Fog City Detective

Chapter 11: Search for an Item

On Berning Street, there was a restaurant and a cafe. Between the restaurant and the cafe was a 50-centimeter-wide staircase leading up to the Rose Detective Agency. The detective agency's space was not small. Upstairs from the cafe was the office, adorned with vintage single-person sofas, a wall clock, bookshelves, a fireplace, and rocking chairs, exuding an old-world charm. Upstairs from the restaurant was the guest area, furnished with modern sofas, coffee tables, a restroom, and a relaxation room of about ten square meters.

Assuming he couldn't find a job within a month, Liang Xi decided to move to the detective agency for residence, simultaneously lowering his expected salary to £2,000. Selling the detective agency was out of the question; at least while John was alive, Liang Xi wouldn't consider selling the detective agency.

Honestly, Liang Xi quite liked the detective agency. He especially enjoyed sitting in the rocking chair by the fireplace, sipping a cup of hot tea, and reading a book by the flickering firelight. However, such a life was not only addictive but could also lead to decadence, turning Liang Xi into a homebody. Without earning any money, Liang Xi didn't have the qualifications to become a homebody.

Another week passed, and there were no job offers, and the detective agency had no business either. Liang Xi, who was living off John's meals, even walked ten kilometers to John's house for a free lunch, then walked another ten kilometers back to the detective agency to continue sending out resumes. This time, he changed his strategy: he applied for part-time jobs. He sent resumes to jobs offering £10 per hour.

After distributing the resumes—no, sending the resumes—came the long-awaited knocking on the door.

Liang Xi opened the door, and there stood a man around fifty years old. The man took off his hat upon seeing Liang Xi, and Liang Xi noticed a Bluetooth earpiece hanging from the man's left ear. The man asked, "Is John here?"

If he were an old customer or friend of John, he should know that John rarely came to the detective agency in recent years. If needed, one could only contact John by phone. Clearly, this man was not a regular. Liang Xi invited him in and responded, "John has retired. Can I help you?"

The man looked somewhat doubtful as he scrutinized Liang Xi. Standing at 1.8 meters tall, with a slightly childish face but a mature gaze, Liang Xi's abilities were not easily discerned. Nevertheless, the man didn't hesitate for long and said, "Of course."

"Please come inside." Liang Xi led the man into the guest lounge.

Without much preamble, the man, who introduced himself as Richard, said, "I need to find something."

Liang Xi placed a bottle of mineral water in front of the guest and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Richard explained the situation. He was a lawyer for a company called Screw Ltd. The company had a factory in the industrial area of London, mainly producing large screws. Near the factory, there was a 17-story apartment building serving as dormitories for the workers. A golf club had set its sights on the land owned by Screw Ltd. and had bought the land.

According to the plan, Screw Ltd. would relocate its factory and company to the Manchester industrial area. The apartment building will be demolished in three days. Richard wanted Liang Xi to find something inside the apartment building.

Richard himself wasn't sure what the item looked like. He said, "It's a storage device, possibly a SIM card, flash drive, external hard drive, or even a discarded computer. Once you connect the item to the right storage device, a password input interface will appear, and there will be a small sailboat on the interface."

Liang Xi thought Richard wasn't telling the whole truth. Liang Xi sincerely said, "Richard, searching for something in a 17-story apartment, especially when you can't describe it clearly, is nearly impossible. You should provide me with more information."

After some contemplation, Richard said, "Alright, it's a storage device containing the financial information of Screw Ltd. The company engaged in legal tax avoidance activity by selling the London property and buying Manchester property. This behavior was misunderstood as tax evasion."

The one who misunderstood was a deputy financial manager named Cai Wu, a 33-year-old woman residing on the 15th floor of the apartment building. Instead of reporting to the police after obtaining evidence, Cai Wu chose to blackmail Screw Ltd. The company sent someone to negotiate with Cai Wu. She informed them that the item was in the apartment building and, after receiving the money, she could immediately lead them to the evidence. She guaranteed that no one else knew about this.

Negotiations on the price took place, and due to a disagreement in the expected amounts, Cai Wu gave Screw Ltd. three days to consider and contact her after the initial payment. She didn't want to waste time. Unexpectedly, on her way back to the apartment, Cai Wu died in a car accident. Screw Ltd. spent three days without finding the item. Three days later, all the employees had moved out of the apartment building, and the demolition company took over. After a week of measurements and calculations, the demolition company was scheduled to demolish the building in three days.

Therefore, Screw Ltd. hired a lawyer to seek professional assistance. Richard had employed John for a case over a decade ago, so today, he came to find Liang Xi.

Richard explained, "We can provide detailed information about the former residents of the apartment building, including Cai Wu's friend's residence. However, we haven't obtained permission from the demolition company. If you're caught searching for the item, Screw Ltd. will absolutely deny any involvement. From a legal perspective, I can assure you there shouldn't be a problem. The management rights of the invaded apartment building belong to the demolition company. If they investigate you for illegal entry, the building cannot be demolished on time."

Oh, come on! Are you kidding? You can't find your company's item, so not only are you not secretly delighted, but you've mobilized the company's people to search for it, afraid that not enough people know. Now you've even hired a detective, trying every means to find it.

Liang Xi found it awkward and said, "I'm a detective, and I won't do anything illegal."

Richard remained silent, unzipped his briefcase, and placed a stack of £50 banknotes on the coffee table: "£5,000 as an advance payment. If you can find what we need, you'll receive an additional £10,000."

"We"? Liang Xi was sharp at catching details. From Richard saying "we," Liang Xi knew Richard wasn't alone. Therefore, Richard and his group must be trying various ways to search the apartment. As the building was about to be demolished, they were acting out of desperation. This money could be taken, but it was also impossible to take. The key was how to operate. If you thought you could lie back and sleep after receiving the £5,000 advance payment, you were absolutely wrong.

Liang Xi thought for a moment, "I don't need the advance payment. After finding the item, I want £50,000."

Liang Xi set a high price to see if the other party would agree. Unexpectedly, Richard agreed without hesitation, "Deal."

Richard took out a business card with only a phone number and a website, and placed it on the table, "The information is on this website, download password is 666666. Call this phone number after finding the item. By the way, only you can be informed of this."

In a half-joking manner, Liang Xi said, "Are you planning to set a trap in the apartment, ready to harvest kidneys?"

Richard was taken aback, "Huh? What?"

Liang Xi chuckled, "Nothing, just a detective's joke."