CHAPTER 173: BOTH THE SNAKE AND THE LIGHT STEEL WERE SECURED

Zhou Dafu, with a forked branch in one hand and a net in the other, indeed caught a snake at the usual spot. He chortled, carrying the snake toward Cave 5, everything proceeding according to plan.

"Hands up, don’t move!" A dark gun barrel was suddenly pressed against his head. Zhou Dafu froze, his heart pounding furiously. The snake theft has been exposed! "I... I was just helping to catch the snake that got away..."

"WAHH! You all see, right? It must be this man who framed me! How could a weak woman like me subdue two snakes..." The woman, naked, cried pitifully while casting a fierce, sidelong glare at Qin Feifei, who was watching the drama unfold.

Li Yuetian massaged his forehead, a headache blooming. Why are there so many issues in my jurisdiction? The deceased wasn’t a local from Wu City but a young master from another province. Regardless, he had to solve the case quickly, bring the murderer to justice, and provide a proper resolution.

In her haste to prove her innocence, the woman said urgently, "He’s Zhou Daheng’s cousin and has long coveted Daheng’s belongings. That’s why he concocted such a despicable plan to frame me! After it’s all over, he plans to take these things for himself! You see, stealing the snake was just the first step."

Zhou Dafu: "???"

"Cuff him. Cuff him up," Li Yuetian ordered, one of his classic lines.

Zhou Dafu exclaimed, "No, wait! Hang on, what’s going on?"

...

「Meanwhile...」

Zhou Dasheng was getting beaten up elsewhere.

Just for saying, "What are you looking at?" he got thrashed. Apparently, in the Northeast, that phrase is the ultimate provocation, equivalent to "Come at me if you dare."

None of the fifty-odd men escaped; they were all pinned to the ground and given a thorough beating. Upholding his professional dedication to "stick to the script, even if it changes," Zhou Dasheng was determined to wait for Zhou Dafu to steal the snakes and then frame Jing Shu’s family.

So, even after being beaten, the fifty men stubbornly stayed put. Zhou Dasheng, after all, had promised a bowl of rice porridge to each person who didn’t leave.

But Zhou Dafu was taking far too long to bring the snakes...

At this, the fifty-odd men lay on the ground, wailing and refusing to get up.

Jing Shu and Wu You’ai both sensed that something was amiss. However, just as Cave 5 was filled with noisy chaos, a swarm of police officers and chattering, curious onlookers suddenly poured in from Cave 4.

The news that Zhou Daheng, the tycoon from Cave 4, had been murdered for his wealth spread rapidly—whether intentionally or not. Within moments, everyone in the Red Mountain Ecological Garden knew.

"Wu You’ai! Is Wu You’ai here?" Li Yuetian called out. "Zhou Dafu from Cave 6 has caused trouble. You’ll manage Cave 6 temporarily, until we can appoint a new administrator."

Wu You’ai quickly stepped forward for a temporary handover. Jing Shu, following behind, only then learned that Zhou Daheng had apparently been murdered by his cousin, Zhou Dafu, who was now being taken away to have his case processed.

"Tonight at ten, right here in Cave 4, we will auction off Zhou Daheng’s belongings in exchange for grain. Anyone interested can come take a look," Li Yuetian announced.

After delivering this message, Li Yuetian departed with his entourage, leaving only two staff members to guard Zhou Daheng’s possessions.

Meanwhile, Zhou Dasheng was completely dumbfounded. Did I get the wrong script? How did Zhou Dafu go from snake thief to murder suspect? Perhaps... this is an opportunity for me to rise up? His beady eyes darted about as his mind raced.

Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. Although the situation’s development is somewhat unexpected, it doesn’t seem to have gone completely off track. But Li Yuetian seems awfully eager to dispose of all of Zhou Daheng’s belongings... as if he’s trying to quickly shake off trouble.

Then again, why is Zhou Dafu mixed up in this? Jing Shu glanced at Zhou Dasheng, who was clearly scheming something. Could they also have some unspeakable secret?

The death of the neighboring tycoon, Zhou Daheng, became, at most, a topic of idle gossip among the people.

"One really must keep a low profile in life."

"Otherwise, this is the outcome—plotted against for your wealth and murdered."

Life at Jing Shu’s house, however, remained unaffected. That evening, they used their earthen kiln to prepare a fragrant meal, boiled some milk powder, and mixed filtered tea into the milk to make delicious milk tea.

They sliced cooked beef to be dipped in sauce, accompanied by garlic scapes pickled in vinegar and spicy dried rabbit...

Around nine-thirty that evening, Li Yuetian returned, his face etched with exhaustion. The vast Cave 4 was already packed with people, all there to watch the spectacle.

How should one put it? The belongings of the wealthy Zhou Daheng were too expensive for the poor and largely useless to the rich people. So, most of those present were there for the entertainment, hoping to snag an unexpected bargain.

Mr. Jing and Mrs. Jing took a brief look and then returned home. Wu You’ai was busy managing a newly assigned group of people; those fifty men from earlier, naturally, met an unpleasant end for the day—all were shooed back to be crammed into Cave 6.

At ten o’clock sharp, staff members cleared everyone out of Cave 4. "Attention everyone! You must present proof of assets to enter the auction—at least ten kilograms of grain!"

Despite the crowd’s visible discontent, no one dared to object; they were, after all, mostly there just to watch the excitement.

This measure instantly filtered out ninety percent of the people. Jing Shu, however, produced a large pig’s leg and successfully joined the ranks of those admitted to the "auction."

Li Yuetian limped over and shook hands with Jing Shu. "Whatever you want, just tell me. We’re all on the same side here."

Jing Shu understood instantly. So the auction is just a smokescreen to deceive the public and the higher-ups! The real purpose is to divide the spoils! If they didn’t use the cover of an auction and instead moved the goods directly back to the Second Team, they’d have to return everything if Zhou Daheng’s associates came investigating. But now, everyone knows Zhou Daheng’s belongings were auctioned off immediately after his death. How could anyone investigate further? These items weren’t confiscated; they were auctioned. And the grain they received in exchange? Would that need to be surrendered?

Jing Shu rubbed her hands together. "I’d like that batch of light steel..."

Li Yuetian waved his hand magnanimously. "Alright! We’ll trade it for this pig’s leg of yours!"

This is a huge bargain! Jing Shu thought.

"Captain Li, what happened to your leg?" she asked.

"Sigh, don’t even mention it," Li Yuetian said, pounding his leg. "It’s an old leg injury. It always flares up when the weather’s damp and stormy, and it’s been acting up again these past few days. I happened to catch two snakes today and was thinking of making some snake wine, but I don’t know how to prepare it, and I’m missing some other ingredients."

Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. "As it happens, I know how to prepare snake wine, and I have some of the other ingredients too."

"Excellent!" Li Yuetian exclaimed. "I’ll bring the snakes to you right away. I don’t need much, just a share of the snake wine, and I’ll be eternally grateful!"

The process was even simpler than I anticipated, Jing Shu thought. I never expected that after Zhou Daheng’s death, Li Yuetian would be the one most eager to get things over with.

In less than a day, the case was officially closed. The murderer was identified: a cousin who had been lurking by Zhou Daheng’s side, plotting for an entire year. He had even tried to frame others close to Zhou Daheng to ensure his own escape. But, as the saying goes, "Heaven’s net is vast, but it lets nothing escape." Zhou Dafu eventually slipped up and was apprehended.

That night, Zhou Dafu was reportedly killed while resisting during a jailbreak. All of Zhou Daheng’s belongings were auctioned off the same evening, and by the next day, the case files were transferred to the higher authorities.

And just as the news of Zhou Daheng’s case was causing a huge stir, Zhou Dasheng led a group of men to Jing Shu’s family villa in the early hours of the morning.