it was inappropriate, pointed it at the woman instead.

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

Luo Jian pulled the safety latch: "I'm going to arrest you as a suspect in the case of the villa at No. 3 Modang Road... and that thing..." Luo Jian looked at the palm with difficulty. The yellow skin and neat cut of the palm made Luo Jian's scalp tingle.

"I never expected to see you again." The woman seemed completely unfazed. Amidst Luo Jian's flustered movements, she bent down, picked up the hand, and gently stroked the still-moving object.

"This is... your hand that you gave Wei Ziru?" Luo Jian asked with difficulty, trying to ignore the feeling of nausea he was experiencing.

The woman nodded.

"You're from the Pomeranian Group?" Seeing the woman's mocking gaze, Luo Jian changed his mind. "Are you a member of that organization, the Pomeranian Group?"

The woman nodded again.

"Did you kill Wei Ziru?"

The woman shook her head: "They ate it." She held out her hand for Luo Jian to see.

This time, Luo Jian finally saw clearly that the palm was actually composed of countless ant-like insects. They were neatly assembled and their movements looked just like a real hand.

“There’s no difference,” Luo Jian said coldly. “I’m going to arrest you now. If you’re smart, don’t put up a futile resistance.”

The woman laughed, then shook her head: "You shouldn't have arrested me; it was that professor who broke the agreement."

This time it was Luo Jian's turn to shake his head: "What are you saying that I don't understand?"

“That professor came to me after losing his left hand, and I replaced his hand with this one. The condition for the exchange was that when he discovers his most cherished possession, he must give it to me.”

“That man was selfish and self-serving his whole life, and he saw nothing but sculptures. So he always thought that all I wanted was a sculpture, and although he was unwilling, he did not raise any objections. Until recently, Wei Jianyu’s serious illness made him finally realize that what he valued most was actually this son.”

The woman smiled regretfully: "Isn't it a pity? The moment he had that idea, our exchange terms were established and put into practice. He was afraid that I would take his son away, but he couldn't think of a way to stop it. He sought out Taoist priests, bodyguards, and all sorts of people to stop my unpredictable but inevitable actions. However, before I could take action, they all devoured him because of that professor's violation of the rules."

The woman sighed, "It's such a dilemma. The person I made the promise to is dead, so I can't have that young man as promised. His body and soul were so beautiful!"

Luo Jian stared blankly at the woman. Everything she said was the truth that Luo Jian had once longed to know, but why did Luo Jian now only feel disgusted and... bewildered? Something seemed to flash through his mind, but he couldn't grasp it.

"Fine, I'm leaving." The woman's smile vanished, and she looked at Luo Jian with a cold gaze. "I've said it before, I don't want to see you a second time while I'm still alive. I don't know how you found this place, but Bomeiji is no longer the Bomeiji of the past. I hope you'll take care of yourself."

After saying this, the woman turned around. As if merging with the darkness, before Luo Jian's eyes, the woman's figure, along with her hand, gradually faded and abruptly disappeared into the night.

It wasn't until a very, very long time later, so long that it seemed like centuries had passed, that Luo Jian was finally brought back to his senses by a flash of light on the ground.

Like a drunkard, Luo Jian walked over in a daze and picked up the shiny object.

One key!

Luo Jian stared unconsciously at the simple-looking key that seemed to be made of red copper, his thoughts still lingering on the woman's words.

Luo Jian had no idea how important the key he had found would be to him; it was the only direct and uninterrupted passage to Bomeiji and his own past!

Chapter Thirty: The Key

Name: Akagi Gender: Male Age: Appearance: 26 or 27

Occupation: Owner of "Bone Misalignment" shop; Occupation: No. 20, South Tree Stump, Bomei Town

"This person looks really fierce, like a killer from TV!"

"Although he looks a bit fierce, he's still quite handsome!"

"But it looks way too dangerous..."

"Wow, Mommy, I want to eat that! I want to eat that!"

Walking through the crowd of diners, Luo Jian searched for the person he had invited, and soon found him behind a screen.

"Captain Luo, over here!" Xiao Jin stood up and called to Luo Jian.

"Sorry I'm a little late." Luo Jian took off his windshield and placed it on the table, said "thank you," and finished the tea the waiter offered him.

"It's okay, I know you're busy, Captain Luo!" Xiao Jin waved his hand dismissively. Compared to before his retirement, Xiao Jin now appears to have gained some weight.

About half a year ago, Xiao Jin was shot during a mission and nearly lost his life. After recovering, Luo Jian asked his former superior to transfer Xiao Jin to the household registration office, which was a disguised way of letting him retire.

"Captain Luo, are you still investigating that case?" After ordering, Xiao Jin seemed to have considered it for a long time before asking Luo Jian this question, "The Bomei Group... case..."

Luo Jian fell silent.

The person who has been by Luo Jian's side the longest is Xiao Jin. Xiao Jin is also the person who has personally experienced the cases of Chu Zhengyu and Han Qingyin with Luo Jian. Xiao Jin is also the person who understands Luo Jian's stubborn temperament the best. Although he has retired to the second line, he can still often learn about Luo Jian's news from other people's casual conversations.

The reckless, ruthless, and demonic Luo Jian—these labels are completely unrelated to the Luo Jian who, though persistent, was cheerful and approachable. However, because of Bomei Group, Luo Jian has become vastly different. Xiao Jin desperately wants to persuade Luo Jian to stop investigating those bizarre cases, but he knows it's impossible. Anyone who's been a detective knows that once a case hooks you, you become like an addict, investigating again and again until it's completely solved. No matter how hard or tiring it is, you won't give up. This is perhaps the allure and the greatest danger of being a detective.

"Xiao Jin, how have you been lately? Does your head still hurt?" Luo Jian cleverly changed the subject. The bullet that Xiao Jin was shot with was near his temple. He survived only because it was lodged in his skull, but he was left with poor memory and headaches.

"I'm much better now. The traditional Chinese medicine doctor you recommended last time, Captain Luo, really worked!" Xiao Jin replied gratefully. "If it weren't for Captain Luo risking his life to save me, I wouldn't be where I am today. My parents often ask you to come over for a visit!"

"Really? That's good." Taking a sip of tea, Luo Jian smiled, a rare occurrence for him. "Actually, I've asked you to come here today because I have a favor to ask you."

As he spoke, he pulled a small, sealed plastic bag from his pocket, inside which was a brass key about seven or eight centimeters long. The key had an extremely simple and ancient design, with the front end about three centimeters upturned at a 100-degree angle to the key face, bearing several rectangular teeth. The back end had an irregular beveled surface, as if a portion of the back had broken off for some reason.

“This is…” Xiao Jin picked up the key and examined it carefully. “Captain Luo, where did you get this key? It looks quite old.”

"Are you sure?" Luo Jian asked with concern. The key in Xiao Jin's hand was the one he had picked up after the woman connected to Bomeiji left.

Before joining the homicide division, Xiao Jin had worked in the anti-pickpocketing unit, where he dealt with burglars. Therefore, he was quite knowledgeable about locks. Furthermore, since his father was an experienced locksmith, he himself was interested in antique locks. Luo Jian recognized this and brought the key to Xiao Jin for inspection. If they could trace the key's origin, they might be able to find clues about Bomei Collection.

"It's hard to say just by looking. How about this, if possible, Captain Luo, give me a week, and I'll try my best to investigate."

"Three days! Is three days okay?"

Luo Jian calculated in his mind that there were only half a month left before the deadline for the Wei Ziru case. He had to obtain enough clues in the shortest possible time. If he lost this opportunity, it would be a long time before he could find Bomeiji again.

"Okay, three days it is!"

****

Luo Jian abandoned his motorcycle by the roadside. Judging from the road conditions—which were barely wide enough for one person to pass and were full of potholes—he knew he would have to walk from there.

He knew that there were many people in this world with all sorts of quirks. Some people didn't like being found, while others didn't like contact with others. So, choosing a secluded place to live was an excellent solution. Half of these people were rich, and the other half were people with rare talents. The owner of the address Xiao Jin gave Luo Jian was both of those.

"Captain Luo, that senior colleague has a very eccentric temper. Even my father has never met him. But right now, he might be the only one who can tell us the origin of this key, so..."

Two and a half hours ago, Xiao Jin called Luo Jian and briefly explained two things: First, he couldn't determine the origin of the key.

"This key doesn't look special at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it turns out to be completely different from the ancient lock keys we've encountered before. It seems to possess the characteristics of several keys, yet it's not any of them. I'm sorry, Captain Luo, I really can't help with this part."

Just when Luo Jian was in despair, thinking that the clues to Bomeiji might be about to be cut off again, Xiao Jin immediately told him the second thing.

“Bian Ruili, this expert in collecting antique locks and keys, might know the origin of this key. I have his address here, but Captain Luo, I really can't guarantee he won't help you, or even that he'll be willing to see you. My grandfather had met him a few times. If you go there, mentioning my grandfather's name, Jin Jingguang, might be helpful.”

So Luo Jian drove for two and a half hours to reach the place where Bian Ruili lived in seclusion.

It's practically a completely rural place!

Looking up, you can see the undulating peaks of Zhushan Mountain. Judging from its shape, this should be a branch of the western ridge of Zhushan Mountain. All around are fields of rice paddies. In May and June, the green wheat seedlings in the fields have grown quite robust. Occasionally, you can see farmers with towels draped over their heads walking barefoot across the ridges of the fields, and a few wild goats leisurely grazing on wild grass by the roadside.

"Brother, I need to ask you something." Luo Jian called out to a man carrying a load as he passed by. "Do you know how to get to Mr. Bian Ruili's house?"

The middle-aged man put down his carrying pole, looked Luo Jian up and down, and said, "Why are you looking for that guy? He doesn't like seeing people. The TV station has come so many times, and he's always sent them away. He has a strange temper, so we don't bother him."

"A TV station?" Luo Jian keenly caught the message in the middle-aged man's words. "What TV station? Does that mean Mr. Bian still act in TV dramas?"

"You don't even know that?!" The middle-aged man looked surprised upon hearing Luo Jian's words. "Then why were you looking for him again?"

"Uh... it's like this, I'm a junior friend of Mr. Bian. My grandfather is turning eighty this month, and he asked me to invite him to a celebratory feast so we can catch up. Because Mr. Bian has been living in seclusion for so long, I only recently found out where he is, so I don't know much about him."

"Oh~" The middle-aged man seemed to believe Luo Jian's words, pointed to the distance and said, "Then walk along this road, but don't go into the village. Just walk to the left along the road in front of the village, and when you see an osmanthus tree, turn right. Walk along that road to the end, and the old house with blue tiles is his family's."

"Ah, okay, thank you, brother!" Luo Jian said, quickly pulling out half a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket and handing it over. "Brother, have a few."

"No, no, no, I can't accept this." The middle-aged man declined, but his hand remained firmly on the cigarette.

Luo Jian smiled and stuffed the entire pack of cigarettes into the middle-aged man's hand: "Don't mention it, brother. I'm new here, and without your guidance, I would have taken many detours. This small token of my gratitude is nothing! By the way, brother, what about that TV station..."

"Oh, you're asking about that!" The middle-aged man smiled and took the cigarette, lighting it.

"No, no need, I don't smoke."

Seeing that Luo Jian didn't take it, he put the whole pack of cigarettes into his pocket, puffed on them, and said, "I heard that the Bian family is quite wealthy, and they even have a family heirloom..."

"A family heirloom?" Luo Jian repeated, somewhat surprised. So the TV station must have come for that family heirloom.

"Yes, that's right. Actually, that guy surnamed Bian has been living here for decades, and no one in our village knows what he's hiding in his house. All we know is that he stays at home all day, never leaving the house, just like a young lady from the past. If it weren't for the TV crew saying that he had some treasures passed down from the Tang Dynasty, none of us would have known that he was such a rich man."

"What is the family heirloom?"

"I don't know. The man surnamed Bian won't say. The people from the TV station only know a little bit. They came a few times, but were kicked out a few times. Now they don't come anymore."

"Okay, brother, I understand, thank you! If I have time another day, I'll treat you to a couple of drinks." After thanking the middle-aged man, Luo Jian already had a certain idea in mind.

A key. A family heirloom. Could it be that the key in my hand is the key to unlocking the family heirloom in Bian Ruili's family, and that heirloom was originally purchased from Bomei by Bian Ruili or someone else?

However, at the same time, another question was also troubling Luo Jian's mind.

"Captain Luo, I never knew you were so knowledgeable about ancient locks and keys! Come over to my house sometime and we can have a little friendly competition!" Xiao Jin's excited voice on the phone revealed his enthusiasm.

"Me? Research?" Luo Jian was completely baffled.

"Captain Luo, don't be modest. How could an ordinary person recognize a key just by looking at that broken piece of copper? If I hadn't seen quite a few ancient keys, I might have just thought it was junk."

Xiao Jin's unintentional words deeply shocked Luo Jian.

Why?

Yes, why is that?