Chapter 921: A Con Man in the Jianghu

Morning sunlight streamed through the window as Chen Shi opened his eyes and said, “Good morning, honey.”

“Good morning, Captain,” Lin Dongxue replied with a smile.

“This morning, I definitely don’t want to eat at home. How about soy milk and fried dough sticks?”

“I heard from a police friend that they once found several bags of laundry detergent at a fried dough stick vendor’s stall. They used it as a substitute for lye.”

“If you worry about every little thing, you might as well not eat at all. Do you know what the sauce in hamburgers is made from? Hair! Swept up from salon floors.”

“I don’t eat much fast food anyway.”

“I’ve heard there are tricks at grilled fish restaurants too…”

“Stop, stop. Fine, soy milk and fried dough sticks it is!”

After getting dressed, they hugged.

While Lin Dongxue brushed her teeth, Chen Shi hugged her from behind again.

As Lin Dongxue put on her coat, she jumped into Chen Shi’s arms for another hug.

Whenever they were alone, they hugged every fifteen minutes. Once they got to work, they’d endure a day of separation. Lin Dongxue joked, “If we hug any more, we’ll be late… Is this a normal married relationship?”

“Of course it is! True love makes you feel like a kid again. I feel twenty years younger with you.”

“Do you feel that way with anyone else?”

“Only you.”

“Me too,” Lin Dongxue said, smiling.

They never asked about each other’s past relationships. They didn’t care. Meeting each other in the vast sea of people was their greatest fortune. Everything before was just preparation for this moment.

In the car, Chen Shi received a call from KK. After a brief conversation, he said, “I don’t have time” and hung up. Lin Dongxue asked what it was about, and he replied, “They’ve got information on the con man.”

“They’re quick. You should check it out during lunch since you promised Wang Haitao.”

Chen Shi sighed, “Got it.”

His thoughts returned to the murder case. Staring ahead, he said, “Do we really need to investigate the victim’s relationships? Knowing this case likely isn’t about personal vendettas, it seems like a waste of time and resources.”

“My brother never skipped anything. He’d investigate all the leads.”

“As a consultant, I only followed my instincts and didn’t have to consider so much. Now, I have to decide what tasks to assign to my team. Some leads only serve to be eliminated and offer no real value, like the victim’s first love from a decade ago, who lives out of town. Investigating would require sending two people, and we’re already short-staffed. I think police training should include a course on cloning!”

Lin Dongxue laughed, “This case seems like it will need a lot of manpower. You can’t cut corners. Sometimes gold is hidden in the sand.”

“I had planned a romantic getaway once we solved this case. Looks like it’ll be a while.”

“We can still go tonight!”

“Tonight?”

“Better on the weekend so we can spend the whole day there without wasting time.”

“Haha, you’re quite the homemaker.”

In the morning meeting, Chen Shi announced, “The victim has an ex-girlfriend in Nan Heng City, famous for its spicy hot pot, but it’s quite humid there. It’s a ten-hour train ride. Who wants to go on this trip? Expenses covered.”

After some discussion, Xu Xiaodong volunteered, “I can go.”

“Anyone else?”

Another officer raised his hand, so Chen Shi assigned them both to the task.

After the meeting, it was already 10 AM. Handling some trivial matters, it was soon noon. Chen Shi yawned and prepared to nap on the sofa when Lin Dongxue found him, “Go see your little friends.”

Chen Shi remembered, “I really want to nap!”

He grabbed a coffee from the forensics team and drove to the agency.

KK greeted them excitedly, “Sister-in-law looks more beautiful every day. Must be love.”

“Haha, thanks,” Lin Dongxue laughed.

“Show me what you’ve got,” Chen Shi said.

Sun Zhen played a video. It showed a smoke-filled altar with Chun Huang holding a peachwood sword, chanting incantations. Suddenly, he shouted, “Demons and ghosts, where do you think you’re going?” and slashed at yellow paper on the table, leaving a “bloody” mark.

The off-screen audience gasped.

Lin Dongxue said, “Isn’t this an old trick? The sword is coated with a substance that reacts with another to turn red.”

“This video is old. Chun Huang looks much younger here,” Chen Shi said.

Sun Zhen explained, “I found this on a paranormal forum. It’s a recording of one of his rituals. Some say he has real powers.”

“What kind of gullible people believe that?”

“Hold on, Chen, there’s more!”

Chun Huang pulled out a stack of talismans from his sleeve, sticking them to the walls. The talismans floated up the walls. Chun Huang shouted, “Guardians, reveal yourselves!”

Two shadowy figures appeared behind him, startling the cameraman and making the video shaky.

The table shook, and a fireball emerged from the incense burner, bouncing off the walls before Chun Huang sliced it in half with his sword, scattering sparks.

After the video ended, Chen Shi pondered, “Was this really filmed?”

Sun Zhen replied, “I watched it frame by frame. If it was edited, it’s incredibly seamless. It should be real.”

“Then it’s a grand magic show.”

“The ghostly figures even scared me. The lights flickered; it was creepy,” Lin Dongxue said.

“It’s a projection. The room’s filled with smoke, which is made of tiny particles that create a 3D effect when light hits them. Watch again, and you’ll see part of the projection on Chun Huang.”

Replaying the video, they saw the ghostly arm fall onto Chun Huang.

“How did the talismans move on their own? Magnets?” Lin Dongxue wondered.

“Magnets strong enough to work through walls? That’s a question. The fireball too, but I’m sure it’s all fake. Chun Huang is just a con man.”

KK added, “He’s gotten more powerful. Wang said he made a table levitate and wrote in midair with smoke during a ritual.”

“KK, did you leave your brain at home?” Chen Shi asked.

“I know this video is staged, but there’s a saying, ‘A bit of blood makes you a god.’”