novel bin Chapter 54 Mr. Strange
Chapter 54 Mr. Strange
[Location of incident: 108 Rockston Street (Livep Jewelry Exhibition)]
[Reporting by: Luo Qiu, Smith]
[What happened:]
At approximately 2:40 AM on April 14th, the suspect, dressed in black, smashed a window on the west exterior wall of the exhibition hall using a hammer, climbed through the window into the inner hall, and attempted to steal a million-dollar ruby. The suspect's movements were immediately detected by sound sensors, and two patrol officers from the exhibition hall, along with Detectives Luo Qiu and Smith, arrived at the scene immediately…
[Suspect's details: xxx, approximately 185cm tall, medium build, personal belongings: a claw hammer (rubber-coated head), a flashlight, a small leather bag (no stolen goods inside)...]
……
Smith had already written the investigation report on the thief in the exhibition hall last night. He just needed to submit it, and the credit would be his.
After witnessing the glass's sturdiness, Smith's confidence soared, and when he completed the investigation of suspects again, his eyes gleamed with eagerness.
Mr. Hammond was the same. After seeing the scene, faced with shattered window glass and damage to the display cases, he was not angry, but rather in a good mood.
Before leaving, he even asked the thief to take a photo with him in front of the display case. The thief's height of 185cm, his strong muscles, and the unbroken glass of the display case in the photo were enough to say a lot.
In the exhibition hall, only Luo Qiu was both relieved that another day had arrived and keeping a closer eye on the visitors who came to the exhibition hall.
The thief who was arrested and who is temporarily unwilling to reveal his name was just a minor figure. He even had to use violence to break through the outermost layer of security. It is estimated that even if he confessed to all his previous crimes, it wouldn't add much to his credit.
The real hunter has probably already learned his lesson from the incident involving Mr. Thief.
They might be cautiously probing for the traps within this exhibition hall.
There were even more people gathered around the ruby display case today, and one middle-aged man caught Luo Qiu's attention.
The man was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, had a tall and slender figure, and his hair was styled meticulously. He kept his hands in his pockets the entire time. He was very stylish.
However, what caught Luo Qiu's attention was not the other person's appearance, but that the other person had been standing in front of the ruby display case for a full ten minutes.
For ten minutes, the other party did not say a word or change his posture once. He was expressionless, and his gaze toward the gemstone was calm, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
In Luo Qiu's view, the other party possessed the qualities of a top-tier hunter.
Patient, focused, wise, and maintaining a harmless demeanor until the decisive shot is fired.
Of course, Luo Qiu couldn't be 100% sure that the other party was a "hunter". What if the other party was just born without expressions?
Five minutes later, the man was still by the ruby display case, and Agent Smith quietly approached him from behind.
"Sir, this..."
"Shh-"
Luo Qiu sent Smith to the other party's side as a test.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Smith greeted him, the man put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. At the same time, he raised his head and looked towards the rest area.
Luo Qiu was certain that the man had made eye contact with him for that instant.
However, it was only for that one glance, and then the man walked out of the exhibition hall.
Luo Qiu and Smith looked at each other and put down their books.
Things seemed to have taken some unexpected turns.
After thinking for a few seconds, Luo Qiu also got up and walked out of the exhibition hall.
……
Outside the exhibition hall, the man did not leave; he stood quietly in a secluded corner.
As Luo Qiu came out and looked around, the man took the initiative to greet her.
"Over here, Detective, over here."
Upon hearing the voice, Luo Qiu's eyebrows twitched involuntarily. The other person was waiting for him and knew his identity.
It's not surprising that a well-dressed middle-aged man would know his identity as an agent.
However, judging from the situation, the other party was waiting for him on purpose.
Luo Qiu suppressed his surprise and walked over.
"Sir, did my partner disturb you just now? I apologize for that."
"No, I want to talk to you about something..." The man smiled. "Does the agent think it's a bit cruel to have a beautiful woman, sleeping peacefully, being watched through a glass partition?"
"Sir, do you mean you're very worried about that 'beauty's' condition? But aren't you just observing her like anyone else?"
"You're right. In a sense, I'm no different from anyone else. But I hope that the beauty's sleeping face can be admired by me alone."
The man's words were somewhat blunt, yet his expression remained calm.
Looking directly into the other person's eyes, Luo Qiu couldn't detect anything unusual. However, Luo Qiu was already certain that this person was not simple.
If the other party is not extraordinary, then they must be a jewel thief with extensive knowledge, strong execution ability, in-depth research on jewels and an extreme passion for them.
But Luo Qiu was ignorant of the fact that such a notorious thief had been active around Chongqing in recent years.
If the other party is extraordinary, then it's even worse. In addition to the traits mentioned above, we would probably have to add the phrase "high sequence".
After a few seconds of contemplation, Luo Qiu decided to change his approach to the conversation:
"Sir, could you please tell me what kind of work you do?"
"A traveling merchant," the man answered without hesitation, pulling a card from his pocket. "I enjoy traveling around and doing business with various people. This is my business card."
Luo Qiu took the card.
It was a very simple card, without any complicated patterns, just the name "Oliver Moran" written in ink, which should be the recipient's name.
Turn it over, and there's nothing there.
But that makes it seem very strange.
"Mr. Moran, businessmen give out business cards to do business. You gave me your business card, do you think we have a business deal? If you really intend to do business, why is there no address or other contact information on the card?"
"Of course, I think the detective will have business he'd like to do with me, not now, but perhaps soon. Then this business card will come in handy. Because then you'll know where I am."
"Oh?"
"Alright, Detective, I won't be here much longer. If you have no further questions, I'll be leaving now."
Mr. Moran raised his hand to check the time, as if he really had something else to do.
Not knowing the other party's background, Luo Qiu did not intend to stop them. Instead, she turned slightly to the side as a way of saying goodbye.
However, Mr. Moran had only taken two steps when he turned back:
"Detective, do you think it's not surprising that cats appear anywhere?"
……