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Chapter Text

[Act 1]

It was a night full of anticipation in Luoyang.

The Luoyang Museum was surrounded by official chaser cars and motorcycles. All the headlights were lit brightly, making sure that every corner was seen. A large group of men in the Luoyang Special Force uniform were staging outside as the rest of the men entered the museum. Outside the metal fence around the museum was a sea of green light from banners and light sticks that a large crowd were holding. 

All of them contain at least one word: Tracer85.

A few reporters were also there, giving a live report on the situation. The main news channel had a helicopter circling around the building, trying to get a good bird-eye view. The crowd was getting loud as the showtime was near. One of the men from the LSF could no longer take it and started to gripe.

“UGH! I just can’t believe that he would put us through this again. Why can’t he just act like a regular thief??”

“I know. Gotta send that freaking challenge invitation to the press,” his coworker sighed, “what an ass!”

“I think he’s pretty cool though with all the props he had,” another man chimed in, “I can see why he is so popular.”

The first man who griped shot back, “watch your tongue if you want to keep your job here.”

“Well, to be fair…he has never killed anyone,” the other man replied, “and many things he stole turned out to be things that were obtained illegally in the first place. He’s like Robinhood in a way,” the man shrugged, “not that I agree with him. Stealing is stealing.”

“Exactly,” said another man, “I hope we catch him this time. We have been trying for too long.”

They all nodded in agreement before the conversation was interrupted by the man with three gold stars on his collar. They all straightened themselves up to salute the man.

“Stop chit-chatting! Grab your gear and hold your position!” his authoritative voice commanded.

“Yes, Captain!!”

The young policemen sprinted to join the rest of their colleagues, who were picking up a baton and a shield before heading to their pre-assigned spot. The captain kept patrolling to make sure that his team was ready to arrest the master thief.

//Captain Qian Feng.// said a junior police through a radio  //I think we have spotted our target at 12 o’clock in the main gallery//

Captain Qian Feng acknowledged the message before giving his order, “everybody in their position!!! Our target has been spotted at 12 o’clock in the main gallery!!”

The outdoor group split into a few subgroups. Some groups used their shield as a blockade. Some used a vehicle to stage the scene. All of them were highly alert. They really wanted to end this three-year chase and to stop hearing the bystanders screaming the criminal’s code name like a celebrity.

“TRACER85!!!!!!!!!”

“HE’S HERE!!!!!”

=========================

The tall, well-built figure in a black bodysuit unhooked himself from a sling, unbothered by a loud chant of his code name outside. With one click on his tactical belt, the sling automatically coiled itself back into a pocket attached to the belt. He shifted stealthily as the sound of footsteps were approaching. However, the sound became distant once those footsteps passed where he was.

They fell for my decoy again . He smirked. After three years of hide and seek, you guys are still so predictable.  

Tracer85 left his decoy in the main gallery, which normally could buy some time before the Luoyang Special Force eventually figured it out. This unit was actually very capable, but he had an upper hand because of his resources.

He tapped his helmet once, and the eyeshield pulled up the scanner that exposed all the danger zones in the room. After calculating the best route to take, he jumped down from the second level to the ground floor without difficulty. His boots adjusted the impact accordingly, taking away the sound he would have made. His movement flew smoothly around the traps, as if his body was fluid. He quickly took his target, an ancient artifact that was a few billions in value, and replaced it with a random trinket and a King of Clubs card. 

The item in his hand was supposed to be many thousand years old. It was supposed to be one of the national treasures. Per his client, however, it was a replica. The real one was in the process of getting auctioned in a black market. 

He pulled out a green sac and placed the item in there. He took a different escape route to get to his hidden vehicle, thinking that the route should be clear. However, he deaccerrelated as he saw three men at the end of the hall. From the look on their face and a baton in their hands, they definitely expected him to be there. 

His upturned dark eyes focused on the tanned guy in the middle. This guy again .

//Hello, Chief Detective Wang Darren// the thief greeted politely. His voice was robotic, thanks to a voice changer in his helmet.

“Tracer85,” the chief detective responded, “give that thing back to us and surrender.”

The thief cocked his head to the side and said coyly, //Make me.// 

The chief detective and his colleagues charged in for a close combat. They learned last time that the black bodysuit on Tracer85 somehow could neutralize the stun gun effects. Despite being three against one, Tracer85 could still dodge the attacks gracefully, dancing around them. 

In the past three years, Wang Darren learned a few things about this master thief. One, this guy was probably in his prime based on movements. Two, he was a Luoyang native based on the way he spoke. Three, he had good connections with either somebody bigger than the LSF or a very talented inventor due to technology he had been using. Four, he might have been trained in tactical combat before. 

The master thief leaped up as two men were trying to hit him with a baton. They ended up knocking each other out in the process. He then swiftly shot the sling up to the ceiling and used it to pull him up and away from the LSF men.

“Tracer85!!!!” the chief detective yelled.

//Why do you want this fake artifact back?// The master thief asked. //I’m doing you guys a favor here.//

Bewilderment appeared on the tanned face below. He gaped and turned pale.

 “What did you say!!!??”

//Well, check it yourself.// The master thief exaggerated his sigh. //You better catch it.//

He let go of the bag, and the man below him chased after it as he yelled at his radio.

“CAPTAIN QIAN FENG! HE IS ESCAPING!!”

That voice was so explosive that everybody who had a radio could hear it without having to turn it up. The radio feedback was heard by bystanders outside. They started cheering on the master thief enthusiastically.

“Tracer85!! Tracer85!! Tracer85!!”

The master thief spontaneously tapped his helmet to temporarily cancel the noise. After being chased by the same guy for three years, he knew the pattern pretty well. He dashed towards the exit after his feet touched the ground floor of the other side. He heard some faint footsteps behind him. He knew that they would not be able to catch him.

Tracer85 got out of the building and saw two officers, ready for his appearance. He grabbed an orb in one of his pockets and threw it on the floor. The orb exploded, letting out thick fog that obscured the area. The two personnel were startled by the unexpected move, and Tracer85 seized the moment to knock them out. He ran towards an empty area between two big trees. He tapped his helmet one more time, slowly revealing the shape of the superbike as its surface switched back to its original color. 

Alright BaoBei, let’s fly away together.

He fired up the engine, hearing it roared aggressively. He heard the crowd outside going wild as well as the engine sound from multiple vehicles approaching him. Yet he was not worried at all. He accelerated his superbike towards the incoming officers and sifted through multiple blockades effortlessly as the bystander cheered him. The officers tried their best to stop him, but he was swift like a wind.

As the master thief was getting closer to the gate, he saw one of the cars parked in a perfect distance. He twisted the throttle all the way, zooming towards the car. He tilted back and lifted the front wheel of his superbike, climbing the car. Spontaneously, he clicked a button to the side of his throttle, maximizing the engine power. With his velocity and the powerful engine, they sent him and his superbike flying mid-air. He pressed another button to pop the cowl cover. Multiple decks of standard 52-card flew all over the place, distracting the bystanders. They all were all mesmerized by his performance. 

“Did you see that???? Tracer85 is at it again!!”

Tracer85 landed on the street outside the fence and whizzed away with a full throttle. 

“Follow him!!!”

Captain Qian Feng ordered, and all of the Luoyang Special Force units moved swiftly to start chasing Tracer85. The helicopter from the main news channel already went ahead and tailed Tracer85, but nobody could spot even his shadow.

The master thief of Luoyang had vanished just like that!

=========================

All main figures of the Luoyang Special Force gathered in a conference room at their office for a debrief. The facial expression of the man at the table head looked grave, creating a dead air in the room. He adjusted his glasses before clasping his hands together on the table.

“Please report. Captain Qian Feng,” directed the man.

“Tracer85 got away again, but he did not take the artifact with him,” Captain Qian Feng told his boss, “he told our chief detective that the artifact is fake.”

“Any evidence to support his claim?”

Captain Qian Feng signaled the chief detective to give the report directly. The chief detective approached the man at the head of the table.

“Deputy Chief Wang Han,” the chief detective bowed slightly to greet the man before reporting, “Tracer85 told me to check it myself as he handed over the artifact. We found that he left a thumb drive in a bag.” 

“It has been sent to the IT department,” Captain Qian Feng stated, “I already asked them. They told me that it would be ready some time tomorrow at the earliest.”

“We have dealt with Tracer85 for three years now but still can’t figure him out. I admit that he has helped us with many illegal trade cases. It is shameful that he uses the wrong method to do it,” Deputy Wang Han sighed, “the mayor has threatened to cut our budget again if we still can’t catch him.”

“That’s not fair though!” the captain said, “we know that Tracer85 has access to technology that’s not out in public. We don’t even know if higher ups are involved.”

“I thought the mayor was one of the fans,” the chief detective blurted out, “apparently our tourism has been doing well since the appearance of Tracer85.”

His bosses shook their heads, but they were smiling. The chief detective grinned before going back to business.

“May I suggest something?” 

“Go ahead.”

“I am ashamed to recommend this as a detective,” Wang Darren said, “but we should consult my friend. He is an ex-CBI agent, the best one when he was there.”

The deputy chief lifted his brows, “the CBI as the central bureau of investigation?”

“Yes,” Wang Darren responded, “he was recruited after an internship in junior year of college.” 

His captain whistled. The Central Bureau of Investigation was known for their top-notch investigators. It was difficult to be hired by them. Job applications were seldomly posted in public. The majority of people in the CBI were recruited after they worked for other organizations for a while. It was rare for someone to be scouted when they were in college.

“Why did he leave?” the captain asked.

“Just got tired of getting tangled in politics.”

“I am interested in meeting him,” said the deputy chief after his contemplation, “if he’s not too expensive, we probably can arrange something.” 

=========================

A few kilometers outside Luoyang.

The most wanted man and his superbike whirred towards a hidden entrance that showed itself after he activated the code. It led them to an underground garage full of motorcycles and sports cars. There was one space with a big green circle on it, and he parked the superbike there. He tapped his helmet after he cleared from the green circle. The circle descended, tucking the superbike away and replacing it with a motorcycle.

The long legs strided towards the only workspace in the garage by a double door while taking off the helmet, revealing a handsome young man in his twenties. Despite prior physical activities, there was no sweat on that jade-like skin. Once he reached the workstation, he went towards a tool sheft and pressed a hidden button, revealing a tiny closet that could not fit much. The only light source came from the middle, looking like someone placed an invisible tube in there. He first put his helmet on the shelf that was suspended in the air. He then stepped in the middle, and his bodysuit splitted at the midline of his torso and limbs, opening itself and letting the young man out. Those parts remain suspended in the invisible tube.

He untugged his rat tail around his neck as he stepped away from the hidden closet and closed it. The upturned dark eyes spotted a familiar shadow.

“Da Ge, I thought you already went to bed,” his smooth and deep voice left the alluring pink lips.

“Can’t sleep,” said the older man with big glasses and a hot drink in his hand, “how could I sleep when you were out running an errand for another young master Wang?”

The younger man lifted a corner of his lips, smirking smugly, “it’s fun though. I like doing this.”

“Yeah, you also like demanding me for new gadgets,” the older man rolled his eyes, “my brain can’t be working all the time, you know?”

“You are too humble, Ge,” the young man replied, “you also enjoy inventing things without a lot of pressure. Isn’t this a win-win situation?”

“Only if you just let me work out these gadgets and not help you run the company,” said the older man, “since it’s not the racing season right now, you need to visit the company, Yibo.”

“I got it, Da Ge.”

The older man nodded, “you go now, I am just finishing up some stuff.”

“OK.”

A big rough hand of the older man reached up slightly to pat a lean arm of the younger one before letting him go inside.

The tall, lean figure entered his home, strolling on the marble hallway that lit up once the movement was detected. The hallway was decorated by all the awards he won from racing and pictures of himself with famous people he encountered. There were not many family pictures, but there was a big portrait of his family when he was young in the main foyer. 

His eyes were on the portrait as he climbed the stairs, feeling bittersweet. Even after seventeen years of not having his parents around, he still missed them.

Wherever you guys are, I hope you are proud of me. 

Once he reached the second floor, he kept walking towards the end of the marble hallway where his bedroom was. He went straight to the bathroom, stripped himself naked, and checked for any bruises on his well-built body. He hopped into a rain shower, washing away his long day.

He got out of the shower and threw on a bathrobe after he felt clean. He ran through his night routine swiftly and headed towards a California king-sized bed in a massive master bedroom. He took off his robe before tugging himself under a comforter. His arm reached out for a remote control and turned on a television. Although the sound volume was set very low, he could guess what was being said as he watched himself putting on a show in the footage on the screen. 

Wang Yibo loved speed and sports that got his adrenaline rushing. He knew he definitely got it from his father, who often took him out for a drive in his sports car when his father was alive. He made it into his profession, well, one of his professions. When his sworn brother asked him if he wanted to try this gig, he accepted it without a second thought. He had been doing well so far, but sometimes he wanted to stop. He expected a lot of excitement. Somehow it was short-lived. To fix his issue, he started sending out a challenge invitation to the Luoyang Special Force. The first time he did it, he got a lengthy lecture from both older brothers of his. They were worried that he might get caught, yet nobody came close to catching him. 

Maybe I will meet a worthy opponent this year.

That was Wang Yibo’s last thought before his consciousness drifted away. 

=========================

A pair of almond-shaped eyes opened slowly after being awakened by the brightness outside. One of creamy hands shielded the light away from the eyes. A soft grunt left captivating crimson lips before the tall, lean figure rose up from the bed, stretching long, well-toned limbs. 

Those beautiful dark eyes shifted towards a cellphone that was charged overnight on the countertop. There were a few unread text messages, and the most recent one was opened first.

-XZ, I will be at your place in an hour to help you unpack. I am bringing breakfast with me.-

The lengthy fingers tapped on the screen promptly.

-Thanks, Darren. I will see you soon.-

Once he responded to the message, he scrolled down to check if there were others that had to be replied soon. He opened the one with the name Lu Jie.

-ZhanZhan, our squad misses you. The boss said that you can just let her know if you want to come back. There’s no need for you to go through the application again.-

The crimson lips curved into a boat-shape, but the obsidian orbs had a tinge of sadness in it.

-I miss you guys too. You can always come see me in Luoyang.-

He saw a bubble right after he sent that message.

-We will. Be sure to let us know when you are back in Beijing.-

The message was followed by a picture of four people in business casual clothing. There were two females and one male. All with a golden plum blossom badge attached to their belt. It was bittersweet to see the badge he surrendered last week, but he already made the decision to leave.

The tall figure left his phone and sautered towards the bathroom to start his morning routine. A big, rectangular mirror reflected the attractive face of the young man. The almost-fair skin was clear and dewy except the darker under eyes from exhaustion. The young man hurriedly continued with his routine, getting ready for a busy day.

His long legs strolled back to the kitchen. He filled a kettle with water before programming the kettle to heat the water to a certain temperature. He then searched for tea bags in one of the opened cardboard boxes on the kitchen counter. After getting his mug ready to seep his tea, he turned on a television for the morning news and began unpacking his kitchen. 

//Last night, Tracer85 striked again at the Luoyang Museum as promised on his challenge card.// A female reporter stated. //His target was a ten-thousand years old artifact made of pure gold, which was discovered last year. Here’s the bird-eye view footage from last night.//

Tracer85?

The young man moved the box he was unpacking closer to the television. His dark eyes focused on the screen as his hands took items out from the box. He whistled as he watched Tracer85 operate his superbike like it was a part of his body. He gaped when he saw the superbike clear the fence and the crowd effortlessly. The view was suddenly obscured by multiple cards that flew everywhere. He could hear the crowd cheering enthusiastically.

Here I am, thinking that Beijing is a crazy place. Why do people here cheer for a thief like an idol?

//Despite being known as the master thief of Luoyang, the Luoyang Special Force stated that the heist was unsuccessful this time. However, the force had to investigate another issue regarding the artifact. More details will be announced later.//

Interesting. I need to ask Darren later.

He got up once he heard the beep sound from the kettle. He poured hot water into his mug and went back to unpacking while waiting for his tea to finish brewing. He managed to unpack two more boxes before he heard a doorbell ringing.

He checked the peephole. After seeing the expected guest, he opened the door.

“Hey, Xiao Zhan!” The guest beamed with joy, “welcome to Luoyang!”

“Thanks for stopping by, Darren,” said Xiao Zhan, “before you enter, I must warn you that there are boxes everywhere.”

“Not a problem!”

Both men walked towards the kitchen. Wang Darren set breakfast he got for both of them on the kitchen counter. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan got his friend another mug as well as bowls and spoons.

“Tea or coffee?” He asked.

“Tea is fine. Thanks.”

Xiao Zhan grabbed another tea bag as Wang Darren poured their congee in each bowl. He cracked a scalded egg, adding it into each bowl. He then garnish their congee with finely julienned ginger and sliced green onion. 

“This looks really good,” Xiao Zhan commented, inhaling the smell of fresh congee.

“You are very welcome,” said Wang Darren, “I got this from a popular congee stall here. It’s actually not very far from your apartment.”

“Nice.” 

The guys moved to a dining table. Xiao Zhan turned off the television before starting his breakfast. Wang Darren then initiated the conversation.

“So how do you like it here so far?”

“Quite interesting,” Xiao Zhan replied, “I thought it would be similar to Beijing, but Luoyang is more civilized than I thought.”

“A lot of people have not realized that yet,” Wang Darren said, “we have one big tech company and one real estate company that always help with city development. They have done a really good job.”

“I haven’t explored the city thoroughly since I got here maybe two days ago. I can’t wait to see what I will find.”

“I can give you a tour on my days off.”

“Thanks.”

Both men finished their breakfast quietly after a quick catch up. Afterwards, the host took dirty dishes to the kitchen and loaded them into the dishwasher. 

“The congee was really good,” he said, “thank you for getting it.”

“Not a problem,” responded the guest, “where do you want me to start?”

“The living room is fine.”

The guest began unpacking. He helped put up little trinkets on the empty shelf. Meanwhile, the host turned on the television again for white noise. He tidied up the kitchen and flattened cardboard boxes as we went. After all the boxes had collapsed, he gathered them together and set them aside in the hallway. 

He headed back to the living room for empty cardboard boxes. There, he saw his guest’s brows knitted together as he watched the news on Tracer85. The host’s keen eyes did not miss that expression on his guest.

“Judging from your reaction right now, you were there too. Weren’t you?”

His guest signed heavily, “Yeah. To be honest, the heist was unsuccessful not because we could corner him,” he confessed, “he returned the item to us, telling us that it’s fake.”

“Oh?”

“He left a thumb drive for us, and it’s being processed by our IT department as we speak,” the guest continued, “he often does this, toying with us law enforcement. We have tried to catch him for a while now. People in town treat him like an idol. It’s quite irritating.”

The host commented after collapsing the cardboard box in his hand, “he seems to be problematic.”

The guys finished up the living room and moved on to the office. The host unpacked a moving box labeled ‘office.’ He put some of the certificates and awards received throughout his life on the shelf. The rest were left in the box, waiting to be hung on a wall. The guest unboxed books and phonograph records and put them on a desk.

“Didn’t you say you want to open a private detective practice?” asked the guest, “the department is interested in hiring you as a consultant.”

The almond-shaped eyes opened wide, surprised by the opportunity. “Are you sure? I know nothing about Tracer85,” he asked.

“We have accumulated the records on him in the past 3 years,” the guest replied, “I am sure that if it’s you, you might find something.”

“You are giving me too much credit! I don’t dare to take it,” the ex-CBI agent shook his head. The tips of his ears were burning hot.

“Is that a yes?”

The ex-CBI nodded his head.

“Great! If we finish unpacking today, I can bring you to our office,” the guest beamed, “thank you, Xiao Zhan!”

=========================

Chapter Text

[Act 2]

With help from Wang Darren, Xiao Zhan finally finished unpacking early in the afternoon. They hauled collapsed cardboard boxes to a dumpster designated for recycling. They had plenty of time to stop by at the Luoyang Special Force office. Xiao Zhan went back to his apartment and changed into a business casual as Wang Darren made a quick phone call to his office, notifying the office of their visit.

Wang Darren pulled his car up once he saw Xiao Zhan come out from the building. He was in a white t-shirt with dark pants and a belt. What made him look business ready was his cornflower blue blazer and a pair of white oxford shoes. Because of his height and his face, it looked like his friend was ready for a photoshoot. He already knew that all the ladies at work would be all over his friend.

“Sorry for the wait,” said Xiao Zhan as he hopped in the car on the passenger side.

“No worries,” Wang Darren replied, “I’m so relieved that you agree to help out.”

Xiao Zhan smiled shyly, “I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best.”

“You are too humble,” Wang Darren sighed.

They left the apartment complex, which was not too far from a highway. As a newcomer, Xiao Zhan looked around with excitement. There were a lot of modern and a few creative buildings all over Luoyang. Yet a lot of trees were planted in the city, preserving some natural beauty. The tallest building was located downtown. It reminded him of a massive jenga that had already been played for a while.

Wang Darren caught the almond-shaped eyes stare at the tallest building downtown. He then said, “that tower is called the twister. It belongs to Yuehua Innovations. Each floor actually rotates around the central axis independently. Isn’t it crazy?”

“Wow,” Xiao Zhan blurted out in awe, “do they allow visitors?”

“Not really, but we can visit downtown so you can see it closer,” Wang Darren responded, “I think you probably will enjoy the library here too. The Luoyang Library looks like a stack of books, and it’s pretty quaint inside.”

Xiao Zhan kept looking around as Wang Darren took the next exit to get off the highway. They passed through a few intersections before arriving at their destination. The Luoyang Special Force office was a modern four-story building surrounded by ginkgo trees and multiple bushes of Luoyang peonies, which bloomed beautifully, adding their vibrant colors to the area. There was a big, bronze peony insignia above the main entrance of the building. The name sign was seen at the top of the building and right by the gate.

The chief detective parked his car in one of the empty spots. As he led the ex-agent of the Central Bureau of Investigation towards the building, he already saw some people peeking through windows to watch them. Once they entered the building, everyone greeted the chief detective like usual. However, they were stupefied by the presence of the ex-CBI agent who only smiled politely before following the chief detective to continue with their business. 

People in the department started asking the question once both of them were out of sight.

“Oh my god, who is that gorgeous tall man next to Chief Detective Wang?”

“Such eye candy. I hope we will get to see him often.”

Some people started swooning over the ex-CBI. Others who were unaffected by his charm only shook their heads with disapproval while those with extensive connections started contacting each other to find out more about their gorgeous tall man. 

Meanwhile, the two men climbed the stairs to the second floor, where the office of Deputy Chief Wang Han was located. The chief detective knocked on the door and let himself and the ex-CBI agent in once the permission to enter was given. They saw both the deputy chief and the captain, expecting their arrival. The chief detective immediately saluted the deputy chief and the captain before formally introducing the ex-CBI to them.

“Deputy Chief Wang. Captain Qian. This is Xiao Zhan, the guy I told you about.”

“Hello, Deputy Chief Wang and Captain Qian,” the ex-CBI agent bowed gracefully as he greeted the officers, “I’m Xiao Zhan. It’s my pleasure to meet you and thank you for having me.”

Both senior officers were taken aback by Xiao Zhan’s demeanor. Based on his description from their subordinate, they thought that Xiao Zhan would be confident and arrogant. Yet he was very polite, and the air around him was pleasant. Judging from his appearance, the senior officers would not think that his profession was law-related but in the entertainment industry.

“The pleasure is ours, Mr. Xiao,” said Deputy Chief Wang, “please have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

Xiao Zhan bowed again before taking a seat across from the deputy chief. Captain Qian and Wang Darren stood at the opposite corner. 

“Mr. Xiao, has Chief Detective Wang briefed you regarding our situation?” the deputy chief inquired.

“Yes.”

“Good,” responded the deputy chief, “I was told that you just left the CBI and arrived in Luoyang a few days ago, but are you familiar with Tracer85?”

“The first time I heard of him was this morning. He was on the news,” Xiao Zhan replied honestly.

“I heard that you were the best agent during your time at the CBI,” said the deputy chief, “based on the footage you saw on the morning news, what was your first impression of him?”

“Deputy Chief Wang, I don’t dare to take the best agent title,” Xiao Zhan disclaimed. His ears were flushed as he continued, “I had a very good team that helped me. Anyway, to answer your question, I thought that Tracer85 was athletic, confident, and flashy. He’s probably in his 20s or at least he acted like one. He enjoys the adrenaline rush and the attention he gets. Additionally, people think that he is a charismatic thief. His real identity can either be the opposite of his Tracer85 persona or he already has those qualities. He is also very detail-oriented and methodical or else he won’t be able to slip away in the past three years.”

After hearing the answer, the deputy chief stared at Xiao Zhan intensely while the captain gaped.

“Are you sure that you didn’t know him before?” asked the captain.

“Affirmative,” answered Xiao Zhan.

“Mr. Xiao,” Deputy Chief Wang Han said, “would you like to take a job as a consultant?”

Xiao Zhan beamed, replying enthusiastically, “yes!”

Deputy Chief Wang Han nodded and disclosed more details, “Good. We already prepared a contract for you to sign. Since we don’t know your rate, we just went with what’s fair based on your experience and the market rate. Once you sign the contract, you can start as soon as today. We already have an office ready for you. Should you have questions or concerns about the contract, just talk to the human resources department.” 

He then turned to his detective and told the detective to take the new hired consultant to the said department. The new hired consultant stood up and bowed to both senior officers before leaving.

Captain Qian Feng commented after he could no longer hear the footsteps outside, “that young man is not just a pretty face. I’m quite impressed.”

“Hopefully he will bring us good news soon,” replied the deputy chief.

=============

The mid-level floor of the twister tower housed a few meeting rooms with various capacities of occupancy. Two of the rooms were reserved for executive use, and one of them had been occupied since late morning. The first half of the meeting went smoothly since the president of Yuehua Innovations approved several projects before the meeting started. 

However, everyone in that room was rather tense at the moment, especially the executive who just delivered the message from another company.

“So you're telling me that Tech X will not cooperate with us unless I have dinner with their heiress?” the president asked, being dumbfounded by the condition.

The middle-aged man, who was the unfortunate one, used his handkerchief to dab on his sweaty forehead. “That's what the Tech X president said when I talked to him on the phone today,” he confirmed.

Yuehua and Tech X, a big tech company in Beijing, had planned on sharing a federal project. They were to improve the transportation system in Chongqing together. That was only because the mayor of Chongqing contacted them directly and gave them a choice to either cooperate with each other or to bid for the project. Tech X had been one of the giant tech companies for many decades. Yuehua, while being a smaller and younger company, had been making substantial progress in the past fifteen years since Da Zhangwei stepped in as a vice president and a head of the innovation department. It took Yuahua ten years to gain an equal footing with other giant tech companies in the country. 

That old fox!!

“If Tech X wants to put that kind of condition on us, we no longer have to play nice with them,” said the Yuehua president, “Mr. Gu, you can tell Tech X that we don’t deal with people who aren’t professional.”

Some executives protest, “but we might lose the bid!?” “President Wang, it's just dinner!”

The young president lifted his big snowy hand, signaling people to stop arguing. He spoke after everyone had calmed down, “Yuehua is not weak to be unreasonably pressured like this. We have worked hard to get where we are, and I will not allow anyone to exploit my marriage for sake of business. I will talk to the Chongqing mayor and write a fair proposal for him.”

Although they were not reassured at all, nobody wanted to press on the matter especially when it tied to this young president’s love life. Ever since he reached the golden age for marriage, a lot of people had tried to tie a knot with him and his fortune. All of the potential partners were high profile and lacked nothing. Yet he showed no interest and concentrated more on his professions. The very first time that someone suggested the idea in the meeting, everyone quickly found out that he loathed mixing personal and professional life together and would not tolerate the idea. He shut down the idea quickly and mercilessly, and they did not want to relive that meeting again.

“Please proceed with the projects I approved and revise the rest per our discussion this morning,” the young president wrapped up the meeting, “I will take care of the Tech X situation. Any other questions or concerns?”

He took silence as a no. He continued, “thank you for your hard work. Meeting adjourned.”

Once everyone left, the young president sighed heavily. He was irritated by the fact that many people had been trying to take advantage of the fact that he was still a bachelor. He wished people would just leave his personal life alone.

As he got up and was about to leave, he was interrupted by his secretary.

“President Wang, I just got a message from upstairs. Mister Wang Junior is here to see you. He’s already waiting in your office.”

“Thank you, Mr. Li”

The long legs in well-tailored dark slacks hurriedly strode towards an elevator, ignoring a few eyes that were on him. Fortunately, it did not take long for the elevator to arrive. Once he hopped inside the elevator, he stretched and cracked his body while enjoying the view of Luoyang, which was full of interesting architecture and greens that would turn their leaves in fall. The city had changed a lot, thanks to the current mayor and Wang Constructions and Realty that reconstructed the city.

After arriving at the top floor, he quickly walked to his office and opened the door eagerly.

“Jia Ge!”

The man in a three-piece suit, who was enjoying the view by the window, turned around and greeted warmly, “Hello, Yibo. How’s your day today?”

Wang Yibo took off his blazer. Instead of sitting in his chair by the desk, he draped this blazer on the armchair and threw himself on the couch next to it. He swung his long legs up, hanging them over the armrest as he stretched his arms up.

“Boring,” he answered, “I went through a lot of paperwork. Now I have to deal with Tech X. That old fox is trying to set me up with his daughter. So I have to work hard to get the Chongqing project.” He turned his head to look at his visitor and asked, “how about yours, Ge?”

“Also a lot of paperwork. I went over a few contracts earlier today,” his guest replied as he sat in the armchair, “I also had a lengthy meeting and a few phone calls. I ended up not going to check the legal aid office today.”

“Are Uncle and Auntie Wang still trying to find you a wife?”

 “I think they finally gave up,” the guest said, chuckling, “they tried longer than your executives thought.”

Wang Yibo rolled his eyes. His sworn brother, Wang Jackson, was another hot bachelor society had been targeting. His qualifications were second to none. He was the only heir of Wang Constructions and Realty and an Ivy League law school graduate. Aside from his heart-throbbing look, he was also well known for charity works, especially the legal aid office of Luoyang he had helped run since his return from America. Compared to Wang Yibo, Wang Jackson was more grounded and mature despite being only three years older. If Wang Yibo had a daughter, he would want her to marry someone like Wang Jackson.

“How did your night go?” Wang Jackson asked.

“As usual,” replied Wang Yibo, “they got the information. Your client should hear good news soon.”

“Good work,” said Jackson, “I don’t have a case for you today. It might be a few more weeks. You can concentrate on the company. Thank you for helping me with my selfish requests in the past few years.”

“Don’t mention it,” responded Yibo, “I’m more than happy to help, Ge.”

They had run the operation Tracer85 for a while. Although Jackson knew that their approach was improper, it was the best solution he could come up with at the time. Some cases he received were clients with limited resources against upper-class people. The nature of those cases were also involved in illegal acquisition of arts and artifacts, sometimes counterfeit. If he were to pursue the case through a proper route all the time, it would be time and effort consuming. Most young lawyers at the legal aid office already handled a lot of cases. He also did not have that kind of time to work on those cases extensively. 

One night, he talked to Yibo about his dilemma and the operation he had in mind. Yibo volunteered to do it without hesitation. He even dragged Da Zhangwei into this fiasco. When they first started, he and Lao Da were worried about Yibo getting caught. Yet Yibo had been very good with what he did thanks to his athletic abilities and tactical training he went through in his early twenties. 

It had been three years, but Jackson was still worried. It was only a matter of time before someone could figure them out.

“Jia Ge, your brows are knitting together,” Yibo commented, “what’s on your mind?”

Jackson snapped out of it. He looked at Yibo and responded kindly, “nothing much.”

He stood up as he looked at his sworn brother with adoration, “I’m going to leave now. Come see us sometimes. My parents miss you.”

“OK.”

Both men bid farewell before Jackson stepped out from the office. Yibo shut his eyes for a few seconds to get his mind straight. He then sprung up and got ready to draft a proposal for the Chongqing project.

=============

“Mr. Xiao, here is your temporary ID,” a human resources personnel said as he slided the ID towards Xiao Zhan, “you’re all set now. Welcome to our department.”

“Thank you,” Xiao Zhan responded shyly. He got up and bowed to the man in front of him before leaving. He was too focused on getting ready to work, being oblivious about all the eyes that followed him. They were curious about who Xiao Zhan was and were excited to see him around. They started whispering among themselves to find more about him—who he was and why he was here.

Not that he heard those conversations since he and Wang Darren were already on the way to the third floor, where his new office was located. It was a standard room with a desk, a chair, and some filing cabinets.

“If you need anything else, just let me know. I will arrange it for you,” said Darren.

“I need either a big whiteboard or an oversized pinboard to start,” Xiao Zhan responded, “I might need more later.”

Darren wrote the request on his pocket note, “got it. Anything else?”

“Can you show me where the record room is?”

“OK. Follow me.”

Darren took Xiao Zhan to the basement. He also introduced Xiao Zhan to some of his coworkers as they bumped into people. He remembered how popular Xiao Zhan was when they were in college. Although people were drawn to him by his appearance initially, they were struck by his personality and intelligence. Very soon, the same thing would happen here.

Despite being approached by many people, Darren noticed that his friend did not seem to be interested in romance. His friend was always polite and courteous, but most people hardly knew him on a personal level. 

“Hey, Yu Bin!!!”

Wang Darren shouted out after he saw the man behind the desk, who was busy with some files. The man lifted up his head to find the source of that loud voice.

“Darren!?” The man exclaimed. His eyes were already on the man next to his friend. “Wow. You brought a guest here.”

“This is Xiao Zhan, the consultant we just hired,” Darren introduced them, “Xiao Zhan, this is Yu Bin, he’s the record keeper.”

Both men greeted at the same time, “nice to meet you.”

“Consultant? Is this for the Tracer85 case?” Yu Bin asked.

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness,” Yu Bin sighed with relief, “I’m so tired of getting his records. He has too many for one person.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Darren said sarcastically, “for adding so many files on him.”

Yu Bin rolled his eyes, “I am about to lose track on his stuff.”

Darren chuckled. He turned to Xiao Zhan and explained, “Yu Bin can remember a lot of details from different cases. He’s pretty much a control + F in person.”

“Wow,” said Xiao Zhan, “that’s impressive.”

“I’m just nerdy,” replied Yu Bin before he asked, “anyways, what can I help you with today?”

“Mr. Yu,” said Xiao Zhan, “I would like to see all the records on Tracer85 from the beginning until now.”

Yu Bin cocked his head back slightly, taken aback by a few things that the contractor said. He waved his hand in the air as he responded, “first of all, you can just call me Yu Bin, Mr. Xiao. Second, your request would be too much to start with. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but you won’t be able to get through everything today. I can’t allow the records to be away from this area for too long.”

“Please call me Xiao Zhan then,” the contractor replied calmly, “I would like to look at the patterns Tracer85 has established. How should I do that if I can’t go through all the information you have on him?” 

“I can give you that information,” Yu Bin answered, “Tracer85 uses either a modified race car or superbike. He tends to leave a card from a standard 52-card deck. He mostly uses king, ace, eight, and five of either spades or clubs. Let me grab the comprehensive file for you.”

“Thank you.”

The record keeper disappeared behind the other door. The chief detective then chimed in.

“I told you. Yu Bin knows stuff. He consolidates a comprehensive file for cases that take longer to close. So it’s easier for people to look back without having to go through everything.”

“That’s nice. I didn’t know that a record keeper would do that,” the contractor responded.

“I think Yu Bin might be one of a few that does it.”

They waited for a few more minutes before the record keep came out with a thick booklet in his arm. He placed it on the counter before guiding the contractor through the information in the booklet.

“These are pictures of cards he uses. Darren checked and screened them multiple times. You can buy these cards anywhere.”

The contractor took out his pocket note and jotted down the details of the cards. The record keeper flipped to another section once he saw that the contractor was down with his notetaking.

“His superbike looks quite similar to the BMW S1000RR, but there are a lot of modifications being made or else he would not be able to fly mid-air like last night.”

Once the contractor was done taking notes, he inquired more about the case, “I heard that some of the items he stole ended up helping you guys expose how the items were either counterfeit or obtained illegally in the first place. Is that right?”

“Yes. Here is the copy of the list,” answered the record keeper, “you can take it.”

“Wow, you haven’t been this thoughtful with me,” the chief detective interjected playfully, “that’s unfair, Yu Bin.”

The record keeper pretended that he did not hear the comment. The contractor chuckled slightly before turning his attention back to the list.

‘You are awesome, Yu Bin,” he complimented the record keeper, “thank you! This saves me quite a bit of time!”

“You are welcome.”

The contractor gathered everything he got and turned to the chief detective.

“I think I am done here for today,” he said, “thank you for taking me here on your day off.”

 “No, I should be thanking you!” the chief detective beamed, “anyway, are you ready for me to take you back?”

The contractor nodded. He and the chief detective bid farewell to the record keeper before heading out. However, the contractor changed his mind once they were inside the elevator.

“Actually…I want you to take me somewhere else.”

=============

“Are you sure that you know how to get around here?” Wang Darren asked Xiao Zhan, refusing to let him out just yet.

They were outside the building that looked like a stack of books, which matched with the purpose of its existence. The building itself was in the middle of the park, but there were not a lot of people around this hour. Additionally, many books were also made available online. So there were less people who came to use the Luoyang library in person. For those who still loved the library charm and its serenity, It was perfect.

“Yes, Darren,” Xiao Zhan replied, “I will be fine.”

Darren hesitated, and he felt guilty to leave his friend by himself. Yet he let him out with a remark.

“Call or text if you need anything.”

Xiao Zhan smiled as he shut the door. They waved hands to say goodbye before Darren drove away. Xiao Zhan then took his tall and lean figure inside the building. He bowed quickly after making eye contact with older librarians. The almond-shaped eyes then started wandering around with curiosity as he walked around. 

This building had many levels, and it was all marble white. All bookshelves were full, and there were two slidable ladders for each row of bookshelves. Most places inside get lightsource from outside, but some darker corners got warm white light that radiated out from the ceiling. There were many benches, nooks, and alcoves that were either in a plain sight or tugged away neatly. As the tall figure ascended upstairs, he noticed that the interior was shaped as an inverse pyramid, in which the layers of floor got wider.

He was entranced by the interior design and temporality forgot his purpose of being here until he saw a sign that directed him towards the automobile section. He knew that a lot of information could be found on the internet, but he loved being in the library. It was normally a place that he could hide from inquisitive eyes, which he never got used to no matter how long it had been since he noticed that people liked watching him like a bird.

He browsed through a few bookshelves and picked up a few books about motorcycles, mainly motorbikes. He cradled the books in one arm as he searched for a hidden alcove. He happened to find one behind a bookshelf. The space was very nice and cozy with a window bench where one could see almost the whole park outside. There was a big desk next to the bench with an oversized rollable chair. There were also more built-in bookshelves around the alcove, which helped hide this space away unless one had good eyes.

Xiao Zhan settled with the desk since he had a few books to go through. He thought that this could be his new hidden spot.

=============

A tall athletic-built figure in a black leather jacket hopped off the motorcycle once it was parked in a designated spot. Once the helmet came off, it revealed a perfectly-sculpt face with snowy skin. A big hand wiped beads of sweat on forehead as another hand propped the seat up, exposing the hidden compartment that stored a few books in it. Those books were removed promptly before long legs strode towards the city library with one arm cradling the books and another arm hugging the helmet against the waist.

The tall figure dropped off the books at the counter. Once one of the older librarians saw the figure, he beamed.

“Little Yibo, I can’t believe that I would see you today!”

“Yes, grandpa,” the younger one answered politely, “it has been a few weeks.”

“How have you been? Is everything ok?” the older man asked kindly. His eyes were full of warmth. He then smiled once the younger man nodded.

“Good. Tell Little Zhangwei to stop by sometimes. I haven’t seen him for a while, and I want to see him before I sleep in my grave.”

“Don’t say that,” the younger one protested, “you will be kicking around for a long time.”

The older man only shook his head before letting the younger man off the hook. The younger man bowed politely before he headed upstairs to his usual spot.

Wang Yibo had been a regular borrower since he was young. His family had helped maintain this library for many years. His mother loved to read to him and would take him here. When his parents passed away, it was Da Zhangwei who would take him here. It was one of a few places that he was not treated differently. The librarians here had watched him grow up and kept him safe when he stayed here. Even though he had been very busy, he would still find time to be here when he could.

He was glad that he did not forget the spare clothes and books he had to return today. After wrapping up with the paperwork, he changed quickly and zipped through the rush hours to get here. He was hoping to pick a few books and read some of it here while waiting for the traffic to die down.

Once he reached the third floor, he went to his favorite section. He had not had time to study motorcycles lately and would like to get on it to find a new project for his older brother to do. While sifting through a few books, he noticed that somebody took some books from the shelves. It made him curious who it was since he did not know a lot of people who were also into motorcycles like he did.

Wang Yibo picked a few books on the engine before going to his regular alcove. He abruptly stopped his steps after seeing a slender figure already in his usual spot. That had not happened in years since this place was a little difficult to find. He then saw a stack of books on the desk, all were about motorcycles. 

“I never thought that I would meet another person who’s also into motorcycles this much.”

He did not realize that he actually said it out loud until the other party turned around to look at him. His upturned eyes were hypnotized by the oval-shaped, sun-kissed face that fit perfectly with that fluffy short dark hair. The large, obsidian eyes, twinkling like the dark sky full of stars, looked back at him and shifted towards the helmet. Those crimson lips parted slightly from surprise.

Wang Yibo’s breaths were taken away by the stranger in front of him, who also happened to look very ethereal. He had met many beautiful people. Yet no one ever moved his heart, making it skip a few beats and palpitate madly in his chest. His stomach also seemed to grow butterflies all of a sudden.

He felt bewitched for the first time in his life!

Chapter Text

[Act 3]

“Oh.”

Both men blurted out at the same time, being startled by each other. The man who was at the desk tilted his head. His almond-shaped eyes glued on the other man, observing the flawless face and perfectly-sculpted body. From a brief look, he could tell that the other man was athletic. The other man was also likely to be into motorcycles based on the helmet in his arm and how he started the conversation. His body stood firm and tall, exuding confidence and charm. The man at the desk concluded that the other man was likely to be from an affluent family and quite popular.

“I apologize if I was out of the line,” the other man said. His voice was deep and pleasant, “I never thought that I would see someone with those books and in my frequent spot.”

“You are not out of the line at all,” the man at the desk responded with a bright smile, “although I can’t claim that I am into motorcycles. I am here for research.”

“If this is your first time looking into motorcycles, you have picked decent books,” the other man commented as he walked towards the window bench and situated himself on it comfortably, “may I ask what makes you do the research on motorcycles?”

The question was not difficult to answer, but the man at the desk found himself becoming slightly sluggish. He was not sure if it was because of the scent of high-end cologne mixed with sandalwood or the fact that the other man looked even more attractive up close. Despite being observant, he was always impartial and was never drawn towards someone.

“I would like to get to know one of my acquaintances better,” he replied after getting a hold of himself, “he seems to be into this kind of stuff.”

The other man lifted one of his brows as he inquired, “Oh? Is it just his hobby or is he a professional racer?”

“Hobby.” I think.

“Do you know which model your acquaintance is into in particular?”

“I believe that it's a BMW S1000RR.”

“Ah,” the man by the window exclaimed, “that’s actually a superbike. You might want to look at the second book from the top of your stack instead.”

“Thank you,” the man at the desk replied. The crimson lips curved upward, “I assume that you are also into speed. Am I right?”

The man by the window raised a corner of his mouth in response. He stretched out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Yibo. Nice to meet you,” said the man. 

“Pleasure is mine, Yibo,” the man at the desk responded and shook hands, “I’m Xiao Zhan.”

Xiao Zhan quickly assessed Yibo’s hand with his highly analytical mind. That hand was slightly bigger than his. It was cool and fair like jade and was without callus, supporting his initial impression of Yibo.  

“Please feel free to ask me about superbikes and motorcycles,” Wang Yibo offered, “I am more than happy to help you with research.”

Since Xiao Zhan was new in town, it would be nice if he could make new friends. So he took Yibo’s offer. Yibo situated himself closer to Xiao Zhan and started explaining the differences between superbikes and motorcycles. Then he went on to different top models in each category. His deep voice was full of excitement. Those upturned dark eyes sparkled like a starry night. Xiao Zhan initially thought that Yibo would be like a perfect sculpture, but that marked enthusiasm made him take another look at Yibo. 

As Xiao Zhan took a mental note, a small mole between the nose and the left brow on the fine face caught his eye. He suddenly realized that their proximity was quite close. While having a fair share of exposure to high-profile people professionally, he was rarely intimidated or nervous by those encounters. The man next to him, however, exuded another level of presence. 

Either he had a bias, or it confirmed his initial hypothesis regarding the man.

No, Xiao Zhan. Concentrate. You are here to work.

Meanwhile, Wang Yibo noticed the big obsidian eyes that were gleaming as he kept going on about motorbikes. He was not sure if the beautiful man in front of him was mesmerized by the topic or just lost in his thoughts. The man rested his chin on the back of his hand, tilting that oval-shaped face with creamy skin. Wang Yibo also noted a mole under the left side of that soft-looking lower lip. It was truly a bewitching sight, and he never thought that a man could be so captivating. 

Maybe Xiao Zhan was the only exception.

Despite being popular, Wang Yibo had not dated anyone seriously. He enjoyed his freedom and was too occupied by all the projects he had. Some people called him a heartbreaker even though he always set a consistent boundary. He wondered how many hearts had been broken by the man next to him.

“You look a little dazed,” said Wang Yibo, “did I bore you?”

“No!” Xiao Zhan exclaimed as he came to his senses. His long finger scratched the tip of his nose as he explained, “I am just impressed by your knowledge. It sounds like you are pretty serious about your hobby.”

The corner of rosy lips lifted slightly, “I race occasionally.”

“That’s really cool,” Xiao Zhan responded in awe, “I could never do that. I can’t even handle a motorcycle.”

“I don’t mind teaching you,” Wang Yibo offered, “if your friend has not taught you yet.”

Xiao Zhan shook his head. He then confessed, “I can’t even ride a bicycle, let alone a motorcycle.”

Wang Yibo tilted his head as he lifted his eyebrows. He pursed his lips together, trying to hold his laughter. Yet twinkles in his eyes and puffy cheeks gave it away, and Xiao Zhan did not miss it.

“You can laugh if you want,” he responded as he rolled his eyes, “it was hard to learn in my hometown. Too many hills.”

The one who got called out cleared his throat, “I apologize,” said he, “I wasn’t trying to make fun of you at all. You are never too old to learn. A bicycle will be very convenient for you to get around, especially on campus.”

“Campus?”

Wang Yibo questioned back, “aren’t you a college student that just left his hometown?”

Xiao Zhan started laughing.

Oh.

Wang Yibo was speechless. That bright smile in front of him, like morning sunshine, showed perfectly aligned bunny teeth and curved up the almond-shaped eyes. Clear chuckles through those bunny teeth tickled his heart gently, taking his breath away. He was dazed for a brief moment before a soothing voice that responded to his question brought him back. 

“It has been years since I was done with college, but I am glad to know that I still look like a college student. Thank you.”

The younger man ran his long and slender fingers through his hair, hoping to brush away all the feelings the older man had stirred up. He tried to keep the cool guy image as he disliked being treated like a young person.

“Aiz,” he sighed, “here I am, thinking that you are younger than me. I ought to call you Zhan Ge.”

“Sure, Little Friend,” the older man said playfully. He even giggled after seeing the response of the other party. He could see that ‘Little Friend’ was almost pouting, but all that friend did was glaring intensely.

“Zhan Ge, I don’t think I am that much younger than you,” said the friend, “I am also tall. So I don’t think that the word ‘little’ fits me.”

But you are acting very young right now.  

The older man thought, but he would not rebut the younger man’s opinion. He instead asked, “what year are you then?”

“97. You?”

“91.”

“Wow,” the younger man blurted out, “Zhan Ge, you look ageless.”

Xiao Zhan found it odd to feel the tip of his ears burning hot only by hearing Yibo call him Zhan Ge. Moreover, hearing a compliment from Yibo also made him more embarrassed than usual. Yet it was not the time for him to process what this was about. He was here to investigate Tracer85. He needed to finish this case as soon as he could since his sick parent was waiting at home.

“Anyway,” he brushed off the compliment and put his uneasiness on the back burner, “I need to head out soon. Thank you for your recommendation.”

“Ah. Let me help you, Zhan ge.”

Wang Yibo got up and helped Xiao Zhan set out books he recommended and put away the rest. While it was very subtle, Wang Yibo could pick up the fact that Xiao Zhan was slightly flustered. It seemed that Xiao Zhan did not know what to do with the compliments. His hawkeyes also caught the reddened ears. 

So cute and teasable .

He helped Xiao Zhan carry the books to the checkout counter. The librarians were already familiar with him but not Xiao Zhan. So he noticed a few glances on the man next to him. Luckily, it was nearly closing time or else they would attract a lot of attention. That was something Wang Yibo did not want, and that was the reason why he did not mention his surname.

“Young Master, you brought a friend!” a librarian started the conversation as she scanned books, “it’s nice to meet you, mister..”

“Xiao Zhan,” he responded, being unaware of a glare that Young Master shot at the librarian and the hand gesture that tried to stop the librarian from saying anything more.

The librarian was quick-witted. She shelved some of the questions she wanted to ask originally, but she still inquired nonetheless.

“You are getting quite a few books about motorcycles. Are you into them as well?”

“I am doing research on them,” Xiao Zhan answered, “and this Young Master helped me pick some books.”

Wang Yibo eyebrows twitched after hearing a subtle emphasis on ‘Young.’ He kept his composure as he explained, “I have been here frequently since I was young. That’s the nickname these aunties called me.”

“I see,” said the librarian, “you have the right help.”

They exchanged a few small talk as Xiao Zhan put the books in his reusable tote. After bidding a farewell to the librarians, Wang Yibo escorted Xiao Zhan to the main entrance.

“Zhan Ge, where do you live? I can drop you off. You have too many books.”

“That’s OK, Yibo,” Xiao Zhan replied, “You already helped me a lot today. Maybe next time.”

Wang Yibo was disappointed but said right away, “let’s exchange the number then.”

Xiao Zhan smiled before he nodded. Two men exchanged their phone numbers. 

“Text me, OK?” said Wang Yibo, “I want to give you a tour around here.”

“OK,” promised Xiao Zhan.

After saying goodbye to each other, the older man watched the back of the younger man moving further away towards the parking lot. He turned around and started heading to a train station once that back was no longer visible. A few minutes later, however, he heard the humming of a motorbike behind him. The bright headlight was approaching slowly before it almost stopped. If he guessed correctly, it was the young man whom he just left.

For some men, a motorbike was an accessory to make them stand out. For the tall, well-built figure in front of him, he made his motorbike a part of him. He used his long fingers under a black leather glove to push the shield visor on the helmet up, revealing the familiar pair of jet black eyes. 

“I will be waiting for your contact,” said the figure, “have a good night, Zhan Ge.” 

While the deep voice was gentle, those dark eyes were intense enough to weaken some knees. The older man finally realized that he was about to get in trouble.

“Good night, Yibo,” he replied, “I will see you soon.”

The other man nodded, and even winked, before putting the shield visor back and sprinting away with his motorbike, leaving the trail of roar from his engine on the way.

I am glad I didn’t go with him today. The older man thought. That tease and speed were likely to give him a heart attack.

=============

The Luoyang Special Force provided the ex-agent of the Central Bureau of Investigation a decent-sized room that was tugged away from the traffic. Out of the four walls, only one had windows. Yet the room was still well-lit by natural light with a view of ginkgo trees and peonies outside. Two walls were covered by oversized pinboards, and another wall was a big whiteboard. In the middle of the room was a large table that could fit twelve seats.

This room was pretty much what the ex-agent asked for.

He stacked the books and the files separately. He started with the files. Luckily, the notes were already well-written thanks to the very capable record keeper Yu Bin. He made a timeline on the whiteboard and started pinning some notes on the pinboards.

As Yu Bin mentioned to him yesterday, a lot of stolen goods by Tracer85 turned into another investigation on either the victims of Tracer85, the stolen goods, or both. Most of these victims were wealthy with connections, and the origins of the goods were also questionable. In the end, most of these cases stalemated because officers involved were told not to investigate further and to focus on catching the thief. Xiao Zhan, as a contractor, was expected to follow that order. Yet because of his connection with the CBI, whoever behind the scene had to thread carefully. Whether or not Wang Darren planned this part out, it was still a good move to get him involved.

As a starter, he separated the files into completed cases, dropped cases, and open cases. For each stolen item, Xiao Zhan tried to find all previous owners and made a list of contact information when it was available. Those without this information were separated out to another pile for further digging. Next, he went over the cards this thief left as souvenirs every time after showing up. Those cards were from a standard 52-card deck. After going through many cases, he noticed that he saw King, Ace, Eight, and Five cards from either clubs or spades more often than other cards. He immediately jotted that pattern down on the whiteboard. It might be worthwhile to investigate more.

Xiao Zhan circled back to the table and alternated his gaze between the contact list, the pile and needed more information, the pinboard, and the whiteboard. The amount of work in front of him was overwhelming, and he tried to be as efficient as he could.

I think I am going to need some help, but let’s focus on what I can do right now. He thought.

He decided to work on the complete cases first since there were more things to work with at this point. The first one he got was a jade statue of Guan Yin that was a few hundred years old. At the time, Tracer85 left a note: I have retrieved the jade Guan Yin and will return it to the rightful owner . This thief clearly did not mean the one he stole it from. He also left a package for the department. Further investigation revealed that the statue was brought to the victim’s shop by Mr. Yin for appraisal. The victim told Mr. Yin that it will take some time to evaluate the statue. When Mr. Yin picked up the statue, he ended up with a replica. Mr. Yin reported to the Luoyang Police Department, but the department could not assist Mr. Yin because the victim claimed that his statue was purchased from his business partner. The victim also had authenticated paperwork and evidence to support his claim. Frustrated, Mr. Yin went to a local pro bono law office for consultation. While no legal action was taken, the statue was stolen a few months later. Additionally, a stack of evidence to prosecute the appraiser and his business partner for theft and forgery.

The second case was Madam Liu and her Zitan box with carved peonies, phoenix, and dragon with embedded pearls. It was a family heirloom of the Liu family since the Ming era. Zitan boxes were known to be valuable, and only a few pieces were left. Madam Liu was in the process of donating this heirloom to the Luoyang museum, but it disappeared during the transport. Somehow it showed up on the local news one day that Mr. Shen, an oil tycoon from Luoyang, would be donating the same Zitan box. Madam Liu reported to the Luoyang Police Department, but the department could not assist her because her testimony was not credible enough. She ended up at the same local pro bono law office for consultation. The case ended up like Mr. Yin’s, no legal action was taken. The box was initially stolen, but it was returned with documents that exposed Mr. Shen’s wrongdoing.

After reviewing a few more cases, Xiao Zhan saw the patterns. Tracer85’s victims were those in the wrong, but the police department failed to take action. Some goods were returned later, but new evidence would almost always be provided to enforce laws on the ‘victims.’ Moreover, all cases are tied to a local pro bono law office. 

Thanks to Yu Bin’s note, Xiao Zhan did not have to search for all pro bono law offices here. There was only one pro bono law office in Luoyang. It was funded by Wang Constructions and Realty. There was also a note saying that Wang Jackson, a hot shot lawyer, ran this law office with other retired lawyers. He was a sole heir of Wang construction and real estate tycoon who went to an Ivy league university for his law degree. He was known for his compassion and god-sent look. In terms of athletic abilities, he used to fence for the Olympics. He was one of the two Da Wang bachelors in Luoyang, another being Wang Yibo.

The detective wondered if it could be the same Yibo he met yesterday. After all, charisma exuding from the athletic-built figure was no joke.

‘I will be waiting for your contact. Have a good night, Zhan Ge.’

  Ah..

The detective buried his beautiful face in both palms. He was never attracted to a man before, but he never fell hard for a woman either. He was unsure if this was a sole admiration or something else was going on.

Nope. Let’s focus on work!

=============

Ding dong.

After the bell rang, the guest heard the sound of the lock unwinded before the black door slid itself open. The guest brought himself inside and took off his shoes. He then walked down a hallway full of showcases of awards and art collections. Part of the hallway was glass windows all the way to the other end, exposing a mid-sized Chinese garden in the middle of the mansion. Not long after, he saw a familiar entertaining room with a mid-century modern design. Somehow it blended well with the touch of Chinese arts and crafts displayed in the room. 

The room utilized an open concept, with an ultra high ceiling and zen-looking chandelier hanging down from the ceiling. Some walls here were glass windows, uncovering trees that surrounded the building. The guest situated himself on a sectional couch made of dark leather, with some pillow throws decorated with stitching of peonies. His eyes laid on a gas fireplace in front of him, letting his mind wander around.

He thought about the ethereal man he encountered the other day. It had been almost 24 hours, and he wondered when he would see the man again.

“Ha…”

A big sigh left thin lips as the rugged figure laid down on the couch. He then heard footsteps coming towards him, with glasses clanging against each other. Dark eyes glanced towards the sound, watching another lean figure approaching him.

“Long day, eh?” The owner of the mansion asked as he put down wine glasses and a wine bottle. 

The guest propped himself up, “waiting for something just makes the day longer,” he replied.

“Oh?”

The owner walked away again and came back minutes after with a charcuterie plate. The guest was already working on opening the wine bottle and serving the wine.

“I am waiting for someone,” the guest said, “but I don’t know how much longer I must wait.”

The owner asked, “Is that someone your crush?”

The guest  put a piece of cured meat in his mouth and nodded. The other party grinned from cheek to cheek with joy.

“Tell me more about your crush. This is huge, Yibo!! A lot of people are getting their hopes crushed!!!”

“Jia Ge, I will tell you more once I know him better,” responded Wang Yibo, “all I can tell you is I haven’t met someone so beautiful like that. His smile is like sunshine.”

“OK,” Wang Jiaer said, “I will be rooting for you.”

The two Da Wang bachelors exchanged some pleasantries. They had been sworn brothers since childhood. When Wang Yibo’s parents passed away, Wang Jiaer’s parents took him under their wings and raised him even after Da Zhangwei became an official guardian. With similar family backgrounds and interests, it was not difficult for them to bond. Moreover, they knew they could trust each other with anything. 

At one point, Wang Jiaer told Wang Yibo about an anonymous present he got today. After hearing what was sent, Wang Yibo almost spilled his wine.

“Gosh Ge, I can’t believe some girls sent you her bra….that’s messed up.”

“Haha…I don’t know what to do.” Wang Jiaer replied, “There is no returning address. It was a nice one too.”

Wang Yibo knitted his brows together “Can’t you throw it away?”

“Maybe I can put it in lost and found,” laughed Wang Jiaer.

“Sigh. Sometimes you are just too nice,” commented the younger man, looking at the older one while shaking his head. “I doubt she would dare claim it back.” 

“Well, you never know,” replied Wang Jiaer, playfully. 

Wang Yibo took a few more bites of cheese and cured meat, followed by the last sip of wine. He then asked, “anyway, what is the case this time?”

 “Well, a replica of the golden phoenix hairpin from Tang Dynasty,” said Wang Jiaer, “Mr. Yuan received a commission a few months ago for it. He didn’t think too much about it initially. He found out a couple days ago that his replica would be placed in the museum while the real deal would be auctioned in a black market.”

The lawyer got up and went to the wood panel surrounding the fireplace. He gently tapped it, revealing a hidden cabinet. He retrieved a file there, closed the cabinet, and approached the racer.

“Mr. Yuan wanted the replica back,” said the lawyer as he gave the file to the racer, “the exchange is next week, and that’s when we operate…if you agree to do it.”

“Alright,” responded the racer. He took the file and said, “let’s get it going then.”

“Thanks,” the lawyer replied, “be careful as always. I heard that Luoyang Special Force just hired a consultant who was a CBI agent.”

“CBI as the Central Bureau of Investigation?” asked the racer.

“Yes,” answered the lawyer, “I was told that he was one of the best there.”

Long fingers started flipping papers, “I wonder why he left if he was the best,” the racer murmured.

“Just be careful,” prompted the lawyer, “anyway, it’s getting late. You can spend the night here if you want.”

“Good deal, Ge,” the younger one responded, “I can enjoy your Chinese garden in the morning before I leave.”

The older one smiled warmly as he cleaned up the table. The younger one started studying the case. Deep down, he was excited about the showdown with this consultant.

I hope it won’t be a let down.

Chapter Text

[Act 4]

Officers of Luoyang Special Force, women in particular, stopped whatever they were doing and started turning their heads. All eyes were on the svelte and tall figure that graced his presence in the hallway. His shining obsidian eyes looked straight at another officer, who finally realized why the room became quiet, through a glass window.

“Xiao Zhan? What brought you here?”

Xiao Zhan smiled brightly “Hi, Yu Bin,” he greeted, “I could not find you at your desk. So I thought that you might be here for a short break.”

Although being excellent in his duties, Yu Bin got bored sometimes when he had to be in the basement by himself. He would occasionally come up here to catch up with the latest news. However, he had been asked to come up here more often. He finally understood why he was suddenly needed so frequently.

“You got me there,” said Yu Bin. He scratched his head awkwardly as he noticed many pairs of eyes on him and Xiao Zhan. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan was oblivious to the situation. Either because he did not pay attention, or he was used to it.

Xiao Zhan stated politely, “I need your help. Can we step out for a minute?”

“Sure.”

Immediately after stepping out, both men heard different conversations and giggles from ladies. While inaudible, it was not hard for Yu Bin to guess the content of those dialogues.

“Man, you sure are popular,” commented Yu Bin, “it seems to me that you are used to these reactions from people now.”

Xiao Zhan responded meekly, “not really, I am not sure why people pay attention to me. I just try to focus on what I am doing since I feel self-conscious.”

Wow. You really don’t know!?

Yu Bin was stunned for a while, but he decided not to dwell on this matter. He could not share a sentiment of being gorgeous and popular. While there might be some perks, he was sure that receiving a lot of attention could be problematic.

“Anyway, what can I help you with?” he asked after both of them settled in one of the empty meeting rooms.

“I want to get to know Wang Jiaer,” answered Xiao Zhan, “I suspect that he may be deeply involved in the case.”

“Ah…you are not the first person who said that, but nobody could get anything on him,” said Yu Bin, “the team looked into him before since a lot of cases were tied to the pro bono office he ran, but he was not the only one in that office.”

He started rocking the chair as he explained further, “the team also suspected his best friend, Wang Yibo, who happens to race cars and motorcycles professionally. He was investigated before, but he always had an alibi. This young man is a workaholic. He also ran his company during the day.”

“Well, a perfect alibi in itself is suspicious,” stated Xiao Zhan.

“That’s true too,” said Yu Bin, “I am not going to dissuade you though. You are here to find what we have missed after all.”

The recorder of Luoyang Special Force pulled out a small notepad and a pen from his shirt pocket. He spent some time scribbling on a few pages. He then tore those pages out before handing them to the contractor.

“These are hobbies that Wang Jiaer likes doing and places that he frequently goes to,” the recorder elaborated, “but most places are exclusive. So it’s difficult to approach him.”

Dark Ruifeng eyes scanned those notes quickly. The amount of information was just right. One of the things listed was ‘watching Wang Yibo race.’ He just had to gather as many puzzles as he could while waiting for an opportunity to observe the two Wangs.

Rosy lips stretched out with joy, “you are amazing, Yu Bin! Thank you!”

“I am glad that my skill is helpful to you,” the recorder responded shyly.

With that, the contractor left for his workspace, leaving the recorder by himself. The recorder stood up after the other party left. He stretched lazily, eyes looking through the windows. Outside was perfect weather for outdoor activities. The blue sky was clear with a breeze that gently rakes lush tree branches. 

He hoped this kind of peaceful day would last for a long time.

==============

A few hours later, the former Central Bureau of Investigation agent was startled by a sudden door opening. There stood the chief detective with widened eyes. He did not huff and puff, but some beads of sweat on his forehead gave away the fact that dashed here as fast as possible.

“?”

“IT’S HERE!!” the chief detective yelled, “Tracer85 sent a notice to us!!! Come with me to the meeting room!”

The former agent sprung up, leaving whatever he was doing. Instead of using an elevator, both men trotted to the meeting room by stairs. They briskly got inside the room where many officers already gathered around, including Deputy Chief Wang Han and Captain Qian Feng.

There was a standard-size greeting card and the King of Clubs card on the table. There was a short message on the greeting card: 

18:00. Next Monday. The golden phoenix will soar in the sky above the Yellow River. #230.

People started talking among themselves, trying to decipher the message.

“Why must he be so vague, as always?” one officer griped.

The former CBI agent contemplated the message silently as others discussed some possibilities. He recalled many notices from Tracer85 he read in the past few days. All of them were concise and could be cryptic. Tracer85 was generous enough to give the Luoyang Special Force a few days to decrypt their message. Each notice was accompanied by a card from a standard 52-card deck. Those cards came from either a club or a spade set.   

18:00 is definitely a time. The location must be somewhere along the Yellow River…and 230 is probably a part of the location. Most likely not a house or a building number. As for the golden phoenix…it must be a replica of some sort based on all things he stole thus far. What kind of objects is it though?

“What could the golden phoenix be?” questioned the captain, “some sort of statue?”

A few minutes later, the deputy chief finally gave an order, “Attention! Grab yourself a seat or find a corner somewhere. After everyone is situated, we will begin our discussion.”

It did not take long before everyone found a place to settle. The former CBI agent and the chief detective stood by the window closer to the higher rank officers.

“Alright, the date and time are obvious. The location, on the other hand, is ambiguous,” said Wang Han, “at least we knew that it is somewhere along the Yellow River.”

“Do we have any addresses that start with 230 along the river?” Qian Feng asked officers from the intel department.

One of the officers looked for information on a tactical laptop for a while before reporting back, “negative, sir.”

“If there is no address that starts with 230, then it might be a room or a unit number,” said Xiao Zhan, “maybe we can start with storage facilities or warehouses. How many are there along the river?”

“There are three in total,” replied the officer, “Two of them are regular storage units, but one of them probably has less that 200 units since it is a lot smaller than the rest. Another one is a warehouse.”

Darren Wang chimed in, “if that’s the case, we can check out two places first.”

“As for the golden phoenix, it must be some sort of artifact,” said Wang Han, “the question is what kind of object that is.”

Xiao Zhan already suspected that the golden phoenix might be a replica of some sort based on his analysis on previous cases. However, figuring out what it was exactly was not high on his priority list.

Xiao Zhan could see how the Luoyang Special Force Unit had been played by Tracer85. By leaving vague clues, coupled by multiple failures in the past, Tracer85 had successfully stirred the LSFU. With the recent budget cut, the LSFU was under tremendous pressure to succeed. It was understandable how this could steer the LSFU away from the big picture, and it was his job to help the LSFU get back on its track.

“We can investigate further after locating the storage unit,” Xiao Zhan responded, “our priority should focus on finding the storage unit first. Then we can track down the owner of the unit and go from there.”

The chief deputy Wang nodded, “then I will leave that to you both, Investigator Xiao and Chief Detective Wang.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Captain Qian, you will be in charge of staging.”

“Roger.”

“As for the rest of us, we will split into smaller groups for information and chase units,” commanded the chief deputy, “I know that it has been a long battle without success for us. As long as we retain our spirits in serving Luoyang and catching this thief, we will overcome our shortcomings and successfully put this thief behind the bar. With assistance from Investigator Xiao, I believe the day we capture Tracer85 will be very soon.”

Investigator Xiao jolted after hearing roars in the meeting room before stretching his rosy lips upward faintly. Although the LSFU had been struggling, their spirit was still intact thanks to Chief Deputy Wang. Moreover, his chief detective friend informed him recently that prior to hiring him, the chief deputy attempted to get help from the Central Bureau of Investigation multiple times without avail. It was rare to find a leader who was sincere and was able to set aside their pride when they needed help. The LSFU was truly blessed with a leader like Wang Han.

If that was his experience at the Central Bureau of Investigation, things would have turned out differently.

“Hey.”

“!!”

Xiao Zhan’s mind came back to reality after feeling a hand on his shoulder. He automatically turned his head towards the voice that called him, which happened to be Darren Wang.

“We should split up,” said the chief detective, “I am going to the storage place on the west side. So you go to the warehouse.”

“OK,” responded Xiao Zhan, “call me once you have an update.”

“Likewise.”

He watched Darren Wang leaving with some officers quietly. It had been a while since he thought about his previous department.

Let’s focus on this moment. He thought.

==============

Ding.

A warehouse owner lifted his head up from the newspaper in front of him after hearing the bell from the front door as it was pushed open. He unconsciously adjusted his glasses when he saw a tall figure strode in elegantly. A well-defined face, as if it was a masterpiece bust, shone radiantly with a polite smile. Behind the figure were two sturdy men in a uniform, looking less relaxed. If it were not for those uniforms, he would have thought that he encountered some celebrity. 

The owner wondered if he was in trouble. He asked rather timidly, “how can I help you, sir?”

“Good afternoon, uncle,” said the tall figure with a bright smile. Long fingers reached for the identification badge in one of the pockets and displayed it to the owner, “I am Investigator Xiao, with the Luoyang Special Force Unit. I am here with my colleagues for a lead. We would like to ask for your cooperation.”

It was known locally that when the LSFU showed up, most of the time the matter had to do with Tracer85. While it was exciting to watch the news about the master thief, it was a different situation when oneself was involved in the case.

“Please don’t tell me that it has to do with Tracer85!” the owner groaned.

Investigator Xiao spoke calmly, “we can’t say yet since this is an initial investigation. Please hang tight, uncle.”

“Alright,” the owner responded while trying to soothe himself with his breathing, “I will do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you,” responded the investigator, “we would like to know if you have warehouse number 230. If so, we need to contact the person that rents that unit from you.”

“I definitely have it, but I need to check who is renting that unit currently,” the owner replied before pulling up some information on a computer. It did not take him very long to find what he was looking for. 

“Ah! That unit is rented by the Luoyang Museum of Arts.”

“!?”

“Oh, come to think of it,” one of the officers mentioned, “my wife said that there will be a special exhibition for arts and crafts from Tang Dynasty starting next Thursday.”

“Could you please contact the museum regarding this matter?” asked the investigator before turning to the storage facility owner with a request, “uncle, please show me the unit and the surrounding area.”

“Yes, sir,” responded the officer. He immediately called the museum to get more information and to ask for cooperation.

“Of course,” said the owner, “please follow me.”

Investigator Xiao and another officer followed the owner to a golf cart outside. Once everyone was seated, the owner started driving while Investigator Xiao dialed his phone.

Duu—- Duu—-

//Hey, Xiao Zhan! What’s the update?//

“Hey, Darren. We are on the way to the warehouse,” answered Xiao Zhan, “Per owner, it is currently rented by the Luoyang Museum of Arts. One of our men is contacting the museum as we speak. I was just told that there will be the Tang Dynasty arts and crafts exhibition starting next Tuesday. There is a high possibility that this unit is what we are looking for.”

//Great!// Darren Wang beamed. //I’m still going to double check here to make sure that we don’t miss anything. Once we are clear, we will head your way.//

“That’s wise. I agree with your plan,” Xiao Zhan commented, “see you in a few then.”

//Alright. Bye.//

Click–

Not long after Xiao Zhan hung up the phone, the owner slowed down the golf cart before putting it to park in front of the warehouse number 230. The unit itself was facing the river, with a size of a small townhouse and a blue metal roof on the top. There was a keypad to the door instead of a regular lock and key.

As he stepped out from his seat, his phone started ringing.

“Hello.”

//Hello, Investigator Xiao.// Greeted the officer at the end of the line. //I just got off the phone with the manager of the Luoyang Museum of Arts. She gave us permission to access the storage unit. However, she requested that we refrain from touching anything until she arrives. She will get here in half an hour. She will also inform the director. I will text the access information shortly.//

“Thank you, officer,” replied Xiao Zhan, “I spoke to Chief Detective Wang recently and was told that his team there is investigating the unit there. If the situation is cleared, his team will join us. Please update his team on the situation since I am about to do a quick survey for possible staging.”

//Received. I will contact Chief Detective Wang right away.//

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Zhan received a text message that contained the access code to the door. Before entering the code, he turned to the storage unit owner to thank him for his cooperation.

”Uncle, thank you for bringing us here. I am sorry if our presence makes you feel uneasy.”

”No worries, Investigator Xiao,” replied the owner, “looking on the bright side, I am excited to see the infamous thief in person. He is a celebrity after all.”

Xiao Zhan smiled faintly before punching in the access code. He then opened the door after the green light was lit. The officer that was with him flipped the light switch nearby, illuminating the space inside the unit.

The space seemed to be adequate for whatever that was stored there, partly due to how organized it was inside. There were shelves, which were full of boxes with labels, lining against three walls. In the middle, there were two islands of stacked wooden boxes with labels on them.

Long pair of legs strode forward, surveying the repository slowly. There was officially one exit, which was the door he just entered through. As the investigator looked up, he saw the metal roof with some light bulbs attached to the beams. He was confident that the roof would be what Tracer85 used as a passage if this was the actual target.

He turned around and asked the officer in a low voice, “when you guys encountered Tracer85 in the past, what methods did he use to slow down the LSFU?”

“Different magic tricks of his,” the officer answered, “anything that distracts our attention or obscures our sight on him.”

The investigator inquired further, “What about smoke bombs or tear gas?”

“He has used them before, but it was once in a while.”

”Did you notice whether or not he prefers particular methods in specific settings or situations?”

The officer looked slightly dumbfounded, “uh…not really sir. Everytime we encountered him, he used different tricks. They weren’t in particular orders either.”

”That’s alright,” said the investigator, “thank you for your help.”

”I’m sorry that I could not be more specific. You might understand more once you meet him on the scene.”

“I understand.”

Xiao Zhan had always been into figuring out patterns, fine details, and his target’s thought process. His gut feeling already told him that this infamous thief was excellent in what he did if he truly had many tricks under his sleeve. If he were in the thief’s shoes, he would definitely use something to hide his presence and crippled the LSFU.

While Xiao Zhan was dwelling on what Tracer85 would do, there were clicking sounds from heels coming from the entrance. He looked towards that direction and saw a petite woman in her business casual, with a loose-fit white blouse and a dark pair of work pants. The woman looked youthful, but he had no idea how old she actually was.

”Hello, Investigator Xiao,” said the woman as she extended her hand out, “I am Manager Liu from the Luoyang Museum of Arts. Thank you for waiting for me before starting your investigation.”

”Nice to meet you, Manager Liu,” responded Xiao Zhan. He shook her hand briefly.

”I already informed Director Yan about this situation. Once the LSFU is done with the initial investigation, he would like to have an official meeting regarding the plan.”

“Sounds great,” said Xiao Zhan. He elaborated further, “another team is investigating another place currently. Right now we just want to find the place that Tracer85 targets this time.”

Manager Liu received the message, “Alright. What can I do for you?”

“I heard that you will have an exhibition on the Tang dynasty arts soon. Does the golden phoenix ring any bell?”

“Yes,” Manager Liu replied immediately, “there is one golden phoenix hairpin from the Tang era, which I saw briefly. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the whole thing was made of gold. Carved flower petals constructed the body of the hairpin. The tail of the phoenix ornamented with the mother of pearl, and the eye was embedded with jade.”

“I would like to take a look,” stated Xiao Zhan.

”Sure thing,” Manager Liu agreed, “please follow me,”

The manager took the LSFU team to the middle part of the warehouse. With her right index finger, she slowly traced a label on each box until she found the one she wanted. She then carefully carried the box in both hands before putting it on top of one of the wooden boxes to stabilize the base.

After opening the box, the LSFU team had their eyes wide open. The officer was amazed enough to whistle. The hairpin was in a pristine condition, like new even. The investigator could see all details that were described to him previously. It looked even more delicate and precious in its physical form. He could not even fathom the value of it.

Yet based on the pattern he analyzed so far, it was also possible that the artifact in front of him was a counterfeit.

“I assume that this has been authenticated,” Investigator Xiao mentioned.

”Yes,” Manager Liu responded, “Director Yan did that himself.”

“I think this is the place that Tracer85 targets,” said Investigator Xiao, “Please excuse me. I need to call the chief detective immediately. Thank you for showing the hairpin to us.”

”Not a problem.”

Investigator Xiao stepped outside while reaching for his phone in a pocket. Through the corner of his eye, he could see the warehouse owner sit in his golf cart. The owner looked quite anxious for a definite answer. He only pointed his index finger up in front of him before stepping further away. He then dialed for Darren Wang, who happened to pick up rather quickly.

//Did you just read my mind? I was about to call you.// Darren Wang answered. 

“No wonder you picked up immediately,” commented Xiao Zhan, “I think this warehouse is the one unless you also have the golden phoenix there. We have the golden phoenix hairpin from the Tang dynasty here.”

//Great. I was going to tell you that Unit 230 here is very small and is rented by an individual. It has mostly furniture. We are on the way to you. Hang tight!//

“If you are not driving, please call Chief Captain Qian and Chief Deputy Wang and update them,” Xiao Zhan said, “the museum manager told me that the museum director wants to have an official meeting with the LSFU once we are done with the initial investigation. Maybe one of them can contact the director to arrange a meeting.”

//alright, I will let them know that.//

“Thanks. I am going to talk to the owner now. He is very nervous.”

//I will do that. See you in a few.//

“OK.”

After Xiao Zhan ended the phone conversation, he sighed slowly. There would be a lot of parts that must fit together for a successful capture. He was certain that the LSFU would be busy with planning and preparation until the day of the operation. 

He headed back towards the warehouse to inform the owner and the museum manager about the next step, hoping that everything would go smoothly. Yet his gut feeling sensed that he still missed something.

However, he probably would figure it out soon enough.