Lindau, Bavaria, Germany, 9:50 p.m.
After a short phone call, Song Jie asked his assistant, Xiao Li, to quickly return to the car. Instead of heading back to the rear aviation-style seat, he walked straight to the driver's seat and started the car's engine.
After setting up the satellite navigation, the car drove onto the highway. Song Jie briefly explained to Xiao Li what had been discussed on the phone with their superior:
"Since the only clue is the England Museum, the boss wants us to go to London. He's currently helping us coordinate a flight to London. The nearest airport is Friedrichshafen Airport, and it'll take us about half an hour to get there, provided everything goes smoothly," Song Jie informed Xiao Li of their next steps.
"Does this matter require us to handle it in person? I mean, shouldn't the German police be responsible for retrieving the Budda head?" Xiao Li was taken aback by this order.
"Since it's a Chinese cultural relic, we can't just stand by and watch. Besides, what if the German police prove unreliable? On the phone, the boss supports my view: instead of waiting passively, we should take the initiative. The embassy will assist through official channels to coordinate with the German police, but in any case, we are in the 'Wanbi Project' and we cannot stay out of this," Song Jie said firmly, his hands gripping the steering wheel as his gaze fixed intently on the road ahead.
The stretch of highway illuminated by the car's high beams revealed a pale asphalt path, while everything beyond lay shrouded in darkness. No one could know what awaited them up ahead.
After more than half an hour of speeding along the highway, the business car quickly arrived near Friedrichshafen Airport. Even while still on the highway, they could see the brightly lit area from afar.
"I can't believe there's such a massive airport here. I've never heard of it," Xiao Li was astonished by the grandeur of the airport in front of them.
Although it was also Song Jie's first time here, he showed no sign of surprise. Instead, he asked Xiao Li:
"Do you know about the Zeppelin airships?"
"Yes, I've seen pictures of them. Those are the airships that look like giant balloons and can fly in the sky, right? They look very cool."
"That's right. The Zeppelin airship was born here over a hundred years ago. Friedrichshafen is one of the cradles of the global aviation industry, with a long and storied history. Not only was the famous Zeppelin airship created here, but so was the renowned Dornier Aircraft Company. This city has had aviation in its DNA since its inception. By the early 20th century, it already had its own airport. In recent years, thanks to the influx of tourists from all over Europe coming to vacation at Lake Constance, this regional airport has undergone several expansions and has now become one of the top five largest international airports in Europe. From here, we can fly directly to London. All I hope for now is that the embassy has coordinated with the airport authorities and arranged everything for us," Song Jie said.
As swift as his actions were, Song Jie had already followed the navigation system and driven the car to the boarding gate area of the terminal. However, upon arrival, he realized something was amiss: he should have gone to the dedicated entrance on the side of the tarmac, where a special passageway would allow both them and the car to drive directly into the hangar.
Driving through the special access, the business car slowly entered the hangar. From a distance, they could already see a small jet plane with its silver fuselage reflecting a faint blue glow under the flickering police lights in the night. Below the jet, several police cars stood out with their fluorescent yellow and blue-and-white bodies prominently displaying the word POLIZEI. A group of uniformed officers surrounded the vehicles, clearly waiting for the unexpected arrivals.
"They actually got here before us," Song Jie remarked, glancing at his watch. It was exactly 10:45 PM. The efficiency of the Bavarian police genuinely surprised him.
At the forefront stood a tall, imposing man with a thick beard, around 50 years old. Wearing a police cap, a leather jacket, and army-green trousers, he had a pistol holstered at his waist and paced back and forth restlessly.
As Song Jie and Xiao Li parked their car in front of the police vehicles and stepped out, the group of officers closed in. It was clear that waiting had frayed the patience of the bearded man leading the group. In a blunt tone and with heavily accented English, he got straight to the point:
"Dr. Song? German or English?"
"English," Song Jie replied.
"Hello, I am Officer Florian Wagner from the Bavarian Federal Criminal Police Office. I am aware of what happened tonight. Half an hour ago, your country's consulate informed us through diplomatic channels that you, as consultants, would be participating in this operation to assist us in recovering the artifact. That's why we're here waiting for you…"
"Excuse me, Officer Wagner, but what do you mean by assist you?" Song Jie interjected sharply, clearly startled by the statement. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding. I think—"
"Listen," Wagner cut him off brusquely. "I don't care about the politics, nor do I care what your boss told my boss or what my boss promised your boss. Here's the deal: if you're participating in this operation, you will follow our arrangements and comply with our instructions. That is my rule!"
"That's utterly unreasonable. Tonight, I attended the auction, and we successfully secured the Buddha head—it is a cultural relic of my country. That makes me the victim, an eyewitness to the crime, and an expert on cultural artifacts. Therefore—"
"Therefore, you're even allowed to be here. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have the opportunity to speak to me right now," Wagner retorted, raising his hand to make a silencing gesture. "We police handle tracking the culprits. You're here to assist in recovering the stolen property—namely, that Buddha head."
He stepped closer, his face inches from Song Jie's, his tone sharp and unyielding. "Now, do you want to proceed with the operation, or would you prefer to stand here arguing with me? I don't have all night to debate every little detail with you—I still have a mess in Lindau to clean up. If you want to board the plane behind me bound for London, we don't need to waste any more words."
As Wagner spoke, his face came so close to Song Jie's that Song could feel the spray of spittle and the scratch of the officer's sharp beard.
"Wait, you're going to Lindau? Aren't you coming with us to London?" Song Jie asked, completely bewildered by Wagner's departure. "What exactly is the plan?"
"We'll send one detective to London. You can accompany him, but only you. Once you're there, the local police will assist us with the case. That's the plan." Wagner extended a finger, almost jabbing it into Song Jie's chest.
"Just one person? Why only one? Isn't there any other option—" Song Jie stepped back to avoid Wagner's finger's touch.
"There is. One person goes, or neither of you goes," Wagner said, crossing his arms and assuming an indifferent posture.
"This is absurd!" Song Jie raised his voice, his frustration boiling over.
"So, are you going or not? This plane is about to take off, and I need to leave too. We don't have the time or the interest to cater to the two of you any longer," Wagner retorted without concern for Song Jie's outburst. He turned to his colleagues and gestured for them to get ready to depart. His team nodded, got into their cars, and started the engines of the car.
At this critical moment, diplomatic rhetoric felt meaningless. Faced with the risk of losing this opportunity, Song Jie decided to act decisively. Turning to Xiao Li, he said, "Alright, Xiao Li, I'll go alone. You head back to the embassy. Let's stay in touch—I might need your remote assistance at any time."
"Understood, Dr. Song. Take care and keep in touch," Xiao Li replied.
Song Jie then addressed Wagner, "I expect your very best detective on this case!"
Wagner smirked at Song Jie's concession, gesturing with his thumb toward the plane behind him. "Of course. We've already assigned our best detective to this case. She's waiting for you on the plane. If I were you, I'd stop wasting time arguing with me and board that damned plane. Remember, you only have 24 hours to recover the Buddha head."
"Wait, what? 24 hours?"
"Get on the plane. You'll have plenty of time during the flight to catch up on the details!" Wagner snapped.
Still confused, Song Jie's instincts told him that the pressure Wagner was under—whether political, time-sensitive, or case-related—was enormous. Without further argument, Song Jie decided to follow the arrangements. He quickly stepped forward, bent down, and climbed aboard the small jet.
As he boarded, the distant tower bell struck 11 PM, resonating through the night.