Chapter 811: Suspects on the Run

Lin Dongxue showed Chen Shi a photo captured by traffic surveillance. It depicted a driver inside a car who bore a striking resemblance to He Jun. Lin Dongxue remarked, “I can’t believe he was caught speeding on his way back with the stolen paintings.”

Xu Xiaodong leaned over and said, “The image is so blurry. Would he admit it himself?”

“We might be able to enhance it with some technical tools,” Lin Dongxue replied.

Glancing at the pawnshop, Chen Shi suddenly said, “Why is the light on upstairs? It’s already daylight… We should go check it out.”

“Should we wait for a search warrant before approaching them?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“They already know we’re here. No need to wait,” Chen Shi said.

With that, Chen Shi got out of the car and headed towards the pawnshop. Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong followed. Upon reaching the front of the shop, Chen Shi knocked a few times but got no response. He pressed his ear against the rolling door but heard no movement inside. A sense of unease crept over him.

Without hesitation, he used a tool to pry open the rolling door with a clang. Inside, the pawnshop was still in disarray, untouched by its owner.

“They couldn’t have…” Chen Shi began, then rushed inside and shouted from a room, “Come quick!”

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong arrived at the bedroom. Below an aluminum alloy window grille, the window had been sawed open, leaving a hole large enough for a person to pass through. Below it was an alley with muddy footprints of two escaping figures.

“Damn it!” Chen Shi pounded the wall with his fist in frustration.

Their escape meant they admitted their guilt. Chen Shi had never expected them to resort to this. After the events of last night, the pair had become skittish like frightened birds. The police and the underworld were like ticking time bombs, and they couldn’t bear the immense psychological pressure, choosing to flee.

They must have carried some of the paintings with them, but not all. Part of the art should still be here or might have been destroyed. Hopefully not the latter.

“I’ll go after them!” Xu Xiaodong volunteered.

“No need. They’ve already gotten far,” Chen Shi said, scraping off the oxidized metallic paint from the windowsill. “Dongxue, call your brother!”

Soon, Lin Qiupu and Peng Sijue arrived with their team to search. Various clues left behind confirmed that the two had sawed the window open at 3 a.m., escaped to a nearby abandoned compound, and fled in a car parked there—the same car seen at the scene of the art theft.

Lin Qiupu coordinated with the traffic police to set up a dragnet and catch them.

“We can’t let He Jingjing escape this time!” Lin Qiupu declared.

During the police search of the scene, they discovered a secret compartment behind a bookshelf. Inside were densely packed antique paintings, one of which was the stolen batch.

This discovery was heartening. Lin Dongxue suggested, “Since these paintings were from the Liewenxiang, why not return them to their rightful owners or donate them to a museum?”

Lin Qiupu shook his head. “Even if we know they were acquired unlawfully, they were stolen from Liewenxiang’s hands. We can’t dispose of these items at our discretion.”

“Why not? They were stolen by Liewenxiang in the first place!” Lin Dongxue argued.

Lin Qiupu sighed. “Dongxue, police represent justice, not just personal morality. Justice requires adherence to due process. Once we return these paintings, we’ll continue investigating Liewenxiang’s illicit activities. Only with solid evidence can these items be returned to their rightful owners.”

Lin Dongxue nodded in understanding. “Okay.”

On the old building opposite the pawnshop, a man in a duck-billed cap observed everything through a high-powered telescope. He dialed a number on his phone. “Lao Lie, the police found your paintings. They’re at Taiyang Pawnshop… What about the couple? They seem to have fled… Understood!”

Their wanted notice was quickly issued. Traffic police, public security officers, and detectives scoured the city for them, but three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Late one night, hiding in an abandoned building, He Jun slammed down his disposable chopsticks after eating stir-fried rice cakes in frustration. “Too spicy and salty. I can’t stand this crap anymore. I want meat!”

“Be patient. There are police everywhere. If it’s too salty, drink some water,” He Jingjing said, handing him a bottle of mineral water.

After a sip, He Jun exploded in anger, splashing the water everywhere. “This is tap water! It’s tap water!”

Helpless, He Jingjing said, “Convenience stores have cameras, and we don’t have much cash left.”

“We still have these!” He Jun grabbed three cardboard cylinders from the ground. “Each piece is worth millions. Why should we cling to our jobs? I want meat, I want to drink, I want to smoke! I don’t care anymore. I’ll take them to exchange for money. The pawnshop owner will surely make a deal. Even if he takes advantage of us, just a million, a hundred thousand, ten thousand, or a thousand bucks are all fine!”

“You’re not going anywhere!” He Jingjing tried to stop him.

He Jun roughly shook off He Jingjing’s hand. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, unmoving. He Jun thought she might be hurt and hurried over to check. She was trembling, sobbing.

“My dear, don’t be sad. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Seeing her cry softened He Jun’s heart, and tears filled his eyes too.

During these three days, they hadn’t washed, changed clothes, or rested properly, hiding here and there, dodging anyone in uniform and even avoiding trash cans and sewers. Their car, too conspicuous, had to be abandoned.

Once poor in their youth, they had enjoyed good days later on, but this life was unbearable.

“I told you not to run. You insisted on running, which told the police everything. It was all our doing,” He Jingjing complained.

“Stop talking!” He Jun didn’t want to argue about this anymore. “I can’t stand being watched by the police or harassed by the underworld. I’d go crazy in a second. If I don’t run, I’ll lose my mind!”

“Can you handle it now?”

He Jun shook his head. “Let’s get some money. We have three paintings. Let’s take one out for some quick cash. I know a place. An old man specializes in selling stolen goods. He was friends with Uncle He, but they haven’t been in touch since Uncle He’s death seven years ago. The police won’t think of him.”

He Jingjing just continued crying.

“When we get the money, we’ll find a safe place tonight to bathe, eat, do the deed, eat again, do the deed again. Do you want barbecue? Fatty and lean pork belly, sizzling with oil, dipped in sauce, plus a bottle of Bingxue, and finish it off with a Yuxi… My goodness, even if they hang me after this meal, it’ll be worth it.”

“Don’t say such ominous things!” He Jingjing covered his mouth. “Instead of barbecue, I’d rather have sour and spicy golden needle beef, braised pork with preserved vegetables, small buns with minced pork… ”

“Okay, we’ll order a bunch!” They smiled at each other with dusty faces, fugitives reaching a consensus.