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“What exactly did I miss?”

After a moment of consideration, Yu Feibai suddenly realized, “Right, he hasn't requested permission from his superiors for a search warrant or anything.”

In an instant, the gazes of everyone standing nearby turned strangely toward Yu Feibai.

“Well, I spoke out of turn,” Yu Feibai faltered, then shook his head. “I almost forgot; this is China. You can just open the door to check the water meter here; you don’t need any other reason.”

“Pat-pat, pat-pat!”

Just as Yu Feibai was reflecting, Officer Yang had already knocked on the door. In the deep quiet of the night, probably around two or three in the morning, hearing such a sound suddenly was truly unsettling.

“Who is it?”

A moment later, a muffled voice drifted from inside the compound.

“See, he gave himself away,” Yu Feibai swiftly remarked, adding with acuity, “If you’re at home, especially at this hour, and hear a noise outside, shouldn't your first reaction be to throw rotten eggs or yell something?”

“Don’t you be loud,” Wang Guan whispered a reminder. “Lest they realize something is up and try to escape.”

“They aren't martial arts masters; how could they hear us from over a hundred meters away?” Yu Feibai scoffed, though despite his words, he quieted down and settled in to watch the show.

Under Officer Yang’s persistent knocking, the people inside finally opened the door, cautiously peering out. Seeing that the visitor was a police officer, they instinctively moved to shut the door without a second thought.

Simultaneously, Officer Yang, with quick eyes and fast hands, slammed his palm against the door, and a gentle smile replaced the sternness on his imposing face. “Don't be afraid. We are the police. We just need your assistance with an investigation…”

“It’s He Laoliu.”

Yu Feibai clearly saw the opener’s face in the dim light and couldn't help but smile with pleasure. “I knew there was something wrong with him; otherwise, why would he be so guilty?”

The others nodded slightly, concurring. Perhaps it was preconceived bias, but one couldn't deny that He Laoliu’s behavior was highly suspect. There was no need for further discussion after this. If several officers wanted to enter, would He Laoliu dare to stop them? Even if he wanted to resist, he lacked a good excuse and had no choice but to watch Officer Yang and the others step inside.

“Assisting an investigation” was a formidable trump card; ordinary people wouldn't dare refuse, nor would they have the confidence to do so.

Since the group had gone inside, the show was over for him. Yu Feibai regretfully withdrew his gaze, murmuring to himself, “I wonder what excuse he’ll use to request assistance?”

“Searching for a wanted fugitive, perhaps,” someone beside him answered, sounding quite experienced.

It should be noted that near Wang Guan and his companions, and surrounding He Laoliu's residence, at least a dozen police officers were lying in wait. These men had been urgently summoned by Officer Yang on the way over. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to come here to apprehend someone.

Of course, Officer Yang would certainly never admit to being timid. The reason he called for backup was to ensure absolute success, to capture the culprits in one sweep without leaving any loose ends, thus preventing any threat to the safety of ordinary citizens…

However, even if there was a slight hint of timidity, the fact that Officer Yang dared to take the lead at this hour was why his colleagues respected him enough to mobilize so many men with just one call. Ultimately, Officer Yang was somewhat dedicated, and despite his flaws, his integrity was solid. It was no wonder Yu Feibai was willing to hand this credit over to him.

Yet, the credit was right there, but it wasn't easy to claim.

Anyway, after watching Officer Yang and the others go in, everyone checked the time and realized that more than ten minutes had passed without any sound coming from inside, which was genuinely strange. This was real life, not the jianghu of a Wuxia novel. Even if the thief inside was ferocious, it shouldn’t take this long to subdue a few officers so silently.

Officer Yang and his team were quite robust, among the more capable officers. Even if they were subdued, there should have been some commotion. The prolonged silence from the residence made everyone a little restless.

Just as the crowd hesitated, wondering whether to send two or three more men inside to gauge the situation, a sound finally emerged from the main gate of the compound.

“I’m sorry to trouble you…”

“…No, it’s what I should do…”

Under everyone's scrutiny, Officer Yang and the others walked out, accompanied by a smiling He Laoliu. Such a scene—a perfect picture of police-civilian harmony—seemed impossibly congenial.

But this outcome did not align with expectations, and everyone found it decidedly bizarre.

“What happened?”

Yu Feibai frowned. “Was he bought off?”

“Don't talk nonsense,” Wang Guan mused thoughtfully. “Didn't you notice Officer Yang’s expression was very stiff? Something must have gone wrong.”

“Nothing went wrong; we just couldn't find the tomb robber.”

Officer Yang walked over to their corner, careful that He Laoliu wouldn't see him. Facing their puzzled looks, he looked somewhat crestfallen. “We checked every room; they were all empty. There’s nowhere a person could hide. Perhaps he has other issues, but they seem unrelated to the tomb raiding case.”

Even if there was a connection, without proof, it counted as no connection. Hearing this, everyone started to frown; they were all at a loss. Not finding the person meant their initial deduction was flawed, resulting in a fruitless effort.

After a moment of silence, Officer Yang sighed. “Xiao He, it’s getting late. Tell the men to stand down. Let’s go back, get some sleep, and resume searching for clues at the crime scene tomorrow morning.”

“Yes…”

A police officer acknowledged the order and was about to execute Officer Yang’s instruction.

“Wait!”

Just then, Wang Guan extended his hand to stop him, his expression hardening with seriousness. “Officer Yang, do you dare take another gamble?”

“What do you mean?”

At this point, not only was Officer Yang astonished, but the others nearby were also quite confused.

“When you went inside to search, did you only look at the rooms and neglect to inspect the spacious courtyard?” Wang Guan’s eyes were filled with thought. “Don't you think the front and back yards are too large? It might not just be for burying counterfeit antiques. Isn't it possible there’s a cellar or some kind of underground space?”

“A cellar?”

Instantly, everyone exchanged glances, beginning to consider this possibility.

“Exactly!”

Even if others were uncertain, Yu Feibai was overcome with mixed joy and surprise. “Digging a cellar under a house isn't impossible. Remember that news story a few days ago about someone digging a whole basement level under his villa to increase the floor area…”

“Ahem, ahem!”

Officer Yang looked slightly embarrassed, as that “someone” seemed to be one of his colleagues. Of course, that was a digression. The most crucial thing now was to determine whether Wang Guan’s hypothesized cellar actually existed.

Generally, there were three possibilities for this situation. First, the cellar exists, and the culprit is hiding inside. In that case, it’s a guaranteed catch, an easy victory.

The second scenario is that a cellar exists, but it’s also empty. This wouldn't matter much, as He Laoliu hiding the existence of a cellar would give him plenty of room to argue his innocence.

However, the third situation was the most dreaded: no cellar existed at all, yet they had come back for a second round. This would easily invite public criticism. If He Laoliu took to the internet or a newspaper to vent, Officer Yang would be severely disadvantaged.

“If you won’t go, I will.”

As Officer Yang hesitated, Yu Feibai stepped forward directly, then turned back. “Boss Fang, lend me your men for a moment.”

“Oh?”

Fang Mingsheng paused, then smiled, waving his hand gently.

In that instant, several bodyguards, burly men resembling iron towers, stepped forward. They tacitly followed behind Yu Feibai, and the entire group marched toward He Laoliu’s residence. The grandeur and momentum were no different from the appearance of young masters in period dramas.

“Wait a moment.”

Officer Yang gritted his teeth and spoke up, intending to step in himself again. But he misjudged Yu Feibai’s temperament. At a moment like this, how could he heed advice? He completely ignored Officer Yang’s call and walked straight to the main gate. Instead of knocking, he kicked it with his foot.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

He kicked a few times—not overly hard, but the sound was crisp and loud enough.

“…Who is it?”

A moment later, He Laoliu’s voice came from inside the compound again, but this time his tone was more confident, laced with a noticeable edge of complaint and impatience.

“It’s me, open up,” Yu Feibai replied casually, kicking the door a few more times. The situation suggested that if He Laoliu didn't open up, he would just break down the door.

If this were an ordinary residence, Yu Feibai wouldn't be so overbearing. However, one must not forget the Chinese character for 'demolish' that Yu Feibai had left behind in He Laoliu’s compound. Regardless of whether He Laoliu was connected to the tomb robbers, the forgery business was a certainty. Against a counterfeiter like this, there was no need for courtesy.

“Who is it, this late? Do you really think I’m open twenty-four hours… Oh, Mr. Yu?”

He Laoliu opened the door and was utterly surprised to see Yu Feibai outside.

“Sorry, I dropped something and think it might be here; I’d like to look for it,” Yu Feibai offered a casual excuse and walked straight in.

He Laoliu didn't have time to react before Yu Feibai strode into his home, heading directly for the back courtyard. This didn't look like someone searching for a lost item; it looked more like someone coming to stir up trouble.

Stir up trouble?

He Laoliu suddenly snapped back to reality and hurriedly called out, “Mr. Yu, what did you drop? I’ll help you look…”

“His integrity dropped all over the floor.”

At that moment, Wang Guan and the others decided they wouldn't hide anymore, emerging from the dark corners and walking briskly into the residence. He Laoliu was too distracted to stop them even if he tried.

“What are you trying to do?”

At this critical juncture, He Laoliu finally realized something was severely wrong and shouted in alarm, “Without my permission, you are trespassing! This is illegal; I can call the police at any time…”

“No need to call the police; we’re here too.”

Simultaneously, Officer Yang emerged, declaring righteously, “Mr. He, we just received an urgent report that a valuable item was lost in your home, so we need to conduct a thorough search for the missing property. We request your cooperation in this investigation.”