PCJ – Chapter 531 The Truth Slips Out

Zhang Jiaohua had been feeling a bit irritated because of the National Day Gala, so over the weekend, he went out to relax. Without realizing it, he found himself at Panjiayuan. His original intention was to check out Boss Shi’s shop there to see if any fresh goods had arrived.

Panjiayuan was bustling, filled with a dazzling array of goods and throngs of people. Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t in the mood for treasure hunting at the street stalls today, so he headed straight for Boss Shi’s shop.

It was also thanks to Zhang Jiaohua’s five heightened senses that he could even hear a deep voice coming from inside a nearby shop: “We’ve been watched by Lei Zi recently. The boss suspects a mole has infiltrated, so we haven’t dared to go out and do business. If I weren’t so strapped for cash, I wouldn’t even be here. This item is from one of last year’s jobs. If I weren’t in such a pinch, I’d never part with it—it’s supposed to be a family heirloom. But the boss has already figured out who the mole is. Once the rat is dealt with, there’s a big job coming up.”

“Shh! Walls have ears. Come inside, let’s talk,” an older-sounding voice replied in a hushed tone.

Then someone opened the door to peek outside, glanced at Zhang Jiaohua, and quickly shut it again. Footsteps sounded, heading further inside the shop, and after that, no more sounds could be heard.

As that person peered out, Zhang Jiaohua calmly walked past, pretending not to notice.

Thinking back on what he overheard, a thought struck Zhang Jiaohua: could that “Lei Zi” be Zeng Lei? Wasn’t Zeng Lei supposed to be working undercover? Judging by the tone of the speaker, they seemed to be part of a tomb-raiding gang. Was Zeng Lei embedded within them? If so, he might be in serious danger. These grave robbers were brutal when it came to traitors—in a tomb, it’s all too easy to kill someone and destroy the evidence.

Zhang Jiaohua decided not to visit Boss Shi’s shop after all and instead pretended to browse a neighboring jade shop. He wasn’t sure if this jade store was connected to the other shop, so he had to stay subtle. He carefully examined the jade as if he were a genuine customer.

The jade shop owner greeted him warmly.

“Young man, see anything you like? All our jade comes with certification. Our shop has an excellent reputation—guaranteed genuine or ten times compensation. Feel free to take anything out for a look. No pressure to buy.”

“I’m just browsing,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, examining the goods with great interest, though he kept his peripheral vision on the opposite shop. He had a feeling the man he heard wouldn’t stay in there for long.

The jade here was expensive, so a store attendant followed Zhang Jiaohua closely, worried he might break something. Zhang Jiaohua didn’t touch anything, just leaned in close for a better look.

“Why are these uncarved jade stones placed here?” he asked, puzzled by the display of raw stones.

“Some customers like to have their jade custom-carved, so we sell raw stones. They’re also cheaper. Jade prices have been rising in recent years, so some people invest in raw jade, hoping to sell when prices go up,” the owner explained patiently.

“I’ll take a few of these,” Zhang Jiaohua said, feeling the texture. He couldn’t tell the quality but went with his gut.

“You’re really buying? These are still quite valuable,” the owner asked, surprised that someone so young was making a purchase.

“Yeah, just these. What, you’re not selling them?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Of course we are,” the owner chuckled.

Zhang Jiaohua picked out a few stones.

“How much for all of these? Give me a good deal—I’ll come back again.”

While bargaining, Zhang Jiaohua kept his eyes on the other shop. He was confident he’d recognize the voice’s owner once he stepped out.

Right then, the shop across the way opened. A slim, dark-skinned man in his 40s came out, and a plump man in his 50s saw him off. Zhang Jiaohua instantly matched their faces to the voices he heard. He stopped haggling, pulled cash from his backpack, paid, and casually tossed the jade into his bag before hurrying out.

The slim man walked quickly and kept glancing behind him, clearly on alert. His waist pouch was bulging—he had likely made a profitable deal.

Zhang Jiaohua moved to a secluded corner and summoned his spirit beast, the Mountain-Leopard, to track the man’s scent. He didn’t follow too closely—he trusted the Mountain-Leopard wouldn’t lose track of the target, no matter how cautious the man was.

The man circled Panjiayuan several times to shake any tail before finally heading in a specific direction. Even then, he took more detours, turning corners through side streets before entering an old courtyard in a narrow hutong.

After the man entered, Zhang Jiaohua waited until the lookout had checked outside a few times before moving closer. Then he released Fat Cat from the Cultivation Map.

“Fat Cat, sneak in and see if Zeng Lei is inside,” he said, patting the cat’s head.

Though chubby, Fat Cat was incredibly nimble, especially after spending time in the Cultivation Map. It leapt lightly onto the roof and disappeared.

Inside, Zeng Lei was indeed present. As a seasoned special forces operative, he could sense that danger was closing in. The tomb raiders were cunning and had been testing him relentlessly. Though Zeng Lei had done his homework and prepared for this assignment, he lacked real experience in the field, so his cover had already started to slip. He could tell they no longer fully trusted him and often left him out of important activities.

A few days ago, he noticed he was being followed by some low-level gang members. He knew then that his cover was blown. This undercover mission had ultimately failed.

“Brother Zeng, didn’t you always want to pull off a big job? Things have been too tense lately, so we’ve been lying low. But now, with the heat dying down, we’re about to move on a big one. You in?” said Ma Fusong, the group’s nominal leader. But Zeng Lei suspected Ma was just a figurehead. He lacked the brains for this kind of meticulous planning.

“No problem,” Zeng Lei replied. “I just don’t have my usual gear. I’d like to go back and get my tools.”

“No need,” Ma said. “We’ve got everything. People like us are already flagged by the cops—if you go out, they’ll be onto you in no time. Just use what we’ve got.”

“Alright, I’ll make do,” Zeng Lei nodded. “Might be a little rusty, that’s all.”

“No worries. We wouldn’t let you do the dirty work anyway. With your experience, just guiding us is enough to save us a ton of trouble,” Ma said, patting him on the shoulder.

Fat Cat returned and confirmed everything to Zhang Jiaohua. Zeng Lei wasn’t in immediate danger, but it was clear from the group’s behavior that they could eliminate him at any moment.

If Zhang Jiaohua reported this to the police now, Zeng Lei would be safe—but everything he had done so far would be for nothing. Zeng Lei had the skills to escape, but he hadn’t because he still hoped to complete his mission.

Zhang Jiaohua thought for a moment and decided not to act just yet. He left Black Cat to watch the gang and moved to a more distant location to monitor things. If he stayed nearby too long, he might raise suspicion, which could put Zeng Lei in greater danger.

Shortly after he left, two goons came out of the courtyard. Laughing and chatting, they pretended to be out for a stroll but were clearly scoping the area for anything unusual. By then, Zhang Jiaohua was already two alleys away, sitting at a noodle stand, enjoying a hot bowl of noodles.

The two men wandered around the area for a while and ended up at the noodle stall, sitting right next to Zhang Jiaohua. They glanced at him but didn’t find anything suspicious.

Zhang Jiaohua focused on his noodles, eating with great relish. He already knew these two thugs had come from that alley. Judging by their behavior and the distinctive aura they carried, he could tell they were also part of the grave-robbing gang.