The events of the night had all concluded, with those who deserved punishment facing it, and those who deserved rewards receiving them.
Zhan Ruoxuan had retrieved the jade pendant, and Lu Jiao had his mink coat back. Lu Jiao's righteous actions would later earn him great favor from Fang Guobin, who placed him in direct charge of the pawnshop.
Of course, these were matters for the future. However, as Lu Jiao had promised, he never bullied ordinary folk and offered fair, even beneficial, prices to those in need who came to pawn their belongings. Fang Guobin fully supported his conduct, and his pawnshop gradually flourished, becoming a renowned establishment in the city that stood for decades.
After resolving these matters, Hu Jia heard that Fang Guobin was also a fruit merchant. This reminded him of the fruit pit in the box. Although weathered, its shape was still discernible; as long as it wasn't touched, one could still get a general idea of its form. While it might be difficult for outsiders to identify, perhaps insiders could offer some insight.
Upon hearing Hu Jia's request, Fang Guobin did not hesitate. He carefully examined the fruit pit and after a long while, sighed, "This has been kept for too long. Its surface no longer allows for accurate identification."
Though disappointed, everyone understood. "Alright, thank you," Hu Jia said with a sigh, realizing he would need to find another way.
"However, I can broadly tell which fruits it might belong to, though not precisely. Longan, lychee, rambutan, and yes, also lychee!" Fang Guobin felt apologetic. "Captain Hu, I can only help this much. I'm truly sorry."
"Ah?" Hu Jia's face lit up. "No, no, thank you, thank you." He had thought all hope was lost, but now he saw a glimmer of success. Although offered four possibilities, it was far easier than searching for a small boat in a vast ocean.
Hu Jia and his team returned satisfied. The next day, upon arriving at the office, they heard that Luo Wenwu had returned, much to everyone's delight. They gathered around, eager to chat.
"I came back last night and looked for you everywhere, but couldn't find you."
"Yeah, we went to the pawnshop yesterday to investigate Qi Ge."
"You must be tired from last night. You're still yawning."
"Not tired, not tired. With you back, no amount of hard work feels tiring."
Luo Wenwu was deeply moved, seeing Li Yang's bloodshot eyes. Li Yang told him that everyone had been working hard for him during his absence. Last night, to uncover the truth behind his disappearance, they had even set a trap to catch Qi Ge.
"I won't forget this brotherhood. Don't worry, I'll treat you all to a good meal at noon today."
"You're paying for dinner too."
"Of course, of course. You've all been working hard during this time."
Hu Jia and Lü Qingqing stared wide-eyed, unsure whether to call Li Yang cunning or Luo Wenwu too honest. In just one morning, Luo Wenwu had heard a touching tale of brothers saving brothers. And now, to express his gratitude, and with Li Yang's subtle suggestion, Luo Wenwu agreed to cover everyone's meals for a week.
"Um, Wenwu," Lü Qingqing started, but Hu Jia stopped him. "This is truly a generous expense for you."
Lü Qingqing was speechless. If Li Yang was bullying the honest one, then Hu Jia was also taking advantage of him.
"We should save where we can. After all, we have a family to support, and he's all alone," Hu Jia said with a sly grin.
"Er…" Lü Qingqing thought about it and realized it was indeed the case. Single individuals should be aware of their status; don't be a third wheel. If you want to shine, you have to pay.
Hearing about the free meals, and for multiple days at that, everyone cheered. They laughed and joked, their spirits high.
Hu Jia exchanged a glance with Luo Wenwu, and they went together to Ouyang Wen's office.
"So, they merely took you, but made no demands?" Hu Jia asked, stating it as a fact, as it was Luo Wenwu's account, and he had no reason to doubt it.
"Yes, I find it strange too. Boss, what do you think they took me back for?" This was something Luo Wenwu himself couldn't figure out.
"Didn't they ask you any other questions?" Ouyang Wen was also perplexed.
"They did, but they knew I wouldn't answer, and yet they didn't press further," Luo Wenwu said, recounting his conversation with Tang Yinge.
Now, everyone was even more confused. What did Master Six want?
After much deliberation, they found no leads. Hu Jia decided to move on. "Forget it. We'll take it one step at a time. They'll eventually reveal their intentions. Otherwise, Wenwu's trip to the Knife Men's headquarters would be in vain."
"Knife Men's headquarters? Right, I know where the Knife Men's headquarters is," Luo Wenwu said, as if just waking up, but his words sent a jolt through everyone.
"You know where their base is?"
"It should be in Jiangbei, by the Jialing River." Luo Wenwu explained his reasoning in detail, causing the other two to nod in agreement.
"This intelligence is invaluable, and your analysis is likely correct. Buildings by the river should be easy to locate. We'll make arrangements immediately," Ouyang Wen stated.
Speaking of the Knife Men's headquarters, Guan Jinsong remembered something. He had been tasked by Hu Jia to contact Tang Dekai. Tang Dekai had mentioned that the person who entered the bookstore was named Tang Yinge, and the other was named Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi had a sister who was studying under Xie Hong. Initially, he didn't recall who Xie Hong was, but later realized that Lü Duobao's teacher was Xie Hong.
"So, if we want to know Tang Yinge's identity, we could start by approaching Xiao Qi, and to get to him, we'd first need to approach his sister," Guan Jinsong suggested.
Xie Hong! Upon hearing Xie Hong's name, Ouyang Wen recalled something. "Didn't Master Six look everywhere for fruit farmers and scholars? To relay messages to us, he even used Xie Hong to pass information."
Hu Jia didn't understand what Ouyang Wen was referring to, so Lü Qingqing briefly explained. Master Six had been extensively searching for fruit farmers, geomancers, and scholars, all to decipher a particular phrase. That phrase was: "The Pearl Prefect can also be foolish; ten years of fruit bearing in the courtyard."
"Wait!" Hu Jia interrupted. "You mean Master Six was looking for fruit farmers among his search?"
"Yes, fruit farmers," Lü Qingqing repeated. Suddenly, everyone had an epiphany. Fruit farmers! And the box Hu Jia had given Lu Jiao years ago contained a fruit pit.
"Could it be that Master Six already knows what kind of fruit it is?" Zhan Ruoxuan asked, startled. This thought made everyone's hearts sink. If Master Six already knew about the fruit, did that mean he was closer to the truth?
"No, he doesn't," Hu Jia declared. "He not only doesn't know what fruit it is, but he doesn't even know that fruit is involved."
What did he mean by that? Everyone was confused. "Consider this: what was his purpose in seeking out scholars and geomancers? He merely connected the word 'fruit bearing' in these two sentences to fruit. But he wasn't sure. That's why he consulted geomancers and scholars to analyze the meaning."
Listening to Hu Jia's explanation, it seemed logical. "Therefore, he hasn't gotten any closer to the truth. On the contrary, we are ahead. Because we have already confirmed that this is indeed a fruit."