Genius Detective

Seeing strangers coming in, an unshaven “boy” shouted, "Outsiders are not allowed to trespass into the sacred space."

"Fuck, what kind of style is this? Did you two become like this due to excessive secretion of hormones? Open your mouth and let uncle look at your baby teeth." kk retorted furiously.

"Get lost!"

"Is this your territory? I want to come in, so what are you going to do about it?" kk kicked the prayer mat on the ground.

The big man yelled, and was about to hit him with his broomstick. kk was so frightened that he covered his face with his hands. The other big man held him back, shaking his head and saying in a shrill feminine voice, "Qingfeng, don't stoop as low as these people."

"‘Cool breeze and bright moon’? No way!"1 Sun Zhen was overwhelmed with laughter.

Wang Haitao coughed. "Let's go elsewhere!"

Walking out of the small temple, Lin Dongxue asked, "The old master has become obsessed with this recently?"

Wang Haitao just smiled, but didn’t explain.

Lin Dongxue complained, "The rich really do whatever they think of."

The laughter of men and women came from another room, but the door was closed. kk was curious and took out lock-picking tools. Chen Shi said, "Be mindful of what you’re doing!"

"What's going on? How come my hands are out of control?!" kk pretended to be shocked, and skillfully pried the lock open with both hands, pushing the door slightly open. He stepped forward to peep in with Sun Zhen. Chen Shi sighed and went over to look as well.

There seemed to be a "party" going on in the room. Several men and women were talking, laughing, drinking and having fun. Most of the men were in their twenties and thirties and had a common feature. They all wore their hair up in Taoist priests’ hairstyles. One of them was having so much fun that his hair fell down loose and covered his shoulders.

However, they didn’t seem like religious figures at all. Several of them had obvious tattoos on their hands and scars on their faces. Judging from their looks, they were also dissipated people.

Lin Dongxue asked, "Is it vulgar?"

Chen Shi replied, "Very vulgar!"

"Let me see." Lin Dongxue went closer to have a look. "Wow, these girls have great figures."

kk said to Sun Zhen, "So it turns out that this hotel has this kind of service. Let's come and stay next time too."

"Mr. Wang, these people are…" Chen Shi probed Wang Haitao.

He still didn't answer and just smiled, "Let's visit the next place."

Most of the doors were locked. These doors were all antique-style carved wooden doors, which made people feel as if they were walking inside a Taoist temple.

A certain room had been changed into a place for the Taoist priests to rest. Peeking through the crack of the door, a man dressed as a Taoist master was sitting cross-legged on the bed in Taoist robes, meditating with closed eyes. The master had a long goatee and his thin cheeks were sunken in. Incense smoke swirled within the room.

Wang Haitao gestured for everyone not to make too much noise.

Then they arrived at a place that looked like a small Taoist temple, but no statuettes of the three Taoist deities were being worshipped and there were no “boys” cleaning. There was a tablet amid the incense burner, joss sticks and candles. Pig’s feet, goat horns and a bag of beef jerky were arranged below.

Lin Dongxue asked, "Why is it another Taoist temple? Has this whole floor been opened up for religious activities?"

Chen Shi saw the words on the tablet clearly, and almost swore out loud. The tablet said, "Big Dipper Greedy Wolf Star, Zhou Xiao".

"Why is the old man worshipping the tablet of a serial killer? Besides, Zhou Xiao is currently in jail and hasn’t been executed yet, but he’s already become a god?" Chen Shi said.

Lin Dongxue, kk, and Sun Zhen also showed shocked expressions.

Wang Haitao didn’t explain. He pointed to the table and said, "Mr. Chen, there is an empty place here. My father needs something that only you can get."

"Let me guess. If you are worshipping Zhou Xiao like a god, you wouldn’t be wanting his murder weapon, right?"

"That's right. Give me a price."

Thinking of Zhou Xiao’s heinous sins, Chen Shi felt as though he had been humiliated. His blood rushed into his brain. “I can’t do that. Goodbye!”

When he said that, he had already started walking out. Wang Haitao chased after him and called, "Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen!"

At this time, two people came into the corridor. It was Old Master Lu and a man wearing sunglasses. They were in front of the Taoist master's door. Old Man Lu bowed from the waist and said respectfully, "Master, your disciple has ordered a set of red sandalwood furniture for you. When is it convenient to deliver it?"

He put his ear to the door and listened to the answer from inside. At this moment, he saw Chen Shi and his group. His expression changed suddenly, and he said towards the door, "I will send someone to deliver it after you finish meditating."

Old Master Lu strode over with his walking stick, watching Chen Shi guardedly. He said, "Song Lang, you’re here to meddle in other people’s business again… Haitao, were you the one who brought this dog in?"

Chen Shi was so angry that he laughed. "Last time, both dogs and I weren’t allowed to enter, and this time I have become a dog?"

Old Master Lu raised an emphatic finger. "This is my territory. Whatever I do is my freedom. You aren’t welcome here."

Wang Haitao stepped forward. "Father, I asked them over to help you get that sacred tool. Mr. Chen is now the captain of the criminal police force, so naturally I had to look for him."

Old Master Lu looked Chen Shi up and down. "When will it be delivered?"

Chen Shi spread out his hands. "I don't seem to have agreed yet."

Old Master Lu’s face darkened again, he looked at Wang Haitao and said, "I warn you. If he dares to ruin things for me this time, you will need to get lost!"

"Okay, father…" Wang Haitao passively agreed.

Chen Shi suddenly understood Wang Haitao's troubles. Old Man Lu was headstrong and reckless. As a son, he must have tried persuading him, but he couldn't persuade him, so he could only pretend to be submissive, hoping to get Chen Shi's help.

Thus, he said, "We just didn't agree on the price. Mr. Wang, I can get the item you want."

Wang Haitao was nearly moved to tears for a moment. His suffering was finally known to others, so he said, "Just give me a price!" 𝐟𝓇ℯ𝒆we𝒃𝘯𝒐νe𝑙.co𝚖

"It's just a knife. It was originally going to be disposed of anyway. Four thousand yuan!"

"Song Lang, what do you mean?!" Old Master Lu pounded the ground with his walking stick. "Are you humiliating me? You want four thousand yuan for the treasure of the evil god? Four million. No bargaining! Son, write him a check!"

The man wearing sunglasses behind him took out a checkbook, wrote inside, and handed the check to Chen Shi. Chen Shi was shocked not by the number on the check, but because he looked nothing like Old Master Lu. At first glance, he seemed to be mixed-race as well. How did he become the son of Old Man Lu?

"Old Man, when did you make this mistake?" Chen Shi asked.

"Are you looking for death?!" Old Master Lu was extremely angry. "This is my biological son. The future heir of the conglomerate!"

"What about him?" He pointed at Wang Haitao.

"Him?" Old Master Lu's eyes were instantly filled with contempt. "He’s just a stranger with my genes."

"What kind of logic is this?!" kk whispered.

Wang Haitao mediated, "Father, why don’t we go to the private room for tea? Let’s sit down and talk."

"I have nothing to discuss with him. Song Lang, you’ve already accepted the money. Send the knife over before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Don't hold up my major event! Son, let's go!" Old Master Lu turned around, not forgetting to point at Wang Haitao, warning him, "If you dare speak any nonsense, I’ll kill you!"

Then he left, supported by his "biological son". Chen Shi came up with a few words in his heart: Domineering and narcissistic!

1. Qingfeng means cool breeze and Mingyue means bright moon. Together, they make up a Chinese idiom meaning not to make friends casually and is used as a metaphor for leisurely dawdling and nothingness.