The next day, Old Tie found me a thumb ring from the Qianlong era, which he had artificially aged. It looked exactly like the oxblood thumb ring Liu Chenxi had just sold me. I placed this oxblood thumb ring on Fourth Master's rosewood tea table.
Fourth Master looked at the thumb ring, his expression like a stone Buddha, neither smiling nor frowning, completely still.
"What is this?"
"The last piece of your Qianlong thumb ring set!"
Fourth Master smiled, "Xiao Wen gave you six hundred thousand, and you got him this cheap thing? I've been in this circle for so many years, and I've survived this long thanks to my keen eye."
Fourth Master lived up to his reputation. My effort in having Old Tie create a fake had not been in vain. This fake thumb ring was more than just a test. It allowed me to know that the couple was actually colluding without making Fourth Master think I was too cunning. So, after he discovered it, I feigned utter dismay and then threw caution to the wind, saying, "You two are fighting, why are you dragging me into it? I'm out, I'm leaving."
"You can't leave."
Fourth Master's face turned stern, and two bodyguards who looked far from harmless blocked the door. I stared at Fourth Master and smiled easily, "Fourth Master, there's no rule in the antique circle about not being allowed to leave. Even if I gave you a fake, you have a good eye, and you don't have to buy it. Do you really need to resort to violence? What is it, only Lord Guan can set fire, and common people can't light lamps? You yourself used to fool people with fakes before you became famous, didn't you?"
Fourth Master chuckled, "I hired these two from the gym. They're in good shape and have tattoos. They're usually just for intimidation. If it came to a real fight, they wouldn't be a match for you plainclothes officers."
He mistook me for a police officer. I chuckled, "You're mistaken. I'm not a police officer."
"You can move freely in and out of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and you knew about the Cat's Eye Man before we did. If you're not a police officer, then what are you?"
"Your analysis is quite logical, but this time, you are truly mistaken. I am not a police officer, but I do have a friend at the Criminal Investigation Bureau."
Fourth Master clearly didn't believe me. He laughed heartily, "If you say so, then it is. The reason I'm keeping you here is that I want to discuss something else. Perhaps I was too loud, and these two boys spontaneously blocked the door."
I glanced at the two burly bodyguards. Hearing Fourth Master call me a police officer, they bowed and retreated. Wang Zeyyi was right; on this piece of land in Beijing, no one dared to openly flout the law.
"Fourth Master, I'm someone who responds to kindness, not threats. If you had truly tried to stop me forcefully, I might have been tempted to see if those skills I've been practicing recently would come in handy. Since these two gentlemen were a misunderstanding, I won't hold it against them. I have nothing else to do today, so I'll chat with you for ten minutes."
Fourth Master laughed heartily, "You gave me a real Qianlong thumb ring, so your goal is nothing more than the Cat's Eye Man you mentioned."
"That's right."
"After you left yesterday, I pondered over the recent events. The Cat's Eye Man has indeed appeared around me."
"You've seen him? What does he look like?"
"I haven't seen him. About two months ago, a landline called my mobile phone and told me that the oxblood jade thumb ring was in Liu Chenxi's possession."
"And you believed it just like that."
"The phone number came from an IC phone booth, and the caller couldn't be traced, but Liu Chenxi could be. When I met Liu Chenxi, I deduced from her appearance that she was Liu Cheng's daughter. Years ago, her mother left Beijing, and they changed their names, disappearing without a trace. After so many years, I finally found out about her, and I was very excited."
"Did you not consider that she might be seeking revenge?"
"I did. At the time, I checked. She came to Beijing from Shijiazhuang in her early twenties. It's been eight or nine years. If she wanted revenge, would she have waited this long?"
This was something I hadn't considered. Fourth Master hadn't realized Liu Chenxi was seeking revenge.
"You tricked her father back then, and now you've set a trap for her. She's already a hardworking laborer."
"Tricked Liu Cheng? Liu Cheng and I were originally called 'No. Three, No. Four.' They looked down on us and gave us derogatory nicknames. But we gritted our teeth, holding a fierce determination in our hearts. Through hard work, we built a successful antique business. Later, we made a name for ourselves. Liu Cheng was known as Third Master, and I became Fourth Master. When we bore the brunt of criticism, we endured it together. But when we achieved fame, we couldn't share the glory. Gradually, we began to contend with each other. In this circle in the capital, there was no Fourth Master without Third Master, and no Third Master without Fourth Master. I just happened to win. If I had lost, my fate would have been the same as his: prison, or a violent death."
"You ordered someone to kill him?"
"There was no need. We had swindled many gangsters and ruffians in the capital back then. When we had money, they didn't dare to provoke us. But once in prison, it was a dead end."
Fourth Master showed no remorse for his actions. This was his martial world, and I had no right to question it. So, I sighed, "Can you only tell me that the Cat's Eye Man is that informant you never saw?"
Fourth Master chuckled, "If that were the case, what would be the point of our conversation? You mentioned the Cat's Eye Man yesterday and then contacted my wife. So, I specifically went to see my wife yesterday, and we reached a reconciliation. After exchanging information, I had someone else investigate, and finally, I discovered who the Cat's Eye Man you're looking for is."
My heart leaped with joy. Yesterday's plan had worked, breaking down that barrier. It had made Fourth Master and Bi Shuwen realize that someone was pulling strings behind their backs. Indeed, after the couple shared intelligence, they had flushed out the Cat's Eye Man.
"Who is he?"
"The Cat's Eye Man operates between me, Xiao Wen, and Da Wang, but only Da Wang has seen the Cat's Eye Man. However, in my understanding, no strange people have ever appeared around Da Wang. Moreover, you said only Liu Chenxi has seen this Cat's Eye Man. Therefore, this Cat's Eye Man simply does not exist."
I refuted Fourth Master's claim, "He cannot not exist. The police have his case files."
Fourth Master gave a disdainful smile, "You said you're not a police officer, right? Then let me say something bad about the police behind their backs. Those people earning meager salaries, drinking tea all day, chatting, and smiling broadly if they can finish work early – who would bother with such a phantom person?"
I felt that Wang Zeyyi and his colleagues were quite diligent, but there was no need to argue with Fourth Master on this point. I asked him, "If you believe the Cat's Eye Man doesn't exist, then who notified you? Who wanted to buy that set of Qianlong thumb rings from your wife?"
"Liu Chenxi."
"What did you say?"
I found it hard to believe the answer. How could it be Liu Chenxi?
At first, I didn't believe it, but as I thought about it, cold sweat broke out. Perhaps the Cat's Eye Man really was Liu Chenxi.
I looked at Fourth Master. He probably understood my shift in emotion from my expression. His face was solemn, not the feigned sternness from before. From his heavy expression, I could sense his inner anger.
"Initially, I thought Liu Chenxi wouldn't seek revenge, so I only wanted the thumb ring in her possession. Now that I know her objective, there's no need for me to show mercy."
"What do you intend to do?"
"How I intend to do it is my problem. In this invisible martial world, although there's no clashing of swords and flashing of sabers, it doesn't mean there's no struggle for survival. I need your help with one thing. I'll give you two million yuan to spread the word that I've bought the oxblood thumb ring."
"This fake thumb ring can fool you, but Liu Chenxi won't believe it."
"She has no choice but to believe it. Tomorrow night, I'm hosting a banquet at Quanjude to celebrate acquiring the last thumb ring of the Qianlong set. At the banquet, I will announce my intention to donate the entire set to the state. And a crucial point: the real oxblood thumb ring is already in your hands, correct? Liu Chenxi, to gain your trust and highlight my villainous image, will undoubtedly hand over the oxblood ring to you. This is the only logical course of action."
"Indeed, nothing escapes your notice."
"This two million yuan is not to buy your thumb ring, but to have you spread a message that will disrupt Liu Chenxi's plan. After I've dealt with Liu Chenxi, I'll buy the thumb ring from you at a satisfactory price."
After saying this, Fourth Master handed me the prepared two million yuan in cash, packed in a suitcase.
"Want to check the authenticity? I have a counterfeit money detector here?" Fourth Master asked with a smile.
I shook my head, "There's no need to trick me. I'll spread the news today."
Leaving Fourth Master's courtyard, I put the cash in the hotel and asked Old Tie to inform the person who made the fake to subtly let it slip that Fourth Master hadn't seen through the deception.
Then, I found Yu Xiaoluo, who was about to get off work. I asked her, "Has Liu Chenxi's alibi been confirmed?"
Yu Xiaoluo nodded seriously, "I've confirmed it these past couple of days. When Bi Dawang died, Liu Chenxi did indeed have an alibi."
Fourth Master hadn't told me everything about his conversation with Bi Shuwen, but I didn't think Fourth Master would lie. So, I took out the picture of the Cat's Eye Man and asked Yu Xiaoluo seriously, "What do you think, could the Cat's Eye Man have gone to Thailand instead of Korea?"
Yu Xiaoluo didn't understand my meaning, "What are you talking about?"
"Could the Cat's Eye Man be a woman?"