Even Lu Linjiang, usually the picture of composure, couldn't help but curse Cui Shihai’s entire lineage when he saw the ledger. The smuggling operation had spanned fifteen years—it was nowhere near as "minor" as Cui Wenxing had made it sound. The ledger contained detailed records of animal names, every single one of which could be found in the *National Wildlife Protection Regulations*. From birds to beasts, it seemed every species found in Southeast Asia had been swept up in their net.
"A major case," Yang Bo remarked. Noticing Zhao Zhijie looking dejected beside him, Yang Bo reached out and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "What’s wrong? Reflecting on your mistakes?"
Zhao Zhijie felt like he was going crazy. Although he had only been stationed here for a year, he had been in and out of this island every day. According to the ledger, at least four shipments had been moved since his transfer to Liucheng Island. "Right under my nose! I visited that ranch every other day, and I didn't notice a thing!"
Yang Bo understood his frustration. "The other side wasn't exactly amateur. They moved goods in and out using fodder trucks. No one would expect such a classic 'clandestine maneuver' nowadays."
Lu Linjiang looked at the final shipment, which had occurred half a month ago. The entry for "Masked Palm Civet" clearly showed the number "3."
"The issue now isn't assigning blame, but figuring out who the suppliers and buyers are—and more importantly, where the other two civets went."
Wang Qi, who had been running all over the place with the CDC staff, was hauled over by Lu Linjiang. His jaw dropped when he saw the ledger. "This is insane. With this volume, they’ve earned themselves a date with a firing squad several times over!"
"We won't be handling the follow-up. There are matters in Jinghai waiting for our return. But before I leave, I need to know where those other two civets are."
It wasn't until Cui Shihai saw the ledger that he realized the game was up. He was surprisingly blunt. "This has nothing to do with my son. Even if he knew, he never participated. At most, he just cooked a few dishes."
The names of the handlers for the incoming and outgoing goods in the ledger were either Cui Dongming or Cui Shihai. Especially starting from three years ago, it was almost exclusively Cui Shihai’s name. Judging by the ledger alone, it seemed Cui Wenxing truly hadn't been involved.
"Whether your son is in trouble is, theoretically, no longer my concern. That will be for a judge to decide. I only have one question: the last shipment had three civets. According to Mao Fangliang, one was given to Guzman. Where are the other two?"
"Eaten," Cui Shihai said succinctly.
"Do you remember who ate them?"
"The first one was given to a group of tourists. I can't tell you exactly who they were. They were independent travelers from the internet, or maybe they just decided to stop by on a whim. There's no way to trace them."
Lu Linjiang felt a surge of frustration. "No records at all?"
"Officer, we knew exactly what kind of business we were in. In this trade, it’s best if both the buyer and the seller stay in the dark. You don't remember me, I don't remember you. That way, if things go south, one person's fall doesn't drag everyone else down. We don't all get caught in one net." Cui Shihai looked at Lu Linjiang mockingly. "Did you think I’d keep a record just in case they finished their meal and turned around to report me? Don't be ridiculous."
"And the last one?"
"I ate it myself."
Lu Linjiang’s gaze sharpened instantly. "You ate it? When?"
"The day before that foreigner arrived." Cui Shihai finally remembered something important. "By the way, is there a cure for the illness my son has?"
Lu Linjiang tapped the table. "Answer my question first."
Cui Shihai gave him a resentful look but had to continue. "That shipment was quite large, and I made a good profit. I was in a good mood, so I decided to add an extra dish. A group of tourists had booked a table, and since there was one civet left over, we ate it ourselves. Everyone in the shop ate it."
Lu Linjiang studied Cui Shihai closely. The man’s complexion looked normal, showing no signs of illness. "Everyone in Yawei Residence ate it?"
Cui Shihai nodded impatiently. "Everyone. We usually eat together; why would I exclude anyone? My son and daughter-in-law ate it too." He paused suddenly, then let out a long, heavy sigh. "Back then, Cui Xiaoye... she should have been pregnant already..."
He let out a self-mocking grunt. "Retribution. An eye for an eye."
Lu Linjiang looked at him, puzzled. "Do you know where those civets came from?"
Cui Shihai had lost his spirit since remembering Cui Xiaoye’s miscarriage. "Officer, do you think those people who roam the wild mountains would tell us that? My place was just a storage point, a transit business with no overhead. If I went around asking questions like that, would I even be able to stay in business?"
With no further hope of finding the host, Lu Linjiang only wanted to rush back to Jinghai. However, since he and Yang Bo had uncovered almost everything on Liucheng Island, he had to properly hand over the case to Wang Qi before leaving.
During the handover, there was an unexpected discovery. The camphor trees in the woods had indeed been used by Cui Wenxing and the others to bury excess offal and useless pelts. On the day Cui Shihai realized things might go wrong, he had notified Cui Qian to copy the ledgers, delete the computer records, and bring men to dig up the remains under the camphor trees.
In his haste, Cui Qian had grabbed a random gunny sack and given it to Cui Shihai. Cui Shihai was usually meticulous; he had even cleared the soil in a wide radius to be safe. But despite all his calculations, he had overlooked the fact that the sack had once held bear and tiger pelts. In the moment his men shook out the bag, the tiger and bear hairs left inside fell onto the excavated soil. They escaped Cui Shihai’s notice, only to be dug up by Lu Linjiang.
When he was taken to the woods to identify the site, Cui Shihai listened to Lu Linjiang mention those few hairs. After hesitatingly offering this guess, he let out a long sigh and repeated that same phrase: "Retribution. An eye for an eye."
By the time they finished their business, it was another day before they could catch a train at Tuocheng Station.
In the few days Lu Linjiang had been there, he had uprooted a massive smuggling case that had been dormant on Liucheng Island for years. He could have applied to continue the investigation; securing a First-Class Merit wouldn't have been a problem. Instead, he handed all the materials over to Wang Qi, essentially pushing away a guaranteed promotion.
As the recipient, Wang Qi felt rather embarrassed. "Captain Lu, this... you're basically handing me a huge achievement on a silver platter."
Lu Linjiang nodded politely. "What are you saying? Whether you investigate or I do, the case gets solved just the same. It’s all the same. Besides, even if I applied to follow through, I’d still have to coordinate with you. There’s no need to draw such a sharp line between us. I have matters in Jinghai. Once you’ve tracked down the suppliers and buyers, just let me know when the case is closed."
By the time they exited Jinghai Station, it was nearly late afternoon. Lu Linjiang told Yang Bo he could head back first, while he took a taxi directly to the CDC.
The CDC was currently under Level 1 alert. Lu Linjiang showed his ID and explained his purpose, and eventually, Shen Lei came out to lead him inside.
"Where’s Jiang Cheng?" Lu Linjiang asked. Jiang Cheng had specifically returned to Jinghai ahead of him to help control Guo Junyi’s condition; he should have been here.
"Dr. Jiang? One of his senior fellow students arrived at noon. They’re both inside now. They’re wearing hazmat suits, and since taking them off and putting them back on is a hassle, they won't be coming out until tonight."
Lu Linjiang followed Shen Lei through the protective corridor. He was sprayed with disinfectant and donned a simple protective suit before he finally saw Guo Junyi in the isolation ward, along with two figures in full hazmat gear.
Guo Junyi looked alright for the moment. Though his complexion was poor, he managed to wave when he saw Lu Linjiang. The person recording data in front of him followed Guo Junyi’s gaze and gave Lu Linjiang a slight nod. It was Jiang Cheng.
Lu Linjiang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The hazmat suits looked incredibly professional; to Lu Linjiang, they didn't look much different from space suits. "Since when did your equipment become so advanced?" He remembered that even during large-scale outbreaks, the Jinghai CDC usually had to file reports and wait for superior approval to get gear this professional.
"Hardly!" Shen Lei’s tone held a hint of envy. "Those are currently the best hazmat suits in the world. Supposedly, there are only about thirty sets in existence. The old ones our center has are leagues behind. Dr. Jiang’s senior brought them. He and Dr. Jiang each have a set; the rest of us can only watch and drool."
"Jiang Langmin brought them?" Lu Linjiang looked at the other figure, who was slightly taller and kept his head down, focused on the equipment.
"Yeah. Talk about deep pockets. The suits arrived this morning before he even got here. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The floor of the center is covered in the drool of envious staff. I’ll be satisfied if I just get to touch one later."
Lu Linjiang thought to himself that Shen Lei usually seemed mature and steady, yet she had surrendered immediately to a bit of "sugar-coated bullets." How spineless. But as he looked at those "sugar-coated bullets" again, he felt a deep sense of peace. Dressed like that, they surely wouldn't be infected.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 国家野生动物保护条例 | National Wildlife Protection Regulations | China's legal framework for protecting endangered species. |
| 果子狸 | Masked Palm Civet | Paguma larvata; often linked to the jump of coronaviruses to humans. |
| 雅味居 | Yawei Residence | The name of the restaurant/eatery run by the Cui family. |
| 一报还一报 | Retribution / An eye for an eye | A phrase indicating karmic justice or poetic irony. |
| 驼城 | Tuocheng | The city/location of the train station near Liucheng Island. |
| 姜朗旻 | Jiang Langmin | Jiang Cheng's senior fellow student (shixiong). |
| 糖衣炮弹 | Sugar-coated bullets | An idiom meaning a bribe or something attractive used to weaken someone's resolve. |
