Chapter 154: The Priceless Guitar

Just as they were about to head to the bathroom, Tao Yuanyuan suddenly exclaimed, “Die, you bug! Die!” She was spraying a bug that had crawled out from a floor crack with luminol reagent.

Peng Siyue said, “Don’t touch it, you might get bitten.”

He picked it up with tweezers, put it in a test tube, and after a careful look, said, “It’s a house centipede, an arthropod that preys on cockroaches and termites.”

Tao Yuanyuan said, “I was bitten by one when I was little. I got red bumps all over.”

Chen Shi said, “Can such a clean house have bugs?”

Peng Siyue replied, “It’s normal for hardwood floors to have termites, especially with the underfloor heating on, keeping the temperature above 25 degrees Celsius.”

Chen Shi rubbed his fingers on a shelf and checked the dust on his hand. “Judging by the dust, it hasn’t been cleaned in a week. Bugs aren’t surprising… They probably hired a maid or housekeeper, right?”

They headed to the bathroom and checked for blood with luminol. There were a lot of bloodstains, mostly around the drain, indicating someone had washed here. Besides the blood, Peng Siyue also found fibers and hair, some of which were long, suggesting they belonged to a woman.

“We should collect fingerprints later,” Peng Siyue said, calling one of his subordinates.

Chen Shi went outside. As he wandered around the first floor, he stepped on something—a piece of wire that had fallen under the sofa. He picked it up and stretched it out. “It’s a guitar string.”

The second room on the right after entering was the deceased’s study. It had a lock, and the other key found on the deceased was useful here.

When they opened the door, they found a collection room instead of a study. It displayed guitars, paintings, and signed baseballs. Peng Siyue noticed the air conditioning was still running and said, “The temperature and humidity are controlled to protect the collection. It’s quite thoughtful.”

“For the wealthy, collections are just another way money stays with them,” Chen Shi said, opening a glass cabinet and picking up a guitar.

“Be careful with that. It’s very expensive,” Peng Siyue reminded him.

Tao Yuanyuan tugged on Chen Shi’s clothes and asked, “Aren’t these guitars just made of wood? Why are they so expensive?”

“Because famous people used them. Look at this… what’s written here? A doctor’s prescription?” Chen Shi couldn’t read the signature on the guitar body. “Old Peng, do you recognize it?”

Peng Siyue shook his head, “I’m not an expert.”

When Chen Shi put the guitar back, he noticed something odd. The display was made for five guitars, but there were only four. He borrowed a magnifying glass from Peng Siyue and examined the dust, saying, “One is missing. Someone took it. I found a broken guitar string in the living room.”

“Could this be the motive for murder?”

“Possibly!”

“I know a musical instrument appraiser. I’ll call him now.”

They both pulled out their phones. In the investigation group chat, there were already many clues. Chen Shi hadn’t had a chance to look at them. He sent a message, “Can anyone contact the deceased’s maid or housekeeper? I need their contact information.”

Soon, someone sent a number. Chen Shi appreciated the support. He dialed the number, and a woman answered. Chen Shi identified himself and arranged to meet her at Lu Zhendong’s house.

While waiting, Chen Shi noticed a camera in the room, its light still on. Peng Siyue said, “Great, there’s surveillance.”

Chen Shi checked it and said, “No use. It’s a smart home camera. The memory card has been removed.”

Chen Shi lit a cigar and walked around the house, trying to piece together the clues. Tao Yuanyuan asked, “Uncle Chen, can I have some ice cream from the fridge?”

“Is there any? Help yourself.”

Peng Siyue frowned, “Can you stop treating this place like your own home? Be more professional.”

Chen Shi shamelessly laughed, “These things will expire anyway.”

Tao Yuanyuan opened the fridge and exclaimed, “Wow, so much food!”

Chen Shi took a look. The fridge was stocked with frozen dumplings, wontons, rice, and more. He called Peng Siyue over, who found the food stuck together and said, “It was probably bought all at once, about half a month ago.”

“Was the deceased planning to stay home for winter?” Chen Shi opened the fridge’s top compartment. “There’s a lot of expensive food. The deceased didn’t seem like someone who’d eat frozen food.”

“Who likes eating frozen food?” Peng Siyue quipped.

Chen Shi closed the fridge and noticed the middle section of the spiral staircase’s handrail was loose and had some paint rubbed off, as if by a rope.

“Did you smell something bad when we entered?”

“I think so!” Peng Siyue replied.

“I noticed it earlier. It’s the smell of a dog,” Tao Yuanyuan said.

“The deceased had a dog, but why aren’t there any dog supplies?”

“Maybe they were disposed of?” Peng Siyue suggested.

Chen Shi opened drawers and cabinets until he found dog bowls and toys in the wardrobe. He picked up a large dog bowl and said, “Looks like it was a big dog. The killer might have killed it.”

“Could the dog have bitten the killer?” Peng Siyue theorized.

“We can check the area, but I doubt we’ll find anything,” Chen Shi said.

Someone knocked on the door. The instrument appraiser arrived and immediately recognized the house, “Isn’t this Mr. Lu’s place?”

“You’ve been here before?” Peng Siyue asked.

“I’ve heard of it. Mr. Lu bought a guitar used by Wong Ka Kui for over 40 million yuan a week ago. It was big news in the instrument collecting world.”

“Did Lu Zhendong play instruments?” Chen Shi asked.

“He just collected them. He didn’t know music. I once had dinner with him. I was shocked to hear about his death.”

“Please, come in and appraise.”

The appraiser examined the four guitars, each very valuable, but none were the one Lu bought a week ago. Chen Shi took out the guitar string from the floor and asked, “Is this a guitar string?”

“Yes.”

“Would a broken string affect a valuable guitar’s worth? I’m not sure.”

“Some guitars are valued for their craftsmanship, others for their added value… Think of it as sentimentality. His was the latter. A broken string wouldn’t reduce its value.”

“A guitar used by Wong Ka Kui is worth 40 million?”

“Yes.”

“If someone tried to sell it now, could they?”

“If someone offered it to me for 10 million, I’d buy it without hesitation and wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Aren’t you afraid of fakes?”

“No. Guitars aren’t as easy to fake as paintings. They’re niche collectibles with high value retention.”

“Can you keep an eye out for this guitar?”

“Is there a reward?” The appraiser grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.

Chen Shi smiled back, “I believe Mr. Lu would be generous in rewarding informants. I wouldn’t mind praising you when the time comes.”

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out.”

After sending off the appraiser, Chen Shi mused, “A greedy friend killed for a priceless guitar? Is it that simple?”

“A case that shocks the city is rarely simple,” Peng Siyue said.

“Let’s hope so. I’d like a peaceful New Year.”

“Is that what you really think?”

“Mind your own business!”