Chapter 95: The Psychologist – 2
Tang Yingli considered herself to be a meticulous and careful planner, which was one of her great strengths.
But sometimes she made mistakes.
She had left the station around 12:10. Because the address seemed very close, she hadn’t checked a map, but to her surprise, the residence was located in the mountains, and the drive had taken a full fifty minutes.
She was visiting a ceramic artist named Chi Shangping, who was quite famous in the art world. Although he was over eighty, he was still very active and had had a solo exhibition just before the Lunar New Year.
But as the meeting approached, she felt a faint sense of unease.
An artist, and old, and very active, which means he should be in good health—he has all the necessary conditions for a “cranky and hot-tempered old man.”
Pressing the doorbell, she sincerely hoped that Chi Shangping was not that kind of person, because she was late.
After explaining her purpose through the intercom, the woman who answered said, “Wait a minute,” followed by a silence of more than three minutes.
Then, the main gate opened.
The person who answered was Chi Shangping himself. ‘Remember to close the door.’ His tone was fierce.
Oh no, it seems things are not going as planned.
But the Japanese garden of this private residence was very elegant. The outer wall was made of trees and a bamboo fence, as if it were natural. The only unnatural thing was the iron gate she had just passed through.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting outside.” The old lady who greeted her had cute crow’s feet when she smiled. “You have an appointment with my husband at one?”
“Yes, I’m so sorry.” It had been over seven minutes.
“He almost kicked you out.” She lowered her voice. “I said that since you had come all this way, and he hasn’t been interviewed by a magazine in a long time, he’s a little lonely and cold, so he decided to let you in.”
“Actually, I’m not here for an interview…” she muttered, but the old woman didn’t hear.
The furnishings of the house were consistent with the style of the garden. The living room was covered with high-quality tatami mats, and Chi Shangping was sitting at one end, with tea already prepared on the cushion opposite him.
“Miss Tang?”
“Yes, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chi. I’m Tang Yingli.”
“Sit.”
Tang Yingli took off her scarf, and her kneeling posture was solemn and impeccable.
Suddenly, he said in a fierce tone, “You’re late.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m very grateful that you’re still willing to see me, Mr. Chi.”
“Hm…” the old man gazed at her for a few seconds and then crossed his arms, “I’ve seen a lot of people who are late for an appointment at my house, but you’re the first one who hasn’t rushed to make an excuse for yourself.”
Huh? His attitude has clearly changed.
“I didn’t manage my time well.”
“Hmph, you have something to ask me?”
“Yes.” She took out her notebook and her phone. “Uh, your wife just now mistook me for a reporter…” this point needed to be clarified.
“That old woman. I’ve told her so many times, the person who’s coming is a scientist, a scientist.”
He still remembers my self-introduction from our call.
“You have a great memory.”
“Are you kidding? I’m an artist.” He drank a sip of tea with a hint of pride. “By the way, it’s really rare for a woman to study quantum mechanics…”
She took back her previous words.
After a few pleasantries, Tang Yingli finally got to the point.
“I heard you made this.”
The phone screen showed the shattered ceramic artwork.
Chi Shangping put on his reading glasses. “This…”
“I’m sorry, this item is in the evidence storage of the Criminal Investigation Division, so I only have a photo.” Chi Shangping took the phone and examined it carefully. She watched him and said cautiously, “It looks like an ox when it’s pieced together. Do you remember it?”
“Of course. This thing… is a complete and utter fake.”
She was taken aback. It seemed to have brought back some unpleasant memories, and he was rough when he returned the phone. “This was made in my name, a shoddy product, under the guise of an artist’s meticulous creation, and it was even limited edition. It was sold for a very high price. For this, I was so angry I fired my brother… who was my manager at the time, but he passed away a few years ago.”
“So, you didn’t actually make this…”
“I did.” He interrupted. “But I only made three. But in the end, eighty-eight were sold.”
I see… so they used Chi Shangping’s name as a front to make a lot of money, but the actual product was not made by him.
“I gave two to my dad and my mother-in-law, and the last one is still here.” He stood up gracefully from the cushion. “Come, I’ll show you.”
Even though he was over eighty, Chi Shangping was still as spry as ever, and Tang Yingli had to hurry to keep up.
There was a workshop behind the house that was exclusively his. A large number of logs were piled outside, clearly for fuel.
He opened the door with a flourish and pointed to a wall full of his works. “That ox is over there. Be careful, they’re not for sale.”
Tang Yingli approached and saw the ox in a corner of the wall of works. The bright red glaze seemed to glow. She compared it with the photo, and although the ox in the evidence bag was broken, its face was blurry and rough, a stark contrast to the exquisite carving of the original.
“You can tell at a glance which one is handmade and which one is from a mold, right?” she nodded blankly.
“Since you didn’t make it… then you probably don’t know who it was sold to, right?” Although it was a limited edition, there were still eighty-eight of them, and it was a long time ago. Would there still be a sales record?
“I just heard you say that this is in some Criminal Investigation Division… aren’t you a scientist? How did you get involved with the police?”
“I’m a neuroscientist, and I’m currently assisting the police with a case. This evidence belongs to a cold case from twenty-eight years ago. A couple was killed by an unknown intruder, and only their six-year-old daughter survived. The police found this broken ox at the crime scene.” She bit her lip with unconcealed disappointment. “I thought that if I could find the source of its creation, I might be able to find out more about the truth. Unfortunately…”
“Oh, then could you be that…”
“In any case, thank you for your help. I’ll try to find other clues.”
“Wait a minute.” He called out to Tang Yingli, who was about to turn and leave. “There’s a number.”
“A number?”
“Yes, this fake had a limited edition, and each one had a number, and because it was sold by appointment, there was a registration.” He stroked his beard. “Computers weren’t very popular back then, so it was all handwritten. I remember my brother had a registration form.”
This gave her a renewed sense of hope. “Is that registration form still around?”
“It is, but… I said my brother passed away a few years ago. His things are all piled up in the attic. It will definitely take a lot of time to find.” Looking at Tang Yingli, Chi Shangping finally smiled. “But you look like you’re determined to find that registration form.”
Her eyes were as bright as two burning flames.
“Let’s go, let’s go find it. My wife and I will help you.”
**
In the large conference hall of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the person on the stage was not a high-ranking official, but a petite woman.
“…No matter how strong a person is, they will definitely need other support. It’s not shameful to ask for help. The same goes for the people’s protectors, who always help the public, to seek help from others.”
Her gentle voice spread through the entire venue through the microphone. Lian Huizhu looked around at the audience and said firmly, “If you have any questions, you are welcome to consult by phone or message at any time. I hope today’s content will be of practical help.”
At the end, she received a warm round of applause from all the police officers.
It’s finally over. She, who rarely spoke in front of so many people at once, suppressed her nervousness and deliberately packed up her speech slowly. The atmosphere of the dispersing crowd was relaxed and lazy, and she didn’t notice anyone approaching until the person called her name.
“Lian Huizhu.”
She was taken aback and looked up to see a dark, unfamiliar face.
“You are?”
“He Jiahao.” The guy waved his ID. “You don’t remember?”
Her eyes widened, and she remembered that the police officer before her was her high school classmate. “You… you’re on duty in Taipei?”
“I was transferred here. I didn’t expect to run into you here. You, who were so passionate about studying the brain back then, ended up becoming a psychologist.” He gave a sunny smile. “This profession suits you very well.”
She shyly pinched her nose. “Thank you.”
“By the way… how did you get invited to give a speech?”
“Oh, because my medical school classmate works at the Criminal Investigation Division, and I was invited by him.”
“A medical school classmate? At the Criminal Investigation Division?”
“Yes, a medical examiner…” a sudden flash of white caught her eye, and she pouted and pointed at the door, “speak of the devil.”
He Jiahao turned and saw a tall, handsome guy with slightly curly hair and a white coat striding over. He looked so much like a male star from a Korean drama that he was inexplicably reminded of one.
“It’s over? You did a great job. You spoke very fluently.”
“You must not have been listening from the beginning. I was so nervous from the start until I started talking about the actual cases.”
“I couldn’t tell.” Tao Qianya noticed He Jiahao standing on the side. “You made a new friend so quickly?”
“What new friend? He’s my…”
“I’m Officer He Jiahao from the Shilin precinct, and I’m also Lian Huizhu’s high school classmate.” He proactively held out his hand.
“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Tao Qianya, and I’m in charge of autopsies related to criminal cases.” He shook his hand and raised an eyebrow at Lian Huizhu. “I didn’t expect the world to be so small. You ran into two classmates from different periods of your life here.”
“Don’t say that. I’m often called ‘Dr. Lian’ by passersby.”
“After all, you have a lot of patients.” He saw that she was carrying a lot of bags. “Need a hand?”
“No, I can carry them myself.” Lian Huizhu put on her backpack and then lightly picked up her handbag. “By the way… how long are you two going to hold hands?”
Her teasing gaze made He Jiahao let go.
The three of them walked out of the conference room together. Although Lian Huizhu also talked to He Jiahao, her main conversation partner was still Tao Qianya, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Suddenly, the radio crackled. “Yes… roger that. I’m going back.”
“Are you going back?”
“Yes… we’ll talk again when we have a chance.” He forced a smile, and his gaze toward Tao Qianya was a little complicated.
Looking at He Jiahao running away, Lian Huizhu couldn’t help but smile. “I never thought he would become a police officer. I actually really disliked him before.”
“Disliked him?”
“Yes, he liked to bully the girls in our class, especially me and another classmate I was very close to at the time.”
“Oh, oh.” Tao Qianya had a sudden realization. “No wonder he had that expression.”
“What expression?”
“It’s nothing. Are you off today?” Seeing Lian Huizhu nod, he smiled and said, “I’ll treat you to afternoon tea.”
**
After finally finding the registration form, Tang Yingli took a picture of it and solemnly thanked Mr. and Mrs. Chi for their help.
Although not every buyer’s information was filled in in detail on the form, it was still a very valuable clue. She couldn’t wait to fly back and check if the evidence bag contained any fragments with a serial number.
In the taxi, she repeatedly checked the handwritten record. As long as she could confirm the number and compare it with the information on the form, she might be able to track down the buyer and find out who had sent this thing to the house…
And the hidden meaning behind it.
It was almost four when she arrived at the office. As soon as Tang Yingli walked in, she found that the entire station was almost deserted.
“You’re back, Teacher.” Cai Yuwei took off his headphones and waved at her.
“Ah,” she pointed at the empty seat, “is the lecture not over yet?”
“It’s over. I’m listening to it now. Oh, even though it’s a lecture, Dr. Lian’s voice still sounds so gentle…” he was in a daze.
“Then why are there so few people?”
“It seems there were two case reports at the same time, so… Dr. Lian, Dr. Lian?” Cai Yuwei’s eyes widened, and he rubbed them hard. “No way. Y-You’re still here.”
“Is it Officer Cai? That’s great. A few bodies just came in… Tao Qianya rushed into the operating room, and he asked me to come up and help find a… brainy teacher?” she walked in cautiously, “he said that as long as I said that nickname, someone here would know. Does Officer Cai know who the brainy teacher is?”
“Um, the brainy teacher is…”
Before Cai Yuwei could finish, the woman in the black coat standing in front of him slowly turned.
Lian Huizhu’s heart skipped a beat. The woman before her, whether it was her hairstyle, her appearance, her temperament, or even her round, frameless glasses and rose-colored lips, was exactly the same as she remembered.
“I’m the one you’re looking for…”
“Senior.”
She held her breath, facing Tang Yingli, her eyes welling up with tears. “I remember you. Senior Yingli, do you still remember me?”
Tao Qianya was right.
The world is really so small.
