Crazy Detective

"We seem to have gone through all the clues!" Zhao Yu said. "When Zhao Yuncheng was doing research on the treasure, he had met with Tian Zheng…

"No matter how I look at it, it's plausible that he had gotten the nesting doll from Tian Zheng!"

"Tian Zheng was a descendant of the Japanese Kanto Army, and his ancestor was even a high ranking official in the Japanese Army," Zhao Yu continued, "The nesting doll could have been a family heirloom! But no one was aware of its significance."

"Yes! It is highly probable!" Li Jing said. "The Secret Service Agency has its own rules and regulations. Although it wouldn't be illegal for Yuan Juncheng to purchase the antiques from Tian Zheng, he would still have broken a disciplinary code.

"That is why Yuan Juncheng did not dare report his loss despite having been burgled!"

"There was no point in making a report!" Cui Lizhu said as she stuck out her tongue. "He didn't know it was my dad!"

"The Japanese Kanto Army, Tian Zheng, Yuan Juncheng, Tao Xiang, that mysterious masked person, and the criminal organization behind him!" Zhao Yu said. "They're all linked because of the Russian nesting doll!"

"That's weird though…" Cui Lizhu said, puzzled. "Why would the Japanese hide their secret in a Russian nesting doll? Sounds a bit out of place, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps that was the best way to escape detection!" Xiao Hang suggested. "Look, when the Japanese lost the war, their biggest perceived threat was the Russians.

"That is why they thought it would be a good idea to hide it in something Russian. It would be less likely to arouse suspicion!"

"That makes sense!" Cui Lizhu nodded. "Besides, there are five layers to the doll, making it even more covert! Who knows which layer it would be in?"

"So…" sighed Li Jing. "Where could the treasure be… if it isn't here anymore?"

"I fear the nesting doll has already been destroyed by Tao Xiang!" Li Jing said worriedly. "Perhaps we'll never be able to solve the mystery of the treasure!"

"Yeah… 80 years of hard work gone down the drain just like that!" Xiao Hang was also feeling discouraged.

"Don't say that," Cui Lizhu said soothingly. "The fact that the masked person was so anxious to find it shows that there's still a chance!"

"Well, there's one thing I can ascertain," said Zhao Yu. "This must have something to do with the Japanese!"

"Oh?" Li Jing looked up. "Is it because of the bakayarou? [1]

"No!" Zhao Yu motioned toward the base. "This base is the best proof! It was left behind by the Japanese, and only the Japanese would be familiar with its location!

"For the sake of finding the treasure, they don't even mind exposing the location of this secret base. It seems as though they need to recover the treasure at all costs!"

"Yup, so we need to find that photo quickly and discover the secret of the nesting doll!" Cui Lizhu said.

Just as Cui Lizhu had finished speaking, the lights in the tunnel started flickering and grew increasingly dim.

It was only a matter of time before all the lights went out. The base would become dark again.

Ah… hero…

Zhao Yu's phone rang again.

Seeing that the call was from Li Luoyun, Zhao Yu wasted no time in answering.

"Hello? Officer Zhao?" Li Luoyun said urgently. "I just checked, Tao Xiang and Cui Lizhu's items are no longer at Jinping Police Station!"

"Huh? What?" Zhao Yu asked in shock. "Where are they then?"

"Due to the case of the Headless Female Corpse and Taoxiang's treasures, everything has been shifted to Nanjiang Province.

"I asked for details, the stuff is now with the Bai Ling City police!"

"Sh*t!" said Zhao Yu with a frown. "How could I have forgotten!?"

"It is classified information, shifu!" Li Luoyun said with some difficulty. "We don't have the requisite clearance… it would be a waste of time for us to request access. So…" [2]

"I understand! I'll give the other side a call!" Zhao Yu was about to hang up.

"By the way, shifu…" Li Luoyun suddenly added. "Although the items have been handed over, we did take photos as a form of record.

"The photo you mentioned is probably archived somewhere. I already got someone to search for it, and will send a copy to you as soon as it's found!"

"Alright, get it done as soon as possible! But…" Zhao Yu continued, "Although the stuff is not at your end, set a trap as originally discussed. We may be pleasantly surprised."

"Got it, got it!" Li Luoyun accepted his orders. "Don't worry, sir! The police are not to be trifled with; we'll deal with them if they dare appear!"

"Good!" Feeling assured, Zhao Yu finally hung up the call. After updating Li Jing and company, he made a call to the officer-in-charge at Bai Ling Police Station.

Zhao Yu was well-acquainted with those in command at Bai Ling Police Station thanks to the case of the Headless Female Corpse. Although it was really late at night, Zhao Yu still decided to call the chief at Bai Ling.

Upon receiving his call, the chief did not dismiss Zhao Yu's request. He even assured Zhao Yu that he would examine the items right away…

Just as Zhao Yu was done with the call, he received a document sent by Li Luoyun. They already found the file and had forwarded a photo of the nesting doll to Zhao Yu.

D*mn…

Li Jing and Xiao Hang could tell that Zhao Yu had no issues using his cell phone. Not only could calls be made, but it could also receive attachments sent to his phone. In comparison, they couldn't even get a signal on their phones.

"That's right, that's right, it's this one!" Cui Lizhu walked towards Zhao Yu, pointing toward the photo displayed on his cell phone. "My dad combined the front and back shots, so we know what it looks like from both angles!"

Oh…

Zhao Yu enlarged the photo and examined it carefully. Other than the eye-catching color it was painted in, it appeared to be no different than an ordinary Russian nesting doll.

The five layers were each smaller than the previous layer. The biggest doll was just slightly bigger than a thermos and the smallest one was barely the size of a fist.

"They're also referred to as mascots. They may look simple, but it takes skill to make them!" Cui Lizhu explained. "Especially the wood used to make them. The tree has to be cut down at a specific time and is left to dry for about five to ten years before it is ready for use. There are at least 15 steps in the production process, including shaping, pyrography, gold inlays, etc…"

"Oh…" Zhao Yu inspected the photo again. The five dolls are almost identical, all of them dressed in red-colored traditional attire.

"How is it, boss?" Cui Lizhu asked hopefully. "Do you see anything?"

"Tsk, do you think I'm a deity?" Zhao Yu retorted.

"Zhao Yu!" Li Jing beckoned to him. "At the Secret Service Agency, we have a department that specializes in cracking codes. How about we show them the photo?"

"Okay!" Zhao Yu nodded. He was just about to pass the phone to Li Jing when it rang again.

Looking at the caller ID displayed, Zhao Yu frowned. He suddenly had a bad feeling about it.

The call was from Li Luoyun!

"Hi, shifu!" Li Luoyun said in a panicked voice. "Oh no! The tech department just told me that an ISO file had suddenly appeared; it's likely that our system is being hacked remotely!

"It was around the same time you called. I fear that someone else has already seen that photo…" [3]

[1]: 'Bakayarou', a term of Japanese origin, is roughly translated as 'idiot'

[2]: 'Shifu' is a title for a skilled person or a master

[3]: An ISO file (often called an ISO image), is an archive file that contains an identical copy (or image) of data found on an optical disc