Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Investigating the Big Client

I seemed to still have some consciousness, suspended in a void. My mind flickered between clarity and haze. The world spun slowly around me. Dimly, I saw someone walking toward me—blood flowing over shards of glass, footsteps stopping right in front of me. I could vaguely hear Officer Carter shouting, but his words were impossible to make out.

My consciousness grew fainter. From a god's-eye view, I saw myself standing on a rooftop, Wendy Xu sitting beside me. Her face was deathly pale, blood slowly seeping through her clothes. She reached out toward me, her voice sharp and cold: "Where were you when I died!"

I jolted awake!

Everything around me was dim. I couldn't see where I was, and when I tried to move my limbs, I found they were firmly bound.

I thrashed, making noise—I could feel I was in a cramped, enclosed space. My feet struck something metallic with a hollow clang.

Then, light flooded in.

I was in a car trunk. No wonder it had felt so tight.

It was Monkey Drake who opened the trunk, looking at me with amusement. "Little brother, our reunion sure came fast."

I stared at him blankly. It was already daylight—but if I remembered correctly, Monkey Drake was supposed to meet Sullivan. How could he be here?

He said, "You're probably wondering why I wasn't caught by the police and'm sitting safely in front of you."

"Boss... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop lying."

He grabbed me and hauled me up, then patted my face. "In that whole box of gold bars, I had one fake bar with a tracker inside. Did you really think I wouldn't leave myself an insurance policy?"

I swallowed hard, and his expression grew icier.

"If that idiot Swallow hadn't been so scared of telling me she lost the gold—if she hadn't waited a whole night before informing me—you'd never have gotten away with that much. Once I found out, I checked the tracker, and... that gold is sitting in a police station! You bastard—you were in cahoots with the cops from the start!"

He suddenly punched me hard in the face, knocking me backward. My head cracked against the trunk's edge. Still unsatisfied, he grabbed my hair and slapped me over and over, cursing: "Honor system, huh? Turn it over to the police, will you! Tiger's been with me for years—do you know why I had his sister's hand cut off? Because I knew my gold was gone for good! It's gone!"

The beating left me dizzy—I'd barely regained consciousness and was already reeling. Monkey Drake saw my misery and dumped a bottle of mineral water over my head, shocking me back to awareness.

I opened my mouth, desperately gulping down the water, coughing as I choked on it.

After emptying the bottle, he tossed it aside and said coldly, "That idiot Tiger actually went looking for the gold. I knew it was pointless—I had him find you because I wanted you back! I can't take on the police, but I can take on you!"

I gasped weakly, "If you knew from the start, why did you keep up the charade? You could have killed me in your office—why send Tiger to lead me into a police trap?"

He sneered. "Do you think I'm a vegetarian? Once the police were onto us, I turned their own plan against them. If they hadn't gotten clever and moved most of their forces to that old ancestral hall, how would I have smoothly gotten my men out to safe ground?"

I looked around and realized I was no longer in the city.

Beyond the cars, there was a desolate mountain range.

"The police have been trying to unmask Monkey Drake's true identity. I usually disguise myself as a businessman operating in the city, but I knew they'd see through me eventually. Let me tell you—I could have slipped away on my own. You want to know why I didn't? Because of the crowd behind me. Take a good look—at these men. Several of them are carrying murder charges. Some are already under suspicion. Getting all of them out undetected? Nearly impossible. But thanks to you... I managed to get them all out."

He pointed at the men standing behind him.

They all stood at attention, respectful.

Monkey Drake grabbed my hair and murmured, "Don't let their obedience fool you. If they found out I was planning to run on my own, they'd be the first to cut me down. You know why it's so hard for a boss to step down? It's not about responsibility—it's because the underlings have staked their lives on the boss. The moment he says he's tired and wants out, they turn on him. But thanks to you... I got them all out safely."

My heart skipped a beat.

Had Monkey Drake... used me and Sullivan?

"With so many detectives pulling out on their own initiative, it became our window. Several of my men were being tracked by police, and last night, with the city's forces spread thin, I brought out everyone I could. You and that cop deserve some credit."

I couldn't help asking, "Then why risk capturing me again? You could've just escaped—why bring me along?"

"Because you're useful."

"What possible use could I be to you?"

Monkey Drake didn't answer. He pulled out his phone and played a recording for me.

A familiar voice came from the speaker: "How do I know this person is trustworthy? What if he steals all my money?"

I couldn't help but widen my eyes, staring at the phone.

He asked, "Do you recognize this voice?"

I swallowed hard. "That's Victor Li's voice."

"Exactly!"

Monkey Drake's face lit up with excitement. He sat on the edge of the trunk, unable to hide his smile. "Let me tell you a little story."

As it turned out, some time ago, Monkey Drake had taken on a big client.

This client wanted to smuggle himself out of the country, but even if he could get out, his money couldn't move as easily.

If someone tried to wire a massive sum of yuan out, could they get it through? Could it be safely exchanged at a government institution? For amounts that large, black markets couldn't absorb that much yuan either.

But gold could. No matter the quantity, there was always a buyer.

So he went through an intermediary and connected with Monkey Drake.

Monkey Drake had never handled a deal this big, so naturally he was careful. He didn't know the client at all, but since both parties had an intermediary vouching for them, the client had paid upfront, and Monkey Drake had sourced a large quantity of American gold bars for delivery.

Unfortunately for him, I'd turned one box of those gold bars over to the police.

Monkey Drake couldn't afford to offend the intermediary—a powerful figure whose reach was terrifying. Crossing a legitimate enemy was bad enough, but crossing someone from the underworld was worst of all. The police at least operated within the law. But in the shadows, for the right price, you could find a desperado willing to stalk you for weeks, waiting for the right moment to stick a knife in you a dozen times. Who wouldn't be terrified?

So after losing the gold, Monkey Drake couldn't eat or sleep. He made two contingency plans: first, scramble to compensate—but his fortune was nowhere near the big client's, and even bankrupting himself wouldn't be enough. Second, secretly investigate the big client's true identity and see if a negotiation was possible.

That investigation turned up something unexpected.

Something felt off... Could the big client be the local real estate developer Victor Li?

Monkey Drake had never met the big client—hadn't even spoken with him directly. Everything was negotiated through the intermediary. But the big client and the intermediary had once used one of Monkey Drake's private tea rooms for a meeting. Since Monkey Drake always bugged every client meeting room, the hidden recording devices had captured this conversation.

Monkey Drake reflected, "If my mystery big client really is Victor Li, that means the recipient is already dead. If the recipient is dead, what's there to worry about? I just need to give the intermediary a cut, he'll look the other way, and I can escape this crisis."

I said, "So you needed me to confirm whether that voice belonged to Victor Li?"

"Right, but that's only the first step." Monkey Drake grew serious. "I need further confirmation of the big client's identity. You have to be extremely careful in this business—without absolute certainty, you never put yourself in danger. Tell me everything you know."

I said, "Victor Li was killed by Tai Sun, his own assistant."

"Why?"

I told him the whole story about Tai Sun. After listening, Monkey Drake mused, "When someone gets rich, they really can't trust anyone. If Boss Li was really my big client, he was all set to flee the country with his money—and instead he died in a fire!"

I said, "Then Tai Sun's betrayal wasn't unjustified! Victor Li entrusted so many things to him, but was secretly preparing to flee. Tai Sun was just a scapegoat!"

Monkey Drake said, "You're saying Tai Sun wanted to smuggle himself out of the country?"

"Yes."

"After Victor Li died, the big client kept reaching out. But even though he'd already paid, he refused to meet me in person. That means it's very likely Tai Sun was impersonating his own boss."

I said, "If Victor Li was really about to flee the country, isn't Tai Sun's timing too convenient? Maybe the gold zodiac figurines were just an excuse—he was hiding the asset transfer from Nora Zhao because he wanted to keep the biggest fortune for himself. He knew that if he didn't act soon, once Victor Li escaped, there'd be no opportunity. But what I can't figure out is how he knew about the smuggling plan. Victor Li had no reason to tell him—no matter who he told, it shouldn't have been Tai Sun."

"Why not?"

"Because Tai Sun had already taken the fall for so many of Victor Li's crimes. Once Victor Li fled, everything would come crashing down on Tai Sun's head. Would Victor Li ever let him know he was planning to run?"

"Ah, that I can answer..." Monkey Drake said calmly. "The asset transfer was also a front—Tai Sun was the one who took the blame for it. That's how I traced it back to Victor Li. If Tai Sun had grown suspicious and investigated on his own, he might have found me."

I said helplessly, "So Victor Li literally had no one else he could trust. Talk about a falling house with everyone pushing—and no one left to prop it up. Boss, now that I'm no use to you, are you going to kill me to silence me? Add another body count to your record?"

"You're still useful. We haven't confirmed whether the big client really is Victor Li. Making a decision based on one audio recording alone is too risky. You need absolute certainty in this business."

"How are you going to confirm that?"

He suddenly pulled a sealed bag from his pocket, containing several cigarette butts.

"These are what the big client left in my tea room. That's a private room—even the cleaning staff can't enter—so they were preserved." Monkey Drake said. "After I discovered the big client might be Victor Li, I immediately sent someone to the tea room to gather evidence. The intermediary only smokes Chunghwa cigarettes, and these Su cigarettes must have been left by the big client. I can extract DNA from the butts."

I said, "But you can't prove these belong to Victor Li—you don't have his DNA on file!"

"I don't, but I can get it."

"How? His house was reduced to ashes."

"Little brother, do you know where we are right now?"

He grabbed me and yanked me out of the trunk.

I stumbled onto the ground. All around us was desolate mountain terrain, but in the distance, at the top of a hill, I could see a large building. Its sign came into view.

Crematorium.

He said softly, "You've seen Victor Li's body... haven't you?"

I swallowed hard. "What are you planning?"

"Let me tell you—the police these days are so irritating. They won't allow crime scene photos to circulate, talking about cleaning up the internet and protecting the victim's family. Are we trying to do something bad? We just want to see what the body looks like and, incidentally, steal the corpse. Is that really such a heinous crime?"

I said quietly, "Some photos are still findable online..."

"They're all pixelated."

"I have unpixelated photos on my phone. I can show them to you."

He placed a hand on my shoulder and sighed. "No use looking now. The body's in a coffin—who can see it?"

I swallowed again. "Even if you haven't seen the body, you could've seen the memorial photo and the deceased's name. You're talking so much because you don't want to go yourself."

"You cost me a whole box of gold—shouldn't you be the one to go? I've arranged help, but this is my first time working with them. In this business, I need absolute certainty. How can I trust my own men—or myself—to strangers?"

"I refuse... Stealing a corpse is a crime."

"Watch this first, then make your decision."

Monkey Drake suddenly played a video. On the phone screen, my rental apartment appeared.

A cold voice came from the speaker: "Boss Drake, I've got the location and targets figured out. Just say the word and they're dead."

Monkey Drake asked with interest, "How quickly can you kill them?"

"The old woman is disabled, the young one looks frail. I block the door, break a window, and burn them alive—five minutes tops."

"How do you know they won't escape through the window?"

"The other side of the window has security bars—welded shut."

"Wait for my signal."

Monkey Drake ended the call. His normally cold face now bore a smile that chilled me to the bone.

He turned and waved at his men.

They brought knives and large bolt cutters. A blade sliced through the ropes binding my legs, and the bolt cutters snapped the handcuffs on my wrists.

Monkey Drake patted my shoulder. "You can run now if you want, or call the police. But I can kill your wife and your mother in five minutes. Even if the police are fast, they can't fly."

"You bastard!"

I swung a hard punch at Monkey Drake, but he dodged nimbly and counterpunched me in the stomach.

I doubled over in pain, retching bile.

"Don't let my slim build fool you—I earned my fortune fighting in the streets. When you go up the mountain, there's a hearse—license plate ending in 352. Tell them you're with me."

Monkey Drake glanced at me, then returned to his car.

I forced myself upright, glaring at him with hatred.

I had no other options.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I made my way up the mountain road, my heart pounding.

Mom...

Elena...

I refused to bring disaster to anyone else.

Monkey Drake hadn't even taken my phone. I could have called the police, but as he'd said, the police weren't 24-hour bodyguards stationed beside Elena. There would always be gaps.

I made it to the top of the mountain. The crematorium was right in front of me, with a hearse parked by the roadside, license plate ending in 352.

I knocked on the car window. The doors unlocked—apparently signaling me to get in.

Inside, there were two other men—one with a neck tattoo, the other wearing a cap.

The capped man turned to me. "Who sent you?"

"Monkey Drake. What's the plan?"

"Here's what you need to know. Boss Li's family is rich—even in death, he's being buried, not cremated. He's only being brought here to find an embalmer and purchase supplies. After the family pays their respects, the coffin will be sealed."

"How do you know all this? And how did you get a hearse so fast?"

"Because we actually are Victor Li's pallbearers. Professional funeral services."

"Then why do something like this?"

"Funeral service pays fifty thousand. Stealing a corpse pays two hundred thousand. Would you do it?"

"No."

"Trying to play the saint?"

I looked out at the crematorium. There were so many people outside.

I couldn't help saying, "It's too dangerous. How am I supposed to carry a body out in front of all those people?"

"We're not having you carry it out now."

"What do you mean—"

"You climb inside the coffin!"

My eyes went wide. The tattooed man handed me a small tool kit. "Take this. Inside there's an oxygen canister and some tools. Once the coffin is loaded onto the hearse, we'll remove the nails. You take the body and find a way to escape."

I said stupidly, "Can't we just wait until he's buried and dig up the grave?"

"No. Boss Li's funeral is being held for three days."

"Must be nice being rich..."

"Right. Get in."

They pointed to the empty coffin in the back. I had no choice but to climb inside.

I soon felt the coffin being lifted—they must have brought it into the funeral hall.

A little later, the lid was slid open.

I was in an empty room. The capped man said to me, "In a moment, Boss Li's body will be placed inside. You must hold still—don't move, understand?"

"Got it."

They began placing funeral offerings inside—fresh flowers, copper coins, paper money, paper gold ingots—covering my body.

Then they laid a cloth over me and scattered more offerings on top.

I barely dared to breathe, waiting in silence.

The room grew noisier, punctuated by sobbing.

Soon, I felt something large and heavy placed on top of me, accompanied by a foul odor that nearly made me gag.

That must be Victor Li's body.

Somber music played in the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather today with heavy hearts to remember Mr. Victor Li. Please each of you lay a flower as you pay your respects. Let's keep each visit brief so we can stay on schedule. Mr. Howard Li, eldest son, please deliver the eulogy. Second child, stand to the side."

I listened to the muffled crying from outside, growing irritable—mostly because I was struggling to breathe.

Then Howard Li's voice rang out.

"Thank you all for attending my father's funeral. My father... was a good man in life..."

Right. He ruined people in life.

"He was law-abiding and kind-hearted..."

Right. He built shoddy buildings that ruined lives and tried to flee the country.

"But he passed away in his prime, at only fifty-two..."

Right. Good riddance.

I waited for what felt like an eternity until they finally sealed the coffin.

When the nails began driving in, the first thing I did was push Victor Li's body off me—the weight was unbearable. My legs felt pinned under something heavy and uncomfortable, making it hard to breathe.

The charred body wasn't actually that heavy, but endurance has its limits under prolonged pressure.

Once the coffin was fully sealed, breathing grew increasingly difficult.

I used the oxygen canister to breathe more easily and turned on my flashlight to prepare for the corpse extraction.

Stealing a body in plain sight was impossible.

But Victor Li's body had one unique feature...

I examined his hand, and sure enough—the severed finger had been reattached with stitching.

Gritting through my nausea, I took the scissors from the tool kit and carefully snipped the stitches.

The severed finger dropped free with a snip. The crucial piece of evidence was mine!