Fog City Detective

Chapter 12: Past

Richard stood up and shook hands with Liang Xi, saying, "We'll be waiting for your good news."

"Sure." Liang Xi glanced at the Bluetooth earpiece hanging on Richard's ear. In his judgment, Richard was just a messenger, and it seemed that there was a story behind this case. However, a detective had to balance curiosity—having it and not having it. In ignorance, helping a wrongdoer commit a crime poses no significant legal issues. Similar to a taxi driver unknowingly transporting a hitman to commit murder, being aware made one an accomplice, while ignorance made one a witness. The more you know, the harsher the judgment, and the quicker the demise.

After seeing Richard off, Liang Xi was extremely excited, pumping his fists and jumping. What did fifty thousand pounds represent? For Liang Xi, who had no lofty aspirations, it meant he could scrape by for at least a year or two.

Finding something? No difficulty at all. The best at finding things weren't detectives but thieves.

At this point, let's introduce Liang Xi's background. His father was a magician who traveled nationwide with a circus, performing at various carnivals. Liang Xi became his father's little assistant at the age of three. However, the good times didn't last because Liang Xi's father was rarely home, and his mother eventually chose to divorce. She quickly remarried and left England with her new husband.

After the divorce, Liang's father became despondent and turned to alcohol, staying out all night. He didn't realize that the reason for the marriage breakdown was his short time at home; instead, he attributed it to poverty. So, during a drinking session, several magicians from the circus formed a burglary gang, taking advantage of their nationwide performances to commit crimes across the country.

This method of committing crimes continued until Liang Xi was six. Due to the unique architectural structures of their targeted buildings, Liang Xi became the youngest member of the burglary gang. To make his father happy, Liang Xi trained hard. When he succeeded in a theft, Liang Xi saw the rare smile on his father's face, and in that moment, he also gained a sense of accomplishment.

Relying on his small stature and quick learning abilities, Liang Xi's thieving skills skyrocketed. Moreover, everyone liked him and taught him their skills. After three years of training from ages six to nine, Liang Xi became a professional young thief.

As fate would have it, the burglary gang in Liverpool was targeted by the police. Due to a car accident during their escape on a rainy night, they were caught. Three thieves, including Liang's father, died, one was injured, and Liang Xi, luckily, didn't even get a scratch. After the captured thief confessed to everything, all of Liang Xi's family assets, including the house, were confiscated. Liang Xi ended up in the Lifu Orphanage and later attended the Blue Coat School.

The Blue Coat School was a term used for charity schools. The students were almost all orphans, and after performing two splendid magic tricks upon arrival, Liang Xi immediately became known to the older troublemakers. They coerced him into stealing money and valuables for them. After several beatings, Liang Xi had no choice but to submit to violence. This kind of life continued for about a year until Liang Xi encountered John in the dining hall, marking a turning point in his life.

Searching for things inside a house—Black Uncle, a friend of Liang's father, believed that no one was more suitable than Liang Xi. He always found the most valuable possessions in the target households. Since childhood, Liang Xi had demonstrated keen observation, deduction, and judgment skills that were innate to a detective. He could find hidden safes and secret doors based on details like overhearing the homeowners' conversations and studying the interior decor. One of his most spectacular feats was removing a necklace worth a hundred thousand pounds from a woman's neck in a painting. This necklace had even fooled the owner, a renowned portrait artist who had disguised it, and had deceived insurance agents, but it hadn't fooled Liang Xi.

Therefore, Liang Xi was confident in his ability to search for things. At the same time, he admired Charlie and the others for being able to find him, a genius in finding things.

Liang Xi thought this way with a playful and self-bragging attitude. Little did he know that he was indeed the sought-after genius, and Charlie didn't even know John; his target was Liang Xi himself.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, in a small alley across the street from the detective agency, a man wearing a hood watched as Liang Xi got into a Beetle and made a call. "Eagle, he's in the car."

"Hummingbird, don't follow. Intercept him near the apartment building."

"Got it," replied the Hummingbird.

In a large villa by the Thames, a man in his mid-thirties hung up the phone, placed it on the table, and asked, "Can this guy named Liang Xi be found?"

His question was directed at a black man in his fifties, sitting in a chair with hands and feet bound to it with zip ties. Bruised and battered, his face swollen, the man was none other than Liang Xi's accomplice from over a decade ago: Black Uncle.

Black Uncle confidently replied, "Of the people I know, only he might find him."

The man asked, "Egret?"

The red-haired female hacker on the left answered, "Liang Xi's navigation destination is the location we provided him."

The man said nothing more, picked up the coffee on the table, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and admired the outdoor scenery, savoring his coffee slowly.

Half an hour later, the Hummingbird reported, "Eagle, I'm near the apartment building. There are several warning signs about timed demolition around the apartment building, stating the demolition time."

The man, known as Eagle, asked, "Are there security guards?"

The Hummingbird replied, "Uncertain about the back door. There are security vehicles blocking the entrance, and two security guards chatting near the road entrance."

Eagle said, "Send me the photos."

The Hummingbird said, "Understood."

Egret: "Received the photos, currently comparing."

Eagle, holding his coffee, walked towards Black Uncle, who looked terrified. "Boss, I've told you everything I know, no hiding anything."

Eagle nodded and pointed at Black Uncle. "I believe you. So, you're of no use anymore." He glanced at the man standing beside Black Uncle.

The man covered Black Uncle's head with a plastic bag.

As Black Uncle struggled desperately, Eagle walked to the coffee machine, placed the cup, ground coffee beans, and brewed a cup of coffee. By the time the coffee was ready, Black Uncle had already succumbed.

Egret reported, "Eagle, the security guard's identity is confirmed; they're MI5 uniformed guards." Uniformed guards are equivalent to security and auxiliary police, not regular police officers, but personnel recruited internally within the department. Their job positions mostly involve maintaining order, driving, and other tasks unrelated to sensitive or classified affairs. Why not use police officers? Because the normal income of a regular police officer is enough to hire three uniformed guards. Each organization has a budget, and the money deducted from personnel can be used to purchase additional equipment for the department.

Eagle, after hearing the explanation, looked somewhat surprised. "MI5? No wonder, no wonder even the Vipers are mobilized. What exactly are we dealing with here?" The use of uniformed guards indicates that MI5 didn't pay too much attention to this building.

The Hummingbird reported, "Liang Xi has arrived nearby. He parked directly in front of the apartment building, got out of the car, and negotiated with two security guards."

Eagle inquired, "The one 'negotiating' with a gun?"

The Hummingbird replied, "No, just verbal negotiation."

Eagle said, "Damn, found myself a fool."

The Hummingbird added, "The security guards seem a bit bewildered."

Eagle asked, "What?"

The Hummingbird said, "The security guard is making a phone call."

The Hummingbird continued, "The security guard is stepping back, making a gesture of invitation, letting him in."

Eagle questioned, "Are you sure he doesn't have a handgun?"

The Hummingbird replied, "He's holding a cell phone in his hand."

Eagle asked, "Explosive cellphone?"

The Hummingbird said, "Doesn't look like it."

Eagle's interest was piqued. "Interesting."