Chapter 45: The File Folder

After the police finished questioning me and taking my statement, they left. I sat in the chair, watching Xiao Wu direct people to clean up the scattered account books on the floor, my mind still in a daze.

“Young Master, stop thinking about it. It’s definitely that bastard Hou Jinshan! Didn’t you say he tried to steal our box on the train? And now, right after that Lu family heir left, our shop gets hit—who else could it be?!” Xiao Wu squatted on the floor, gathering the loose papers.

My gaze drifted toward the back room. From where I sat, the wall blocked my view of the desk, but the police had examined the entire room. They said one of the small windows high up in the second hallway—about four meters off the ground—had been pried open. A long scratch from a blade ran across its frame.

The officers speculated the thief had likely climbed up the pipes from outside, forced the window open, and dropped down onto the porcelain display shelf below, then stepped onto a rosewood chair to reach the floor. The window he broke into was directly across from where I was sitting now. After stealing the goods, he probably climbed back out the same way. It had snowed heavily last night, so all footprints were buried.

I hadn’t closed the door to the back room when I went to bed, so logically, the moment the thief dropped down, he would’ve had a clear view of the Jade Casket sitting on the desk.

People in this business—even the low-level grunts—tend to be precise. If they can achieve their goal directly, they won’t waste time. Looking at the mess strewn across the shop, I couldn’t help but wonder: could this thief have been some temp Hou Jinshan hired who didn’t know the rules? Not only did he take the casket, he had to ransack the entire place?

It all felt sloppy. But then again, maybe not entirely implausible. After all, it’s been years. Hiring a few amateur thieves who don’t know what they’re doing isn’t unheard of.

That thought made me regret things even more. The shop had been turned upside down, and I hadn’t heard a single sound. I’d slept like the dead. If the thief Hou Jinshan sent had even a hint of revenge in mind, I might not have woken up with all my limbs intact.

“Young Master, if you didn’t sleep well, go back upstairs and rest a bit. You look tired. Don’t worry about the shop—I’ve got it covered,” Xiao Wu said.

I sighed and stood up from the chair. Yesterday had already been chaotic, and now this mess in the morning—my head was pounding. Still, as I climbed the stairs, I couldn’t help but think: maybe losing the Jade Casket wasn’t such a bad thing.

I’d come to realize that trouble followed the casket like a shadow. Wherever it appeared, chaos wasn’t far behind. Now that it had landed in Hou Jinshan’s hands, the news wouldn’t stay hidden for long. Forget the Five Masters—even the entire Outer Eight Trades might be after him soon.

But something still didn’t sit right. The thief had likely started prying the window open in the early hours. I’ve always been a deep sleeper, but not so much that I wouldn’t hear anything at all. It was like I’d been drugged.

Back in my room, I shut the door. I’d just taken off my coat and sat on the bed when I noticed a small iron incense tray tucked in the corner behind the nightstand. It was plain and simple, covered in ash. I walked over, crouched down, and touched it. Still warm. It had only just burned out.

Only Fourth Brother and the front hall staff ever lit incense. I didn’t like the smell—I preferred the natural scent of wood in the house. So whenever I stayed here, the staff would always air out my room. That was standard practice, and everyone under Fourth Brother knew it.

So who lit this incense?

I picked up the tray and brought it to my nose. The scent was unfamiliar. I’d always trusted the staff here, partly because I didn’t keep anything particularly valuable. I usually left my door unlocked so they could come in and open the windows.

That thought made me put the tray down and stand up. I opened the door and called Xiao Wu upstairs. He came running the moment he heard me.

I pulled him into the room and asked, “Do you remember who came into my room yesterday?”

Xiao Wu scratched his head, looking puzzled. “Who could remember that? Yesterday morning Hou Jinshan sent people to stir up trouble. It was chaos—I was too busy worrying they’d smash the place. Who had time to pay attention to that? What’s going on, Young Master? Why the sudden question?”

I thought for a moment, then smiled and brushed it off. I coaxed him out the door with a few casual words.

Once the door was locked again, I leaned against the nightstand, staring down at the incense tray. After a moment, I crouched and carefully repositioned it exactly as I’d found it—like no one had ever touched it.

These tense days had taught me a lot. One key lesson: when something strange happens, never reveal your true thoughts. Don’t share your suspicions. Act like nothing happened. Only then will the other party make their next move.

I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes, quietly sorting through everything in my mind. I didn’t know for sure if my deep sleep last night was caused by the incense. If Lu A’yao were still here, I could’ve asked his opinion—he’d seen enough of the world. But he wasn’t, so I had to figure it out myself.

If it really was a sleeping incense, and the tray was placed by someone in the shop, then it meant someone under Fourth Brother had already been bought off by Hou Jinshan. That mole slipped the incense into my room, waited until I was unconscious, then passed word to the thief outside to come in and steal the casket.

Even if I discovered the incense later, it wouldn’t matter. The inside-outside collaboration was seamless.

But one thing didn’t add up.

How could they be sure Lu A’yao would return to Nanjing yesterday? If he hadn’t, he would’ve been sleeping in the guest room downstairs. Even if I was knocked out, Lu A’yao was a light sleeper and suspicious by nature. The thief would never have made it inside.

I listed out all the possibilities in my head, one after another. At some point, I drifted off.

When I woke again, it was 7 p.m. The snow outside had stopped. I threw on some clothes, grabbed some cash, and headed out to grab a bite. Wrapped up tight, I walked along the street.

I ducked into a beef noodle shop, gave my order to the owner, and sat down to wait. Bored, I stared out the window at the passing crowd.

That’s when someone caught my eye—emerging from the alley across the street. They were bundled up tightly, walking fast, with a gait that didn’t quite match a normal person’s.

I’d lived here for a few months and knew the area well. These alleys were usually back entrances for the storefronts. Most people used the main doors. Anyone coming out of an alley was either a drunk looking for a place to puke or a couple sneaking around for some excitement.

As I was thinking this, the figure vanished into the crowd. Something about them felt off, but I chalked it up to my nerves being on edge lately. I shook my head, trying to clear out the paranoia.

“Sir, your noodles,” the waiter said, placing a bowl in front of me.

I hadn’t eaten all day and was starving. I doused the noodles in vinegar and wolfed down half the bowl. Just as I stood to grab a spoon for the broth, a deafening boom exploded right next to me.

The sound jolted me back into my seat. I froze.

I’d clearly seen something black fall from midair across the street. It hit the ground with a sickening thud that made my bowl rattle violently.

“What happened?” The shopkeepers nearby rushed out to check.

It was dark outside, but from where I sat, I could make out the shape clearly—less than fifty meters away. It was a person. Someone had jumped from a rooftop and smashed their head open on the pavement.

My spoon clattered to the floor. I started trembling, my breathing ragged. The spot where that person fell was directly in front of the alley the strange figure had come out of. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it wasn’t.

I couldn’t think anymore. I stood and stumbled across the street. A crowd had already gathered. People were calling 110 and 120. I forced myself forward, took one look, and immediately felt my stomach churn.

The gruesomeness of it was nothing like the dead I’d seen in tombs. This person had been alive just ten minutes ago. The blood flowing into the gutter was still steaming.

The cold wind sliced my face like knives. I turned and walked away. Snow fell on me, but I didn’t even bother brushing it off. Xiao Wu was outside the shop, scraping ice off the ground. When he saw me, he rushed over.

“Young Master, you’re back! What was that noise just now? Firecrackers?”

He followed me inside, but quickly noticed something was wrong. “Young Master, you look pale. Are you okay?”

He poured me a cup of hot water. I drank it, and only then did I start to feel a bit of warmth return to my body. My mind began to clear, like my soul had finally caught up.

I took a deep breath and said, “Someone jumped. Right in front of the place where I was eating.”

Xiao Wu gasped and quickly refilled my cup. “That’s awful. But people are under a lot of pressure these days. Don’t let it get to you, Young Master. Just sit and rest a bit.”

I sipped the tea and asked, “You’re not afraid of dead bodies?”

Xiao Wu chuckled. “I’ve followed our boss on enough jobs—relocating graves, digging up tombs. I’ve seen just about every kind of corpse there is. Doesn’t faze me much anymore.”

I nodded and didn’t press further. Just as I was finishing my third cup of tea, Xiao Wu smacked his forehead. “Oh! I almost forgot—meant to tell you earlier. That cleaner in our shop, A-Yun, he said there’s an emergency back home and he had to leave. Told me to let you know.”

Something clicked in my mind. I asked immediately, “Has he already left?”

Xiao Wu looked around. “Should be. He left around noon. Said it was urgent—he’s from Guangxi. You were still asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. We’re friends, so I told him to go handle it.”

Just then, another staff member came running in, brushing snow off his shoulders. “Young Master, someone left this for you—just dropped it in our mailbox.”

He handed me a thin file folder. My name was written on it, and the address matched our shop exactly. But aside from the recipient info, the rest of the fields were blank. I took it and felt it—only two or three sheets inside.

But I hadn’t asked anyone to send me anything.

Puzzled, I stood up and lifted the bead curtain to head into the back room for a paper cutter. But as I opened the drawer, I saw something that made me freeze.

A square object, neatly wrapped in soft cloth, lay quietly inside.

I’d seen things like this before, but it still made me shiver. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and steadied myself. Then I reached in with one hand and unwrapped it.

Sure enough—it was the Nine-Ring Jade Casket that had been stolen. Someone had returned it, completely intact.

I wiped my eyes and leaned on the table, trying to calm myself. After ten minutes, I looked down at the file folder in my hand. Sweat was dripping from my temples.

“Young Master, you okay? Was it the wrong delivery? If so, we can return it to the post office,” Xiao Wu called from outside.

I quickly set down the folder and the paper cutter, wiped my sweat, and walked to the door with a smile. “It’s fine. I just remembered—it’s something my classmate sent me. Go ahead and get back to work. I’m going to read for a bit.”

Xiao Wu bought it and nodded. “Alright!” He turned to greet a customer.

I immediately shut the doors and windows, drew the curtains, moved the chair, and sat down. I picked up the paper cutter and began slicing open the sealed edge of the file folder, bit by bit.