Chapter 604: Checking IDs
Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Checking IDs
What Su Qing didn’t know was that the museum the Qiutian Family was building was essentially ready. Today was supposed to be the day they moved the cultural relics and antiques from their vault to the museum.
But when the head of the Qiutian Family took his men into the vault, they made a shocking discovery. Not only were the crates containing the antiques and cultural relics gone, but so were the hundreds of paulownia wood boxes filled with gold.
This was an absolute disaster!
They hadn’t checked the vault in just two or three days, and now two to three hundred crates filled with antiques, cultural relics, and gold were gone!
Upon seeing the scene, the head of the Qiutian family was so shocked he couldn’t breathe and fainted on the spot. The family, of course, reported the matter to the police. A theft of such a massive sum, especially one involving the powerful Qiutian Family, was instantly treated as a major case. All transportation hubs around Ban City were immediately sealed and inspected, halting all car and train traffic. Unsurprisingly, word of the incident quickly spread.
"I heard something about it too. They say it was something incredibly valuable."
"My brother-in-law is a police officer. He said that this morning, the chief steward of the Qiutian Family personally went to the police station to file the report. Apparently, the amount involved is so huge that even the chief of police was stunned. All the major routes in and out of Ban City are being blockaded. It looks like no one’s allowed to leave the city for now."
"Jeez, how much could it be? It’s like half the Qiutian Family’s fortune was stolen, judging by this huge response."
"It must be huge."
...
With such a major event unfolding, there was no shortage of gossipers whispering in small groups. Su Qing listened quietly. Her original plan had been to check out and leave right after her meal to collect the other antiques from that villa. ’But hearing all this,’ she thought, ’it’s probably not a good time to leave. I’d rather not arouse suspicion. It’s better to stay in Ban City for a day or two and see how they react.’
Since she was in no hurry, Su Qing ate her meal slowly, continuing to eavesdrop on the gossip about the Qiutian Family.
When she heard that the head of the Qiutian Family had fainted and been sent to the hospital, the corners of Su Qing’s mouth curled up in a subtle, irrepressible smile. ’Serves them right,’ she thought. ’They absolutely deserve this for plotting to steal Hua Country’s antiques. This is exactly the fate they deserve.’
In an exceptionally good mood, Su Qing happily finished her meal and leisurely strolled back to her hotel room.
Not long after she returned to her hotel room, there was a knock on the door.
"Ma’am, our hotel is cooperating with police officers who are checking identification. We’re sorry for the disturbance." The hotel manager was standing outside her door. As soon as Su Qing opened it, he quickly apologized.
"It’s no problem." Su Qing gave a faint smile, her expression perfectly cooperative.
Su Qing’s cooperative attitude left a good impression on the investigating officer. He spoke to her in a friendly tone, "Don’t be nervous. This is just a routine check. It won’t cause you any trouble."
"Thank you for all your hard work. One moment." Su Qing nodded to the officer and went to retrieve her Resident Ticket. ’I’m so glad Qian Ying gave me this Resident Ticket,’ she thought. ’It’s saving me a lot of hassle.’
"Miss Lingzi, thank you for your cooperation." The officer inspected her Resident Ticket, handed it back, and added, "The streets will be under heightened security for the next couple of days. If you go out, Miss Lingzi, remember to carry your Resident Ticket with you at all times. There may be spot checks."
"Okay, thank you. Can I ask, did something happen?" Su Qing asked with a look of innocent curiosity.
Perhaps because he had a good impression of her, the officer explained, "A major crime occurred in the city recently, and we need to conduct a thorough search for the suspects, so things will be a little tense. But please don’t worry, Miss Lingzi. We will ensure the public’s safety."
Su Qing put on an expression that was a mixture of understanding and naivete. "Oh, I see. Well, thank you for your hard work. I’ll be sure to carry my Resident Ticket with me for the next few days."
After closing the door, Su Qing walked to the window and looked outside. The streets below were now teeming with police officers, and the pedestrians all wore grim expressions, hurrying on their way. Su Qing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. ’The Qiutian Family certainly has a lot of clout in Ban City,’ she mused. ’A single theft case is enough to throw the entire city into a panic.’
’Go ahead and search. Take your time,’ she thought. ’I’d love to see what you can possibly dig up.’
Meanwhile, in the hospital, the head of the Qiutian Family, Qiutian Wetai, slowly began to stir. He opened his eyes, dazed and unfocused for a moment. Then, the memory of why he had fainted came rushing back. He shot up in bed, grabbing the Chief Steward who stood waiting by his side. "The items? What about the items in the vault?"
Having sat up too abruptly, Qiutian Wetai was overcome by another wave of dizziness and started to fall back onto the bed.
"Master!" Chief Steward Qiutian cried out in alarm, rushing forward to steady Qiutian Wetai. "Master, please don’t panic," he soothed. "We’ve already filed a police report. I’m sure the officers will track down the items and recover them soon."
"’They’re really gone," Qiutian Wetai murmured, his eyes staring blankly. When he first woke up, he had hoped it was all a hallucination. But now, listening to the Chief Steward, he knew it was real—the antiques and the gold from the vault were truly gone. Forget the antiques for a moment; those hundreds of crates of gold alone represented at least a third of the Qiutian Family’s liquid assets.
’My God, a third of our liquid assets... gone. Just like that, without a trace.’
’Who could have done this?’
’But the key to the vault... I’m the only one who has it. The key is still with me, yet everything has vanished without a trace.’
’Who was it?’
’Who could it possibly be?’
"Investigate! I want a full investigation!" Qiutian Wetai felt his vision swim. "Find out who has entered my room recently. And everyone who has been near the vault recently, or was scheduled to be near it—I want a thorough report on all of their movements!"
’He carried the vault key on his person at all times. The only way someone could have gotten to it was while he was resting in his room. In the past day or two, he had visited the rooms of his wife and his concubine... Any of those instances could have been an opportunity for the culprit to access the key.’
’When he thought about it that way, the number of people who had an opportunity to get to the key wasn’t small at all.’
"Yes, Master." Chief Steward Qiutian quickly nodded. "I’ve already had my men start investigating everyone. I’m sure we’ll have results soon. Please, don’t agitate yourself. The hospital director said you’ve suffered a major shock and your body can’t handle the strain. You need to undergo a full check-up here to ensure your health."
Qiutian Wetai nodded. This hospital belonged to the Qiutian Family, and its equipment was top-of-the-line. It was, for all intents and purposes, their private hospital, and the staff had always been extremely attentive to his health.