Chapter 52: Disappearance
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Among the paintings stolen by Cang Dai was one called Mountain Capital Scroll (Shan Du Tu), by a contemporary artist Lin Su particularly liked. He had once wanted to acquire it, but the price was hyped too high, so he gave up and never followed up—never expecting it would appear in Cang Daming’s collection.
“Is there something wrong with the Mountain Capital Scroll?” Xu You asked.
“The painting itself is fine,” Shi Wenze said. “But Lin Su said that among all the collectors who ever owned it, there’s one named Xie Ding—a Qingfu.”
Qingfu are a kind of monster generally unwelcome in the art world because they only need to apply a little of their blood to any corner of a collection piece, effectively installing a permanent invisible GPS tracker. No matter where the item goes, the Qingfu can effortlessly locate it again. Even if they can’t do much once found, the mere possibility of constant exposure drives collectors crazy.
So Xie Ding concealed his Qingfu identity and passed as human. If he ever had to fill out his monster status, he claimed to be a regular Osmanthus tree.
Xu You frowned, “Doesn’t he worry that his name sounds like ‘bald head’?”
Shi Wenze tossed him a helmet, “With your talent for finding ‘key points,’ your exam results are unpredictable.”
“Hey!” Xu You put on a serious face. “I felt pretty confident about yesterday’s law exam. No jinxing, please.”
Besides, what’s the real point here? It’s just a humble brag about how sharp Lin Su is—he saw through Xie Ding’s hidden monster blood even though it was deliberately concealed. But honestly, with Lin Su’s insight, it’s going to be really hard for Shi Wenze to hide any secret stash of money.
Shi Wenze rode his motorcycle, with the chatty Xu You complaining all the way back to the office.
The colleagues had already pulled up info on Xie Ding, who now lived with his wife in Shanghai. Xu You immediately assumed this guy probably lived in some ultra-rich place like Tangchen Yiping, because anyone connected to the art world seemed to live in fancier and richer neighborhoods these days.
“He lives in Guan Hai Yue, on an island,” Zhou Yuansong said. “We’ve contacted the Shanghai Demon Committee. They’ll cooperate fully. When you two get there, be gentle in your enforcement—no scaring innocent people, and make sure Xie Ding cooperates in finding the Mountain Capital Scroll. Got it?”
“If he agrees to help us find the painting, wouldn’t that basically be admitting he secretly applied blood to it?” Xu You asked. “He’ll probably deny it flat out. We might not get a quick, smooth result.”
“Try to be gentle. Really gentle.” Zhou Yuansong picked up his thermos. “But you two are laymen when it comes to art collection. So once you meet Xie Ding, let the experts talk to him and stay out of it unless necessary. Understood?”
“Understood. But who are the experts?”
Zhou Yuansong looked at Shi Wenze.
“Gotta find someone on the spot, huh…” Shi Wenze muttered.
“Alright, it’s settled.” Zhou Yuansong made it official. “Tell Xiao Lin that if he’s willing to help, your annual leave is negotiable.”
Xu You thought if this kept up, Shi Wenze’s vacation would eventually be counted by the year. Others get ten days off, he gets three hundred and sixty-five. Gotta admit, super jealous!
Shi Wenze wasn’t thrilled, though. Dr. Kang had said the newly awakened white dragon needed plenty of rest. And Si Longqiu wasn’t keen on lending out her son again, suspecting the Monster Committee of greedily exploiting people. But Lin Su himself was fine with it, thinking business trips were pretty relaxing—like a couple’s vacation—and they might get a chance to check out Du Siyue’s newly bought property in Shanghai.
Si Longqiu warned her son, “Xie Ding is famously hard to deal with. He’s been hiding his Qingfu identity for years. If you just show up like that, he definitely won’t cooperate.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Lin Su insisted. “I’ll go take a look. There’s nothing pressing lately anyway. As a citizen, I should actively cooperate with government agencies.”
Si Longqiu, “…”
Okay, no need to sound so heroic. If the Monster Committee ever awards ‘Best Citizen of Chengdu’ this year, you’d be a shoo-in.
Flying from Chengdu to Shanghai lately, first-class tickets were outrageously expensive. So Zhou Yuansong had a heart-to-heart with Xu You: “You know, our department’s travel budget is tight. Mr. Lin agreed to help for free, so if we force him into economy class, it’ll be harder to ask for his help next time.”
Xu You understood, “Got it. I won’t fly. I’ll get there and back on my own.”
Zhou Yuansong was relieved, “Can you bring Xiao Shi with you?”
“No way!”
“Save what you can. After you arrive, I’ll arrange the best guesthouse for the three of you.”
Xu You said, “Shi Wenze’s heavy.” He looked slim but was all muscle, like a solid iron block. Carrying him for two thousand kilometers, he’d probably end up hospitalized.
Zhou Yuansong, “Our department doesn’t cover medical insurance.”
Xu You, “?”
Zhou Yuansong, “Alright, alright, I’ll buy him an economy ticket. Now get your tail off my desk and stop tapping it!”
The team was getting more rebellious by the day. Managing them was a headache.
Eventually, Lin Su upgraded Shi Wenze’s ticket himself. He’d wanted to buy one for Xu You, but was rejected—once spoiled, hard to go back. Xu You preferred to fly alone, letting the couple have their fun trip. They’d meet up in Shanghai.
Shi Wenze said, “I can pay the upgrade fee myself.”
“Used points, so it didn’t cost anything. Next time you fly, we’ll talk.” Lin Su opened the wardrobe to pack. “How many days do you think we’ll need?”
“If it’s just convincing Xie Ding, three to five days should be enough.” Shi Wenze stepped forward. “I’ll handle it. You go enjoy some fruit.”
“Bring this too.” Lin Su grabbed a box from the closet. “A housewarming gift for Du Siyue. If we have time, we can visit him.”
See the legendary Tangchen Yiping. Of course, no mansion—even the fanciest—could beat their new home with a terrace full of roses, a pillar in the bedroom, and a big bed with a beefcake. Truly a flawless 360-degree paradise. No need to trade up.
Shi Wenze asked, “Haven’t heard Du Siyue call you lately. Busy at work?”
“Didn’t ask, probably.” Lin Su sat on the bed. “Seems like he hasn’t personally attacked Jiang Yuhao in a long time.”
His Weibo alt account had long stopped updating—seemingly abandoned his plan to publicly confront Jiang Yuhao once his fans hit a thousand. But Du Siyue was always fickle, losing interest in anything after three minutes. So this was normal.
Shanghai was a bit colder than Chengdu, perfect for bringing the sweaters the white dragon grandma had sent. Two in total: a normal sweater and a long tube-shaped one to wrap around the two-meter-long little dragon, trimmed with a crocheted collar. Shi Wenze held the sweater for a long time, thinking it was absolutely adorable.
But Lin Su wasn’t surprised. Ever since Grandma had learned to crochet, everything in the house—from the fridge to the washing machine—had its own little outfit. He said to Shi Wenze, “If you send her a photo and measurements of your horns, she could make a set for you, too.”
Shi Wenze refused. “Forget it. I just want to use a different cover.”
Lin Su went silent.
Shi Wenze asked, “You want one?”
Lin Su shook his head. “No. My back hurts. No renewing the membership today.”
Shi Wenze replied, “Oh.” Day passes didn’t get a say.
…
Lin Su hadn’t told Du Siyue in advance that he was going to Hucheng. Because the Monster Management Committee’s work required confidentiality, he was a very qualified family member of a public official in that regard.
Xu You had set off a day earlier, flying out ahead, painfully trying to save travel expenses for the department. Shi Wenze and Lin Su’s flight was supposed to land in Hucheng at ten that night, but it was delayed by over an hour. By the time they arrived, it was nearly midnight. Their colleagues from the Hucheng Monster Management Committee had arranged a car to pick them up and drove them straight to what Zhou Yuansong called the “top-tier guesthouse.” It was a five-story building with a clunky old elevator that rattled and groaned. The place wasn’t exactly moldy, but it definitely smelled aged — the kind of old-fashioned scent that made you feel like putting on a blue Zhongshan suit.
Shi Wenze took the initiative. “Maybe we should switch hotels?”
“No need.” Lin Su pulled back the curtains to air out the room. “Has Xu You arrived yet?”
“He should’ve gotten here before us. Probably got delayed on the way.” Shi Wenze checked the time. “Hungry? I’ll order you something.”
“Not hungry. Just tired.” Lin Su stretched his sore muscles. “You order food for yourself. I’m going to take a shower.”
Shi Wenze handed him some pajamas and called Xu You. No answer. At first, he figured Xu You was just flying through a no-signal zone and didn’t worry. But after he finished eating and Lin Su finished showering, Xu You still didn’t pick up. Shi Wenze started feeling uneasy. He reported the situation to Zhou Yuansong and requested a location check.
The tech team tracked Xu You’s locator—it was in the airspace over Jiangcheng.
“Jiangcheng? At his speed, he should’ve passed Jiangcheng by now.” Shi Wenze frowned.
Zhou Yuansong quickly contacted the local Monster Committee. The patrol found Xu You’s locator within half an hour, buried in a pile of trash inside a cloud bank. Regulations required public officials on duty, especially during high-speed flights, to carry their locators 24/7. Removing it without authorization was a serious violation.
Xu You’s phone was still unreachable, always turned off. The emergency response team in Chengdu stared at each other in the office, called in to work overtime. After a long silence, someone finally broke it: “What happened to Xu Ge? Could he have been kidnapped by criminals?”
Zhou Yuansong rubbed his temples. He ordered Jiangcheng to urgently retrieve footage from along the route. But Chiwen flew so fast and ignored traffic rules so often that he was usually gone in a flash, leaving behind only a greenish afterimage.
“I’m going back to Jiangcheng to look for him,” Shi Wenze said.
Zhou Yuansong disagreed. “The locator is in Jiangcheng, but that doesn’t mean he is. Don’t move for now. Stay in Hucheng. Does he have any personal enemies?”
Shi Wenze frowned. “No. Absolutely not.”
As a well-known, easygoing, and warm guy from Hefeng Alley, Xu You had great relationships—definitely better than Shi Wenze’s. So right now, even the man himself was confused and wanted to ask the big burly men around him, “Did you kidnap the wrong person? My name’s really not Shi.”
Outside the car window, the scenery sped by. Xu You’s hands were tied behind his back, and his mouth was sealed. Anyone who saw the scene would say it looked pitiful. The only consolation was probably the car itself. Who would believe the car kidnapping him was a Bentley?
Xu You thought the treatment was way too good for him. Honestly, the luxury car was more suited for his fox and dog friends who loved fancy rides—not him. He glanced suspiciously at the blonde burly man beside him. “At least tell me what’s going on, big brother. Hey, man, which country’s monster are you? Turn your big head around and let me see you.”
The man stared expressionlessly ahead.
Xu You sighed in regret. “I gave you a chance, but you didn’t appreciate it.”
“Well, then, there won’t be any leniency for you under Article 34’s principle of admitting guilt for reduced punishment, you yellow-haired bro!”
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