"Officers, my disciple has committed a mistake, and I earnestly hope you will handle this matter with impartiality, unclouded by any personal grievances between us."
Thief San's tone was seemingly sincere, yet his expression remained one of indifference. "This young man here must be Chen Yi, correct? My disciple, ignorant of proper etiquette, has offended you. When I have the time, I, as his master, will personally visit to offer my apologies. I trust you won't shut your door on me."
By the time he finished speaking, the underlying threat in his words was as clear as day.
The implication was unmistakable: You'd better be ready when I come knocking. Don't even think about hiding.
Heh.
Chen Yi chuckled. Initially, he had planned only to recover the stolen ten thousand yuan and let the matter rest, leaving room for future reconciliation. But seeing Thief San's blatant intent for revenge, he decided to abandon any leniency.
"So, you're admitting that this money was stolen by you?"
Chen Yi approached Fu Sheng, who had already "confessed." "In that case, are all the other stolen goods in this house also yours?"
"Other stolen goods? What do you mean?"
Fu Sheng, already consumed by regret and fear, turned pale as Chen Yi's words struck him. Cold sweat trickled down his face.
Luo Yan's eyes gleamed with excitement, her expression lighting up with hope. Perhaps this man might reveal more than they had anticipated.
"Hmph, Fu Sheng, don't fall for this boy's tricks!"
Thief San's stern rebuke snapped Fu Sheng out of his momentary hesitation. His resolve hardened once more, like a turtle retreating into its shell.
"You know how I, as your master, have treated you. Do not let outsiders sow discord between us. Once you're released, I will ensure you are well rewarded."
Ignoring the murderous glares from Luo Yan and the others, Thief San exuded the composure of a seasoned warlord, unshaken and resolute.
"Released? You think you're getting out of this?"
Chen Yi sneered coldly. He walked to a corner of the room, tapped the ground lightly, and then suddenly struck it with a powerful punch.
Crack!
The floor splintered under his fist, revealing a gaping hole.
"What are you doing, boy?!"
For the first time, Thief San's calm demeanor cracked, his face darkening.
"What am I doing? Naturally, I'm uncovering your stash of stolen goods!"
Even Luo Yan, who had handled countless cases, couldn't help but be stunned by the scene before her.
Bundles of cash and gleaming gold bars lay exposed in the cavity beneath the floor.
This was an unexpected windfall—an absolute surprise!
No one, not even Thief San's three disciples, had anticipated that he had hidden such a large sum here.
One by one, the money and gold bars were retrieved and laid out on the floor.
In total, there were five hundred thousand yuan, six gold bars, several gold chains, and a gold watch.
"This must be worth over a million yuan. Even a twenty-year sentence would be a bargain for you!" Luo Yan sneered coldly.
At this point, the case was essentially resolved.
No matter how much influence Thief San wielded, no one would take the fall for him now.
"That's my brother's gold watch! Why is it here?"
Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, Yellow Hair suddenly cried out in shock.
"What did you do to my brother? Speak!"
Yellow Hair's eyes burned with fury, the veins on his neck bulging. If not for the officers restraining him, he would have lunged at Thief San in a desperate fight to the death.
"Officers, all of this belongs to my master—no, to Thief San! It has nothing to do with me!"
Fu Sheng, already resentful of being forced to take the fall, seized this opportunity to betray his master without hesitation.
"Oh? Didn't you just claim responsibility for everything?"
"Officers, I was wrong! Thief San is ruthless. We didn't dare expose him. Yellow Hair's brother was killed by him!"
Fu Sheng sobbed and wailed as he made his accusations.
"What? There's a murder involved?"
"Yes! Ma Nian and I helped him bury the body. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ma Nian!"
"Ma Nian, is what he's saying true?"
"This..."
"Old Ma, what are you hesitating for? This money was extorted from us! Are you still willing to risk your life for him? What will you gain from it? A scapegoat's fate? Or will you end up like Yellow Hair's brother, silenced forever?"
Fu Sheng's desperation spilled over as he shouted at Ma Nian.
"Yes, officers, everything Fu Sheng said is true. It was all Thief San's doing!"
Even Ma Nian, Thief San's most trusted disciple, refused to shoulder the blame.
Seeing the tide turn irrevocably against him, Thief San could only let out a long sigh. Despite all his careful planning and preparation, he had been undone by an unforeseen twist, defeated by this seemingly unremarkable young man, Chen Yi.
"I'll admit to everything—but I have one condition."
"What condition?" Luo Yan blurted out. No one had expected the case to unfold this way, but for her, it was all to her advantage.
"How did you know I hid the loot there?"
Thief San stared at Chen Yi, all hope of escape gone. His only curiosity now was understanding the reason behind his failure.
"It's simple. When you entered the room, your first glance wasn't at the ten thousand yuan but at that corner," Chen Yi explained, pointing to the broken floor. "What does that tell me? It tells me that something far more valuable than the ten thousand yuan is hidden there. And throughout this entire time, your gaze kept darting back to that spot. So, I decided to investigate—and sure enough, I found it. Not just the stolen goods, but evidence of your murder as well."
"Haha." Thief San laughed, not in anger but in admiration. "I've lost. Completely and utterly lost. You're no ordinary young man."
"Just luck," Chen Yi replied modestly for once.
"No, it's not luck," Thief San said, shaking his head. "What seems like coincidence is often inevitable. Out of so many officers, why is it that only you had such 'luck'?"
His words left the officers feeling a twinge of shame. The city's elite criminal investigation team had been repeatedly outshone by a mere feng shui practitioner.
"But none of it matters anymore. It all ends here."
Thief San exhaled deeply, as though he had finally been freed from a heavy burden.
"What do you mean?"
Chen Yi frowned, sensing something amiss.
Suddenly, the hexagram he had read earlier flashed through his mind: the primary hexagram was Zhen, the mutual hexagram Qian and Dui. Metal overcomes wood, mutual overcomes primary. Qian represented Thief San, and Dui symbolized this house.
Danger. The danger was here, and it came from Thief San!
"I said, it all ends—here—now!"
As Thief San uttered the final word, his arms twisted like serpents, slipping free from the handcuffs.
Everyone froze in shock. Was this the legendary art of bone shrinking?
Before anyone could react, Thief San had already bolted several steps away.
Like an agile monkey, he leapt into the room, grabbed a chair, and with eyes blazing, swung it down toward Chen Yi's head.
"Stop him!"
Luo Yan, too far away to intervene, could only shout.
Crash!
Thief San's skills in theft were matched only by his physical prowess. Chen Yi barely had time to raise his arm before the chair smashed into him, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Unsatisfied, Thief San raised the chair for another blow, but this time, the officers tackled him to the floor before he could strike again.
"Haha! One life or two—it makes no difference to me!"
Thief San laughed maniacally, his face twisted with madness.
"Chen Yi! Chen Yi, wake up! Call an ambulance!"
Luo Yan held Chen Yi's bloodied, unconscious body in her arms, shouting desperately.
"Haha, don't bother. It's a waste of time. That boy is already waiting for me on the road to the afterlife..."
"According to the hexagram, the money should have been recovered. But the variables were too great, the outcome too unpredictable. Whether the result would be good or bad was never certain."
Luo Yan suddenly recalled Chen Yi's words in the car.
Yes, the money had been found, and Thief San had been brought to justice. But was this truly a good outcome?